Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
India | |
Bihar | 937,861 (0.7174% of Bihar's population) [1] |
Religion | |
Hinduism |
The Kewat, also spelled Kevat, is a Hindu caste, found in the states of Assam, Bihar, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in India. They are the traditional boatmen of northern India, and also in neighbouring country Nepal.
The name "Kevata" was first appeared in the Pillar Edict V of Emperor Ashoka. [2]
The Kewat are among the 17 OBC communities of Uttar Pradesh that have been proposed for Scheduled Caste status by the Samajwadi Party-controlled Government. However, this proposal, which relates to votebank politics and has been made in the past, has been stayed by the courts; a prior attempt was also rejected by the Government of India. [3] [4]
Kewats are recognised as Scheduled Caste in the states of Assam, West Bengal and Tripura as Keot, Keyot or Jalkeot. [5] [6] [7]
With a population of 937,861, Kewats constitute 0.7174% of Bihar's population in the 2023 caste census. [1]
The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Kewat as a subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste. [8] At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 153,772 people (0.6% of the population of Nepal) were Kewat. The frequency of Kewat by province was as follows:
The frequency of Kewat was higher than national average (0.6%) in the following districts: [9]
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 806 districts and smaller administrative divisions.
Dhobi known in some places as Dhoba, Rajaka, a Scheduled caste in India and the greater Indian subcontinent whose traditional occupations are washing, ironing, and agricultural labour.
Bhotiya or Bhot is an Indian and Nepali exonym lumping together various ethnic groups speaking Tibetic languages, as well as some groups speaking other Tibeto-Burman languages living in the Transhimalayan region that divides India from Tibet. The word Bhotiya comes from the classical Tibetan name for Tibet, བོད, bod. The Bhotiya speak numerous languages including Ladakhi. The Indian recognition of such language is Bhoti / Bhotia having Tibetan scripts and it lies in the Parliament of India to become one of the official languages through Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The Other Backward Class (OBC) is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify communities 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. 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 Dom, also known as Domra, Domba, Domaka, Dombara and Dombari, are castes, or groups, scattered across India. Dom were a caste of drummer. According to Tantra scriptures, the Dom were engaged in the occupations of singing and playing music. Historically, they were considered an untouchable caste called the Dalits and their traditional occupation was the disposal and cremation of dead bodies. They are in the list of Scheduled caste for Reservation in India in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
The Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya or KGBV is a residential girls’ secondary school run by the Government of India for the weaker sections in India.
Chamar is a Dalit community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of affirmative action. They are found throughout the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the northern states of India and in Pakistan and Nepal.
The Mallaah are the traditional boatmen and fishermen tribes or communities found in North India, East India, Northeastern India and Pakistan. A significant number of Mallaah are also found in Nepal and Bangladesh. In the Indian state of Bihar, the term Nishad includes the Mallaah and refers to communities whose traditional occupation centred on rivers. It is also spelled Mallah.
The following outline is provided as an overview of, and topical guide to, India:
Halwai is an Indian caste and a social class, whose traditional occupation was confectionery and sweet-making. The name is derived from the word Halwa which is a sweed dish.
The Dhanuk is an Caste group found in India. In Bihar where they are significantly present, they have been categorised as the "lower backwards", along with several other castes constituting 32% of the state's population. In recent times they have been identifying themselves with the Kurmi caste along with the Mahto of Chhotanagpur. In Bihar, they are considered as a sub-caste of the Mandal caste and are often found using Mandal surname. In recent times, there has been attempt to forge a socio-political alliance between them and the twin castes of Koeri and the Kurmi, as a part of Luv-Kush equation.
Bauri (Bengali:বাউরী) is a community of indigenous people primarily residing in Bengal, and considered as one of the Scheduled Castes of India. The Bauris belong to the Bhil tribe. They are usually involved in activities like farming. The Bauris of Purbo Tila Moulvibazar in Bangladesh are usually involved in medicinal practices. The prime festivals they celebrate are known as Mansa Puja, Durga Puja and Kali Puja.
Bhumij is a Munda ethnic group of India. They primarily live in the Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Jharkhand, mostly in the old Singhbhum district and also in states like Bihar and Assam. There is also a sizeable population found in Bangladesh. Bhumijas speak the Bhumij language, an Austroasiatic language, and use Ol Onal script for writing.
The Bind are a caste found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Tripura. Bind are under the obc[Other backward caste] category of the central list. Bin/Bind is one of the jaliya communities. In Uttar Pradesh, they are known by the jaliya sub-caste. In Assam Bind/Bin comes under SC.
Musahar or Mushahar are a Dalit community found in the eastern Gangetic plain and the Terai. They are also known as Rishidev, Sada, Manjhi, Banbasi. The other names of the Musahar are Bhuiyan and Rajawar. there are many who are still forced to do this work due to destitution and poverty.
Kandu or Kanu is a caste that has been historically associated with trading activities, confectionery (sweet-making), shop-keeping, grain-parching, etc. in India and Nepal. One of their notable business activities is confectionery.
Kharwar is a community found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal.
The Bhuiyan or Bhuiya are an indigenous community found in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. They are not only geographically disparate but also have many cultural variations and subgroups.
The Rajbanshi, also Rajbongshi and Koch-Rajbongshi, are peoples from Lower Assam, North Bengal, eastern Bihar, Terai region of eastern Nepal, Rangpur division of North Bangladesh and Bhutan who have in the past sought an association with the Koch dynasty. Koch-Rajbanshi people speak Kamatapuri, belong to Indo-Aryan languages likely due to language shift, and in the past they might have spoken Tibeto-Burman languages. The community is categorised as OBC in Assam and Bihar, and SC in West Bengal. In Nepal they are considered part of the Plains Janjati. In Bangladesh the community is classified as Plains ethnic group under 'Barman'. They are the largest Scheduled Caste community of West Bengal.
The Paswan, also known as Dusadh, are a Dalit community from eastern India. They are found mainly in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. The Urdu word Paswan means bodyguard or "one who defends". The origin of the word, per the belief of the community, lies in their participation in the battle against Siraj-ud-daulah, the Nawab of Bengal at the behest of British East India Company, after which they were rewarded with the post of Chowkidars and lathi wielding tax collector for the Zamindars. They follow certain rituals such as walking on fire to assert their valour.