Meghwal
Encyclopedia
The Megh Meghwal (Hindi:मेघवाल) or Meghwar (Hindi:मेघवार, Urdu:میگھواڑ, Sindhi:ميگھواڙ) people live primarily in northwest India
, with a small population in Pakistan
. As of 2008, their total population was estimated at 2,807,000, of whom 2,760,000 lived in India. They speak Marwari
(659,000), Hindi
(663,000), Dogri (230,000), Punjabi
(175,000) and various other regional languages. As a scheduled caste, their traditional occupation was weaving. Most are Hindu by religion, with Rishi Megh, Kabir
, Ram Devji
and Bankar Mataji
their chief gods. Megh lineage is considered to have originated from Rajarishi Vritra
, also known as Megh Rishi.
in his 1871 book Archaeological Survey of India propounded that Meghs were Pre-Aryans who came to Punjab
from Assyria
and settled in Sapta Sindhu (the land of seven rivers). Under Aryan
pressure, they may have migrated to the Maharashtra
and Vindhyachal
region during the Megalithic period (1400–1200 BCE) and later to Bihar
and Orissa
. They belong to Indus Valley Civilization
. They claim to have descended from Rishi Megh, a saint who had the power to bring rain from the clouds (Megh) through his prayer. The word Meghwar is derived from the Sanskrit
word, megh, meaning clouds and rain, and war (Hindi: वार), meaning a group, son and child. (Sanskrit: वार:)
Literally, then, the words Meghwal and Meghwar connote a people who belong to Megh lineage.
It is also said that the Meghs lived in mountaineous regions of Jammu and Kashmir where lot of cloud activity is experienced. People living there were naturally given the name Megh (clouds). In folk lore told by Mirasis (traditional folk artists) Meghs are linked to Suryavansh to which Lord Rama belonged.
, Hiranyaksha
, Virochana
, Maveli, Ban
etc.
kings of Meghavansha ruled over Kalinga
. They used to add Mahameghavahana with their names and identified themselves with Mahameghavansha. Kalinga king Kharvel defeated Pushyamitra of Magadh and won over the regions of southern India (presently Tamil Nadu
). Kalinga kings followed Jainism
. After the fall of Mauryas, kings of Meghavansha regained their power and independence. Rulers of Chedi, Vatsa
, Matsya etc. were called Meghs. At the dawn of Gupta Vansh Kaushambhi
was an independent state. The ruler Meghraj was from Meghavansha and followed Buddhism
.
in Rajasthan. In the 1981 Census for Rajasthan, the combined population of people notified as Megh, Meghwal, Menghvar was 889,300.
They also live in western Gujarat near the Pakistan border and in other parts of India such as Maharashtra
, Punjab
and Haryana
. The Meghs are from Jammu and Kashmir
,
and Himachal Pradesh
and known as Megh, Arya Megh and Bhagat. In some places they are known as Ganeshia, Meghbansi, Mihagh, Rakhesar, Rakhia, Rikhia, Rishia and other names. Some of the Mahashas also claim to be belonging to Meghs. After Partition of India
in the year 1947, the Meghs who had become converts to the Hinduism
, had to migrate to Indian territory. Most of them migrated from Sialkot and settled in camps established for them in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
In Pakistan the word Meghwar is used in place of Meghwal. As of 1991, the population of Meghs in Punjab (India) was estimated at 105,157.
In 2000, about 226,600 Meghwar lived in Pakistan, principally in the Punjab
northeast of the cities of Dadu and Nawabshah
, and in Sindh
, mostly in the Badin
, Mirpur Khas
, Tharparkar
, and Umerkot
districts.
s. Rituals observed by Meghs match with that of Brahmins. The word Megh does not denote any particular work attached to this community as had been the case with many other communities. They have been categorised as scheduled castes in states like Rajasthan
, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra,Punjab etc. That is, they are among the castes of India that are specified in a schedule of the Indian constitution for special treatment to overcome disadvantages due to caste prejudice. Hindus do not treat them as Hindus the way they treat other castes within the Hindu fold. There is thinking in Meghs that they are counted as Hindus for political purpose.
and woodcarving, and these are still the main occupations. The women are famous for their embroidery work and are master wool and cotton weavers.
Some of them have migrated from villages of Rajasthan to large cities such as Bombay. In a 1936 study by B.H. Mehta, the researcher noted that most had migrated to the city to escape from a wretched rural life, and felt that city conditions were an improvement despite their crowded and insanitary conditions. Increasing numbers of the Meghwal today are educated and are obtaining government jobs. In Punjab, especially in the cities like Amritsar
, Jalandhar
and Ludhiana a good number of them is engaged as workers in factories producing sports, hosiery, surgical and metal goods. Very few of them have their own business or a small scale industry. Tiny business and service units are their main support for livelihood. Many of them became petty agriculturists after successful implementation of land reforms in J&K. On migration from Pakistan Meghs were also given barren lands in Alwar (Rajasthan). It is now fertile land. Babu Gopi Chand helped them in the process.
Their staple diet includes rice, wheat and maize, and pulses such as moong, urad and channa. They are not vegetarian but eat egg, fish, chicken and mutton when available, although they abstain from pork, beef and buffalo meat. In Jammu, a Megh religious leader Bhagata Sadh (of Keran) lead a very big group of them to vegetarianism.
Women have low status in traditional Meghwal society. Marriages are arranged through negotiation between the families before puberty. After marriage, the wife moves to the husband's house, except for the period of childbirth. However, divorce is allowed, with the father retaining liability for the children and compensation paid to the wife. Meghs have a social evil in the form of a system called 'ex-communication' (Hindi:हुक्का पानी बंद करना) of persons they do not like. This is practised even in the cases of trivial matters. It has further increased social hardships for their women.
and Nāga
(dragon
). Meghwals worship King Bali in the form of God and pray for his return. In Kerala these prayers, since centuries, have assumed magnanimity of a festival called Onam
. They believed in an atheist and egalitarian Rishi Cārvāka
. Aryans were opposed to it. The pressure continued and entire literature of Charvak religion was burnt. There is evidence that in the 13th century CE many of the Meghwal became followers of the Nizari
branch of Shia Islam, and that traces of Nazari belief remain in their ritual and myth. However, most of the Megh are now considered Hindu, although some follow other religions such as Islam or Christianity.
During the Medieval Hindu Renaissance, known as the Bhakti Era
, Karta Ram Maharaj, a Meghwal from Rajasthan became the spiritual guru of Meghwals. During the 19th century, it was said that the Meghs were generally Kabirpanthi, followers of Saint
Satguru
(Hindi:संत सत्गुरु) Kabir
(1488 – 1512 AD), the founder of Sant Mat
. Many Meghwal today follow Sant Mat, a loosely associated group of religious leaders whose teachings are distinguished by an inward, loving devotion to a divine principle, and by an egalitarianism opposed to the qualitative distinctions of the Hindu caste
system, and to those between Hindus and Muslims. By the year 1910, around 36000 Meghs from Sialkot
had become Arya Samaj
is. After realising the trap they were in, they joined Ad Dharm society in the year 1925 which recognised Rishi Ravi Das, Kabir and Nam Dev (all legendary figures in low caste religious traditions) as their revered deities. Baba Faqir Chand
, a radical sage of India and a guru
of Radhasoami Mat, nominated Bhagat Munshi Ram
to work as Satguru
in his place. Bhagat belonged to Megh community.
In Rajasthan their chief deity is Baba Ramdevji
who is worshiped during the vedwa punam (August – September). Meghwal religious leader Swami Gokuldas claims that Ramdev was himself a Meghwal in his 1982 book Meghwal Itehas, which constructs a history of the Meghwal community in an attempt to gain respect and improve their social status. Daily offerings are made to Chamunda
mata in the village temples. Bankar mata is worshiped at weddings. Dalibai is a Meghwal female deity who is worshiped along with Ramdev. In J&K, Punjab, Himachal and Haryana states of India ancestor worship (a sort of Veneration of the dead
:Hindi:श्राद्ध) is performed and annual worship at encampment (Hindi:डेरा, डेरी) is prevalent in Meghs of J&K. Some Meghwars worship Pir Pithoro, whose shrine is near Mirpur Khas
in Pithoro village.
Baba Bhagata Sadh of Keran, a religious leader and revered deity of Meghs in Jammu and Kashmir worked for the spiritual welfare of Megh community.
Baba Manmohan Dass, successor to Baba Bhagta Sadh took over Guru's position after demise of Baba Jagdish ji Maharaj.
, sapphire
and emerald
. The Meghwal women's embroidery is avidly sought after. Their work is distinguished by their primary use of red, which comes from a local pigment produced from crushed insects. The Meghwal women artisans of Thar desert in Sindh and Balochistan, and in Gujarat are considered master of the traditional embroidery and Ralli making. Exotic hand-embroidered items form part of dowry of Meghwal woman.
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...
, with a small population in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. As of 2008, their total population was estimated at 2,807,000, of whom 2,760,000 lived in India. They speak 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...
(659,000), 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...
(663,000), Dogri (230,000), Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
(175,000) and various other regional languages. As a scheduled caste, their traditional occupation was weaving. Most are Hindu by religion, with Rishi Megh, Kabir
Kabir
Kabīr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement...
, Ram Devji
Baba Ramdevji
Baba Ramdevji is a folk–deity of Rajasthan in India. He was a saint of the fourteenth century who devoted his life for the upliftment of downtrodden and poor people of the society, which were marginalized by Invaders. A temple was built around Ramdevji's final resting place by Maharaja Ganga...
and Bankar Mataji
Mataji
-Etymology:"Mātā" is the Hindi word for "mother" and the "-jī" suffix is an honorific suffix used to indicate respect.-Use:"Mataji" is a respectful term used to address an older woman in Indian culture, particularly if she is unknown to the speaker. Another term that is used is "auntie"."Mataji"...
their chief gods. Megh lineage is considered to have originated from Rajarishi Vritra
Vritra
In the early Vedic religion, Vritra , is an Asura and also a serpent or dragon, the personification of drought and enemy of Indra. Vritra was also known in the Vedas as Ahi...
, also known as Megh Rishi.
Origins
Alexander CunninghamAlexander Cunningham
Sir Alexander Cunningham KCIE CSI was a British archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India...
in his 1871 book Archaeological Survey of India propounded that Meghs were Pre-Aryans who came to Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
from Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
and settled in Sapta Sindhu (the land of seven rivers). Under Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
pressure, they may have migrated to the 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 Vindhyachal
Vindhyachal
Vindhyachal is a town in Mirzapur District of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The city is a Hindu pilgrimage site having the temple of Vindhyavasini, where according to mythology a part of Sati Born in Nand Yadav Family as sister of Lord Krishna. The river Ganges flows through this city...
region during the Megalithic period (1400–1200 BCE) and later to Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. They belong to Indus Valley Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
. They claim to have descended from Rishi Megh, a saint who had the power to bring rain from the clouds (Megh) through his prayer. The word Meghwar is derived from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
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, megh, meaning clouds and rain, and war (Hindi: वार), meaning a group, son and child. (Sanskrit: वार:)
Literally, then, the words Meghwal and Meghwar connote a people who belong to Megh lineage.
It is also said that the Meghs lived in mountaineous regions of Jammu and Kashmir where lot of cloud activity is experienced. People living there were naturally given the name Megh (clouds). In folk lore told by Mirasis (traditional folk artists) Meghs are linked to Suryavansh to which Lord Rama belonged.
Mythical traces
In Indian mythology Rajarishi Vritra was the religious head and also the king of Sapta Sindhu region. He was progenitor of Nagavansha which ruled over entire India. They were known for godly qualities in their behaviour, style, qualification and quality. They were experts in architecture. They worshipped dragon. Meghwals are identified with Hiranyakasipu, PrahladaPrahlada
Prahlada is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, wherein he is famed for his exclusive devotion to Vishnu, despite attempts in the story by his father, Hiranyakashipu, to turn him to the contrary...
, Hiranyaksha
Hiranyaksha
In Hinduism, Hiranyaksha [golden-eyed] was an Asura of pre-ancient India and the son of Diti and Kashyapa. He was slain by the god Vishnu after he took the Earth to the bottom of what has been described as the "Cosmic Ocean". His name in Sanskrit literally means "Goldeneye"...
, Virochana
Virochana
Virochana , in Hindu mythology, was an asura, son of Prahlada and father of Bali. In the Atharvaveda he was mentioned as the son of Prahlada. According to the Chandogya Upanishad , he and Indra went to Prajapati to learn about the atman and lived there, practising brahmacharya for thirty-two...
, Maveli, Ban
Banasura
Bana , in Hindu mythology, was a thousand-armed asura and son of Bali. Banasura was a powerful and terrible asura. All people, even the king of earth and Devas of heaven, were afraid of him. Bana was a follower of Siva. Banasura ruled in present-day central Assam with his capital at Sonitpur ,...
etc.
Historical traces
During Maurya period ChediChedi Kingdom
Chedi kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled during early periods by Paurava kings and later by Yaduvanshi Rajput kings in the central and western India. It falls roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna and along river Betwa or Vetravati...
kings of Meghavansha ruled over Kalinga
Kalinga (India)
Kalinga was an early state in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa/Utkal , as well as the Andhra region of the bordering state of Andhra Pradesh. It was a rich and fertile land that extended from the river Damodar/Ganges to Godavari and from Bay of Bengal to...
. They used to add Mahameghavahana with their names and identified themselves with Mahameghavansha. Kalinga king Kharvel defeated Pushyamitra of Magadh and won over the regions of southern India (presently Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
). Kalinga kings followed Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
. After the fall of Mauryas, kings of Meghavansha regained their power and independence. Rulers of Chedi, Vatsa
Vatsa
Vatsa was one of the solasa Mahajanapadas of Uttarapatha of ancient India mentioned in the Anguttara Nikaya....
, Matsya etc. were called Meghs. At the dawn of Gupta Vansh Kaushambhi
Saharanpur Division
Saharanpur division is an administrative geographical unit of Uttar Pradesh state of India. The city of Saharanpur is the administrative headquarters of the division.- Administrative jurisdiction :...
was an independent state. The ruler Meghraj was from Meghavansha and followed Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
Geographical distribution
The Meghwal are from MarwarMarwar
Marwar is a region of southwestern Rajasthan state in western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. In Rajasthani dialect "wad" means a particular area. The word Marwar is derived from Sanskrit word 'Maruwat'. English translation of the word is 'The region of desert'., The Imperial Gazetteer...
in Rajasthan. In the 1981 Census for Rajasthan, the combined population of people notified as Megh, Meghwal, Menghvar was 889,300.
They also live in western Gujarat near the Pakistan border and in other parts of India such as 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...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and 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...
. The Meghs are from Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
,
and Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
and known as Megh, Arya Megh and Bhagat. In some places they are known as Ganeshia, Meghbansi, Mihagh, Rakhesar, Rakhia, Rikhia, Rishia and other names. Some of the Mahashas also claim to be belonging to Meghs. After Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in the year 1947, the Meghs who had become converts to the Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, had to migrate to Indian territory. Most of them migrated from Sialkot and settled in camps established for them in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
In Pakistan the word Meghwar is used in place of Meghwal. As of 1991, the population of Meghs in Punjab (India) was estimated at 105,157.
In 2000, about 226,600 Meghwar lived in Pakistan, principally in the Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
northeast of the cities of Dadu and Nawabshah
Nawabshah
Nawabshah , or Shaheed Benazirabad, is a district in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is headquarter of Shaheed Benazir Abad District...
, and in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, mostly in the Badin
Badin
Badin is the main city and capital of Badin District in Sindh, Pakistan. It lies east of the Indus River. The region is swampy, fertile for growing rice. Some oil fields are located near the town in the seasonally inundated Rann of Kutch region...
, Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas is a city in the province of Sindh in Pakistan. It is the fifth largest city in the province with an estimated population of 488,590...
, Tharparkar
Tharparkar District
Tharparkar District is one of twenty three districts of Sindh province in Pakistan. It is headquarters is at Mithi. It has the lowest Human Development Index of all districts in Sindh.-Demography:...
, and Umerkot
Umerkot
Umarkot or Umer Kot,, also known as Amar Kot, Omarkot and Omercote, is town in the Umerkot District in Sindh, Pakistan...
districts.
Caste status
Many of the Kashmiri Muslims settled in plains of erstwhile Punjab and Gujarat states who were weavers and like Meghs have descended from BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s. Rituals observed by Meghs match with that of Brahmins. The word Megh does not denote any particular work attached to this community as had been the case with many other communities. They have been categorised as scheduled castes in states like 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...
, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra,Punjab etc. That is, they are among the castes of India that are specified in a schedule of the Indian constitution for special treatment to overcome disadvantages due to caste prejudice. Hindus do not treat them as Hindus the way they treat other castes within the Hindu fold. There is thinking in Meghs that they are counted as Hindus for political purpose.
Alternate names of Meghs
Megh, Meghwal, Meghwar, Meghbansi, Kabirpanthi, Mihagh, Bhagat, Balai, Ganeshia, Rakhesar, Rakhia, Rikhia, RishiaLifestyle
Meghvanshis had weaving and agriculture as their profession. They used to take two crops a year. Rest of the time they were busy with allied activities. In the countryside of Rajasthan, many of the people of this community still reside in small hamlets of round, mud-brick huts painted on the outside with colourful geometric designs and decorated with detailed mirror inlays. In earlier days the main occupation of the Meghwal community was agricultural labour, weaving, specially KhadiKhadi
The term khādī or khaddar means cotton. khādī is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. The raw materials may be cotton, silk, or wool, which are spun into threads on a spinning wheel called a charkha. It is a versatile fabric, cool in the summer and warm in the winter...
and woodcarving, and these are still the main occupations. The women are famous for their embroidery work and are master wool and cotton weavers.
Some of them have migrated from villages of Rajasthan to large cities such as Bombay. In a 1936 study by B.H. Mehta, the researcher noted that most had migrated to the city to escape from a wretched rural life, and felt that city conditions were an improvement despite their crowded and insanitary conditions. Increasing numbers of the Meghwal today are educated and are obtaining government jobs. In Punjab, especially in the cities like Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
and Ludhiana a good number of them is engaged as workers in factories producing sports, hosiery, surgical and metal goods. Very few of them have their own business or a small scale industry. Tiny business and service units are their main support for livelihood. Many of them became petty agriculturists after successful implementation of land reforms in J&K. On migration from Pakistan Meghs were also given barren lands in Alwar (Rajasthan). It is now fertile land. Babu Gopi Chand helped them in the process.
Their staple diet includes rice, wheat and maize, and pulses such as moong, urad and channa. They are not vegetarian but eat egg, fish, chicken and mutton when available, although they abstain from pork, beef and buffalo meat. In Jammu, a Megh religious leader Bhagata Sadh (of Keran) lead a very big group of them to vegetarianism.
Women have low status in traditional Meghwal society. Marriages are arranged through negotiation between the families before puberty. After marriage, the wife moves to the husband's house, except for the period of childbirth. However, divorce is allowed, with the father retaining liability for the children and compensation paid to the wife. Meghs have a social evil in the form of a system called 'ex-communication' (Hindi:हुक्का पानी बंद करना) of persons they do not like. This is practised even in the cases of trivial matters. It has further increased social hardships for their women.
Religion
Little is known of the early history of the Meghwal or their religion. There are traces that Meghs were worshipers of ShivaShiva
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...
and Nāga
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...
(dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
). Meghwals worship King Bali in the form of God and pray for his return. In Kerala these prayers, since centuries, have assumed magnanimity of a festival called Onam
Onam
Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam and lasts for ten days...
. They believed in an atheist and egalitarian Rishi Cārvāka
Carvaka
' , also known as ', is a system of Indian philosophy that assumes various forms of philosophical skepticism and religious indifference. It seems named after , the probable author of the and probably a follower of Brihaspati, who founded the ' philosophy.In overviews of Indian philosophy, Cārvāka...
. Aryans were opposed to it. The pressure continued and entire literature of Charvak religion was burnt. There is evidence that in the 13th century CE many of the Meghwal became followers of the Nizari
Nizari
'The Shī‘a Imami Ismā‘īlī Tariqah also referred to as the Ismā‘īlī or Nizārī , is a path of Shī‘a Islām, emphasizing social justice, pluralism, and human reason within the framework of the mystical tradition of Islam. The Nizari are the second largest branch of Shia Islam and form the majority...
branch of Shia Islam, and that traces of Nazari belief remain in their ritual and myth. However, most of the Megh are now considered Hindu, although some follow other religions such as Islam or Christianity.
During the Medieval Hindu Renaissance, known as the Bhakti Era
Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice is loving devotion among the Shaivite and Vaishnava saints. The Bhakti movement originated in ancient Tamil Nadu and began to spread to the north during the late medieval ages when north India was under Islamic...
, Karta Ram Maharaj, a Meghwal from Rajasthan became the spiritual guru of Meghwals. During the 19th century, it was said that the Meghs were generally Kabirpanthi, followers of Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Satguru
Satguru
Satguru does not merely mean true guru. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on...
(Hindi:संत सत्गुरु) Kabir
Kabir
Kabīr was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced the Bhakti movement...
(1488 – 1512 AD), the founder of Sant Mat
Sant Mat
Sant Mat was a loosely associated group of teachers that became prominent in the northern part of the Indian sub-continent from about the 13th century...
. Many Meghwal today follow Sant Mat, a loosely associated group of religious leaders whose teachings are distinguished by an inward, loving devotion to a divine principle, and by an egalitarianism opposed to the qualitative distinctions of the Hindu 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...
system, and to those between Hindus and Muslims. By the year 1910, around 36000 Meghs from Sialkot
Sialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
had become Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
is. After realising the trap they were in, they joined Ad Dharm society in the year 1925 which recognised Rishi Ravi Das, Kabir and Nam Dev (all legendary figures in low caste religious traditions) as their revered deities. Baba Faqir Chand
Baba Faqir Chand
Baba Faqir Chand, was an Indian master of Surat Shabd Yoga, or consciously controlled near death experience. He was the first Sant Mat guru to speak of overwhelming experience of certainty and the subjective projection of sacred forms without the conscious knowledge of the person at the center of...
, a radical sage of India and a guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
of Radhasoami Mat, nominated Bhagat Munshi Ram
Bhagat Munshi Ram
Bhagat Munshi Ram was born in the village Sundernagar, tehsil and district Sialkot, Punjab in the year 1906. He was assigned specific work of Guru in the year 1977 by putting a religious mark on the forehead, presenting 'turban' , Rs.5 and a coconut by Param Dayal Baba Faqir Chand ji Maharaj...
to work as Satguru
Satguru
Satguru does not merely mean true guru. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on...
in his place. Bhagat belonged to Megh community.
In Rajasthan their chief deity is Baba Ramdevji
Baba Ramdevji
Baba Ramdevji is a folk–deity of Rajasthan in India. He was a saint of the fourteenth century who devoted his life for the upliftment of downtrodden and poor people of the society, which were marginalized by Invaders. A temple was built around Ramdevji's final resting place by Maharaja Ganga...
who is worshiped during the vedwa punam (August – September). Meghwal religious leader Swami Gokuldas claims that Ramdev was himself a Meghwal in his 1982 book Meghwal Itehas, which constructs a history of the Meghwal community in an attempt to gain respect and improve their social status. Daily offerings are made to Chamunda
Chamunda
Chamunda , also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari and Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas . She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga...
mata in the village temples. Bankar mata is worshiped at weddings. Dalibai is a Meghwal female deity who is worshiped along with Ramdev. In J&K, Punjab, Himachal and Haryana states of India ancestor worship (a sort of Veneration of the dead
Veneration of the dead
Veneration of the dead is based on the belief that the deceased, often family members, have a continued existence and/or possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living...
:Hindi:श्राद्ध) is performed and annual worship at encampment (Hindi:डेरा, डेरी) is prevalent in Meghs of J&K. Some Meghwars worship Pir Pithoro, whose shrine is near Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas
Mirpur Khas is a city in the province of Sindh in Pakistan. It is the fifth largest city in the province with an estimated population of 488,590...
in Pithoro village.
Baba Bhagata Sadh of Keran, a religious leader and revered deity of Meghs in Jammu and Kashmir worked for the spiritual welfare of Megh community.
Baba Manmohan Dass, successor to Baba Bhagta Sadh took over Guru's position after demise of Baba Jagdish ji Maharaj.
Arts
The Meghwal women in Rajasthan are renowned for their exuberantly detailed costumes and jewellery. Married women are often spotted wearing gold nose ring, earrings and neckpieces. They were given to the bride as a "bride wealth" dowry by her soon-to-be husband's mother. Nose rings and earrings are often decorated with precious stones of rubyRuby
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
, sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
and emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
. The Meghwal women's embroidery is avidly sought after. Their work is distinguished by their primary use of red, which comes from a local pigment produced from crushed insects. The Meghwal women artisans of Thar desert in Sindh and Balochistan, and in Gujarat are considered master of the traditional embroidery and Ralli making. Exotic hand-embroidered items form part of dowry of Meghwal woman.
See also
- VritraVritraIn the early Vedic religion, Vritra , is an Asura and also a serpent or dragon, the personification of drought and enemy of Indra. Vritra was also known in the Vedas as Ahi...
- HiranyakashipuHiranyakashipuHiranyakashipu [golden-haired] is an Asura from the Puranic scriptures of Hinduism. The Puranas describe Hiranyakashipu as an Asura. His younger brother, Hiranyaksha was slain by Varaha, one of the Avatars of Vishnu and angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain magical powers by performing...
- PrahladaPrahladaPrahlada is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, wherein he is famed for his exclusive devotion to Vishnu, despite attempts in the story by his father, Hiranyakashipu, to turn him to the contrary...
- Maveli
- VirochanaVirochanaVirochana , in Hindu mythology, was an asura, son of Prahlada and father of Bali. In the Atharvaveda he was mentioned as the son of Prahlada. According to the Chandogya Upanishad , he and Indra went to Prajapati to learn about the atman and lived there, practising brahmacharya for thirty-two...
- Indus Valley CivilizationIndus Valley CivilizationThe Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
- Naga KingdomNaga KingdomNaga Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Nagas who were a group of hardy and warlike people spread throughout India during far ancient history. They were also considered as one of the supernatural races like Kinnaras and Yakshas...
- AsuraAsura-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
- Maheshwari meghwarMaheshwari meghwarBar Mati Pantj is a religion founded by Matang-Dev around 1100 AD in Kutch and Sindh .The followers of Baarmati Panth are spread all over India but its presence is most visible in the districts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Amreli, Bhavnagar in Gujarat and Sindh apart from other Indian states like...
- ValasaiValasaiValasai is a Sindhi clan of Meghwar tribe in Pakistan. There are many Muslim Valasai in Sindh but most are scheduled caste Hindus. Most Valasai live in the Thar Desert of Pakistan and many in Mithi, capital of Tharparkar District. Their main villages are Kaloi, Diplo, Guriri Verhar, Tooh, Parkash...
- Kailash MeghwalKailash MeghwalKailash Meghwal is a former union minister of state in Government of India and a national vice president of Bharatiya Janata Party. He represents Tonk constituency of Rajasthan in 14th Lok Sabha...
- Surendar ValasaiSurendar ValasaiSurendar Valasai is a Pakistani journalistSurendar Valasai is the first media journalist in English who belongs to Meghwal Scheduled Castes from Pakistan. He comes from the district Tharparkar in Sindh Pakistan...
Meghs as caste in India
List of notified Scheduled Castes: Meghs Registered as scheduled caste in India Census Report 2001.- Jammu & Kashmir : Megh Or Kabirpanthi (Serial No.10)
- Himachal Pradesh : Megh, Julaha, Julahe, Kabirpanthi, Keer Serial No.(31,39)
- Punjab : Megh, Serial No.(19,24)
- Chandigarh : Megh, Kabirpanthi (Serial No.(18,23)
- Utteranchal : BhuiyarBhuiyarThe Bhuiyar or Bhuyiar are a Hindu caste found in North India, and those in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi have scheduled caste status. They are also known as Bhanyar Julaha; Kabirpanthi and Kori. The traditional occupation of Bhuiyar Caste is weaving...
(Serial No.(22), Kori Kabirpanthi (Serial No.(50) - Delhi : BhuiyarBhuiyarThe Bhuiyar or Bhuyiar are a Hindu caste found in North India, and those in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi have scheduled caste status. They are also known as Bhanyar Julaha; Kabirpanthi and Kori. The traditional occupation of Bhuiyar Caste is weaving...
, Meghwal, Kabirpanthi (Serial No.(18,27) - Haryana : Megh, Meghwal, Kabirpanthi, Kori (Serial No.(19,21,24)
- Rajasthan : Balai, Koli, Kori, Megh, Meghval, Meghwal, Menghvar (Serial No.(7,37,46)
- Uttar Pradesh : BhuiyarBhuiyarThe Bhuiyar or Bhuyiar are a Hindu caste found in North India, and those in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi have scheduled caste status. They are also known as Bhanyar Julaha; Kabirpanthi and Kori. The traditional occupation of Bhuiyar Caste is weaving...
, (Serial No.(22), Kori Kabirpanthi, Balai (Serial No.(10,50) - Chhatisgarh : Meghwal, Koli, Kori (Serial No.(30,35)
- Madhya Pradesh : Koli, Kori, Meghwal (Serial No.(31,38)
- Gujrat : Meghval, Meghwal, Menghvar (Serial No.(31)
- Maharashtra : Meghval, Menghvar (Serial No.(50)
- Karnataka : Meghwal, Menghvar (Serial No.(77)