The African word ba (many)+ ntu (people) stands for a dominant tribe. Research studies show that the Bantus spread or migrated to different divergent areas in and out of Africa after the desertification of Sahara region. It is interesting to note that Tulu words bant′ (>bante) means personal assistant and/ or bodyguard. The Kannada word banta also means the same. Originally, the Tulu word bant′ possibly referred to Tulu kings or chieftain’s personal bodyguard. Some of the Bantu people migrating from Sahara on account of desertification of that region must have landed in the west coast. They must have been dependable, strong, powerful personalities, so that they were absorbed as bodyguards or security assistants to the local kings and chieftains. Later, the word must have been extended to a group of people, who settled in this land who professionally formed the security cordon around the king or the chieftain.
Manjunath Vadiari in his blog, Theories on past events, has added additional information on Telugu Bantus, who formed suicide squads in ancient Andhra. This info not only throws light on early Tulu-Telugu relations, but also affirms migration of Bantu tribes from the west coast to the eastern Andhra part of the peninsula.
The attachment of bant′ name-tag for a specific Tulu the community, who are also known as nadavas appears to be a later part of the evolution. Incidentally, the term nadava means the native or those belonging to the naad or land/country
Ravi:
ReplyDeleteI have to differ on many things here. The Bantu expansion was only restricted to Africa(from West and Central regions). According to theories (probably, controversial), these people who became agriculturists spread rapidly into South and East Africa at the expense of other native African communities like Khoi-San(who are supposedly not dark skinned) and Pygmies.
According to Population Genetics we do not find African male/female lineages in South India. And Linguistically, banta, bante clearly show Prakrit form of Sanskrit word 'bhata'. So from genetics and linguistics, it is hard to find any linkage between 'bantu' of Africa and 'banta' of South India.
Were Bunts in Tulu region also called Nadava in old days? I mean only Kannada speaking community is called Nadava nowadays.