Bhil Vasava

The Vasava are a sub-group of the Bhil ethnic community found in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in India. They have scheduled tribe status. In Maharashtra, they are known as Vasave.^[1]

Origin

The Vasava section of the Bhil trace their descent from Eklavya. They originally hail from south Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The community are now found in districts of Baroda, Surat, Bharuch and Panchmahal. They speak Bhili language, although most can now speak Gujarati.^[2]

The Vasave in Maharashtra are found mainly in the Khandesh region. There settlements exist mainly in the hilly and forest terrain of the Satpuda range. The Vasave speak the Bhil language, but most also speak Marathi. Historicsally they were endogamous, but marriages have started to take place with other Bhil groups such as the Gamit, Padvi and Naik. The Vasave are mainly a community of farmers, with animal husbandry being a secondary occupation. About 80% of the Vasave are Hindu, while the other 20% are Christians.^[3]

Present circumstances

The Vasava are now an endogamous community and maintain village exogamy. They are traditionally a community of hunter-gatherers. Many are now agricultural labourers, and a few also own land. Those who own land grow paddy, sorghum, wheat, cereals and different kinds of pulses. The Vasava are Hindu, although they incorporate many folk beliefs.^[4]

See also

• Bhil

Reference

1. ^ People of India Gujarat Volume XXII Part One edited by R.B Lal, S.V Padmanabham & A Mohideen page 226 to 230 Popular Prakashan
2. ^ People of India Gujarat Volume XXII Part One edited by R.B Lal, S.V Padmanabham & A Mohideen page 226 to 230 Popular Prakashan
3. ^ People of India Maharshtra Volume XXX Part One edited by B.V Bhanu, B.R Bhatnagar, D.K Bose, V.S Kulkarni and J Sreenath pages 326-335
4. ^ People of India Gujarat Volume XXII Part One edited by R.B Lal, S.V Padmanabham & A Mohideen page 226 to 230 Popular Prakashan