Bawariya
Encyclopedia
The Bawariya are a Hindu
caste
found in the states of Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh
in India
. They have scheduled caste status in Uttar Pradesh
.
. The Bawariya claim to be Rajput
s from Chittor in Rajasthan
. This is reflected in their clans, all of whom are well known Rajput
clan
s. At present, the Bawariya are found in the districts of Meerut
, Banda
, Agra
, Mainpuri
and Muzaffarnagar
in Uttar Pradesh
and neighbouring state of Haryana
. They speak Bawari among themselves, which is similar to Marwari
.
s, and their main gotras include the Chauhan, hada, badjurger, Dabas, Kohli, Solanki, Panwar, Dhandhara and Badhiyar. Each of these clans is of equal status, and intermarry.
The Bawariya are now mainly a community of marginal farmers. They produce wheat, peas, gram and now increasingly sugarcane. Some have also started rearing milch cattle and other animals. Many are still involved in hunting, particularly those settled in the Yamuna
khadir. As a Dalit
community, they often suffer from societal discrimination. They live in multi-caste villages, but occupy distinct quarters. Each of their settlement contains an informal caste
council, known as a biradari panchayat. The panchayat acts as instrument of social control, dealing with issues such as divorce and adultery.
The Bawaria in Haryana
have nine sub-divisions, the Rajput, Gandalli, Ghumariya, Dhumree, Banswasee, Kapadia, Bidhoth and Delhiwala. They are said to have immigrated from Rajasthan
, and many still speak the Bagri
dialect. Among the nine sub-groups, the Rajput Bawaria are the largest, and do not intermarry with the other groupings. The second largest group are the Ghumariya Bawaria, who are a community of peasant farmers. While the Delhiwala are cattle rearers and traders, the Gandalli are labourers, the Kapadia are pedlars while the Dhumree are involved in the selling of folk medicines. Despite their traditional occupations, almost all the Bawaria are now employed as daily wage labour. Many are employed as village watchmen, an occupation that is hereditary among many Bawaria families. Although living in multi-caste villages, the Bawaria occupy their own quarters.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
found in the states of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
and Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They have scheduled caste status in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
.
Origin
The word Bawariya is set to mean people who roam in Hindi. They are a semi-nomadic group scattered over North IndiaNorth India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
. The Bawariya claim to be Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s from Chittor in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. This is reflected in their clans, all of whom are well known Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
s. At present, the Bawariya are found in the districts of Meerut
Meerut District
Meerut district , is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Meerut is the district headquarters. Meerut district is a part of Meerut division.-Demographics:...
, Banda
Banda District
Banda district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Banda is the district headquarters. It is a part of Chitrakoot Division.Banda is famous for its Shajar stone, used for making jewellery, and the historically and architecturally significant sites Khajuraho and Kalinjar. Khajuraho is...
, Agra
Agra District
Agra District is one of the 70 districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and the historical city of Agra is the district headquarters. Agra district is a part of Agra division.-Geography:...
, Mainpuri
Mainpuri District
Mainpuri district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Mainpuri town is the district headquarters. Mainpuri district is a part of Agra division.-Demographics:...
and Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is part of Saharanpur division. The town of Muzaffarnagar is the district headquarters.-Communication:...
in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and neighbouring state of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. They speak Bawari among themselves, which is similar to Marwari
Marwari language
The Marwari language , also variously Marvari, Marwadi, Marvadi), is spoken in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Marwari is also found in the neighboring state of Gujarat and Haryana and in Eastern Pakistan...
.
Present circumstances
The Bawariya are strictly endogamous community, and practice the principle of clan exogamy. These clans are referred to as gotraGotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s, and their main gotras include the Chauhan, hada, badjurger, Dabas, Kohli, Solanki, Panwar, Dhandhara and Badhiyar. Each of these clans is of equal status, and intermarry.
The Bawariya are now mainly a community of marginal farmers. They produce wheat, peas, gram and now increasingly sugarcane. Some have also started rearing milch cattle and other animals. Many are still involved in hunting, particularly those settled in the Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
khadir. As a Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
community, they often suffer from societal discrimination. They live in multi-caste villages, but occupy distinct quarters. Each of their settlement contains an informal caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
council, known as a biradari panchayat. The panchayat acts as instrument of social control, dealing with issues such as divorce and adultery.
The Bawaria in Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
have nine sub-divisions, the Rajput, Gandalli, Ghumariya, Dhumree, Banswasee, Kapadia, Bidhoth and Delhiwala. They are said to have immigrated from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, and many still speak the Bagri
Bagri language
Bagri is a dialect of Rajasthani language of the Indo-Aryan family. It is spoken by about five million speakers in Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar districts of Rajasthan, Sirsa and Hissar districts of Haryana, Firozepur and Muktsar districts of Punjab of India and Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar areas...
dialect. Among the nine sub-groups, the Rajput Bawaria are the largest, and do not intermarry with the other groupings. The second largest group are the Ghumariya Bawaria, who are a community of peasant farmers. While the Delhiwala are cattle rearers and traders, the Gandalli are labourers, the Kapadia are pedlars while the Dhumree are involved in the selling of folk medicines. Despite their traditional occupations, almost all the Bawaria are now employed as daily wage labour. Many are employed as village watchmen, an occupation that is hereditary among many Bawaria families. Although living in multi-caste villages, the Bawaria occupy their own quarters.