Bhil

Some scholars suggest that the term Bhil is derived from the word billa or billu which means bow in the Dravidian lexis. The term Bhil is used to refer to "various ethnic communities" living in the forests and hills of Rajasthan's southern parts and surrounding regions of western India, highlighting the "popularity of the bow and arrow as a weapon among these groups". It is also used as a blanket term to refer to the aboriginal peoples of these areas.

File:King_Bansiya_Bhil.jpg

According to John Samuel, as per legendary and historical records, the Bhil tribals controlled large parts of Gujarat from 11th to 15th century before the Rajputs conquered the territories from these locals.{{Cite book |last=Samuel |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q2RuAAAAMAAJ&q=Bhil+chief |title=Struggle for Survival: A Resource Book on the Status and Rights of the Adivasi Communities in India |date=2002 |publisher=National Centre for Advocacy Studies |language=en}}

The Bhils of what is now the state of Gujarat rebelled on several occasions during the British colonial era, notably in 1846, 1857–58, and 1868.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ETStkm6TcwcC&pg=PA124|title=Law Enforcement in Tribal Areas |first=S. K. |last=Ghosh |publisher=Ashish Publishing House |year=1987 |page=124|isbn=9788170241003 }}

Along with several other Indian social groups, the Bhils were designated as a criminal tribe by the British colonial government under the Criminal Tribes Act 1871, which meant that a Bhil could be "randomly picked up, tortured, maimed or even killed" by the colonial authorities. Susan Abraham notes that many of the tribes characterised as criminal under the Act had earlier rebelled against the East India Company and participated in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. She claims that the British colonial government legislated the Act in 1871 in the wake of these autochthonic tribes' proclivity for rebellion.{{cite journal |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=34 |number=27 |date=July 1999 |pages=1751–1753 |publisher=Economic and Political Weekly |title=Steal or I'll Call You a Thief: 'Criminal' Tribes of India |first=Susan |last=Abraham |jstor=4408149}}

File:Bhil Women.jpg

According to Ram Pande, in 1881, the Bhils protested against "the census classification, prohibition on alcohol manufacture, the establishment of police and customs, and the ban on the killing of witches". Their campaigning was stepped up and given meaning by Govind Guru who was a social and political leader. Pande suggests that because of his long-term Brahminical Hinduism missionary work among the tribe, Govind was able to stop them from consuming meat and alcohol and to pressurise the state for the formation of village councils that could administer their affairs and for barring forced labour. In 1917, Mewar State's Girasias joined the Bhils in the struggle to get the petty taxes and forced labour quashed, and to get the land revenues decreased. Taking note of these protests, the jagirdars of Mewar had called on a British political agent to suppress the mutiny. Pande noted that 1,500 Bhils got shot in 1913. In 1921, the tribals and peasants united under the leadership of Motilal Tejawat in the struggle against "forced labour, petty taxes, the disparity in taxes, high taxes and the tyrannical ways of the jagirdars". Tejawat's thoughts drew followers from the Bhils and Girasias of the Danta, Idar, Palanpur and Sirohi regions of Gujarat; and he "became a notorious offender against the state".{{cite book |title=Identity, Gender, and Poverty: New Perspectives on Caste and Tribe in Rajasthan |edition=illustrated |year=1997 |page=240 |publisher=Berghahn |place=Oxford; Providence |chapter=Class Resistance and Identity |first=Maya |last=Unnithan-Kumar |isbn=978-1571819185 |oclc=1043247151 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b9ktWLud0oIC&pg=PA240}}

The Bhils are inhabitants of Dhar, Jhabua, Khargone and Ratlam districts of Madhya Pradesh. Bhilai (Bhil= Tribe, Aai= Came, meaning Bhils came), a city in Durg district of Chhattisgarh is named after this.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} A large number of Bhils live in the neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. In Bengal, the Bauris represent the Bhil tribe.{{Cite book |last1=Chakraborty |first1=Goutam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nSUhEAAAQBAJ&dq=Bauris+Bhil&pg=PA270 |title=Know Your State West Bengal |last2=Pattrea |first2=Madhumita |date=7 December 2020 |publisher=Arihant Publications India limited |isbn=978-93-252-9222-2 |language=en}}{{bsn|date=June 2024}} They constitute the largest tribe of India. According to Victoria R. Williams, the Bhils are India's "most widely dispersed tribal group". A small population of Bhils also resides in Pakistan's Sindh province, who are known as the Sindhi Bhils.

The Bhil are classified as a Scheduled Tribe in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh,{{cite web|url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/mp/news/amit-shah-in-bhopal-tomorrow-focus-on-tribal-in-home-ministers-second-consecutive-visit-to-mp-know-the-reason-129696179.html|title=MP के दूसरे दौरे में भी ट्राइबल पर फोकस; जानिए BJP के लिए आदिवासी क्यों जरूरी|work=Dainik Bhaskar |date=21 April 2022 |accessdate=22 April 2022}} Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tripura under the Indian government's reservation program of positive discrimination.

The Bhil are divided into several endogamous territorial divisions, which in turn have several clans and lineages. In Rajasthan, they exist as Bhil Garasia, Dholi Bhil, Dungri Bhil, Dungri Garasia, Mewasi Bhil, Barda, Patelia, Kataria, Bagdi, Dhodia, Bhillava or Billava, Meena, Barela, Khotil, Dangchai,{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=K. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bfAMAQAAMAAJ&q=Bhil |title=Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles |date=1996 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-0-19-563357-3 |language=en}} Dangehi, Nirdhi Bhil, Gamit, Rawal Bhil, Tadvi Bhil, Bhagalia, Bauris, Bhilala, Thakar, Rathwa,{{Cite book |last=Tilche |first=Alice |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CM5gEAAAQBAJ&dq=Chhota+Udaipur+Bhil&pg=PA10 |title=Adivasi Art and Activism: Curation in a Nationalist Age |date=19 February 2022 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-74972-3 |language=en}} Pawra, Sonawane, Barda, Warli, Nayak,{{Cite book |last=Fisher |first=R. J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T1B_AAAAMAAJ&q=Nayak+Subcaste+Bhil |title=If Rain Doesn't Come: An Anthropological Study of Drought and Human Ecology in Western Rajasthan |date=1997 |publisher=Manohar |isbn=978-81-7304-184-6 |language=en}} Nahals, Mathvadi, Dorepis,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rbUBAAAAYAAJ&dq=Bhil+rulers&pg=PA620 |title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Khandesh |date=1880 |publisher=Printed at the Government Central Press |language=en}} Dhanka,{{Cite book |last=Srivastava |first=Ashirbadi Lal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PAsfAAAAIAAJ&q=%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%80+%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B2+%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BE |title=The Sultanate of Delhi, 711-1526 A.D.: Including the Arab Invasion of Sindh, Hindu Rule in Afghanistan and Causes of the Defeat of the Hindus in Early Medieval Age |date=1966 |publisher=Shiva Lal Agarwala |language=en}} Vasava and Vasave.{{cite web|publisher=Census of India: Government of India |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/scst_main.html |date=7 March 2007 |title=List of Scheduled Tribes |access-date=27 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605042409/http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/scst_main.html |archive-date=5 June 2010 }}{{efn|The Vasava and Vasave in Rajasthan may be alternate transliterations of the name for a single community. The sources are unclear regarding this.}}

File:A partial specimen of the Bhili Language.png

The language commonly spoken by Bhils throughout their geographic distribution is Bhili.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hoQqpkfrXfAC&q=bhil+language|title=Ethnographic Atlas of Indian Tribes|last=Mehta|first=Sonu|publisher=Discovery Publishing House|year=2004|isbn=9788171418527|editor-last=Mehta|editor-first=Prakash Chandra|location=New Delhi|pages=191|chapter=Bhils - I}} Bhili has about up to 36 identified dialects and pronunciation differs by region.{{Cite thesis|url=http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/14048|title=Dialect Continuum in the Bhil Tribal Belt: Grammatical Aspects|last=Phillips|first=Maxwell P.|publisher=University of London|year=2012|pages=23|type=phd}} Bhili is based on Gujarati, but dialects of Bhili gradually merge into more widely spoken languages such as Marathi in the southeast and Rajasthani in the northwest. Around 10 million people recorded themselves as speaking a Bhili dialect in the census.{{Cite book |last=Ratnagar |first=Shereen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tcTz54VVHF4C |title=Being Tribal |date=2010 |publisher=Primus Books |isbn=978-93-80607-02-3 |language=en}}

Estimates of individuals speaking the language are often inaccurate as speakers of minor languages like Bhili have sometimes been treated as having major languages (such as Marathi or Gujarati) as their mother tongue.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.96184|title=Census of India 1951|year=1954|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.96184/page/n69 61]|chapter=Paper No. I - Languages}}

The Bhils in Sindh speak Sindhi Bhili and Dhatki.{{Cite web |title=Sindhi Bhil: Sindhi Meghwar language |url=https://globalrecordings.net/en/language/16736 |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=globalrecordings.net |language=en}}

Bhils have a rich and unique culture. The Bhilala sub-division is known for its Pithora painting.{{cite news|last1=Pachauri|first1=Swasti|title=Pithora art depicts different hues of tribal life|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/pithora-art-depicts-different-hues-of-tribal-life/|access-date=13 February 2015|work=The Indian Express|date=26 June 2014}} Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of the Bhil tribe.{{Cite book|title=Inquisitive Social Sciences|last=Kumar|first=Ashok Kiran|publisher=S. Chand Publishing|year=2014|isbn=9789352831098|location=Republic of India|pages=93}}{{Cite book|title=Native People of The World|last=Danver|first=Steven L.|publisher=Routledge|date=28 June 2014|isbn=978-0765682949|location=United States of America|pages=522}} Ghoomar is the symbol of womanhood. Young girls take part in this dance and declare that they are stepping into the shoes of women.

Bhil painting is characterised by the use of multi-coloured dots as in-filling. Bhuri Bai was the first Bhil artist to paint using readymade colours and paper. Other known Bhil artists include Lado Bai, Sher Singh, Ram Singh and Dubu Bariya.{{Cite web |url=https://www.artisera.com/blogs/expressions/bhil-art-how-a-tribe-uses-dots-to-make-their-story-come-alive |title=Bhil Art - How A Tribe Uses Dots To Make Their Story Come Alive |website=Artisera |access-date=18 March 2019}}

The main foods of Bhils are maize, onion, garlic, and chili which they cultivate in their small fields. They collect fruits and vegetables from the local forests. Wheat and rice are used at time of festivals and other special occasions only. They keep self-made bows and arrows, swords, knives, axes, etc. with them as weapons for self-defense and hunting the wild fauna which also form a major part of their diet. They profusely use alcohol distilled by them from the flower of Mahua (Madhuca longifolia). On festive occasions, various special preparations from the dish are rich, i.e. maize, wheat, barley, malt, and rice. Bhils are traditionally non-vegetarian.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UjhLDwAAQBAJ&q=Bhil+people+history&pg=PA4|title=Ethnobotany of Bhil Tribe|isbn=9789387307360|last1=Singh|first1=V. P.|last2=Jadhav|first2=Dinesh|date=January 2011|publisher=Scientific Publishers }}

File:Bhil woman circa 1914.jpg

The traditional dresses of men are the Pagri, Angarkha, Dhoti and Gamchha. Traditionally women wear Sari and Ghagra Choli.

There are many traditional ornaments of Bhils. Men wear Kada, Bajuband, Chain, ear rings, Kardhani. Women wear variety of ornaments such as hansli (ring) Zele-zumke, earrings in Bhil language, narniyan{{which lang|date=July 2020}} (bangle), nathni (nose-jewel) etc. Tattooing is a traditional custom among them. Women folks do tattooing generally before marriage.

Every village has its local deity (Gramdev) and families too have their Jatidev, Kuldev and Kuldevi (house hold deity) which is symbolised by stones. 'Bhati dev' and 'Bhilat dev' are their serpent-god. 'Baba dev' is their village god. Karkulia dev is their crop god, Gopal dev is their pastoral god, Bag dev is their Lion god, Bhairav dev is their dog god. Some of their other gods are Indel dev, Bada dev, Mahadevel, Tejaji, Lotha mai, Techma, Orka Chichma and Kajal dev.

They have extreme and staunch faith in superstitious beliefs and Bhopas for their physical, mental, and psychological treatments.

• Bhensasaur - Bhil people worship buffalo as Bhensasaur {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wr4MAAAAIAAJ&q=Bhil&pg=PA571 |title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency ... |date=1901 |publisher=Printed at the Government Central Press |language=en}}

According to Victoria R. Williams, the Bhils "identify largely as Hindu". The Dang Bhils follow Christianity, and the Nirdhi and Tadivi Bhils follow Islam. A number of other Bhils follow Sonatan (Sanskrit: Sanatan) which is their "own religion". Williams states that Sonatan "blends Hindu beliefs and animistic philosophies".{{cite book |title=Indigenous Peoples: An Encyclopedia of Culture, History, and Threats to Survival [4 Volumes] |edition=illustrated |year=2020 |page=179 |publisher=ABC-Clio |place=Santa Barbara, California |entry=Bhil |first=Victoria R. |last=Williams |isbn=978-1440861185 |oclc=1107833866 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3_zRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA179}}

There are several festivals, viz. Rakhi, Navratri, Dashera, Diwali, Holi which are

celebrated by the Bhils. They also celebrate some traditional festivals viz. Akhatij, Navmi, Howan Mata ki Chalavani, Sawan Mata ki jatar, Diwasa, Nawai, Bhagoria, Gal, Gar, Dhobi, Sanja, Indel, Doha etc. with ceremonious zeal and enthusiasm.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

During some festivals, there are many tribal fairs held at different places in districts. Navratri mela, Bhagoria mela (during Holi festival) etc. Bhil community of Udaipur celebrate Gavari festival each year after Holi.{{Cite news|url=https://mediaindia.eu/tv-video/gavari-a-tribal-dance-drama-by-the-bheel-community-of-udaipur/|title=GAVARI: A tribal dance drama by the Bhil community of Udaipur|website=mediaindia.eu|access-date=4 September 2019}}

File:Bhil Dance Rajasthan.jpg

The chief means of their recreation is folk songs and dances. Women dance at birth celebrations, marriage functions and on a few festivals in traditional Bhili style accompanied by a drum beat. Their dances include the Lathi (staff) dance, Dhol dance, marriage dance, Holi dance, Battle dance, Bhagoria dance, Deepawal dance, Sajoni dance and hunting dance. Musical instruments include the Harmonium, Sarangi, Kundi, Bansuri, Apang, Khajria, Tabla, Jhanjh, Mandal and Thali. They are usually made from local products.

Traditional Bhil village is led by a headman (Gameti). The gameti has authority and decision-making powers over most local disputes or issues.{{Cite book|title=Human: The Definitive Visual Guide|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|year=2004|isbn=0-7566-0520-2|editor-last=Winston|editor-first=Robert|location=New York|pages=439}}

There has been a demand for the establishment of a separate state of Bhil Pradesh by combining the tribal-dominated parts of Gujarat and neighbouring states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.{{Cite web |date=25 May 2022 |title=Explained: Why are tribals of Rajasthan and Gujarat demanding a separate state of Bhil Pradesh? |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-are-tribals-of-rajasthan-and-gujarat-demanding-separate-state-of-bhil-pradesh-7936036/ |access-date=6 April 2023 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} In 2014, when the Telangana state was formed, it reignited hopes of statehood again.{{cite web |date=1 August 2013 |title=Clamour for separate Saurashtra, Bhilistan to get louder – Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/report-clamour-for-separate-saurashtra-bhilistan-to-get-louder-1868566 |access-date=6 April 2023}} In 2023, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA leader Chaitar Vasava raised demand for separate state of Bhil Pradesh.{{Cite web |title=Gujarat AAP MLA demands separate state of 'Bhil Pradesh' for tribals |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/gujarat-aap-mla-demands-separate-state-of-bhil-pradesh-for-tribals-2355816-2023-04-04 |access-date=6 April 2023 |website=India Today |date=4 April 2023 |language=en}}

• Bhuri Bai, Artist{{Cite web|url=https://www.saffronart.com/artists/bhuri-bai|title=Bhuri Bai {{!}} Paintings by Bhuri Bai {{!}} Bhuri Bai Painting - Saffronart.com|website=Saffronart}}
• Lado Bai, Artist{{Cite web|url=http://bhilart.com/lado-bai/|title=Lado Bai|website=Bhil Art}}

• Tantia Bhīl, freedom fighter{{cite book|author1=Ramaṇikā Guptā|author2=Anup Beniwal|title=Tribal Contemporary Issues: Appraisal and Intervention|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-hFGgLdn6KsC&pg=PA18|date=1 January 2007|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-8069-475-2|pages=18–}}
• Bhima Nayak, Freedom fighter

• Chhotubhai Vasava, Politician{{Cite news|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-ahmed-patel-saviour-chhotubhai-vasava-puts-congress-in-bind-2560314|title=Ahmed Patel saviour Chhotubhai Vasava puts Congress in bind|website=dnaindia}}
• Rajkumar Roat, Politician

• Nitin Bhille - Cricket player
• Dinesh Bhil - Archer {{Cite web |date=2 October 2020 |title=Champion archer Dinesh Bhil to train civil services officers |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/champion-archer-dinesh-bhil-to-train-civil-services-officers-6664229/ |access-date=1 December 2023 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}

• Bhilala
• Rathwa
• Mewar Bhil Corps
• India tribal belt

Notes

{{Notelist}}

Citations

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EjORKo7maRUC&pg=PA168 |title=The Structure of Indian Society: Then and Now |last=Shah |first=Arvind M. |author-link=Arvind Shah |year=2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-13619-770-3}}

{{Sister project links|auto=yes}}

• [https://www.gkmirror.in/2020/08/history-of-bhil-tribe-in-india.html History of Bhil Tribe in India - भील जनजाति का इतिहास]
• {{citation | url = http://www.folkpaintingsindia.com/ | title = Gond & Bhil Tribal Art — Madhya Pradesh | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150622220138/http://www.folkpaintingsindia.com/ | archive-date = 22 June 2015 | df = dmy-all }}.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20191216023016/https://www.nativeplanet.org/indigenous/cultures/india/bishnoi/bishnoi.shtml The desert dwellers of Rajasthan: Bishnoi and Bhil peoples (essay)]
• [http://www.rajasthan-tourism-guide.com/bhils-tribe-in-rajasthan.html Bhil Tribe In Rajasthan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011021415/http://www.rajasthan-tourism-guide.com/bhils-tribe-in-rajasthan.html |date=11 October 2012 }}
• [http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0127655 Genetic Affinity of the Bhil, Kol and Gond Mentioned in Epic Ramayana]

{{Bhil Clans}}{{Social groups of Rajasthan}}{{Social groups of Maharashtra}}{{Scheduled tribes of India}}

{{Scheduled Tribes in Madhya Pradesh}}

{{Hill tribes of Northeast India}}

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