Dhedh

Dhedhs or Dheds or Dhedhas are one of the scheduled caste of India. They were one of the out-caste and deprived class of Hindu society of India.^[1][2]

They were involved in jobs like carrying away animal carcass and works related to leather, animal hides. The word dhedha has been derived from a Gujarati word dhayadavan, to drag.^[3][4] Further, the caste people are also largely involved in weaving.^[2][5]

In Rajasthan, the Meghwal community were called Dhedha and according to census of 1901 were identified as untouchables.^[3] In British India, in the Bahwalpur, the Dhedhs, who preferred to call themselves Menghwals, were the people, who were called Chamars to east of Punjab. They ate flesh of dead animals and were considered as out-caste by Hindus, though they have Hindu names.^[5]

They have nine exogamous section : (1) Gandel (2) Baru-Pal (3) Sahdal (4) Sapune (5) Lilar (6) Bahmanian (7) Japal (8) Lakhale (9) Turke.^[5]

By occupation they are weavers and greatly worship the deity of Ramdev Pir at Ranuja. In their marriages, Brahmins serve as purohit, accepting dry-fruits from them but not the cooked food.^[5]

In Maharashtra, Mahars were considered a part of Dhedha community. However, after mass conversion of Mahar community from Hinduism to Buddhism, to avoid curse of untouchability, on foot-steps of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, they are now not to be called Dhedhas or even Mahars but Buddhists.

In Gujarat, Dhedhs are considered as sub-caste of the scheduled caste of weavers called Vankars.^[2] Some of the other castes in which there are few exceptions of Dhedhs are Bawa (Dhedh) or Dhedh-Sadhu (Sadhu), Dhedh -Barot (Barot).^[1]

Dhedhs speak many languages, as per their area of living like Gujarati,^[4], Marathi, Rajasthani,^[3]Sindhi, Thar^[6]

In Kathiawar, the Nagasia Dhehds, once helped the Sarvaiyas to regain their villages of Hathnasi, Jesar and other territories. In recognition of their assistance the Sarvaiya Rajputs forgave Dhedhs from bham tax ( tax on skins of dead animals ) and tax was not levied on all Sarvaiya village till British ruled India.^[7]

The Mahyavanshis were also once a part of Dhedh, Vankar, Antyaj, Maru Vankar community of Gujarat.^[1][8][9]

Dhedhs and Bhil community were closely associated being in similar profession and social status, as out-castes and were two suppressed communities of Gujarat.^[10]Bhangis, Dhedhs, Chamars, Mahars, Malas, Madigas were some of the communities, who were contemptuously looked down upon as un-touchables.^[11][12]

Dhedh or Dherh was a term applied to any low caste people in Punjab although they were a identified as separate tribe in Central Province in British India.^[13]Raidas was from Dhedh community and is said to have spoken that: even today all my kinsman as dhedhs cart carcasses, as they wander around Benaras.Unquote.^[13]

In South India, the Dhedhs caste were sometimes dharmakartas of Shiva temples. A census report noted that wealth is a very potent factor, both in the way of levelling down caste heights and filling up social depths....a wealthy member of the Dhedh caste is actually the Dharmakartha of a Siva temple in Southern India and a Sathani (Sattada Srivaisnava temple servant) becomes elevated into a Balija often in the course of a few years ; so also a Palli into a Mudaliar.^[14]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} [1] THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES ORDERS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1956]Dhed, Dheda
2. ^ ^{a b c} Ideals, images, and real lives: women in literature and history By Alice Thorner, Sameeksha Trust (Bombay, India)
3. ^ ^{a b c} [2]
4. ^ ^{a b} [3] Gandhi: the man, his people, and the empire By Rajmohan Gandhi
5. ^ ^{a b c d} [4] Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province By H.A. Rose, IBBETSON, Maclagan
6. ^ [5] Grammar of the Sindhi Language By Ernest Trumpp
7. ^ [6] Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Káthiáwar, Govt. Central Press, 1884
8. ^ [7]
9. ^ Mahyavanshi also known as Dhedh Daman and Diu By Kumar Suresh Singh, B. R. Solanki, N. K. Sinha, Jaime F. Pereira, Anthropological Survey of India. Page 127
10. ^ [8] Young India, Volume 10 written by Mahatma Gandhi, 1928.
11. ^ [9]
12. ^ The outcasts like Mahar, Dhed, Mala, Madiga and others.
13. ^ ^{a b} [10] The life and works of Raidās, Volume 2, Winand M. Callewaert, Peter G. Friedländer, Ravidāsa
14. ^ [11]