Chasa is a community from the Indian state of
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
. Chasas were traditionally cultivators but are now engaged in several professions. The
Odia word ''chasa'' means farmer. They are third largest caste by population in Odisha.
History
The Orh/Oda Chasas claim that they were the first tribe to settle in Odisha, and that they began to cultivate the land. They claim that Odisha is named after them.
They are classified as
Shudra
Shudra or ''Shoodra'' (Sanskrit: ') is one of the four '' varnas'' of the Hindu caste system and social order in ancient India. Various sources translate it into English as a caste, or alternatively as a social class. Theoretically, class ser ...
in the
Hindu caste system
The caste system in India is the paradigmatic ethnographic example of classification of castes. It has its origins in ancient India, and was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern India, especially the Mug ...
. The association between Chasas and their occupation of manual labour (ploughing) was used to stigmatize the Chasas and distinguish them from the upper castes as late as the early 19th century. "''Chasa''" was considered to be a "generic derogatory term for cultivators", in contrast to the ''sabhya bhabya Gan'' "sophisticated people".
Around the turn of the 20th century, Chasas were small farmers and marginal
raiyats.
In modern day Odisha, the Chasas are among the dominant castes in most villages, and are landowners and economically powerful.
Classification
Chasas are classified under
OBC category in Odisha, where Odapadhan a subdivision of Chasa caste are belongs to SEBC category. Risley notes that, since the caste system is not practiced as per the Varna model he was idolizing, it was possible for outsiders to become Chasas, and wealthy Chasas who took up the title
Mohanty could marry into
Karana families. Some wealthy Chasas began identifying as
Khandayats. The Chasas are ranked into four subcastes: Benatya, oda/odra,Chukuliya, and Sukuliya. The Benatyas are the highest in rank, and the Chukuliya is the lowest in rank.
According to Risley's 1901 study, the Chasa's were a low caste and did not eat
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...
,
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
, or
fowl
Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together ...
. They were usually served by degraded
Brahmins
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
,
Dhobas, and rarely a Napit.
People
*
Sarala Dasa
Sarala Dasa (born as Siddheswara Parida) was a 15th-century poet and scholar of Odia literature. Best known for three Odia books — ''Mahabharata'', ''Vilanka Ramayana'' and ''Chandi Purana'' — he was the first scholar to write in Odia and his ...
, 15th century Odia poet
References
{{Reflist
External links
*http://www.bcmbcmw.tn.gov.in/obc/faq/orrisa.pdf
Indian castes
Social groups of Odisha