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Sainis of Central India and Malwa |
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KACCHI/MALI/SAINI/KUSHWAHA COMMUNITY OF HINDUSTAN (CENTRAL INDIA and MALWA) According to 1891 censes of British India – Kunbi, Mali, Lodhi/Lodh, Kacchi, Koeri, Kewats are the main cultivators of the Central provinces and Berar region. All but Mali are chiefly found in Hindustan and its neighbourhood. Mali is so bound with the Kunbi in Deccan(maharashtra) that the ordinary term for an agriculurist is the combination of two—Kunbimali. Mali’s are the chief agriculturist caste of Hindustan region and are closely alligned with the Kunbi caste and a cultivator in a general term is reffered as kunbimali. At present, Central India includes provinces of Madhya pradesh and Chattisgarh . 95% of the population in this region is Hindu and so this region is called as HINDUSTAN
Madhya pradesh is one of the biggest state of India. MP is divided into different regions like Malwa – the north western plateau, Bundelkhand--north east has rolling hills and fertile valleys—Gawalior is the main city and Mahakoshal—South east—Jabalpur is the main city, Nimar—south western portion of Narmada valley, Baghelkhand—hilly south eastern area and southern Vindhya region which is a shelter of primitive tribes 77% population of MP is rural. MP is home to 40% of Indian tribal population. Out of 45 districts 23 are tribal districts. MP has highest no. of 45 schedule tribes which makes 23 % of state population. MP has 11 languages. Madhya Pradesh was once dominated by pre-aryans ie. indigenous tribals like Bhils, Gonds and Oraons, Baigas, Kols etc. eg Gonds once ruled major part –Gondwana(central India) who were forced to move south of Vindhyas by Aryan immigrants(hindi speaking) from North and North West. Hindi is the main language which has different dialects like Malvi, Bundeli, Bagheli, Chhatisgarhi and Nimadi. Marathi is also spoken by considerable population. Tribal languages include Bhili/Bhilari, Gondi, Korku etc. Away from the tribal stock of Madhya Pradesh the rest of the population consists of Hindu communities. They include Rajput landholders, traditional merchant classes and established agriculturists such as the Ahirs, the Khatis, the Kunbis, the Lodhis, the Malis and others. A small percentage of Parsis, Muslims and Jains also add to the racial mosaic of Madhya Pradesh. By its geographical position, Madhya Pradesh has remained exposed to cultural influences. The central region of the state was directly under the Indo-Aryan culture. Malwa---Malwa region is a part of Central India lying in the western part of Madhya Pradesh and southern Rajasthan with centre at Ujjain. Name Malwa is derived from Sanskrit word “Mal” which means black loam soil and people posseseing it as MALI. Arabs called it Malibh. Raja Man Mori of Chittorgarh was from Maurya dynasty. Malwa region is a flat plateau land 1600 feet above sea level and consist of 1200 villages in central India/Hindi belt and is the only region with plenty of ground water as compared to the desert in its western boundry and the hilly regions on its Noth -eastern side and Vindya mountains in south side. Currently this region consist of 2 divisions—Indore and Ujjain division which has a total of 12 districts which are Bhopal, Ujjain, Dhar, Rajgarh, Khandwa, Jhabua, Ratlam, Raigarh and Indore. Rajasthan districts like Chittorgarh and Banswara are also part of Malwa region. Politically this region constitute 65 assemly seats in Madhya Pradesh. . Presently Indore is the biggest city of the region and is known as Commercial capital of MP as well as namkeen capital of India.Bhopal and Mandu are other main cities of this region. North East part of plateau is the famous Chambal area. While southern part is called as Nimar region eg. Khandwa district. Ujjain is the religious city and Indore is the largest city. Ujjain became the centre of Sanskrit learning in 8th AD. Betwa river which is the tributary of Jamuna is the largest river in this region.
History ---Ujjain is one of the 7 ancient sacred cities of Hindus and Kumbha mela is organised every 12 years when Hindus bathe in the river Shipra. Ujjain was established in 600BC during 2nd wave of urbanization after Harappa when Hindi speaking immigrants came from North and Northwest (vedic aryans). It was centre of kingdom of Avanti which was one of the 16 aryan mahajanapadas. It was a neighbour of Surasena kingdom. Ujjain lay on main trade route between North India and Deccan going from Mathura via Ujjain to Mahismati/Maheshwar on Narmada and to Paithan on Godavari. King Yasodharman of Ujjain defeated Huns invasion from NW in 528BC. Later It was major centre of Mauryan empire. In medevial times—mid tenth century Parmara clan of Rajputs ruled the region with capital at Dhar. King Bhoj of Dhar was the great philospher of medieval India and Malwa became centre of intellectualism and Bhopal was also founded by him. Famous folk saying~~ KITHE RAJA BHOJ, KITHE GANGU TELI~~ speaks of his grandeaur. In 1200 ad Delhi Sultanat arrived on the scsene and was replaced by Mughals untill Mararthas captured the region with Malhar Rao Holkar at Indore and Maheshwar, and Anant Rao Ponwar as Raja of Dhar and later of Dewas also. Sindhia Marathas got themselves established at Gwalior. Marathas made inroads from Indore side the same way, as in BC period when communities such as Malis and Kunbis from Malwa moved to Maharashtra region. Later British overtook Malwa from Marathas.
Land---Malwa has rich black cotton soil and rivers like Tapti, Narmada, Betwa, Chambal, Kali Sindh and Parbati flow through the region. Due to abundant source of ground and river water it is a famous folk saying, ‘’ Malwa dharti gahen gambhir, pug pug roti dug dug neer”. Main crops are Jowar, Rice, Wheat, Coarse Millet, Peanut and Pulses, Soyabean, Cotton, Linseed, Seasame and Sugarcane. Main source of irrigation is tubewell irrigation of fields. Neem, Mango, Imly(Tamarind) and Amla trees give a good landscape view to the region. Rich land of Malwa has attracted different cultivator castes to its fold from centuries. Most of agricultural activity is concentrated in Western part of Madhya Pradesh—ie. in Ujjain, Bhopal, Indore and Gawalior divisions. Chambal---- region north of Malwa region is called as Chambal which is a ravine region aroundthe river Chambal between the three states of MP, UP and Rajasthan. This region consists of 5 districts00 Morena,Bhind, Gwalior, Sheopur and Guna. This region borders with 6 Chambal Basin districts of Uttar Pradesh like Agra and Etawah and 3 disticts of Rajasthan which are Dholpur, Karauli and Sawai Madhopur. Guna is the gateway to Malwa region. The proper Chambal is Morena-Bhind. Chambal river is the largest river which originates from Mhow in Indore district of Malwa and travels northward and joins Jamuna. Archeological Site of Kutwar researched by Cunningham in Morena-Gwalior area speaks of Mahabharata times and was a place of Raja Kuntibhoja who was father of Kunti, mother of Pandavs. Mahakoshal—included districts of Jabalpur, Balaghat, Seoni, Chhindwara, Hoshangabad, Betul and Mandla. Most of the population in this region are immigrants from different areas. Bundhelkhand and Baghelkhand- is a region of vast tract of county in Central India. This regions is rocky and has high % of barren and uncultiviable land.Soil is mixture of red yellow and black which is not considered fertile.Rainfall is sparce and agricultural production is low.This region has very hot dry summer and also has severe winter. Ashoka inscriptions at Sanchi, Rupnath in Jabalpur and Gujjara in Datia confirms Mauryan administration.This region has very low tribal population but has 17% schedule caste population. Feudalism persists in Bundhelkhand. Due to scarcity water is very precious in this region . There is a say—“Gagari na phootey chahe balam mar jaye.” Ponds are used for irrigation and drinking. 12 Districts of Madhya Pradesh and 5 of Uttar Pradesh are included in this region :: Tikkamgarh, Sagar, Damoh, Satna, Panna, Rewa, Sidhi, Katni etc. Satna has the largest population in this region. Border districts of UP like Mahoba, Lalitpur, Chitrakoot, Allahabad and Mirzapur, Jalaun, Jhansi, and Hamirpur are also part of Bundhelkhand. Panna is famous for its Diamond mines. Main middle castes or peasantry is made up of Lodhis, Kushwahas, Yadavs, Ghosis and Kurmis People--- Malwa,Chambal and Bundelkhand, Mahakoshal and Chattisgarh region consists of several Hindu communities. They include-
Rajputs and Brahmans Traditional merchant classes—Jains and Banias Established Agricultuists --- such as Ahirs/Yadavs, Khatis, Kewats, Gujjars, Kacchis--Malis/Kushwahas/Sainis/Kacchis/Shakyas/Mauryas/Marars/Koeris, Lodhs/Lodhis, Kunbis, and Kurmis., Ghosis, Gadarias,Rawats, Mallahs. ALL of these castes are considered OBC in MP. Working classes-- like Telis, Mallahs, Nais and Sutars and others such as Nuts/Acrobats. Tribals—Malwa and Chambal has almost no tribal population. Schedule castes—There are 47 castes in this group like Pardhis, Chamars, Satnamis, Mangs and Mahars, Doms, Mochi, Khatik, Bhangi/ Mehtar, Sondhia, Chadar, Chipri, Jatav, Kalar, Banskar, basorh, Ahirwar and Bagari etc.
Kacchi/Mali/Saini/Kushwaha Caste and their subcastes --- Malwa is home to Mali community from the start of aryan influence in this region in Vedic era. Mali caste is one of the major cultivator caste of Malwa. As written in Shahnama, In 1282 when Rana Hammira of Ranthambore was the ruler of Malwa, Jalal ud Din Khalzi’s forces attacked Ujjain—and Rana Hammira reacted by sending a large force under his most successful Commander called “GURDAN SAINI” ( by the Moslems) to defend the Hindu city. Mali’s /Saini/Kushwahas have different subcastes involved in agriculture occupation involving farming, gardening, Horticilture and Vegetable growing and selling. These castes include Malis, Kushwahas, Shakyas, Mauryas, Marars, Sainis and Koeris.
Kacchi is the general term used for all these cultivators. All these are included in the Other Backward caste category of Madhya Pradesh. Malis and their subcastes make 9-10% of the state population. Kushwahas is the term in North east region of chambal,Vindhya and Bundelkhand bordering Uttar Pradesh ie.in Gawalior division. Mali and Marar is the preffered name used for them in Malwa region. ie Indore, Bhopal and Ujjain Divisions. In Jabalpur region and other regions they are known as Mali/Mara/ Kushwahas/Koeris. Mali /Kushwaha and all of their above mentioned subcastes are included in the Other Backward Classes State List of Madhya Pradesh under the entry no. 33(a) and 33(6). Mali caste is also a part of Nath and Gosavi/Gosain spiritual communities. Kashatrya Mali Samaj of Madhya Pradesh is having its headquarters at Indore.
In Bundhelkhand-- Kacchi/Kushwaha/Mali caste is also 9% of the total population of the region. Sh. Sukh Lal Kushwaha is the leader of OBC’s from this region and has defeated Arjun singh and Mr. Saklecha, Former CM’s of MP state from Satna Parliamentary seat. In Chambal Valley districts of Morena, Bhind, Sheopuri,Guna and Gwalior OBC Agricultuistas form 44% of the population and ---Main castes are Yadavs, Gujars, Mali/ Kushwaha/ Kacchi , Kurmis,Rawats, Gaderias, Mallahs and tribals like Saharias. Koeri/Kushwaha/Kacchi’s are one of the dominant cultivator caste of this region and constitute 9% of the population. Sh. Narayan Singh Kushwaha—present fisheries minister is from Bhind in this region. In northern Madhya Pradesh's Chambal valley little boys chant Hathiyar tau mard ka gahana hai (weapons are a man's ornaments) and Jako bairi sukh se jeeve bake jeevan ko dhikkar (it is a shame on those whose enemies live in peace) before they can recite their alphabet. They are taught how to hold their guns before they are enrolled in schools. Bhind district has the largest no. of licensed weopons in the world. Famous Dreaded Docait gangs from Kacchi/Mali/Kushwaha community in Chambal valley and Vindhya region are— Daku Prema Kacchi gang, Daku Bhima Kacchi gang, Raju Singh Kushwaha gang, Ramesh Singh Kushwaha gang, Sobran Singh Kushwaha gang etc.
CULTURE, BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS DRESS---TheSaini-Mali/Kacchi/Kushwaha/Koeri/Marar/Maurya/Shakya peasant population of the state wears the dhoti. A white or a black jacket called bandi or mirzai is still in vogue in Bundelkhand and Malwa. Safa is worn on the head in the eastern parts of the state and pagri or paga (turban) is preferred in the western regions. Among the new generations trousers, socks and shirts have become very common. Women wear coloured lehnga and choli. A piece of cloth known as orni or lugra is used to cover the head and the shoulders. In the central region they prefer red and black colours, while yellow, blue and green are admired by the Chhathsgarhi women. Kanchali is stitched out of coloured pieces of cloth. It is a sort of bodice used for covering the breasts only by tying it at the back with strings, called Kasana in the Malwi dialect. The Mali/Kacchi women of Malwa wear a globular pendant called Rakhadi Bor (Borla or Bordo) on the forehead. The Bor is set with small pearls or shining stones. Linked chains called Jhela made of gold or silver go right up to the earrings. A gold nose-ring called Nath (Nathni) rests on the right cheek and necklaces worn round the neck cascade down to the waist. Traditional peasant jewellery fascinates the woman for its eloquent designing. Even the poorest woman wears some sort of ornaments. Some beliefs dominate her attachment to continue their use to signify her marital status.Married women is recognizable by their Vermilion and green glass bangles. Men are martial type and wear bracelets in their wrists and Mundri in the fingers. RELIGION— Saini/Mali/Kushwaha’s and their subcastes follow Hindu religion and beliefs and rituals. In rural areas, community bhajan singing at the village chaupals in the night with the accompaniment of harmonium (peti) mridang, tabala, dholak-manjire, mandal, zanch, kundi, thali, payli and dhak, etc., is the most common amusement. LANGUAGE— Mali/Kushwaha and subcastes speak different dialects of Hindi—such as Malwi,Bundeli,Nimadi ,Bagheli and Chattisgari depending on different regions. Marathi is also spoken by Mali community residing in the southern Malwa region which borders Maharashtra and this region is called as Nimar region. BIRTH--The birth of a male child in a family is regarded as the fulfillment of an obligation due to ancestors. The annoucement is made by beating a thali (metal dish). Songs are sung by the womenfolk and sweets are distributed among them. On the ninth or the eleventh day after the child's birth, the sun god is worshipped by the mother and the child is brought out to see its rays. The rituals is called Suraj Puja. If it is a male child, conventional designs symbolising the foot mark of the child and toys etc called Paglia, are drawn on a piece of paper and sent through a village barber to the nearest kins living in other villages as a mark of good news and in return the barber brings back clothes and ornaments for the mother and the newly born child. DEATH--The dead bodies are generally cremated. In case of unnatural death the corpse is buried. The cremation takes place by the stream and the ashes are submerged in sacred waters. The death of an elderly person is mourned by all the relatives. The close ones are expected to show extra respect to the dead by shaving off their heads. Fire to the funeral pyre is given by the dead man's son or by some elder person of the family. On the pyre ghee is poured during the burning process of the corpse as a rite intended for removing the death pollution. Usually on the thirteenth day following the cremation, final oblations are offered to the dead and the house is cleaned with cow-dung as a mark of restoration of normal routine in the family. The practice of death-dinner called Nukta is an important custom observed by almost all classes in Madhya Pradesh on this day with minor variation. MARRIAGE---Marriage within an endogamous group is performed with a view to keep racial party. Violation of this rule often results into excommunication in many castes living in villages. Exogamy is permitted but it is always a complicated matter to find out a match outside one's own kin group. A village is usually treated as an exogamous unit from where girls may be selected. Among the same gotra, marriage is not strictly prohibited in the agricultural communities of central Madhya Pradesh. The gotra is understood to be a wider link that a clan maintains. Within the same link there is always another close link of gotra in which marriage relation is not permissible. Two brothers could marry two sisters or giving and taking could be done by mutual arrangement, by a brother and sister marrying a pair of sibling. The orthodox section of the Hindu communities follows the Vedic system of marriage. Divorce and remarriage are acceptable. FESTIVALS, DANCE AND SONG--- Vasant Pnchmi, Maha Shivaratri, Holi, Ramnavmi, Raksha-Bandhan, Nag-Panchmi, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Anant Chaturdashi, Sarva Pitri Amavsya, dusshera, Deepawali, Dol Gyaras, Hanuman Jayanti, etc., are celeberated with great religious zeal and enthusiasm by the Hindus Shradha Paksha (fortnight) is celeberated from poornima of Bhadra to amavasya Kunwar. SWANG is the folk dance-drama of Malwa which incorporates nakal /mimicry accompneid by song and dialouges.Sati songs of Malwa are a reflection of sadness. Kabir Sakhis are also very popular in Malwa region. FOOD----Wheat, Jowar and maize form the staple food of the Kacchi/Mali/ Kushwaha peasantry both in the rural and urban areas. Arahar dal is taken along with roti. In the evening, rabdi (ghat or thuli) of maize is relished. It is prepared by boiling maize-thuli together with chhachh (butter-milk). Chhattisgarh – includes districts of Bastar, Durg, Raigarh, Raipur, Rajnandgaon and Surguja etc. and has 90 state assembly seats. This region is tribal region and tribals constitute 45% of the population. Mali caste constitute 5% of the population while Ahirs are !5%., Kewats 5% and kurmis 5%. Famous personalities of the community— Mr. Bhoya Ram Chaudhary Marar – Congress leader from Barghat Mr. Jaideep Marar---Journalist, Indore Journalist Mr.Rajesh Mali—Ratlam Ravi Kumar Marar—Kot ghora Assembly of Chhatisgarh Mr. Sone Ram Kushwaha—BJP MLA from Jaora Mr.Sukh Lal Kushwaha- Former Satna MP and leader of Samta Party who defeated Arjun Singh and Mr. Saklecha(former CM’s) Mr. Narain Singh Kushwaha—Fisheries Minister from Bhind Sh. Narendra Kushwaha – District BJP president—Bhind Mr. Brij Mohan Kushwaha –OBC leader from Khajuraho Mr. Lal Singh Kushwaha—Attair Mr. Shankar Mali—Takhatpur Mr. Badri Parsad Kushwaha--Rewa Ms. Sadhna Kushwaha—Gurh seat Mr. Narayan Singh Kushwaha—Lashkar west Mr. Ramuram Maurya--Chitrakoot |
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