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Last edited July 23, 2023
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Included a reliable source for verification.
 
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{{Short description|Bengali Hindu trading caste}}
 
{{Infobox caste
{{Infobox caste
| caste_name          = Gandhabanik
| caste_name          = Gandhabanik
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'''Gandhabanik''' is a [[Bengali Hindu]] trading caste, who as the caste name suggests, traditionally used to trade in perfumes, incense and spices. {{citation needed|date=December 2017}}
'''Gandhabanik''' is a [[Bengali Hindu]] trading caste, who as the caste name suggests, traditionally used to trade in perfumes, cosmetics, spices etc.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F2sKAQAAIAAJ&q=gandhabanik|title=The Eastern Anthropologist|date=1963|publisher=Ethnographic and Folk Culture Society|pages=66, 68|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DR8WAQAAIAAJ&q=gandhabanik|title=Proceedings of the Indian Science Congress|date=1973|pages=589|language=en}}</ref> They were also  engaged in agriculture.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bhowmick|first=P. K.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ShOFk8CGmwC&q=gandhabanik+|title=Occupational Mobility and Caste Structure in Bengal: Study of Rural Market|date=1969|publisher=Indian Publications|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Singh|first1=K. S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw9uAAAAMAAJ&q=gandhabanik+|title=India's Communities|last2=India|first2=Anthropological Survey of|date=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-563354-2|pages=946|language=en}}</ref> As of late nineteenth century they were one of the fourteen castes belonging to ''Nabasakh'' group.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sanyal|first=Hitesranjan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ezzuAAAAIAAJ&q=gandhabanik|title=Social Mobility in Bengal|date=1981|publisher=Papyrus|pages=115|language=en}}</ref> There is almost one hundred percent literacy among the present gandhabanik generation.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Kumar Suresh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xMw-AQAAIAAJ&q=gandhabanik|title=People of India: West Bengal (2 pts.)|date=1992|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India|isbn=978-81-7046-300-9|pages=439|language=en}}</ref>
 
It is believed that the legendary sea merchant [[Chand Sadagar]] of ancient [[Champaknagar]] was from Gandhabanik community.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sengupta |first=Saswati |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VKkPEAAAQBAJ |title=Mutating Goddesses: Bengal's Laukika Hinduism and Gender Rights |date=2020-11-30 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-099325-2 |pages=104 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhaumik |first=Sudarshana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7SX4zgEACAAJ |title=The Changing World of Caste and Hierarchy in Bengal: Depiction from the Mangalkavyas C. 1700-1931 |date=2022 |publisher=Routledge, Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-003-14618-6 |pages=241 |language=en}}</ref>
 
== Varna Status ==
Gandhabaniks have generally been considered as 'middle class shudras' in the caste structure of Bengal.<ref>{{Cite report|title=The Tribes and Castes of West Bengal|last=Mitra|first=A.|date=1953|publisher=Land and Land Revenue Department, Government of West Bengal|page=21|series=Census 1951}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sarma |first=Jyotirmoyee |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hfE_AAAAMAAJ |title=Caste Dynamics Among the Bengali Hindus |date=1980 |publisher=Firma KLM |isbn=978-0-8364-0633-7 |pages=184 |language=en}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 20:12, 23 July 2023


Gandhabanik
Kuladevi (female)Gandheswari mata
ReligionsHinduism
LanguagesBengali
Populated statesWest Bengal, Jharkhand, Tripura, Assam

Gandhabanik is a Bengali Hindu trading caste, who as the caste name suggests, traditionally used to trade in perfumes, cosmetics, spices etc.[1][2] They were also engaged in agriculture.[3][4] As of late nineteenth century they were one of the fourteen castes belonging to Nabasakh group.[5] There is almost one hundred percent literacy among the present gandhabanik generation.[6]

It is believed that the legendary sea merchant Chand Sadagar of ancient Champaknagar was from Gandhabanik community.[7][8]

Varna Status[edit | edit source]

Gandhabaniks have generally been considered as 'middle class shudras' in the caste structure of Bengal.[9][7][10]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. The Eastern Anthropologist. Ethnographic and Folk Culture Society. 1963. pp. 66, 68.
  2. Proceedings of the Indian Science Congress. 1973. p. 589.
  3. Bhowmick, P. K. (1969). Occupational Mobility and Caste Structure in Bengal: Study of Rural Market. Indian Publications.
  4. Singh, K. S.; India, Anthropological Survey of (1998). India's Communities. Oxford University Press. p. 946. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
  5. Sanyal, Hitesranjan (1981). Social Mobility in Bengal. Papyrus. p. 115.
  6. Singh, Kumar Suresh (1992). People of India: West Bengal (2 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. p. 439. ISBN 978-81-7046-300-9.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Sengupta, Saswati (2020-11-30). Mutating Goddesses: Bengal's Laukika Hinduism and Gender Rights. Oxford University Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-19-099325-2.
  8. Bhaumik, Sudarshana (2022). The Changing World of Caste and Hierarchy in Bengal: Depiction from the Mangalkavyas C. 1700-1931. Routledge, Taylor & Francis. p. 241. ISBN 978-1-003-14618-6.
  9. Mitra, A. (1953). The Tribes and Castes of West Bengal (Report). Census 1951. Land and Land Revenue Department, Government of West Bengal. p. 21.
  10. Sarma, Jyotirmoyee (1980). Caste Dynamics Among the Bengali Hindus. Firma KLM. p. 184. ISBN 978-0-8364-0633-7.