Thori are labourer community found in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana in India.[1] They are also known as the Nayak. They are recognized as Scheduled Castes in Rajasthan.
History and origin[edit | edit source]
The Thori trace their descent from the King Ajaypal, a Suryavanshi Rajput.[2] They claim themselves as commanders in the army of the various Rajput kings of Rajputana and with the time, their position of Kshatriya was degraded after conquests of other Rajput clans. Due to which their they loose their status and separated them from Rajputs, leading to formation of a new identity with the name of Nayak which is title for commander.[3]
Present circumstances[edit | edit source]
They are found mainly in the districts of Ganganagar, and Churu. Their spoken language is Marwari.
They are a landless and economically marginalized community working as daily wage labour in the industrial and agricultural sector. They have an effective caste council, known as the Nayak Samaj, which acts as quasi-judicial body and deals with intra-community dispute. They are Hindus with Pabuji being their main deity, alongside they also worship Gogaji.[4]
The Thoris of Gujarat are also known as Utloiwala, Batwala and Jhori. They have two endogamous groups, the Makwana and Barasia and are a nomadic community, moving in bands of ten and fifteen and live in small reed huts. Like other Gujarat communities, they have a number of clans, called ataks. Their main ataks are the Parmar, Makowara, Gatar, Kharkaria, Bhoping, Narodia, and Mangarchi. The community is still mainly involved with the manufacturing of baskets. Their range is northern and central Gujarat, particularly the districts of Ahmadabad, Surendranagar, Sabarkantha, Panchmahal and Baroda. Like the Rajasthan Thori, they speakl Mewari.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Gujarat. Popular Prakashan. 2003. pp. 1373–78. ISBN 978-81-7991-106-8.
- ↑ Rajasthan (India) (1962). Rajasthan District Gazetteers. Printed at Government Central Press.
- ↑ General, India Office of the Registrar (1965). Census of India, 1961: Rajasthan. Manager of Publications. pp. 11.
- ↑ Harlan, Lindsey (2003). The Goddesses' Henchmen: Gender in Indian Hero Worship. Oxford University Press. pp. 202. ISBN 978-0-19-515426-9.