CLASS /RANKING/STRATIFICATION IN TRIBAL SOCIETY

 

CLASS IN TRIBAL SOCIETY

 

There have been many misconception and misconstructions regarding the interpretation of tribal societies. Most of the classical theories or studies on tribal societies all over the world undertaken by various historians and scholars maintain that tribal societies are more or less egalitarian in nature, characterized by collective conscience and communal ownership of land and the questions of differentiation and inequality do not arise.

S.L. Sharma argues that: “Several studies of social stratification, ranking system and class formation among the tribes all over World have reported absence of social differential in tribal societies. For centuries tribal people were seen as undifferentiated”.

Contemporary empirical studies conducted by some scholars such as K.L. Sharma, R.K. Prasad, Ghanshyam Shah, S.L. Doshi amongst other reveal that Indian tribes are not egalitarian and undifferentiated as claimed by the earlier writers. Some forms of differentiation and social ranking have always existed among the tribals even in the past. Ranked position or distinction on the basis of age, sex, family and kinship was very much present among the tribals.

K.L. Sharma” For a long time tribal people were seen as undifferentiated lot. However they have/had gradation based on age-set, sex and kinship which did not form the basis of social stratification as found among the non-tribal like property, power and authority. 

Adityendra Rao argues that tribal society like any other is not homogenous. The view that tribals have been an egalitarian society is only a myth. this has perhaps been formed and propagated by the classical colonial anthropologists. they described tribal groups as small, self contained, self sufficient communities practicing subsistence economy in which exploitation and social conflict did not have any place. Such a depiction of the tribal led our social anthropologists to say that there are no classes among the tribals.” He maintains that rank differentiation or inequality has been significant characteristics attribute of the tribal community in India.

Social stratification on the basis of power and status is very much present in tribal societies just as it is in non-tribal societies. Nonetheless, social stratification among tribes is distinct from the non-tribes.

Social stratification among the tribes may function within the microcosm of a tribe or at the plane of two or more tribal groups. Tribal stratification is usually viewed

in terms of internal distinction of the individual in accordance with their control over natural resources

or the ranking of individuals based on their hereditary or material and divine capabilities.

Ghanshyam Shah in his “stratification among schedule tribes in the Bharuch and Panchmahals Districts of Gujarat (1986) strongly argues that because the impact of modernization and various developmental programmes initiated by the government of India, tribal society is no longer homogenous and egalitarian. At present tribal groups are segmented on the basis of interests. He maintains that based on the size or extent and possession of land, tribal communities is divided into rich, middle and lower. The life style and educational attainment too differ. In his study of Chaudhri tribe Shah concluded that economic strata have been developed amongst the tribals based on occupation and ownership of land. Following are the main strata as perceived by Shah

1                    Agricultural labourer and poor cultivators

2                    Middle cultivators

3                    Rich cultivators

4                    White collar employees

R.K. Prasad’s Study of Parahiya of Palamau shows that they have evolved social stratification corresponding to the system of caste stratification. This may be due to their close proximity and acquaintance with the caste Hindus. According to Prasad the Parahiyas have developed a kind of caste like stratification because of their familiarity with the Hindus.

S.P Punalekar based on his research investigation on tribal social stratification among the Dhodias in Surat city points out that the process of social distinction which is emerging among the Dhodias tribes, is from tribe to class. Tribe ethnicity is not of much significance in the city. He makes a distinction among the migrated Dhodias into two strata:

1          Upper strata of white collar employees and

2          Lower strata of factory workers, casual labourers and self employed  

Sachchidananda classified the tribal people into two classed namely two classes

1                    upper classes

2                    commoners

While interpreting the emerging pattern of social stratification among the tribals A.R. Desai maintains that the processes unleashed right from the British days to the aftermath of the independence have constituted two main classes such as

1                    the privileged class

2                    the exploited class

A small section of the tribals who have gained from the privileges have occupied a higher status. Generally they are better educated and better placed in government services as wee as in agriculture. On the other hand, the masses of the tribals who compose the exploited class occupy the lowest rank  

Adityendra Rao has conducted another in-depth study on the tribal stratification among the Bhil tribes of Rajasthan. He asserted that social stratification among the tribe is based on class instead of class.

Jaganath Pathy in his studies in five tribal villages in Gujarat employing Marxian perspectives classified five agrarian classes

1                    rich peasants

2                    middle peasants

3                    small peasants

4                    landless and

5                    farm worker

Regarding the class distinction among the tribals Pathy remarks “The so called tribes of India are not homogenous wholes. There are antagonistic classes and powerful reactionary forces which are allied with the capitalist classes in the hope of maintenance of their privileges”.

Class distinctions have crystallized among the tribals like the non-tribal people  in terms upper, middle and lower classes because all the people have not been benefited in equal measure and it is hard to believe that a majority of the tribals have been harmed by the development process in the post independence period.

 

 

 

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