The territories inhabited by tribes cross States and Union Territories in the country and several tribes are found residing across five to six states. There are also tribal groups whose populations are distributed across international boundaries such as tribes in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram which have fellow tribes people in China (including Tibet), Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Nagas, for instance, are divided among the states of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh as well as in the neighbouring country of Myanmar.
Taking into account the geographical, ecological, social, economic, administrative, ethnic-administrative, ethnic and racial factors Vidyarthi and Rai (1976) proposed a fourfold geographical region along with one distinct subregion of the islands. These are:
(i) Himalayan Region, with three sub-regions, viz.
(1) north-eastern Himalayan region includes the Assam, Meghalaya, the mountainous region of West Bengal, i.e., Darjeeling, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.
The North-Eastern Himalayan region includes the following tribes:
✓ Assam: Bodo, Kachari, Miri, Rabha and Meeh
✓ Meghalaya: Chakma, Dimsa Kachari, Garo, Khasi, Kuki, Lakher, Lushai, Mikir, Synteng and Naga.
✓ Darjeeling district of west Bengal: Bhotiya and Lepcha
✓ Arunachal Pradesh: Abor, Aka, Apatani, Gallang, Dafla, Mishmi, Singpho, Ao and Sherdukpen,
✓ Nagaland: Naga, Kuki, Kachari, Mikir, and Garo.
✓ Manipur: Aimol, Angemi Naga, Purum and Sema Naga.
✓ Mizoram: Mizo
✓ Tripura: Bhil, Chakma, Kuki, Lepcha, Riang and Tripuri.
(2) central Himalayan region includes the Tarai areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar come in the central Himalayan region
The Central Himalayan region includes the following tribes:
✓ Tarai are of Uttar Pradesh: Bhotia, Khasas or Jaunsari
✓ Tarai area of Bihar: Bhotia and Korwa.
(3) north-Western Himalayan region includes the Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir constitute the north-western Himalayan region.
More than one-third of the region’s population is made of tribals which is one eight of the tribal India.
The North-Western Himalayan region includes the following tribes:
✓ Jammu and Kashmir: Balti, Beda, Bot, Gaddi, Gujjar, Bakrawala and Sippi.
✓ Himachal Pradesh: Bhot, Gaddi, Gujjar, Kinnaur, Lahul, Pangwala, and Swangla.
(ii) Middle India Region:
It comprises Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh with more than 2 crores of tribal people, i.e.,55 per cent of the total in the country.
The tribes found in this region are as follows:
✓ Bihar: Asur, Bhumiji, Birhor, Chero, Chik-Baraik, Gond, Kharia, Kharwar, Khond, Korwa, Lohar, Munda, Oraon, Maler, Santal, and Savara.
✓ West Bengal: Bhuiya, Birhor, Gond, Ho, Kharwar, Khond, Lodha, Mahali and Rabha.
✓ Orissa: Bagatha, Baiga, Bhuiya, Bhuin, Birhor, Didayi, Gadaba, Gond, Ho, Jatapu, Khond, Kharia, Koli, Kotiya, Koya, Poroja, and Savara.
✓ Madhya Pradesh: Agaria, Baiga, Bhattra, Bhunja, Gadaba, Gond, Halba, Kamar, Khond, Korku, Korwa, Munda and Nagesia.
(iii) Western India Region.:
It includes Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli with about 1 crore tribal population.
The tribes in this region are distributed as follows:
✓ Rajasthan: Bhil, Mina, Dhanka, Garacia, Kathodi, Koli, Nayak and Sahariya.
✓ Gujarat: Bavacha, Bhil, Dhanka, Dhodia, Dubla, Gond, Katkari, Nayak, Paradhi, Rabari, and Warli.
✓ Maharashtra: Bavacha, Bhil, Bhunjia, Dhanka, Dhodia, Dubla, Gond, Halba, Koli, Pradhan, Pardhi and Thoti.
✓ Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli: Dhodia, Dubla, Naikda, Siddi, Warli and Kokna.
(iv) South India Region:
It comprises Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala with a meagre tribal population (1.66 per cent of the region), constituting one-sixteenth of the tribals of the country.
The tribes in this region are distributed as follows:
✓ Andhra Pradesh: Andh, Bagata, Chenchu, Gadaba, Gond, Goudu, Jatapu, Kondadora, Kondareddi, Khond, Kotia, Koya, Mali, Mannedora, Mukadora, Pradhan, Reddidora, Savara, Sugali, Valmiki, Yanadi, and Yerukala.
✓ Tamil Nadu: Irula, Koraga, Kota, Malayali, Mannan, Badaga and Toda.
✓ Karnataka: Bavacha, Bhil, Chenchu, Dubla, Gond, Hakki-Pikki, Hansalaru, Kuruba, Kattunayakan, Koli, Koraga, Malaikudi, Malasar, Sholaga, and Soligar.
✓ Kerala: Irula, Kadar, Kanikkar, Kattunayakan, Koraga, Kuruchia, Kurumba, Pandharam, Pulaya, Malasar, Mannan, Ulladam and Urali.
(v) The Island Region:
The islands of Andaman and Nicobar in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea with 54.3 per cent tribal population constitute a distinct sub-region.
The tribes living in this region are as follows:
✓ Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Andamanese, Jarawa, Nicobarese, Onges, Sentinelese, and Shompen.
✓ Lakshadweep Islands: Moplahs.
For instance, B.S. Guha has classified the tribes of India into three zones:
- The north and north-eastern zone in the mountain valleys and eastern frontiers of India.
- The central or middle zone occupying the older hills and plateaus along the dividing line between the Peninsular India and the Indo-Gangetic Plains including the converging line of the Western Ghats.
- The southern zone comprising the whole of the Peninsular India.
D.N. Majumdar and T.N. Madan in their book Introduction to Social Anthropology (1956) have also offered a similar classification. They are Northern and North-Eastern Zone, the Central or Middle Zone and the Southern Zone.
S.C. Dube has demarcated four geographical regions including the North and North-Eastern Zone, Middle Zone, the South Zone and the West Zone.
K.S. Singh has offered a similar classification of tribes of India into the Northeastern India, Middle India, Southern India, North-western Himalayas, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands Zones.
Within this geographical classification, there is a lot of disparity in regards to the distribution of the tribal population of the country. We can come across a very high concentration of the tribal population in the eight states of the central or middle India comprising of about 85 percent of the total tribal population.
This is followed by the eight north-eastern states comprising of about 11 percent while the rest is distributed over the states and union territories of the northern and southern India.
However, if we try to see the ratio of the tribal population to the total population, we can find that the ratio is high in the north-eastern states except Assam. It ranges from 64-95 per cent in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and between 30-35 percent in Tripura and Manipur. The ratio is over 90 percent in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep whereas it ranges from 22-23 percent in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh in central India. In the rest of the country the ratio ranges from as low as 1-12 percent.
Besides the zonal and geographical distribution, tribes have also been classified on the basis of their ecological habitat. On this basis they are classified as those who live in the hills (Hill Karbis, Hill Tiwas ofAssam), plains (Bodos, Singphos), forests (Kadars of Kerala), rural, urban and industrial areas