Ethnicity

Madhya Pradesh is home to majority of India's tribal population who, in most cases, live apart from mainstream India. Once, ruled over by the Gonds a tribe that could be found in the jungles, south of Jabalpur. On the west live the Bhils, while the Oraons inhabit the eastern part of the state. The Bhils get their name from a Dravidian word for bow, which is the hallmark of the tribe.

Despite the intruding influence of 20th century urban life, the tribals have largely managed to retain their own way of life, relatively untouched by modernization. However, besides the original tribes of the region, a number of other people belonging to different ethnicity have settled in the major centers of the state.

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