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| ==Varna status== | ==Varna status== | ||
| Bhandaris traditionally belong to the Kshatriya varna. |
Bhandaris traditionally belong to the Kshatriya varna. Bhandari’s claim that they were originally ] traders from ] who converted to Jainism. They also cite the practice of ] and ] amongst Konkan and Goa Bhandaris as representative of original Kshatriyas.<ref name="Seshan"/> Tukaram Padaval, who belonged to Bhandari caste and a close associate of ], said that the claim to Kshatriya status was common among many upper and lower castes but there was no certainty at all as to who among them are the original Kshatriyas. | ||
| Bhandaris are included in the list of ] (OBCs) in Goa. This provides them with certain rights under India's scheme of ], such as reservation of positions in government employment and admission to professional colleges. |
Bhandaris are included in the list of ] (OBCs) in Goa. This provides them with certain rights under India's scheme of ], such as reservation of positions in government employment and admission to professional colleges. They are also classified as OBCs in Maharashtra.<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Castes in Other Backward Class of Maharashtra|url=http://www.msobcfdc.gov.in/htmldocs/Caste.htm|work=Maharashtra State OBC Finance and Development Corporation|access-date=1 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922053222/http://www.msobcfdc.gov.in/htmldocs/Caste.htm|archive-date=22 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| *] | *] | ||
Revision as of 03:09, 4 May 2021
For other uses, see Bhandari (disambiguation). Ethnic group
 Bhandari men in western India (c. 1855-1862) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Primary populations in: | |
| Languages | |
| Marathi and various dialects of Konkani | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Konkani people |
The Bhandari community is a caste that inhabits the western coast of India. Their traditional occupation was "toddy tapping". They form the largest caste group in the state of Goa, reportedly being over 30% of that state's Hindu population, and play a major role in deciding the future of any political party there.
History
Although the word "Bhandari" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Mandharale", which means "distiller", Bhandaris prefer derivation from Bhandar, which means treasury, because they used to be treasury guards in the past.
Traditionally their occupation was drawing toddy from palm plants. Historical evidence suggests that they were foot soldiers in the Maratha Empire and British Indian Army. The famous "Hetkaris" in the army of Shivaji were Bhandaris. Bhandaris are divided into various sub-castes such as Kitte, Hetkari, Thale and Gavad. During British Raj, Bhandaris lacked unity among various sub-castes and the differences within these sub-jatis hindered the community progress. The leaders of these sub-castes established their independent caste associations. They were traditionally active in teaching and learning, and were involved in setting up schools for all castes either in temples or outside someone's house. Some Bhandari authors say that the community should not blame brahmins for lack of their education during British Raj. Although there were brahminical restrictions during the Peshwa period, the same was not true during British Raj. They stressed that the community instead should emulate Brahmins and acquire education so that no one would be able to set them aside.
Varna status
Bhandaris traditionally belong to the Kshatriya varna. Bhandari’s claim that they were originally Kshatriya traders from Rajputana who converted to Jainism. They also cite the practice of Sati and Jauhar amongst Konkan and Goa Bhandaris as representative of original Kshatriyas. Tukaram Padaval, who belonged to Bhandari caste and a close associate of Jyotiba Phule, said that the claim to Kshatriya status was common among many upper and lower castes but there was no certainty at all as to who among them are the original Kshatriyas.
Bhandaris are included in the list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Goa. This provides them with certain rights under India's scheme of affirmative action, such as reservation of positions in government employment and admission to professional colleges. They are also classified as OBCs in Maharashtra.
See also
References
- "Treasurers of yore, now key to political fortune". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- Scott C. Martin (16 December 2014). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol: Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives. SAGE Publications. pp. 1384–. ISBN 978-1-4833-3108-9.
- ^ Seshan, Radhika; Kumbhojkar, Shraddha (2018). Re-searching Transitions in Indian History. Taylor & Francis. pp. 154–157.
- "List of Castes in Other Backward Class of Maharashtra". Maharashtra State OBC Finance and Development Corporation. Archived from the original on 22 September 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
Further reading
- Rege, Sharmila (2006). Writing Caste, Writing Gender: Reading Dalit Women's Testimonies. Zubaan. ISBN 978-8-18901-301-1.
| Ethnic groups, social groups and tribes of Goa and the Konkan region | |
|---|---|
| Maratha and associated groups | |
| Saraswats | |
| Karhades | |
| Konkanasthas | |
| Daivadnya | |
| Vaishya | |
| Prabhus | |
| Others | |
| Roman Catholics | |
| Islam | |
| Related articles | |