_(14583980398).jpg) Photograph of Korwa people, 1897 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 166,499[1] (2011, census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | |
| Chhattisgarh | 129,429 |
| Jharkhand | 32,786 |
| West Bengal | 2,912 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 920 |
| Bihar | 452 |
| Languages | |
| Korwa • Chhattisgarhi • Hindi • Regional languages | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism • Tribal religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Munda peoples | |
TheKorwa people are aMunda ethnic tribe of India. They live mainly on the border ofChhattisgarh andJharkhand. A small number of Korwa are also found in the neighbouring state of West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh. They have sporadic presence inMirzapur district ofUttar Pradesh.
The Government[clarification needed] has implemented several facilities for them, such as roads to their settlements, boys hostels for education, providing agricultural aid, etc.[citation needed] They are a hunter-gatherer community.
The tribe is divided into several subdivisions: the Agaria, Dandh, Dil and Pahadi Korwas.
The Korwas mainly practice a form of subsistence agriculture calledjhoonga kheti. This method of farming involves trimming the forest to support a lentil crop. Previously this involved trimming medium-sized trees, but since the Forest Department became stricter they have cut back shrubs and bushes instead. Originally the trimmed wood would have been burnt but is nowadays taken as fertilizer. The land is tilled without tools and fertilizer. Each family harvests 20 kg of lentils, enough to subsist on until the next season. To supplement their incomes, the Korwas createsupas, rice cleaners made of bamboo.[2] The tribe also eats mahua, kanda, sihar and burju fruits when they are in season. They eat all animals, and British writers claimed the Pahadi Korwas used to eat dogs as well.[3]
The majority of the Korwa population lives in northeasternChhattisgarh, with a population of 129,429. A significant minority lives in westernJharkhand, with a population of 35,606. The Korwa inUttar Pradesh are found mainly in the southern districts of Mirzapur district andSonbhadra. Their habitat is a hilly, forested and undulating area. The community has four sub-groups- the Agaria Korwa, Dam Korwa, Dih Korwa and Pahar Korwa. They are further divided into sevenexogamous clans, namely the Guleria, Haril, Huhar, Leth, Munda, Mura and Pahari. Most Korwa are still hunter gatherers, and are one of the most isolated amongst the communities of Uttar Pradesh. A small number have taken to settled agriculture, and byBrahminisation are being assimilated intoHindu society. However, they have their owndeity known asDih. Each of their settlement contains a shrine to the goddess called aDiwar.[4]
The Korwa Scheduled Caste population in Uttar Pradesh at the2011 Census of India was 1563.[5]
The Korwa tribe worshipsSatbahini Devi. The Pahadia Korwa are divided into four septs: Hezda, Samati, Edikhar and Madikhar. These can all intermarry and interdine. The Deharia Korwas, who were settled cultivators, have three septs: Dewanihar, Dhanuhar and Majhi.
The Hill Korwas live in mud huts with one central room and verandahs around the sides for cooking and sleeping. Some homes are divided into 2 rooms. One variant has the room tiled and thatched. The other variant, called akumba, is a smaller hut, round in shape and conical at the top. Grass and sal leaves are used as thatch. The house has one room with a low door, and have fences.
Both men and women get tattooed in places where ornaments are worn - on the wrists, neck, above the breasts, legs and ankles, but nowhere near the back and forehead. The dress for men is a loincloth.[3]
The mother tongue of Korwa people is theKorwa language.[6] Alternative names for this language include Ernga and Singli.[7] However, the Korwa people call their language as their Bhashi, which means local language. This language belongs to theMunda branch of theAustroasiatic language family. Korwa people also speakSadri andChhattisgarhi as their second language.[citation needed]