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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.
Tribes
Two prominent scheduled Tribes of this region are the Bhils and the
Meenas.
The total population is about 31,25,506 of the Scheduled Tribes in the State.
The Bhils are mostly concentrated in the hill-locked districts of Udaipur,
Dungarpur and Banswara while the Meenas are settled mainly in the Jaipur, Sawai-
Madhopur and Udaipur districts.
Other Scheduled Tribes are the Garasias and the
Sahrias. The Garasias are
concentrated in the Pali and Sirohi districts, while the Sahrias are limited to
a pocket of two tehsils in the Kota district.
The Bhils form the most significant tribal group in the State. The Most
undeveloped tribal group are the Sahrias. All the Scheduled Tribes of Rajasthan
are incorporated in the Hindu social order.
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