Gadaria people

Gadaria [1]
ReligionsHinduism[2]
LanguagesHindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Bihari, Chhattisgarhi, Gujrati language, Bengali language, Gaddi language, Northern Indo-Aryan languages,[2]
Country India
Populated statesUttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir[2]
RegionNorth India[1]
Family namesPal/Rajpal, Baghel, Mohaniya, Ghosh, Mandal, Bhagat, Mori/Moriya, Pradhan, Prasad, e.t.c.[2]
SubdivisionsNikhar and Dhangar[2]
Related groups

The Gadaria or Gadariya is a herding caste of North India that was traditionally involved professionally in livestock breeding, especially sheep. They are primarily found in Uttar Pradesh and in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar[4][2][1]

Etymology

Gadariya is a compound on of Gadar and ya. Gadar is a Prakrit word which means sheep and the suffix ya makes it pertaining to the community of shepherds. [5] Sanskrit gandhāra, a sheep, the Sanskrit name being taken from the country of Gandhara or Kandahar, from which sheep were first brought. [6] Some scholars hold that the words Gadar and Arya formed Gadararya or Gadarya. Possibly it later became a derivative of Gadariya. There is also a view that they were Aryas and the custodians or defenders of Garh (fort) and hence were called Gadariyas. [5]

Origin

This caste finds its earliest related mention as the ancient Gändharas, as stated in the Mahabharata and Rig veda, were well-know blanket-makers. Evidently, the Gandharas were shepherd by profession. It might be suggested that the Gadariya caste has its origin in the Gändhäras.[7][8] They are believed to be amongst the earliest settlers in the Nerbudda valley, for which they have given their name to several places, such as Gadariakheda and Gädarwāra.[6] The Gadarmal devi temple was built around 7 - 8 century A.D. (Approx 1400 years ago) in present day Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh by a Gadaria (shepherd).[9]

Panini, the great grammarian (5th century B.C.) in his book Astādhyāyi named Brahmaur as Gabdika and their residents as Gabdik. The territory is also named Gaderan or Gaddiyar, the country of the Gadariyas.[10]

History

In the early 1910s, an educated class of Gadarias formed All India Pal Kshatriya Mahasabha. There were debates within the community whether to add Kshatriya suffix to the community name. In the 1930s, they started referring to themselves as "Pali Rajput", a synonym of Pal Kshatriya.[11] They started caste magazines like "Pal Kshatriya Samachar" and "Shepherd Times". Later the community went through the process of De-Sanskritisation and dropped the suffix Kshatriya. Among the reasons cited for de-sanskritization were losing autonomy of their caste identity and avoiding being submerged into the identity of high castes.[12]

Sub-castes and clans

There are two major subdivisions amongst Gadarias, namely Dhangar and Nikhar. They share the same gotras such as Chauhan, Parihar, Sisodiya, Shirashwar, Chandel, Mohania, Kula etc are some of the gotras amongst them.[13]

Classification

They are classified as Other Backward Class in the Indian System of Reservation.[14][15][16][17][18]

Religion

They generally practice Hinduism, worshipping various popular deities including Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Hanuman, Kali, Chandi and Lakshmi, as well as various Kuladevata, or family deities. Some of them wear the sacred thread. A majority of them are vegetarians.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane) (1916). The tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India. University of California Libraries. London : Macmillan and Co., limited.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Sashi, Dr. Shyam singh (1982). Shepherds of India: A Socio-Cultural Study of Sheep and Cattle-Rearing Communities. Archaeological survey of india (1st ed.). Delhi: Sundeep publication. pp. 13–73. OCLC 4322453.
  3. ^ "National Commission for Backward Classes". www.ncbc.nic.in. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  4. ^ Ghurye, G.S. (2008). Caste and race in India (5th ed.). Bombay: Popular Prakashan. p. 32. ISBN 9788171542055. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b Shashi, Shyam Singh (2006). The World of Nomads. Lotus Press. ISBN 978-81-8382-051-6.
  6. ^ a b Russell, Robert Vane (4 January 2022). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India: Ethnological Study of the Caste System. e-artnow.
  7. ^ Shashi, Shyam Singh (1994). Encyclopaedia of Indian Tribes: The tribal world in transition. Anmol Publications. ISBN 978-81-7041-836-8.
  8. ^ Choudhury, Mamata (1977). Tribes of Ancient India. Indian Museum.
  9. ^ Ayyar, Sulochana (1987). Costumes and Ornaments as Depicted in the Sculptures of Gwalior Museum. Mittal Publications. ISBN 978-81-7099-002-4.
  10. ^ Sharma, Kamal Prashad (2001). Maṇimahesh Chambā Kailāsh. Indus Publishing. ISBN 978-81-7387-118-4.
  11. ^ Singh (2020), p. Caste organisations in the pre-Independence period/Sanskritization phase (Roughly the 1920s-1950s).
  12. ^ Singh (2020), p. Phase II (1956 onwards): De-sanskritization towards an alternative culture.
  13. ^ Shashi (2011), p. 29.
  14. ^ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Madhya Pradesh (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  15. ^ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Chattisgarh (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  16. ^ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Uttar Pradesh (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  17. ^ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Uttarakhand (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  18. ^ Central Commission for Backward Classes (20 October 2020). Central List of OBCs Delhi (Report). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020.
  19. ^ Shashi (2011), p. 32.

Bibliography

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