Doms
Encyclopedia
The Doms are a Bengali Hindu
caste found in large numbers in Birbhum
, Bankura
and other districts in the western fringe of the Indian state
of West Bengal
. Traditionally, Doms were basket-makers, cultivators, labourers and drummers
; their wives serving as midwives.
The Maghiya Doms were formerly classified as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Acts
of the British Raj
.
. Harishchandra
had accepted servitude under a Dom after donating his kingdom to Vishwamitra.
According to a legend regarding the profession of the Doms, it said that once Shiva
asked one of the sons of Kalu Rai to bring water from the Ganges. When he arrived at the river bank, he found some people preparing to cremate a corpse. He helped them prepare the funeral pyre using bamboo sticks in lieu of money. On his return Shiva
cursed him that he and his descendants would earn a living only by cremating dead bodies. They came to be known as Bansfors, literally meaning breaker of bamboos.
word for cow. The names of the shepherd castes seem to be derived from words meaning sheep, which is at least the case with Gadaria from 'gadar', on old Hindi
word for sheep. Many others of these major groups called castes bear merely tribal or ethic names. Such are for example: Arora
, Gujjar
, Lohana
, Bhatia
, Meena
, Bhil
, Dom
, Oraon
, Munda
, Santal, Koch
, Ahir, Mahar, Nayar
, Maratha
, Gond
, Khond, etc.
Bengali Hindu
Bengali Hindus are an ethno-linguistic group, belonging to the Indo-Aryan family and are native to the Bengal region of the Indian Subcontinent. The Bengali Hindus along with other related ethno-linguistic groups constitute the vast majority of Hindus...
caste found in large numbers in Birbhum
Birbhum district
Birbhum district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is located at Suri...
, Bankura
Bankura District
Bankura district is one of the seven districts of Burdwan Division in the Indian state of West Bengal. The district has been described as the “connecting link between the plains of Bengal on the east and Chota Nagpur plateau on the west.” The areas to the east and north-east are low lying alluvial...
and other districts in the western fringe of the Indian state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. Traditionally, Doms were basket-makers, cultivators, labourers and drummers
Dhaki
Dhakis are traditional drummers who play the dhak during Hindu festivals, primarily in Bengal. Drum beats are an integral part of the five-day long annual festivities associated with Durga Puja but dhakis are losing out to pre-recorded CDs and cassettes.-The players:Dhakis perform mostly in...
; their wives serving as midwives.
The Maghiya Doms were formerly classified as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Acts
Criminal Tribes Act
The term Criminal Tribes Act applies to various successive pieces of legislation enforced in India during British rule; the first enacted in 1871 as applied mostly in North India The Act was extended to Bengal Presidency and other areas in 1876, and finally with the Criminal Tribes Act 1911, it...
of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
Origins
According to legend, the Doms were born out of the union between a Bagdi male and a Chandal female. Kalu Rai, the general of Ichhai Ghosh is considered the forefather of the Doms. His four sons Pranveer, Manveer, Banveer and Shanveer are the forefathers of the four classes of Doms, namely Ankuria, Bish Daliya, Bajunia and Maghiya. The Dhakaldeshiya and Tapaspuriya clans also claim descent from Kalu Rai. Some Doms also claim descent of HarishchandraHarishchandra
Harishchandra, in Hindu religious texts is the 36th king of the Solar Dynasty, Surya Maharishi Gothram . His legend is very popular and often told as a benchmark for an ideal life. He was renowned for his piety and justice. His name is Sanskrit for "having golden splendour".Harishchandra had two...
. Harishchandra
Harishchandra
Harishchandra, in Hindu religious texts is the 36th king of the Solar Dynasty, Surya Maharishi Gothram . His legend is very popular and often told as a benchmark for an ideal life. He was renowned for his piety and justice. His name is Sanskrit for "having golden splendour".Harishchandra had two...
had accepted servitude under a Dom after donating his kingdom to Vishwamitra.
According to a legend regarding the profession of the Doms, it said that once Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
asked one of the sons of Kalu Rai to bring water from the Ganges. When he arrived at the river bank, he found some people preparing to cremate a corpse. He helped them prepare the funeral pyre using bamboo sticks in lieu of money. On his return Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
cursed him that he and his descendants would earn a living only by cremating dead bodies. They came to be known as Bansfors, literally meaning breaker of bamboos.
Demographics
Doms numbered 316,337 in the 2001 census and were 1.7 percent of the scheduled caste population of West Bengal. 46.0 percent of Doms were literate – 58.9 percent males and 32.6 percent females were literate.Groupings
Some of the major groups derived from the principal professions they follow or the crafts they practice; for example, the cattle-breeding group takes the significant name of Gawli, derived from a SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word for cow. The names of the shepherd castes seem to be derived from words meaning sheep, which is at least the case with Gadaria from 'gadar', on old Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
word for sheep. Many others of these major groups called castes bear merely tribal or ethic names. Such are for example: Arora
Arora
Arora is an Indo-Aryan community of the Punjab region. Commentators differ in their opinions regarding the relationship between the Arora and the Khatri community....
, Gujjar
Gujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
, Lohana
Lohana
The Lohana also referred to as Luvana are an Indian caste,largely classified as merchants and are categorized as Vaishya or Bania caste although their ancient history proves that they are Kshatriya of Suryavanshi descant, claiming their lineage from Lava, son of Rama...
, Bhatia
Bhatia
Bhatia is a group of people and a caste originating from Sindh Province and Rajasthan. The Bhatias primarily live in Northwestern India and Pakistan. They are mainly found among the following ethnic groups or clans: Rajputs, Khatris, Gujjars, Yaduvanshi/Yadav and Bhati...
, Meena
Meena
Meena Durairaj, mononymously known as Meena, born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, is a South Indian film and television actress. Meena debuted as a child artist in Telugu and Tamil films and has later starred in films produced by various regional industries. She is one of the most established...
, 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....
, Dom
Dom
- People :* Dom people, an ethnic group in the Middle East* Doms, people of indigenous origin found in the Indian state of West Bengal* Domba or Dom, an ethnic group of India...
, Oraon
Oraon
The Oraon उरांव or Kurukh कुड़ुख tribe , also spelled Uraon, Oran, or Oram, are tribal aborigines inhabiting various states across central and eastern India as well as Bangladesh...
, Munda
Munda people
The Munda are tribal people of the Chota Nagpur Plateau region.They are found across Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Assam states of India, and into parts of Bangladesh...
, Santal, Koch
Koch
Koch may refer to:* Koch , a type of Arctic boat* Koch people , an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east India* Koch , people with this surname* Koch, Łódź Voivodeship, a village in central Poland...
, Ahir, Mahar, Nayar
Nayar
Nayar, Nayyar or Nair can refer to:Groups of people:* Naga People from North Eastern India* The successors of Nāga tradition* Nayar – a caste from the South Indian state of Kerala...
, Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
, Gond
Gondi people
The Gondi, Goindi or Gond people are people in central India, spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra , Chhattisgarh, northern Andhra Pradesh, and Western Orissa. With over four million people, they are the largest tribe in Central India.The Gondi language is related to...
, Khond, etc.