The Tribal Origin of Konkani Language

Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat, Goa University

Ex Chairman, Task force committee on State Cultural Policy; Member of committee to
prepare I. ethnological report (2003) and white paper (2013) on Dhangar/Goulys of Goa.
? , . ,

(This article is based on paper The unsung linguistic subalterns in Goan history: the
forgotten Konkani speaking Kukna and Gamit tribals of Pre-Portuguese Goa
presented in XVIII th loal history seminar , organized by Department of History, Goa
University and directorate of archives and archaeology, Government of Goa, at Goa
University on 6 th and 7 th March 2014)
This paper challenges the popular and officially propagated myth of pre Portuguese Goa
being projected as a the mulpeeth or centre of origin of Konkani language or proto
Konkani language and puts forth the new hypothesis of tribal origin of Konkani language.
It attempts to incorporate the definite contributions of Kukna and Gamit tribals, the
original Konkani speaking inhabitants of Konkan as the true architects of the language.
Interdisciplinary scientific efforts are advocated for rewriting the realistic history of
origin, genesis and evolution of Konkani language. Due to complex nature of linguistic
politics of 20 th century, the real tribal architects of Konkani language have been treated
as linguistic untouchables and have been shunned in all the discourses by modern
Konkani linguists, linguistic and social historians. It is claimed that what we have in Goa
may be a replacement population of technologically superior settlers, who might have
occupied the cultural and ecological space of original Konkani speaking Kukna and
Gamit tribal inhabitants. Very little is known about the demographic changes and the
details of migration from Konkan and Goa during previous millennia. But it can be
proven that ancient fragments of the Goan identity still exist outside Goa. A lot of debate
has taken place about the origin of the Konkani language and the actual number of
Konkani speakers. Anthropologically and culturally, however, a lot of field-based
research work is necessary to identify all the speakers of Konkani in western India. The
real antiquity of Konkani would be discovered only through an organized and systematic
genetic, genomic and anthropological effort directed at the linguistic islands of Konkani
speaking communities outside Goa. In recreating the history of Konkani, very little
attention has been paid to these original inhabitants of the Konkan, their tribal
lexicography and Konkani sociolinguistics. It is possible that their ancestors were the first
settlers of the Konkan and most probably the seeds of the modern Konkani language are
hidden in their ancient speech. Boundaries of Goa have changed during past 2000 years
Pre-Portuguese historical geography of Goa was different and changed boundaries for
2000 years
Historical geography of Goa was always in flux

The boundaries of what we consider as Goa or Goem were always in flux till 1793 when
finally the present geopolitical and administrative boundary was drawn. It is incorrect to
FIT everything within this post 1793 Hybrid GOA= (Old conquests+New conquests)
Very little is known about the demographic changes and the details of migration from
Goa during previous millennia. It can be proven that ancient fragments of the Goan
identity still exist outside Goa roughly between Mumbai to Mangalore (Aparant to Tulu
Nadu).
Origin of Konkani and authentic Konkani- a sensitive issue
A lot of debate has taken place about the origin of the Konkani language and the actual
number of Konkani speakers. Anthropologically and culturally, however, a lot of fieldbased research work is necessary to identify all the speakers of Konkani in western India
Modern genomic technology makes it easier now to connect origin of languages to genes
and migrations. Goa is reluctant to touch this sensitive area due to vicious political
sociology of language. The real Konkani and real antiquity of Konkani would be
discovered only through an organised and systematic anthropological effort directed at
the linguistic islands of Konkani speaking communities outside Goa. But well entrenched
communal, class and caste interests in Goa and from pan Goa would defeat all attempts
to open this Pandoras box of tribal origin of Konkani language- as any new scientific
findings may demolish the popular myth of . That would be official
untouchability towards linguistic subalterns- the Konkani speaking forgotten tribals,
original inhabitants of ancient Goa- Kuknas/Kokanis, Gamits and Mawchis.
Neglect of tribal heritage, tribal origin of languages
Cavalli-Sforza et al. (1994) have emphasised that in India tribals may represent relic
populations of unknown origin but potentially great genetic interest. But very little work
has been done to justice to tribal heritage. Details of present knowledge of human
migrations, genes and language trees is given in the figures at the end of this article.
In a very interesting and path breaking paper Roychoudhury and eight coauthors (2001)
made the observations that there is a lack of molecular genetic evidence to shed light on
archaeological and linguistic hypotheses. According to these authors- India has served
as a major corridor for the dispersal of modern humans out of Africa. Modern human
remains dating back to the late Pleistocene (55,00025,000 years before present, ybp)
have been found (Kennedy et al. 1987) and by the Middle Paleolithic Period (50,000
20,000 ybp) humans appear to have spread to many parts of India (Misra 1992). The
contemporary people of India are culturally stratified as tribals and non-tribals. It is
generally accepted that the tribal people are the original inhabitants of India (Ray 1973;
Thapar 1966). The tribals constitute 8.08% of the total population of India (1991 census
of India). There are an estimated 461 tribal communities in India (Singh 1992), who
speak about 750 dialects (Kosambi 1991) which can be classified into one of the
following three language families: Austro-Asiatic, Dravidian and Tibeto-Burman. There
is considerable debate about the evolutionary histories of the Indian tribals. The protoAustraloid tribals, who speak dialects belonging to the Austric linguistic group, are
believed to be the basic element in the Indian population (Thapar 1966). Many other

anthropologists, historians and linguists (Pattanayak 1998; Rapson 1955; Risley 1915)
have also supported the view that the Austro-Asiatic (a subfamily of the Austric language
family) speaking tribals to be the original inhabitants of India. Some other scholars
(Buxton 1925; Sarkar 1958) have, however, proposed that the Dravidians are the original
inhabitants and Austro-Asiatics are later immigrants. Many linguists (Renfrew 1987;
Ruhlen 1991) contend that Elamo-Dravidian languages originated in the Elam province
of southwestern Iran, and that the dispersal of the Dravidian languages into India took
place with the migration of humans from this region, who brought with them the
technologies of agriculture and animal domestication. The Tibeto-Burman speaking
tribals, who inhabit primarily the northeastern regions of India, are thought to be
immigrants to India from Tibet and Myanmar (Guha 1935).
When we see the diversity of Konkani recorded by a standard methodology by
Ethnologue then question remains-which one is original, which one is more ancient,
which one is more authentic?.
Konkani has been identified by a single identifier ISO 639. 3. These six forms of
Konkani are as follows recognized by a triplet code and population of speakers
ISO 639.3, Konkani, knn, population (P) , 242000;
ISO 639.3 Konkani, kok,P, 6057440;
ISO 639.3 Konkani, Goan, gom, P, 3630000;
ISO 639.3 Kukna, kex, P, 111000;
ISO 639.3 Gamit, gbl, P, 284000;
ISO 639.3 Mawchi, mke, P, 99500
Opening a Pandoras box of linguistic history
Kokna and Gamit are Austric people which means their arrival in peninsular India dates
50-60 thousand years back. They must have settled in the western ghats of the Konkan
including Goa before migrating to other places. We still do not know their exact ancient
location in Goa. Later settlers erased all past evidence. Therefore all subsequent records
can not be trusted as these were created by settlers to wipe out the evidence of tribal
occupation of Goa and Konkan.
They could have been inhabitants of the western ghat foothills in Sattari and Sanguem.
Their musical instruments, fishing gears show close similarity to what is used in Sattari.
Why Kuknas and Gamits migrated/fled?. Why they first settled and then they flee/driven
out?. As waves of austric people descending from the Vindhyas, below the NarmadaTapti valley after trekking an unknown and hazardous territory they reached Konkan
and Goa. This journey was reversed after establishing tribal settlements and occupying
these peacefully for thousands of years. What were their fears, impulses and compulsions
which made them refugees and strangers in their ancient homeland?. Was it climate
change, deforestation, natural calamities, diseases, war or the onslaught of the land
grabbers, the Indo European language speakers having superior technology?

Why they left Konkan/ Pre Portuguese Goa?

No satisfactory answer from Enthoven. In the past 100 years nobody has asked the right
questions. Such mass exodus in space and time from Goa to Maharashtra and Gujarat
points to some terrible event or catastrophe in Goan history. But there are no records of
large-scale tribal migrations in our local history.
Proto-Konkani was a tribal language
If the Kokna tribals began to use the Indo-Aryan language, Kokna at an uncertain period
then it could be probably the prototype of ancient Konkani language. It must have been a
dominant tribal language in the Konkan before the rise of dynasties like the Satavahanas
Extinction of tribal janpadas
The organised dynastic rules ( post Mauryan) systematically destroyed the tribal janpadas
- their self-governed republics in Konkan. Their original village communities must have
been taken over by the new settlers speaking Indo European languages. Other dominant
languages under the royal patronage replaced Kokna.
Original Konkani speakers found new sanctuary outside
Time stood still for the Kokna tribe as history took its own course. Development of
maritime trade and the urbanisation of the Konkan (c. 400 A.D. ) meant the
marginalisation of the tribals. For Gamit it must have been a traumatic social
transplantation in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The Gamit retained the Konkani language.
This actually proves the greatness of Konkani and the resilience of Goas original tribal
inhabitants.

Kokna tribals are also called by the names Kokni, Kukni or Kukna. They were original
inhabitants of the Konkan. They speak Kokni - an Indo-Aryan language at home and
Marathi with others. They are concentrated in Nasik, Thane and Dhule. In Gujarat, their
major concentration is in Valsad and Dang districts. In Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the
Kokna are distributed in 60 villages.
Gamit tribals
Gamit tribals are distributed in the hilly terrains and plains of Surat, Valsad, Dang and
Bahruch districts of Gujarat. In 1920, the British ethnographist, Enthoven had recorded
the history of their migration to Gujarat and Maharashtra from Goa. They call themselves
Konkan Marathas in Maharashtra and Vasava in Gujarat. Gamit means a villager. They
have synonyms like Gamta, Gavit, Mavchi and Pandvi. They have no connection with the
fishermen group - Gavit or Gabit found in Canacona.
Gamit tribals in Maharashtra and Karnataka
In Maharashtra, the Gamits are mostly distributed in the Mumbai division. They speak
Konkani (not Kokna) and use the Devanagari script for written communication. In
Karnataka, the Gamit including all the subgroups are notified as scheduled tribes. There
were just 34 of them in 1981. Perhaps this Konkani speaking tribal group is already
extinct in Karnataka.

Comparative anthropological, cultural linguistic studies essential

The Kokna and Gamit tribals might have lost the ancient folk memories .They were
originally austric speakers. Later they must have adopted the Indo-Aryan language of
Kokna and Konkani. So, the only means of understanding the history of their migration
from Konkan is their language folklore and perhaps their traditional knowledge
Therefore tribal stakeholders in Goa should establish contacts and network with closely
related lost cousins- Kuknas, Gamits and Mawchis and undertake a long term ambitious
research project to unravel the truth and destroy the myths and legends created by vested
interests. I urge the tribal welfare department of Government of Goa to sponsor detail
research in this direction including genetic and genomic studies and full encyclopedia of
tribal words and knowledge.