The same problems would arise in the reverse direction if, as many scholars have done, the term caste cluster, caste complex or caste category is used for divisions of a higher order and the term caste or jati is used for divisions of a lower order. The name Desai thus means landlord.. To know more about it, below is a list compiled with the common Gujarati surnames. In many villages in Gujarat, particularly in larger villages, one or two first-order divisions would be represented by more than one second-order division. All for free. To whichever of the four orders a caste division belonged, its horizontal spread rarely, if ever, coincided with that of another. It is the Gujarati word for a parrot. The small ekda or tad with its entire population residing in a single town was, of course, not a widespread phenomenon. Individuals from the Barot community would usually work as genealogists (one who studies and makes a pedigree) and as bards. Let me illustrate briefly. The following two tabs change content below. They are proud of their community and carry it far for it to prosper. The women of the Charnia Bhambis wear a dress of yellow colour like the Charan women. The Suthar community is mostly involved in the field of carpentry. (surname) Me caste; Mer (community) Meta Qureshi; Mistri caste; Miyana (community) Modh; Motisar (caste) Multani Lohar; Muslim Wagher; Mutwa; N . I have bits and pieces of information about relations between a considerable numbers of other lower-order divisions in their respective higher-order divisions. When the rural population began to be drawn towards the new opportunities, the first to take advantage of them were the rural sections of the rural-cum-urban castes. There was apparently a close relation between a castes internal organization and the size and spatial distribution of its population. The dye is caste in Gujarat - Times of India Yes. We now list the top 100 Gujarati surnames in India. Get curated, personalised content as per your parenting stage. The primarily rural and lower castes were the last to form associations and that too mainly after independence (1947). That there was room for flexibility and that the rule of caste endogamy could be violated at the highest level among the Rajputs was pointed out earlier. Hypergamy tended to be associated with this hierarchy. He stresses repeatedly the primacy of the principle of hierarchy-epitomized in the title of his book. In most parts of Gujarat it merged into the various second-order divisions of the Koli division and possible also into the widespread tribe of Bhils. (, ), ( , , ), . Till the establishment of democratic polity in 1947, hardly any caste association in Gujarat had manifest political functions. For example, there was considerable ambiguity about the status of Anavils. The highest stratum among the Leva Kanbi tried to maintain its position by practising polygyny and female infanticide, among other customs and institutions, as did the highest stratum among the Rajput. This was unlike the situation among the Rajputs who did not make any attempt to form small endogamous units. They are vegetarian but eat egg. Kotecha is likely an occupational surname referring to a business community whose ancestors were merchants. Inclusion of a lower-order division in a higher-order one and distinction between various divisions in a certain order was not as unambiguous. There are 36 types of SC Caste categories in Gujarat State. For example: the Meghwal like Jata Bhambis, Bamnia Bhambis and Charania Bhambis in Rajasthan do not inter marry within other sub-castes. But there was also another process. BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES NEEDED IN INDIAN ELECTION SYSTEMS - Academia.edu Secondly, it is necessary to study intensively the pattern of inter-caste relations in urban centres as something differentat least hypotheticallyfrom the pattern in villages. Rawal/Raval originates from the Sanskrit word Raja, meaning king. The surname Chowdhury is likely a title of honor bestowed by a king to a warrior or a nobleman. The Brahmans were divided into such divisions as Audich, Bhargav, Disawal, Khadayata, Khedawal, Mewada, Modh, Nagar, Shrigaud, Shrimali, Valam, Vayada, and Zarola. The larger castes and even larger subdivisions among them used to have their houses segregated on their own streets (called pol, sheri, khadki, vad, khancho). Bhagat is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to describe religious personalities who have obtain high acclaim in their community for their services and devoutness. Far too many studies of changes in caste in modern India start with a general model of caste in traditional India which is in fact a model of caste in traditional rural India. Broach, Cambay and Surat were the largest, but there were also a number of smaller ones. ), Piniara Ganchi-Pinjara Mansuri-Pinjara (all Muslim), - - ( ), Rabari (Where the are not S.T.) Some of them lived before Guru Nanak, but came to have a monotheistic as opposed to a polytheistic doctrine. I have done field work in two contiguous parts of Gujarat: central Gujarat (Kheda district and parts of Ahmedabad and Baroda districts) and eastern Gujarat (Panchmahals district). Koli Idaria Koli, Kharwa-koli, Rathwa-Koli, Baria-Koli, Dhebari-Koli. It is argued that the various welfare programmes of each caste association, such as provision of medical facilities, scholarships and jobs for caste members contribute, in however small a way, to the solution of the nations problems. The women are famous for their embroidery work and are master wool and cotton weavers. The Rajput hierarchy had many levels below the level of the royal families of the large and powerful kingdoms: lineages of owners of large and small fiefs variously called jagir, giras, thakarat,thikana, taluka, and wanted-, lineages of substantial landowners under various land tenures having special rights and privileges; and lineages of small landowners. Top 100 Gujarati Surnames or Last Names in India, List of Gujarati Surnames or Last Names With Meanings, Top 100 Punjabi Surnames or Last Names With Meanings, 150 Most Popular Indian Last Names For Your Baby. 1 0 obj Simultaneously, there is gradual decline in the strength of the principle of hierarchy, particularly of ritual hierarchy expressed in purity and pollution. The lowest stratum in all the three divisions had to face the problem of scarcity of brides. Almost all the myths about the latter are enshrined in the puranas (for an analysis of a few of them, see Das 1968 and 1977). This reflects the high degree of divisiveness in castes in Gujarat. Their work is distinguished by their primary use of red, which comes from a local pigment produced from crushed insects. Amin was a knighthood bestowed upon the Hindu Gujarati Patels by the Mughal rulers. Married women are often spotted wearing gold nose ring, earrings and neckpieces. 8. These sub-groups being more conscious about their previous identities maintain their old customs and traditions. The error is further compounded whenalthough this is less commonthe partial, rural model of traditional caste is compared with the present urban situation, and conclusions are drawn about overall change. There are 350+ Castes living right now in Gujarat State, The Government has divided all castes in 5 to 6 Category which is General, SEBC, OBC, SC, ST, NT & DT. It owned corporate property, usually in the form of vadis (large buildings used for holding feasts and festivals, accommodating wedding guests, and holding meetings), huge utensils for cooking feasts, and money received as fees and fines. Another major factor in the growth of urban centres in Gujarat was political. The exact meaning of the surname is unknown. The hierarchy, however, was very gradual and lacked sharpness. There was considerable elaboration in urban areas of what Ghurye long ago called the community aspect of caste (1932: 179) and frequently, this led to juxtaposition rather than hierarchy between caste divisions of the same order. And even when a Brahman name corresponded with a Vania name, the former did not necessarily work as priests of the latter.The total number of second-divisions in a first-order division differed from one first-order division to another. These coastal towns were involved in trade among themselves, with other towns on the rest of the Indian sea coast, and with many foreign lands. For more Caste related information Regular visit our blog./websiteAllCasteList.com. It was also an extreme example of a division having a highly differentiated internal hierarchy and practising hypergamy as an accepted norm. Similarly, the Vanias were divided into such divisions as Disawal, Kapol, Khadayata, Lad, Modh, Nagar, Nima, Porwad, Shirmali, Vayada, and Zarola. Surname (or family name) Bhakta has Indian origin, most common language spoken by them is Gujarati, they are originated and/or found widely in Gujarat state. Broadly speaking, therefore, a Bhagat is a holy person or a member of a community whose objectives involve leading humanity towards God and highlighting injustices in the world. The small endogamous units, on the other hand, did not practise either. To obtain a clear understanding of the second-order divisions with the Koli division, it is necessary first of all to find a way through the maze of their divisional names. In 1891, when Hardyal Singh wrote about the Bhambi, Meghwal caste 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 Meghwal women artisans of Thar desert in Sindh and Balochistan, and in Gujarat are considered master of the traditional embroidery and Ralli making. The most valuable help extended in the most simple way. Transacting Caste in Modern Times: Changing Social Identity through ), as contrasted with the horizontal unity of the caste. The Levas, Anavils and Khedawals provide examples of castes whose internal organization had a strong emphasis on the principle of hierarchy and a weak emphasis on that of division. Usually, the latter were distinguished from one another by prohibition. Top 100 Gujarati Surnames or Last Names in India To take one sensitive area of purity/pollution behaviour, the concern for observance of rules of commensality has greatly declined not only in urban but also in rural areas. In 1931, their total population was more than 1,700,000, nearly one-fourth of the total population of Gujarat. , I couldn't have asked for more. Moreover, some leading Anavils did not wish to be bothered about Brahman status, saying that they were just Anavil. Radhvanaj Rajputs were clearly distinguished from, and ranked much above local Kolis. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. It is not easy to find out if the tads became ekdas in course of time and if the process of formation of ekdas was the same as that of the formation of tads. In the case of some of them the small population was so dispersed that a division such as that of barbers, blacksmiths, or carpenters, would be represented by only one or two households in each village and by a significant number of households in towns. //]]>. There was an emphasis on being different and separate rather than on being higher and lower. Thus, Hathiwala could mean someone who looks after or trains elephants. [22][23], Increasing numbers of the Meghwal today are educated and are obtaining government jobs. The fact that Mahatma Gandhi came from a small third-order division in the Modh Vania division in a town in Saurashtra does not seem to be an accident. Besides the myths, the members of a second-order division, belonging to all ekdas, shared certain customs and institutions, including worship of a tutelary deity. Waghari, Dataniya Waghari, Veduwaghari, Talpada Waghari, Gamachiya Waghari,Godadia Waghari, Chibhadia Waghari, Mardada or Marwada Waghari ,Devipuiak, , , , , , , . endobj Bhagat. Tiny business and service units are their main support for livelihood.[24]. 4 GUJARAT 4273 SHODA . There was also another kind of feast, called bhandaro, where Brahmans belonging to a lesser number of divisions (say, all the few in a small town) were invited. The tribal groups in the highland area, such as the Bhils and Naikdas, also did not have any urban component. That the role of the two principles could vary at different levels within a first-order division has also been seen. In each of these three divisions the top stratum was clear. Each unit was ranked in relation to others, and many members of the lower units married their daughters into the higher units, so that almost every unit became loose in the course of time. ), , 77. Most of the business class belongs to this community due to their business sense. The point is that the Rajput hierarchy, with the princely families at the top, merged at the lower level imperceptibly into the vast sea of tribal and semi-tribal people like Bhils and Kolis. One of the clearly visible changes in caste in Gujarat is the increasing number of inter-divisional or so-called inter-caste marriages, particularly in urban areas, in contravention of the rule of caste endogamy. Not only that, there were also third-order divisions (i.e., ekdas) in one or more second-order divisions, and finally one or more fourth-order divisions (i.e., tads) in one or more third-order divisions. 01051 kerala 01 ganak 01052 kerala 01 gounder kongu vellala 01053 kerala 01 gounder menon 01054 kerala 01 gounder padaiyachi 01055 The dye is caste in Gujarat. Usually, it was a small population. The name, Talapada, meaning "mdigenous", commonly used in the 19th century, is most clear, since it is clearly distinguished from the other division called Pardeshi, meaning "foreign", who during the last one or two centuries immigrated here from the area around Patan in north Gujarat and were, therefore, also called Patan- wadias . It is one of the common surnames among Indian Brahmins. All of this information supports the point emerging from the above analysis, that frequently there was relatively little concern for ritual status between the second-order divisions within a first- order division than there was between the first-order divisions. For example, the Patanwadia population was spread continuously from the Patan area to central Gujarat, and the Talapada population from central Gujarat to Pal. In the meanwhile, it is important to note that there does not seem to have been any attempt to form small endogamous units (ekdas, gols) at any level among the Rajputs unlike attempts made as we shall see, among some other hypergamous castes in Gujarat. Khatki or Kasai Chamadia Khatki Homo Hierarchicus. I do not, however, have sufficient knowledge of the latter and shall, therefore, confine myself mainly to Rajputs in Gujarat. Castes which did not sit together at public feasts, let alone at meals in homes, only 15 or 20 years ago, now freely sit together even at meals in homes. No analytical gains are therefore likely to occur by calling them by any other name. : 11-15, 57-75). %PDF-1.7 Please download and print this list. x[? -E$nvU 4V6_}\]}/yOu__}ww7oz[_z~?=|nNT=|qq{\//]/Ft>_tV}gjjn#TfOus_?~>/GbKc.>^\eu{[GE_>'x?M5i16|B;=}-)$G&w5uvb~o:3r3v GL3or}|Y~?3s_hO?qWWpn|1>9WS3^:wTU3bN{tz;T_}so/R95iLc_6Oo_'W7y; When Mr. H. Borradaile in A.D. 1827 collected information regarding the customs of Hindus, no less than 207 castes which did not intermarry, were found in the city of Surat alone. The hypergamous tendency was never as sharp, pervasive and regular among the Vania divisions as among the Rajputs, Leva Kanbis, Anavils and Khedawals. At the other end were castes in which the principle of division had free play and the role of the principle of hierarchy was limited. Some of the other such divisions were Kathi, Dubla, Rabari, Bharwad, Mer (see Trivedi 1961), Vaghri, Machhi, Senwa, Vanzara, and Kharwa. The surname Jariwala or Zariwala probably refers to someone who produces and sells jari/zari. Hence as we go down the hierarchy we encounter more and more debates regarding the claims of particular lineages to being Rajput so much so that we lose sight of any boundary and the Rajput division merges imperceptibly into some other division. The castes of the three categoriesprimarily urban, primarily rural, and rural-cum-urbanformed an intricate network spread over the rural and urban communities in the region. Rajiv Shah. Barot was originally the name of a community that derived itself from the Bhat community. According to the Rajputs I know in central Gujarat, the highest stratum among them consisted of the royal families of large and powerful kingdoms in Gujarat and neighbouring Rajasthan, such as those of Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Kachchh, Porbandar, Bikaner, Idar, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and so on. 100 Popular Indian Brahmin Surnames Or Last Names - MomJunction Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Sometimes a division corresponding to a division among Brahmans and Vanias was found in a third first-order division also. A Waghari Gamichio, Wedu Churaliya, Jakhudia(where they are not S.T. Thus, all religions and communities have different surnames and the backgrounds can be similar or different as well. Category:Social groups of Gujarat - Wikipedia Rabari, Bhopa, KodiatarSorathiya Rabari, Champya. They were found in almost every village in plains Gujarat and in many villages in Saurashtra and Kachchh. It is a coalescence of Kolis and Rajputs on the modern political plane based on the foundation of the traditional social and cultural symbiosis under the rubric of Kshatriya. We shall return to the Rajput-Koli relationship when we consider the Kolis in detail. This infographic documents some well-known Gujarati last names derived from the Sanskrit language and their meanings. But there were also others who did not wield any power. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ganjawala The exact meaning of the Ganjawala surname is unknown. Parindu Bhagat. Usually, a single Koli division had different local names in different parts of Gujarat, but more about this later. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"JoC_BWsapbxkWt5DiwKm.yUVJ1sUs5Lnx3NXnOdJgrU-3600-0"}; You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 73 Bold And Mighty Baby Names That Mean Leader Or Ruler, 103 Powerful And Unique Baby Names That Mean Warrior, 25 Fun And Amazing Facts About Elephants For Kids, 50 Popular Gujarati Surnames Or Last Names With Meanings. Bhagat is a term used in the Indian subcontinent to describe religious personalities who have obtain high acclaim in their community for their services and devoutness.It is also one of the clan in Mahar caste with clan totem as King Cobra and also a surname found among Marathas, Bania communities and Punjabi Brahmins. A recent tendency in sociological literature is to consider jatis as castes. Similar sounding surnames: Bagot, Bhagwat, Bhakta, Bhagat, Bisht. I know some ekdas, and tads composed of only 150 to 200 households. A great deal of discussion of the role of the king in the caste system, based mainly on Indological literature, does not take these facts into account and therefore tends to be unrealistic. For example, there were Khedawal Brahmans but not Khedawal Vanias, and Lad Vanias but no Lad Brahmans. Created Date: In all there were about eighty such divisions. Usually it consisted of wealthy and powerful lineages, distinguishing themselves by some appellation, such as Patidar among the Leva Kanbi, Desai among the Anavil, and Baj among the Khedawal. Content Filtrations 6. That the sociological study of urban areas in India has not received as much attention as that of rural areas is well known, and the studies made so far have paid little attention to caste in urban areas. If the sea and ships thrill you, these names are for you. Meghwal - Wikipedia For example, just as there was a Shrimali division among Sonis (goldsmiths). Further, the castes there are unable to take cognizance of each other in terms of hierarchy or of occupation, and it is in this situation that they can be said to exist by virtue of their differences (296) it is the systematic recognition of difference which is most apparent. The Kayatias main occupation was to perform a ritual on the eleventh day after death, during which they took away offerings made to ghosts: this was the main cause of their extremely low status among Brahmans. Unfortunately, such figures are not available for the last fifty years or so. Born in 1947, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Hardiman was raised in England, completed his PhD in history at the . 2. Even if we assume, for a moment, that the basic nature of a structure or institution was the same, we need to know its urban form or variant. We will now analyze the internal structure of a few first-order divisions, each of which was split into divisions going down to the fourth order. They were thus not of the same status as most other second-order divisions among Brahmans. Since these were all status categories rather than clear- cut divisions, I have not considered them as constituting third-order divisions. This was dramatized in many towns at the mahajan (guild) feasts when all the members of the guild of traders would eat together. While we do get evidence of fission of caste divisions of a higher order into two or more divisions of a lower order, the mere existence of divisions of a lower order should not be taken as evidence of fission in a division of a higher order. Co-residence of people, belonging to two or more divisions of a lower order within a higher order was, however, a prominent feature of towns and cities rather than of villages. Among the first-order divisions with subdivisions going down to the fourth order, there are associations for divisions of all the orders. The surname is likely composed of the Gujarati words sara meaning good and bhai referring to a brother, man, or any other person of significance. Joshi derives its name from Jyotisha, a Sanskrit word that means an astrologer., A common surname in Gujarat, Kapadia, in Gujarati means, cloth merchant.. Their staple diet includes rice, wheat and maize, and pulses such as moong, urad and channa. MBA in Marketing,P.G. It is possible that there were a few divisions each confined to just one large city and, therefore, not having the horizontal dimension at all. If you prefer the old-school feeling, naming your child with county names can be the best. While fission did occur, fusion could also occur. The surname refers to those who came from a family of Purohits.. Social organization at the Jamat Bandi level varies from community to community. Kambadia Bhagat: 32: 31: Kangasia: 33: 32: Khatki or Kasai . This list may not reflect recent changes. All associations originated in large towns, are more active in towns than in villages, and are led by prominent members in towns. I am not suggesting that the principle of hierarchy was insignificant in the inter- or intra-caste relations in urban centres. With rapid socio-economic changes in Gujarat, the practice of untouchability also has changed. The above brief analysis of change in caste in modern Gujarat has, I hope, indicated that an overall view of changes in caste in modern India should include a careful study of changes in rural as well as in urban areas in relation to their past. SEBC Caste category is highest in Gujrat State. Village studies, as far as caste is a part of them, have been, there fore, concerned with the interrelations between sections of various castes in the local context. The pattern of inter-divisional marriages shows how the idea of free marriage, which guides most of the inter-caste marriages, is restricted, modified, and graded according to the traditional structure of caste divisions. Frequently, marriages were arranged in contravention of a particular rule after obtaining the permission of the council of leaders and paying a penalty in advance. Below this paragraph, I have provided Gujarat Caste List in PDF format which is the same as Digital Gujarat Caste List. Today, there are two kinds of Koli areas. The Brahmans and Vanias seem to have had the largest number of divisions as mentioned earlier, about eighty in the former and about forty in the latter. The Meghs, Kabir Panthi or Bhagat are from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir [16] and are known as Megh, Arya Megh and Bhagat. It is also one of the clan in Mahar caste with clan totem as King Cobra[1] and also a surname found among Marathas, Bania communities and Punjabi Brahmins. Patel comes from the word Patlikh, which was a title given by the king to someone who worked as a record keeper of crops and taxes from a piece of land. The institutions of both bride and bridegroom price (the latter also called dowry) were rampant in castes with continuous internal hierarchydowry mainly at the upper levels, bride price mainly at the lower levels, and both dowry and bride price among status-seeking middle level families. The recent brouhaha doesn't make a Modicom of sense to our community which also has this family name. Most of the other eighty or so second-order divisions among Brahmans, however, seem to be subdivided the way the Vania second-order divisions were subdivided into third-order and fourth-order divisions. [3], They claim to have descended from Rishi Megh,[4] a saint who had the power to bring rain from the clouds through his prayer. Over nine year more. [1] Their traditional occupation was agricultural farming, cattle-herding and weaving. These and many other artisans, craftsmen and servants reflected the special life-style of the town. Ideally, castes as horizontal units should he discussed with the help of population figures. We have seen how one second-order division among Brahmans, namely, Khedawal, was marked by continuous internal hierarchy and strong emphasis on hypergamy on the one hand and by absence of effective small endogamous units on the other. The urban centres in both the areas, it is hardly necessary to mention, are nucleated settlements populated by numerous caste and religious groups. Leva Kanbis, numbering 400,000 to 500,000 m 1931, were the traditional agricultural caste of central Gujarat. [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.