History And Ethnohistory Of Tribes Of Andhra Pradesh

In the Indian context, the knowledge of tribes dates back to Vedas and Puranas. Tribes have been mentioned in Vedas and Puranas by different names. In the Itereya Brahmana of Rug Veda, mention has been made of Andh tribes and the Andh tribe living in Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas are believed to be one and the same. Similarly, the Dandakaranya mentioned in Ramayana is believed to be the present forest area in Visakhapatnam, Khammam and adjoining areas in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. The Savara tribe in Srikakulam tribal area is also believed to have relationship with mythical Sabari, a strong devotee of Lord Rama in epic Ramayana. Ekalavya, the hunter who excelled in bow and arrow shooting in Maha Bharat period is believed to have learnt the art indirectly by keeping the image of Guru Dronacharya. The Yerukula tribe in Andhra Pradesh claim descent from him. L.P. Vidyarthi in his book Raise of Anthropology in India (1978) categorized the history of Social Anthropology in to Formative (1774-1919), Constructive (1774-1919) and analytical (1950 onwards) periods. He however, clarified that it does not mean that one phase has completely been replaced the other.