Correct Option
The correct option is (a) 1 only.
Explanation
The Gonds are one of the most significant tribal communities in Indian history. During the medieval period, they inhabited a vast region in Central India known as Gondwana. Their social and economic practices were distinct from the settled agrarian societies of the plains.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct: Gondwana historically refers to the "country inhabited by Gonds." It was a vast forested region covering parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh. The Gonds lived in these forests and maintained a distinct tribal identity.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: The Gonds traditionally practised shifting cultivation (also known as slash-and-burn agriculture). They did not practise intensive plough agriculture in river valleys during the early medieval period; that method was characteristic of settled caste-based societies and other groups like the Ahoms (who introduced wet rice cultivation). While the Gond kingdom of Garha Katanga later became wealthy and settled, the defining agricultural practice of the Gond tribe in this context was shifting cultivation.
Key Takeaway
Gondwana was a forested region inhabited by the Gonds, who primarily practised shifting cultivation rather than intensive plough agriculture.