Halba (tribe)
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 750,000 (2011 census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Odisha | |
| Languages | |
| Halbi, Odia and Hindi | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bhunjia, Indo-Aryan peoples |
The Halba are a tribe in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh Assam , and Odisha in India. They speak the Halbi language and mostly farm. Linguistic evidence indicates they are an aboriginal tribe who adopted Hinduism and an Indo-European language.
The Halba ancestors were cultivators and farm servants who lived south of the Raipur district, or Kanker and Bastar State; from here small numbers spread to Bhandara district, parts of Berar Province and into the Koraput district of Odisha.