The Gonds are one of the largest tribal communities in India an Adivasi (indigenous) Dravidian-speaking people primarily inhabiting Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Telangana.
- Speak Gondi a Dravidian language related to Telugu and Kannada
- Established powerful kingdoms between the 13th and 18th centuries: Garha-Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda, and Kherla
- Most celebrated Gond ruler: Queen Durgavati (1524–1564) defended her kingdom against Mughal forces
- Currently classified as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian Constitution