Chamar

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This article is about the Indian caste. For the mountain in Nepal, see Chamar (mountain).


Chamar
Leather-bottle makers. - Tashrih al-aqvam (1825), f.360v - BL Add. 27255.jpg
Leather-bottle makers (Presumably members of the ‘Chamaar’ caste), Tashrih al-aqvam (1825)
Regions with significant populations
India • Pakistan
Languages
Hindi • Punjabi

Chamar is a dalit community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of positive discrimination. Historically subject to untouchability, they were traditionally outside the Hindu ritual ranking system of castes known as varna. They are found throughout the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the northern states of India and in Pakistan and Nepal.

Ramnarayan Rawat posits that the association of the Chamar community with a traditional occupation of tanning was constructed, and that the Chamars were instead historically agriculturists.[1]

The term chamar is used as a pejorative word for dalits in general.[2][3] It has been described as a casteist slur by the Supreme Court of India and the use of the term to address a person as a violation of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.[4]

Utpala dynasty[edit]

Utpala dynasty was a Kashmiri dynasty which ruled over the Kashmir region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent from 9th to 10th century CE. The kingdom was established by Avanti Varman, ending the rule of Karkota dynasty in 855 CE. According to Ain-i-Akbari the rulers of this dynasty were from Chamar Community.[5][6]

Chamar-Satnami kingdom[edit]

There was a Satnami Kingdom of Narnaul (Haryana). The Satnami sect of Hinduism was founded in 1657 in Narnaul (a town in today's Indian state of Haryana, situated about 100 km south-west of Delhi), by a saint names Birbhan. They are considered to be an offshoot of the followers of the great saint Ravidas. The name Satnami reflects the major religious activity of the sect-which is the chanting and meditation of the true name (satnam, names of God), especially the names of Rama and Krishna. Fixing the mind devotedly on divine names, the fluctuations of the consciousness are stabilised, which makes one fit to receive higher intuitive knowledge of the divine.[7][8]

Satnami Revolt 1672[edit]

The Satnami revolt occurred in the reign of the Moghul Emperor Aurungzeb. Many Hindus resented Aurungzeb’s strict Islamic policies-which included reviving the hated Islamic Jiziya tax (poll tax on non-Muslim subjects), banning music and art, and destroying Hindu temples. The revolt began in 1672 when a Moghul soldier killed a Satnami. Other Satnamis took revenge on the Moghul soldier, and in turn the Moghul soldiers went about repressing the Satnamis. The result was that about 5,000 Satnamis were up in arms. They routed the Moghul troops situated in the town, drove away the Moghul administrators and set up their own administration in its place. The uprising gained the enthusiasm of Hindus in Agra and Ajmer also. Though totally lacking in weaponry and money, the Satnamis inflicted several defeats on the Moghul forces. The contemporary Moghul chronicler, Saqi Mustaid Khan, expressed amazement as to what came over this “destitute gang of goldsmiths, carpenters, sweepers and tanners and other… artisan castes that their conceited brains became so overclouded? Rebellious pride having found a place in their brains, their heads became too heavy for their shoulders.” This also shows the thinking of Muslim intelligentsia who regard them as untouchables. Amusingly, in contrast, Hindus have greatly respected the Satnamis throughout for their beliefs like prohibition of intoxicants and meat. The resentment of the Satnami’s against the Moghul persecution meant that they even enacted revenge by destroying mosques in the area. It was only with great difficulty that any Muslim soldiers could be brought to face the Satnamis, such was the wrath of the Satnamis at the time. It was only when Aurungzeb himself took personal command and sent 10,000 troops with artillery that the Satnamis fell. They put up a brave defense. According to Saqi Mustaid Khan they believed that they were re-enacting scenes from theMahabharata war. 2,000 Satnamis were slain on the battlefield and many more were slain in pursuit. What followed was an attempt to slay every remaining member of the Satnamis, and destroy all their homes. The remnants of the Satnamis fled in all directions and for a long time were totally disorganized and leaderless..[9][10]

Militry service[edit]

Historian Stephen Cohen says: Chamars had strong caste traditions of violence and aggressiveness and were classed as a criminal caste by the British.[11] The Chamar Community has a history of military service and served Mahar Regiment, Bengal army, Sikh Light Infantry, 23rd Sikh Pioneers, 34th Royal Sikh Pioneers, 32nd Sikh Pioneers.

According to Karsten,Peter: The Chamar recruitment from the Bengal Army was substantially reduced because of their perceived primary role as "mutineers" in the 1857 rebellion. and were replaced by another untouchable caste, the Mazbhi Sikhs, a change which reflected the growing Punjabization of the Indian Army.[12]

Chamar Regiment[edit]

The 1st Chamar Regiment was an infantry regiment formed by the British during World War II. Officially, it was created on 1 March 1943, as the 27th Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment. It was converted to the 1st Battalion and later disbanded shortly after World War II ended.[13] The Regiment, with one year of service, received three Military Crosses and three Military Medals[14] It fought in the Battle of Kohima.[15] In 2011, several politicians demanded that it be revived.[16]

Dhusia[edit]

Dhusia is a caste in India, sometimes associated with Chamars, Ghusiya, Jhusia or Jatav.[17][18] They are found in Uttar Pradesh,[19] and elsewhere.

Most of the Dhusia in Punjab and Haryana migrated from Pakistan after partition of India. In Punjab, they are mainly found in Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar and Jalandhar cities. They are inspired by B. R. Ambedkar to adopt the surname Rao[20] and Jatav.

Occupations[edit]

Chamars who have adopted the weaving profession and abandoned tanning and leathercraft, identify themselves as Julaha Chamar. R. K. Pruthi suggests this is in the hope that they might in future be considered as Julaha by other communities. They believe that leatherwork is "degrading" when compared to weaving.[21]

Manusmriti assigns cattle rearing as Vaishya occupation but historical evidence shows that Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Shudras also owned and reared cattle and that cattle-wealth was mainstay of their households. Ramnarayan Rawat, a professor of History and specialising in social exclusion in the Indian subcontinent, states that 19th century British records show that Chamars, listed as untouchables, also owned land and cattle and were active agriculturalists.[22]

Culture and society[edit]

According to Dr.T.A wise and H.H.Risley, H.A. Rose and George W.Briggs: there were no priests in their religious ceremony. He further writes, the Chamars have always displayed a remarkable dislike for Brahmins and Hindu customs. Nevertheless, they observe a number of rites that are popularly believed to be of hindu origin, but which are essentially the worship of village deities for ages before the arrival of the aryans, which remained in the society for centuries and came to be known of Hindus. They eat beef, pork and chickens, all of which are impure for an average Hindu and cooks the meat of animals that die a natural death.[23][24][25]

Again, Dr.T.A. Wise and H.H.Risley, H.A. Rose and George W.Briggs: describes:The Chamars as being less tanned than the average Chandal and infinitely more fair than many Kshatriyas and Brahmins. M.A. Sherring, was greatly influenced by the Chamar caste's good looks like upper caste.

As a rule the Chamar chooses his wife locally, outside his own village group, but within his own sub-caste. Although the sub-castes are essentially endogamous groups, marriages are occasionally arranged between members of different sub-castes. For example, Dhusiyas and Kanaujiyas intermarry and Jatiyas and Kaiyans sometimes do.[26][27][28].

Remarriage of widows and divorced wives[edit]

The Chamains(Chamar women) all over Bengal wear huge elegant anklets and bracelets made of bell-metal that resemble the corresponding jewelry worn by Santal women. Chamain considers it a great attraction to have tattoos on her body, as a result of which her chest, forehead, arms and legs are distorted with splendidly shaped partterns. Chamain is generally known to be skilled in all the secrets of midwifery. The bride's father receives money for the marriage of 'his daughter', widows are allowed to remarry and divorce is permitted with the approval of the caste panchayat. Even divorced wives can remarry. The remarriage of widows is legal and the tribal council may declare the children rightful heirs. The limits for such marriages are the same as for virgins. If the widow be young, and there be a younger brother of her former husband, of suitable age, they usually marry. There are traces of the levirate, in the right of the younger brother to take the widow in marriage. There is no idea of raising seed for the dead brother. If the widow have brothers-in-law (brothers of her late husband), she must marry one of them. She may be married to the husband of an elder sister provided the latter be willing, or if the latter has died. If she is old enough to decide for herself, and if she has a child, her consent to the arrangements is taken otherwise her relatives will decide.[29][30][31].

Higher religion[edit]

Some nature-gods have their places in the Chamar's religious world, but their position is not what it was informer times. Suriya, Suraj Deota (the Sun), for example, is now nothing but a godling, or perhaps a deified hero. While the Chamar is not admitted to the shrines of this godling, still, every morning as he leaves his house he bows his head, joins his hands and calls upon the Sun as Suraj Narayan..[32]


Demographics[edit]

According to the 2001 census of India, the Chamars comprise around 14 per cent of the population in the state of Uttar Pradesh[33] and 12 percent of that in Punjab.[34]

Chamar population in India by State, 2001
State Population State Population % Notes
West Bengal[35] 999,756 1.25%
Bihar[36] 4,090,070 5%
Delhi[37] 893,384 6.45%
Chandigarh[38] 48,159 5.3%
Chhattisgarh[39] 1,659,303 8%
Gujarat[40] 1,032,128 1.7%

In Gujarat also known as Bhambi, Asodi, Chamadia, Harali, Khalpa, Mochi, Nalia, Madar, Ranigar, Ravidas, Rohidas, Rohit, Samgar.[40] Gujarat's government has made an effort to change their name from 'Chamar' to 'Rohit' and to change the name of their villages and towns from 'Chamarvas' to 'Rohitvas'.[41]

Haryana[42] 2,079,132 9.84% Known as Jatav
Himachal Pradesh[43] 414,669 6.8%
Jammu & Kashmir[44] 488,257 4.82%
Jharkhand[45] 837,333 3.1%
Madhya Pradesh[46] 837,333 9.3% Chamars are primarily concentrated in Sagar, Morena, Rewa,

Bhind and Chhatarpur districts. Chamars work in land measurement are described as Balahi.[47] Balahi have major concentration in Ujjain, Khargone and Dewas districts.

Maharashtra[48] 1,234,874 1.28%
Punjab[49] 2,800,000 11.9% The Chamar caste cluster (34.93%) consists of two castes of Chamars and Ad-dharmis. Chamar—an umbrella caste category—includes Chamars, Jatia Chamars, Rehgars, Raigars, Ramdasias, and Ravidassias.[50]
Rajasthan[51] 6,100,236 10.8% Chamars in Rajasthan can only be identified in the districts adjoining to the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The districts of Bikaner, Shriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Alwar, Bharatpur and Dhaulpur are inhabited by Chamars. In the districts of Bharatpur, Dhaulpur and parts of Alwar (adjoining to Bharatpur) they are known as Meghwal[52][page needed] Raigar (leather tanners) and Mochi (shoe makers) are other two castes related to the leather profession.[citation needed]In Bikaner region, they are known as Balai.[53]
Uttar Pradesh[54] 19,803,106 14%
Uttaranchal[55] 444,535 5%

The 2011 Census of India for Uttar Pradesh combined the Chamar, Dhusia, Jhusia, Jatava Scheduled Caste communities and returned a population of 22,496,047.[56]

Notable people[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Yadav, Bhupendra (21 February 2012). "Aspirations of Chamars in North India". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  2. ↑ Malu, Preksha (21 July 2018). "Caste-igated: How Indians use casteist slurs to dehumanise each other". Sabrang Communications. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "Twitter Calls out Netflix's 'Jamtara' for Using Casteist Slur". The Quint. 18 January 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  4. ↑ Singh, Sanjay L. (20 August 2008). "Calling an SC 'chamar' offensive, punishable, says apex court". The Economic Times. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Ain-i-Akbari Vol II". INDIAN CULTURE.
  6. ↑ Sarkar, Jadunath (1949). "Ain-i-akbari Of Abul Fazl I Allami Vol. 2 Ed. 2nd".
  7. ↑ Singh, Mahendra (2006). "Dalit's Inheritance in Hindu Religion". Gyan Publishing House.
  8. ↑ Edwardes, Stephen Meredyth; Garrett, Herbert Leonard Offley (1995). "Mughal Rule in India". Atlantic Publishers & Dist.
  9. ↑ Singh, Mahendra (2006). "Dalit's Inheritance in Hindu Religion". Gyan Publishing House.
  10. ↑ Edwardes, Stephen Meredyth; Garrett, Herbert Leonard Offley (1995). "Mughal Rule in India". Atlantic Publishers & Dist.
  11. ↑ Singh, Birinder Pal (2008). "Ex-Criminal Tribes of Punjab". Economic and Political Weekly. pp. 58–65.
  12. ↑ Karsten, Peter (31 October 2013). "Recruiting, Drafting, and Enlisting: Two Sides of the Raising of Military Forces". Routledge.
  13. ↑ Sharma1990 2020, p. 28.
  14. ↑ Gautam Sharma. Valour and Sacrifice: Famous Regiments of the Indian Army. Allied Publishers; 1990. ISBN 978-81-7023-140-0. p. 26–.
  15. ↑ "The Battle of Kohima" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "RJD man Raghuvansh calls for reviving Chamar Regiment". indianexpress.com. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  17. ↑ "Lokniti" (PDF).
  18. ↑ "The Inhabitants". sultanpur.nic.in. Archived from the original on 30 March 2009.
  19. ↑ "Social Justice" (PDF).
  20. ↑ Verma, A. K. (December 2001). "UP: BJP's Caste Card". Economic and Political Weekly. 36 (48): 4452–4455. JSTOR 4411406.
  21. ↑ Pruthi, R. K. (2004). Indian caste system. Discovery. p. 189. ISBN 9788171418473. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  22. ↑ https://www.worldcat.org/title/526083948. Retrieved 2011. {{cite web}}: |first1= missing |last1= (help); Check date values in: |access-date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. ↑ Briggs, Geo W. (March 2007). "The Religious Life of India - The Chamars". Read Books.
  24. ↑ Ibbetson, Sir Denzil (1990). "Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province". Asian Educational Services.
  25. ↑ Risley, Sir Herbert Hope (1891). "The Tribes and Castes of Bengal". Bengal Secretariat Press.
  26. ↑ Briggs, Geo W. (March 2007). "The Religious Life of India - The Chamars". Read Books.
  27. ↑ Ibbetson, Sir Denzil (1990). "Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province". Asian Educational Services.
  28. ↑ Risley, Sir Herbert Hope (1891). "The Tribes and Castes of Bengal". Bengal Secretariat Press.
  29. ↑ Briggs, Geo W. (March 2007). "The Religious Life of India - The Chamars". Read Books.
  30. ↑ Ibbetson, Sir Denzil (1990). "Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province". Asian Educational Services.
  31. ↑ Risley, Sir Herbert Hope (1891). "The Tribes and Castes of Bengal". Bengal Secretariat Press.
  32. ↑ Briggs, Geo W. (March 2007). "The Religious Life of India - The Chamars". Read Books.
  33. ↑ "Uttar Pradesh data highlights: the Scheduled Castes, Census of India 2001" (PDF).
  34. ↑ "Uttar Pradesh data highlights: the Scheduled Castes" (PDF).
  35. ↑ "West Bengal — DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES — Census of India 2001" (PDF). Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  36. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  37. ↑ "Microsoft Word - Delhi comments.doc" (PDF). Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  38. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  39. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "State and district-wise Scheduled Castes population for each caste separately, 2011 - GUJARAT".
  41. ↑ Dave, Nayan (8 October 2016). "'Rohits' to replace Chamars in Gujarat". Gandhinagar: The Pioneer.
  42. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  43. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  44. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  45. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  46. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  47. ↑ Kapoor, Subodh (21 July 2018). Indian Encyclopaedia. Cosmo Publications. ISBN 9788177552577 – via Google Books.
  48. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  49. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  50. ↑ Ram, Ronki (21 January 2017). "Internal Caste Cleavages among Dalits in Punjab". Economic & Political Weekly. 52 (3).
  51. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  52. ↑ Rawat, Shyam (2010). Studies in Social Protest. VEDAMS. ISBN 978-8131603314.
  53. ↑ Gupta, R. K.; Bakshi, S. R. (2008). Balai: Chamars in Bikaner region are known as Balai. ISBN 9788176258418.
  54. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  55. ↑ "Census table" (PDF). www.censusindia.gov.in.
  56. ↑ "A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh". Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  57. ↑ Roy, Kaushik (2016). "Indian society and the soldier: will the twain ever meet?". In Pant, Harsh V. (ed.). Handbook of Indian Defence Policy: Themes, structures and doctrines. Routledge. p. 67. ISBN 978-1138939608. Retrieved 12 July 2020. In 1970, when Babu Jagjivan Ram (himself, a chamar) became the defence minister, he attempted to raise the chamar regiment.
  58. ↑ "I will be the best PM and Mayawati is my chosen heir". Indian Express. 2 May 2003. ...I am a chamar from Punjab...
  59. ↑ "Mayawati talks of a secret successor". India Today. Indo-Asian News Service. 9 August 2008. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.

Further reading[edit]

Template:Ethnic groups, tribes and clans of the Punjab

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