Korku

▪ people

      tribal people of central India concentrated in the states of Mahārāshtra and Madhya Pradesh. At the end of the 20th century, they numbered about 560,000. However, poverty and restricted use of ancestral land due to government attempts to save the Bengal tiger have led to a serious problem of malnutrition and starvation among the Korku. Most are settled agriculturalists, and many have substantial farms; others shifted as recently as the late 19th century from slash-and-burn jungle cultivation (jhum) to forestry and field labour. The Korku live in villages of thatched houses. They have hereditary headmen and trace their descent along paternal lines. They speak a language of the Munda family.

      In religion the Korku are Hindus. Their ceremonies resemble those of the low castes in that they employ their own priests and mediums instead of Brahmans. They regard themselves as ranking above the Gond and Bhīl peoples, although their dietary habits are considered unacceptable by most Hindus.

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