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{{Short description|Community in Rajasthan and Gujarat}} | {{Short description|Community in Rajasthan and Gujarat}} | ||
'''Rawal''' | '''Rawal''' is an Indian community from [[Rajasthan]] and [[Gujarat]]. They are known as [[Priest|priests]] of [[devi]] temples and perform a form of dance known as Rammat during the worship. They were well respected and patronised by the [[Charan]]s.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kothiyal|first=Tanuja|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IQS-DAAAQBAJ|title=Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert|date=2016-03-14|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-316-67389-8|language=en|quote=Another client caste of the Charans were the Bhands, who sang and danced for the Charans on festive occasions. Their particular form of dance is still popular and called rammat.}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Mathur|first=Madan Mohan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjVNAQAAIAAJ|title=Kuchamaṇi Khyal: An Endangered Folk Theatre Style of Rajasthan|date=2006|publisher=Madan Mohan Mathur|language=en|quote=Rawals are the caste genealogists of the Charans . They claim to have been converted from the Brahmins in about 1195 A.D.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Qanungo|first1=Kalika Ranjan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F149AAAAMAAJ|title=Studies in Rajput History|last2=Kānūnago|first2=Kālikā Rañjana|date=1960|publisher=S. Chand|language=en|quote=There are seven categories of persons and communities, who in their turn have a hereditary claim on the Charan’s bounty, and are not allowed to beg of any other community. Besides their kula-guru family of Brahmans living in Ujjain till today, and the purohit (family priest), these are: the Rao Bhat of Chandisa sept of Marwar (who are the Bhats of the Charans as of the Rathors of Marwar); the Rawal Brahmans, the Goind-pota and the Viram-pota (Bhats singing with dhol?) and the Motisar community}}</ref> | ||
== Origin == | == Origin == | ||
Rawals claim to be converted from [[Brahmin]]s around the 12th century.<ref name=":0" /> | The Rawals claim to be converted from [[Brahmin]]s around the 12th century.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
{{when|date=February 2022}} Rawals would wander from village to village to present night-long Rammat performances in the temples.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last1=Rajasthan|first1=India Superintendent of Census Operations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SStXAAAAMAAJ|title=Ethnographic Atlas of Rajasthan: With Reference to Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes|last2=Mathur|first2=U. B.|date=1969|publisher=Manager of Publications|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Vidyarthi|first1=Lalita Prasad|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CaIiAAAAMAAJ|title=Applied Anthropology and Development in India|last2=Sahay|first2=B. N.|date=1980|publisher=National|language=en|quote=The Rawals provide entertainment particularly for the people of Charan caste by arranging night long shows.}}</ref> | |||
== Rammat of Rawal == | == Rammat of Rawal == | ||
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== Genealogists == | == Genealogists == | ||
Rawals are one of the [[caste]]s who | Rawals are one of the [[caste]]s who acted as [[Genealogy|genealogists]] for the [[Charan]]s.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Jansen|first1=Jan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UJEyHSUy8GMC|title=Epic Adventures: Heroic Narrative in the Oral Performance Traditions of Four Continents|last2=Maier|first2=Hendrik M. J.|date=2004|publisher=LIT Verlag Münster|isbn=978-3-8258-6758-4|language=en}}</ref> | ||
== Modern occupations == | == Modern occupations == | ||
Latest revision as of 11:44, 31 December 2025
Rawal is an Indian community from Rajasthan and Gujarat. They are known as priests of devi temples and perform a form of dance known as Rammat during the worship. They were well respected and patronised by the Charans.[1][2][3]
Origin[edit | edit source]
The Rawals claim to be converted from Brahmins around the 12th century.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
[when?] Rawals would wander from village to village to present night-long Rammat performances in the temples.[4][5]
Rammat of Rawal[edit | edit source]
Rawals are known for their performances called Rammat, which are devotional in nature dedicated to their patron goddess. It begins with a prayer to the goddess after which the performing arena is marked with a sword. This Rammat tradition is thought to be ‘almost extinct’ in modern times.[2]
Mahendra Bhanawat in the study of folk theatre traditions of Rajasthan, states about the origin of Ramat:[6]
“Rawals of Rajasthan who visit their distinguished clients (Charan Yajamans) for gifts (virats) would impersonate in various disguises (Swangs) and perform various acts of entertainments-called Ramats. I was told on enquiry that the Rawals, in earlier times, would impersonate the goddesses they worshipped during Navaratras and would sing devotional songs (Charjayen) to the accompaniment of mridanga, taal and rawaj etc. With the passage of time, they started playing kheras in front of Charans also and presented different impersonations(swangs). For a Khera performance, a boy would dress up like the goddess and another boy in his female garb would present various Charjas throughout the night laced with songs, dance and drums. These devotional performances came to be known as Ramats.”[6][7]
Genealogists[edit | edit source]
Rawals are one of the castes who acted as genealogists for the Charans.[2][8]
Modern occupations[edit | edit source]
Presently, Rawals are mainly engaged in cultivation and in the weaving of coarse cotton cloth and tapes.[4]
Population[edit | edit source]
According to the 1961 Census, the Rawal population in Rajasthan was approximately 4,500.[4]
Further reading[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Kothiyal, Tanuja (2016-03-14). Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-316-67389-8.
Another client caste of the Charans were the Bhands, who sang and danced for the Charans on festive occasions. Their particular form of dance is still popular and called rammat.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Mathur, Madan Mohan (2006). Kuchamaṇi Khyal: An Endangered Folk Theatre Style of Rajasthan. Madan Mohan Mathur.
Rawals are the caste genealogists of the Charans . They claim to have been converted from the Brahmins in about 1195 A.D.
- ↑ Qanungo, Kalika Ranjan; Kānūnago, Kālikā Rañjana (1960). Studies in Rajput History. S. Chand.
There are seven categories of persons and communities, who in their turn have a hereditary claim on the Charan's bounty, and are not allowed to beg of any other community. Besides their kula-guru family of Brahmans living in Ujjain till today, and the purohit (family priest), these are: the Rao Bhat of Chandisa sept of Marwar (who are the Bhats of the Charans as of the Rathors of Marwar); the Rawal Brahmans, the Goind-pota and the Viram-pota (Bhats singing with dhol?) and the Motisar community
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Rajasthan, India Superintendent of Census Operations; Mathur, U. B. (1969). Ethnographic Atlas of Rajasthan: With Reference to Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes. Manager of Publications.
- ↑ Vidyarthi, Lalita Prasad; Sahay, B. N. (1980). Applied Anthropology and Development in India. National.
The Rawals provide entertainment particularly for the people of Charan caste by arranging night long shows.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bhanawat, Mahendra (1979). Overview of the folk theatre of Rajasthan. Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
- ↑ Sangeet Natak. Sangeet Natak Akademi. 1979. p. 26.
- ↑ Jansen, Jan; Maier, Hendrik M. J. (2004). Epic Adventures: Heroic Narrative in the Oral Performance Traditions of Four Continents. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 978-3-8258-6758-4.