152 1.8.C. Proceedings of the Ninth [N.S. XVHi 
ing wrong names imposed on them by the ignorance of the 
dominant class. 
- As is well known, the tribes have not escaped the influence 
of Hindu caste system which has resulted in the formation of 
a number of sub-tribes which in several cases have matured 
into full blown Hindu castes, and have broken off their connec- 
tion with the parent stock so far, that they cannot now be 
recognized as having had any connection with the tribe from 
which they sprang.’ As remarked by a Census Superintendent 
‘in the stupendous growth the base and the main trunk have 
in several cases been altogether lost sight of so that it is now 
y no means easy either to distinguish the branch from the 
trunk and the iwig, or to Jocate the root of any trunk, branch 
or twig.’ In spite of this, a number of tribes have persisted in 
retaining their original characteristics. 
According to the Census statistics the biggest tribe that 
has withstood the procession of centuries is that of Gonds. 
Its present habitat is Central India, which once bore the name 
of Gondwana after the tribe. According to the Census of 1911, 
Gonds numbered 29 lacs, but the figure is not reliable as 
some two lacs of the same tribe in the United Provinces have 
been separately classified under a name spelt as GONR. as dis- 
tinguished from GOND. But this is a distinction without a 
difference. Again certain sub-tribes have been separately clas- 
sified, for instance, the Koi, the Gowari, the Pardhan and the 
Parja, which in previous censuses had been included under 
onds. These 4 sub-tribes muster six lacs strong, so that 
the total number of Gonds goes up to 37 lacs which represents 
the highest tribal strength in India exceeding even that of 
olis who are now absorbed into Hinduism and who according 
to Census tables number close upon 32 lacs, otherwise the 
highest figure for any tribe in India, even after excluding 
33 lacs of Kols from whom Kolis are said to be derived. 
The fact, however, remains that on the Dravidian side the 
Gonds and on the Kolarian side the Kols are the strongest 
being almost equa] in number each exceeding 30 lacs. Bot 
these tribes are found north of the Godavari, though the for- 
mer’s origin is traced to the country south of that river. It 
1s somewhat curious that in the true Dravid country, viz. 
south of the Godavari, there should not be found a Dravidian 
tribe as strong in numbers as the Gonds of Central India. 
The Central Province is full of Gonds. Every 7th man there 
isa Gond. There are certain hilly districts where as much as 
60 per cent of the population is Gond. 
There are altogether some 40 different tribes in Central 
India, of which about 3ths do not individually own a strength 
of even 50 thousand persons. Thus we are left with about 
nine great tribes, viz. Gonds and Oraons belonging to the Dra- 
vidian group and Bhils, Kawars, Korkus, Kols, Sawars, Binjh- 
