Roman Catholic Kshatriya

Roman Catholic Kshatriyas (also simply Cxatrias in Romi Konkani, Indo-Portuguese& Indian English) are a modern Christianised caste among Goan, Bombay East Indian, Mangalorean, Kudali& Karwari Catholics. They are the patrilineal descendants of Kshatriya and Vaishya Vani converts to the Latin Church, in parts of the Konkan region that were under Portuguese Goan rule. They are known as ''Chardo'' (Devanagari Konkani; चारड्डो) in Goan Konkani, ''Charodi'' (Kanarese script; ಚರೋಡಿ; ''Tsāroḍi'') in Canarese Konkani & as '' Sandori'' or '' Vadval'' in Maharashtrian Konkani, while others also identify as ''Bhandari'' or ''Khatri'' in the Bombay East Indian dialect. They have mostly been an endogamous group.

Etymology

The precise etymology of the word ''Chardo'' is unclear. The two most probable explanations are as follows:
* The roots of this Konkani word is said to lie in the Prakrit word ''Chavada'', which is the name of a dynasty of warriors who are said to have migrated to Goa from Saurashtra in the 7th and 8th centuries, after their kingdom was destroyed by the Sunni Caliphate's conquest in around 740 AD.
* Another explanation given by historian B.D. Satoskar is that the Konkani word comes from the Sanskrit word ''Chatur-rathi'' or the Prakrit ''Chau-radi'', which literally means "the ones who ride a chariot yoked with four horses".

Origins

The Kshatriyas of Goa constituted the nobility and warrior class, and ranked second in the Hindu Varna system. Those involved in the trading profession were known as ''Chattim'', which was an occupational appellation common to Brahmins as well. The origins of this Christian caste can be traced back to the Christianisation of the Velhas Conquistas ( pt, Old Conquests) by the Portuguese during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Jesuit, Franciscan and Dominican missionaries converted many Kshatriyas to Christianity. The caste appellation of ''Chardo'' eventually fell into disuse among the remaining few Hindu Kshatriyas, who began calling themselves ''Maratha'', in order to differentiate themselves from those Kshatriyas who had embraced Christianity and to also align themselves with the ascendant Hindu Marathas in the neighbouring Maratha Confederacy. The Kshatriyas and Vaishya Vanis, who were among the last to convert, were incorporated into the ''Chardo'' caste.

The earliest known instance of Goan Kshatriya conversions to Christianity took place in 1560, when 700 Kshatriyas were baptised ''en masse'' at Carambolim in Tiswadi. Their decision to embrace Christianity was made after deliberation of the village assembly, and came about as they were subjects of the Portuguese government. Another instance of a Kshatriya group of 200 members being baptized ''en masse'' at Batim in Bardez, in August, 1560; the event is mentioned in a letter of a Jesuit missionary, Luís Fróis, dated 13 November 1560.

The ''Charodis'' form the second largest group in the Mangalorean Catholic community. In South Canara, many ''Charodis'' took up service in the army of the Keladi Nayakas, and came to constitute the bulk of the Christian soldiers in their army. The Lewis-Naik family of Kallianpur near Udupi, produced many distinguished soldiers and officers in the Keladi army. In recognition of their service, the Nayakas rewarded them with large tracts of land in Kallianpur. During the Indian independence struggle, ''Chardos'' were perceived by Indian nationalists to be more sympathetic to Indian nationalist leanings and less likely to be pro-European loyalists than '' Bamonns''.

The ''Chardos'' have generally been an endogamous group, so they did not inter-marry or mingle with lower castes, while the statutes and norms of the Roman Catholic Church and the Portuguese authorities prevented them from discriminating against the latter. ''Padvals'' are a subcaste within Roman Catholic Cxatrias of Jain Bunt origin.

See also

* Christian Raajputs
*Christianisation of Goa
*Christianity in Goa
*Christianity in Karnataka
*Christianity in Maharashtra
* Christianity in Damaon
*Cuncolim Revolt
* Roman Catholicism in Goa
*Roman Catholicism in Mangalore
* Roman Catholicism in Bombay

Citations

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Further reading

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Kshatriya
Goan society
Mangalorean society
Christian communities of India
Social groups of Goa
Social groups of Karnataka