- Dangi
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The Dangi are a Hindu caste found in the states of Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Hariyana, Gujarat, Uttrakhand, Maharastra, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Nepal.
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History and origin
The origin of the word Dangi cannot be entirely ascertained. However, according to Sir George Abraham Grierson, it refers to certain dialects spoken in the Dangis region, as well as the northern parts of what was formerly the state of Jaipur and the Karauli area, where Dangi is spoken as a sub-dialect of Braj Bhasha. The movement of the Dangis from the Gangetic plain to southern Gujarat may well have been caused by the movement of Krishna from Mathura to Dwarka (as related to in the Mahabharata).
Eran is an ancient village which is located in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. It is thought to be the oldest town in the Madhya Pradesh area. Inscriptions and coins from an earlier period that were found at the site also state that the village was known as Airikina. Eran is derived from erakā, which is a grass that grows in the Eran area and is also the name of a Nagavanshi king descended from Kauravya. Eran contains a number of archaeoligical relics including the remains of a fort that was built by the Dangis, who used to control the area. An excavation carried out by the Department of Archeology at the University of Sagar unearthed relics showing that the village of Eran formed the northenmost limit of the Chalcolithic culture in Madhya Pradesh.
Present circumstances
The Dangi class has been subject to change with the opening of schools and universities. They have also started trading with the nearby mandi.
Before India gained independence, several battles were fought between the five kings of Dang and the British. The biggest of these battles was fought at Lashkaria Amba where the kings of the five tribes managed to defeat the British. A compromise was sought and a treaty signed in 1842 that allowed the British to use the resources provided by the forests in exchange for 3000 silver coins paid to the tribal kings. The kings are still offered a pension by the Government of India despite such payments being stopped in 1970. The kings gather in Ahwa to receive the payment at the financial end of every year.
References
External links
Categories:- Social groups of India
- Indian castes
- Social groups of Rajasthan
- Social groups of Gujarat
- Tribal communities of Gujarat
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