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Rajasthan is thickly populated in Bharatpur area in the east and sparsely
populated tracts with a density as low as about four people per square
kilometer in Jaisalmer in the extreme west.
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Courtesy
for Picture
Konstantin
Novakovic
Serbia
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Rajasthan is the region of the proud Rajputs
who are generally regarded as the personification of Chivalry and whose
exploits and bravery in battle are legendary. Rajputs are Scythian descent-
a stock which moved out from the Caucasus in Central Asia towards
the Indus Valley on the one side and the Germanic parts of Europe on the
other.
In 'Rajasthan Ki Jatiyan' written by Bajranglal Lohia,
according to 1891 census report the society in Rajasthan is divided into
castes, sub-castes and group under eight broad heads. The martial Rajputs
not only belong to the well-known clans such as the Sisodias, Rathors,
Chauhans, Kachawahas, Bhattis, Panwars and Solankis but have-off-shoots
known as Musalman Rajputs or 'Musalman Sipahis'. The Bhatti Rajputs who
were forced to embrace Islam between 1193 and 1684 were called Sindhi
Sipahis and the Chauhans who were subjected to this conversion around
1383 formed the sizeable group called Kaimrhani in the Shekhawati and
Nagaur areas.
Besides the Rajputs and the Musalmans, western region
of the state enumerates at least 34 castes and sub-castes of Brahmins
and seven interesting groups under the head 'Bards and other communities'
among them being the Charan - the friend, philosopher and guide of the
Rajput and the Bhat, who maintains the family tree and other chronological
records of his patrons.
Rajasthan has eight, communities classified as 'writers
and chroniclers'. They are Kayasthas, Khatris, Orwals, Mohnots, Bhandaris,
Singhis, Lodhas and Mohatas, whose members are in the field of business,
industry and administration.
The seven communities namely the Dholi, Dhadhi,
Hinjara, Jagri-Patur, Bhagtan, Kalawat and Bhand are grouped under 'Minstrels
and Instrument Players'. Among these the Hinjaras, Kalawats and Bhands
are entertainers, jokers and festers.
The trading and business communities generally called
Marwaris include the Mahajans, Sarawagis, Porals, Shrimals, Shrishrimals,
Agarwals, Maheswaaris, Vijayvargias, Sunlas, Bohres, Pheriwalas, Baldias
and Lohias. Carpenters, barbers, tailors,
black-smith, utensil makers, cloth-printers, dyers and tiers, patwaris,
weavers, washer men, potters, cobblers sweepers, stone-dressers, nats,
sansis, badris and scores of other workers, all belong to the artisan
community. |
