The Lambadis and Culture Contact

By A. M. SOMASUNDARAM. M.A.*

The problems relating to the aboriginals in India ought to be viewed with a scientific and anthropological vision. The aboriginals in our country are of several types and belong to various ethnic groups. Though some of these Indian tribes live in remote hills and forests and have thus preserved their customs unimpaired, the bulk of them have to face the battle of culture-contact, and, unable to withstand its formidable force, are suffering from various handicaps and difficulties. Among these who have to face this battle of culture-contact, the nomadic branch deserves the immediate attention of the administrators and the general public. This culture-contract has, no doubt, done them some good. But in various instances it has produced upon them certain harmful effects. Among these nomadic tribes the Lambadis present several complex problems.

Undoubtedly, the Lambadis were an aboriginal tribe. But they came in close contact with other tribes and got miscegenated. Thus today, “they possess physical traits characteristic of the important racial stocks in varied proportions.” But there are differences of opinion among scholars as to the antiquity of this tribe. For instance, Mr. W. V. Grigson, I.C.S., in his introduction to the “Chenchus” observes as follows:

“This tribe must not be regarded as aboriginal in view of its undoubted Rajaputana origin, but, has clearly been influenced by many aboriginal contacts in the long centuries during which, in peace and war alike, it was the true carrier of goods between northern and southern India. It is recorded that in the Nimar District of the Central Provinces, the Gond and Korku aborigines used in the carrying days to be admitted in to the Banjara community and there is little doubt that this admission of members of local tribes into the community was clearly more extensive than would be confessed by the modern Banjara………..”

Mr. R.E. Enthoven, in his “Tribes and Castes of Bombay”, however, held a different view with regard to the primitiveness of this tribe. He has suggested an aboriginal descent to these people. For he writes that “in the Ptolemy’s list of Indian castes the name ‘Lambatai’ is to be found. According to Mc Crindle these were the inhabitants of Langham, a tract lying on the northern bank of the Kabul river, but it seems equally probable that ‘Lambatai’ is merely a form of the modern Lambadi.” His arguments throwing light on the primitive character of the Lambadis can be very well strengthened by the nomadic and precarious existence of these people and their crude material culture. But in the following lines, he has added “that though in origin the tribe may have been an aboriginal section of the population with a distinct identity, named from its occupation of carrying, supplies on bullocks, it has since been so overlain with additions from Rajaputs, Mahrattas and Mahars and a number of other well known tribes and castes that it can only be described as a miscellaneous collection of the flotsams and jetsams of humanity.” It is evident from the above statement of Enthoven that the Lambadis were a primitive tribe but from a long time have assimilated peoples of various stocks and are a heterogeneous lot.

The Lambadis were noted transporters of goods. In those parts of the Deccan where roads were absent, which would not admit of wheeled traffic, it was by these tribal men, with their large flocks of bullocks that extensive intercourse was carried on. In those days they earned a high reputation in the capacity of carriers of important commodities. It was recorded that during the period of the Moghal invasion of the Deccan the Lambadis supplied a fearless and reliable transport service. Their efficiency was so much needed by the British that they held great influence with the latter, so much so they objected to capital punishment without the sanction of a regular judicial authority, as Wilks tells us.

With regard to the kinds of goods which they transported, there are differences of opinion among scholars. Since the tribe is widely scattered all over the country, they are known by different names in different Provinces. Thus in parts of Hyderabad State, C. P., U. P., Central India, Rajaputana and Mysore, they are known as Banjaras (Brinjaries)–while in the Telugu districts of the Madras Province the Telingana parts of the Hyderabad State and the Karnatak districts of the Bombay Presidency, they are known as Lambadis (Lambadas), Lamanis and Labhanis. In some parts of the Madras Presidency like North Arcot and Coimbatore, they are known as Sugalis. In Orissa and Jeypore Zamindari they are styled as Boiparis. It is clear that each name indicates a particular economic pursuit. But my investigations and me to suppose that they were the carriers of salt and grain, while others hold that they were the traders in rice, betel nuts, etc. Many Nayaks of the various Lambadi settlements say that, up to the time of their grandfathers, all the members of the tribe were barriers of salt. In Huzur Nagar taluk of the Nizam’s Dominions I came across an old Lambadi woman who told me that she accompanied her father in the salt ‘Bedari’. Even today it is very common for the Tribal Panchayat of the Lambadis to impose heavy penalties on persons found guilty of having stolen, or lost, the needles used to stitch the gunny bags which were generally filled with salt or grain. Mr. W. V. Grigson, the celebrated field worker, in his “Maria Gonds of Bastar” referred to the writings of a Mahratta Amin of Deolmari who observed that the Banjaras had done much to conciliate and to partially civilise the Gonds: the traffic which they carried on, particularly in salt and sugar, had introduced a taste for luxuries which many of them could not easily dispense with. Further, if we refer to the meaning of the term ‘Lambadi’ it throws light on the profession of the Lambadis as the carriers of salt. Undoubtedly the word Lambadi is another form of ‘lavan’ a Sanskrit word for salt. Mr. R. E. Enthoven also is of the same opinion, for he says that the term ‘Lamani’ is derived from ‘lavan’, salt, the tribe being the chief carriers of salt before the opening of roads and railways.

Thus the Lambadis were a caste of carriers of goods like salt, and grain, which they used to transport from one place to another on their pack bullocks. Their economic activity was purely a professional nomadism and they served the country in that capacity for a long period. But the times were fast changing; better methods of transport were introduced; the British Empire in India was consolidated; and the railway routes were opened. This improvement in the transport service and the establishment of a systematic centralised Government offered greater facilities to the public in the matter of trade and business. With these developments, the services of the Lambadis were no longer required. Thus they were deprived of the very profession by which they made their living.

Being a wandering tribe, they had no fixed homes, and they had decided to settle down wherever they had camped. But the surroundings were quite unfamiliar; they had to speak a tongue alien to them, the inhabitants were strangers. Their very existence became precarious.

The tracts of the Deccan in which they settled down are inhabited by pastoral castes, hunting tribes, and agricultural communities. The ecological environment of the Lambadis has shaped their society economically and otherwise. For a considerable time the lands had been taken up for cultivation by the surrounding people, and similar agricultural pursuits were the mainstay of the inhabitants of those parts. Therefore, it became unavoidable for the Lambadis to resort to agriculture.

Besides agriculture, cattle-breeding also forms an important subsidiary occupation in the economic life of the Lambadis. Various factors have enabled them to prove themselves expert cattle-grazers. As we have noticed previously, they were the drivers of pack bullocks. Their long association with the cattle trade had given them a valuable experience in the breeding of cattle. Their culture-contact with the Chenchus, a semi-nomadic tribe who have taken to cattle grazing, and the Gollas, a pastoral caste of the Telugu country, has played no little part in giving impetus to this profession. Manure collection also is another occupation which the Lambadis have taken up in recent times. This is economically profitable to them and thus we find that in the Guntur District the Lambadis evince a great interest in this occupation. Besides, rope making and cucumber selling also are newly taken up by them.

The culture-contact has brought a change in their social life as well. The structure of the Lambadi society has been modified from time to time, whenever it has come in touch with other tribes and castes. It is interesting to note that their contact with the Chenchus, as Haimendorf observes, has brought about a certain amount of miscegenation among the latter. But the changes brought into the Lambadi society are the results of the impact of a higher civilization. When the Lambadis were conducting the ‘Bedari’ trade, they used to indulge in such barbaric practices as human sacrifice. They were mainly prompted by a belief that such sacrifice would please their Goddess who would bless them with great wealth and prosperity in their trade. The prevalence of sorcery and witchcraft was another social evil which took a toll of the lives of many faithful and innocent women of the tribe; the cruelty practised upon these unfortunate victims was largely based on the revengeful motives of selfish members of their society. During modern times it is a matter for satisfaction to note that these evil practices have almost disappeared. No doubt, this is partly owing to the strict police vigilance but it is equally the result of the settled economic pursuits of the Lambadi and their long social association with the people of the plains.

Another important and interesting feature of their social life is that of marriage. Polygamy was tolerated and, in some cases, even encouraged. But in recent times this system of plurality of wives is deprecated, and many members of the tribe have told me that the joy of married life is experienced only in monogamy. It is fairly common among them to perform cross-cousin marriages. But in earlier times this form of marriage was not in vogue. There are strong reasons to believe that this is a new introduction in their social pattern. Their long associations with the members of more civilised castes, and contact with other surrounding tribes like the Yanadis, the Yarikulas, the Chenchus, among whom cross-cousin marriages have long been in vogue, have introduced this innovation in their marriage practices. However distinct their social life of the Lambadis from that of other tribes, this form of marriage and the circumambulation round the marriage poles seven times are some of the changes that have crept in their social life as a result of culture contact.

The culture-contact among the Lambadis has intruded into their social fabric, even to its roots. It is mainly responsible for the division of the tribe into several sects, which are both religious and occupational. It is highly improbable that such a classification of social units and divisions as is witnessed today among the Lambadis could have been instituted when the tribe was originally formed, especially in the light of its nomadic behaviour with no possibilities of a settled abode, or fixed patterns of social life. At present the tribe is divided into six important sects, each having it own economic behaviour and social status. Within their society the Lambadis have the system of division into castes parallel to those that are found in civilised society. The tribe has Rasputras, corresponding to the Brahmins in Hindu society. This particular sect is held in great esteem by the members of the other sects, and they are distinct from others in the matter of cleanliness, diet and observance or religious duties. They are strictly vegetarian and they never take to drink. Generally, inter-marriage and inter-dining with, other sects are prohibited.

The Lambadis have a separate agricultural caste among them, though during modern times all these sects have taken to agriculture. This caste is known as Bhukya, and most of its members live upon agricultural pursuits. This sect during recent times has ceased to follow a nomadic life, while the tribe itself, as Mr. Grigson says, is rapidly becoming a settled community in Hyderabad State.

The Navis are among the Lambadis what the barbers fire in Hindu society. They usually shave the Lambadis in their settlements and get annual grants from each “Tanda”. Besides, they attend the entire social functions and collective dinners, when they serve the community as cooks.

Among the Lambadis we find the Pariah caste which is known as Dhalia. They are the drum-beates of the tribe during funeral ceremonies arid marriage festivities. Begging is a traditional occupation among them, but they are allowed to beg only within the Tanda limits. It is a taboo among them to beg outside, and the tribe treats them as untouchables. Nothing can serve as a better illustration to indicate that the formation of sub-sects and castes is the direct result of culture contact.

The Bhats, another important sect among the Lambadis boast of a respectable antiquity. It has received high credentials from no less a historian than Col. Tod, as sacred and chivalrous. Today its members are treated as muslims within their tribe. L.A.K. Iyer writes that in Mysore they follow the Muslim faith in all their ceremonies. Yet a Bhat is permitted to live within the Tanda (Lambadi settlement) and even take the food prepared by others, but no other sect m the tribe will dine with him. The Bhats serve the tribe as genealogists and bards. Their presence is necessary on all important occasions like marriage, settlement of disputes, festivals etc; when they sing of the heroic achievements of the tribal ancestors, and receive rewards from the members of the Tanda.

Just as in some communities in India strangers were admitted into their social fold, the Banjaras also used to admit outsiders into their caste. The converts occupied a decidedly lower position in the tribe. They are known as Jangars. In former days, when the Lambadis were in Bedari trade, girls often used to be kidnapped and admitted, and they were, as Russel tells us, married to the men of the tribe.

Thus the division of the tribe into occupational and religious sects, is the result of culture contact. I have previously mentioned that the Gond and Korku tribes were admitted into the Banjara community, and it is quite probable that these new additions were given the status of Jangar caste. This caste is formed purely because of occupational necessities. Nevertheless, the remaining sects like the Navi and Dhalia afford illustration as to the strata and stratifications that the Lambadis have fixed within their tribe. This is, however, an acquired social trait, the result of the culture contact which they have with Hindu Society.

Of late, the Lambadis have learnt to invite the Brahmin to conduct the marriage function and to fix the auspicious day either for naming the child or for going out on any particular journey. Formerly, this system was not in vogue among them. Just as they have adopted the cross-cousin marriage, which is fairly prevalent in civilised communities, so also their long association with the Brahmins, in whose houses they serve as domestic servants, has led them to adopt new customs.

Each sect among the Lambadis is split up into various Gotras and the members of each Gotra claim descent from a common ancestor and behave among themselves as brothers and sisters. These Gotras are exogamous, though the sects are endogamous–a similar custom is found among the members of the higher castes in Hindu society.

The culture-contact has brought another important change in their external behaviour as well. Those educated members of the tribe and their wives who migrate to town or other distant places in order to eke out their livelihood, do not wear their tribal dress. I came across many Lambadi women who are dressed after the Hindu fashion, a jacket, and a sari being the only garments which they put on. Further, a taste for flowers, a fondness for simplicity of ornamentation, and a desire to prepare new types of food, tasteful and well-boiled, are the innovations brought about by the impact of a higher civilisation.

The religion of the Lambadis itself has undergone some change in recent times. In the Madras Presidency, as early as 1871, they were classified with other Hindus, while according to the Mysore census report of 1891, they were treated as Vaishnavites, their principal God being Lord Krishna. An investigation into their religious life and the Gods whom they worship certainly enables us to rank them as low-caste Hindus. In the districts of Krishna, Guntur and Nalgonda where I conducted my investigations, the principal God of the Lambadis is Balaji or Venkateswaraswami of the famous Tirupati. Besides, they worship various other deities like Maremma, Ankalamma, Mahalakmmi etc., which are likewise worshipped by the other lower caste Hindus in those parts. Each deity is credited with a certain evil influence, particularly Maremma, who is dreaded both by the Lambadis and the other Hindu castes, associating her with epidemics. What we find in their worship is only a fear of the deity, and the various modes of worship are attempts on their part to appease her and win a happy and peaceful life.

Contacts with civilisation resulted in the preachings of some of the reforming minds among the Lambadis, like Hemasadhu and Iokya Nayak, who insisted on cleanliness, change in the mode of dress, honesty, vegetarian diet, sexual abstinence and prohibition of toddy among the members of the tribe. These reformers had a good response from the Lambadis for some time.

The Lambadis are useful units of society. By nature they are hard working, and, though agriculture is a new pursuit of life, they have proved worthy of their task. It is unfortunate that till now neither the Government nor bands of social workers have evinced any interest in the matter of the progress of this tribe. Even the Harijan movement which was started to remove the handicaps of the depressed classes and which was supported both by the press and the platform has hardly touched these people.

Though the position of the Lambadis slightly differs from that of the other tribes and untouchables, yet, decidedly they form the lower strata of the society. Their social behaviour, their diet and their traditional secluded ways of life–all these are responsible for their degraded social status. Besides, most of them are members of the Criminal Tribes Act. Though serious forms of crime, such as human sacrifice, kidnapping, dacoity and high-way robbery have disappeared, cattle lifting, cart stealing, grain stealing, and, occasionally, house breaking are practised by them. But these crimes are committed only in those Tandas where the economic conditions of the members are so bad that they have no other means of living. Should there be no economic want, the Lambadi may not indulge in crime at all.

Reclamation of this large tribe is no doubt a huge task. Both the administrators and the public should co-operate in this social work. Mere administrative measures; without active public support and constructive propaganda, will be of no avail. For, as Fr. Elvin so aptly puts it, “if you want to reform the aboriginal, do not try to reform him. Reform the lawyer, the doctor, the school master, the official, the merchant with whom he has to deal.”

* Paper read before the Anthropological Section of the Indian Science Congress Association, Nagpur, 1945.