Bhil or Bheel is an

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

western India Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of its western part. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative division includes the states of Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra along with the Union te ...

. They speak the

Bhil languages The Bhil languages are a group of Indo-Aryan languages spoken by around 10.4 million Bhils in western and central India as of 2011. They constitute the primary languages of the southern Aravalli Range in Rajasthan and the western Satpura Range ...

, a subgroup of the

Western Zone Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

of the

Indo-Aryan languages The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily ...

. As of 2013, Bhils were the largest tribal group in India. Bhils are listed as tribal people of the states of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

and

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...

—all in the western

Deccan The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...

regions and central India—as well as in

Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...

in far-eastern India, on the border with

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. Bhils are divided into a number of

endogamous Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting those from others as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. Endogamy is common in many cultu ...

territorial divisions, which in turn have a number of clans and lineages. Many Bhils now speak the dominant later language of the region they reside in, such as

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...

or a Bhili language dialect.

Etymology

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

's southern parts and surrounding regions of

, 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

autochthonous Autochthon, autochthons or autochthonous may refer to: Fiction * Autochthon (Atlantis), a character in Plato's myth of Atlantis * Autochthons, characters in the novel ''The Divine Invasion'' by Philip K. Dick * Autochthon, a Primordial in the ...

peoples of these areas.

History

The Bhil Kings have been mentioned in the Mahabharata as rulers of

Malwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syno ...

and Central India . From the time of the Mahabharata to 325 B.C Bhils were originally rulers Idar, Rajpipla, Mándvi Bánsda and Dharampur in southern Gujarat

Rebellion against Mughal

Rana punja was grandson of Bhil Chief Harpal Bhil of Oghna Panarawa. He was the king of Merpur and he supported Maharana Pratap against Akbar. A family of Bhil hunters

Bhil Rebellion

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. Along with a number of 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 characterized as criminal under the Act had earlier rebelled against the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

and participated in the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

. She claims that the British colonial government legislated the Act in 1871 in the wake of these autochthonic tribes' proclivity for rebellion.

Mutiny against Mewar State

According to Ram Pande, in 1881, the Bhils protested against "the census classification, prohibition on alcohol manufacture, establishment of police and customs, and the ban on the

killing Killing, Killings, or The Killing may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Killing'' (film), a 2018 Japanese film * ''The Killing'' (film), a 1956 film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick Television * ''The Killing'' (Danish TV serie ...

witches Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have use ...

". 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 The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

work among the tribe, Govind was able to stop them consuming

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

and alcohol, and to pressurize the state for the formation of village councils which could administer their own affairs and for barring forced labor. In 1917,

Mewar State Kingdom of Mewar, sometimes known as Udaipur State, was ruled by the Sisodia dynasty. It was an independent kingdom in Rajputana region of India. It was established around the 7th century as minor rulers of the Nagada-Ahar region of Udaipur a ...

Girasia Garasia, alternatively spelled Girasia, Girasiya or Garasiya, is a Indian honorifics, title used by the Koli people, Koli Tribal chief, chieftains of petty Princely state, states or Jagirdars in India who held the villages as ''Giras'' granted ...

s 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 1908. 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 Idar may refer to: People * Idar Andersen (born 1999), Norwegian road racing cyclist * Idar Kreutzer (born 1962), Norwegian businessperson * Idar Kristiansen (1932–1985), Norwegian poet, novelist, short story writer and non-fiction writer * ...

Palanpur Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the administrative headquarters of Banaskantha district. Palanpur is the ancestral home to an industry of Indian diamond merchants. Ety ...

and

Sirohi Sirohi is a city, located in Sirohi district in southern Rajasthan state in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirohi District and was formerly the capital of the princely state of Sirohi ruled by Deora Chauhan Rajput rul ...

regions of Gujarat; and he "became a notorious offender against the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Demographics

The Bhils are inhabitants of

Dhar Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dhar ...

Jhabua Jhabua is a town and a municipality in Jhabua district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Jhabua District. Recently the district has got international recognition because of its endemic hen species ...

Khargone Khargone is a city and administrative headquarters of an Khargone district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The city is located on the bank of the Kunda river and is known for its cotton and chilly (chili pepper) production. It is also ...

and

Ratlam Ratlam, known historically as Ratnapuri (lit. ''gem city''), is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh states and territories of India, state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administ ...

districts of

Bhilai Bhilai is a city in Durg district of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Chhattisgarh, in eastern central India. With population exceeding 1 million, it is the second-largest urban area in Chhattisgarh after Raipur. Bhil ...

(Bhil= Tribe, Aai= Came, meaning Bhils came), a city in

Durg district Durg district is a district situated in Chhattisgarh, India. The district headquarters is Durg. The district covers an area of 2,238 km². As of 2011 it is the second most populous district of Chhattisgarh (out of 18), after Raipur. Th ...

is named after this. A large number of Bhils live in the neighbouring states of

and

. They constitute the largest

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. 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 Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

who are known as the

Meghwar Bhil The Sindhi Bhils/Bheels (Sindhi language, Sindhi: ) are a Sindhis, Sindhinised sub-group of the Bhil, Bhil people who live in the Sindh, Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, and Balochistan, Pakistan, Balocistan provinces of Pakistan. They are one of major ...

or just Meghwar.

Present circumstances

The Bhil are classified as a

Scheduled Tribe The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

, Rajasthan and

under the Indian government's reservation program of positive discrimination.

Sub-divisions

The Bhil are divided into a number of endogamous territorial divisions, which in turn have a number of clans and lineages. In

, they exist as

Bhil Garasia The Bhil Garasia are a clan of the Bhil ethnic community and are found in the state of Rajasthan, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, se ...

Dholi Bhil The Dholi Bhil are a clan of the Bhil ethnic community and are indigenous to the current state of Rajasthan, India. Social status , the Dholi Bhil were classified as a Scheduled Tribe The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) ...

Dungri Bhil The Dungri Bhil are a clan of the Bhil ethnic community and are found indigenous to the current state of Rajasthan, India. Social status , the Dungri Bhil were classified as a Scheduled Tribe The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Trib ...

Dungri Garasia The Dungri Garasia are a clan of the Bhil ethnic community found in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. They have scheduled tribe status. Origin The word Dungri literally hills and Garasia means a clearer of forest in the Rajasthani ...

Mewasi Bhil The Mewasi, or Mevasi, Mehwasi is a Indian honorifics, title of Koli people, Koli Caste system in India, caste found in States and union territories of India, Indian state of Gujarat. The Koli Tribal chief, chieftains who ruled over villages popu ...

, Barda ,

Warli The Warli or ''Varli'' are an indigenous tribe (Adivasi) of western India, living in mountainous as well as coastal areas along the Maharashtra-Gujarat border and surrounding areas. They are considered by some to be a sub-caste of the Bhil tribe ...

Bagdi The Bagdi or Wagdi are a people of India who are one of the Bhil tribes. They historically spoke the Wagdi language. However today the largest number of Bagdi speak Hindi with others speaking such languages as Malvi The Malvi or Malavi, a ...

Dhodia Dhodia are an Adivasi people who have been placed in the Indian communities recognition, under Schedule Tribes. The majority of the Dhodia tribes are located in the southern part of Gujarat (Navsari, Surat and Valsad districts), Dadra and Nagar H ...

Nirdhi Bhil Nirdhi Bhil or sometimes pronounced as Nilde Bhil are a Muslim community found in India. Some Bhil, it is said to have occurred during the rule of the Faruki kings. Satmalas hills formed part of the territory the Faruqi dynasty, Faruqi kingdom, ...

Gamit The Gamit are Adivasi, or indigenous Bhil people of Gujarat, India. They are mainly found in Tapi, Surat, Dang, Bharuch, Valsad and Navsari districts of Gujarat and some parts of Maharashtra. They are included in state list of scheduled tribes. ...

Rawal Bhil The Rawal Bhil are a clan of the Bhil ethnic community and are found in the state of Rajasthan, India. Social status , the Rawal Bhil were classified as a Scheduled Tribe The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially ...

Tadvi Bhil The Tadvi Bhil is an tribal community found in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in India. They are from the larger Bhil ethnic group, and are a clan of it. They use the surname Tadvi or sometimes the name of thei ...

Bhagalia The Bhagalia are a clan of the Bhil ethnic community and are found in the state of Rajasthan, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most ...

Bauris The Bauris (Bengali:বাউরী) are recognised as an indigenous Bhil Subgroup of Bengali Hindu community, belonging to the Kashyapa clan and Shakta sect of hinduism, primarily residing in Bengal found in large numbers in Bankura, Birbhum, Puru ...

Bhilala A Bhilala is a tribe found in the Malwa and Nimar of the Central Provinces and in Central India. The total strength of the Bhilalas is about 150,000 persons, most of whom reside in the Bhopawar Agency, adjoining Nimar. Only 15,000 were returned f ...

Rathwa The Rathva or Rathwa also spelled as Rathava and Rathawa is a Subcaste of the Koli caste found in the Indian state of Gujarat. Rathava Kolis were agriculturist by profession and turbulent by habits but now lives like Adivasis such as Bhil be ...

, Pawra, Barda,

, Nayak, Nahals ,Mathvadi, Dorepis,

Dhanka The Dhanka are a Subgroup of Bhil tribe or caste of India who believe themselves to be Indigenous peoples, aboriginal, although they are unable to assert from whence they came.found in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh ,Gujarat ,Maharashtra , C ...

Vasava The Vasava are an Adivasi clan of the Bhil ethnic community found in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in India. They have scheduled tribe status. In Rajasthan, they are also known as Vasave. Origin The Vasava are a Bhil sub ...

and

Vasave The Vasava are an Adivasi clan of the Bhil ethnic community found in the States and union territories of India, states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in India. They have scheduled tribe status. In Rajasthan, they are also known as Vasave. ...

Language

The language commonly spoken by Bhils throughout their geographic distribution is Bhili. Bhili has about up to 36 identified dialects and pronunciation differs by region. 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. 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. The Bhil in Sindh speak

Sindhi Bhil Sindhi Bhil, () is an Indo-Aryan dialect spoken in the Pakistani province of Sindh, as well as some parts of Balochistan. Sindhi Bhil is often referred as a Sindhi dialect than a language alongside Lasi. Characteristics Sindhi Bhil is kno ...

Culture

Bhils have a rich and unique culture. The Bhilala sub-division is known for its Pithora painting.

Ghoomar Ghoomar or ghumar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan. It was the Bhil tribe who performed it to worship Goddess Sarasvati which was later embraced by other Rajasthani communities. The dance is chiefly performed by veiled women who wear fl ...

is a traditional folk dance of the Bhil tribe. Ghoomar is the symbol of womanhood. Young girls take part in this dance and declare that they are stepping into the shoes of women.

Art

Bhil painting is characterised by the use of multi-coloured dots as in-filling.

Bhuri Bai Bhuri Bai is an Indian Bhil artist. She was born in Pitol village, situated on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Pitol is a village of Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh. Bhuri Bai belongs to the community of Bhils, the largest tribal gr ...

was the first Bhil artist to paint using readymade colours and paper. Other known Bhil artists include

Lado Bai Lado Bai is a tribal artist from the Bhil people, Bhil tribe of Madhya Pradesh. Her work has been showcased in various exhibitions in India, France and the UK. She lives and works in the Adivasi Lok Kala Academy, Bhopal. Early life and career ...

, Sher Singh, Ram Singh and Dubu Bariya.

Cuisine

Main foods of Bhils are

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

and chili which they cultivate in their small fields. They collect fruits and vegetables from the local forests.

Wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

and

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

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 the major part of their diet. They profusely use alcohol distilled by them from the flower of Mahua (

Madhuca longifolia ''Madhuca longifolia'' is an Indian tropical tree found largely in the central, southern, north Indian plains and forests, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It is commonly known as madhūka, , mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahua, mahwa, , Iluppai or vippa che ...

). On festive occasions, various special preparation from the dish rich, i.e. maize, wheat, barley, malt and rice. Bhils are traditionally non-vegetarian.

Dress

The traditional dresses of men are the

Pagri Phari or Pagri (; ) is a town in Yadong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China near the border with Bhutan. The border can be accessed through a secret road/trail connecting Tsento Gewog in Bhutan () known as Tremo La. the town had a popula ...

Angarkha Angarkha is an outer robe with long sleeves which was worn by men in South Asia. By the 19th-century it had become the generally accepted attire of an educated man in public. It had evolved from the Persian cape ''balaba'' or ''chapkan'' as a ...

Dhoti The dhoti, also known as veshti, vetti, dhuti, mardani, chaadra, dhotar, jaiñboh, panchey, is a type of sarong, tied in a manner that outwardly resembles "loose trousers". It is a lower garment forming part of the ethnic costume for men in the ...

and

Gamchha A gamucha () is a traditional thin, coarse cotton towel, often with a Checked shirt, checked design, found in the Indian subcontinent, mainly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, as well as various parts of South and Southeast Asia. It is used for dryin ...

. Traditionally women wear

Sari A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std= ...

and

Ghagra Choli Ghagra choli (also known as lehenga choli and locally as chaniya choli) is a type of ethnic clothing for women from the Indian Subcontinent, notably in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Pu ...

. 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, earring in Bhil language, narniyan (bangle), nathni (nose-jewel) etc.

Tattooing A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing p ...

is traditional custom among them. Women folks do tattooing generally before marriage.

Faith and worship

Every village has its own 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

Bhopa The Bhopa people are the priest-singers of the folk deities in the state of Rajasthan, India. They perform in front of a scroll, known as (''par'' in the Rajasthani language) that depicts the episodes of the narrative of the folk deity and func ...

s for their physical, mental and psychological treatments. * Bhensasaur - Bhil people worship buffalo as Bhensasaur According to Victoria R. Williams, the Bhils "identify largely as Hindu". The Dang Bhils follow Christianity, and the Nirdhi and Tadivi Bhils follow

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. A number of other Bhils follow Sonatan (Sanskrit: Sanatan) which is their "own religion". Williams states that Sonatan "blends Hindu beliefs and animistic philosophies". Bhil saints were mainly

Vaishnava Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

Hindus, and include Dhanraj Lodha, Govind Guru, Gulia Bhamda, Ramdas, Surmaldas, Tantya Mama, and

Maharishi Valmiki Valmiki (; Sanskrit: वाल्मीकि, ) is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature. The epic ''Ramayana'', dated variously from the 5th century BCE to first century BCE, is attributed to him, based on the attribution ...

Festivals

There are a number of festivals, viz. Rakhi,

Navratri Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is ob ...

, Dashera,

Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

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. During some festivals there are a number of tribal fairs held at different places of districts. Navratri mela, Bhagoria mela (during Holi festival) etc. Bhil community of

Udaipur Udaipur () (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura''), historically named as Udayapura, is a city and municipal corporation in Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarter of Udaipur district. It is the historic capit ...

celebrate

Gavari Gavari, also spelt Gavri, is a 40-day long festival celebrated in July and September of each year in the Mewar region of Rajasthan, India. The Gavari season Each year, ''bhopa'' shamans from Mewar's Bhil communities petition the Goddess t ...

festival each year after Holi.

Communal dance and festivities

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 and hunting dance. Musical instruments include the

Harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

Sarangi The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, and Boro folk music (there known as the ''serja'') – in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It is ...

, Kundi, Bansuri, Apang, Khajria,

Tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

, Jhanjh,

Mandal A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

and Thali. They are usually made from local products.

Local political structure

Traditional each Bhil village is led by a headman (''gameti''). The ''gameti'' has authority and decision-making powers over most local disputes or issues.

Genetics

According to a genetic study on the Indian population in 2009, Bhill people of

carried around 27.27% of Y haplogroup H, 18.18% Haplogroup J, 18.18% Haplogroup L, 18.18%

Haplogroup R2 Haplogroup R2, or R-M479, is a Y-chromosome haplogroup characterized by genetic marker M479. It is one of two primary descendants of Haplogroup R (R-M207), the other being R1 (R-M173). R-M479 has been concentrated geographically in South Asia ...

, 9.09%

Haplogroup R1a Haplogroup R1a, or haplogroup R-M420, is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup which is distributed in a large region in Eurasia, extending from Scandinavia and Central Europe to southern Siberia and South Asia. While R1a originated c. 22,000 to 2 ...

and 9.09% Haplogroup C.

Notable people

, Artist *

, Artist * Tantia Bhīl, freedom fighter * Bhima Nayak, Freedom fighter * *

Chhotubhai Vasava Chhotubhai Amarasinhbhai Vasava (born 15 July 1945) is Indian politician from Western Indian state of Gujarat. He founded the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) in 2017 after leaving Janata Dal (United). He is a seven term Member of the Legislative Ass ...

, Politician *

Rajkumar Roat Rajkumar Roat (born 26 June 1992) is an Indian politician and a two-time MLA from Chorasi Assembly constituency, Chorasi constituency. He founded the Bharat Adivasi Party, Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) in 2023 after leaving Bharatiya Tribal Party, ...