Rajasthan's castes were first classified by British
Prakash Bhandari, TNN | Oct 17, 2013, 01.39 AM IST
JAIPUR:
The Rajasthanis form an ethno-linguistic group that is distinct in
language, history, cultural and religious practices, social structure,
literature and art. The Hindus and Muslims have different castes and
communities with diversified traditions of their own.
In 1901, when the first census was conducted in the erstwhile Rajaputana by the British, the first step was to identify various castes and put them in order.
In this census, the British government formed several Hindu groups and castes were identified and categorized under these groups. The Brahmins were top seeded and received the number one slot in the table. These Brahmins were mostly Dadheechs, Pareeks, Saraswats, Gujjar Gaur, Khandelwal or Khandal, Shrimalis, Pushkarnas and Gaurs.
In the second category of Hindus--Rajput, Khatri, Kirar, Dhankar, Charan, Bhat, Kayastha, Humar, Palliwals (Jains), Srimals, Sondhias and Aroras were categorized.
In the third category, the Banias figured as the upper caste. The Banias were categorized as Agarwals, Oswals, Khandelwals, Maheshwari, Vijavargiya, Mahawars, Humar, Palliwals, Srimals etc.
In the fourth category Jats, Marathas, Bishnois, Gujjars Sirvi, Patel, Mali, Anjna ( Choudhrys),Sirvis, Khati and Badhai (carpenters) were categorized.
These categories were classified on the basis of the social status of the castes and communities and all the castes that are part of the ST and SC in today's list were identified in different categories of Hindu list. The Muslims were also categorized on the basis of the caste. Castes like Mochis, Bhangis, Dhobis, Mirasis, Dhadis, Dom etc were considered Muslims. But there was nothing like an upper caste Muslim, according to the 1901 census.
Even the Christians, Jews and Parsis were identified. During the colonial time, the British government declared 250 groups including Meenas, Gujjars etc as "criminal tribes". Any groups or community that took arms against the British were branded as criminals by the British. This Act was repealed in 1952 by the Union government.
In 1931 JA Hutton, who was the commissioner of the census department of the Union government undertook the census of Ajmer and Merwara and also of the entire Rajputana region. This comprehensive census was undertaken in those time when the task of collecting and then computing the same was difficult.
BT Cole, a British Colonel, who undertook the census has come out with a publication in which he listed 93 castes. He identified Rajputs, Darogas (Golas and Rawnas) and Thakurs separately and also distinguished between Bramhins and Mahabrahmins. Jains were categorized separately and not included among the list of the Banias. The 1931 list did identify the lower castes because of their social status and put them under separate categories of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
This census was considered very comprehensive and when Shivcharan Mathur became the chief minister, the Gujjars made a demand that they should be included as Scheduled Tribes like the Meenas. Mathur ordered the officials to study the demands of the Gujjars and it was found that they had no traits of tribals and they cannot be given the status of ST.
Now there are 59 categories of SC and 12 categories of ST and the list of OBC is the longest among the reserved categories with 74 castes. All the castes that are not included in the reserved categories are general or the upper caste.
The other backward classes include the Jats who could find a berth in this class after a long struggle and today they are the strongest OBC - both educationally and economically. Gujjars, Ahirs (Yadavs, Charans, Jangid, Khatis (carpenters), Daroga, Ravna Rajput, Hazuri Wazir, Darzi (tailor) Dhakad, Raisikh, Mali, Anjna (Chowdhrys) Kalbi, Patel and Patidar among other communities now enjoy the OBC status.
In 1901, when the first census was conducted in the erstwhile Rajaputana by the British, the first step was to identify various castes and put them in order.
In this census, the British government formed several Hindu groups and castes were identified and categorized under these groups. The Brahmins were top seeded and received the number one slot in the table. These Brahmins were mostly Dadheechs, Pareeks, Saraswats, Gujjar Gaur, Khandelwal or Khandal, Shrimalis, Pushkarnas and Gaurs.
In the second category of Hindus--Rajput, Khatri, Kirar, Dhankar, Charan, Bhat, Kayastha, Humar, Palliwals (Jains), Srimals, Sondhias and Aroras were categorized.
In the third category, the Banias figured as the upper caste. The Banias were categorized as Agarwals, Oswals, Khandelwals, Maheshwari, Vijavargiya, Mahawars, Humar, Palliwals, Srimals etc.
In the fourth category Jats, Marathas, Bishnois, Gujjars Sirvi, Patel, Mali, Anjna ( Choudhrys),Sirvis, Khati and Badhai (carpenters) were categorized.
These categories were classified on the basis of the social status of the castes and communities and all the castes that are part of the ST and SC in today's list were identified in different categories of Hindu list. The Muslims were also categorized on the basis of the caste. Castes like Mochis, Bhangis, Dhobis, Mirasis, Dhadis, Dom etc were considered Muslims. But there was nothing like an upper caste Muslim, according to the 1901 census.
Even the Christians, Jews and Parsis were identified. During the colonial time, the British government declared 250 groups including Meenas, Gujjars etc as "criminal tribes". Any groups or community that took arms against the British were branded as criminals by the British. This Act was repealed in 1952 by the Union government.
In 1931 JA Hutton, who was the commissioner of the census department of the Union government undertook the census of Ajmer and Merwara and also of the entire Rajputana region. This comprehensive census was undertaken in those time when the task of collecting and then computing the same was difficult.
BT Cole, a British Colonel, who undertook the census has come out with a publication in which he listed 93 castes. He identified Rajputs, Darogas (Golas and Rawnas) and Thakurs separately and also distinguished between Bramhins and Mahabrahmins. Jains were categorized separately and not included among the list of the Banias. The 1931 list did identify the lower castes because of their social status and put them under separate categories of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
This census was considered very comprehensive and when Shivcharan Mathur became the chief minister, the Gujjars made a demand that they should be included as Scheduled Tribes like the Meenas. Mathur ordered the officials to study the demands of the Gujjars and it was found that they had no traits of tribals and they cannot be given the status of ST.
Now there are 59 categories of SC and 12 categories of ST and the list of OBC is the longest among the reserved categories with 74 castes. All the castes that are not included in the reserved categories are general or the upper caste.
The other backward classes include the Jats who could find a berth in this class after a long struggle and today they are the strongest OBC - both educationally and economically. Gujjars, Ahirs (Yadavs, Charans, Jangid, Khatis (carpenters), Daroga, Ravna Rajput, Hazuri Wazir, Darzi (tailor) Dhakad, Raisikh, Mali, Anjna (Chowdhrys) Kalbi, Patel and Patidar among other communities now enjoy the OBC status.
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