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Kumhar (or Kumbhara, Kubhara, Kumar, Kumor, Kubar, Khubar) is a caste or community in India. Kumhar literally means potter in Indian languages.

The Kumhar community is found throughout India and is found in both Hindu and Muslim religions. Depending upon the subgroup or region they are classified as both Other Backward Class and the Scheduled Caste.

Etymology

The Kumhars derive their name from the Sanskrit word Kumbhakar meaning earthen-pot maker. Dravidian languages also confirms to the same meaning of the term Kumbhakar.The term Bhande used as synonym for the Kumhar caste also means the Pot. The potters of Amritsar are called Kulal or Kalal, the term used in Yajurveda to denote the potter class.

Mythological origin

A section of Hindu Kumhars honorifically call themselves Prajapati after Vedic Prajapati, the Lord, who created the universe.

According to a legend prevalent among Kumhars

Once Brahma divided sugarcane among his sons and each of them ate his share, but the Kumhara who was greatly absorbed in his work, forgot to eat. The piece which he had kept near his clay lump struck root and soon grew into a sugarcane plant. A few days later, when Brahma asked his sons for sugarcane, none of them could give it to him, excepting the Kumhara who offered a full plant. Brahma was pleased by the devotion of the potter to his work and awarded him the title Prajapati.

There is an opinion that this is because of their traditional creative skills of pottery, they are regarded as Prajapati.

Divisions

The Potters are classified into Hindu and Muslim cultural groups. Among Hindus, inclusion of Artisan castes in Shudra Varna is indisputable. The potters belong to the Shudra group of artisans of Hindu society. They are further divided in to two groups-clean caste and unclean caste.

Among the Kumhars are groups such as the Gujrati Kumhar, Rana Kumhar, Lad and Telangi. They all, bear these names after different cultural linguistic zones or caste groups but are termed as one caste cluster.

Distribution in India

Chamba (Himanchal)

The Kumhars of Chamba are expert in making pitchers, Surahis, vessels, grain jars.toys for entertainment and earthen lamps. Some of these pots bear paintings and designs also.

Maharashtra (Maratha kumbhar)(Not to be confused with Maratha or Maratha Clan System)

Kumhars are found in Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Sholapur and Pune. They speak in Marathi among themselves but in Marathi as well as Hindi with outsiders. They use Devnagari script for communication. There are kumbhars who do not belong to Maratha clan lives in maharashtra and have occupation of making idols and pots. They are aware of the Hindu Varna heirarchy and consider themselves to be the Shudra, the lowest rank.

But never doccumented yet must not be ignored according common general beleifs and customs retained by Hierarchy, the Kumbhar community especially in Gujrat, Rajasthan, along with Western Maharashtra; is further divided into below sub-divisions, including 1.Maratha 2.Mathera 3.Kumavat 4.Marwara 5.Timiria 6.Mawalia 7.pandit 8.Sighatiya 9.sihota 10.Sunkdiwal 11.Shardiwal 12.Kirodiwal Each of these groups specialize in a particular form of earthwork. Especially in different districts of Maharashtra. Like in Raigad, Satara , Kolhapur, & Sangli the Kumbhar people are respected as Raje and given only status as Maratha to extent and limited to terminogoly, Actually there is no any connection with Prominent Maratha or Maratha Clan System to any extent because the Gotra or Mulpurush of this clan is Prajapati ("Daksha" not counted in Saptarishi named "Vashista", "Marichi", "Pulastya", "Pulaha", "Atri", "Angiras" and "Bhrigu" along with "Kasyapa formed 96 Kula Dharma by 12 Kula each.Those people are specially recognised and respected as being Maratha.) However to establish a Social and Socio-economic equality Maratha people offered their all privileges to certain Kumbhar community. Those privileges are to all extent except marriages and never been extended to transactions like marriages. They are prominently found in western Maharashtra and Konkan part of Maharashtra state. In western Maharashtra they are situated in districts Satara , Sangli, Kolhapur and In Konkan mainly Districts -Raigad, Ratnagiri. They are also present in Goa state in significant numbers. They were served for creation of Hindawi swarajya in the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Chhatrapati offered Jahangiri (award given by king in the form of Land) for their bravery. After foundation of Swarajya later on their families have started business like brick industries, making idols, and farming. Most of the Maratha Kumbhar have their surname as Kumbhar. In Western Maharastra their surnames are Kumbhar, Raje, Shirke, Patil, Jadhav, whilst in Konkan , their Surnames are mostly derived from their village name. In Konkan side their surnames are Kumbhar, Salvi and derived from village name.Their family businesses differ in different districts of Maharashtra. Like in Raigad, some part of Navi Mumbai Maratha Kumbhar make ganesh idols as "Ganesh Ustav" is the big festivel celebrated in Raigad and Mumbai, also in Konkan side. Pen Ganesh idols are famous all over Maharashtra. Apart from this Konkan Maratha Kumbhar also involved in farming and brick manufacturing. In Western Maharashtra district Maratha Kumbhar are usually involved in brick manufacture and farming. Kumbhars in Gujarat There are sub-caste in Gujarati Kumbhar like Prajapati Kumbhar, Variya kumbhar, Vataliya kumbhar, [[Kadiya kumbhar, Sorathiya kumbhar

Madhya Pradesh

Hathretie and Chakretie (or Challakad) Kumhars are found in Madhya Pradesh. Hathretie Kumhars are called so because they traditionally moved the "chak" (potter's wheel) by hands ("hath"). Gola is a common surname among Kumhars in Madhya Pradesh

Chhattisgarh

The Jharia or Rewa Kumhars, Chakradhari, Chaklautiya, Goria and Kosaria Kumhars are noteworthy in Jharkhand.

Rajasthan

In Rajasthan, Kumhars (Also known as Prajapat) have six sub-groups namely Mathera, Kumavat, Kheteri, Marwara, Timria and Mawalia. In the social hierarchy of Rajasthan, they are placed in the middle of the higher castes and the Harijans. They follow endogamy with clan exogamy.

Orissa and Bengal

In Bengal Kumhars are one among the ceremonially pure castes.The Jagannathia Kumhars of Orissa, who provide vessels for the rice distribution in Jagannath temple, have much higher rank in the society than the Kumhars of Central India.

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

The classification of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is same. The Kanaujia Kumhars are fairly respected in the society. They are called Pandit, but are distinct and different from Brahmins.The Magahiya Kumhars are treated little inferior to the Kanaujias and the Turkaha (Gadhere) Kumhars rank with untouchables.

See also

• Shorgir

References

1. ^ Saraswati, Baidyanath (1979). Pottery-Making Cultures And Indian Civilization. Abhinav Publications. pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-81-7017-091-4. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
2. ^ Khan, I. A. (2004). "Kumbhar/Kumhar". In Bhanu, B. V. (ed.). People of India: Maharashtra, Part 2. Popular Prakashan. pp. 1175–1176. ISBN 978-8-17991-101-3. Cite error: The named reference "B. V. Bhanu" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
3. ^ Natrajan, Balmurli (2011). The Culturalization of Caste in India: Identity and Inequality in a Multicultural Age. Routledge. p. 2.1. ISBN 978-1-13664-756-7.
4. ^ Mandal, S. K. (1998). "Kumhar/Kumbhar". In Singh, Kumar Suresh (ed.). People of India: Rajasthan. Popular Prakashan. pp. 565–566. ISBN 978-8-17154-769-2.
5. ^ Bhāratī, Ke. Āra (2001). Chamba Himalaya: Amazing Land, Unique Culture. Indus Publishing. p. 178. ISBN 978-8-17387-125-2.
6. Saraswati, Baidyanath (1979). Pottery-Making Cultures And Indian Civilization. Abhinav Publications. p. 48. ISBN 978-81-7017-091-4. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
7. Vidyarthi, Lalita Prasad (1976). Rise of Anthropology in India. Concept Publishing Company. p. 293.
8. Saraswati Baidyanath (1 January 1979). Pottery-Making Cultures And Indian Civilization. Abhinav Publications. p. 46. ISBN 978-81-7017-091-4. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
9. B. V. Bhanu, Contributors-Kumar Suresh Singh, B. V. Mehta, Anthropological Survey of India (2004). People of India: Maharashtra, Part 2. Popular Prakashan,. pp. 1175, 1176. ISBN 9788179911013. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
10. "The Kumhars of Gwalior". Archived from ग्वालियर के प्रजापती%5d the original on 23 March 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
11. Saraswati, Baidyanath (1979). Pottery-Making Cultures And Indian Civilization. Abhinav Publications. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-81-7017-091-4. Retrieved 6 April 2013.

External links

• Articles to be merged from February 2015
• Use dmy dates from March 2013
• Prajapati clans
• Kumhar
• Social groups of Rajasthan
• Social groups of Uttar Pradesh
• Social groups of Bihar
• Social groups of Gujarat
• Social groups of Maharashtra
• Social groups of Madhya Pradesh
• Social groups of Punjab, India
• Social groups of Haryana
• Hindu communities