Gadaria people

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Gadaria [1]
Religions Hinduism [2]
Languages Hindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Bihari, Chhattisgarhi, Gujrati language, Bengali language, Gaddi language, Northern Indo-Aryan languages, [2]
CountryFlag of India.svg India
Populated states Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir [2]
Region North India [1]
Family namesPal/Rajpal, Baghel, Mohaniya,Mandal, Bhagat, Mori/Moriya, Pradhan, Prasad, e.t.c. [2]
SubdivisionsNikhar and Dhangar [2]
Related groups

The Gadaria or Gadariya is a herding caste of North India that was traditionally involved professionally in livestock breeding, especially sheep. They are primarily found in Uttar Pradesh and in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar [4] [2] [1]

Contents

Etymology

Gadariya is a compound on of Gadar and ya. Gadar is a Prakrit word which means sheep and the suffix ya makes it pertaining to the community of shepherds. [5] Sanskrit gandhāra, a sheep, the Sanskrit name being taken from the country of Gandhara or Kandahar, from which sheep were first brought. [6] Some scholars hold that the words Gadar and Arya formed Gadararya or Gadarya. Possibly it later became a derivative of Gadariya. There is also a view that they were Aryas and the custodians or defenders of Garh (fort) and hence were called Gadariyas. [5]

Origin

This caste finds its earliest related mention as the ancient Gändharas, as stated in the Mahabharata and Rig veda, were well-known blanket-makers. Evidently, the Gandharas were shepherd by profession. It might be suggested that the Gadariya caste has its origin in the Gändhäras. [7] [8] They are believed to be amongst the earliest settlers in the Nerbudda valley, for which they have given their name to several places, such as Gadariakheda and Gädarwāra. [6] The Gadarmal devi temple was built around 7 - 8 century A.D. (Approx 1400 years ago) in present day Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh by a Gadaria (shepherd). [9]

Panini, the great grammarian (5th century B.C.) in his book Astādhyāyi named Brahmour as Gabdika and their residents as Gabdik. The territory is also named Gaderan or Gaddiyar, the country of the Gadariyas. [10]

History

In the early 1910s, an educated class of Gadarias formed All India Pal Kshatriya Mahasabha. There were debates within the community whether to add Kshatriya suffix to the community name. In the 1930s, they started referring to themselves as "Pali Rajput", a synonym of Pal Kshatriya. [11] They started caste magazines like "Pal Kshatriya Samachar" and "Shepherd Times". Later the community went through the process of De-Sanskritisation and dropped the suffix Kshatriya. Among the reasons cited for de-sanskritization were losing autonomy of their caste identity and avoiding being submerged into the identity of high castes. [12]

Sub-castes and clans

There are two major subdivisions amongst Gadarias, namely Dhangar and Nikhar. They share the same gotras such as Chauhan, Parihar, Sisodiya, Shirashwar, Chandel, Mohania, Kula etc are some of the gotras amongst them. [13]

Notables

Religion and Temples

Gadarmal Devi Temple, is a Hindu and Jain temple built around 7 - 8 century A.D. (Approximately 1400 years ago) in present day Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh by a person of Gadaria caste (shepherd). [9]

Baidyanath Temple, In the legend of Baidyanath Temple, Lord Vishnu took the form of a shepherd from the Gadariya caste, known as Baiju Gadariya. When Ravana was carrying the Shivalinga to Lanka, he needed to relieve himself.He handed the linga to Baiju Gadariya, who placed it on the ground. As a result, the linga got permanently rooted at Deoghar. This site became the famous Baidyanath Jyotirlinga, worshipped to this day. [14]

Kingdom’s and Dynasties

Holkar Dynasty, The Holkars were the ruling house of the Indore State of the Maratha Confederacy, they belonged to the Gadaria caste. [15]

Rulers, chieftains, and warriors

Mahraja Shri. Malhar Rao Holkar: Founder of the Holkar dynasty; a leading Maratha general under Peshwa Baji Rao I; established Holkar rule in the Malwa region. [15]

Rajmata/Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar: One of the greatest female rulers in Indian history; known for wise and just administration, promoting trade, building roads, tanks, and temples across India, including the Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath temples. [16] [17] [15]

Maharja Shri. Yashwantrao Holkar: Had fought against Britishers during the time of Lord Wellesly and he did not allow them to succeed in their attempt to annex Hindu Kingdoms. It was Holkar alone who successfully faced them [15] for this he was also called the "Napoleon of India" and "First freedom fighter"; resisted British expansion; won battles against the British and tried to unite Indian rulers against colonial rule. [18]

Social Reformer and Freedom Fighter

Ishwardatt Medhrathi, was a freedom fighter, Hindi writer, and social reformer from Uttar Pradesh. He belonged to the Gadariya (Gareria) caste and worked for the upliftment of backward and marginalized communities. He earned the surname "Medharthi" for being the most brilliant student in his school, and used literature and activism to fight caste discrimination and British rule. [19]

Classification

They are classified as Other Backward Class in the Indian System of Reservation. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

Demographics and Distribution

Uttar Pradesh

The Gadariya caste is spread all over the Uttar Pradesh. The community forms 4.4 percent of entire Uttar Pradesh state population. [25]

Gujarat

The Gadaria caste formed 2% of the total population of Gujarat. [26] They are recorded to be the richest caste in Palanpur, Gujarat [27]

Religion

They generally practice Hinduism, worshipping various popular deities including Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Hanuman, Kali, Chandi and Lakshmi, as well as various Kuladevata, or family deities. Some of them wear the sacred thread. A majority of them are vegetarians. [28]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane) (1916). The tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India. University of California Libraries. London : Macmillan and Co., limited.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sashi, Dr. Shyam singh (1982). Shepherds of India: A Socio-Cultural Study of Sheep and Cattle-Rearing Communities. Archaeological survey of india (1st ed.). Delhi: Sundeep publication. pp. 13–73. OCLC   4322453.
  3. ↑ "National Commission for Backward Classes". www.ncbc.nic.in. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Ghurye, G.S. (2008). Caste and race in India (5th ed.). Bombay: Popular Prakashan. p. 32. ISBN   9788171542055 . Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 Shashi, Shyam Singh (2006). The World of Nomads. Lotus Press. ISBN   978-81-8382-051-6.
  6. 1 2 Russell, Robert Vane (4 January 2022). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India: Ethnological Study of the Caste System. e-artnow.
  7. ↑ Shashi, Shyam Singh (1994). Encyclopaedia of Indian Tribes: The tribal world in transition. Anmol Publications. ISBN   978-81-7041-836-8.
  8. ↑ Choudhury, Mamata (1977). Tribes of Ancient India. Indian Museum.
  9. 1 2 Ayyar, Sulochana (1987). Costumes and Ornaments as Depicted in the Sculptures of Gwalior Museum. Mittal Publications. ISBN   978-81-7099-002-4.
  10. ↑ Sharma, Kamal Prashad (2001). Maṇimahesh Chambā Kailāsh. Indus Publishing. ISBN   978-81-7387-118-4.
  11. ↑ Singh (2020), p. Caste organisations in the pre-Independence period/Sanskritization phase (Roughly the 1920s-1950s).
  12. ↑ Singh (2020), p. Phase II (1956 onwards): De-sanskritization towards an alternative culture.
  13. ↑ Shashi (2011), p. 29.
  14. ↑ Madhuri, Dr J. Naga; PUBLICATIONS, SGSH (24 December 2024). Shiva Shakti. SGSH Publications. ISBN   978-93-6631-683-3. The story states that "Vishnu took the form of a Shepherd named Baiju Gadariya." While Ravana went to perform Surya Namaskaram, he gave a lingam to this cowherd. Due to the presence of Varun Dev, Ravana took a very long time. Baiju got angry, having to wait for Ravana, for a very long time. He then positioned the lingam on the ground and left the place
  15. 1 2 3 4 Commission, India Backward Classes (1956). Report. Manager of Publications Civil Lines. p. 63. The third instance may be mentioned of the Raja of Indore who belonged to Gadaria (Shepherd) caste. In this Raj Shri Jaswant Rao Holkar had fought against Britishers during the time of Lord Wellesly and he did not allow them to succeed in their attempt to annex Hindu Kingdoms. It was Holkar alone who successfully faced them.
  16. ↑ Yājñika, Acyuta; Sheth, Suchitra (2005). The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva, and Beyond. Penguin Books India. p. 195. ISBN   978-0-14-400038-8. The ancient Somnath temple was in ruins and the newer eighteenth-century temple built by Ahilyabai Holkar.
  17. ↑ Mohapatara, Gour Prasad (2 April 2025). Bharat : Where Heritage Meets Modernity. Crown Publishing. pp. 12, 13. ISBN   978-93-6426-193-7. The history of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple dates back several centuries. The original temple was believed to have been built by a local king, and it has undergone several reconstructions and renovations over the years. The current structure was built in 1780 by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore.
  18. ↑ Sen, Gautam (22 February 2021). The Automobile: An Indian Love Affair. Delhi, India: Penguin Random House India Private Limited. p. 1931. ISBN   978-93-90914-27-2. The legendary sixth ruler of Indore Yashwantrao Holkar, who ruled from 1798 to 1811 and was considered by many as the Napoleon of India for his exploits at successfully winning a series of wars against his neighbouring states with the objective of building up an empire.
  19. ↑ www.maren-bellwinkel.de https://web.archive.org/web/20120801180947/http://www.maren-bellwinkel.de/artikel/ambedkarbuddhism.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2025. Acharya Ishvardatt Medharthi (1900-1971) belonged to a Gareria family of Kanpur. Garerias (Gadariya) are shepherds and belong to the backward castes. He was born in the cantonment which was one of the three segments of Kanpur town in those days. At the turn of the nineteenth century Kanpur was a prosperous industrial town with leather and textile factories, oils mills and a thriving wholesale market.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Madhya Pradesh (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  21. ↑ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Chattisgarh (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  22. ↑ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Uttar Pradesh (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  23. ↑ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Uttarakhand (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  24. ↑ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Delhi (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  25. ↑ "Why parties are wooing UP's most backward sub-castes". The Times of India. 1 May 2019. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  26. ↑ Hebbar, Nistula (4 December 2017). "OBCs to play kingmaker in battle for Gujarat". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 17 July 2025. 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%.
  27. ↑ Stern, Nicholas (April 2011). "India and an Indian village: 50 years of economic development in Palanpur" (PDF). London School of Economics. 1: Page 78: The Gadariya caste had the highest per capita total income at ₹19, 012, making them the richest caste group. The distant second richest were the Teli, with a per capita income of ₹15, 111 – via This work is based on a programme of work in Palanpur from 1974, based primarily at the LSE, and uses two previous studies from the Agricultural Economics Research Centre of the University in Delhi from 1957/8 and 1962/3. There are now six surveys of the village, one for every decade since Independence. The most recent covers 2008/9 and 2009/10 and is the most detailed and comprehensive: its collection was led by Himanshu of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The analysis of the new data is under way and will be carried out largely in Delhi and the LSE. We are very grateful to Jean Drèze, Ruth Kattumuri, Peter Lanjouw, and Naresh Sharma and all the Delhi team for guidance, advice and support. This paper is based in part on a “Distinguished Lecture” by Nicholas Stern at the University of Hyderabad on 25 October 2010.
  28. ↑ Shashi (2011), p. 32.

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