ABSTRACT
It all began with the ancient scriptures wherein they use the word ‘Nishada’ to describe the Bhil. According to Bhil legend, they were the original owners of the land and were once the ruling race in Rajputana, central India and Gujarat. The Bhil ranked very high in the affections of the Rajput rulers as they were loyal supporters of the Ranas of Mewar. During the Battle of Haldighati, when Rana Pratap was forced to seek refuge in the forest, it was the Bhil who protected the members of the Rana’s family from the Mughals. The Bhil were routinely tortured by the Rajputs: they were whipped and beaten with shoes; their eyes gouged out; they were hung from trees and their legs were cut off. Perhaps such intense indignity at the hands of the Rajputs drove some Bhil to rebel—particularly dacoity and highway robbery.
