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,vishwakarma. 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, Ppinting, 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.
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 considered as Scheduled Caste (SC) or OBC depending on religious status 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 first coined by the Indian social reformer Jyotirao Phule for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. 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 tribe, popularly known as Khashya, according to the 2015 constitution of Nepal 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.
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.
Ahir or Aheer are 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 community, a race and 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.
Jatav, also known as Jatava/Jatan/ Jatua/Jhusia /Jatia/Jatiya, is an Indian Dalit community that are considered to be a subcaste of the Chamar caste, who are classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of positive discrimination.
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. Under the Indian government's system of positive discrimination, the Kushwahas are classified as a "Backward" or Other backward class. 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 Rajbhar are a community of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Nepal and other states of India.
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 Chandra Shekhar Aazad 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.
Akhil Bharatiya Jatav Mahasabha was founded in 1917 under the leadership of Manik Chand Jatav and Swami Achootanand. It was formed to promote the interests of Chamars for seeking social upliftment into Kshatriya varna.
Ramnarayan Yadavendu (1909–1951) was a Hindi writer, storyteller, essayist and social reformer.
Rawat is a surname of people belonging to Hindu Rajput community. It is used as a surname, but during the medieval period it was a designation or title given to a soldier who performed exceptionally well in war. Types of Rawat are Chauhan Rawat, Pawar Rawat, Sisodiya Rawat, Dogra Rawat etc. from Uttarakhand and U.P divisions in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. and Rajputs of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.