The Bharwad, also known as Gadaria , [1] are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India, primarily engaged in herding livestock.
The Bharwad, also known as Gadaria , [1] are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India, primarily engaged in herding livestock.
The Bharwads claim they are the descendants of Abhira chief Nanda, the foster father of Krishna. [2] [3] Enthoven (1920) has referred to the Bharwads as the Gadarias. [4] [ better source needed ] According to Sudipta Mitra, historians believe the Bharwards arrived in northern Gujarat in the 10th century, fleeing the Muslim invasions of Sindh. They then spread out throughout Saurashtra. [3]
According to their origin myth, the goddess Parvati fashioned animals and four men from the sweat and bodily dirt from Shiva's meditation, which Shiva then gave life to. Shamal was the rudest of the four, and he became a camel herder and progenitor of the Rabari camel herders. The better mannered Bharvad received sheep and goats. The handsome and best-mannered Charan became guardian of Nandi and ancestor of cattle herders. Finally, Ahir received land. The four men then married four apsara sisters. [5]
In another origin myth, Krishna burned three rolls of dirt on a fire, which he then shaped into Gowals (to watch over his cattle). Krishna had many wives, but due his generosity he gave away all but three of them. He wanted to give his last three wives to the Gowals, but they regarded Krishna as their father and would not accept wives from him. Later Krishna ordered the Gowals to watch over the cattle, but they complained that they would not work until they had wives. Thus Krishna took them to a temple, where he set two of them back-to-back and ordered them to circumambulate the temple in opposite directions. When they met on the other side, one of them had turned into a woman. Krishna order the two to be married, but the third Gowal complained that he was yet to have a wife. Krishna told him the creation of the world was already complete, and that he should share his older brothers wife. Westphal-Hellbusch and Westphal state that historically the Bharvads practiced polyandry, and in modern times the younger brother marries his older brother's widow. [5]
The Bharvads claim they used to live in Gokul with Krishna. Once, Kans ordered the weather deities to destroy Gokul. To protect the inhabitants and animals, Krishna created another Gokul on his pinky finger to shelter them. However, Kans captured all the Bharvad shepherds. Krishna then created another set of Bharvads and animals, which became known as Motabhai (big brother), while the Bharvads who had been released by Kans became known as Nanabhai. The mother of the Motabhais did not want to recognize the Nanbhais as Bharvads, and it was only at Krishna's request that they were reaccepted into the community. In another version, the Bharvads enter a cave with their cows, which was actually a giant serpent owned by Brahma. Inside the cave was a duplicate universe, so the Bharvads never realized anything was amiss and did not leave. Krishna then created a new set of Bharvads to replace the ones who were lost. When Brahma released the trapped original Bharvads from his serpent, they became known as Nanabhai, while the ones created by Krishna became the Motabhai. [5]
In east and southeast Gujarat, where all pastoralists are Bharvads regardless of animals, a different story is held. Those Bharvads claim they, Gopalaks, were created by Shiva from the sacred fire, and that they lived with Krishna. When Krishna fled Mathura, the Gopalaks set out to find him. Where a river split into four tributaries, the Gopalaks split into four. One stream went to Marwar, one to Saurashtra, another to Gujarat, and another to South India. [5]
According to Barot Shamalji of Porbandar, Radha had 9 brothers known as the nine Nandas. The Bharvads originated from the fourth brother, Bhuravananda. Out of his two sons, one married a Raja woman, whose descendants are the Motabhais, while the other married an Adivasi woman, who descendants are the Nanabhais. [5]
Various reasons are given for the division between Motabhai and Nanabhai, the most popular is that two shepherd brothers were ordered by Krishna to take their flocks to different places. The older of the brothers went on to marry a Bharwad woman while the other married a other woman. Since the latter was a marriage outside the community, the offspring were deemed to be ritually polluted. Thus the Motabhai (literally, "big brother") descend from the first and the Nanabhai ("little brother") from the latter. [6]
Mitra notes that they are generally considered to be among the lowest of the pastoral castes, being engaged primarily in the herding of goats and sheep. [lower-alpha 1] However, although one of the Maldhari nomadic communities, they are also among the most urbanised of the region and, combined with their niche position in the supply of milk, which forms their main source of income, this has enabled them to improve their traditional social position. [7]
There is anecdotal evidence that pet chandla (marriage of children while they are still in the womb) is practised by some members of the community. [8] In other cases, a sagai (engagement) ceremony takes place when children are aged 2–3, with the marriage age usually being between 18-20 for women and 20-22 for men. [lower-alpha 2]
The Bharwads practice "sartorial conservatism", according to Emma Tarlo, and it is not enough to be born a Bharwad if a person wants to be accepted as one: conforming with standards of dress and other customs is a necessity if a person is not to be considered a deserter from the community. [10] The details of clothing — in terms of style, colour and material — have changed over time while retaining a distinct Bharwad character. Despite it being a relatively recent practice, the wearing of pink and red shawls by both women and men is one of the most obvious identifiers of the modern community and they are worn even by those who shun the other aspects of the Bharwadi dress code in favour of Western styles. [11] The desire to identify through clothing and also through tattoos may be a reflection of the community's traditional itinerant lifestyle, whereby a means of recognising their fellows was a significant social factor. [12]
The clothing worn by Bharwad women was traditionally made from coarse wool woven by members of local untouchable communities. In addition, they embroidered their own open-backed bodices. The garments at that time — as late as the early 20th century — comprised the bodice, an unstitched black or red waist-cloth, known as a jimi, and a veil. Motabhai clothing was made from thicker wool than that of the Nanabhai, leading to the two groups referring to themselves as "thick cloth" and "thin cloth". The veil was dyed black and bore red dots if the woman was a Motabhai and yellow if she was Nanabhai. While the styles and colours remain similar, modern Bharwad women use man-made fibres, such as polyester, and cotton. This change may be in part because the modern materials are of finer texture but it is more likely than it came about because of their relative cheapness. Cost is an important factor among the generally penurious community and women could sell the woollen fabric that they had used for clothing for a greater price than they paid for the replacement man-made fabric clothes. [13] Tarlo quotes a Bharwad woman saying that "If you wear a sari then you can no longer be called a Bharwad. That is the way it is among our caste. Better to die than change your clothes." [14]
The men commonly wear a silver ear-ring, called a variya, and a pagri (turban). The length of the turban differs between the two divisions, and there are numerous ways of tying them. A white turban, rather than the more usual pink or red, is a symbol of seniority. [15] Wearing Western-style clothing is still not generally accepted but the traditional three woollen blankets, worn around the head, waist and shoulders, have in many cases been replaced by a cotton kediyu together with a dhoti or chorni . [16] As with the women, Carol Henderson notes that
[Bharwads] say that if a man doesn't wear their dress, he ceases to be Bharwad. Being Bharwad means dressing Bharwad. Bharwad men wear a distinctive short gathered smock with long, tight sleeves, massive wound turban, gathered pantaloons, and a shawl. [17]
Bharwads are rarely educated beyond primary level and literacy rates are poor. Many of them live in and around the Gir Forest National Park, where they tend to keep away from the forest itself when grazing their livestock due to the danger of attacks by Asiatic lions. Aside from their involvement with livestock, the main source of income is agricultural labouring; few of them own land. [7]
Bharwads are classified in Gujarat as Other Backward Class, [18] except in the Nesses of the forests of Alech, Barada and Gir where they are Scheduled Tribes. [19]
The Other Backward Class (OBC) is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes that are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with general castes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs). The OBCs were found to comprise 52% of the country's population by the Mandal Commission report of 1980 and were determined to be 41% in 2006 when the National Sample Survey Organisation took place. There is substantial debate over the exact number of OBCs in India; it is generally estimated to be sizable, but many believe that it is higher than the figures quoted by either the Mandal Commission or the National Sample Survey.
The Dhangars are a herding caste of people found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They are referred as Gavli in southern Maharashtra, Goa and northern Karnataka, Golla in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Ahir in northern Maharashtra. Some Gavlis live in forested hill tracts of India's Western Ghats. Gavli, also known as Dange or Mhaske, and Ahir are a sub-caste of Dhangar. However, there are many distinct Gavli castes in Maharashtra and Dhangar Gavli is one of them.
The Maldhari is a occupational term or title used by several herdsmen or animal husbandry castes such as Koli, Kathi, Charan, Rabari and Bharwad in Kutch district of Gujarat, India. The Gir Forest National Park is home to around 8,400 Maldharis as of 2007.
Vitthala-natha or Vitthalanath, popularly known as Gusainji, was an Indian philosopher. He was the younger son of Vallabhacharya, who founded the Pushtimarg religious sect of Hinduism.
Lohar is considered to be a caste among Hindus and a clan among Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, and in Nepal. They form traditionally artisanal castes. Writers of the Raj period often used the term Lohar as a synonym for blacksmith, although there are other traditional smiting communities, such as the Ramgarhia and Sikligar, and numerous non-traditional communities, including the Kayastha, Rajput and Brahmin.
Reservation is a system of affirmative action in India created during the British rule. It provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, government schemes, scholarships and politics. Based on provisions in the Indian Constitution, it allows the Union Government and the States and Territories of India to set reserved quotas or seats, at particular percentage in Education Admissions, Employments, Political Bodies, Promotions, etc., for "socially and educationally backward citizens."
Adhering to Article 340 of the Constitution of India, the First Backward Classes Commission was set up by a presidential order on 29 January 1953 under the chairmanship of Kaka Kalelkar. It is also known as the First Backward Classes Commission, 1955 or the Kaka Kalelkar Commission.
The Anjana Chaudhari is a caste in the Indian state of Gujarat. The Anjana Chaudharis are farmer by profession, most of them are small cultivators. Anjana Chaudharis of Gujarat also known as Anjana Patel in their area.
Yadav, Jadam, or Jadav refers to a grouping of traditionally non-elite, peasant-pastoral communities or castes in India that since the 19th and 20th centuries have claimed descent from the mythological king Yadu as a part of a movement of social and political resurgence. The term Yadav now covers many traditional peasant-pastoral castes such as Ahirs of the Hindi belt and the Gavli of Maharashtra.
Rajasthani people or Rajasthanis are a group of Indo-Aryan peoples native to Rajasthan, a state in Northern India. Their language, Rajasthani, is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages.
The Gadaria or Gadariya is a herding caste that was traditionally involved professionally in livestock breeding, especially sheep. They are primarily found in Uttar Pradesh and in some parts of Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. In Gujarat, they are called Bharwad.
Nai, also known as Sain/Sen, or Sharma is a generic term for occupational castes of barbers. The name is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word nāpita (नापित). In modern times Nai in northern India refer to themselves as "Sain" instead of Nai.
Sadgop, also spelled as Sadgope, is a Bengali Hindu Yadav (Gopa) caste. Traditionally they are engaged in dairy-farming and cultivation. Since late mediaeval period Sadgops had established themselves as dominant political power in peripheral lateritic forest areas of Rarh region, now included in Birbhum, Burdwan and Midnapore districts. Karnagarh, Narajole, Narayangarh and Balarampur in Midnapore and several other zamindari estates in Burdwan, Hooghly, Birbhum belonged to them. As of late nineteenth century they were one of the fourteen castes belonging to 'Nabasakh' group.
The Pancholi are a gotra of the Ahir/Yadav caste found in the state of Gujarat, India. they claim that they migrated to the Panchal area of Saurashtra from Gokul mathura along with Krishna.
The Abhiras were a legendary people mentioned in ancient Indian epics and scriptures as early as the Vedas. they were a warlike tribe is admitted by all. Probably they were a nomadic people as they are associated with various peoples and provinces. A historical people of the same name are mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. The Mahabharata describes them as living near the seashore and on the bank of the Sarasvati River, near Somnath in Gujarat.
The Golla are a Telugu-speaking pastoral community primarily living in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with smaller numbers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. They are related to other pastoral-herding castes like Gulla, Gullar, Gollewar, Gavli and Dhangar and are a part of the larger Yadav community. They are classified as a Backward Caste.
Damodar Kund(Gujarati: દામોદર કુંડ), located at the foothills of Girnar hills, near Junagadh in the Indian state of Gujarat, is considered a sacred lake as per Hindu beliefs.
Mer, Maher or Mehar is a caste from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in India. They are largely based in the Porbandar district, comprising the low-lying, wetland Ghēḍ and highland Barḍā areas, and they speak a dialect of the Gujarati language. The Mers of the Ghēḍ and Barḍā form two groups of the jāti and together they are the main cultivators in the Porbandar District. Historically, the men served the Porbandar State as a feudal militia, led by Mer leaders. In the 1881 Gazette of the Bombay Presidency, the Mers were recorded numbering at 23,850. The 1951 Indian Census recorded 50,000 Mers. As of 1980 there were estimated to be around 250,000 Mers.
Gopal or Gouda is an Indian caste, from Odisha State in East India. Their traditional occupations include dairy farming, cattle herding, cultivation and carrying palanquins of deities. They also worked as Paikas (soldiers) under the kings. Gopal is the name of the milkmen or herdsmen caste in Odisha, which is known by other names in various parts of India.
Detha, or Detho, is a Charan clan (gotra) in Sindh province of Pakistan, and in Indian states of Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
Notes
Citations
Extrapolating on the 1931 Census, the OBCs, excluding Muslim OBCs, comprise 35.6% of the total population, with the Koli-Thakore block the largest, followed by artisan castes at 6.1%; Bharwad (Gadaria) at 2%; and other middle castes at 3.3%.
Bibliography