Singiwala
Encyclopedia
The Singiwala are both a scheduled caste, as well as a Muslim
community, found in the state of Rajasthan
in India
. They also known as Jheewar Bangalee. Many members of Singiwala community have migrated to Pakistan
after independence have settled in Karachi
, Sindh
.
words, the singi which refers to a conical brass pipe with a wide mouth and wala which means holder. The Singi pipe is used to suck impure blood from wounds. They are divided into twelve and half exogamous clans, the main ones being the Sauda, Nakpulla, Pardesi, Dilwali, Savara, Kalandar, Gyarah Donbde, Teli, Mewadi and Radi. All the clans have equal status, and there is no concept of hypergamy. A section of the Singiwala emigrated to Haryana
in the 18th Century and now form a distinct community known as Singikat
.
, Jaipur
, Tonk
. Udaipur
, Sawai Madhopur
and Ganganagar
. They speak Hindi
, and have an understanding of Rajasthani
.
The Singiwala are the traditional surgeons for treating wounds,pains and psoriasis eczema. They are an extremely marginal community, and are mostly illiterate. The Singiwala are converted or divided into Hindu
to/and Muslim
branches, with the Hindus having scheduled caste status.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community, found in the state of 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...
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 also known as Jheewar Bangalee. Many members of Singiwala community have migrated to 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...
after independence have settled in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, 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...
.
History and origin
The name Singiwala is derived from a combination of two HindiHindi
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...
words, the singi which refers to a conical brass pipe with a wide mouth and wala which means holder. The Singi pipe is used to suck impure blood from wounds. They are divided into twelve and half exogamous clans, the main ones being the Sauda, Nakpulla, Pardesi, Dilwali, Savara, Kalandar, Gyarah Donbde, Teli, Mewadi and Radi. All the clans have equal status, and there is no concept of hypergamy. A section of the Singiwala emigrated to 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...
in the 18th Century and now form a distinct community known as Singikat
Singikat
The Singikat are a Hindu caste found in the state of Haryana in India. They are known as Gyarah.- Origin :The name Singikat is derived from a combination of two Hindi words, the singi which refers to a conical brass pipe with a wide mouth and kat which means holder. The Singi pipe is used to suck...
.
Present circumstances
The community is now found mainly in the districts of Kota districtKota district
Kota District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Kota is the administrative headquarters of the district.During the period around 12th century AD, Rao Deva,a Hada Chieftain conquered the territory and founded Bundi and Hadoti...
, 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....
, Tonk
Tonk District
Tonk District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Tonk is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is bounded on the north by Jaipur district, on the east by Sawai Madhopur district, on the southeast by Kota district, on the south by Bundi...
. Udaipur
Udaipur
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
, Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur is a city and a municipality in Sawai Madhopur District in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarters of Sawai Madhopur District....
and Ganganagar
Ganganagar
Sri Ganganagar , also called Ganganagar , is the northernmost city of Rajasthan in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Ganganagar District.-History:...
. They speak 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...
, and have an understanding of Rajasthani
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...
.
The Singiwala are the traditional surgeons for treating wounds,pains and psoriasis eczema. They are an extremely marginal community, and are mostly illiterate. The Singiwala are converted or divided into Hindu
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...
to/and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
branches, with the Hindus having scheduled caste status.