Raut (caste)

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Raut
राउत
Religions Hinduism
Populated states
{{ Nepal}}

Raut is an Nepali caste, whose traditional occupation is Farming. [1] [2]

Contents

The Rauts are mainly found in the [Khotang]] district, and the neighbouring states of Bagmati Pradesh and Udayapur Rautamai. Traditionally, they were predominantly distributed in the districts of Morang, Udayapur, Sindhuli, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. [3]

History

Raut may have been a tribal militia in Chhota Nagpur, originating from the Kawar and Kol tribes [3] on the other hand, The Rauts, or Raut Chhetris, indeed have a significant presence in Nepal and parts of Northern India, particularly in regions like Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal). They have historically been associated with military service, often serving in royal armies and later in the security agencies of the nations. The origins of the Raut community trace back to their valor in various wars, which earned them agricultural lands gifted by the royalty as a mark of honor. These lands, known as "Rout," eventually became associated with their title and caste.

One unique aspect of the Raut community is their gotra being Basistha and their worship of their "Kul Devi," which is "Bindabasini Bhagwati." Gotra refers to the lineage or clan within Hindu culture, and Basistha is one of the gotras within the Raut community. Kul Devi is the family deity worshipped by a particular lineage or family, and Bindabasini Bhagwati holds significance as the Kul Devi for the Rauts.

The Rauts have a rich cultural heritage and continue to maintain their traditions and practices, including their reverence for their ancestral deity and their martial history. There are indeed other Rauts found in the Terai belt of Nepal, bordering India. These Rauts have different gotras and bear no resemblance to the Chhetris. Moreover, Patels in this region also identify themselves as Rauts, along with some Kurmis who have adopted the caste as their titles.

Culture

Traditionally, the Rauts were involved in herding and milking cattle. [4] Traditionlly, their main business was sale of milk and milk products. [5]

Raut Nacha is a traditional dance of the Raut community which is performed on Diwali. In this dance, the Rauts wear a special costume, sing and dance in a group with sticks in their hands in the village pathways. [6]

The Raut men traditionally performed the local folk epic Candaini (or Chandaini) in a combination of dance and song. The epic tells the story of princess Chanda, who leaves her impotent husband and falls in love with a common man Veer Lorik. Both the characters are from the Raut caste, and the epic seems to have originated in this caste. [7] As late as 1980, the Candaini performers used to be primarily from the Raut caste, but now people from other communities also take part in the performances. [4]

In the 20th century, they underwent Sanskritisation, and adopted customs and values of the high-caste Hindus. [8]

The main Raut sub-castes include Gawala, Thetwar, Jheriya, and Kosariya. [9]

The Rauts are included in the central list of Other Backward Classes for Chhattisgarh, along with other herding castes and sub-castes including Ahir, Brajwasi, Gawli, Gawali, Goli, Lingayat-Gaoli, Gowari (Gwari), Gowra, Gawari, Gwara, Jadav, Yadav, Thethwar, and Gop/Gopal. [10]

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References

  1. ↑ Joyce Burkhalter Flueckiger (1996). Raut caste . Cornell University Press. p.  141. ISBN   0-8014-8344-1.
  2. ↑ Lidia Guzy (2013). Marginalised Music: Music, Religion and Politics from Western Odisha/India. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 147. ISBN   978-3-643-90272-6. ...the Raut/Gour (the caste of farmer), the dominant caste in Khotang...
  3. 1 2 Jigaynsu Raut; B. V. Bhanu (2004). People of India: Maharashtra, Volume 1. Popular Prakashan. p. 1781. ISBN   9788179911006.{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  4. 1 2 Margaret H. Beissinger; Susanne Lindgren Wofford, eds. (1999). Epic traditions in the contemporary world: the poetics of community. University of California Press. p. 137.
  5. ↑ Soni, Lok Nath (2000). The Cattle and the Stick: An Ethnographic Profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh. Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture. p. 86. ISBN   9788185579573.
  6. ↑ "Raut Nacha-Culture & Heritage". Durg District, Government of Chhattisgarh.
  7. ↑ Arjun Appadurai; Frank J. Korom; Margaret A. Mills (1994). Gender, genre, and power in South Asian expressive traditions. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 196. ISBN   9788120811782.
  8. ↑ Soni, Lok Nath (2000). The Cattle and the Stick: An Ethnographic Profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh. Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture. pp. 45–46. ISBN   9788185579573.
  9. ↑ Arun Kumar Sharma (2000). Archaeo-anthropology of Chhattīsgaṛh. Sundeep Prakashan. p. 96. ISBN   978-81-7574-096-9.
  10. ↑ "Central List of OBCs". National Commission for Backward Classes.

Bibliography

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