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Kanjar: Difference between revisions
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{{infobox ethnic group| | {{infobox ethnic group| | ||
|group = Kanjar | | group = Kanjar | ||
|poptime = | | poptime = | ||
|popplace = India • Pakistan | | popplace = India • Pakistan | ||
|langs = [[Kanjari language|Kanjari]] • [[Hindi language|Hindi]] • [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]] • [[Bhojpuri]] • [[Urdu language|Urdu]] • [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] | | langs = [[Kanjari language|Kanjari]] • [[Hindi language|Hindi]] • [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]] • [[Bhojpuri]] • [[Urdu language|Urdu]] • [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] | ||
|rels = [[Hinduism]] • [[Sikhism]] • Islam | | rels = [[Hinduism]] • [[Sikhism]] • Islam | ||
|related = [[Patharkat | | related = [[Patharkat]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
The | The [[Kanjari language|Kanjari]] language is spoken mostly by the Kanjari people. Kanjari is a lesser known [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo Aryan language]], but almost all also speak [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Urdu]].<ref name="Joseph C Berland' pages247">''Kanjar Social Organization by Joseph C Berland'' in The other nomads : peripatetic minorities in cross-cultural perspective / edited by Aparna Rao pages247 to 268 {{ISBN|3-412-08085-3}} Köln : Böhlau, 1987.</ref> | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
In the [[British Raj|Colonial period]], | In the [[British Raj|Colonial period]], Kanjaris were listed under the [[Criminal Tribes Act]], 1871, as a tribe "addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offenses."<ref>[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V18_373.gif Nanta Village] ''[[The Imperial Gazetteer of India]]'', 1908, v. 18, ''p. 367.''</ref> | ||
==Present circumstances== | ==Present circumstances== | ||
===India=== | ===India=== | ||
The Kanjari were [[Denotified tribes of India|denotified]] in 1952, when the Criminal Tribes Act was replaced by the [[Habitual_Offender_Laws#India|Habitual Offenders Act]], but the community carries considerable [[social stigma]], mainly due to the association of their subculture with [[sex work]] (''dhandha'') and traditions distinct from mainstream [[Indian culture]].<ref name="Cult. Health Sex.">{{cite journal |last=Dayal |first=Surbhi |date=February 2020 |title=''Kanjar'' subculture: socialisation for sex work amongst traditional entertainers in India |journal=[[Culture, Health & Sexuality|Culture, Health & Sexuality: An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care]] |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=273-283 |doi=10.1080/13691058.2019.1705397 |pmid=32031496 |eissn=1464-5351 |issn=1369-1058 |oclc=41546256 |s2cid=211047159}}</ref> Kanjaris are also known as Gihar which is not notified.{{cn|date=February 2017}} | |||
The | The Kanjari speak 4-5 languages along with their native language, called Narsi-Parsi. It consists of different sounds of animals and birds, coded words, and signs.<ref>Madan Meena: Secret Language of the Kanjar Community, Fellowship from Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research, USA</ref> | ||
The [[2011 Census of India]] for Uttar Pradesh showed the | The [[2011 Census of India]] for [[Uttar Pradesh]] showed the Kanjari with a population of 115,968.<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> | ||
===Pakistan=== | ===Pakistan=== | ||
In Pakistan, two distinct communities go by the name | In [[Pakistan]], two distinct communities go by the name Kanjari. Over the centuries they became associated with the profession of prostitution and a peripatetic community of craftsmen and entertainers, best known for the [[terracotta]] toys they manufacture and peddle. In [[Karachi]], the Urdu speaking community has large numbers of descendants of Kanjaris from Northern India. Most of them moved from [[Delhi]] and [[Lucknow]] to Karachi. The term 'Kanjar' is more generally used to refer to a [[Procuring (prostitution)|pimp]] or a person of low moral character than as a reference to the tribe.<ref>Kanjar Social Organization by Joseph C Berland in The other nomads : peripatetic minorities in cross-cultural perspective / edited by Aparna Rao pages247 to 268 {{ISBN|3-412-08085-3}} Köln : Böhlau, 1987.</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">''Taboo: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area'' by Fouzia Saeed, Oxford University Press {{ISBN|0195797965}}</ref>{{pn|date=June 2020}} | ||
====Urban areas==== | ====Urban areas==== | ||
The | The Kanjaris are sometimes associated with the [[Lahore]] neighborhood of [[Shahi Mohalla]]. This famous bazaar was inhabited and later flourished under influence of Kanjaris of Lucknow and Kanjaris of other parts of northern India. For centuries Lucknow was a hub for prostitution and affluent families would send their children to be educated in Lucknow. It was believed those women carried the roots of Urdu speaking cultures and pride. From there many moved to Heera Mandi (Shahi Mohalla) and after partition established in Karachi. In Karachi, such Urdu speaking families are well educated but their lineage is easily traceable to Kanjaris. This has been home to a large community of Kanjari for centuries. Many musicians in Pakistan have their roots in the Kanjari community. A recent study found that: "A Kanjari hears the music of [[tabla]] and [[ghungroo]] from the day of her birth and must begin her formal education before her non-Kanjari friends start going to school."<ref>''Taboo: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area'' by Fouzia Saeed, Oxford University Press, page 61</ref> | ||
====Nomads==== | ====Nomads==== | ||
Although nomadic, the | Although nomadic, the Kanjari follow a set route, and often maintain a relationship with the villages they visit. Many of the men work as agricultural labourers. Their tents are made from split bamboo or munji grass, and their encampments can be found at the edges of villages, as well as in urban areas such as [[Faisalabad]] and Lahore.<ref name="Joseph C Berland' pages247"/> | ||
==Popular culture== | ==Popular culture== | ||
They are the subject of the Hindi story ''Indrajal'' (English | They are the subject of the Hindi story ''Indrajal'' (Magic in English), by [[Jaishankar Prasad]]. | ||
In the [[Lollywood]] film ''[[Bol (film)|Bol]]'', prominent character Saqa | In the [[Lollywood]] film ''[[Bol (film)|Bol]]'', prominent character Saqa Kanjari, financially helps a fanatic [[Hakim (title)|hakim]] after the latter bribes the police to bury the case of [[Honor killing|honour killing]] of his own son. The hakim in return had to bear a daughter for Saqa Kanjar's daughter Meena. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 17:28, 22 August 2021
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India • Pakistan | |
| Languages | |
| Kanjari • Hindi • Rajasthani • Bhojpuri • Urdu • Punjabi | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism • Sikhism • Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Patharkat |
The Kanjari language is spoken mostly by the Kanjari people. Kanjari is a lesser known Indo Aryan language, but almost all also speak Punjabi and Urdu.[1]
History
In the Colonial period, Kanjaris were listed under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, as a tribe "addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offenses."[2]
Present circumstances
India
The Kanjari were denotified in 1952, when the Criminal Tribes Act was replaced by the Habitual Offenders Act, but the community carries considerable social stigma, mainly due to the association of their subculture with sex work (dhandha) and traditions distinct from mainstream Indian culture.[3] Kanjaris are also known as Gihar which is not notified.[citation needed]
The Kanjari speak 4-5 languages along with their native language, called Narsi-Parsi. It consists of different sounds of animals and birds, coded words, and signs.[4]
The 2011 Census of India for Uttar Pradesh showed the Kanjari with a population of 115,968.[5]
Pakistan
In Pakistan, two distinct communities go by the name Kanjari. Over the centuries they became associated with the profession of prostitution and a peripatetic community of craftsmen and entertainers, best known for the terracotta toys they manufacture and peddle. In Karachi, the Urdu speaking community has large numbers of descendants of Kanjaris from Northern India. Most of them moved from Delhi and Lucknow to Karachi. The term 'Kanjar' is more generally used to refer to a pimp or a person of low moral character than as a reference to the tribe.[6][7][page needed]
Urban areas
The Kanjaris are sometimes associated with the Lahore neighborhood of Shahi Mohalla. This famous bazaar was inhabited and later flourished under influence of Kanjaris of Lucknow and Kanjaris of other parts of northern India. For centuries Lucknow was a hub for prostitution and affluent families would send their children to be educated in Lucknow. It was believed those women carried the roots of Urdu speaking cultures and pride. From there many moved to Heera Mandi (Shahi Mohalla) and after partition established in Karachi. In Karachi, such Urdu speaking families are well educated but their lineage is easily traceable to Kanjaris. This has been home to a large community of Kanjari for centuries. Many musicians in Pakistan have their roots in the Kanjari community. A recent study found that: "A Kanjari hears the music of tabla and ghungroo from the day of her birth and must begin her formal education before her non-Kanjari friends start going to school."[8]
Nomads
Although nomadic, the Kanjari follow a set route, and often maintain a relationship with the villages they visit. Many of the men work as agricultural labourers. Their tents are made from split bamboo or munji grass, and their encampments can be found at the edges of villages, as well as in urban areas such as Faisalabad and Lahore.[1]
Popular culture
They are the subject of the Hindi story Indrajal (Magic in English), by Jaishankar Prasad.
In the Lollywood film Bol, prominent character Saqa Kanjari, financially helps a fanatic hakim after the latter bribes the police to bury the case of honour killing of his own son. The hakim in return had to bear a daughter for Saqa Kanjar's daughter Meena.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kanjar Social Organization by Joseph C Berland in The other nomads : peripatetic minorities in cross-cultural perspective / edited by Aparna Rao pages247 to 268 ISBN 3-412-08085-3 Köln : Böhlau, 1987.
- ↑ Nanta Village The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1908, v. 18, p. 367.
- ↑ Dayal, Surbhi (February 2020). "Kanjar subculture: socialisation for sex work amongst traditional entertainers in India". Culture, Health & Sexuality: An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care. Taylor & Francis. 23 (2): 273–283. doi:10.1080/13691058.2019.1705397. eISSN 1464-5351. ISSN 1369-1058. OCLC 41546256. PMID 32031496. S2CID 211047159.
- ↑ Madan Meena: Secret Language of the Kanjar Community, Fellowship from Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research, USA
- ↑ "A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh". Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ↑ Kanjar Social Organization by Joseph C Berland in The other nomads : peripatetic minorities in cross-cultural perspective / edited by Aparna Rao pages247 to 268 ISBN 3-412-08085-3 Köln : Böhlau, 1987.
- ↑ Taboo: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area by Fouzia Saeed, Oxford University Press ISBN 0195797965
- ↑ Taboo: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area by Fouzia Saeed, Oxford University Press, page 61
