Dhangar

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the pastoral community in Maharashtra and Goa. For the similarly-named tribe and language found in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh -
Dhangad (tribe) and Dhangar (Kurukh language dialect), see Dhangar (disambiguation). For the town in Sagar district, India, see Dhangar, Madhya Pradesh
.

The Dhangars are a herding caste of people found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They are referred as Gavli in southern Maharashtra, Goa and northern Karnataka, Golla in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka[1][2] and Ahir in northern Maharashtra (Khandesh region).[3][4][5][6] Some Gavlis live in forested hill tracts of India's Western Ghats.[3] Gavli, also known as Dange or Mhaske, and Ahir are a sub-caste of Dhangar. However, there are many distinct Gavli castes in Maharashtra and Dhangar Gavli is one of them.[7][8][9]

History

Etymology

The word "Dhangar" is inscribed in a Buddhist cave in Pune district of Maharashtra. It is believed that this inscription has its origin between the first and the third century AD. Multiple theories have been proposed for the origin of the word Dhangar. It may be associated with a term for "cattle wealth". Bhagwan Lal Indraji maintains that it is derived from Sanskrit word Dhang which means hill.[10] Syed Siraj-Ul-Hassan noted that some people of his time believed the term to come from the Sanskrit "dhenugar" ("cattle herder") but dismissed that etymology as being "fictitious".[11] In Kannada, the word Danagãra means cowherd and is derived from Dana which means cattle. Dana is the tadbhava of Dhana, which comes from Go-dhana which means cattle in Sanskrit.[12]

According to

Hoysala's capital) split this land into two, into Marhätta and Karnätaka. Saint Ramdas refers to the two parts, Hatak for Marhätta and Karnatak for Karnätaka, in one of his Aratis.[13]

Subdivisions

Initially there were twelve tribes of Dhangar, and they had a

Khutekar (wool and blanket weaver)/Sangar. The half-division is called Khatik (butcher). All sub-castes fall in either of these divisions.[14][15] The number three and a half is not a random selection but has a religious and cosmological significance.[16]

Historical migrations

The archaeological evidence and ethnographic data suggest that the contemporary Dhangar castes are the result of more than one migration from North-West

Gadhari-Dhangar, having migrated from North India, speak Sanskrit and Hindi. Telangi speaks Telugu and probably migrated from Andhra Pradesh, the remaining groups speak Marathi. The Khatiks are said to have derived from Khutekars.[5][18]

Past occupation

The Gavli or Dange Dhangars found in the coastal strip practiced cattle/buffalo herding and

Inamdars and some were tenure-holders, holding lands either by a share or by paying a lump sum for a certain period.[22]

Ponies used by Dhangar tribe of Maharashtra

Dhangars were also known for producing fine breeds of cattle and ponies.

Mysore state.[23] Similarly, Dhangar or Khilari pony is considered the best breed of ponies in Deccan. It is believed that their superior excellence is due to the Dhangar's practice of castrating them.[24]

Role in the Maratha Empire

Dhangars are noted for their martial qualities. A large number of

Maratha" in its narrower use is applied to a society in which Rajputs or quasi-Rajputs, at the top, with Kunbis (farmers), Dhangars (shepherds), and Goalas (cowherds) practise hypergamy, each group taking wives from the one below, causing a superfluity of women at the top and a scarcity at the bottom of the social scale.[30]

— John Henry Hutton, former chair of William Wyse Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge

Relationship with Deccan Yadavas

The word Yadava does not have known

Vitthal – the Gollas and Kurubas of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Gavlis and Dhangars of Maharashtra, especially southern Maharashtra – are continued to be called "Yāḍavas" in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Similar to them, several royal families who enhanced the magnificence of Vitthal's worship are called "Yādavas". These families elevated their traditional pastoralist god (Vitthal) into a form of Vishnu-Krishna and accorded high prestige to his worship.[37]

Seunas are traditionally called "Gavli Kings".[38]

Apart from Seunas and Hoysalas,

Lord Krishna belonged. First, by occupation these South Indian groups were herdsmen, cattle herders, just like the famous Yādavas in the Puranas. Secondly, the Puranas family were "Yādavas" and the South Indian pastoralists were "Yāḍavas". The difference between "ḍ" and "d" is subtle, and so Dravidian "Yāḍavas" became Sanskritized "Yādavas".[33]

The claim to "Yaduvamsha" was very popular in ancient and medieval India. Many dynasties were eager to associate themselves with the Yaduvamsha in which was born the great hero

Pallavas. Most of the dynasties belonged to the Shudra caste. But most of them had become powerful ruling families of importance. Their political power and their lowly origin had to be reconciled by assuming a higher status for themselves. In such cases Yaduvamsha came in very handy and hence most of the dynasties professed to belong to Yaduvamsha. This claim gave them a higher status they very much liked to have.[45]

— Historian A. V. Narasimha Murthy

The political, social, and religious history of the medieval period allows us to conclude that most of the royal families who connected themselves with Yadava clan, and who connected their god (

Hoysalas the temple of Vitthal at Pandharpur, under their care, grew from a small pastoral deity site to a major temple complex.[58] Furthermore, Yadava Kings (Yadavarayas) of Tondaimandalam enhanced the worship of Venkateshwara and built/extended Venkateshwara Temple at Tirupati.[59][60]

Another form of

Mallikãrjuna, the Kurubas in northwestern Karnataka and northwestern Andhra Pradesh are devotees of Mailãr, and the Gollas in Andhra Pradesh are worshipers of Mallanna. All of these gods are said to be incarnations of Shiva. They are not completely identical and share many common features. Historically, they may be traced back to a prototype god who made his appearance in the early Tamil (Sangam) literature of the second to fourth century AD in which he is called Murukan. Murukan, who is later identified with Kãrttikeya or Skanda, has especially one feature in common with other gods, namely that they all have two wives. One of his wife comes from the settled advanced communities who were either agricultural, but with a propensity towards cattle keeping, or the once influential merchant groups. The second wife of the god, often regarded as a concubine, comes from the pastoral communities.[36]

Relationship with Yadavs

According to the

Gadaria, Dhangars, Kuruba, Idaiyan, Bharwad and Rabari.[62]

In the early 1920s, the leaders from the North Indian

Sanskritization and Aryanization. Soon, the adoption of the name Yadav began to take traction.[64][65][63]

Today, the

Ahirani.[69]

Varna status

The Dhangars are the main stream

Vaishyas and backward classes.[71] While the social status of Dhangars outside Konkan region is on par with Marathas and Kunbis, in Konkan Dhangars are ranked below them. The status was determined by the essential economic importance of their occupation. Dhangars were seasonal migrants to Konkan and while they had good and enduring relationships with farmers they provided only a valuable supplement to agriculture.[72]

The Shegar Dhangars, also known as

sacred thread.[73][74]

Dhangars employ

Kunbis.[75]

Affirmative action: Reservation in India

As per India's

Jat and Kurmi in north India, Kunbi in Maharashtra, Vellalar in south India, etc.), close to these are the herding (Yadav, Dhangar, Kuruba) and gardening (Mali, Saini) communities. Ranging below these are the various artisan and service groups – goldsmiths, blacksmiths, potters, barbers, washermen etc.[87]

Culture

Margashirsha day – with offerings of sweetmeats. Vithoba of Pandharpur is worshiped daily in every household.[88][89] Biroba and Mhaskoba are other popular gods amongst Dhangars.[45][90]

Gaja Nach, which literally means the dance of elephant, is a traditional dance of the Dhangars. Since it is considered auspicious, the dance is also performed at the time of temple festivals. The dancers also hold colorful scarves which when moved in a swaying manner suggest the fanning of elephant's ears.[91]

Dhangari Ovi is a type of folk singing, which is about women's work songs and the epic-length performances of Dhangars, in which sung verses alternate with narrative passages in prose.[92]

Current situation

Traditionally being shepherds, cowherds, buffalo keepers, blanket and wool weavers, butchers and farmers, the Dhangars were late to take up modern-day education. In

ST category".[94]

Dhangar vs Dhangad issue in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra

Dhangar (shepherds) is a sub-caste of the

Scheduled Tribe in Gujarat, in India's system of reservation.[83][81] In Maharashtra, the Dhangars come under Nomadic Tribe category within the larger Other Backward Class category.[18][85][86]
On the other hand, Dhangad (cultivators), also known as
Scheduled Tribe.[95][96]

According to the 27th report of Standing Committee on Labour and Welfare with regards to SCs and STs order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2002:[97]

There are two distinct communities having similar nomenclature, one is Dhangad which is a sub-group of Oraon, a Scheduled Tribe appearing at S.No..36 of the List of Scheduled Tribes. The traditional occupation of this community is cultivation. There is another community known as 'Dhangar' whose traditional occupation is cattle rearing and weaving of woolens. The 'Dhangad' and the 'Dhangar' are two distinct communities having no ethnic affinity at all. The Dhangars who are shepherds have been notified as Nomadic tribe in the State of Maharashtra. Therefore, there is no printing mistake in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Act, 1976 through which the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 was amended.

On 17 January 2019, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) wrote a letter to the Principal Secretary to the

Scheduled Caste category and rather belong to the Other Backward Class category in the state of Uttar Pradesh.[82]

Notable people

Main article: List of Kurubas and Dhangars

References

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    . Retrieved 28 November 2020. While the bulk of Shivaji's men were naturally Marathas, they included not only the allied castes of Dhangars and Gowalas, shepherds and herdsmen, but many who had no claim to kinship. For example Shivaji's famous infantry was composed largely of Bhandaris and Kolis. The Ramoshis... who afterwards formed the infantry of Haidar and Tipu in Mysore, were relied an for the capture of the hill forts, while the outcaste Mahars and Mangs served in his artillery, and in the garrisons of these forts - Patrick Cadell
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  86. ^ a b Jog, Sanjay (21 September 2020). "Maharashtra Dhangar community to launch statewide agitation to press for quota under ST category". Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. At present, the Dhangar community gets 3.5 per cent quota in government jobs and education under Nomadic Tribe (C) category, which comes under OBC category.
  87. ^ Omvedt, Gail (10 April 2012). "Who are OBCs?". Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2012. There is a great hierarchy among the OBCs. The group considering themselves "highest" are the mainly peasant castes (Jats and Kurmis in north India, Kunbis in Maharashtra, Vellalas in south India, etc); close to these are the herding (Yadavas, Dhangars, Korbis) and gardening (Malis, Sainis) communities. Ranging below these are the various artisan and service groups – goldsmiths, blacksmiths, potters, barbers, washermen etc. This linkage of caste with profession is unique to the Indian caste system. Ambedkar had described caste as a "graded hierarchy" with a ascending ladder of status and a descending degree of contempt; Phule had talked of how the "ignorant Kunbi looked down on the ignorant Mahar, the ignorant Mahar scorned the ignorant Mang" – these were expressions of this hierarchy of caste, in which every group tried to claim a higher status than another.
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Bibliography

Further reading

  • Baviskar, B.S., "Co-operatives and caste in Maharashtra: A case study". Sociological Bulletin, XVIII:2:1969:148-166.
  • Chaubey Ganesh, "The Dhangar Songs", Folklore, Vol. I No 4, Calcutta, 1958, pp. 22–25.
  • Malhotra, K., 1980a, "Inbreeding among the four Dhangar castes of Maharashtra. India". Collegium antropologicum, 3.
  • Malhotra, K., 1980b, "Matrimonial distances among four Dhangar castes of Maharashtra", South Asian Anthropology, 1.
  • Malhotra, K., 1984, "Population structure among the Dhangar caste cluster of Maharashtra", in J.R. Lukacs (ed.), The People of South Asia.
  • Prasad Satyanarain. "Modern education among the tribals of Bihar in the second half of the 19th century". Man in India, LI:4:1971:365-393.
  • Saksena, R.N., and Chinchalkar, "Dhangars and Gadariyas: The Most backward divisions of Indian tribes and caste". Vanyajati, XXV:2: 1977:14–17.
  • Prof. Prabhu N Kokane,"Socio-Legal" Identification of Scheduled Castes/Tribes & Backward Classes (2007). Nanded, Maharashtra.

External links
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