Munda Tribe
The Munda are one of the important tribes of the Kolarian group of Jharkhand. They are generally placed in the Proto-Australoid group. There are different views about their origin and migration. According to one view, their original homeland was Tibet. Another view says that they moved from the south-western part of India towards Madhya Pradesh because of Aryan pressure and later entered Jharkhand. Another theory suggests that they came from the south-eastern part of India, defeated the Asura tribe and established their settlement in Jharkhand. Some sources mention their entry into Jharkhand around 600 BCE.
Munda have their own language called Mundari, which belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family. They also refer to their language as ‘Hodo Jagar’. The major areas inhabited by the Munda include Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Giridih, Palamu, Singhbhum, Gumla, Simdega, Khunti, Santhal Parganas. They are the third largest tribe in terms of population in Jharkhand.
Munda Village
A traditional Munda village has three important places. Sarna is the sacred place where village deities are worshipped. Akhara is the meeting place where the Panchayat gathers and where young men and women traditionally meet, dance and sing. Sasan is the burial place of the community. The stones placed over the graves are known as Sasanadiri. The traditional youth dormitory of the Munda is called Giti Ora.
When the Munda settled in Jharkhand, they cleared forests for agriculture and permanent settlement. They developed agricultural fields known as Khunt Khet/Kheti, and the settlements formed around them became known as Khunt Katti villages. The person who established or developed a field was called a Khuntkattidar. Here, the term Khunt was associated with a family or lineage.
Under the Khuntkatti system, each Khunt had rights over its own forest and land. As the population increased, new villages were established near the older settlements. Although these villages were newly formed, their social, cultural, religious and political practices remained connected with the original ancestral villages.
When several such villages came together, they formed a larger traditional administrative unit known as Parha.
Traditional Panchayat System
The traditional Munda administration worked at different levels. The head of an individual village was called Munda or Hatumunda. He represented the whole village, collected taxes, maintained law and order and helped settle village disputes.
A group of villages formed a cluster under a Manaki. Several clusters together constituted a Parha, whose chief was known as Parha Raja. The Parha Panchayat functioned as an inter-village institution and dealt with disputes between villages and other common matters.
The Parha Panchayat was regarded as the highest judicial, executive and legislative authority in the traditional Munda system. It also settled mutual disputes and disputes between different villages.
Different officers assisted the Parha administration. They included Diwan/Deewan, Thakur, Kotwar, Pandey, Karta and Lal. In some descriptions, these officials are mentioned as executive officers working under the Parha authority.
The traditional administrative positions were generally connected with hereditary succession. However, accounts also mention that the Parha Raja could be selected through election, showing an element of community participation in the system. Because of this participatory character, the Munda-Manaki-Padaha/Parha arrangement has sometimes been described as an early form of a democratic or cooperative administrative system. The Manki and Parha Raja did not receive regular revenue from the villages in the manner of a conventional royal system.
Religious System
The chief deity of the Munda is Singbonga. Their important village deity is Hatubonga, while Burubonga is regarded as a mountain deity. Deshauli is considered an important goddess associated with the village.
The Pahan is the religious head of the village. He performs worship and sacrifices for the welfare, safety and prosperity of the community. The sacred grove or Sarna is an important place of worship.
The head of a family traditionally worships Odabonga, which is associated with the family totem. The Munda also follow the practice of worshipping Totam/Totem, regarded as a favoured or symbolic sign.
Village Religious Officials and Land
The assistant of the Pahan is called Pujar or Panbhara. The Pahan receives a small tax-free piece of land known as Dali-Katari Bhoomi. He may also receive service land called Bhoot Kheta, the produce or income of which supports the traditional system of worship connected with spirits.
Festivals
The major festivals of the Munda include Anoba, Fagu, Jitiya, Karama, Maghe, Nawakhani, Sarhul (Ba), and Sohrai.
Most Munda festivals are closely connected with agriculture, forests and nature. Fagu is associated with organised mass hunting. Sarhul, also called the Ba festival or festival of flowers, is an important celebration of nature and the arrival of spring.
Sarhul in Different Tribes
| Tribe | Name of Sarhul Festival |
|---|---|
| Munda | Baa Parab |
| Oraon (Kurukh) | Khaddi |
| Ho | Baa Parab |
| Santal | Baha Parab |
| Kharia | Janko Parab |
Roapuna and Jomnava are associated with the arrival of new grains and the agricultural cycle, particularly around paddy transplantation. Batauli, also known as Chhota Sirhul, is celebrated in Ashadh before ploughing and preparing the fields.
Gotras
The Munda community has many gotras. Some important gotras mentioned are Aaind, Baghe, Balmuchu, Barla, Bengra, Bhengra, Bodra, Dungdung, Kandulana, Kerketta, Purti, Surin, Tirki, Topano, Tuti, etc.
Present Situation
In the present period, government Panchayats have also been established in Munda tribal areas. These modern Panchayats deal with local administration and may also influence social affairs. As a result, the traditional Munda Panchayat institutions have gradually become less important in comparison with the formal government Panchayat system.
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