Regions with significant populations | |
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• Uttarakhand • Uttar Pradesh • Nepal | |
Languages | |
• Kumaoni • Garhwali • Hindi | |
Religion | |
Hinduism and Buddhism |
Shilpkar are an artisan community mainly associated with Intaglio techniques and painting. They are largest among Scheduled Caste communities of Uttarakhand.
Shilpkars are not a single caste but a collection of different castes who used to do artistic works from paper, ironsmith. They originated from Uttarakhand are considered Dalit, as they used to make things from rope. In Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and South India, are not considered a Dalit, but have their category mention in OBC, depending upon the State list. In 1925, they were officially recognized as "Shilpkars" by the British government. [1]
They are mainly engaged as Intaglio on stone and gems, Painting, crafting, bronzesmiths, with others engaged in and cultivating, or working as, blacksmiths, weavers. Bhankora is a native musical instrument and is handmade from copper by them. They used to perform with it at folk festivals or marriages. [2]
In 1913, Shilpkar Sudharini Sabha, held a convention for the uplifting of Dalits and oppressed people of the area, known as the Shilpkar Mahasabha in Uttarakhand. [3]
Arya Samaj influenced a lot of them, especially in the Garhwal region, and many of them dropped their caste surnames and adopted 'Arya' as a last name. Jayananda Bharati and Baldev Singh Arya were those who promoted "Arya Samaj" in Dalits of Uttarakhand. They started 'Dola Palki Movement' and in 1928 he also organised "Garhwal Sarvadalit Parishad". [4]
He also stood with B. R. Ambedkar during the Round Table Conference in 1932. [5]
Other notable leaders were Khushi Ram and Bachi Ram Arya. Bachi Ram Arya also appealed them, to break out of mental slavery and exhorted them to recognise the virtues of education, work with the Brahmans on an equal footing and yet be critical of them.
They form 52% of the total population of the Scheduled caste population in Uttarakhand and are a beneficiary of the reservation policy. [6]
About 68.5 percent of Shilpkars are cultivators by profession. [7] They are mainly found in the hill region of Uttarakhand and Terai regions of Uttar Pradesh. They are also called Tamrakar in Nepal are one of the biggest communities of the country. [8]
They have surnames like Arya, Ram, Koli, and Lal and have a total of 26 sub-castes in the state.
The Bahujan Samaj Party is a political party in India that was formed to represent Bahujans, referring to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBC), along with religious minorities. According to Kanshi Ram, when he founded the party in 1984, the Bahujans comprised 85 percent of India's population, but were divided into 6,000 different castes. The party claims to be inspired by the philosophy of B. R. Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Narayana Guru, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, and Gautama Buddha.
Mala is a Telugu caste from the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They are also present in smaller numbers in the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. They are classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC) by the Government of India. According to 2001 census data, Malas constituted 41.6 percent of the Scheduled Castes population in the then state of Andhra Pradesh, which also included the present state of Telangana.
The Dalit Buddhist movement is a religious as well as a socio-political movement among Dalits in India which was started by B. R. Ambedkar. It re-interpreted Buddhism and created a new school of Buddhism called Navayana. The movement has sought to be a socially and politically engaged form of Buddhism.
Dalit is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold varna of the caste hierarchy and were seen as forming a fifth varna, also known by the name of Panchama. Several scholars have drawn parallels between Dalits and the Burakumin of Japan, the Baekjeong of Korea and the peasant class of the medieval European feudal system.
Kanshi Ram, also known as Bahujan Nayak or Manyavar, Sahab Kanshiram was an Indian politician and social reformer who worked for the upliftment and political mobilisation of the Bahujans, the backward or lower caste people including untouchable groups at the bottom of the caste system in India. Towards this end, Kanshi Ram founded Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS-4), the All India Backwards (SC/ST/OBC) and Minorities Communities Employees' Federation (BAMCEF) in 1971 and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 1984. He ceded leadership of the BSP to his protégé Mayawati who has served four terms as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
The Dom, also known as Domra, Domba, Domaka, Dombara and Dombari, are castes, or groups, scattered across India. Dom were a caste of drummer. According to Tantra scriptures, the Dom were engaged in the occupations of singing and playing music. Historically, they were considered an untouchable caste called the Dalits and their traditional occupation was the disposal and cremation of dead bodies. They are in the list of Scheduled caste for Reservation in India in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Khas peoples or Khas Tribes, popularly known as Khashya are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, in what is now the South Asian country of Nepal, as well as the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Sikkim. Khas consists of many subtribes like Kshetri, Thakuri, Bahun, khas dalit and Sanyasis and all spread across the Himalayas.
Chamar is a community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of affirmative action that originated from the group of trade persons who were involved in leather tanning and shoemaking. 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.
Ahir or Aheer is a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most members of which identify as being of the Indian Yadav community because they consider the two terms to be synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a caste, a clan, a race, and/or a tribe.
The Mallaah are the traditional boatmen and fishermen tribes or communities found in North India, East India, Northeastern India and Pakistan. A significant number of Mallaah are also found in Nepal and Bangladesh. In the Indian state of Bihar, the term Nishad includes the Mallaah and refers to communities whose traditional occupation centred on rivers. It is also spelled Mallah.
The Nishad are a Hindu caste, found in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha is a non-political and non-profit organization of Jats in India. The organization was created to raise awareness about the social and economic problems faced by peoples of Jat community. The Jat Mahasabha spearheaded the community's struggle for reservation in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 1999. Sardar Dara Singh was the president, followed by patron Chaudhary Ajay Singh.
Kushwaha is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain that has traditionally been involved in agriculture, including beekeeping. The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the Kachhis, Kachhvahas, Koeris and Muraos. The Kushwaha had worshipped Shiva and Shakta, but beginning in the 20th century, they claim descent from the Suryavansh (Solar) dynasty via Kusha, one of the twin sons of Rama and Sita. At present, it is a broad community formed by coming together of several caste groups with similar occupational backgrounds and socio-economic status, who, over the time, started inter-marrying among themselves and created all India caste network for caste solidarity. The communities which merged into this caste cluster includes Kachhi, Kachhwaha, Kushwaha, Mali, Marrar, Saini, Sonkar, Murai, Shakya, Maurya, Koeri and Panara.
The Pasi is a Dalit (untouchable) community of India. Pasi refers to tapping toddy, a traditional occupation of the Pasi community. The Pasi are divided into Gujjar, Kaithwas, and Boria. They are classified as an Other Backward Class in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They live in the northern Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Rajbhar is a caste or community present in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and others as well as Nepal.
The Bhim Army, alternatively Bheem Army or the Bheem Army Bharat Ekta Mission is an Ambedkarite and Dalit rights organisation in India. It was founded by Satish Kumar, Vinay Ratan Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad in 2015. The organisation runs more than 350 free schools for Dalits and Muslims in Uttar Pradesh. The organisation is named after B. R. Ambedkar.
Swami Achhootanand was a 20th century Indian anti-caste intellectual, writer, and social reformer. A former Arya Samajist, he became disillusioned with the Arya Samaj and established the Adi Hindu movement. He was a poet, critic, dramatist, and historian.
The Kuril, Kureel are members of Chamar caste and mainly populated in the Central doab and Lower doab regions of the state.They are predominantly members of the Scheduled Castes in Uttar Pradesh.
Ramnarayan Yadavendu (1909–1951) was a Hindi writer, storyteller, essayist and social reformer.