Meghwal

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Megh / Meghwal / Meghraj
Megh girls-3.jpg
A group of Megh girls in Jammu, India
Regions with significant populations
• India • Pakistan
Religion
•Hinduism

The Meghwal (also known as Megh and Meghraj) people live primarily in northwest India, with a small population in Pakistan.[1] Their traditional occupation was agricultural farming, cattle-herding and weaving. Meghwals are known for their contribution to embroidery and the textile industry. Most are Hindu by religion, with Rishi Megh, Kabir, Ram Devji and Bankar Mataji their chief gods.[2]

Synonyms[edit]

The Meghwal community is known by various names, depending on location. Examples include Balai, Menghwar.[3]

Origins[edit]

They claim to have descended from Rishi Megh,[4] a saint who had the power to bring rain from the clouds through his prayer.[5] The word Meghwar is derived from the Sanskrit words megh, meaning clouds and rain, and war (Hindi: वार), meaning a group, son and child. (Sanskrit: वार:)[6][7] Literally, then, the words Meghwal and Meghwar connote a people who belong to Megh lineage.[8]

However, it is theorized that at the time of Muslim invasion of India, many people of high castes including Rajputs, Charans, Brahmins, and Jats joined or were recruited in the Bhambhi caste. Due to this, there came 5 main divisions in the community:[3][9][10][11][12]

i) The Adu or unmixed Bhambis,

(ii) The Maru Bhambis comprising Rajputs,

(iii) The Charaniya Bhambis including Charans,

(iv) The Bamnia Bhambis comprising Paliwal Brahmins, and

(v) The Jata Bhambis including Jats.

Some Meghwals are associated with other social groups. Shyam Lal Rawat refers to the Meghwals of Rajasthan as "one of the dominating backward castes ...",[13] a connection also made by Debashis Debnath.[14] The Balali and Bunkar communities have also begun using the Meghwal name.[15]

Culture[edit]

There exists cultural differences among these sub-caste groups of Meghwal. For example: the Meghwal like Jata Bhambis, Bamnia Bhambis and Charania Bhambis in Rajasthan do not inter marry within other sub-castes. These sub-groups being more conscious about their previous identities maintain their old customs and traditions.[11][10][12]

Furthermore, there were also considerable diversity in dressing habits between different Chamar sub-groups. In 1891, when Hardyal Singh wrote about the Bhambi, Regar, Meghwal and Chamar castes of Marwar states, he observed:[3][10][12]

"The first two divisions (The Adu or unmixed Bhambis and the Maru Bhambis) are very closely connected and inter-marry, while the last two divisions only marry in their own communities respectively. The Bhambis are not allowed to wear gold and silver ornaments, but an exception is made in the case of head village Bhambi and his wife. There is striking popularity in the dress of men, but the Maru Bhambi women generally wear Ghagra or petticoat of country chintz, while the Jata Bhambis dress themselves like the Jat women and are distinguished from the use of lac churas instead of ivory ones. The women of the Charnia Bhambis wear a dress of yellow colour like the Charan women."

Geographical distribution[edit]

The Meghwal are found in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.[citation needed] The Meghs, Kabir Panthi or Bhagat are from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir[16] and are known as Megh, Arya Megh and Bhagat. In some places they are known as Ganeshia, Meghbansi, Mihagh, Rakhesar, Rakhia, Rikhia, Rishia and other names. Some of the Mahashas also claim to be belonging to Meghs.[17][need quotation to verify] After Partition of India in 1947, the Meghs who had become converts to the Hinduism, had to migrate to Indian territory.[18][need quotation to verify]

As of 1991, the population of Meghs in Punjab (India) was estimated at 105,157.[19]

Meghwals of Kutch-Gujarat[edit]

In Kutch, Meghwals are divided into 4 entities depending on their origin or their time period of arrival:[20][21]

  1. Maheshvari,
  2. Charania,
  3. Marmara, and
  4. Gujar

Meghwal of Madhya Pradesh[edit]

Meghwal of Madhya Pradesh are largely concentrated in Khargone district. They are known by various names such as Ganeshia, Rikhia, and Risha. They are divided into four subdivisions, namely Maheswari or Kachhi, Charania, Gujra, and Marwada.[21]

Lifestyle[edit]

In the countryside of Rajasthan, many of the people of this community still reside in small hamlets of round, mud-brick huts painted on the outside with colourful geometric designs and decorated with detailed mirror inlays.[citation needed] In earlier days the main occupation of the Meghwal community was agricultural labour, weaving, specially Khadi and woodcarving, and these are still the main occupations. The women are famous for their embroidery work and are master wool and cotton weavers.[22][23]

Increasing numbers of the Meghwal today are educated and are obtaining government jobs. In Punjab, especially in the cities like Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana a good number of them is engaged as workers in factories producing sports, hosiery, surgical and metal goods. Very few of them have their own business or a small scale industry. Tiny business and service units are their main support for livelihood.[24]

Their staple diet includes rice, wheat and maize, and pulses such as moong, urad and channa. They are vegetarian but eat egg.

Marriages are arranged through negotiation between the families before puberty. After marriage, the wife moves to the husband's house, except for the period of childbirth.

Arts[edit]

The Meghwal women in Rajasthan are renowned for their exuberantly detailed costumes and jewellery. Married women are often spotted wearing gold nose ring, earrings and neckpieces. They were given to the bride as a "bride wealth" dowry by her soon-to-be husband's mother. Nose rings and earrings are often decorated with precious stones of ruby, sapphire and emerald. The Meghwal women's embroidery is avidly sought after. Their work is distinguished by their primary use of red, which comes from a local pigment produced from crushed insects. The Meghwal women artisans of Thar desert in Sindh and Balochistan, and in Gujarat are considered master of the traditional embroidery and Ralli making. Exotic hand-embroidered items form part of dowry of Meghwal woman.[25]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Meghwal Community, Rajasthan".
  2. ↑ Khan, Dominique-Sila (April 1996). "The Kāmaḍ of Rajasthan — Priests of a Forgotten Tradition". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 6 (1): 29–56. doi:10.1017/S1356186300014759. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Pathak, Bindeshwar (1998). Continuity and Change in Indian Society: Essays in Memory of Late Prof. Narmadeshwar Prasad. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-7022-726-7.
  4. ↑ "Regional Briefs, Punjab, Abohar". Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  5. ↑ D. K. Samanta; S. K. Mandal; N. N. Vyas; Anthropological survey of India (1998). Rajasthan, Part 2, Volume 38 of "People of India". Popular Prakashan. pp. 629–632. ISBN 81-7154-769-9.
  6. ↑ Alok Kumar Rastogi & Shri Sharan. Supreme Sanskrit-Hindi Kosh. Kalra Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Delhi.
  7. ↑ "The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary". Retrieved 9 September 2009.[permanent dead link]
  8. ↑ "English Hindi Dictionary: Cloud". Shabdkosh.com. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  9. ↑ Choudhry, P. S. (1968). Rajasthan Between the Two World Wars, 1919-1939. Sri Ram Mehra.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Shyamlal (1997). From Higher Caste to Lower Caste: The Processes of Asprashyeekaran and the Myth of Sanskritization. Rawat Publications.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Commissioner, India Census (22 February 2018). Census of India, 1901, Volume 25, Parts 1-2. Creative Media Partners, LLC. ISBN 978-1-378-47136-4.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Channa, Subhadra Mitra; Mencher, Joan P. (30 May 2013). Life as a Dalit: Views from the Bottom on Caste in India. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 978-81-321-1777-3.
  13. ↑ Rawat, Shyam Lal (2010). Studies in Social Protest. pp. xiv, 356. ISBN 978-8131603314.
  14. ↑ Debnath, Debashis (June 1995). "Hierarchies Within Hierarchy: Some Observations on Caste System in Rajasthan". Indian Anthropologist. 25 (1): 23–30. JSTOR 41919761.
  15. ↑ Dalit Women in Rajasthan: Status of Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (PDF).
  16. ↑ Census India - Govt. of India
  17. ↑ Mark Juergensmeyer. (1988). Religious Rebels in The Punjab: The Social Vision of Untouchables. Ajanta Publications, Delhi. p. 214. ISBN 81-202-0208-2.
  18. ↑ Mark Juergensmeyer. (1988). Religious Rebels in The Punjab: The Social Vision of Untouchables. Ajanta Publications, Delhi. p. 225. ISBN 81-202-0208-2.
  19. ↑ "Dalits – On the Margins of Development" (PDF). Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  20. ↑ Demski, Dagnoslaw (2006). Questions of inequality and collective experience: Hinduism from several inner perspectives. Archaeologia Polona. p. 217. Meghwal is the name of clusters of Chamars widely populating North India and divided intomany subgroups. Under the name of Meghwal they live in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Sind. In Kutch,they are divided into smaller entities – the Marvada,Maheshvari, Gujara and Charania, each of them coming from a different part of the neighbouring states and originating in different periods (Peopleof Gujarat 2003: 279)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Singh, K. S. (1992). People of India: The scheduled castes. Anthropological Survey of India. p. 942.
  22. ↑ "Weaving a common destiny". Centre for Science and Environment. June 1992. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  23. ↑ "Ancient Lac Dyeing Practices of Kachchh and its revival by the Vankar Shyamji Valiji of Bujodi". Craft Revival Trust. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  24. ↑ Bal, Gurpreet; Judge, Paramjit S. (2010). "Innovations, Entrepreneurship and Development". Journal of Entrepreneurship. 19: 43–62. doi:10.1177/097135570901900103. S2CID 154601153. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
  25. ↑ Jasleen Dhamija; Crafts Council of India (2004). Asian embroidery. Abhinav Publications. p. 125. ISBN 81-7017-450-3.
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