Tadvi Bhil


The Tadvi Bhil is a tribal community found in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in India. They are from the larger Bhil ethnic group, and are a clan of it. They use the surname Tadvi or sometimes the name of their Kul or Gan; the Dhankas of Gujarat and Maharashtra use Tadvi or Tetariya.https://trti.gujarat.gov.in/tadvi

History and origin

The Tadvi Bhil inhabit an area which roughly covers the border areas of the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. This territory forms the core of the Faruqi kingdom, a medieval state in central India. In the Western part of this area, Tadvis and Vassawas are mainly Hindu but some Christian missionary activities are seen in this region. A close association between the Bhil of this region, and the Faruqi state led to the conversion of some of them to Islam. As they was converted from indigenous faiths and Hinduism, the RSS has initiated steps for their reversion right back to their original faith, which is still seen in their day-to-day activities.The dance form they perform on various occasions known as Timli or Sajoni, or commonly known as tribal dance.

Present circumstance

The Tadvi speak a dialect of their own, also known as Tadvi, but many are switching to Hindi and Marathi. Their language is also Dhanka and Bhilori, which belongs to the Bhil group of the Indo-Aryan language family. They inhabit villages which are largely Tadvi. The community consist mainly of small cultivators. Like the wider Bhil community, they currently practise gotra exogamy, and are endogamous. In Maharashtra, their main clans are the Sirsat, Mankar, Dhopi, Tadvi, Kedar, Masre, Ghatte, Solanke, Wadhe and Jamalkar.
, the Tadvi Bhil of Rajasthan were classified as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian government's reservation program of positive discrimination.