The Nagpuria people, also Nagpuri or Sadan, are an Indo-Aryan speaking
ethnolinguistic group
An ethnolinguistic group (or ethno-linguistic group) is a group that is unified by both a common ethnicity and language. Most ethnic groups share a first language. However, "ethnolinguistic" is often used to emphasise that language is a major ba ...
who are the native speakers of the
Nagpuri language
Nagpuri (also known as Sadri) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar. It is primarily spoken in the west and central Chota Nagpur plateau region. It is sometimes considered a dialec ...
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
,
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
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 ...
.
Names
The native speakers of the Sadani/Nagpuri language are known as ''Sadan''. In the Nagpuri language, ''Sadan'' means settled people or those people who live in houses. In Nagpuri, the house pigeon is called ''Sad perwa'' and the forest pigeon is called ''Ban perwa''. Similarly, Sadan people are the people who live in houses as opposed to living in the forest. The word ''Sadan'' was used on the estate of Nagvanshi, king of Chotanagpur. During the British Period, local hindus were referred to as Sudh or Sudhan in Chotanagpur. The concept of Sadan emerged during the reign of Nagvanshis and the language of the region got the name of Nagpuri.
The speakers of the Khortha,
Panchpargania
Kurmali or Kudmali (ISO: Kuṛmāli) is an Indo-Aryan language classified as belonging to the Bihari group of languages spoken in eastern India. As a trade dialect, it is also known as Panchpargania ( Bengali: পঞ্চপরগনিয় ...
and
Kurmali language
Kurmali or Kudmali ( ISO: Kuṛmāli) is an Indo-Aryan language classified as belonging to the Bihari group of languages spoken in eastern India. As a trade dialect, it is also known as Panchpargania (Bengali: পঞ্চপরগনিয় ...
s are also known as Sadan. According to Peter Shanti Naurangi (1956), the word ''Sadan'' probably derives from
Nishada
Nishada (') is a tribe mentioned in ancient Indian literature (such as the epic ''Mahabharata''). The ancient texts mention several kingdoms ruled by this tribe. In the Mahabharata, the Nishadas are described as hunters, fishermen, mountaineers o ...
, referring to an ethnic group of North India. According to
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari, popularly known as Dr BP Keshari, was an educationist and writer. He was a prominent leader in the movement for a separate state, Jharkhand.
Life Early life
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari was born in Pithoria in Ranchi dist ...
, the original form of these languages must have developed in different Nagjati.
In literary tradition, the language is known as Nagpuri. The speakers of the Nagpuri language are locally known as ''Nagpuria'' or ''Nagpuria samaj''. They are also known as ''Nagpuri'' or ''Napuri samaj''. The Nagpuri community is a heterogeneous group with an amalgamation of various castes with diverse occupations, origins, history, customs and values who share common language, music tradition, oral and written literature.
History
It is assumed that the Sadan people first brought the Indo-Aryan languages to the Chotanagpur plateau. There is not any fixed date of arrival of Sadan in Chota Nagpur. Probably, Sadan arrived in Chota Nagpur sometime after Aryan came to South Asia. According to the Anthropologist, Sadans are of Aryan origin and their culture, such as festivals and cuisine, are similar to tribal people due to residing with the tribals. According to scholars, small numbers of
Austro-Asiatic language
The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family in Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. These languages are scattered throughout parts of Thailand, Laos, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and southern China and are t ...
speakers adopted Indo-Aryan languages and culture.
Proto historic era
Stone tools and
microlith
A microlith is a small stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. They were made by humans from around 35,000 to 3,000 years ago, across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Th ...
s were discovered from the Chota Nagpur plateau region, which are from the Mesolithic period. Flake tools, arrowheads, celts have been found which are from the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...
period. During the 2nd millennium BC, the use of Cooper tools had spread in the Chotanagpur plateau region and these find-complexes known as Copper Hoard culture associated with
Ochre Coloured Pottery culture
The Ochre Coloured Pottery culture (OCP) is a Bronze Age culture of the Indo-Gangetic Plain "generally dated 2000–1500 BCE," extending from eastern Punjab to northeastern Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh.
Artefacts of this culture show ...
. According to many historians, the Copper hoard people were early Indo-Aryan speakers, who came to South Asia earlier than
Vedic Aryan
The Vedic period, or the Vedic age (), is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature, including the Vedas (ca. 1300–900 BCE), was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent, betwe ...
and spread farther to the East. According to the Jharkhand Co-ordination committee (1989), Sadan people are the early Aryan people (Early Indo-Aryan language speakers) and differ from other Aryan people as Sadan strictly didn't follow Brahmincal practices.
Various copper hoard artifacts were discovered in Chotanagpur, such as copper ornaments, celts, axes, axe ingots, vessels, toys, anklets, bracelets, chains, magical figures of man and woman which are from the transition period from the Neolithic to the
Chalcolithic period
The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...
. Also, bronze artifacts such as cups, ear rings, anklets and bracelets were discovered. These things were discovered in places such as
Namkum
Namkum is a community development block (CD block) forming an administrative division in the Ranchi Sadar subdivision of Ranchi district in the state of Jharkhand.
Geography
Namkum is located at 23°21'N 85°22'E.
Namkum CD block is locate ...
, Bero in Ranchi. The copper axe ingots were discovered from
Kamdara
Kamdara is a village in the Kamdara CD block in the Basia subdivision of the Gumla district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Geography
Location
Kamdara is located at
Area overview
The map alongside presents ...
,
Basia
Barbara Stanisława Trzetrzelewska (Polish: , born 30 September 1954), better known as Basia, is a Polish singer-songwriter and recording artist noted for her Latin-inspired jazz-pop music. She began singing professionally in various Polish ban ...
, now in
Gumla district
Gumla district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Gumla town is the administrative headquarters of this district.
Etymology
For centuries, the place was a meeting center for people from the hinterland who flocked ...
Palamu district
Palamu district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India. It was formed in 1892. The administrative headquarter of the district is Medininagar (formerly DaltonGanj), situated on the Koel River.
History
The Palamu district h ...
(Now
Latehar
Latehar is a town which is a headquarter of Latehar district of Jharkhand state, it is known for its natural environment, forest, forest products and mineral deposits. Latehar remained a part of Palamau District as a sub division since 1924. ...
) in 1915.
The use of iron tools, pottery spread in the region during 1400 to 800 BCE according to carbon dating of iron slag, sickle and wheel made pottery which was found in Barudih of
Singhbhum district
Singhbhum was a district of India during the British Raj, part of the Chota Nagpur Division of the Bengal Presidency. It was located in the present-day Indian state of Jharkhand. Chaibasa was the district headquarters. Located in the southern li ...
. The Iron celt was dated to 1200 BCE.
Ancient period
During the 4th Century BCE, the region was ruled by the Nanda Empire.
In the Mauryan period, this region was ruled by a number of states, which were collectively known as the Atavika (forest) states. These states accepted the suzerainty of the Maurya empire during
Ashoka
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
's reign (c. 232 BCE). The ancient sites of
Saridkel
Saridkel is an ancient site located in the khunti district of Jharkhand. There are ancient ruins of burnt brick houses found on the site along with redware pottery, copper tools, coins, gold earrings and iron tools. Well fortified buildings sugges ...
in present
Khunti district
Khunti district is one of the twenty-four districts in South Chotanagpur division of the Indian state of Jharkhand. The district of Khunti was carved out of Ranchi district on 12 September 2007. , it is the second least populous district of Jhar ...
exhibited burnt brick houses, copper hooks, rods, Kushan copper coins, gold earrings, iron arrow heads, ploughshares etc. This suggests Kushan influence in the region. The Brahmi inscription is also found in Saridkel which is from 3rd century BCE. Excavation at sites Kunjala exhibited redware pottery with coarse fabrics. Excavation at Urn burial site of Khuntitola exhibited redware pottery with coarse fabrics, copper and iron tools.
Ramgarh Raj
Ramgarh Raj was the major ''Zamindari'' estate in the era of the British Raj in the former Indian province of Bihar.
Territories which comprised the Ramgarh Raj presently constitute districts of Ramgarh, Hazaribagh,
Chatra, Giridih, Kode ...
ruled in the region. Nagvanshi king Gajghat Rai built Mahamaya temple in Vikram samvat 965 (908 CE) in Hapamuni village in
Gumla district
Gumla district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Gumla town is the administrative headquarters of this district.
Etymology
For centuries, the place was a meeting center for people from the hinterland who flocked ...
. During the 12th century, Nagvanshi king Bhim Karn shifted his capital to
Khukhragarh
Khukhragarh was one of the capitals of Nagvanshi dynasty, who once ruled in parts of the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is located in the Bero block in the Ranchi Sadar subdivision of Ranchi district.
Geography
History
Nagvanshi ruler Bhim Karn ...
Surguja
Surguja district is a district of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. The district is one of the oldest districts of Chhattisgarh. The headquarters of the district is Ambikapur.
The district lies in its eponymous Surguja dialectal region (where ...
when they invaded the region. Then Bhim Karn captured territory as far as Surguja and Palamu.
The Brahmanda Purana (c.400 CE - c.1000 CE) mention Nagvanshi as Naga king of ''Sankha dwip''. It gives descriptions of five ''dwips'' i.e. land. It includes the ''Sankha dwip'' where the
Sankh river
The Sankh River flows across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha states in India. The river flows for before it meets the Koel River in Odisha.
Course
The river starts above sea level in Lupungpat village in Gumla district in Jharkhand and f ...
flows from the hill near the kingdom of the Naga King (Nagvanshi), where precious stones are found.
Modern period
In 1585, during the reign of the Nagvanshi king Madhu Karn, the Mughals invaded Khukhragarh, then the Nagvanshi ruler became vassal of Mughals. Durjan Shah built Navratangarh after release from Mughal captivity. His successor
Ram Shah
Ram Shah ( ne, राम शाह; reign before 16061636) was the king of the Gorkha Kingdom (present-day Gorkha District, Nepal). He was the son of King of Gorkha Purna Shah and brother of Chatra Shah. He acceded in the throne in c. 1606 after ...
built Kapilnath Temple in 1643. Raghunath Shah built several temples during his reign. He is the first known poet of the Nagpuri language.
The King of Barkagarh, Thakur
Ani Nath Shahdeo
Ani Nath Shahdeo was Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur, Nagvanshi king in 17th century. He was king of Barkagarh estate. He founded his capital at Satrangi near Subarnarekha River, Subarnarekha river. He built Jagannath Temple, Ranchi, Jagannath temple in ...
, built
Jagannath temple
The Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu - one of the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism. Puri is in the state of Odisha, on the eastern coast of India. The present temple was rebuilt f ...
in 1691. Nagvanshis were independent during weak Mughal rule. Maninath Shah (1748-1762) consolidated his authority in Chotanagpur by conquering the neighbouring small kingdoms of
Bundu
Bundu may refer to:
* Bundu (state), a former state in what is now Senegal
* Also known as the place where Aditya Kumar (BE/10023/12) was born and brought up
* Bundu, India, a town in Jharkhand, India
** Bundu block, the larger administrative u ...
,
Silli
Silli is a village in the Silli CD block in the Ranchi Sadar subdivision of the Ranchi district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Geography
Location
Silli is located at .
The Subarnarekha River forms the boundary with Purulia district in We ...
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
got rights to collect taxes from Bihar and Bengal territory. Due to conflict with the tribes of Singhbhum and Ramgarh Raj, Dripnath Shah became tributary to the East India Company. Due to tax impositions by the British East India Company, various rebellions occurred. During the reign of Govind Nath Shah, a rebellion occurred in Nawagarh led by Jagirdar Baidhnath Shah. Later,
Bakhtar Say
Bakhtar Say was an Indian freedom fighter. He was Jagirdar of Basudev Kona. He had fought against East India Company force in 1812 along with Parganait of Pahar Panri Mundal Singh.
Early life
Bakhtar Say was born in Nawagarh in Raidih block of ...
Gumla
Gumla is a city which is the district headquarters in the Gumla subdivision of the Gumla district in the state of Jharkhand, India.
History
Gumla began as a hamlet. A week-long "Cow Fair" (''Gau-Mela'') took place every year, where items in d ...
, joined the rebelion and fought against the British East India Company in 1812 against tax impositions on farmers. The British hanged them in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
. Between 1831 and 1833, during the reign of Jagannath Shah Deo, the Kol uprising occurred due to the disposition of some Mankis in Sonepur Pargana and tribal Munda and Ho insurgents resorted in plundering and burning of houses of Sikh and Thikedars as well as villages of Sadans. This insurgency was suppressed by Thomas Wilkinson.
In 1854, the South West Frontier under the East India Company was renamed as Chota Nagpur Division. In the
1857 rebellion
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
,
Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo
Vishwanath Shahdeo (12 August 1817 – 16 April 1858) was the king of the Barkagarh estate and a rebel in the Indian rebellion of 1857. In 1955, he declared himself independent and defeated British forces in Hatia. He led rebels of Ramgarh Batt ...
and
Pandey Ganpat Rai
Pandey Ganpat Rai (1809-1858) was a revolutionary and rebel leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and a chieftain in Lohardaga district of Bihar (now a part of Jharkhand).
Early life
He was born on January 17, 1809 in Bhounro village of Lohar ...
led rebels against the British East India Company. Tikait Umrao Singh, Sheikh Bhikhari, Nadir Ali, Jai Mangal Singh played pivotal role in Indian Rebellion of 1857.
After the Indian Rebellion of 1857,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
directly ruled the territory ruled by the British East India Company. In 1912, Chota Nagpur Division became part of
Bihar and Orissa Province
Bihar and Orissa was a province of British India, which included the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. The territories were conquered by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries, and were governed by the then Indian C ...
. In 1936,
Orissa Province
Orissa Province was a province of British India created in April 1936 by the partitioning of the Bihar and Orissa Province. Its territory corresponds with the modern-day State of Odisha.
On 22 March 1912, both Bihar and Orissa divisions were ...
separated from the Bihar and Orissa Province on a linguistic basis and the remaining area became
Bihar Province
Bihar Province was a province of British India, created in 1936 by the partition of the Bihar and Orissa Province.
History
In 1756, Bihar was part of Bengal. On 14 October 1803, Orissa was occupied by the British Raj. On 22 March 1912, both Biha ...
.
Post Independence
In 1947, India became independent from British rule. The Bihar Province became Bihar state. There was a demand by the Christian tribals to create a separate state since the separation of Orissa Province. In the early period of demand, discussion against Dikku (non-tribals) was a common theme of meetings. The discrimination against non-tribals in the name of tribal unity led to distrust between tribals and Sadans. Most writers of movements put too much emphasis on tribal aspects of Jharkhand, which led to the tribal-Sadan divide. The
Jharkhand Party
The Jharkhand Party (JP) (Hindi:झापा ) is an oldest Political Party in India formed in the year of 5 March 1949 by Jaipal Singh Munda.Which grew out of the demand for a separate Jharkhand state.
Jharkhand Party participated in Electio ...
, led by Jaipal Singh Munda, submitted a memoir to the State reorganization commission in 1955 to form a separate state for tribes in south Bihar, but it got rejected due to lack of the common language in the region, tribes being in the minority, the hindi was the predominant language of the region and adverse effect on economy of Bihar. Later, in the demand for a separate Jharkhand state, regional languages and culture were given emphasis. Later, Sadan politicans, lawyers, writers as well as other non-tribals were also involved in creating a separate state, such as Lal Ranvijay Nath Shahdeo,
Binod Bihari Mahato
Binod Bihari Mahato (23 September 1923 – 18 December 1991) was an advocate and politician. He established Shivaji Samaj, a social reform organisation among the Kudumi Mahato people. He was the founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, established i ...
,
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari, popularly known as Dr BP Keshari, was an educationist and writer. He was a prominent leader in the movement for a separate state, Jharkhand.
Life Early life
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari was born in Pithoria in Ranchi dist ...
Ram Dayal Munda
Ram Dayal Munda (23 August 1939 – 30 September 2011), known as R. D. Munda, was an Indian scholar and regional music exponent. He was awarded the Padma Shri of the year 2010 for his contribution to the field of art.
He was a vice-chancellor ...
, B. P. Keshri, Binod Bihari Mahato, Santosh Rana and Suraj Singh Besra formed and sent a memoir to form the separate Jharkhand state to the central government in 1989. The Centre government recommended forming Jharkhand Autonomous Council in 1989. In 1988, the BJP also wanted to create the Vanachal state in the region and promised to create a separate state in the election of 1998. Then, after winning the election in the region, it decided to form a new state.
In November 2000, the new states of Chhattisgarh and
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
separated from Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, respectively.
According to the President of the Sadan organization, '' Mulvasi Sadan Morcha'' Rajendra Prasad, Sadan people have no reservations, so they are marginalized in their own state and the government of Jharkhand has decepted Sadan.
Communities
Various Sadan communities or Jati in Chota Nagpur Plateau speak the Nagpuri language, including the Ahir, Bhuiya,
Binjhia
The Binjhia (also known as Binjhoa, Binjhawar) is an ethnic group found in Odisha and Jharkhand. The 2011 census showed their population to be around 25,835. They are classified as a Scheduled Tribe by the Indian government.
Etymology
Accordi ...
,
Bhogta
The Bhogta (also known as Ganjhu, Pradhan) is an agricultural community, primarily inhabiting in the state of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. They speak Sadri language as mother tongue except Bhogta of West Bengal, who are adopted Bengali as ...
,
Brahmin
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 (gur ...
Jhora
Jhora is a caste found in the states of Jharkhand, Chhatishgarh and Odisha in India. Their traditional occupation was fishing and boating.
History
The traditional occupation of Jhora caste was fishing, boating and farming. They found in district ...
/
Kewat
The Kewat, also spelled Kevat, is a Hindu caste, found in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India. They are the traditional boatmen of northern India.People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume ...
Kurmi
Kurmi is traditionally a non-elite tiller caste in the lower Gangetic plain of India, especially southern regions of Awadh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bihar. The Kurmis came to be known for their exceptional work ethic, superior til ...
,
Kumhar
Kumhar is a caste or community in India, Nepal and Pakistan. Kumhar have historically been associated with art of pottery.
Etymology
The Kumhars derive their name from the Sanskrit word ''Kumbhakar'' meaning earthen-pot maker. Dravidian la ...
,
Lohra Lohra may refer to:
* Lohra, Bihar, India
*Lohra, Germany
** Lohra (megalithic tomb), near Lohra, Germany
*Lohra (tribe)
Lohra is a community found in Jharkhand. They are traditionally associated with works of iron smelting.
History
Histrorian ...
/
Lohar
Lohar is a social group in India, Nepal and Pakistan. They are associated with iron smelting work. They form part of a loose grouping of traditionally artisanal castes known as Panchals.
Lohars worship Lord Vishwakarma and other Hindu gods and ...
Sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on o ...
,
Teli
Teli is a caste traditionally occupied in the pressing of oil in India, Nepal and Pakistan. Members may be either Hindu or Muslim; Muslim Teli are called Roshandaar or Teli Malik. The Jewish community of Maharashtra (called Bene Israel) was ...
and Turi among others.
According to scholars, Chik Baraik are considered the early Indo-Aryan language speaking settlers. The
Brahmin
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 (gur ...
s, who are also considered Sadan, migrated into the region during the reign of Nagvanshi and were employed as priests. According to the Nagvanshavali, Sakaldwipiya Brahmins were the priests of Nagvanshi. According to them, they have been staying in the region for a long time. According to the scholars, Brahmins migrated into the
Greater Magadha
Greater Magadha is a concept in studies of the early history of India. It is used to refer to the political and cultural sphere that developed in the lower Gangetic plains ( Johannes Bronkhorst defines the region to comprise modern day Bihar and e ...
region after the
later Vedic Period
Later may refer to:
* Future, the time after the present
Television
* ''Later'' (talk show), a 1988–2001 American talk show
* '' Later... with Jools Holland'', a British music programme since 1992
* ''The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts'', or ...
.Bronkorst, J; Greater Magadha: Studies in the Culture of Early India'' (2007), p. 3
All communities in Chotanagpur are known as Jati, whether caste or tribe. The words, caste and
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...
were started to use during British rule. The British enlisted Caste and tribe and enacted laws related to tribe and caste, such as the law of inheritance and land transfer. While some Sadan communities were listed as caste, some were as tribe. In 1936, many Sadan communities such as Bhogta, Bhuiya, Chik Baraik, Ghasi, Lohar, Mahli, Turi were included in the backward tribe list in Chota Nagpur Division of
Bihar Province
Bihar Province was a province of British India, created in 1936 by the partition of the Bihar and Orissa Province.
History
In 1756, Bihar was part of Bengal. On 14 October 1803, Orissa was occupied by the British Raj. On 22 March 1912, both Biha ...
. Later, some were delisted from the tribe list while some remained on the Scheduled Tribe list. Still, while some Sadan communities are on the list of
Other Backward Class
The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with General castes, ...
Lohra Lohra may refer to:
* Lohra, Bihar, India
*Lohra, Germany
** Lohra (megalithic tomb), near Lohra, Germany
*Lohra (tribe)
Lohra is a community found in Jharkhand. They are traditionally associated with works of iron smelting.
History
Histrorian ...
(Blacksmith) and Mahli (Bamboo workers) are listed as a
Scheduled Tribe
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
.
Lineages
There are several lineages found among Nagpuri speaking social groups. Marriage occurs between different lineages and is forbidden within the same lineage. Some lineages among some nagpuri speaking social groups such as Chik Baraik, Ghasi,
Lohra Lohra may refer to:
* Lohra, Bihar, India
*Lohra, Germany
** Lohra (megalithic tomb), near Lohra, Germany
*Lohra (tribe)
Lohra is a community found in Jharkhand. They are traditionally associated with works of iron smelting.
History
Histrorian ...
, Rautia are Baghel (tiger), Barha (boar), Bira (hawk), Dhan (rice), Hathi (elephant), Induar (eel), Kachhua (turtle), Kansi (Kans grass), Nag (cobra), Sand (bull), Sona (gold).
The other word used for lineage is '' Gotra'', which was a word initially used by the Brahmins. It was later adopted by other communities. Nagvanshi have '' Kashyap'' gotra. Kashyap gotra was adopted by many people during the 1st millennium CE as it was bestowed upon followers of non-vedic tradition and who had forgotten their gotra.
Culture
Nagpuri culture includes literature, festivals, folk song and dance.
Language and literature
Sadan people traditionally speak the Nagpuri language, also known as Sadani or Sadri. It is officially known as Nagpuri language in Jharkhand. The Nagpuri language is primarily spoken in the western and central Chota Nagpur plateau region. In addition to Sadan, it is also used as a link language between many tribal groups in the region. Nagpuri belongs to the Bihari group of
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily ...
. The evidence of writing in Nagpuri is found from the 17th century. The Nagvanshi king Raghunath Shah and the King of
Ramgarh
Ramgarh may refer to:
Bangladesh
* Ramgarh Upazila, a sub-district of Khagrachari District
India
* Ramgarh, Bihar, a village near Munger, Bihar
* Ramgarh, Kaimur, a town in Kaimur district, Bihar
* Ramgarh, Uttarakhand, a hill station in Nainital ...
Ghasi Ram Mahli
Ghasi Ram Mahli (17 January 1859 – 1937) was an Indian Nagpuri-language poet. He was a poet under the patronage of Nagvanshi Lal Thakur of Thakurgaon. He was the first poet of the Nagpuri language, whose book was published in 1911.
Early lif ...
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari, popularly known as Dr BP Keshari, was an educationist and writer. He was a prominent leader in the movement for a separate state, Jharkhand.
Life Early life
Bisheshwar Prasad Keshari was born in Pithoria in Ranchi dist ...
Teej
Teej ( ne, तीज, Tīja, translit-std=ISO) is the generic name for a number of Hindu festivals that are celebrated by women and girls. and welcome the monsoon season and are celebrated primarily by girls and women, with singing, dancing, ...
Nawakhani
Nawakhani is harvest festival of of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. In this festival people eat new grain of rice after harvesting.
Etymology
Nawakhani means ''eating new''. Nawa means ''New'' and Khani means ''eat''. It signify eating new g ...
,
Sohrai
Sohrai is a harvest festival of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. It also called cattle festival. It is celebrated after harvest and coincide with Govardhan Puja of Diwali festival. It is celebr ...
Navratri
Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is o ...
and Chhath. The Navratri festival was adopted by Nagvanshis in the 18th century. Before that, Nagvanshi were followers of the
Shaivism
Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...
tradition. Chhath is also not a traditional festival of Sadan but adopted later by some.
Folk music and dance
Some Nagpuri folk dances are , , , , , , , , etc. Paiki is a martial folk dance performed at weddings and functions. The musical instruments used in folk music and dance include
dhol
Dhol (IPA: ) can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan primarily includes nort ...
bansi
Bansi is a town and a municipal board in Siddharthnagar district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India
Bansi is situated on the bank of the Rapti River in Siddharthnagar District.
Geography
Bansi was located at the bank of the river Rapti at ...
shehnai
The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.khartal
Khartal is an ancient instrument mainly used in devotional / folk songs. It has derived its name from Sanskrit words ‘kara’ meaning hand and ‘tala’ meaning clapping. This wooden clapper is a Ghana Vadya which has discs or plates that pro ...
and Narsinhga.
Theth Nagpuri is a genre of typical Nagpuri music which is based on traditional ragas of folk songs such as
Jhumar, Pawas, Udasi and Fagua. It is connected to Nagpuri tradition.
Clothes
Traditional clothes of Sadan are
Dhoti
The dhoti, also known as veshti, vetti, dhuti, mardani, chaadra, dhotar, jaiñboh, panchey, is a type of sarong, tied in a manner that outwardly resembles "loose trousers". It is a lower garment forming part of the ethnic costume for men in the ...
,
Sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
,
Kurta
A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...
and Chadar. But in modern times, shirts, pants, coats are also used. The traditional ''Lal paad'' clothes have ritual value in marriage ceremonies. People wear them at traditional festivals and functions.
Marriage tradition
Some wedding rituals of the Nagpuri speaking social groups such as Chik Baraik are madwa, baraat, parghani, sindoordan, bidai etc. There are different songs for different wedding rituals.
Domkach
Domkach or Damkach is a folk dance of Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand. In Bihar, Domkach dance is performed in Mithila and Bhojpur regions. In Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. Wi ...
folk dance is performed during the weddings of Sadan. The musical instruments used in nagpuri wedding are nagara, dhak and
shehnai
The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.
Nawakhani
Nawakhani is harvest festival of of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. In this festival people eat new grain of rice after harvesting.
Etymology
Nawakhani means ''eating new''. Nawa means ''New'' and Khani means ''eat''. It signify eating new g ...
,
Sohrai
Sohrai is a harvest festival of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. It also called cattle festival. It is celebrated after harvest and coincide with Govardhan Puja of Diwali festival. It is celebr ...
, Surjahi Puja, Fagun and Bad Pahari. These festivals invlove fasting and offering sacrifices. The sun and ancestors are venerated in most festivals. Sacrifice is offered to Gaurea at the Sohrai festival. The head of the family propitates these deities.
At the village festivals such as Karam, Sarhul, the rituals are performed by the village priest ''Pahan'' and his assistant ''Pujar''.
According to scholars, the local deities which are not found in hindu scriptures are deities of
folk tradition
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fro ...
, which is a non-vedic tradition. It is a pre-vedic tradition extending back to prehistoric times, or before the writing of the
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...
.June McDaniel "Hinduism", in John Corrigan, ''The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Emotion'', (2007) Oxford University Press, 544 pages, pp. 52–53 According to Brahmincal literature, the region of
Magadha
Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
was outside the pale of the Vedic religion i.e people were not following Vedic religion in the Magadha region. The influence of Vedic religion/Brahmanism reached in the Chotanagpur region during the reign of Nagvanshi and Nagvanshi kings constructed several temples during their reign and invited
Brahmin
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 (gur ...
from different parts of the country for priestly duty. Some temple constructed by Nagvanshi kings including 17th century Kapilnath Temple in Navratangarh and
Jagannath Temple
The Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu - one of the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism. Puri is in the state of Odisha, on the eastern coast of India. The present temple was rebuilt f ...
of Ranchi. But rituals in home and village carried out by head of family and village priest Pahan respectively.
In 1989, the Jharkhand Co-ordination committee (JCC), who was instrumental in the demand for a separate Jharkhand state in front of the central government, also stated in their paper that Sadan may be the earliest Aryan population and could be the subcategoriable as Naga people as they differ from other Aryan group and did't strictly follow Brahmanical religion.
Traditional administrative System
In Chotoanagpur, there was a traditional administrative system for governing villages known as Parha. In the Parha system, there were the posts of Mahto (village chief), Pahan (village priest), Pujar (assistant of Pahan) or Pani Bharwa (water bearer), Bhandari (treasurer), Chowkidar (watchman), Diwan (minister) and
Raja
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
(king). During the reign of Nagvanshi, the owners of land were known as Bhuinhar. Bhuinhar refers to the first people who cleared forest, built farmland and houses in a village. Sadans were in the posts of Diwan, Thakur, Pandey, Karta (executive), Lal, Mahato, Pahan and Raja.
Ghasi Ram Mahli
Ghasi Ram Mahli (17 January 1859 – 1937) was an Indian Nagpuri-language poet. He was a poet under the patronage of Nagvanshi Lal Thakur of Thakurgaon. He was the first poet of the Nagpuri language, whose book was published in 1911.
Early lif ...
Mahavir Nayak
Mahavir Nayak (born 26 March 1942), is a nagpuri singer and songwriter. He is an exponent of Theth Nagpuri music, which is a genre of typical Nagpuri music, based on traditional Nagpuri folk music. He is the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akade ...
, folk singer
*
Mukund Nayak
Mukund Nayak (born 15 October 1949), is an Indian artist. He is a folk singer, songwriter and dancer. Nayak is an exponent of Nagpuri folk dance Jhumar. He is recipient of the Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
Early life and family
H ...
Nikki Pradhan
Nikki Pradhan (born 8 December 1993) is an Indian professional field hockey player and is a member of the India women's national field hockey team, Indian national team. Pradhan was the first female Hockey player from Jharkhand who represented ...
Bakhtar Say
Bakhtar Say was an Indian freedom fighter. He was Jagirdar of Basudev Kona. He had fought against East India Company force in 1812 along with Parganait of Pahar Panri Mundal Singh.
Early life
Bakhtar Say was born in Nawagarh in Raidih block of ...
, freedom fighter
* Raghunath Shah, Nagvanshi king and poet
*
Ani Nath Shahdeo
Ani Nath Shahdeo was Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur, Nagvanshi king in 17th century. He was king of Barkagarh estate. He founded his capital at Satrangi near Subarnarekha River, Subarnarekha river. He built Jagannath Temple, Ranchi, Jagannath temple in ...
Udai Pratap Nath Shah Deo
Udai Pratap Nath Shahdeo (23 March 1866 - 21 September 1950), was the Nagvanshi Maharaja of Chotanagpur Zamindari estate. He donated large tracts of land to build infrastructure of Ranchi city. He built the Ratu Palace in Ranchi in 1901. He was ...