There are thus a few excellent studies of castes as horizontal units. Radhvanaj Rajputs were clearly distinguished from, and ranked much above local Kolis. That Rajputs were one of the divisions, if not the only division of the first-order, not having further divisions, has already been mentioned. Waghari, Dataniya Waghari, Veduwaghari, Talpada Waghari, Gamachiya Waghari,Godadia Waghari, Chibhadia Waghari, Mardada or Marwada Waghari ,Devipuiak, , , , , , , . Gujarat did not have anything like the non-Brahmin movement of South India and Maharashtra before 1947. A large number of priestly, artisan and service castes also lived in both villages and towns: Bramhans, barbers, carpenters, blacksmiths, shoemakers, leather-workers, scavenges, water-carriers, palanquin-bearers, and so on. Barot was originally the name of a community that derived itself from the Bhat community. The Khedawals, numbering 15,000 to 20,000 in 1931 were basically priests but many of them were also landowners, government officials, and traders. As you know Digital Gujrat is the feature of our generation. There was another kind of ambiguity about the Brahman status or two other divisionsKayatia and Tapodhan. As could be expected, there were marriages between fairly close kin, resulting in many overlapping relationships, in such an endogamous unit. The emphasis on being different and separate rather than on being higher and lower was even more marked in the relationship among the forty or so second-order divisions. In an area of the first kind there are no immigrant Kolis from elsewhere, and therefore, there is no question of their having second-order divisions. Diploma in Human Resource Management from IGNOU Bachelor of Sciences (Home Science) from Nagarjuna University. Get curated, personalised content as per your parenting stage. It has been pointed out earlier that an emphasis on the principle of division existed in the caste system in urban centres in traditional India. I have not yet come across an area where Kolis from three or more different areas live together, excepting modern, large towns and cities. 01051 kerala 01 ganak 01052 kerala 01 gounder kongu vellala 01053 kerala 01 gounder menon 01054 kerala 01 gounder padaiyachi 01055 Many of the popular Gujarati surnames trace their roots to the occupations or businesses held by the original bearers of the surname. Privacy Policy 8. Frequently, The ekdas or gols were each divided into groups called tads (split). Other examples are Daruwala, Doshi, Zariwala, and Screwala. Rawal/Raval originates from the Sanskrit word Raja, meaning king. The very low Brahmans such as Kayatias and Tapodhans were invited but made to eat separately from the rest of the Brahmans. To have a meaningful understanding of the system of caste divisions, there is no alternative but to understand the significance of each order of division and particularly the nature of their boundaries and maintenance mechanisms. One important first-order division, namely, Rajput, does not seem to have had any second-order division at all. Their work is distinguished by their primary use of red, which comes from a local pigment produced from crushed insects. These marriage links do not seem to have allowed, among the Kolis, formation of well organized, small, endogamous units (ekadas, gols) as were found among some other castes. The primarily urban castes and the urban sections of the rural-cum- urban castes were the first to take advantage of the new opportunities that developed in industry, commerce, administration, the professions and education in urban centres. The most important of them was the Koli division, which was, the largest division and mainly included small landholders, tenants and labourers. In this article, we will see All Gujarati Caste List and know their Name in English & Gujrati Langauge. The patterns of change in marriage and in caste associations are two of the many indications of the growing significance of the principle of division (or separation or difference) in caste in urban areas in Gujarat. This meant that he could marry a girl of any subdivision within the Vania division. They are vegetarian but eat egg. Ahir Ayar Bericha . %PDF-1.7 Chowdhury in Sanskrit refers to holder of four, where four probably indicated the measure of land granted by the king. This does not, however, help describe caste divisions adequately. It comes from the Gujarati word sheth or seth that means master, chief, or the head. The Suthar community is mostly involved in the field of carpentry. While we do get evidence of fission of caste divisions of a higher order into two or more divisions of a lower order, the mere existence of divisions of a lower order should not be taken as evidence of fission in a division of a higher order. Gandhi refers to someone who is a seller of fragrances, that is a perfume seller. The pattern of inter-divisional marriages shows how the idea of free marriage, which guides most of the inter-caste marriages, is restricted, modified, and graded according to the traditional structure of caste divisions. A first-order division could be further divided into two or more second-order divisions. The degree of contravention is less if the couple belong, let us say, to two different fourth-order divisions within a third-order division than if they belong to two different third-order divisions within a second-order division, and so on. The most important example of primarily political caste association is the Gujarat Kshatriya Sabha. Their origin myth enshrined in their caste purana also showed them to be originally non-Brahman. Purohit means a family priest or a priest who always stays at the forefront of a pooja (a prayer ritual). We hope you think that is sweet. As for the size of other castes, I shall make mainly relative statements. Their traditional occupations were dyeing and calico printing. Moreover, a single division belonging to any one of the orders may have more than one association, and an association may be uni-purpose or multi-purpose. Together they provide a slice of Gujarati society from the sea- coast to the bordering highlands. Joshi derives its name from Jyotisha, a Sanskrit word that means an astrologer., A common surname in Gujarat, Kapadia, in Gujarati means, cloth merchant.. Modi has an occupational origin, and refers to those who came from the community of Bania, which originally consisted of merchants, traders, money-lenders, and shopkeepers. They were found in almost every village in plains Gujarat and in many villages in Saurashtra and Kachchh. There are 350+ Castes living right now in Gujarat State, The Government has divided all castes in 5 to 6 Category which is General, SEBC, OBC, SC, ST, NT & DT. Castes which did not sit together at public feasts, let alone at meals in homes, only 15 or 20 years ago, now freely sit together even at meals in homes. ), as contrasted with the horizontal unity of the caste. As The Times of India representative in Gandhinagar, Gujarat's capital, Rajiv covered . The associations activities in the field of marriage, such as reform to customs, rituals and ceremonies, and encouragement of inter-divisional marriages, are also seen by the members as a service to the nationas the castes method of creating a casteless modern society. In the past the dispersal over a wide area of population of an ekda or tad was uncommon; only modern communications have made residential dispersal as well as functional integration possible. Usually it consisted of wealthy and powerful lineages, distinguishing themselves by some appellation, such as Patidar among the Leva Kanbi, Desai among the Anavil, and Baj among the Khedawal. But the hypergamous tendency was so powerful that each such endogamous unit could not be perfectly endogamous even at the height of its integration. [21], 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 the meanwhile, it is important to note that there does not seem to have been any attempt to form small endogamous units (ekdas, gols) at any level among the Rajputs unlike attempts made as we shall see, among some other hypergamous castes in Gujarat. James Campbell (1901: xii), the compiler of gazetteers for the former Bombay presidency comprising several linguistic regions, wrote about Gujarat: In no part of India are the subdivisions so minute, one of them, the Rayakval Vanias, numbering only 47 persons in 1891. The surname Gajjar represents a Gujarati sub-caste from the Suthar community. The above brief analysis of change in caste in modern Gujarat has, I hope, indicated that an overall view of changes in caste in modern India should include a careful study of changes in rural as well as in urban areas in relation to their past. That there was room for flexibility and that the rule of caste endogamy could be violated at the highest level among the Rajputs was pointed out earlier. Beingtheparent.com , you guys Rock !!! Limitations of the holistic view of caste, based as it is mainly on the study of the village, should be realized in the light of urban experience. These linkages played an important role in the traditional social structure as well as in the processes of change in modern India. Her experience in impactful writing combined with her background in Home Sciences makes Aparna the perfect candidate for content writing in the pregnancy and parenting niche. The interesting and popular Gujarati surnames make them stand out from the rest. Bhagat is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to describe religious personalities who have obtain high acclaim in their community for their services and devoutness. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Gujrati surnames are based on occupation, ethnicity or where they belong from. This infographic documents some well-known Gujarati last names derived from the Sanskrit language and their meanings. There was apparently a close relation between a castes internal organization and the size and spatial distribution of its population. Hypergamy tended to be associated with this hierarchy. The names usually begin with "Ma" or "Ta". After marriage, the wife moves to the husband's house, except for the period of childbirth. What I am trying to point out, however, is that greater emphasis on division (Pococks difference, Dumonts separation. There are people with the Modi surname among Vaishnavas (Baniyas), Kharwas (fishermen from Porbandar), and Lohanas (who are a community of traders). Whatever the internal organization of a second-order division, the relationship between most of the Brahman second-order divisions was marked by great emphasis on being different and separate than on being higher and lower. These last names are rooted in ethnic, topographic, and occupational backgrounds. Content Filtrations 6. At the other end were castes in which the principle of division had free play and the role of the principle of hierarchy was limited. The Hindu and Muslim kingdoms in Gujarat during the medieval period had, of course, their capital towns, at first Patan and then Ahmedabad. Near about 146 caste which belongs to SEBC that is highest in Gujrat. Which percentage is near about 7% in Gujarat. In recent years, however, there has been a tendency to emphasize hierarchy as the primary principle encompassing the principle of division. Turnout is also system and all the organs involved in the increasing in good percentage.2002 Gujarat system are responsible, and accordingly, they election was most crucial after communal are expected for their approach, commitments, disharmony . Most of the business class belongs to this community due to their business sense. The surname Chowdhury is likely a title of honor bestowed by a king to a warrior or a nobleman. In any case, castes are not likely to cease to be castes in the consciousness of people in the foreseeable future. As Ghurye pointed out long ago, slow consolidation of the smaller castes into larger ones would lead to three or four large groups being solidly organized for pushing the interests of each even at the cost of the others. Leva Sheri and Kadva Sheri, named after the two major second-order divisions among the Kanbis. Most inter-divisional marriages take place between boys and girls belonging to the lowest order in the structure of divisions. While some of the divisions of a lower order might be the result of fission, some others might be a result of fusion. He does not give importance to this possibility probably because, as he goes on to state, what is sought here is a universal formula, a rule without exceptions (ibid.). Significantly, a large number of social thinkers and workers who propagated against the hierarchical features of caste came from urban centres. Fortunately, they have now started writing about it (see Rao 1974). Surnames have always been important markers for caste, but in a globalizing urban environment, it has become perhaps the most prominent marker of caste identity and therefore carrier of discrimination. SaveIllustration: Momjunction Design Team. The highland Bhils seem to have provided brides to lower Rajputs on the other side of the highlands also, i.e., to those in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh (see, for example, Doshi, 1971: 7f., 13-15; Aurora 1972: 16, 32f.). Here, usually, what mattered was the first-order division, as for example Brahman, Vania, Rajput, Kanbi, carpenter, barber, leather-worker, and so on. Frequently, marriages were arranged in contravention of a particular rule after obtaining the permission of the council of leaders and paying a penalty in advance. In all there were about eighty such divisions. Opulent last names that exhibit royalty, class, and style. Married women are often spotted wearing gold nose ring, earrings and neckpieces. They are known by various names such as Ganeshia, Rikhia, and Risha. They are proud of their community and carry it far for it to prosper. When divisions are found within a jati, the word sub-jati or sub-caste is used. In Gujarat, the Modi surname is used by Hindus, Muslims, and Parsis. All associations originated in large towns, are more active in towns than in villages, and are led by prominent members in towns. For example, there were two ekdas, each with a large section resident in a large town and small sections resident in two or three neighbouring small towns. In fact, inter-tad marriages have increased so much that the tads have more or less lost their identity and such marriages are no longer considered as violating the rule of tad endogamy. 2021, Vidyabharati International Interdisplinary Research Journal (Special Issue) . In effect, the Vania population in a large town like Ahmedabad could have a considerable number of small endogamous units of the third or the fourth order, each with its entire population living and marrying within the town itself. endobj Indeed, a major achievement of Indian sociology during the last thirty years or so has been deeper understanding of caste in the village context in particular and of its hierarchical dimension in general. The Bhambis are not allowed to wear gold and silver ornaments, but an exception is made in the case of head village Bhambi and his wife. Over nine years, she has helped various brands with compelling, well-researched, and unique content. DISCLAIMER: The material on this website is provided for educational purposes only and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, or in place of therapy or medical care. Thus, Hathiwala could mean someone who looks after or trains elephants. There was a continuous process of formation and disintegration of such units. Frequently, each such unit had a patron deity, housed in a large shrine, with elaborate arrangements for its ownership. Typically, a village consists of the sections of various castes, ranging from those with just one household to those with over u hundred. The hypergamous tendency was never as sharp, pervasive and regular among the Vania divisions as among the Rajputs, Leva Kanbis, Anavils and Khedawals. For example, in a Rajput kingdom the families of the Rajput king and his nobles resided in the capital town, while the Rajput landlords and cultivators resided in villages. A blacksmith or an artisan, they all have a good business sense and know-how to reap profits and carry their cultural heritage all over the world. Among the Kanbis, while there was hypergamy within the Leva division and possibly, similar hypergamy within the Kadva division, there was no hierarchy or hypergamy between the two second-order divisions. The name Desai thus means landlord.. It seems the highland Bhils (and possibly also other tribes) provided brides to lower Rajputs in Gujarat. Gujrat has a rich cultural heritage. Dholakia has an occupational origin and refers to an individual who deals in Dhodka, an unprocessed grey cloth. Bavri or Baori -do- 6. Rajput hypergamy seems to have provided an important mechanism for integration of the lower caste and tribal population into the Hindu society over the entire length and breadth of northern, western, central and even eastern India. Then please ask us by writing in the comment box. The two together formed a single complex of continental dimension. Frequently, the urban population of such a division performed more specialized functions than did the rural one. The dye is caste in Gujarat. Nor were ekdas and tads entirely an urban phenomenon. Systematic study of small caste divisions in villages as well as in towns still awaits the attention of sociologists and anthropologists. This was unlike the situation among the Rajputs who did not make any attempt to form small endogamous units. 8. There was an emphasis on being different and separate rather than on being higher and lower. [2], The Meghwal community is known by various names, depending on location. There would be a wide measure of agreement with him on both these counts. There is a patterned widening of the connubial field along an area chalked out historically. Mother Tongue: Gujarati. Nevertheless, a breakdown of the population of Gujarat into major religious, caste and tribal groups according to the census of 1931 is presented in the following table to give a rough idea of the size of at least some castes. Nose rings and earrings are often decorated with precious stones of ruby, sapphire and emerald. This account of the divisions is based on various sources, but mainly on Bombay Gazetteer (1901). Since these were all status categories rather than clear- cut divisions, I have not considered them as constituting third-order divisions. All the small towns sections in each of the ekdas resented that, while the large town section accepted brides from small towns, they did not reciprocate. Copyright 2014-2023 Mykids Ventures Private Limited. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); [Read : Top 100 Punjabi Surnames or Last Names With Meanings]. Caste associations in Gujarat were formed mainly among upper castes to provide welfare (including recreation), to promote modern education, and to bring about reforms in caste customs. They took away offerings made to Shiva, which was considered extremely degrading. Below is a list of the Bhagats who contributed towards Sri Guru Granth Sahib:[2]. On the other hand, there was an almost simultaneous spurt in village studies. (Frequently, such models are constructed a priori rather than based on historical evidence, but that is another story). Village studies, as far as caste is a part of them, have been, there fore, concerned with the interrelations between sections of various castes in the local context. General Caste List & Open Caste List is same-same in Gujarat State. Frequently, social divisions were neatly expressed in street names. "MOTHER" PLAN:- Households living under the wild line. Some ekdas did come into existence in almost the same way as did the tads, that is to say, by a process of fission of one ekda into two or more ekdas. Second, there used to be intense intra-ekda politics, and tads were formed as a result of some continuing conflict among ekda leaders and over the trial of violation of ekda rules. I have bits and pieces of information about relations between a considerable numbers of other lower-order divisions in their respective higher-order divisions. A few examples are: Brahman (priest), Vania (trader), Rajput (warrior and ruler), Kanbi (peasant), Koli (peasant), Kathi (peasant), Soni goldsmith), Suthar (carpenter), Valand (barber), Chamar (leatherworker), Dhed (weaver) and Bhangi (scavenger). The incidence of exchange marriages and of bachelors in the lowest stratum among the Anavils also was high. Thus, all religions and communities have different surnames and the backgrounds can be similar or different as well. For example, Gandhi refers to one who deals in fragrances. , , ( S.T ), Sathwara, Satawara, Sathwara-Kadiya, Satwar-Kadiya, Dalwadi and Kadiya, , , -, =, , Mali, Fulmali, Marathi Mali, Kachh Mali, Jire Mali, Bagban, Ravin, , , , , , , . Madhurima has completed her Masters in Biochemistry from North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. Image Guidelines 5. Madhurima has completed her Masters in Biochemistry from North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. Phone +91 79 23253245 2021 Director, Developing Castes Welfare, Government of Gujarat . The existence of ekdas or gols, however, does not mean that the divisiveness of caste ended there or that the ekdas and gols were always the definitive units of endogamy. : 11-15, 57-75). 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. The lowest stratum among the Khedawals tried to cope with the problem of scarcity of brides mainly by practising ignominious exchange marriage and by restricting marriage of sons in a family to the younger sons, if not to only the youngest. We will now analyze the internal structure of a few first-order divisions, each of which was split into divisions going down to the fourth order. Ahir Ayar Bericha -do- 3. Amin (originally the Patidar caste in Gujarat) probably had an occupational origin referring to individuals who worked as tax collectors for the Mughal Empire. endobj Created Date: Content Guidelines 2. Moreover, the king himself belonged to some caste (not just to the Kshatriya Varna) and frequently a number of kings belonged to the same caste (e.g., Rajput). Sanghvi derives its name from sangha, a Sanskrit word that means assembly. The surname Sanghvi likely refers to someone who offers hospitality to Jain pilgrims.. 4 0 obj In fact it has caused . 4.00 lakhs or middle class families with income below Similar sounding surnames: Bagot, Bhagwat, Bhakta, Bhagat, Bisht. The chiefly families constituted a tiny proportion of the total population of any second-order division among the Kolis. Inclusion of a lower-order division in a higher-order one and distinction between various divisions in a certain order was not as unambiguous. While the Rajputs, Leva Patidars, Anavils and Khedawals have been notorious for high dowries, and the Kolis have been looked down upon for their practice of bride price, the Vanias have been paying neither. Rajiv Shah. Of particular importance seems to be the fact that a section of the urban population was more or less isolatedsome may say, alienatedfrom the rural masses from generation to generation. People belonging to the work culture of a similar kind have yet another common name. Literally, ekda meant unit, and gol circle, and both signified an endogamous unit. And how flexibility was normal at the lowest level has just been shown.