Bhil Pradesh - a proposed tribal state of India

India has several regions, including districts, historic regions, cities, and states, that reflect the names of specific tribes. These names honour the culture and traditions of these tribes.  Apart from the usual names like Nagaland and Mizoram, which literally mean "land of Naga and Mizo tribes," there are other examples such as Gondia in Maharashtra, named after the Gond tribe, Kandhamal in Odisha, named after the Khond or Khanda tribe, the Karbi-Anglong and Dimasa Hills districts of Assam, the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo districts of Meghalaya, and so on. Even during the British Raj, divisions like the Santhal Parganas of former Bihar province, the Naga Hills District, the Lushai Hills in Assam province, and Garo and Khasi, incorrectly written as Garrows and Cossy, all point to this trend.

During the British era, various tribal populations demanded a separate identity. For example, the Gond population advocated for a Gondwana in the 1940s, Jharkhand for Munda, Oraon, and Santhals between the 1910s and 1940s (which eventually gained statehood almost a century later in 2000), and Lushai Hills or Mizoram, which refused to merge with Assam in the 1940s and later gained statehood in 1987 after being a Union Territory for 15 years. However, one such tribal demand continues to be echoed in Indian politics, encompassing 49 districts across four different states. This demand is made by the Bhil population, which constitutes the second-largest in India.

The demand for a separate statehood for the Bhil community was raised as early as 1913 by Govind Guru, a leader from Dungarpur, Rajasthan. During the Mangarh Movement, on 17th November 1913, Govind Guru mobilised over 10,000 Bhils in Mangarh (in Banswara district, Rajasthan) to demand a separate Bhil state. This demand was met with British gunfire, resulting in 1,500 casualties. Many refer to this event as the 'Adivasi Jallianwala Bagh'. Beyond demanding statehood, Govind Guru's speeches also criticised the misuse and overconsumption of liquor, animal sacrifice, bonded labour, and advocated for the upliftment of Bhils through education and unity. These demands were seen as a threat to the dominance of several Princely States in Rajputana. Consequently, the States of Dungarpur, Banswara, Sunth (in Panch Mahal or Dahod district, now Gujarat), and Idar (in Gujarat), along with the British forces, charged on the peaceful demonstration, massacring over 1000 Bhil protestors. 

According to The Indian Express (July 2025), the following districts are proposed to be included in the new Bhil Pradesh: 

Rajasthan	Gujarat	Maharashtra	Madhya Pradesh
Barmer	Banaskantha	Palghar	Shivpuri
Jalor	Sabarkantha	Thane	Guna
Sirohi	Aravali	Nashik	Neemuch
Pali	Mahisagar	Nandurbar	Mandsaur
Udaipur	Panch Mahals	Dhule	Ratlam
Rajsamand	Dahod	Jalgaon	Jhabua
Chittaurgarh	Vadodara		Alirajpur
Pratapragh	Chhota Udaipur		Dhar
Banswara	Bharuch		Indore
Dungarpur	Narmada		Dewas
Kota	Surat		Khandwa
Baran	Tapi		Khargone
Jhalawar	The Dangs		Barwani
	Navsari		Burhanpur
	Valsad

Interestingly, the Union Territory portions of Dadra, Nagar Haveli, and Daman do fall within the extensive Bhil region, but they are not part of the Bhil Pradesh demand. Similarly, the district of Bhilwara (in Rajasthan), which derives its name from the Bhil community, is not included in the Bhil Pradesh demand.

The list of districts mentioned above consists of 48 districts (based on the map provided in the source). However, the same source mentions 49 districts, while ETV Bharat lists down 39 districts. On 14th July 2024, Bhil Vritant, a tribal cultural-historical platform on its social media handle, published a map listing 36 districts. While the number may vary, the mainland region remains the same - Mewar. 

Although the demand for an official Bhil Pradesh began in 1913, Bhil resistance to imperial powers had been ongoing since the 19th century. The earliest revolt against oppression occurred in 1804 in Khandesh, where tax exploitation by Peshwa jagirdars led to a revolt that was suppressed by the Marathas. Khandesh again saw a series of aggressions between 1817 and 1827, this time against the Peshwas, resulting in majoritarian military suppressions. The British, allied with the Marathas, crushed numerous rebellions initiated by the Bhils. Later, the British allied with various Princely rulers and continuously oppressed the Bhils' rebellions, including the Banswara Uprising (1868-74), Bhagat Movement (1883-1913), the Mangarh massacre (1913), and the Eki Movement under Motilal Tejawat (1920s-29). Most of these revolts were against tax oppression, forced labour, police brutality, labour grievances, and land rights, and in almost all cases, the British emerged victorious. 

The Mangarh massacre became a turning point, rapidly increasing the demand for a separate statehood. On 17th November 1913, thousands of Bhils and other tribes gathered at Mangarh Hill (in today's Banswara district, Rajasthan) to demand an end to forced labour, oppressive taxes, and social exploitation. They also sought a separate statehood for Bhil Pradesh. The British, attempting to suppress this movement, allied with local princely states, surrounded the hill, and opened fire with machine guns. Tragically, over 1,500 Bhil men, women, and children lost their lives. Today, the site serves as a large memorial pillar near the border of Rajasthan and Gujarat (Banswara-Mahisagar border), close to the Kadana Reservoir.

In November 2023, the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) renewed its call for a separate Bhil Pradesh. They organised a massive rally on 17th November 2024 at Mangarh Dham, the massacre site, led by Rajkumar Roat (MP from Banswara). The BAP leaders submitted memoranda across 60 blocks in Rajasthan, 44 in Madhya Pradesh, 22 in Gujarat, and several in Maharashtra and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. This demand has become an annual ritual for the BAP. However, this time, the demand faced a somewhat similar reception, without the massacre or killings. While the ruling BJP party MPs opposed it, calling it "treasonous" and "divisive", no state has officially agreed to the demand. Interestingly, the opposition Congress has a history of supporting the demand (Somjibhai Damor, Dileep Singh Bhuria, etc.). Despite this, there is no official statement from any of the parties, resulting in no official resolution being passed on this demand.

Below are two different maps based on two different sources: