The Munda are a tribal (Adivasi) people of the Jharkhand region, which is spread over on five states of India (Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhatisgarh and Orissa), and in parts of Bangladesh. Their language is Mundari, which belongs to the Munda subgroup of the Austro-Asiatic language family; the Munda language group is in fact named after the Munda people. There are some two million Munda people (twenty lakhs).
As Austro-Asiatic speakers, the Munda people are the indigenous peoples of the Indian subcontinent.
About 25 percent of the population are Christians. Mundas have their own religion, called Sarna, in which they worship nature. They believe in a supreme being called Sing Bonga, which literally means "Sun God". 'Sarna' is supposedly not part of Hinduism as emphasized by some. Common surnames (Gotras) are: Topno, Barla, Aind, Hemrom, Guria, Herenge, Surin, Horo, Sanga, Samad, Soy, Kongari, Bage, Purty, Demta, Tiru, Munda, Kerketta Etc. Jesuit Father John-Baptist Hoffmann (1857-1928) spent his life studying the language, customs, religion and life of the Mundas, a people with whom he had fallen in love. He published the first Munda grammar in 1903. Later (with the help of Menas Orea, a Munda wise man and scholar to whom he paid a rich tribute) Hoffmann brought out a most extraordinary Encyclopaedia mundarica (15 volumes) gathering all that was then known on the Munda people. The first edition was published in 1937, after his death. A third edition came out of the press in 1976.
Notable Mundas
Birsa Munda- The leader of a late 19th century political independence movement during British colonial rule in India
Jaipal Singh- He formed Adivasi Mahasabha in 1938, himself as its president. After independence the name of the party was changed to Jharkhand Party to accommodate non-tribal to achieve long term goals. He was the first to demand a separate Jharkhand state for tribals. He captained the Indian field hockey team to clinch gold in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He is well known for his sportsmanship and political skills.
As Austro-Asiatic speakers, the Munda people are the indigenous peoples of the Indian subcontinent.
About 25 percent of the population are Christians. Mundas have their own religion, called Sarna, in which they worship nature. They believe in a supreme being called Sing Bonga, which literally means "Sun God". 'Sarna' is supposedly not part of Hinduism as emphasized by some. Common surnames (Gotras) are: Topno, Barla, Aind, Hemrom, Guria, Herenge, Surin, Horo, Sanga, Samad, Soy, Kongari, Bage, Purty, Demta, Tiru, Munda, Kerketta Etc. Jesuit Father John-Baptist Hoffmann (1857-1928) spent his life studying the language, customs, religion and life of the Mundas, a people with whom he had fallen in love. He published the first Munda grammar in 1903. Later (with the help of Menas Orea, a Munda wise man and scholar to whom he paid a rich tribute) Hoffmann brought out a most extraordinary Encyclopaedia mundarica (15 volumes) gathering all that was then known on the Munda people. The first edition was published in 1937, after his death. A third edition came out of the press in 1976.
Notable Mundas
Birsa Munda- The leader of a late 19th century political independence movement during British colonial rule in India
Jaipal Singh- He formed Adivasi Mahasabha in 1938, himself as its president. After independence the name of the party was changed to Jharkhand Party to accommodate non-tribal to achieve long term goals. He was the first to demand a separate Jharkhand state for tribals. He captained the Indian field hockey team to clinch gold in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. He is well known for his sportsmanship and political skills.
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