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communities
were engaged in rendering various types of services, like the
Brahmins (Priest), Kumhars (Potters), Nais (Barbers), Dholis
(Musician), etc. These persons were traditionally attached to
other communities in an intimate manner, and also helps in
building up a healthy community life. Folk culture is another
aspect of Rajasthan that attract tourists from all over the
world making it famous for its unforgettable treasure of
folklore. Even today these tribes are very distinct from the
'civilized' society around them. While a few tribes are
medieval in their origin, mainly due to historical events,
there are a few who date their origin back to one of the
oldest prehistoric civilizations in world which is the Indus
valley civilization.
History of Tribes:
From the beginning of man's presence till around 1400 BC, the
Bhil and Mina tribes roamed and ruled the land of Rajasthan.
Due to the Aryan invasion, represented by horse drawn chariots
and superior bows and arrows, these tribes migrate towards the
south and the east. Pushed into the natural hideout forests
and the ancient and craggy Aravalli ranges, the Bhil and the
Mina tribes survived more easily. In the northern part of
Rajsthan the nomadic intrusions continued. These people were
respected by the Sakes, Kuakas, Abhors, Hunas and others. A
large number of these invaders are known as the Rajputs whose
royal lineage stood upon the ruins of the Gurnard (Prather
Empire). These warrior invaders fitted the Aryan material
caste of Kshatriyas which were earlier divided into 36 Rajput
clans.
Various Folks
Various folk cultures have flourished in rural Rajasthan and
have enriched the socio culture of Rajasthan immensely. In
every field, the folk culture has left its valuable impression
refining it even further. Be it the dazzling folk dance or
melody of 'sarangi', the folks of Rajasthan masters in every
walk of life.
Rajputs
The Rajputs of Rajasthan, constituted a warrior aristocracy
divided into a number of prominent clans, each of which
regarded a princely state as its traditional patrimony, whose
ruler was the social head of clan besides being the political
ruler. Although the Rajputs never constituted more than a
tenth of the total population, they have commanded the heights
of the polity and the society in Rajasthan for nearly a
thousand years. The princely state of Jaipur was thus ruled by
the Kachachawa Rajputs, the Rathors ruled in Jodhpur and
Bikaner, the Hadas in Kota, and the Sisodia in Mewar (Udaipur).
While the Maharajas, Rajas and Thakurs had special courtiers,
singers, and other servants to entertain and serve them, the
common Rajput was normally engaged in soldiering, agriculture
and also employed in the royal households of the former.
However all Rajputs trace their ancestry to the ruling clans
of the country. Their way of life is refined and courteous as
well as abrasive and dominating compared to other simple
classes and castes of rural Rajasthan. As the Rajputs are
devotees of Durga (Mother-goddess), their common form of
greeting each other is Jai mata ji ki (victory and praise be
of the mother Durga) and among the Thakurs and the erstwhile
Rajas, the form of greeting is Khama Ghani which means forgive
and be praised.
Brahmins
The Brahmins, who have commandeered the top social rank for
themselves in the rest of the country, found themselves at a
status that was equal to that of the Rajputs. These kingdoms
were often at war and the region was at the mercy of looters
and invaders. Therefore, the total sovereignty of the Rajputs
had to be accepted, if only for the protection that they were
able to offer. The Brahmins served in the royal courts and
worked in departments of administration, though their main
task was to administer the souls of the people they served.
They were priests in the temples and offer the prayers to
please the gods. Also, while the Brahmins were great orthodox,
the Rajputs believed in animal sacrifices for their gods.
Jats
The Jats also called as Choudhary, occupy a prominent position
in Rajasthan being the largest group in this region. They are
divided into 12 chief clans and about 230 minor gotras. Though
the origin of the Jat tribe is shrouded in mystery, but the
Jats still betray tribal traits. Agriculture has always been
the main occupation of the Jats but now they are also working
in other fields like military and police. They are also well
represented in government civil services. "Men may come and
men may go, but I go on forever," is a well known Jat proverb.
The Jats are brave and hardworking who possess both the desire
and ability to rule. Many Jats were recruited into the Indian
Army during World War I. Before that, they served as fighters
in the Persian army. A large number of Jats also served in the
Indian Armed Forces and form one of the largest ethnic groups
in the army (The Jat Regiment). Bharatpur, Deeg and Dholpur in
Rajasthan were ruled by Jat rulers. The Green Revolution
brought considerable prosperity to the Jats in the late 1960
and 1970.
Muslim Settlers
Earlier, the Muslims came to Rajasthan as invaders, but some
of them, such as the Kayamkhanis of Shekhawati Region and the
Meos of Mewat Region (Alwar), are associated with agricultural
practices, especially in the Shekhawati belt. Over the years,
there were only two Muslim kingdoms that arose in Tonk and
Loharu in Rajasthan. The Muslims also served in the Rajput
court and there was no attempt to hurt other's religious
sentiments. The Muslim settlers also shared many of the
rituals and festivals of their Rajput neighbours. The majority
of the Muslims in Rajasthan were artisans who were simply
kidnapped from the various trading caravans, as their skilled
services was highly desired in the princely kingdoms. Now,
they are master craftsmen, especially in the field of
painting, dyeing, printing, bangle making, jewellery making
and paper manufacturing. The Bohras, a community of mercantile
Muslims is also present in Udaipur.
Nomads
For some communities, nomadic existence has been a way of
life. These people travel in large groups, often on a
cyclical, seasonal basis, make home wherever they stop and
provide their services to the villages. This ranges from
lending a helping hand with sowing and harvesting to doing odd
jobs, making or repairing agricultural implements, carrying
and trading in grains, spices and dry fruits. They also
entertain people with their age-old skills. The nomads are
tall in height, with curly hair, dark skin, broad nose and
robust structure. The men wear colourful turban, long white
shirt and dhoti (long un-stitched cloth). The females wear
colourful long skirts and veil with mirrored top and silver
jewellery.
Bishnois
The Bishnois are known as the conservationists to whom the
preservation of animal and plants is like a religion and it
has been so from the early 15th century. The spiritual mentor,
Jambeshwarji was a wise ecologist. He formulated Bisnoi as Bis
(twenty) + noi (nine) tenants from which the community derives
its name. Almost 90 per cent of the farmers of desert region
gladly accepted the 29 tenants he laid down. The tenants
conserve bio-diversity of the area and also ensured a healthy
eco-friendly social life for the community. Out of the 29
tenants, 10 are directed towards personal hygiene and
maintaining good basic health, seven for healthy social
behavior, five to worship God, and seven preserve
bio-diversity and encourage good animal husbandry. The
Bishnois were the followers of the 15th century saint, Guru
Jambeshwar who, due to a prolonged period of drought, bade all
his followers to protect all animal and plant life, since it
seemed the only way to nurture nature. There is a ban on
killing animals and felling green trees, and thus protection
is provided to all life forms. Ever since, their sanctity has
extended to all trees and animals, and they do not allow
either felling or hunting on their lands. The community is
also directed to see that the firewood they use is devoid of
small insects. Wearing blue clothes is prohibited because the
dye used for coloring them is obtained by cutting a large
quantity of shrubs. Bishnois are very violent and aggressive
in protecting trees and animals. They are pure vegetarian and
nature worshipper. They treat black buck as a sacred animal.
They also believe that in their after life they will be
reincarnated as deer, due to this the herds of deer can be
seen roaming in their fields, without fear. They bury dead
bodies instead of burning them to save forest wood. The
Bishnois can be mostly seen in the western Rajasthan,
especially in the Jodhpur and Bikaner areas. The bishnois
lives in the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana. Bisnois often live in little
hamlets called `Dhannis', with just a few round huts with
intricate thatched roofs. They scrub the floors of the huts
and courtyards, and cook in earthen ovens. They are the most
colourful and exotic wanderers in the ruins of desert, who
keep moving from one village to another in search of work and
livelihood. The Bishnoi men are distinguished by their large,
white turbans. They normally wear white shirt, dhoti and
turban. The Bishnoi women wear attractive attire of vibrant
colors such as red and orange, silver trimmings and the
gorgeous jewellery like heavy nose rings, earrings, bangles,
anklets and necklaces that establishes their identity. Cattle
rearing and agriculture are their main occupation.
Bhils
The Bhils are the bow men of Rajasthan. The generic term Bhil
is derived from bil (bow) which describes their original
talent and strength. The Bhils comprise of 39% of Rajasthan’s
tribal population and form an important group in the southern
part of the Rajasthan. The Bhils live in the hilly tracts of
Arawali around Chittorgarh, Banswara and Dungarpur, Udaipur
and are even now primitive and poor. Their stronghold is in
Banswara. The Bhils prefer to live in isolated hamlets rather
than villages. Their way of life continues to be very
colourful. Several Bhil tribes have been mentioned in epics
like the Mahabharata in their role as warriors. They were
highly regarded as warriors, and the Rajput rulers relied
heavily on them to thwart the invading Marathas and Mughals.
Later, the British inducted them into the royal Indian Army by
starting the Bhil Corps. The Bhils have curly hair, dark skin,
broad nose, a short and robust structure. Although restrained
in their dress, the Bhils, especially the women, have a great
fondness for jewellery made of horn, lac, silver and copper
mainly, the bor, jhela, pande or kanphools, and the tussi or
bazar batti. The bor is a ball-shaped silver ornament worn
over the forehead, the jhela is an intricate head ornament
flowing from the top to the side above the ear. The pande
consist of three small earrings worn on the top, outer part of
the earlobes and bangles. The literacy rate of the Bhils,
particularly the women, is very lowest due to which they are
exploited and worked as bonded labour. Marriages of love, as
opposed to arranged marriages which are the norm in India, are
condoned. The Baneshwar Fair is a Bhil festival which is held
near Dungarpur in the month of January or February each year,
and large number of Bhils gather for several days of singing,
dancing and worship. Holi is another important time for the
Bhils.
Minas
The Minas are the militant defenders of Rajasthan. The Minas
are the second largest and most widely spread tribal group in
Rajasthan after the Bhils, and are most widely spread. The
name Mina is derived from the word meen or fish, and the Minas
claim descent from the fish, incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Originally they were a ruling tribe, but their downfall was a
long affair. It began with the Rajputs and was completed when
the British government declared them as a criminal tribe in
1924, mainly to stop them trying to regain their territory
from the Rajputs. It seems that the Minas may have been the
original inhabitants of the Indus valley civilization before
they were ousted by the Aryans. The Minas resorted to various
unorthodox means such as demanding protection money from
villagers to curtail their dacoit activities. After
independence, their status of criminal tribe was lifted.
However, their culture was by this time more or less totally
destroyed, and they were given protection as a scheduled
Tribe. With the withdrawal of the Criminal Tribes Act, the
Minas took to agriculture. The literacy rate among the Minas
was very low, but is improving. The Minas have a tall,
athletic build with sharp features, large eyes, thick lips and
a light brown complexion.
Gujars
The Gujars inhabited the area in the north of the Aravallis,
stretching from Bikaner to Bharatpur and Jaipur regions, where
they are cultivators, cattle breeders and herdsmen. They are
also located in Ajmer region and in the Mewar plains beyond.
They are found in large numbers in the northern part of
Karauli region.
Tribals
The tribals are believed to be the original inhabitants of the
hilly tracts of the desert of Rajasthan. They are known as
carefree folks for their skills at both warfare and the zest
with which they celebrate their festivals and conduct their
lives. They were known as criminal tribes by the British.
Rebaries
The Rebaries are still nomadic, and an equally colourful
sub-group that still travels over the desert in search of
pastures for its flocks of sheep and camels. Their ancestor
were brought into existence by Lord Mahadeva in order to tend
the first camel, which had just been created by Parvati for
her amusement. Their two main divisions are Menu and Chalkias.
The former deals only in camels and occupies a superior
position to that of the latter. They marry the daughters of
Chalkias without giving their own in return. The Chalkias keep
larger herds of sheep and goats. These people have very few
worldly possessions. For most of their cooking and eating,
they use earthen pots. A butter churn is always an important
item in their houses. Clothing is simple, though colourful
particularly where the women are concerned. The owner of the
farm wears a khadi dhoti and turban and a pair of gold
earrings. His cildren dress in the same way but wear colourful
turbans (a white turban is worn when one's father is no more).
They wear cheap silver anklets, earrings and necklaces. The
hair is cropped close from the forehead, for the protection
from the strong winds. The housewife wears silver ornaments,
light ivory bangles, a black skirt, a red kanchli and a deep
red odhni. The kanchli is a quarter-sleeved blouse covering
only the front and tied with strings at the back. The
unmarried girl wears a skirt along with a kurta. Everyone
wears shoes, as walking barefoot on hot sand is almost
impossible. The bedding consists only of mattresses, which are
nothing but layers of stitched rags.
Gavarias
The Gavaria is a community traditionally associated with rope
making in the countryside. Their community life is strictly
governed by their panchayats. The consolidated panchayat of
the whole region functions as the Supreme Court which sits in
a grand style in a circular ring to hear the appeals from the
lower panchayats. Its decisions are the last word for the
members of the community. While the males mostly look after
the rope-making activity, the females attend to its marketing.
The women move from one village to another with a pony and a
typical basket in which they keep their merchandise which
comprises of ropes and small articles like mirrors, combs,
bangles and tiny trinkets. The basket called odi is an
important item amongst the household goods, an article which
the parents must give to the daughter at the time of her
wedding. Their marriages are generally contracted through what
is called the ata-sata system where the daughter of a family
is married in the same family as the son.
Banjaras
The Banjaras are nomadic people who travel with bullock carts
or oxen-laden caravan from place to place and continue their
travelling wherever their caravans were in demand. In the
past, there were usually bullock-caravans in thousands or
lakhs. Since they performed a very important role, armies
rarely troubled them. Now, the modern means of transport have
robbed them of their livelihood and they have now settled into
a semi-nomadic existence, doing jobs, entertaining, and
farming.
Sahariyas
Sahariyas are the jungle dwellers of Rajasthan. The Sahariyas
are jungle dwellers and their name possibly derives from the
Persian Sehr (jungle). Simple, illiterate and open to
exploitation, the Sahariyas are regarded as the most backward
tribe in Rajasthan and serve their living as shifting
cultivators and by hunting and fishing.
Garasias
Garasias are the fallen Rajputs of Rajasthan. The Garasias
comprises only of 2.7% of Rajasthan’s tribals. These tribals
have an interesting custom of marriage through elopement,
which usually takes place at the annual Gaur fair held during
the full moon of March.
Schedule Castes
Bhands
The Bhands are known for their skillful use of satire,
ridicule and sarcasm in exposing and attacking vices and
follies of people. The Bhands have the ability to retort with
immediate wit and humour, and hold a highly scintillating
conversation.
Bhambis
The Bhambis are also known as the Meghwals. Traditionally,
they were associated with the profession of village watchmen,
guides and messengers and also skinners of dead animals. Now,
they are working as agricultural labourers.
Kolis
The Koli community is said to be one of the original dwellers
of the countryside in Rajasthan and their traditional
occupation is weaving.
Harijans
The Harijans also called as Mehater are sweepers.
Traders
There are two mercantile communities or traders in Rajasthan
which are the Marwaris and the Jains. The Marwaris arose from
the Shekhawati region and served in the courts of different
princely states. They came to be known as Marwaris when they
journeyed along with the armies of Marwar (Jodhpur) to the
eastern parts of the country as large opportunities were
present there and the Marwaris were able to capitalise on
them. Most of the major business and industrialist families
are still Marwaris and dominate business in the country. The
Jains deals in wholesale business. The marwaris deals in the
export and import of commodity and played an important role in
the overall economic development of the state. The marwaris
have also setup many schools and colleges, hospitals and
clinics. They have also raised per capita income in Rajasthan
and have improved infrastructure by building good roads and
transport system.
Merchant
The merchants often tended to be richer than the kings they
served. Several prime ministers in the kingdom were Jain
merchants. The Marwaris continued to remain loyal to their
princes who had honoured them with the title of tazimi-sardar,
which was given to the very selected people. A tazimi-sardar
was allowed to continue sitting in the presence of the
Maharaja and allowed to wear gold on his feet, a privilege
rarely extended to people outside the immediate circle of the
royal family. Jaisalmer's Guman Chand Patwa was one of the
wealthiest merchant of its time, who used to own more than
three hundred trading centers from China to Afghanistan. The
merchants deals in international trade.
Service People
If the Rajputs, Brahmins, Marwaris and Jains formed the social
elite, the role of the service caste was also not less
significant. Especially at the village level, they create a
network of services that the society could depend on and their
services was intended for the society.
Kumhars
The Kumhars are very important community in the social life of
the people of Rajasthan. They make earthen vessels, pots and
pans for domestic use and persian-wheels for irrigation. The
earthen vessels, used on the occasion of wedding, are
ceremonially brought from the Kumhar's residence. One of the
section in the Kumhar community is traditionally engaged in
drawing water from the wells and delivering the same to the
people in pitchers which is either carried by them over their
shoulders or through kaawad. They also carry Paalki, the
palanquins to transport people.
Khatis
The Khatis or Carpenters are the skilled craftsman and
construct unique wood items. The Suthars or Khatis (Carpenter)
trace their origin from Vishwakarma. They are divided into 120
parts and named after their founders or the villages they
belong to. The majority of population belongs to the Jakhra
branch and worship goddess Savitri as their main deity. Some
wear the sacred thread and abstain from liquor and meat and
call themselves as Bamania-Khati.
Charans
The Charans are historians and the recorders of the real
events and commemorators of personages. The poisoned words of
the Charans were dreaded more by the people, then in
authority. Some of their works afford many valuable data of
historical evidence of facts, incidents, religious opinions
and traits of manner of the people living in the princely
days.
Nais
The Nai or barbers are known for their ability to make clever,
ironic and satirical remarks, usually by perceiving and
expressing it in a sharp, spontaneous and surprising manner.
Their sarcastic remarks are often reinforced by short poems,
and they amuse and entertain the listeners. The nai or barbers
also cut hairs, give shaves and trim beards. The barbers also
works as messenger and carries invitation and also make
Pattal-dona leaf-plates and leaf-bowls for their clients for
use in community feasts. They are also traditionally
associated with odd tasks like ear-cleaning, boil lancing and
shaving corpses before cremation. Nai's wife called Nayan
sever the navel-cord after the birth of a baby and bury the
placenta.
Gadia Lohars
The Gadia Lohars normally deal in making iron items. The Gadia
Lohars are the nomadic blacksmiths of Rajasthan. The Gadia
Lohars are the only nomads who have their origin shrouded in
legend. It is said that their ancestors who were blacksmiths
to the army of the Rajasthani chieftain Rana Pratap Singh of
Mewar, moved from place to place with him, manufacturing
weapons for the army. When Rana Pratap’s army was defeated at
the battle of Haldighati in 1576, the Gadia remained loyal to
him, following him into the forests to which he fled,
skirmishing with the Mughal army in a long drawn out struggle
that continued even after his death. After the fortress of
Chittorgarh fell to the Mughals, the Gadia Lohars took a vow
never to return to their homeland, and never to settle
anywhere else until the Rana’s hegemony was restored. Small
Lohar groups can be seen on the outskirts of any large city in
the north where they live in small settlements centered around
their beautiful carts. Low mud walls enclose each cart,
demarcating a place of residence but now ownership. Even their
name – Gadia – originates from the bullock carts which are
their homes. Gadia Lohar, literally means metal workers of the
bullock carts. The women wear swirling skirts, often with
mirror studded garments and silver glittering jewellery. The
men, tough and sturdy, lounge beside the makeshift smithies.
They breed cattle and selling the milk, and in their tiny
smithy they forge various soft iron wares needed in our daily
life. When the weather turns spread sheets of plastic or
tarpaulin over their mobile homes, taking shelter within. |
