https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Sahariya_%28caste%29Sahariya (caste) - Revision history2026-10-28T09:57:45ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sahariya_(caste)&diff=531814&oldid=prevStevieBavin8727: New2025-11-15T18:09:45Z<p>New</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|North Indian caste community}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}}<br />
{{for|the tribe of Madhya Pradesh|Saharia}}<br />
{{ethnic group|<br />
|group= Saharia<br />
|poptime = <br />
|popplace = India<br />
|langs = • [[Hindi language|Hindi]]<br />
|rels= • [[Hinduism]] 100%<br />
|related= • [[Panika]] • [[Parahiya]] • [[Bind (tribe)|Bind]]<br />
}}<br />
The '''Sahariya''' are a community found in the [[Bundelkhand]] region of [[North India]], which is administered by the states of [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]]. They are also known as Rawat, Banrawat, Banrakha and Soarain.<ref>People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 1231 to 1235</ref><br />
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==History and origin==<br />
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The term ''saharia'' is derived from the [[Hindi]] word ''sahra'', meaning jungle, thus Sahariya means jungle dwellers. They trace their origin from Shabri of the ''[[Ramayana]]''. Others claim descent from Baiju Bheel, a worshiper of the [[Hindu]] god [[Shiva]]. The community is divided into several exogamous [[gotra]]s, the main ones being Sanauna, Rajauria, Chandele, Rohtele, Solanki, Khareyia, Bagolia, Jecheria, Kusmorna, Chakardiya, Kurwana and Theogana.<ref>People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1232 to 1236</ref><br />
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==Present circumstances==<br />
The Sahariya are found in the Bundelkhand region, which covers parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states. This region is covered with thick and thin forest, with low rainfall, and is home to number of other tribal communities such as the [[Chero]] and [[Kol people|Kol]]. Forests are a major economic resource for the Sahariya community. Their traditional occupations are cutting wood, collecting honey, making baskets, mining and quarrying, and breaking stones. Basketry is also an important craft the community.<ref>People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1234</ref><br />
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The community has a caste council, headed by a [[patel]], and the council imposes fines and social boycotts on the offenders found guilty of committing rape, elopement and adultery.{{cn|date=February 2017}}<br />
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The Sahariya are Hindu and worship a number of local deities such as Bhavani, Gond Devta, Bundela Devta, Soorin and Bijasur.<ref>People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 1235</ref><br />
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The [[Government of Uttar Pradesh]] had classified them as a [[Scheduled Caste]] but by 2007, they were one of several groups that it had redesignated as [[Scheduled Tribes]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=State At A Glance - Uttar Pradesh |date=July 2007 |journal=Pratiyogita Darpan |volume=2 |issue=13 |page=81|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7egDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT72|last1=Darpan |first1=Pratiyogita }}</ref> As of 2017, this designation applied only in [[Lalitpur District, India|Lalitpur district]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tribal.nic.in/WriteReadData/CMS/Documents/201212010356439267578File1068.pdf |title=State wise Scheduled Tribes&nbsp;— Uttar Pradesh |publisher=Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India |accessdate=2017-02-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123041643/http://tribal.nic.in/WriteReadData/CMS/Documents/201212010356439267578File1068.pdf |archivedate=2016-11-23 }}</ref> as it also did at the time of the [[2011 Census of India]] when the Sahariya Scheduled Caste population in Uttar Pradesh was 23,644. The figure for the Rawat population at that time was 213,326.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/SC_ST/PCA-A10/SC-0900-PCA-A-10-ddw.xlsx |title= A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh |publisher=Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |accessdate=2017-02-06}}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[List of Scheduled Tribes in Uttar Pradesh]]<br />
Saharia<br />
* {{cite book |title=The Saharias |last=Naik |first=Thakorlal Bharabhai |year=1922 |publisher=SyneSine Press |lccn=88-901295 }}<br />
: Ethnological study of the Saharia tribe of Morena District, Madhya Pradesh<br />
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Joshi, Vibha 1987 'A Primitive Tribe of Madhya Pradesh: Social Organization and Religion of the Sahariya'. M.Phil Dissertation. Department of Anthropology, Delhi University. <br />
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V.J.Patel(Vibha Joshi) 1993. 35 minute ethnographic film 'The Sahariya of Madhya Pradesh' filmed in 1992-3 in Sheopur kala division (now a district), in Palpur village in Palpur-Kuno forest, and in Agra, Ameth Parond and other villages of Morena, M.P. (includes an interview of surrendered dacoit, Ramesh Singh Sikarwar) . Anthropological Survey of India.Kolkatta Also see: <br />
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Srivastava, Vinay Kumar 2016 'Speaking of Caste: Merit of the Principle of Segmentation', Sociological Bulletin.<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
{{Tribes of Uttar Pradesh}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sahariya (Caste)}}<br />
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Uttar Pradesh]]<br />
[[Category:Social groups of Madhya Pradesh]]<br />
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Uttar Pradesh]]</div>StevieBavin8727