[3] Anthropologist Megan Moodie says that their history and culture is poorly documented and that what does exist "tend[s] to be brief and stress their 'insignificance' and lowness".
[4] The Dhanka share many cultural similarities with the Rathwa and Naikda tribal people, and are largely indistinguishable from them.
Described by Shereen Ratnagar as "vibrant colours ... teeming with gods, people, plants, birds and animals", creation of this artform is unique to the Rathwa.
[7] In Uttar Pradesh, Dhanka are given Scheduled Caste status and at the time of the 2011 Census of India, their population was 651,355 people.
She believes that there is an "overidentification of caste with iconic labour" and being more a reflection of the worldviews of both Brahmins and the later British colonisers than of reality.