Rajuar

Last updated
Rajuar
Regions with significant populations
India
Bihar 2,85,485 [1]
Jharkhand 196,320 [2]
West Bengal 1,12,184 [3]
Assam 15,213 (1951 est.) [4]
Odisha 3,517 [5]
Languages
Magahi language
Regional languages (Hindi, Khortha, Kurmali, Bengali, Odia)
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Bhuiya/Bhuyan, Bathuri

Rajwars or Rajuar (also spelt as Rajuala, Rajuad) is a shifting cultivation community. [6] [7] The people of this community mainly live in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. In Odisha, they are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe, while in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, they are classified as Scheduled Caste. [8] [9] In other states, the community is considered part of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) or general population. [10] [11] [12] [13]

Contents

Overview

The people living in Odisha are mostly from the Nagbansi group and they live in Mayurbhanj and Baleshwar districts. In 1931 census, their population in Mayurbhanj was 1014 and distributed in Nij Majhalbagh (4), Deuli (34), Asankhali (459) and Khanua (44) of Baripada subdivision; Gartal (6), Khauta (69), Saranda (92) of Bamanghati subdivision; Khunta Karkachia (127), Dukura (142) of Kaptipda subdivision; There was no return from Panchpir subdivision and their literacy rate was 0.39 per cent (only four people). [14] However, the Rujwars were predominantly recorded as 159,698 in total during the 1901 census, with significant numbers in Goya (63,189), Manbhum (32,166), and the Chota Nagpur tributary states (21,686). In contrast, in the Orissa tributary states, their population was only 495. [15] As of the 2011 census, they had a population of 3,517 and a literacy rate of 51.6 per cent in Odisha. Many years ago they lived in Chotanagpur and they were engaged in shifting cultivation. Later, They started to live with different ethnic people in a village when they found settleable land to live in the process of shifting cultivation. Now they have good land and they are also good farmers but some of them are flattened rice sellers. [16] [11]

People living in Odisha speak Odia but due to their proximity to Bengali-speaking people, many people use Bengali / Kudmali for daily conversation. The origin of the Rajuar community remains doubtful. While some researchers claim that the Rajuar caste is an offshoot of the Bhuyan, the people of West Bengal claim that the Rajuar caste was formed from a mixture of the Kurmi caste and the Kol caste. [17] [18] As the 1931 Mayurbhanj state census noted that;

The Rajuars are a low cultivating caste of Bihar and Chotanagpur, who are probably an offshoot of Bhuinyas. In the Central Provinces, the Bhuinyas hava a sub-caste called Rajuar. The Rajuars of Bengal give a different story, admitting that they are descendants of mixed unions between Kurmis and Kols. In Chotanagpur, the Rajuars, like the land-holding branches of other forest tribes, claim to be an inferior class of the Rajputs. [7]

A note on Rujwars in 1858 Portret van een onbekende Rajwar man uit Bihar Rujwar. Low caste hindoo. Behar (titel op object), RP-F-2001-7-1122A-7.jpg
A note on Rujwars in 1858

Society

The Rajuar is divided into endogamous groups such as Rajbansi, Rajbhar, Bhogta, Lathaur, Nagbansi and Nakchedia. Among those groups, the Nagabansi group is lagging in society. Again those groups are divided into some exogenous clans such as Nageswar (Nag), Kachap (Kachim), Sankhua (Sankh), Champa, Mukut (Mod), Sinha and Kashyapa. The surnames used by the Rajuar people living in Odisha are Behera, Ram, Ray, and Parmanik. [19] [16] [20]

The festivals celebrated by the people of Rajuar are similar to the festivals celebrated by the people of the region and are based on Hinduism. Dhulia Festival, Jantal Festival, Magha Puja, Bandhna and Karam Festival are considered the main festivals of Rajuar. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mayurbhanj district</span> District in Odisha, India

Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts in the Odisha state of eastern India. It holds the distinction of being the largest district in Odisha by area. The district's headquarters is located in Baripada, with other major towns including Rairangpur, Karanjia, and Bahalda. As of 2011, Mayurbhanj ranks as the third-most populous district in Odisha, following Ganjam and Cuttack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ho language</span> Austroasiatic language spoken in India

Ho is a Munda language of the Austroasiatic language family spoken primarily in India by about 2.2 million people per the 2001 census. It is spoken by the Ho, Munda, Kolha and Kol tribal communities of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam and is written with the Warang Citi script. Devanagari, Latin script, Odia script and Telugu script are sometimes used, although native speakers are said to prefer a Ho script. The latter script was invented by Ott Guru Kol Lako Bodra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munda people</span> Ethnic group of India, Bangladesh and Nepal

The Munda people are an Austroasiatic-speaking ethnic group of the Indian subcontinent. They speak Mundari as their native language, which belongs to the Munda subgroup of Austroasiatic languages. The Munda are found mainly concentrated in the south and East Chhotanagpur Plateau region of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. The Munda also reside in adjacent areas of Madhya Pradesh as well as in portions of Bangladesh, Nepal, and the state of Tripura. They are one of India's largest scheduled tribes. Munda people in Tripura are also known as Mura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kharia people</span> Austroasiatic speaking ethnic group from India

The Kharia are an Austroasiatic tribal ethnic group from east-central India. They originally speak the Kharia language, which belong to Austroasiatic languages. They are sub-divided into three groups known as the Hill Kharia, Delki Kharia and the Dudh Kharia. Amongst them, the Dudh Kharia is the most educated community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baiga</span> Ethnic group of India

The Baiga are an ethnic group found in central India primarily in the state of Madhya Pradesh, and in smaller numbers in the surrounding states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The largest number of Baiga is found in Baiga-chuk in Mandla district and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. They have sub-castes: Bijhwar, Narotia, Bharotiya, Nahar, Rai maina and Kath maina. The name Baiga means "sorcerer-medicine man".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendujhar district</span> District of Odisha in India

Kendujhar District, is an administrative district of Odisha. The district is one of the fifth Scheduled Areas of Odisha. The town of Kendujhar is the district headquarters. The district has three sub-divisions, Anandapur, Champua, and Kendujhar.

Sundhi also known as Sodhi or Sundi or Sudi or Sudhi or Shoundika, is an Indian caste whose traditional occupation has been brewing of alcoholic drinks. The Sundhis are included in the Other Backward Class category in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, though according to Suratha Kumar Malik, Sundhis of Koraput district of Odisha belong to the Dalit community, who are hooch traders and do small businesses. They are considered as Scheduled Caste in West Bengal, where they are also known as Shunri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagata people</span> Indigenous (Scheduled) tribe from India

Bagata people are one of the tribal ethnic groups of India, mainly concentrated in Andhrapradesh and Odisha. As per the Indian constitution, they are designated as Scheduled Tribe for affirmative action.

Bauri (Bengali:বাউরী) is a community of indigenous people primarily residing in Bengal, and considered as one of the Scheduled Castes of India. The Bauris belong to the Bhil tribe. They are usually involved in activities like farming. The Bauris of Purbo Tila Moulvibazar in Bangladesh are usually involved in medicinal practices. The prime festivals they celebrate are known as Mansa Puja, Durga Puja and Kali Puja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhumij people</span> Ethnic group of India

Bhumij is a Munda ethnic group of India. They primarily live in the Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Jharkhand, mostly in the old Singhbhum district. Also in states like Bihar and Assam. There is also a sizeable population found in Bangladesh. Bhumijas speak the Bhumij language, an Austroasiatic language, and use Ol Onal script for writing.

Lodha people are one of Schedule Tribes and PVTGs of India, primarily living in West Bengal and Odisha. Lodhas of West Bengal mostly live the Paschim Medinipur and Jhargham districts. A section of the Lodha has converted to Islam, and formed a distinct community called the Lodha Muslims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurmali language</span> Indo-Aryan language spoken in eastern India

Kurmali or Kudmali is an Indo-Aryan language classified as belonging to the Bihari group of languages spoken in eastern India. As a trade dialect, it is also known as Panchpargania, for the "five parganas" of the region it covers in Jharkhand. Kurmali language is spoken by around 550,000 people mainly in fringe regions of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, also a sizeable population speak Kurmali in Assam tea valleys. Kurmali is one of the demanded languages for enlisting in Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhuiya</span> Indigenous aboriginal community in India

The Bhuiyan or Bhuiya are an indigenous community found in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. They are not only geographically disparate but also have many cultural variations and subgroups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarnaism</span> Indian religion

Sarnaism is a religious faith of the Indian subcontinent, predominantly followed by indigenous communities in the Chota Nagpur Plateau region across states like Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.

The Kudmi Mahato are a tribal community in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha of India. They are primarily agriculturalist.

Mahto or Mahato is a surname used by several castes and communities in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha in India. Mahato is also a popular surname in Nepal. In the zamindari villages, "Mahto" was a title given to the headman of a village ward. The mahto's duties were to maintain peace in his area, and collect revenue for the zamindar. In Chotanagpur plateau region of Jharkhand, including in the Oraon tribal society, Mahato was historically a title of the village chief. In Bihar, the surname Mahto is primarily used by people belonging to Kushwaha caste. While in Jharkhand, it is a term most often associated with Koeri and Kurmi caste.

The Nagpuria people, also Nagpuri or Sadan, are an Indo-Aryan speaking ethnolinguistic group who are the native speakers of the Nagpuri language and natives of the western Chota Nagpur Plateau region of Indian states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Gopal or Gouda is an Indian caste, from Odisha State in East India. Their traditional occupations include dairy farming, cattle herding, cultivation and carrying palanquins of deities. They also worked as Paikas (soldiers) under the kings. Gopal is the name of the milkmen or herdsmen caste in Odisha, which is known by other names in various parts of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagal (caste)</span> Cattle herding caste of East India

Bagal is a cattle herding caste of East India. Bagal people are living in the state of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. They use Kudmali/ Manbhumi dialect of Bengali as mother tongue and use Bengali, Hindi and Odia language to communicate with the society.

References

  1. ↑ "A-10 Appendix: District wise scheduled caste population (Appendix), Bihar". Census commission of India. 2011.
  2. ↑ "A-10 Appendix: District wise scheduled caste population (Appendix), Jharkhand". Census commission of India. 2011.
  3. ↑ "A-10 Appendix: District wise scheduled caste population (Appendix), West Bengal". Census commission of India. 2011.
  4. ↑ "Estimated Population by Castes, 5. Assam – Census 1951" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General, India. 1954. p. 15.
  5. ↑ "A-11 Appendix: District wise scheduled tribe population (Appendix), Odisha". Census commission of India. 2011.
  6. ↑ Ota 2016.
  7. 1 2 Laeequddin, Muhammad (1937). Census of Mayurbhanj State 1931. Vol. I. Calcutta. p. 163. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25352830. OCLC   496724918.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ↑ Bhattacharya, Birendra KUMAR (1985). West Bengal district Gazetteers, Purulia. State Editor, West Bengal Districts Gazetteers. pp. 141–142.
  9. ↑ Mandal, Debabrata (2006). "Agrarian System of Rajuar Tribe of Mayurbhanj District Orissa". In Sahu, Chaturbhuj (ed.). Aspects of Tribal Studies. New Delhi: Sarop & Sons. pp. 69–87. ISBN   8176256188. OCLC   255614228.
  10. ↑ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1992). People of India: Odisha (2 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. p. 1275. ISBN   978-81-7046-294-1.
  11. 1 2 3 Ota, A. B.; Kodamasingh, Anjana; Kanhar, Nilamadhaba (2016). Rajuar. Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute. ISBN   978-93-80705-52-1.
  12. ↑ Division, India Census (1961). India. Office of the Registrar General. p. 1078.
  13. ↑ Panda, Nishakar (2006). Policies, Programmes, and Strategies for Tribal Development: A Critical Appraisal. Gyan Publishing House. p. 124. ISBN   978-81-7835-491-0.
  14. ↑ Laeequddin, Muhammad (1935). Census of Mayurbhanj State 1931. Vol. II. Calcutta. JSTOR   saoa.crl.25352831. OCLC   496724918.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. ↑ Gait, E. A. (1909). Census of India - 1901, Vol- VIA - The lower probinces of Bengal and their Feudatourie (Part II, The Imperial Tables). Bengal Secretariat Press. p. 253. Archived from the original on 24 Jan 2017. Alt URL
  16. 1 2 Kumar, Satinder (2000). Encyclopaedia of South-Asian Tribes: The Orakzi - The Rongmeis. Anmol Publications. p. 3062. ISBN   978-81-261-0517-5.
  17. ↑ Anthropology of Small Populations. Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Culture, Government of India. 1998. p. 131. ISBN   978-81-85579-46-7.
  18. ↑ Singh, Swaran (1994). Bathudi and Sounti Tribes: A Bio-anthropological Profile. Gyan Publishing House. p. 29. ISBN   978-81-212-0466-8.
  19. ↑ Singh, Kumar Suresh; India, Anthropological Survey of (2008). People of India. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 808. ISBN   978-81-7046-303-0.
  20. ↑ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). India's Communities: H - M. Oxford University Press. p. 2964. ISBN   978-0-19-563354-2.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.