->C1MM: Added population figures for Maharashtra

2021-04-23T04:28:29Z

Added population figures for Maharashtra

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{{short description|Tribe in India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}}
{{infobox ethnic group
| group = Kanwar
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| population = c. 947,000
| total_year = 2011 census
| popplace = {{flag|India}}
| region1 = [[Chhattisgarh]]
| pop1 = 887,477<ref>{{cite web |title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Chhattisgarh |url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/SC_ST/PCA-A11/ST-2200-PCA-A-11-ddw.xlsx |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>
| region2 = [[Maharashtra]]
| pop2 = 26,354<ref>{{cite web |title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Madhya Pradesh |url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/SC_ST/PCA-A11/ST-2300-PCA-A-11-ddw.xlsx |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>
| region3 = [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| pop3 = 18,603<ref>{{cite web |title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Madhya Pradesh |url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/SC_ST/PCA-A11/ST-2300-PCA-A-11-ddw.xlsx |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>
| region4 = [[Jharkhand]]
| pop4 = 8,145<ref>{{cite web |title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Jharkhand |url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/SC_ST/PCA-A11/ST-2000-PCA-A-11-ddw.xlsx |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>
| region5 = [[Odisha]]
| pop5 = 5,225<ref>{{cite web |title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Odisha |url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/SC_ST/PCA-A11/ST-2100-PCA-A-11-ddw.xlsx |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>
| region6 = [[Bihar]]
| pop6 = 868<ref>{{cite web |title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Bihar |url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/SC_ST/PCA-A11/ST-1000-PCA-A-11-ddw.xlsx |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=21 January 2021}}</ref>
| langs = [[Chhattisgarhi language|Chhattisgarhi]]{{*}}[[Sadri language|Sadri]]{{*}}[[Hindi]]
| rels = [[Hinduism]], [[Ethnic religion]]
| related =
}}
'''Kanwar''' or '''Kawar''' is a tribal community found in central India, mainly in the state of [[Chhattisgarh]], with significant populations in neighbouring areas of [[Maharashtra]] and [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref name="auto1">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0gwfmPFTLgC&q=kanwar+tribe&pg=PA265|title=Tribal Roots of Hinduism|isbn=9788176252997|last1=Tiwari|first1=Shiv Kumar|year=2002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://m.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/amp/chhattisgarh-tribes-1385633839-1|title=Chhattisgarh: Tribes|website=m.jagranjosh.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jharkhandculture.com/node/55|title=KANWAR|website=jharkhandculture.com}}</ref>

==History and origin==
Kanwar believe that the term ''Kanwar'' have derived from Kauravas, the ruling clan of [[Mahabharata]] and state that they are descendants of one of the [[Kaurava]]s. According to Trivedi (1971), the term Kanwar appears corruption of the Kauravas who were trusted soldiers of the [[Haihaiyavansi Kingdom|Haihaiyavanshi]] chiefs of [[Ratanpur, Chhattisgarh|Ratanpur]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2-wsjaChM_QC&q=kanwar+tribe&pg=PA245|title=Contemporary Society: Tribal Studies : Professor Satya Narayana ..., Volume 7|isbn=9788180695346|last1=Pfeffer|first1=Georg|last2=Behera|first2=Deepak Kumar|year=1997}}</ref> Hewitt (1869), considered them imperfect [[rajput|Rajputs]], who settled in early times among the hills of [[Vindhya range]]s and failed in becoming Hinduised like other war-like immigrants.<ref name="auto1"/> Kanwar speak [[Chhattisgarhi language|Chhattisgarhi]] and [[Sadri language|Sadri]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/99321/8/08_chapter%202.pdf|title=Kanwar|website=shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in}}</ref>

==Present circumstances==
They are listed as [[Scheduled Tribe]] in [[Bihar]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Maharashtra]] and [[Odisha]].<ref>{{cite web |title=State/Union Territory-wise list of Scheduled Tribes in India |url=https://tribal.nic.in/ST/LatestListofScheduledtribes.pdf |website=tribal.nic.in |access-date=24 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mp.gov.in/en/web/tribal/stlist|title=LIST OF SCHEDULED TRIBE|website=www.mp.gov.in}}</ref> They are widespread throughout Chhattisgarh excluding [[Bastar division]], [[Gondia district|Gondiya]] and [[Gadchiroli district|Gadchiroli]] districts of Maharashtra, and [[Shahdol district]] of Madhya Pradesh,

The Kanwar are landowning cultivators. As a subsidiary occupation they work as a labourer. They select a person to head the community council of several villages. He is assisted by elderly members of the community. The council looks after the social order of the community.

They worship many gods including Dulha deo, Bahan Deo, Thakur Deo, Shikar Deo and goddesses including Sagai Devi, Matin Devi, Banjari Devi etc.<ref name="auto"/>

Kanwar have eight endogamous division- Tanwar, Kamalbansi, Paikara, Dudh Kanwar, Rathia, Chanti, Cherwa and Rautia. Of these Cherwa, Rathia and Tanwar have been included in Schedule Tribe list. They are patrilineal, patriarchal and patrilocal. Kanwar have large number of exogamous totemic septs which are named after plants and animals. Some totemic septs are Baghwa (tiger), Chita (leopard), Bilwa (wild cat) , Bokar (goat), Bichhi (scorpion), Bhainsa (buffalo) and Sua (parrot). Other septs include Adila, Bhandari, Chandrama (moon), Chanwar (a whisk), Champa ([[plumeria]] flower), Chua(well), Daharia, Dhanguru, [[Dhenki]] (Pounding-lever), Darpan (a mirror), Fulbandhia, Gobra ([[dung beetle]]), Hudra (wolf), Kothi (a store-house), Khumri(A leaf- umbrella), Lodha(a wild dog), Gonga Cochar, Sanwami, Manjhi, Nahna, Samund, Kodia Dudh, Son Pakhar and Sikuta.<ref name="auto1"/>

The proposal for a match comes from the boy's father rather than the girls. After selecting a suitable bride, the groom's family sends a party to the bride's family saying the groom would like to have a cup of ''pej'' (rice-water) from them, what do they say? If the girl's family makes ''pej'', the proposal is approved. During the betrothal ceremony, when the boy’s party go to the girl’s house with a present of bangles, clothes, and fried cakes of rice and ''urad'' carried by a Kaurai Rawat. They also take ''suk'', the bride-price, along with goats to be eaten during the wedding. For the marriage they put on special dress, which is passed down for generations. The marriage is done when the bride and groom walk together 6 times around a pole in the girl's house. Afterwards the parents of the girl wash the couple's feet with milk. They then go to the groom's house and repeat the same procedure there. On the following day the couple go and bathe in a tank, where each throws five pots of water over the other. And on their return the bridegroom shoots arrows at seven straw images of deer over his wife’s shoulder, and after each shot she puts a little sugar in his mouth. This is to indicate he will support his family through hunting. On the fourth day, the bride returns to her old home to play the game of Gauri with younger girls. After 3 months of this, she goes to her husband's house.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of India]]
[[Category:Social groups of Odisha]]
[[Category:Tribes of Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:Tribes of Jharkhand]]

Kanwar (tribe) - Revision history

->C1MM: Added population figures for Maharashtra