The Naikda or Nayaka, including choliwala nayaka,kapadia nayaka,mota..are a scheduled tribe found in the state of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. [1] In Maharashtra the Naikda are also called Katkari, which is derived from the word kathori, which means animal skins. [2]
The Naikda are found mainly in Surat district in south Gujarat. They trace common ancestry from the Dhodia, another tribal community found in the region. The two communities claim descent from two brothers, the Naikda from Rupa Khatri, and the Dhodia from Dhana Khatri. According to some sources, the word naikda is derived from the word naik, which means a commander. They were said to have once been soldiers in the armies of the local rajahs. [1]
The Naikda speak Naiki, a dialect which is a mixture of Marathi and Gujarati. Land is the major source of the Naikda community. The community are a combination of land owning and landless, with many now working in industry in the nearby city of Surat. [1] These Nayaka in Rajasthan claim that they are related to Bhil
The Naikda still practice child marriage, with boys marrying at 16 to 18 years and girls at 12 to 14 years. They most commonly practice monogamy, though polygyny is not completely unheard of. Divorce is permitted on the grounds of infertility, adultery or mental illness of either the husband or wife. After divorce the custody over the children is most commonly given to the father. Widow remarriage is allowed and called pat, though a ceremony is only done at night or in some cases not at all. [2]
The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the east. The hinterland east of the coast has numerous river valleys, riverine islands and the hilly slopes known as the Western Ghats; that lead up into the tablelands of the Deccan. The region has been recognised by name, since at least the time of Strabo in the third century CE. It had a thriving mercantile port with Arab tradesmen from the 10th century. The best-known islands of Konkan are Ilhas de Goa, the site of the Goa state's capital at Panjim, and the Seven Islands of Bombay, on which lies Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and the headquarters of the Konkan Division.
Khatri is a caste originating from the Malwa and Majha areas of Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Khatris claim they are warriors who took to trade. In the Indian subcontinent, they were mostly engaged in mercantile professions such as banking and trade. They were the dominant commercial and financial administration class of late-medieval India. Some in Punjab often belonged to hereditary agriculturalist land-holding lineages, while others were engaged in artisanal occupations such as silk production and weaving.
Bhil or Bheel refer to various indigenous groups inhabiting western India, including parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and are also found in distant places such as Bengal and Tripura. They speak various languages of Indo-Aryan origin, owing to language shift, collectively referred to as the Bhil languages. Bhils are divided into a number of endogamous territorial divisions, which in turn have a number of clans and lineages.
The Bhil languages are a group of Indo-Aryan languages spoken by around 10.4 million Bhils in western and central India as of 2011. They constitute the primary languages of the southern Aravalli Range in Rajasthan and the western Satpura Range in Madhya Pradesh, northwestern Maharashtra, and southern Gujarat. According to the 52nd report of the commissioner for linguistic minorities in India, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Bhili is the most commonly spoken language of the district of Dadra and Nagar Haveli constituting 40.42% of its total population. Bhili speakers are also significant in the states of Gujarat (4.75%), Madhya Pradesh (4.93%) and Rajasthan (4.60%).
PARDHI is a Hindu tribe in India. The tribe is found mostly in Maharashtra and parts of Madhya Pradesh however small numbers can be found in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The word Pardhi is derived from the Marathi word ‘Paradh’ which means hunting and Sanskrit word ‘papardhi’ which means hunting or the game to be hunted. In some parts of India Pardhis are known as Meywarees. They also have various other names like Advichincher, Phans Pardhi, Phanse Pardhi, Langoli Pardhi, Bahelia, Bahellia, Chita Pardhi, Shikari, Takankar, Takia Pardhi. Pardhi tribe is divided in groups like Vaghri Pardhi and Phase Pardhi. These are further divided into subgroups like Pal Pardhi, Gav Pardhi, Takankar, Takari. Widely found surnames among them include Chauhan (Chavan), Rathod and Solanki.
The Dhangars are a shepherd caste of people found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They are referred to as dhangar in southern Maharashtra, Goa and northern Karnataka, Golla in Andhra Pradesh and Kuruba in Karnataka and Gavli Dhangars in northern Maharashtra. Some Gavlis live in forested hill tracts of India's Western Ghats. Gavli, also known as Dange or Mhaske, and ahir are a sub-caste of Dhangar. However, there are many distinct Gavli castes in Maharashtra and Dhangar Gavli is one of them.
Kadhi or karhi is a yogurt-based dish originating from Rajasthan, india. It's made by simmering yogurt with besan and indian spices until it forms a thick, tangy gravy. Sometimes, it's also mixed with pakoras. It is often eaten with cooked rice or roti.
The caste system in Goa consists of various Jātis or sub-castes found among Hindus belonging to the four varnas, as well as those outside of them. A variation of the traditional Hindu caste system was also retained by the Goan Catholic community.
The Gurjar are an Indo-Aryan agricultural ethnic community, residing mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were traditionally involved in agriculture, pastoral and nomadic activities and formed a large heterogeneous group. The historical role of Gurjars has been quite diverse in society: at one end they have been founders of several kingdoms and dynasties and, at the other end, some are still nomads with no land of their own.
Dhodia are an Adivasi people who have been placed in the Indian communities recognition, under Schedule Tribes. The majority of the Dhodia tribes are located in the southern part of Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan. In Maharashtra, they are found mainly in the district of Thane. They speak Dhodia language, which has some unique words, as well as some words influenced by Gujarati and Marathi.
Sosyo is an Indian carbonated drink, produced and marketed mainly in the western and northern states of India; Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It is based in Surat.
The Khatik is a caste found in the Indian subcontinent, mainly modern-day India, Pakistan and Nepal. Khatik are located mainly in New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. In India, most of the khatik belongs to the Hindu religion, with a small percentage of khatik also present in the Muslim community. There is a division among khatik, mainly in two groups: Suryavanshi khatik and Sonkar khatik. Both groups believe themselves to be different from each other in terms of the food they consume and their cultural practices. They also like to avoid martial relations with each other. Suryavanshi khatik claim their ancestral relations with the Rajputs.
Rajasthani people or Rajasthanis are a group of Indo-Aryan peoples native to Rajasthan, a state in Northern India. Their language, Rajasthani, is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages.
The Salvi are found in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India.
The Pateliya, or Patelia or Patel is a landowning Subcaste of Koli caste found in the Indian states of Gujarat. During the British Raj in India, Patelia Kolis served as tax collectors and administrators. The name Patelia comes from a word meaning village chief. Many Patelia Kolis also went into business and commerce during the Raj period. Patelia Kolis are part of Talapada Kolis of Gujarat.
The Halpati are found mainly in the Gujarat state of India. Minor populations are also found in surrounding states and union territories. They are also known as Talvia or Talvi Rathode.
The Barda are a tribal community found in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in India. They have scheduled tribe status. The community is also known as Adivasi or Khandeshi Bhil.
The Vasava are a clan of the Bhil community found in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan in India. They have scheduled tribe status. In Rajasthan, they are also known as Vasave.
The Bharbhunja are an occupational 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 Dabgar is a caste found in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and [[Uttar] in India. They are also known as Ahiran 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 ahiran.