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The Gond community: Gondi language, clans and marriage
The Gonds, who call themselves Koitur, are one of the largest tribal communities in India. This page brings together the basics of the Gondi language, the clan and saga system and Gond marriage rules, with sources, and links to our detailed Hindi articles.
Who the Gonds are
The Gonds (गोंड) are a Scheduled Tribe community of central India. In their own language they call themselves Koitur (कोइतूर). The 2011 Census counted more than a crore Gonds. Most live in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, followed by Maharashtra and Odisha, and there are large Gond communities in Telangana and other states.
The community has several branches, such as Raj Gond, Madia (Maria), Muria and Dhur Gond. Each branch has many clans, called gotra or kur (गोत्र, कूर).
For several centuries, until the 18th century, Gond rulers held kingdoms in central India, among them Garha-Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda and Kherla. Rani Durgavati of Garha, who died in 1564 resisting a Mughal army, is remembered across the community. Gond painting, made with patterns of dots and lines, is known across India and abroad.
The Gondi language
Gondi (गोंडी) is a Dravidian language. It belongs to the same family as Telugu, Tamil and Kannada, although it is spoken in the middle of India, among languages like Hindi and Marathi.
- Speakers: fewer than 30 lakh people named Gondi as their mother tongue in the 2011 Census, far fewer than the number of Gonds. Many Gond families speak Hindi, Chhattisgarhi, Marathi, Telugu or Odia at home.
- Dialects: Gondi changes a great deal from region to region, so speakers from distant areas may find each other hard to follow.
- Scripts: Gondi is usually written in the Devanagari or Telugu script. Two scripts made for Gondi, Masaram Gondi and Gunjala Gondi, were added to the Unicode standard in 2017 and 2018, so they can be used in digital text.
- Status: Gondi is not among the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- Greeting: Gond families greet each other with Seva Johar (सेवा जोहार) or Jai Seva (जय सेवा).
Clan and saga
A Gond person's identity has several layers: the tribe, the branch (sub-tribe), the clan (gotra or kur), the saga, and the surname used on documents, which usually comes from the clan.
Clans are grouped into sagas (सगा), also described as phratries. Members of a saga worship the same number of gods (dev): four, five, six or seven. The four sagas are commonly called Nalwen (4), Saiwen (5), Sarwen (6) and Yerwen (7), names that come from the Gondi numbers. Spellings and pronunciations differ by region.
Which clans belong to which saga is not the same everywhere. Ask your family elders. Our Hindi article on the saga system gives commonly cited examples, with a note on regional differences.
Marriage rules
- Within the community: traditionally, Gonds marry other Gonds (endogamy).
- Outside the clan and the saga: a marriage within one's own clan is not allowed, and clans in the same saga are treated as brother clans, so a marriage between them is not allowed either. A marriage between different sagas is allowed (exogamy).
- Branches: in many areas the branch, such as Raj Gond or Madia, also marries within itself. Practice varies by region.
These are community customs, described here as families explain them. They are not legal rules, and families decide for themselves.
Our detailed articles (in Hindi)
Each of these articles lists its sources and has been checked by a member of the Gond community.
Gond families on Tribal Hearts
- You choose Gond as your tribe, then your branch, clan and surname, from lists built from the 2011 Census and community research. The other family sees these details before you talk.
- Premium members can also search by sub-tribe, clan and surname.
- The app does not decide whether a match is allowed by clan rules. It shows the details; you and your families decide.
- Verification is free: a person on our team checks your government ID and caste certificate.
- The app works in Hindi and English, on Android and iPhone.
Questions
What do Gonds call themselves?
Koitur (कोइतूर). Gond is the name used in government records and by most other people.
What language do Gonds speak?
Gondi, a Dravidian language, is the community's own language, but fewer than 30 lakh people named it as their mother tongue in the 2011 Census. Many Gond families speak Hindi, Chhattisgarhi, Marathi, Telugu or Odia at home.
Does Gondi have its own script?
Gondi is usually written in the Devanagari or Telugu script. Two Gondi scripts, Masaram Gondi and Gunjala Gondi, were added to the Unicode standard in 2017 and 2018.
What is a saga in the Gond community?
A saga is a group of clans whose members worship the same number of gods: four, five, six or seven. Clans in the same saga are treated as brother clans.
Can a man and a woman from the same saga marry?
Traditionally, no. A marriage is allowed only between different sagas, and never within the same clan. Customs vary by region, so families check with their elders.
Is there a matrimony app for Gond families?
Tribal Hearts is a matrimony app for Adivasi and tribal families, including Gonds. You add your branch, clan and surname, get verified for free, and talk to other members in Hindi or English.
Sources
- Census of India 2011: Scheduled Tribe and mother-tongue figures, as summarised in Gondi people and Gondi language (Wikipedia). Published counts differ by source, so this page gives rounded figures.
- The Unicode Standard: Masaram Gondi (version 10.0, 2017) and Gunjala Gondi (version 11.0, 2018) code charts; Gondi writing (Wikipedia).
- Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf, The Gonds of Andhra Pradesh: Tradition and Change in an Indian Tribe (1979), on phratries and the clan system.
- Rani Durgavati (Wikipedia).
- Tribal Hearts Hindi articles on Gond identity, saga and marriage, checked by a member of the Gond community.
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