Pod (caste)
Poundra is a Dalit community from West Bengal. They are called ''Purno'' in North Bengal, ''Pod'' and ''Padmaraja'' in South Bengal, and ''Baleya'' in Medinipur and Baleshwar. They find the name ''Pod'' offensive. Their population was around two and a half million in 2011. As per census of India 2001, their overall literacy rate was 72 % - male 83% and female 59%. Their main subcastes are or used to be, the Chasi Poundra, the Mecho Poundra, the Tanti Poundra and the Dhamna Poundra. The differentiation between seems to have its origin in the occupations. They are divided in a number of ''gotras''. History Medieval Bengal No mention is found in the Bṛhaddharma Upapuraṇa (c. 13th century), which remains the earliest document to chronicle a hierarchy of castes in Bengal. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana, notable for a very late Bengali recension c. 14/15th century, notes "Paundrakas" to be the son of a Vaisya father and Sundini mother but it is unknown if the groups are connect ...
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Dalit
Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold Varna (Hinduism), varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming a avarna, fifth varna, also known by the name of ''Panchama''. Dalits now profess various religious beliefs, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam. Scheduled Castes is the official term for Dalits as per the Constitution of India. History The term ''Dalit'' is a self-applied concept for those called the "untouchables" and others that were outside of the traditional Hindu caste hierarchy. Economist and reformer B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) said that untouchability came into Indian society around 400 CE, due to the struggle for supremacy between Buddhism and Historical Vedic religion, Brahmanism (an ancient term for Brahmanical Hinduism). Some Hindu priests befriended untouchables ...
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