Dhanka
Encyclopedia
The Dhanka are an Adivasi
group in India
. They number slightly over 400,000 people. Over half of the Dhanka live in Gujarat state with smaller populations in Maharashtra
and Rajasthan
and a small population in Madhya Pradesh
.
Over 90% of the Dhanka are Hindus, but small numbers are Muslims or Christians.
The Dhanka are a sub-division of the Bhil
. Dhank are distributed in Jaipur
, Alwar, Ajmer
and Sirohi
districts in Rajasthan as well as other states. The Dhanka are also known as Dhankia. The population of Dhanka in Jaipur is nearly 100,000 people.
In the past, the Dhanka were forest hunters or engaged in the services of jagirdars / landowners as farmers or soldier guards. After the abolishing of jagirdari nearly 70% of the Dhanka migrated to cities by 1960. The Dhanka often work in elecricity and waterworks departments. They no longer have any land for agriculture and after migrating into the cities, they no longer have farming skils. Dhanka only marry within their caste.
The literacy of the Dhanka is 65%, one of the highest of the tribes of Rajasthan. Although the Dhanka are known as hard workers, they are often very poor. The Dhanka need a proper share of reservation.
Adivasi
Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India...
group 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 number slightly over 400,000 people. Over half of the Dhanka live in Gujarat state with smaller populations in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and 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 a small population in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
.
Over 90% of the Dhanka are Hindus, but small numbers are Muslims or Christians.
The Dhanka are a sub-division of the Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
. Dhank are distributed in Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, Alwar, Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
and Sirohi
Sirohi
Sirohi is a city in southern Rajasthan state in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirohi District, and was formerly the capital of the princely state of the same name. Nearest railway station to Sirohi is Sirohi Road station.-Geography:...
districts in Rajasthan as well as other states. The Dhanka are also known as Dhankia. The population of Dhanka in Jaipur is nearly 100,000 people.
In the past, the Dhanka were forest hunters or engaged in the services of jagirdars / landowners as farmers or soldier guards. After the abolishing of jagirdari nearly 70% of the Dhanka migrated to cities by 1960. The Dhanka often work in elecricity and waterworks departments. They no longer have any land for agriculture and after migrating into the cities, they no longer have farming skils. Dhanka only marry within their caste.
The literacy of the Dhanka is 65%, one of the highest of the tribes of Rajasthan. Although the Dhanka are known as hard workers, they are often very poor. The Dhanka need a proper share of reservation.