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What does Adivasi mean?

Adivasi means 'original inhabitants'. It is a collective name used by and for many tribal peoples of India, especially in the central and eastern parts of the country. It is a term of identity, not a legal one. The Indian constitution uses the term 'Scheduled Tribes' instead.

The word joins two Sanskrit-derived roots: 'adi', meaning first or original, and 'vasi', meaning dweller. It came into wide use in the 1930s and 1940s as tribal leaders in the Chota Nagpur region of eastern India built a shared political identity.

Adivasi is used most by peoples of central and eastern India, such as the Santal, Munda, Oraon, Ho, Gond and Bhil. It expresses pride and a claim to be the first people of the land, with a bond to forest and soil that is older than later kingdoms and states.

It is not used everywhere. Many peoples of north-east India, such as the Naga, Mizo and Khasi, prefer 'tribal' or their own names. In Assam, 'Adivasi' usually refers to the descendants of central Indian workers brought to the tea plantations.

Officially, the Government of India has taken the position that all Indians are indigenous, and it uses 'Scheduled Tribes' in law. The two terms overlap heavily but are not identical: some communities who call themselves Adivasi are not on the official lists in the state where they live.

Words used here

AdivasiScheduled TribeIndigenous peopleEndonymDiaspora

Sources

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