UPSC GS Paper I: Art Culture, Tribal Cultures and Folk Traditions

Must?Know

• The Santhal tribe of Jharkhand and West Bengal celebrates Sohrai festival post-harvest, involving ritual wall paintings made with rice paste and natural dyes; linked to agrarian cycles and ancestral worship.
• Birhor tribe of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers, known for basket weaving using bamboo and tendu leaves; classified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
• Gaddi tribe of Himachal Pradesh are semi-nomadic shepherds practicing transhumance between Dhauladhar ranges and lower Shivalik foothills; revere Lord Shiva and practice seasonal migration with sheep and goats.
• Toda tribe of Nilgiri Hills (Tamil Nadu) are PVTG known for unique barrel-vaulted dairy temples and matriarchal clan structure; their embroidery, known as pukhoor, is UNESCO-recognized intangible heritage.
• Chhau dance has three distinct styles: Purulia (West Bengal), Seraikella (Jharkhand), and Mayurbhanj (Odisha); only Mayurbhanj style does not use masks, distinguishing it from the other two.
• Bonda tribe of Odisha (PVTG) practice facial scarring and wear distinctive bead necklaces; their isolation in the Malkangiri hills has preserved Proto-Australoid features and language.
• Lambadi (Banjara) communities in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh are known for vibrant embroidery using mirrors and red/green threads; their folk songs narrate migration and Sufi influences.
• Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh (PVTG) practice wet rice cultivation in Ziro Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list entry; known for facial tattoos and nose plugs in women historically.
• Warli tribe of Maharashtra and Gujarat create ritual paintings using white pigment on mud walls, depicting daily life and nature; themes centered on Tarpa dance, a circular communal performance.
• Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia tribes of Meghalaya follow matrilineal descent; property inheritance passes through the youngest daughter (ka khadduh), a system codified under the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Act, 1952.
• Bishnoi tribe of Rajasthan, founded by Guru Jambheshwar in 1485, follow 29 ecological commandments; famously protect blackbuck and khejri trees, linked to the 1730 Khejarli massacre where 363 Bishnois died saving trees.
• Chenchu tribe of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are PVTG, traditionally hunting with bows and arrows in Nallamala forests; their livelihood is now restricted under the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act.
• Rabari herders of Gujarat and Rajasthan are known for camel and sheep rearing; their embroidery features camel bone motifs and is central to bridal trousseaus.
• Mizo tribes celebrate Chapchar Kut after jhum clearing, involving bamboo dance (cheraw) and traditional music; festival revived post-insurgency to promote cultural integration.
• Baiga tribe of Madhya Pradesh (PVTG) practice Barkha Dikhai ritual to invoke rain; their traditional dwellings are kutia huts with thatched roofs and bamboo walls.
• Onge tribe of Little Andaman (PVTG) are one of the world’s last Paleolithic-era tribes; population declined to 101 (2011 Census) due to disease and displacement post-1947.
• Santal people speak Santali, written in Ol Chiki script (invented by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925); script included in Eighth Schedule via 92nd Constitutional Amendment (2003).
• Dongria Kondh of Niyamgiri Hills (Odisha, PVTG) worship Niyam Raja as deity of the mountain; their resistance against Vedanta Resources’ bauxite mining led to 2013 Supreme Court verdict affirming Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
• Gujjar Bakarwals of Jammu & Kashmir are nomadic pastoralists migrating with goats and sheep between Pir Panjal and Kashmir Valley; recognized under Indian Constitution’s Scheduled Tribes list in J&K.
• Bhils of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh are India’s largest tribal group; celebrate Ghoomar dance during festivals like Holi and Diwali, involving swirling movements and traditional ghagra choli.
• Mishing tribe of Assam live in chang ghar (stilt houses) to combat Brahmaputra floods; practice sikiou (cotton weaving) and celebrate Ali-Ai-Ligang, a spring festival with drum dances.
• Konyak tribe of Nagaland are known for headhunting traditions (now extinct) and elaborate facial tattoos; their Hornbill Festival revives warrior dances and morung (youth dormitory) culture.
• PVTGs (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups): 75 identified by Ministry of Tribal Affairs; criteria include pre-agricultural technology, low literacy, small population, and declining economy; formerly called "Primitive Tribal Groups".
• Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) framework mandates state budget allocation for tribal development; funds not utilizable for non-tribal areas; monitored by Ministry of Tribal Affairs annually.
• Festivals of Northeast India: Bihu (Assam), Hornbill (Nagaland), Losar (Arunachal Pradesh), Saga Dawa (Sikkim), Chapchar Kut (Mizoram) – each tied to agricultural cycles and animist-Buddhist syncretism.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate – Tribal cultures require precise recall of names, locations, practices, and constitutional provisions; UPSC frequently combines art forms with geography and governance.

Common UPSC Traps

Trap: Chhau dance is uniformly performed with masks – Fact: Only Purulia (WB) and Seraikella (JH) styles use masks; Mayurbhanj (OD) style does not, as per Sangeet Natak Akademi classification.
Trap: All tribes in Northeast follow patrilineal systems – Fact: Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes in Meghalaya follow matrilineal descent, with property passing to youngest daughter (ka khadduh).
Trap: PVTGs are defined under the Indian Constitution – Fact: PVTGs are an administrative category identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (earlier by Dhebar Commission, 1960); not a constitutional term.
Trap: Warli paintings use multiple colors – Fact: Traditional Warli paintings use only white rice paste on red mud walls; no natural dyes or multiple pigments are used originally.
Trap: Dongria Kondh won legal rights due to PESA Act – Fact: Dongria Kondh rights were upheld under Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, not PESA; PESA applies only to scheduled areas in nine states, not Odisha’s Niyamgiri.

Practice MCQs

Question: Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

1. Bonda – Facial tattoos and bead necklaces

2. Apatani – Wet rice cultivation in Ziro Valley

3. Onge – Nicobar Islands
A) 1 and 2 only
B) 2 and 3 only
C) 1 and 3 only
D) 1, 2, and 3
Answer: A
Explanation: Bonda (Malkangiri, Odisha) are known for facial scarring and beads; Apatani practice wet rice cultivation in Ziro (Arunachal Pradesh); Onge are in Little Andaman, not Nicobar.
Why others fail: Option D is tempting due to confusion between Andaman tribes; Onge are in Andaman, Shompen are in Nicobar.

Question: The Ol Chiki script is associated with which tribal language?
A) Gondi
B) Santhali
C) Ho
D) Kui
Answer: B
Explanation: Ol Chiki script was invented by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925 for Santali language, included in Eighth Schedule via 92nd Amendment.
Why others fail: Option A (Gondi) is tempting as Gonds are a large tribe, but Gondi uses Devanagari or Telugu scripts, not Ol Chiki.

Question: Which tribe is known for the Tarpa dance and ritual wall paintings?
A) Mishing
B) Warli
C) Rabari
D) Mizo
Answer: B
Explanation: Warli tribe of Maharashtra performs Tarpa dance and creates ritual paintings using white pigment on mud walls.
Why others fail: Option A (Mishing) is associated with Ali-Ai-Ligang and chang ghar, not Tarpa dance.

Question: The Hornbill Festival is celebrated by which state to revive Naga tribal culture?
A) Manipur
B) Nagaland
C) Arunachal Pradesh
D) Assam
Answer: B
Explanation: Hornbill Festival is held annually in Kohima, Nagaland, to promote inter-tribal unity and revive Konyak warrior traditions.
Why others fail: Option C (Arunachal) is tempting due to tribal diversity, but Losar and Torgya are its major festivals, not Hornbill.

Question: Which of the following tribes practices transhumance in the Himalayan region?

1. Gaddi

2. Gujjar Bakarwal

3. Toda
A) 1 and 2 only
B) 2 and 3 only
C) 1 and 3 only
D) 1, 2, and 3
Answer: D
Explanation: Gaddi (HP), Gujjar Bakarwal (J&K), and Toda (Nilgiris) all practice seasonal migration with livestock; Toda migrate between Shola grasslands and lower slopes.
Why others fail: Option A is tempting if Toda migration is overlooked, but Toda do practice limited transhumance in Nilgiris.

Question: The Dongria Kondh tribe recently gained recognition for protecting which mountain range from mining?
A) Western Ghats
B) Niyamgiri Hills
C) Amarkantak Plateau
D) Mahadeo Hills
Answer: B
Explanation: Dongria Kondh of Odisha worship Niyam Raja in Niyamgiri Hills; Supreme Court upheld their FRA rights against Vedanta mining in 2013.
Why others fail: Option A (Western Ghats) is tempting due to ecological movements, but Niyamgiri is in Eastern Ghats (Odisha).

Question: Which of the following is a feature of the Khasi matrilineal system?
A) Property inherited by eldest son
B) Lineage traced through father
C) Youngest daughter inherits property (ka khadduh)
D) Women cannot own land
Answer: C
Explanation: In Khasi society, lineage and property pass through females; youngest daughter (ka khadduh) inherits ancestral property.
Why others fail: Option A is tempting due to general patrilineal norms in India, but Khasi system is explicitly matrilineal.

Last?Minute Revision

• PVTGs: 75 identified; criteria include pre-agricultural tech, low literacy, small population, declining economy.
• Ol Chiki script – Santali language – 92nd Amendment (2003) – Eighth Schedule.
• Chhau dance: Purulia (mask), Seraikella (mask), Mayurbhanj (no mask).
• Dongria Kondh – Niyamgiri – FRA 2006 – 2013 SC verdict.
• Bishnoi – 29 principles – Khejarli massacre – 1730 – Guru Jambheshwar (1485).
• Warli art – white rice paste – mud walls – Tarpa dance.
• Toda – dairy temples – pukhoor embroidery – Nilgiri Hills – PVTG.
• Apatani – Ziro Valley – wet rice – facial tattoos (historical) – PVTG.
• Gaddi and Gujjar Bakarwal – transhumance – Himalayan migration.
• Khasi, Garo, Jaintia – matrilineal – ka khadduh (youngest daughter inherits).
• Bonda – Malkangiri – facial scarring – bead necklaces – PVTG.
• Onge – Little Andaman – PVTG – population 101 (2011).
• Mishing – chang ghar – Ali-Ai-Ligang – Assam.
• Konyak – headhunting (past) – Hornbill Festival – Nagaland.
• Lambadi – Banjara – mirror embroidery – red/green threads.
• Bhil – largest tribal group – Ghoomar dance – Rajasthan/MP.
• Seraikella Chhau – Jharkhand – masks – Sangeet Natak Akademi.
• Forest Rights Act, 2006 – individual and community rights – not PESA.
• Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) – budget allocation – Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Santhal – Sohrai festival – wall paintings – Jharkhand/West Bengal.
• Birhor – basket weaving – PVTG – Chhattisgarh/Jharkhand.
• Rabari – Gujarat/Rajasthan – camel herding – embroidery.
• Chapchar Kut – Mizoram – post-jhum festival – cheraw dance.
• Baiga – Barkha Dikhai – kutia huts – MP – PVTG.
• Losar – Arunachal Pradesh – Buddhist festival – new year.
• verify from standard source – exact current population of PVTGs post-2011.