Koya (tribe)

Koya
Koitur
	Koya men
Total population
	779,854 (2011 Census)
Regions with significant populations
	India
Andhra Pradesh (incl. Telangana)	590,739
Odisha	142,137
Chhattisgarh	46,978
Languages
	Koya • Telugu • Odia •
Religion
	Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
	Gonds, Dorla, Telugus, other Dravidian peoples

Last updated May 05, 2023

Koya are an Indian tribal community found in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. Koyas call themselves Koitur in their dialect. The Koyas speak the Koya language, also known as Koya basha, which is a Dravidian language related to Gondi.^[1]

Koyas are commonly referred to as Koi, Koyalu, Koyollu, Koya Doralu, Dorala Sattam, etc. Koya tribes can be further divided into Koya, Doli Koya, Gutta Koya or Gotti Koya, Kammara Koya, Musara Koya, Oddi Koya, Pattidi Koya, Rasha Koya, Lingadhari Koya (ordinary), Kottu Koya, Bhine Koya, Raja Koya, etc.^[2]^[3]

Population & Livelihood

The Koya population is concentrated in northeastern Telangana, northern Andhra Pradesh, far-southern Chhattisgarh and southwestern Odisha.^[4] In Telangana they live mainly in Khammam, Bhadradi Kothagudem and Warangal districts and are sparsely found in the old Adilabad and Karimnagar districts. In Andhra Pradesh the Koya mainly live in Alluri Sitharama Raju district, while in Odisha they live almost exclusively and are the dominant tribe in Malkangiri district in the far southwest of the state. in Chhattisgarh they live in the far-southern Bastar region, mainly in the districts of Sukma and Bijapur.^[5] The Koya in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had a population of 590,739 according to the 2011 census. However, many became residents of Andhra Pradesh when their lands became part of Andhra Pradesh during the Polavaram project. There are another 147,137 Koya in Odisha, and approximately 46,978 Dorla (who are a mixed group in-between Gondi and Koya) in Chhattisgarh.^[6]

According to Edgar Thurston, the Koya were formerly armed soldiers in the service of the various palegars in the region, and the time of his writing, practiced podu cultivation. Today the Koya are mainly settled cultivators and artisans, expertise in making bamboo furniture including mats for fencing, dust pans, and baskets. They grow Jowar, Ragi, Bajra and other millets. Tubers and roots such as Tella Chenna Gadda, Kirismatilu and edible green leaves such as Chencheli, Doggali, Gumuru, bacchalakura, gongura, pacchakura, pullakusiru, Thota kura, Boddukura are dietary staples as are curries made from some of these ingredients.^[3]

Koya practice marriage after maturity, and infant marriage is not practiced. The bride's maternal uncle has the deciding factor in the match, and cross-cousin marriages are permitted and common. Usually a wealthy groom will have no issues in finding a bride, but if they are poor enough, they can bribe the village headman to allow them to capture the bride. In the most simple Koya wedding ceremony, the bride bends her head and the groom leans over her, while water is poured on the husband's head by friends. Once the water has drained off the bride's head, they are said to be man and wife. They then drink milk, eat rice, and walk around a mound of earth organised under a pandal. They then get elders' blessings and go to their new home.^[7]

Displacement

The tribal community faces the new threats of development and conflicts, posing a serious questions on its existence and civilization. For instance, the displacement and migration of Gotti koyas tribals taking place in Andhra Pradesh. In the absence of land and access to a forest, the Koyas depend on wage labour in farm lands. The scarcity of these jobs lead to malnutrition of children and instances of anemia in women.^[8] The Andhra Pradesh state government proposed Polavaram Project is posing a serious threat of displacement of 170,275 Koyas of the tribal population and more than 276 villages in the Khammam district of Bhadrachalam, Palwancha divisions.^[9]^[10]

Genetics

According genetic study on Indian population in 2004, Koya carry 70% Y Haplogroup H which found in South Asia.^[11]

Related Research Articles

Chhattisgarh is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Pradesh to the northwest, Maharashtra to the southwest, Jharkhand to the northeast, Odisha to the east, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to the south. Formerly a part of Madhya Pradesh, it was granted statehood on 1 November 2000 with Raipur as the designated state capital.

The Gondi (Gōndi) or Gond or Koitur are an ethnolinguistic group in India. Their native language, Gondi, belongs to the Dravidian family. They are spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telangana</span> State in southern India

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Khammam district is a district in the eastern region of the Indian state of Telangana. The city of Khammam is the district headquarters. The district shares boundaries with Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Bhadradri districts and with Eluru and NTR districts.

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Gondi (Gōṇḍī) is a South-Central Dravidian language, spoken by about three million Gondi people, chiefly in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and by small minorities in neighbouring states. Although it is the language of the Gond people, it is highly endangered, with only one fifth of Gonds speaking the language. Gondi has a rich folk literature, examples of which are wedding songs and narrations. Gondi people are ethnically related to the Telugus.

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Koya is a South-Central Dravidian language of the Gondi–Kui group spoken in central and southern India. It is the native language of the Koya people. It is sometimes described as a dialect of Gondi, but it is mutually unintelligible with Gondi dialects.

Sammakka Saralamma Jatara is a festival to honour the Hindu Tribal goddesses, celebrated in the state of Telangana, India. This Jatara is known for witnessing one of the largest people gatherings in the world. People offer Bangaram (jaggery) :The Jatara begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandala in Mulugu district. The rituals related to the Goddesses are entirely conducted by the Koya Tribe priests, in accordance with Koya customs and traditions.

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References

↑ "Language and culture". Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
↑ "THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA(SCHEDULED TRIBES)ORDER, 1950(C.O. 22)". Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
1 2 "Portal of Tribal welfare Department, Govt of AP". Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
↑ "State/Union Territory-wise list of Scheduled Tribes in India" (PDF).
↑ "Brief Ethnographic Profile of Tribes of Andhra Pradesh". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
↑ "THE SCHEDULED TRIBES Census of India 2001" (PDF).
↑ "The Castes and Tribes of Southern India 1". Nature. 84 (2134): 365–367. September 1910. Bibcode:1910Natur..84..365.. doi: 10.1038/084365a0 . ISSN 0028-0836.
↑ "Severe malnutrition among migrant Gotti Koya children". The Hindu. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
↑ "Tribal villages face threat of submersion". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
↑ "Stop Acquisition of Tribal Land for the Construction of Polavaram Dam, INDIA". Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
↑ Cordaux R, Aunger R, Bentley G, Nasidze I, Sirajuddin SM, Stoneking M (February 2004). "Independent origins of Indian caste and tribal paternal lineages". Current Biology. 14 (3): 231–235. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2004.01.024 . PMID 14761656.

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[1] "Language and culture". Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.

[2] "THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA(SCHEDULED TRIBES)ORDER, 1950(C.O. 22)". Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2014.

[TribalWelfareDept-3] 1 2 "Portal of Tribal welfare Department, Govt of AP". Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2014.

[4] "State/Union Territory-wise list of Scheduled Tribes in India" (PDF).

[5] "Brief Ethnographic Profile of Tribes of Andhra Pradesh". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.

[6] "THE SCHEDULED TRIBES Census of India 2001" (PDF).

[7] "The Castes and Tribes of Southern India 1". Nature. 84 (2134): 365–367. September 1910. Bibcode:1910Natur..84..365.. doi: 10.1038/084365a0 . ISSN 0028-0836.

[8] "Severe malnutrition among migrant Gotti Koya children". The Hindu. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.

[9] "Tribal villages face threat of submersion". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2019.

[10] "Stop Acquisition of Tribal Land for the Construction of Polavaram Dam, INDIA". Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.

[Cordaux2004-11] Cordaux R, Aunger R, Bentley G, Nasidze I, Sirajuddin SM, Stoneking M (February 2004). "Independent origins of Indian caste and tribal paternal lineages". Current Biology. 14 (3): 231–235. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2004.01.024 . PMID 14761656.

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