Kudmi Mahato

The Kudmi[lower-alpha 1] are a community in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar of India. They were primarily agriculturalist. .[1]

Not to be confused with the Kurmi of Bihar.
Kudmi Mahato
Mahato, Kudmi
LanguagesNative language- Kurmali
Secondary language- Hindi, Odia, Bengali
CountryIndia
Populated statesJharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar state
StatusOBC

About

The Kudmi people are a tribal community indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, primarily found in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha. They have a rich cultural heritage and a history of resistance against exploitation and oppression. The Kudmis have a strong tradition of oral storytelling, music, and dance. They have a vibrant and colorful culture, with many festivals and ceremonies throughout the year. The Kudmis are known for their distinctive musical instruments, such as the dhol drum and the flute, as well as their folk songs and dances. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the Kudmi people, and they also engage in activities such as weaving, pottery, and other handicrafts. Despite their rich cultural heritage, the Kudmis have faced many challenges in modern times, including displacement from their ancestral lands, loss of their traditional way of life, and poverty. In recent years, there has been increased efforts to preserve and promote the Kudmi culture, through initiatives such as cultural festivals, museum exhibitions, and educational programs. These efforts aim to raise awareness about the unique and valuable cultural traditions of the Kudmi people and to ensure their survival for future generations.

Classification

Kudmi were classified as a Notified Tribe by the British Raj under the terms of the Indian Succession Act introduced in 1865 as they have customary rules of succession.[2] Subsequently, in 1913, they were classified as a Primitive tribe. Then they were omitted from the list of communities listed as tribes in the 1931 census.[3] Again, they were omitted from the Scheduled Tribe list drawn up in 1950. In 2004, the Government of Jharkhand recommended that they should be listed as a Scheduled Tribe rather than Other Backward Class.[4] The Tribal Research Institute of Government of India recommended against this proposal, claiming they are a sub-caste of the Kunbi and thus different to tribal people.[5][6] Therefore, In 2015, the Government of India refused to approve the recommendation of Jharkhand government to list the Kudmi Mahato as Schedule Tribe. They are included in the list of Other Backward Class in the States of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.[7][6]

Culture

The traditional occupation of Kudmi is agriculture. The language of Kudmi is Kurmali. The Kudmi people once spoke a distinct language, neither Munda nor Dravidian but also not Indo-Aryan, and at some point switched to the regional Indo-Aryan lingua franca of that time, leaving a distinct substrate in their New Language.[8][9] The Kudmis are divided into six divisions. Paribar (family) is the smallest unit. A group of Paribar of same Gusti (Totem/Clan) living in a place is known as Bakhail/Bakhair (unilineage settlement). The members of some Paribars or Bakhair settled in a locality is known as Kulhi. A group of Kulhi with a separate geographical area, burial ground, agricultural field, grazing land and Akhra forms a Gram (village). Traditionally, a village headman is known as Mahato. A group of twelve village form a Pargana headed by Parganadar who solves all the inter village dispute. A group of Paragans forms a Thapal controlled by Deshmandal. Kudmi are divided into 81 totems called Gusti. Some totems are Bakuar, Bansiar, Chiluar, Dumriar, Katiar, Hindoiar, Musuar, Naguar, Sankhuar etc.[6]

Tusu, Chait Parab, Jitia, Karam, Bandna are the major festival of Kudmi. They worship Garamdevata at gramthan and Goroiya in Bandna. Jhumar and Chhau are their folk dance.[10][11]

Notable people

See also

Notes
  1. The synonym of Kudmi are Kurmi, Kurma Chasa, Kudumi, Kurma, Kurmi Mahto, Kurmi Khetriya, Kurumi, Kudumi Kshyatriya, Kurum

References
  1. Kurmi Mahatos in India joshuaproject.net. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  2. "Inheritance Law of Kurmi Mahto of Chotanagpur and Orissa". The Tribes and castes of Bengal by Risley Herbert Hope.
  3. Lalan Tiwari (1995). Issues in Indian Politics. Mittal. p. 340. ISBN 9788170996187.
  4. Deogharia, Jaideep (25 November 2004). "Cabinet recommends inclusion of Kudmis in ST list". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. Singh, Ronit Kumar (2022-09-22). "Kurmi Community Continues 'Rail Roko' Protest Over Demand For ST Status, Train Services Affected". thelogicalindian.com. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  6. "कुरमी को ST का दर्जा तभी, जब TRI अनुशंसा करे, लेकिन रिसर्च वाला ही कोई नहीं है". www.bhaskar.com.
  7. "Kurmis in tribal status cry". telegraphindia.
  8. Paudyal, Netra P.; Peterson, John (2020-09-01). "How one language became four: the impact of different contact-scenarios between "Sadani" and the tribal languages of Jharkhand". Journal of South Asian Languages and Linguistics. 7 (2): 327–358. doi:10.1515/jsall-2021-2028. ISSN 2196-0771. S2CID 233732014.
  9. KIRITI MAHATO (2022-07-22). Sindhu Sabhyatar Bhasha O Kudmali.
  10. Paty, Chittaranjan Kumar (2007). Forest, Government, and Tribe. ISBN 9788180694066.
  11. "Bandana Festival Of Kudmis Of Eastern India". etribaltribune.

Sources
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