Munda

/moon"deuh/, n.

a small family of languages spoken in east-central India.

* * *

▪ people

      any of several more or less distinct tribal groups inhabiting a broad belt in central and eastern India and speaking various Munda languages of the Austroasiatic stock. They numbered approximately 9,000,000 in the late 20th century. In the Chota Nāgpur Plateau in southern Bihār, adjacent parts of West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, and the hill districts of Orissa, they form a numerically important part of the population.

      Munda history and origins are matters of conjecture. The territory they now occupy was until recently difficult to reach and remote from the great centres of Indian civilization; it is hilly, forested, and relatively poor for agriculture. It is believed that the Munda were once more widely distributed but retreated to their present homelands with the advance and spread of peoples having a more elaborate culture. Nevertheless, they have not lived in complete isolation and share (with some tribal variation) many culture traits with other Indian peoples. Most Munda peoples are agriculturists. Along with their languages, the Munda have tended to preserve their own culture, although the government of India encourages their assimilation to the larger Indian society.

* * *