Bhil Children and their Learning of History at School

The lives of most children from the Bhil community (the largest Adivasi or indigenous group in India) are characterised by extreme poverty, poor health conditions, and frequent migration. Amidst the socio-economic reality of their lives, what Bhil children learn about their past acquires significance. History learning constitutes a fundamental aspect of their identity formation, both within the Adivasi group and the nation-state. This paper presents an ethnographic account examining the extent to which learning history at school has enabled Bhil children in two blocks of Khargone district in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh to relate with their past and develop an understanding of history. It presents a thematic analysis of children's responses to questions related to the concept of history, the history of their region, and a popular symbol from India's history and draws out their epistemological, sociological, and pedagogical implications.