Kudmi Mahato | |
---|---|
Mahato, Kudmi | |
Languages | Native language – Kudmali/Kurmali Secondary language – Hindi, Odia, Bengali |
Country | India, Nepal and Bangladesh |
Populated states | Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Nepal and Bangladesh |
Status | OBC (in India) [1] |
The Kudmi Mahato [note 1] are a tribal community in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha of India. They are primarily agriculturalist. [2] [3]
Bengal Province [4] | |
---|---|
Area | Population |
Burdwan | 4161 |
Birbhum | 499 |
Bankura | 20564 |
Midnapore | 85711 |
Hooghly | 2835 |
Howrah | 4348 |
24 Parganas | 15444 |
Calcutta | 9628 |
Nadia | 3955 |
Murshidabad | 1693 |
Jessore | 546 |
Khulna | 527 |
Rajshahi | 6805 |
Dinajpur | 7712 |
Jalpaiguri | 1693 |
Darjiling | 632 |
Rangpur | 3692 |
Bogra | 2894 |
Pabna | 4228 |
Malda | 6777 |
Dacca | 1491 |
Mymensingh | 4289 |
Faridpur | 1941 |
Bakarganj | 87 |
Tippera | 483 |
Noakhali | 78 |
Chittagong | 463 |
Cooch Behar | 1138 |
Tripura | 338 |
Sikkim | 20 |
Assam | 22,304 [5] |
Bihar and Orissa Province [6] | |
---|---|
Area | Population |
Patna | 173,146 |
Gaya | 42,459 |
Shahabad | 59,040 |
Saran | 108,512 |
Muzaffarpur | 130,683 |
Darbhanga | 67,295 |
Monghyr | 58,891 |
Bhagalpur | 35,645 |
Purnea | 12,774 |
Santal Parganas | 22,630 |
Hazaribagh | 105,725 |
Ranchi | 62,198 |
Palaman | 5,985 |
Manbhum | 323,068 |
Singbhum | 22,463 |
Orissa States | 95,422 |
Chota Nagpur States | 25,807 |
Kudmi were classified as a Notified Tribe by the British Raj under the terms of the Indian Succession Act introduced in 1865 as they have customary rules of succession. [7] [ page needed ] Kudmi of Chotanagpur are different from Kurmi of Gangetic plain. [8] According to Mahanta (2003) kudmi follow totemism which stamps them as Dravidian descent and resembles to Dravidian tribe around them according to book The Tribes and Castes of Bengal (1891) written by Herbert Hope Risley. [9] [10] [11] [12] Subsequently, in 1913, they were classified as a Primitive tribe. Then they were omitted from the list of communities listed as tribes in the 1931 census. [13]
They were not in the list of Scheduled Tribes drawn up in 1950. They are included in the list of Other Backward Classes in the States of Jharkhand, [14] West Bengal [15] and Odisha. [16] [17] In 2004, the Government of Jharkhand recommended that they should be listed as a Scheduled Tribe rather than Other Backward Class. [18] The Tribal Research Institute of Government of India recommended against this proposal, claiming they are a sub-caste of the Kunbi and thus different to tribal people. [19] [20] [21] Therefore, In 2015, the Government of India refused to approve the recommendation of Jharkhand government to list the Kudmi Mahato as Schedule Tribe. [21]
The language of Kudmi is Kudmali/Kurmali. But according to study, Kurmali language have vocabulary which is neither Dravidian nor Austro-asiatic. The Kudmi people once spoke a distinct language, neither Munda nor Dravidian but also not Indo-Aryan, and at some point switched to the regional Indo-Aryan lingua franca of that time, leaving a distinct substrate in their new language. [22] [23]
In April 2023, a Kudmi organization of West Bengal and Jharkhand engaged in rail blockages and demanded Scheduled Tribe status, [24] a demand which was opposed by some scheduled tribes. [25] [26]
Social organisations of this tribal community have agitated for scheduled tribe status and recognition of their traditional Sarna religion. [27] During the 20th century, some Kudmis of Chhotanagpur underwent a social change of Kshatriyaization along with the other Kurmi of North India [28] and elevated their status as Kshatriya. [29] [30]
Historically, the Kudmi Mahatos have been a noble class [31] who were landowning zamindars. [32] [33] [34] They exhibit upper-caste status [35] [36] and performed priestly functions in the temples situated in western Rarh region. [37]
The traditional occupation of Kudmi is agriculture. Kudmi are divided into 81 clans or gushti including Keshriar, Hindoiar, Bagh Banuar, Naguar, Punoriar, Bangsoar, Sankhuar, Kanbindha, Katiar, Dumriar, Karuar etc. [21] [38] [39]
Bari Puja, Karam, Chait Parab, Jitiya, Bandna, Tusu Parab are some of the major festivals of Kudmis. They worship Budha Baba in Madapthan and Garam at garamthan. Jhumair and Chhau are their folk dance. [40] [41]
According to National Institute of Biomedical Genomics(NIBMG), the Kudmi Mahatos genetically cluster together with other Indo-European speaking populations of Bengal & Orissa region [42] indicating less genetic distance between both the populations. The study also identifies the Kudmi population as Indo-European speaking who have a geographic proximity with the Mundari speaking populations, also mentioned by Genome India Project(GIP). [43]
Although clustered together with other Indo-European populations such as Rahri Brahmins, Kayastha, Mahishya and Oriya Brahmin, they show a considerable affinity with the Austro-Asiatic populations. [42]
The Kudmi Mahato community played a role in various rebellions in India's freedom struggle. From the Chuar Rebellion to the Quit India Movement, many Kudmi Mahatos were martyred. Raghunath Mahato was a notable leader of the Chuar Rebellion in India's freedom struggle against the British. The rebellion he waged against the British is known as the Chuar Rebellion. His Slogan "Apna Gaon, Apna Raaj; Dur Bhagao Bideshi Raaj". [44] [45] [46] [47] [48]
Buli Mahato was the hero martyr of Kol Rebellion and Bhumij Rebellion. [49] [50] [51] [52] Then came the Neel Rebellion 1843-1848 led by Gopal Mahato. Chanku Mahato then led the Santhal Rebellion in Godda district. [53] Also in the Sepoy Mutiny eleven were hanged together with Sukdev Mahato. In addition, Kanka Mahato, Rajani Mahato, Suchand Mahato, Kalicharan Mahato, Gopinath Mahato, Kalia Mahato etc. led the Medi Movement of Orissa. After that, the Kudmis also actively participated in the non-cooperation movement. Five Kudmi Mahato youths were martyred in this movement. These are Gokul Mahato, Mohan Mahato, Sheetal Mahato, Sahadeva Mahato, Ganesh Mahato. [54] [55] Many were also jailed. Girish Mahato, Nanku Chandra Mahato, Govinda Mahato, Dasharath Mahato, Chunaram Mahato, Mathan Mahato and others were imprisoned in Hazaribagh Jail during Mahatma Gandhi's civil disobedience movement. Padak Mahato was also imprisoned in Bhagalpur Jail. Sagar Mahato, Bhajahari Mahato, Bhim Mahato, Satyakinkar Mahato, Mohini Mahato were imprisoned for doing satyagraha in 1941. Then in 1942, Satyakinkar Mahato was imprisoned from Manbazar during the Quit India movement. Chunaram Mahato and Govinda Mahato were martyred during the siege of Manbazar police station in 1942. Among the women Bhavini Mahato played a prominent role. Jagadish Mahato of (Dhanbad-Parabasnia) also took an active part in the Quit India movement. Many others are also involved. [56] [57] [58] [59] [60]
The Adivasi are heterogeneous tribal groups across the Indian subcontinent. The term is a Sanskrit word coined in the 1930s by political activists to give the tribal people an indigenous identity by claiming an indigenous origin. The term is also used for ethnic minorities, such as Chakmas of Bangladesh, Bhumiputara Khasas of Nepal, and Vedda of Sri Lanka. The Constitution of India does not use the word Adivasi, instead referring to Scheduled Tribes and Janjati. The government of India does not officially recognise tribes as indigenous people. The country ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 107 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the United Nations (1957) and refused to sign the ILO Convention 169. Most of these groups are included in the Scheduled Tribe category under constitutional provisions in India.
The Kurukh or Oraon, also spelt Uraon or Dhangad, are a Dravidian speaking ethnolinguistic group inhabiting Chhotanagpur Plateau and adjoining areas - mainly the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal. They predominantly speak Kurukh as their native language, which belongs to the Dravidian language family. In Maharashtra, Oraon people are also known as Dhangad.
Kurmi is traditionally a non-elite tiller caste in the lower Gangetic plain of India, especially southern regions of Awadh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bihar. The Kurmis came to be known for their exceptional work ethic, superior tillage and manuring, and gender-neutral culture, bringing praise from Mughal and British administrators alike.
Sunil Kumar was a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India, representing the constituency of Jamshedpur in the eastern state of Jharkhand. He was General Secretary of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) political party. He was assassinated by Naxalite rebels who subscribe to Communist ideology.
Chik Baraik or Baraik are a tribal community originally from the Chota Nagpur plateau and neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
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. 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.
Kurmali or Kudmali is an Indo-Aryan language classified as belonging to the Bihari group of languages spoken in eastern India. As a trade dialect, it is also known as Panchpargania, for the "five parganas" of the region it covers in Jharkhand. Kurmali language is spoken by around 550,000 people mainly in fringe regions of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, also a sizeable population speak Kurmali in Assam tea valleys. Kurmali is one of the demanded languages for enlisting in Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
The Koeri, also referred to as Kushwaha and more recently self-described as Maurya in several parts of northern India are an Indian non-elite caste, found largely in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, whose traditional occupation was agriculture. According to Arvind Narayan Das they were horticulturist rather than agriculturists. They are also recorded as performing the work of Mahajan in credit market of rural parts of Bihar and Bengal in 1880s. Koeris have attempted Sanskritisation— as part of social resurgence. During the British rule in India, Koeris were described as "agriculturalists" along with Kurmis and other cultivating castes. They are described as a dominant caste in various opinions.
The All India Kurmi Kshatriya Mahasabha (AIKKM) is an organisation that was established in 1910 to promote the interests of the Kurmi community and spread awareness about their identity and social status.
Ghamalia are a Hindu Kurmi Peasant Community associated with Agriculture in India. Kurmis of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are divided into different subcastes e.g. Awadhiya, Samaswar, Ghamalia, Konchasia, Joshwar, Sindriya, etc.
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.
Mahto or Mahato is a surname used by several castes and communities in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha in India. Mahato is also a popular surname in Nepal. In the zamindari villages, "Mahto" was a title given to the headman of a village ward. The mahto's duties were to maintain peace in his area, and collect revenue for the zamindar. In Chotanagpur plateau region of Jharkhand, including in the Oraon tribal society, Mahato was historically a title of the village chief. In Bihar, the surname Mahto is primarily used by people belonging to Kushwaha caste. While in Jharkhand, it is a term most often associated with Koeri and Kurmi caste.
The Nagpuria people, also Nagpuri or Sadan, are an Indo-Aryan speaking ethnolinguistic group who are the native speakers of the Nagpuri language and natives of the western Chota Nagpur Plateau region of Indian states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Sadan are the native Indo-Aryan-speaking ethnolinguistic groups of Chota Nagpur Plateau consist of Indian state of Jharkhand and neighbouring states who speak Nagpuri, Khortha and Kurmali language as their native language.
Raghunath Mahato was an Indian revolutionary, one of the main leaders of the Chuar Rebellion from the Mahato community. He led a revolt against the East India Company in 1769.
Binod Bihari Mahato was an advocate and politician. He founded Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, established in 1972. He was a leader of the movement for the establishment of the separate state of Jharkhand. He was a member of Bihar Vidhan Sabha three times, in 1980, 1985 and 1990, and a member of the Lok Sabha from Giridih in 1991.
Rujwars or Rajuar is a shifting cultivation community. The people of this community mainly live in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. In Odisha, they are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe, while in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, they are classified as Scheduled Caste. In other states, the community is considered part of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) or general population.
The Bhumij Rebellion or Bhumij Revolt, also known as Ganga Narain's Hungama was a revolt during 1832–1833 by Bhumij tribals based in the Dhalbhum and Jungle Mahal areas of the Midnapore district of the erstwhile Bengal state. It was led by Ganga Narayan Singh.
Chanku Mahato was a freedom fighter of British India hailing from Kudmi Mahato community. Born in Rangamatia village of Godda district in British India. He was one of the leaders of Santhal rebellion, who mobilized Mahatos to fight against the atrocities of Britishers.
Buli Mahato was a revolutionary leader of the Bhumij Rebellion and Kol Rebellion. He was a zamindar of the Kudmi community of Karadih village in Sonahatu Thana, Jharkhand.
Another remarkable thing is that the Kurmis of Chota nagpur have no sub-division, no sub-caste or even no sub groups. This singleness of the unity of the community totally differentiates it from the Kurmis of Bihar who are divided into sub-castes, e.g., the Awadhia, Ghamaila, Kochaisa, Dhanuk, Joshwar, Sindriya, etc. This lack of division singularly confirms that the Kurmis of Chotanagpur have migrated somewhere from central part of India, where they have their original kinsmen, Kunbis. .. The totemistic organization of the Kurmis further indicate that Kurmis of Chotanagpur are distinct and different from the Kurmis of North Bihar who have titular gotras.
A striking feature of these peasant based social movements in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is the quality of their leadership. A new educated elite, which had begun to penetrate the lower and middle rungs of government service, provided the organizational frame for the status claims among communities formerly identified as servile. This is most evident among Kurmis, the first peasant community to organize a campaign for Kshatriya identity. By the 1890s the Kurmi-Kshatriya movement was being coordinated on a broad, transregional level.
And there was much wonder in the mind of the non-Kurmis of Manbhum that Panchet raja, having come up from the ancient Kshatriya royal family of the district, accepts the Kurmis as Kurmi Kshatriyas.
There can be no question but that the Kurmi Mahtos are completely Hinduized and have been for many years. They are in general much better educated, much more prosperous and enterprising, than the other aboriginal tribes or the low-caste Hindus, and they have succeeded in retaining their self-respect in a degree which is uncommon among primitive tribes converted to Hinduism. It is doubtless this circumstance which is now leading them not only to identify themselves with a Hindu caste which happens to bear the same name but also to join with that caste in affirming their Kshatriya origin.
Though the Kurmis include so many noble families, their social position in Bengal Proper is not high.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Panchkote Raj, also known as Panchkot Zamindari or Kashipur Raj, was a family of Kudmi (Kurmi) community Zamindars who ruled in the western fringe areas of present-day West Bengal, India and some of the adjacent areas in present-day Jharkhand.
The major community of this region is Kudmi community and it is historically proven that they are rebellious in nature and are reluctant to be a slave, in other words they like to be independent and non-interference of outsiders, preferring the profession of cultivation. As they are one of the major community and are cultivators, owned a vast track of land. It is widely believed that if the said community was being included in the Schedule Tribe list, it was impossible to acquire their land to establish major industrial city like Bokaro, Dhanbad, and Jamshedpur.
Both the Ind and the Chhata festivals are closely connected with what may be called the semi-feudal zamindari system of the district, and the celebrations take place only at present or past headquarters of one or other of the local Rajas, and by way of imitation, of one or two wealthy Kurmi landholders.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link)The Kurmi Mahato people exhibit an upper-caste status in the Pargela village and in lieu of that treat the Bhumij and scheduled castes in an inferior way.
In the villages in the Jungle Mahal area of Purulia district, most of the villages do not have Brahmins. The Mahatos and Kshatriyas are the upper castes there.
The Kurmi Mahatos of western Ráŕh also performed priestly functions in many such temples.