Dabgar

The Dabgar are a Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Dhalgar and have scheduled caste status.^[1]

Origin

The word Dabgar is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word daravakarra, which means the makers of any spoon shaped vessels. According to their own traditions, they were originally found in Rajasthan, and were soldiers. They took an oath to resist the Mughals, but were defeated. A section converted to Islam, from whom descend the Muslim Dabgar community. The rest of the community fled in the jungles of Bundelkhand, and slowly spread to the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh. They then took up the occupation of manufacturing of rawhide jars.^[2]

Present circumstances

The Dabgar are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy. Their main clans are the Shrivastav, Delhiwal, Dari, Sripat and Kanaujiya. Theoretically, each clans descends from a common ancestor. They are a Hindu, except the now distinct community of Muslim Dabgar, and their tribal deity is Satyanarain. A small number of Dabgar also belong to the Nanakpanthi sect, which is closely connected with Sikhism. Uniquely, the Hindu Dabgar incorporate many Muslim traditions, including a few families in Varanasi who offer the Muslim prayer. This associations acts as both a community welfare association, as well as a pressure group for the community.^[3]

The Dabgar are still involved in their traditional occupation of manufacturing of hide jars. They buy the hide from the Chikwa community. Like other artisan castes, they have seen a decline in their traditional occupation, with many Dabgar now employed as daily wage labourers. They are found mainly in the districts of INDORE Madhya PradeshVaranasi, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, Ballia, Allahabad and Kanpur. In southern Uttar Pradesh, the Dabgar speak Brajbhasha, while those in the east speak Awadhi.^[4]

See also

• Muslim Dabgar

References

1. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part One edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 393 to 397 Manohar Publications
2. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part One edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 393 to 397 Manohar Publications
3. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part One edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 393 to 397 Manohar Publications
4. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part One edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 393 to 397 Manohar Publications