 |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| • India • Bangladesh | |
| Languages | |
| • Bengali• Braj Bhasha • Hindi• Bhojpuri | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Muslim Mochi, Sikh Mochi |
The Mochi are a Hindu caste found mainly in North India. They are the traditional shoemakers of South Asia.
In Gujarat, the Mochi caste is categorised as OBC in Bakshi Panch.
The Mochi are involved in the manufacture of leather shoes. The community has a traditional caste council, as is common among many North Indian artisan communities. This caste council acts as an instrument of social control, by punishing those who contravene community norms. Each caste council is headed by a Chaudhary, a position that tends to be hereditary. The Mochi live in multi-caste villages, but occupy their own distinct quarters.
The Mochi of Haryana claim to have migrated from Rajasthan, and are found mainly in the cantonment city of Ambala. They still speak the Braj Bhasha dialect. They are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy. Their traditional occupation was shoe making, but with the spread of factory manufactured shoes it has declined. A large number are landless agricultural labourers, with a minority now taking up other professions. They are assigned as scheduled caste and supported by affirmative action. [1]
The Mochi in rural Punjab in Pakistan is still dependent on the local landlord, who acts as patron. Often, the Mochi does not own his property, but rents from the landlord. The Mochi is thus entirely dependent on the locally dominant caste, and are paid from each cash crop at the end of the harvesting season according to a system called seypi. [2] [ page needed ]
The Bangali may refer to a Scheduled Caste found in northern India. They are distinct from the Bengali ethnic group of West Bengal and Bangladesh. The Bangali are one of the many nomadic groupings found in India, and have customs similar to other nomadic communities such as the Kanjar.
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.
Chuhra, also known as Bhanghi and Balmiki, is a Dalit caste in India and Pakistan. Populated regions include the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, as well as Uttar Pradesh in India, among other parts of the Indian subcontinent such as southern India. Their traditional occupation is sweeping, a "polluting" occupation that caused them to be considered untouchables in the caste system.
Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice pounded into paste and molded into shape.
The Muslim Dhobi are a South Asian Muslim caste whose traditional occupation is washing clothes. They are considered to be Muslim converts from Hinduism, where the Dhobi castes are launderers. Muslim Dhobis are found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
The Rath (Rajasthani: रथ رتھ, are a community, found in the state of Rajasthan in India. They also settled in Punjab and Sindh provinces Pakistan. There is another clan similar to it known as Rathi.
The Sapera are a Hindu caste found in North India. They are also known as Barwa Sampheriya in West Bengal, Sapela in Punjab and Sparera in Madhya Pradesh.
The Nat are a Hindu caste found in northern India.
The Bhambi Sindhi Mochi are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are also known as Sindhi Mochi. The Bhambi Sindhi Mochi are sub-group within the Bhambi community.
The Bharbhunja are a largely Hindu caste found in North India and Maharashtra. They are also known as Kalenra in Maharashtra. A small number are also found in the Terai region of Nepal.
The Lakhera are a Hindu caste found in North India. They are a community traditionally associated with bangle making.
The Kahar is community found in north east India and Bangladesh. They are a community of palanquin bearers and agriculturists, from the Hindu Kahar caste. The Kahar are also known as Sardars, especially in Murshidabad District.
The Kan, also known as Khalifa, are a Muslim community native to Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
The Bansphor are a Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.
The Bandhmati are a Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Banbasi.
The Basor or Bansor are Hindus found in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in India. They have a scheduled caste status.
The Dabgar is a sub caste of kshatriya clan found in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Dhalgar and have scheduled caste status in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, while they have Other Backward Class status in Gujarat. In Rajasthan, the community prefer the self-designation as Dhalgar.
The Sirkiband are a Hindu caste found in the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. They have scheduled caste status in Haryana. A small number in Punjab are now Sikh.
Mochi are a community, found in North India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.They are the traditional shoemakers of South Asia.
Mochi are a sub-caste of the Chamar caste. They are found mainly in the Punjab state of India, in the districts of Patiala, Ludhiana and Nabha. The majority of the Mochis in Punjab are Hindu but some are Sikh. Almost all Sikh Mochi are members of the Ravidasi sect. Most are involved in their traditional occupation of shoemaking.