Misplaced Pages

Banjara: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 05:12, 27 May 2019 editGreyjoy (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers78,995 editsm →Dance and Music← Previous edit Revision as of 19:19, 27 May 2019 edit undoMRRaja001 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Page movers, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers21,087 edits →History: Reverted back to GreyjoyTags: Mobile edit Mobile web editNext edit →
Line 18: Line 18:


==History== ==History==
The origin of the Banjaras has been a much-debated topic. Banjaras are said to originate from the ] region of ].<ref name="Vaditya-2018" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Burman|first=J. J. Roy |date=2010 |title=Ethnography of a Denotified Tribe: The Laman Banjara |publisher=Mittal Publications|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-8-18324-345-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ai57G7ei0tIC&lpg=PA15 |page=15}}</ref> The origin of the Banjaras has been a much-debated topic. Banjaras are said to originate from the ] region of ].<ref name="Vaditya-2018" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Burman|first=J. J. Roy |date=2010 |title=Ethnography of a Denotified Tribe: The Laman Banjara |publisher=Mittal Publications|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-8-18324-345-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ai57G7ei0tIC&lpg=PA15 |page=15}}</ref> but the 1891 Census report for Marwar designated Banjaras as professional thieves.<ref>{{cite book|title=Rajasthan, the living traditions|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=KTZuAAAAMAAJ|author=Prakash|publisher=Prakash Book Depot|year=1999|page=148}}</ref>
===Human sacrifice===
Lambadis were reported to indulge in ].{{sfnp|Deogaonkar|Deogaonkar|1992|p=51|ps=}}
"In former times the Lambadis, before setting out on a journey, used to procure a little child and bury it in the ground up to the shoulders, and then drive their loaded bullock's over the unfortunate victim. In proportion to the bullock's thoroughly trampling the child to death, their belief in a successful journey increased".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume 2|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=kj5NAAAAYAAJ|author=Robert Vane Russell|publisher=Cosmo Publications|year=1975|page=181}}</ref>
<blockquote>
The Lambadis are accused of the still more atrocious crime of offering up human sacrifice. When they wish to perform this horrible act, it is said, they secretly carry off the first person they meet. Having conducted the victim to some lonely spot, and dig a hole in which they burry him up to the neck. While he's still alive they'll make a lamp of dough made of flour, which they place on his head; them the men and women join hands and forming a circle dance round their victim, singing and making a great noise until he expires.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=4zMY2qURR-8C&pg=PA70|page=70|author=Abbe J.A. Dubois|publisher=Cosimo, Inc.|accessdate=1 April 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=zseCqGFRpyQC&pg=PA182|title=The Mysore|author=Venkatesa Iyengar|publisher=Mittal Publications|page=182}}</ref>
</blockquote>
===Theft and decoity===
Lambadis were also notorious for committing ], ] on roadside, cattle lifting, theft of grain or property decoity. The women also used to take a lead role in decoities. The Naik or the headman of the gang had an active role in the commission of crime. In the event of gang or some of them being convicted, the other members of the gang had to take care of the families of the convicted.<ref>{{cite book|title=Tribal Ethnography, Customary Law, and Change|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=X4bW-_jEvXoC&pg=PA253|author=K. S. Singh|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|year=1993|page=253}}</ref>
In 19th century the ] brought the community under the purview of ] and were forced to give up their traditional occupations.<ref>{{cite book|title=Status of Banjara Women in India: (a Study of Karnataka)|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=nlFuAAAAMAAJ|author=N. Shantha Mohan|publisher=Uppal Publishing House|year=1988|page=4}}</ref> This led to some of them settling down as ]s near mountains and hilly regions, while others were driven into the ]s.<ref name="Shashi" />


According to some sources Lambadis engaged in the trade of salt, grain and other commodities in remote villages. Because of the fact that they were nomadic tribes they used to cover great distances to places most in need of their merchandise.<ref>{{cite book|title=Census of India, 1961, Volume 9, Issue 12|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=8-kcAQAAMAAJ|publisher=Office of the Registrar General Manager of Publications|year=1974|page=2}}</ref> According to some sources Lambadis engaged in the trade of salt, grain and other commodities in remote villages. Because of the fact that they were nomadic tribes they used to cover great distances to places most in need of their merchandise.<ref>{{cite book|title=Census of India, 1961, Volume 9, Issue 12|url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=8-kcAQAAMAAJ|publisher=Office of the Registrar General Manager of Publications|year=1974|page=2}}</ref>

Revision as of 19:19, 27 May 2019

Not to be confused with Banjar people. For the 2018 film, see Banjara (film).

Ethnic group
Banjara
Languages
Lambadi
Religion
Hindusim
Related ethnic groups
Indo-Aryan peoples

The Banjara (also called Lamans, Lambadi, Lambhani, Lambani and Gormati) are a community usually described as nomadic people with origins in Rajasthan. They spread gradually into Kashmir, Bengal, Karnataka and Gujarat, and are now found all over India.

Etymology

The word Banjara is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word vana chara (wanderers in jungle). The word 'Lambani' or 'Lamani' is derived from the Sanskrit word lavana (salt), which was the principal product they transported across the country.

History

The origin of the Banjaras has been a much-debated topic. Banjaras are said to originate from the Marwar region of Rajasthan. but the 1891 Census report for Marwar designated Banjaras as professional thieves.

Human sacrifice

Lambadis were reported to indulge in human sacrifice.

"In former times the Lambadis, before setting out on a journey, used to procure a little child and bury it in the ground up to the shoulders, and then drive their loaded bullock's over the unfortunate victim. In proportion to the bullock's thoroughly trampling the child to death, their belief in a successful journey increased".

The Lambadis are accused of the still more atrocious crime of offering up human sacrifice. When they wish to perform this horrible act, it is said, they secretly carry off the first person they meet. Having conducted the victim to some lonely spot, and dig a hole in which they burry him up to the neck. While he's still alive they'll make a lamp of dough made of flour, which they place on his head; them the men and women join hands and forming a circle dance round their victim, singing and making a great noise until he expires.

Theft and decoity

Lambadis were also notorious for committing crimes, robbery on roadside, cattle lifting, theft of grain or property decoity. The women also used to take a lead role in decoities. The Naik or the headman of the gang had an active role in the commission of crime. In the event of gang or some of them being convicted, the other members of the gang had to take care of the families of the convicted.

In 19th century the British colonial authorities brought the community under the purview of Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 and were forced to give up their traditional occupations. This led to some of them settling down as farmers near mountains and hilly regions, while others were driven into the forests.

According to some sources Lambadis engaged in the trade of salt, grain and other commodities in remote villages. Because of the fact that they were nomadic tribes they used to cover great distances to places most in need of their merchandise.

In 19th century the British colonial authorities brought the community under the purview of Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 which forced them to give up their traditional occupation of trading. This led to some of them settling down as farmers near mountains and hilly regions, while others were driven into the forests.

Culture

Language

A large clock tower and other buildings line a great river.
Traditional Banjara dress consisting of kanchali (blouse) and phetiya (skirt)

Banjaras speak Gor Boli; also called Lambadi, it belongs to the Indo-Aryan group of languages. As Lambadi has no script, it is either written in Devnagri script or in the script of the local language such as Telugu or Kannada. Most Banjaras today are bilingual or multilingual, adopting the predominant language of their surroundings.

Art

Banjara art is rich and includes performance arts such as dance and music as well as folk and plastic arts such as rangoli, textile embroidery, tattooing and painting. Banjara embroidery and tattooing are especially prized and also form a significant aspect of the Banjara identity. Lambani women specialize in lepo embroidery, which involves stitching pieces of mirror, decorative beads and coins onto clothes. Sandur Lambani embroidery is a type of textile embroidery unique to the tribe in Sanduru, Bellary district, Karnataka. It has obtained a GI tag.

Festivals

Banjara people celebrate the festival of Teej during Shravana (the month of August). In this festival young unmarried Banjara girls pray for a good groom. They sow seeds in bamboo bowls and water it three times a day for nine days and if the sprouts grow "thick and high" it is considered a good omen. During Teej the seedling-baskets are kept in the middle and girls sing and dance around them.

Dance and music

Fire dance and Chari dance are the traditional dance forms of the Banjaras. Banjaras have a sister community of singers known as Dadhis or Gajugonia They are Muslim Banjaras who traditionally traveled from village to village singing songs to the accompaniment of sarangi.

Religion

The majority of the Banjara people profess Hinduism. They also worship gods like Balaji, Jagadamba Devi, Bhavani of Tuljapur, Renuka Mata of Mahur, Mahadev, Khandoba and Hanuman. They also hold Guru Nanak in great respect.

Sevalal or Sevabhaya is the most important saint of the Banjaras. According to their accounts, he was born on 15 February 1739 in Sevaghad,Anantapur district in the state of Andhra Pradesh to Bhima Naik and Dharmini Bai, and died on 4 December 1806. A cattle merchant by profession he is said to have been a man of exemplary truthfulness, a great musician, a courageous warrior, a rationalist who fought against superstition and a devotee of the goddess Jagadamba. The colonial British administrators also quote his stories but they place him in the 19th century and identify his original name as Siva Rathor.

Society

Status

The Banjara or Lambadi are considered to be a Shudra community in the traditional Hindu ritual ranking system known as varna.

Distribution

Banjaras can be found all over India. 1.1 million Banjaras were recorded in Karnataka in 2012.

Classification

As of 2008, the Banjara community has been listed as a Scheduled Tribe in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. They were designated as an Other Backward Class in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and as a Scheduled Caste in Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab.

See also

References

Citations

  1. Bagchee, Aruna (1982). Seasonal Migration of the Lamans a Study in the Sociology of Migration. University of Poona.
  2. ^ Shashi, Shyam Singh (2006). The World of Nomads. New Delhi: Lotus Press. p. 143. ISBN 81-8382-051-4.
  3. ^ Vaditya, Venkatesh (2018). "Cultural Changes And Marginalisation Of Lambada Community In Telangana, India". Indian Journal Of Dalit And Tribal Studies And Action. 2 (3): 55–80. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  4. Naik (2000), p. 4
  5. Halbar (1986), p. 14
  6. Burman, J. J. Roy (2010). Ethnography of a Denotified Tribe: The Laman Banjara. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 15. ISBN 978-8-18324-345-2.
  7. Prakash (1999). Rajasthan, the living traditions. Prakash Book Depot. p. 148.
  8. Deogaonkar & Deogaonkar (1992), p. 51
  9. Robert Vane Russell (1975). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume 2. Cosmo Publications. p. 181.
  10. Abbe J.A. Dubois. Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies. Cosimo, Inc. p. 70. Retrieved 1 April 2007.
  11. Venkatesa Iyengar. The Mysore. Mittal Publications. p. 182.
  12. K. S. Singh (1993). Tribal Ethnography, Customary Law, and Change. Concept Publishing Company. p. 253.
  13. N. Shantha Mohan (1988). Status of Banjara Women in India: (a Study of Karnataka). Uppal Publishing House. p. 4.
  14. Census of India, 1961, Volume 9, Issue 12. Office of the Registrar General Manager of Publications. 1974. p. 2.
  15. N. Shantha Mohan (1988). Status of Banjara Women in India: (a Study of Karnataka). Uppal Publishing House. p. 4.
  16. Bhukya (2010), p. 233
  17. Halbar (1986), p. 20
  18. Naik (2000), p. 132
  19. Naik (2000), pp. 26–27
  20. "Sandur Lambani embroidery gets GI tag". The Hindu. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Banjara tribe refuses to snap ties with its culture". The Hindu. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  22. Naik (2000), p. 70
  23. Naik (2000), p. 50
  24. Deogaonkar & Deogaonkar (1992), p. 42
  25. Naik, Lalitha (2009). Banjara Hejjegurutugalu. Bangalore: Karnataka Rajya Patragara Ilakhe. pp. 42–84. ISBN 978-8190843812.
  26. Bhukya (2010), p. 209
  27. Journal of Morphology and Anthropology , Volumes 72-73. E. Schweizerbart'sche. 1981. p. 328.
  28. "'Adivasis facing threat from Banjaras'". The Hindu. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  29. Gowda, Aravind (27 February 2012). "Truly the forgotten people of Karnataka". India Today. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  30. "Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities" (PDF). National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes. 30 June 2008. p. 50. Retrieved 12 October 2018.

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Satya, Laxman D. (July 1997). "Colonial Sedentarization and Subjugation: The Case of Banjaras of Berar, 1850-1900". The Journal of Peasant Studies, 24:4. pp. 314–336.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  • Habib, Irfan (1990). "Merchant Communities in Precolonial India". The Rise of Merchant Empires: Long-Distance Trade in the Early Modern World, 1350-1750. Cambridge University Press. pp. 371–99.
Categories: