Mang (caste)

Matang musicians with drums (Russell, 1916)

Matang in western India (c. 1855-1862).

The Mang, or Matang, is an Indian caste mainly residing in the state of Maharashtra. Matang are known as Madiga in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The community was historically believed to be associated with village security and professions such as rope making, broom making, cattle castration, leather curing, midwifery, and being musicians, executioners, and funeral directors. ^[1] In modern day India, they are listed as a Scheduled Caste, Their origins lie in the Narmada Valley of India, and they were formerly classified as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Acts of the British Raj. ^[2]

History

The Mang are believed to be among the earliest settled communities in the Deccan. Scholars suggest they originated from tribal or semi-tribal groups that were gradually absorbed into agrarian society. As Brahmanical social order expanded, the Mang were pushed outside the varna system, forming part of the group later labeled Ati-Shudra or Antyaja.

By the medieval era, the Mang had become a hereditary service caste. Under regional kingdoms, Deccan Sultanates, and later the Marathas, they served as village watchmen and guards.

During Maratha administration, the balutedari system formalized caste-based village services. The Mang were assigned low-status but essential roles. Their position was ranked below the Mahar caste, reinforcing economic dependence and social stigma.

The British classified the Mang as a “Depressed Class”. Some Mang communities were stigmatized under colonial notions of “criminality.” Limited access to education, missionary activity, and military or menial employment opened new avenues, but caste discrimination persisted. Early Mang leaders began demanding education and political rights.

In the early 20th century, Mang individuals participated in broader anti-caste movements, especially those led by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Although Ambedkar was from the Mahar caste, many Mang supported his struggle for equality, reservations, and legal rights, while also voicing concerns of internal marginalisation. After Indian independence in 1947, the Mang were officially recognised as a Scheduled Caste, gaining access to reservations in education, employment, and politics. Urbanization and education diversified livelihoods, though poverty and discrimination remain significant challenges, especially in rural areas.

Today, the Mang identify as part of the Dalit movement, with growing emphasis on education, political participation, and cultural assertion, with a mix of Buddhist and Hindu traditional folk practices.

Religion

The most of Mang practice Hinduism and in modern times, they are ardent followers of B. R. Ambedkar and Shivaji Maharaj. The Mang celebrate all major Hindu festivals, as well as the annual Jatara festival for the deity Maisamma, which entails the sacrifice of sheep and goats and a feast of lamb and goat meat. ^[3]

According to the 2011 census, there were 35,831 Mangs in Maharashtra who were Buddhists. ^[4]

Society and culture

Before the British era, Mang were one of the twelve hereditary village servants called Bara Balutedar. The Mang were the hereditary rope makers and village entertainers. For their services they received a share of the village produce. The caste was hindu and observed the Hindu rituals of Jawal (first hair cut), shendi, lagna, and funerary rites. ^[5] In the early 20th century, the Mang began to form caste associations to advocate their cause, such as the Mang Samaj (1932) and Mang Society (1923). ^{[6] [7]}

Notables

• Annabhau Sathe, Maharashtra social reformer
• Lahuji Raghoji Salve, Maharashtra social reformer

See Also

• Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada

References

1. Robert Vane Russell (1916). pt. II. Descriptive articles on the principal castes and tribes of the Central Provinces. Macmillan and Co., limited. pp. 188–. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
2. Bates, Crispin (1995). "Race, Caste and Tribe in Central India: the early origins of Indian anthropometry". In Robb, Peter (ed.). The Concept of Race in South Asia. Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 227. ISBN   978-0-19-563767-0 . Retrieved 1 December 2011.
3. "Census of India 1961 volume II, part V-B, (11) - Ethnographic notes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2021.
4. "महाराष्ट्रातील अनुसूचित जातींची धर्मनिहाय लोकसंख्या". 23 February 2024.
5. Krishnaji Nageshrao Chitnis (1994). Glimpses of Maratha Socio-economic History. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. pp. 125, 135. ISBN   978-81-7156-347-0.
6. Surajit Sinha (1 January 1993). Anthropology of Weaker Sections. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 330–. ISBN   978-81-7022-491-4 . Retrieved 24 August 2013.
7. Prahlad Gangaram Jogdand (1991). Dalit movement in Maharashtra. Kanak Publications. Retrieved 24 August 2013.

Further reading

• Constable, Philip (May 2001). "The Marginalization of a Dalit Martial Race in Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Western India". The Journal of Asian Studies. 60 (2): 439–478. doi:10.2307/2659700. JSTOR   2659700. PMID   18268829. S2CID   40219522.