Agharia

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Not to be confused with Agaria, a caste of traditional iron-smelters.
Agharia (Caste)
ClassificationOther Backward Classes (OBC) in Chattisgarh[1] Odisha[2] and Madhya Pradesh.[3]
Kuladevta (male)Dulha Deo[citation needed]
ReligionsHinduism[4]
LanguagesLaria, Chattisgarhi and Odia[4]
Country India
Populated statesChattisgarh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh[5]
EthnicityIndo-Aryan[4][6]
Family namesPatel, Chaudhary and Nayak[7][8]
LineageChandravanshi[9]
Related groupsRajput

Agharia is a Hindu caste predominantly found in the Indian states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

According to their local oral traditions, the name of the community is derived from Agra, from where their Somvanshi Rajput ancestors migrated in the 16th century. They were given shelter by the Kalinga king and started living their lives in western parts of Odisha. They came from the Agra region of Uttar Pradesh when Adil Shah Suri was the Sultan of Delhi.[4][5][9][10]

Origin[edit]

The Agharias are said to be originated from Chandravanshi Rajputs.[9] Earlier they were known as Agarwal Rajputs, who were said to be the descendants of Vidura of Mahabharata.[10] They trace their migration from Uttar Pradesh particularly from the region of Agra.[4][11]

After coming to Odisha they approached the Maharaja of Puri who in turn introduced them to Rajas of Patna, Bamunada, Sambalpur and Sundargarh states.[11] They adopted cultivation as their occupation by the Order of the then Gajapati kings of Orissa.[4]

Clans and sub-divisions[edit]

Agharias are said to have 84 clans. Out of the total 84 clans of Agharias, 44 clans came to Odisha.[4] 60 bear the title of Patel, 18 that of Nayak, and 6 of Chaudhary.[9]

They have many subdivisions as the Bad (or superior Agharia), Chotte, Sarolia or Sawaria (Mixed Or Inferior). Among them, the Bad Agharia used to consider them superior than others. Some members of this sub-division also wear the janeu (sacred thread).[citation needed]

Dialect[edit]

Laria is the dialect of the Agharia community and varies by region, with roots in the Ardha Magadhi language.[4]

Occupation[edit]

They used to work as landlords and cultivators, the caste womens don't work on fields nor they work as laborers for other landlords or cultivators as they considered such things degrading. The caste has abandon the work of soldiers in the 16th century. Which they used to do for the Delhi Sultans. Though, Agharias belonging to Chattisgarh have often worked as soldiers for the Maratha Confederacy.[9][10]

They are the chief cultivators in Gangpur,[5] they also hold the most potential land in the region of Sundargarh and adjoining districts they are industrious farmers. Many of them are now in white collar jobs.[4]

In Gangpur Princely State, most Gountias (intermediary tenure holders responsible for rent collection) were tribals in the early 1800s but by the 1890s there was a great preference for non-tribal Gountias, from the Agharia and other local non-tribal communities.[12] At the time of each renewal, the Gaontia had to pay a lump sum amount to the chief known as Nazrana. In Sambalpur, a Gaontia could not hold more than 20% of the total cultivable land of his Gaontiari. But, in Gangpur a Gaontia could hold more than this and treated as a rich and influential person in the villages.[13] This made them rich and powerful landowners and farmers in western Odisha, borders of Odisha and in the region of Raigarh of Chattisgarh and adjoining districts.[10] The agricultural land of these regions are mostly held by these people.[7]

Tribal and inter-caste conflicts[edit]

Inter-caste conflicts[edit]

In the British Era, the Agharias were known to be quarrelsome and had a image of being land-grabbers and hard-landlords. This often led to conflicts with tenants usually belonging to Chamar and other tenant castes.[14]

Tribal conflicts[edit]

In the 19th century, Raja Raghunath Shekhar Deo realising that richer members of the Princely State of Gangpur are higher bidder, started displacing aboriginal Gountias by Agharias and other high caste people from Sambalpur an agitation started under the leadership of Madre Kalo a tribal leader which ended in the Raja giving up his attempt.[13]

Varna and social status[edit]

The Agharia community claim to originally belong to the Kshatriya Varna.[10]

In western Odisha, the caste was regarded superior than Kulta, Dumal, Gauda and Ghasi but, lower than Karan and Brahmins.[15]

Previously, they used to wear the janeu (sacred thread) but, they no longer wear it.[16]

The Agharia are non-vegetarians who take fish, meat, egg, chicken and mutton. Rice is their staple food. (as of 1997)[6][4]

Classification[edit]

Agharia are classified as OBC (Other Backward Class) in the states of Chattisgarh,[17] Odisha[18] and Madhya Pradesh.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Central List of OBCs for the State of Chattisgarh" (PDF). ncbc.nic.in. p. 6. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  2. ↑ "Central List of OBCs for the State of Orissa" (PDF). ncbc.nic.in. p. 1. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  3. ↑ "Central List of OBCs for the State of Madhya Pradesh" (PDF). ncbc.nic.in. p. 7. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Ramesh P. Mohanty; Durgesh Nandini Biswal (2007). Culture, Gender and Gender Discrimination: Caste Hindu and Tribal. Mittal Publications. pp. 36–38. ISBN 978-81-8324-199-1.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Waltraud, Ernst; Biswamoy, Pati, eds. (2007). India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism. Routledge. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1-13411-988-2.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 K.S. Singh, Anthropological Survey Of India, Ethnology, Ethnological Study The People Of Orrisa (pts. 2), 1992, 175(3).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Nair, Manjusha. "Between land and the market: farmers' mobilizations in Chhattisgarh and western Uttar Pradesh". Globalizations. 0 (0): 1–15. doi:10.1080/14747731.2022.2131287. ISSN 1474-7731.
  8. ↑ Singh, K. S. (1996). Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-0-19-563357-3.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Singh, K.S. "Language Contact , Change and Obsolescence: A Case Study of Laria". ciil-ebooks.net. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 C Pasayat Political Economy of Medieval West Orissa As Reflected in Oral Tradition - cse.iitd.ac.in
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 K.S. Singh, Anthropological Survey Of India, Ethnology, Ethnological Study The People Of Orrisa (pts. 2), 1992, 175.
  12. ↑ S Padhi, N Panigrahi - CPRC-IIPA working paper, - Tribal movement and livelyhoods: Recent developments in Orrisa . 2011 - Citesee, Section 3, 3.1.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Mahapatra, GS (2007). "Tribal Uprising in the State of Gangpur: Role of Madri Kalo as a legendary figure" (PDF). Orrisa Review.
  14. ↑ Records, Bengal (India) Department of Land; Dewar, Francis; Department, Central Provinces (India) Settlement (1908). Report of the Land Revenue Settlement of the Sambalpur District, 1906. Bengal Secretariat Book Depot.
  15. ↑ K.S. Singh, Anthropological Survey Of India, Ethnology, Ethnological Study The People Of Orrisa (pts. 2), 1992, 176.
  16. ↑ K.S. Singh, Anthropological Survey Of India, Ethnology, Ethnological Study The People Of Orrisa (pts. 2), 1992, 175 (2).
  17. ↑ "Central List of OBCs for the State of Chattisgarh" (PDF). ncbc.nic.in. p. 6. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  18. ↑ "Central List of OBCs for the State of Orissa" (PDF). ncbc.nic.in. p. 1. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  19. ↑ "Central List of OBCs for the State of Madhya Pradesh" (PDF). ncbc.nic.in. p. 7. Retrieved 5 March 2025.

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