|
The general physical traits of the people of Andhra Pradesh
are tall, round-headed, broad-faced, with a long arched forehead,
thick and protruding noses, with straight hair and yellow skin.
Certain castes of Brahmins and Kapus of Vizag district, in Andhra
Pradesh have the following features which accords with the description
of the sub-races of the Mediterranean belonging to the main
division of Caucasoid; short of medium height, with long and
elevated or medium-sized heads, normal eyebrows, with short
broad faces, prominent but medium-sized noses, straight hair
and wavy tufts. The general colour of the skin is wheat-gray.
The
other inhabitants of the Andhra are divided into two classes. The
first of them belong to the forests and hill area of the Deccan Plateau.
The others belong to the extended areas of the doab between the rivers
Krishna and the Godavari. The foresters answer to the description of the
Australoid sub-race. The Chenchus of Srisailam hills belong
to this class. They are short, with elevated long heads and possess
clear and well-defined eyebrows, with protruding mouths and snub flat
noses. The general colour of the skin is wheat-gray and the hair is
black and crinkled.
Gadabas,
Savaras and Koyas belonging to the Bhadrachalam and
Simhachalam hilly areas, bear the complex features of Mongolids and
Australoids. From the earliest times, the Telugu land included among its
inhabitants foresters and hill-men and other tribals. Some tribals
inhabited the sea-board region. Today there are nearly 32 lakh tribals
and 50 lakh nomads and other backward people in Andhra Pradesh. Their
habitat spreads along the coastal and mountain strip of the Bay of
Bengal from the Bhadragiri agency in Srikakulam district to the
Bhadrachalam agency in Khammam and Godavari districts. From there it
spreads north-east wards to the Adilabad region. This tribal area is
contiguous to the tribal areas of Bastar, Dandakaranya and Vidarbha. There
are about thirty-three kinds of tribals in eight districts of Andhra
Pradesh. Important among them are the Khonds, Kolamis, Nayakpods, Koyas,
Kondadoras, Valmikis, Bhagatas, Savaras, Jatayus, Gadabas, Yanadis and
Chenchus.
These
tribes have absorbed elements of Hinduism. The tribal people worship
their own pantheon of nature gods and goddesses and continue to revel in
their ancient customs and manners. Their languages do not have scripts
and are essentially verbal. Tradition has a firm grip on them. The laws
of tradition are always obeyed scrupulously and any breach is strictly
censured. Their social life is obedience to the leader who commands
immense respect and holds sway over all aspects of tribal life. They do
not hesitate to participate in the feasts and festivals of the
community. They sing and dance. The Yanadis along the coastline, the
Chenchus of the Srisailam hill area, the Koyas and Savaras of Godavari
and Srikakulam forest areas, and the Khonds of Adilabad forests are
typical in ancient habits. Their beliefs are simple and seek direct
uninvolved expression. They are honest and frailties in character.
 In
Andhra Pradesh there are certain nomadic tribes. Piccukaguntlu,
Balasanta, Saradakandru, Viramushtivaru, Bavanilu, Birannalavaru,
Gollasuddulu, Davaluru, Jangamulu, Kommuvaru etc are Telugu nomads
whose main occupation is ballad singing. They are favoured by particular
castes for maintaining their family records and singing their past
glory. Some of them are occupied in itinerary trade and commerce, while
their womenfolk are engaged in cottage industries like making toys, baskets, mats, beads
and cosmetics. They are always on the move, subject to the changes of
weather and this state of living is traditional. These nomadic tribes
have their own forms of recreation and pastimes which go a long way in
making their life less rigorous and even contended. They take suffering
in their stride but they know how to seek refuge from life's worries in
a native and pleasant manner.
Among
non-Telugu nomads, Lambadis also called Sugalis are very prominent. Originally
they were Rajasthani's who took to a nomadic way of life and moved in
batches towards the south of the sub-continent. Some of them are found
in rural areas. They are itinerant traders. Besides the Lambadis,
mercenary soldiers of Maharashtrian stock have settled down mostly in
Telangana. They are called 'Are' and they speak a dialect which is a
mixture of Marathi and Telugu. Their occupation is agriculture. They
have only a spoken language. Their manners and customs are different
from those of the country of their domicile. Cultural complexities have
arisen due to historical circumstances. Many foreigners of different
faiths have entered Andhra Pradesh and some of them made cultural
conquests through fire and sword. Others prevailed in the guise of
spiritual uplift. Both these foreign elements have disrupted the
continuity and peaceful life of the people and affected their tradition
and culture. The Tribal Welfare and Social Welfare departments are
trying to better the lot of the tribals and backward classes with
educational and economic plans. Free education, hostel facilities,
cottage industries, housing societies, agricultural facilities, bank
loans and cooperative corporations for the marketing of forest produce
like honey and herbs, are some of the ways by which it has sought to
better the lives of these simple people.
|
