Oriya people

The Odia (), formerly spelled Oriya, is an Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to the Indian state of Odisha who speak Odia language. They constitute a majority in the eastern coastal state, with significant minority populations in neighboring Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Etymology

The earliest Odias were called Odra or Kalinga, which later on became Utkal. The word Odia has mentions in epics like the ''Mahabharata''. The Odras are mentioned as one of the peoples that fought in the ''Mahabharata''. Pali literature calls them Oddakas. Ptolemy and Pliny the Elder also refer to the Oretas who inhabit India's eastern coast. The modern term Odia dates from the 15th century when it was used by the medieval Muslim chroniclers and adopted by the Gajapati kings of Odisha.

History

Ancient period

The Odias are distinguished by their ethnocultural customs as well as the use of the Odia language. Odisha's relative isolation and the lack of any discernible outside influence has contributed towards preserving a social and religious structure that has disappeared from most of North India.

The inhabitants of Odisha were known as Odras, Utkal and Kalinga in Mahabharata. During 3rd century BCE coastal Odisha was known as Kalinga. According to Mahabharata Kalinga extended from the mouth of Ganga in north to the mouth of Godavari in south.

During 4th Century, Mahapadma Nanda conquered Kalinga.
During rule of Ashoka, Kalinga was annexed as part of Maurya Empire. During 2nd century BCE, Kharavela emerged as powerful ruler. He defeated several kings in North and South India. During this period Utkala was centre of Buddhism and Jainism.

During reign of Gupta Empire, Samudra Gupta conquered Odisha.

Medieval period

Shailodbhava dynasty ruled the region from 6th century to 8th century. They built Parashurameshvara Temple in 7th century which is oldest known temple in Bhubaneswar. Bhauma-Kara dynasty ruled Odisha from 8th to 10th century. They built several Buddhist Monasteries and temple including of Lalitgiri, Udayagiri and Baitala Deula. Keshari dynasty ruled from 9th to 12th century. They constructed Lingaraj Temple, Mukteshvara Temple and Rajarani Temple in Bhubaneswar. They introduced a new style of architecture in Odisha and their rule saw a shift from Buddhism to Brahmanism. Then Eastern Ganga dynasty ruled Odisha from 11th to 15th century AD. They constructed famous Konark temple ruled the region in 15th century. The Empire was extended from Ganga river in the north to Kaveri river in the south during reign of Kapilendra Deva.

Modern period

Odisha remained an independent regional power till the early 16th century A.D. It was conquered by the Mughals under Akbar in 1568 and was thereafter subject to a succession of Mughal and Maratha rule before coming under British control in 1803.

In 1817, a combination of high taxes, administrative malpractice by the ''zamindars'' and dissatisfaction with the new land laws led to a revolt against Company rule breaking out, which many Odia participated in. The rebels were led by general Jagabandhu Bidyadhara Mohapatra Bhramarbara Raya. Another series of rebellions and uprisings led by numerous Odias such as Tapang rebellion (1827), Banapur rebellion (1835), Sambalpur uprising (1827–62), Ghumsur Kondh uprising (1835), Kondh Rebellion (1846–55), Bhuyan uprising (1864), Ranapur Praja Revolt (1937–38), etc. followed in Odisha, making it a difficult task for the British to maintain absolute authority over Odisha.

During the period of Maratha control, major Odia regions were transferred to the rulers of Bengal that resulted in successive decline of the language over the course of time in vast regions that stretched until today's Midnapore district of West Bengal better source needed . The British colonial administration subsequently transferred Odia areas to the neighbouring non-Odia administrative divisions that also contributed to the decline of Odia language in the formerly core regions of Odisha, or Kalinga, due to linguistic and cultural assimilation. Following popular movements and rise of consciousness for Odia identity, a major part of the new Odisha state was first carved out from the Bengal Presidency in 1912.

Finally Odisha became a separate province and the first officially recognized language-based state of India in 1936 after the amalgamation of the Odia regions from Bihar Orissa Province, Madras Presidency and Chhattisgarh Division was successfully executed. 26 Odia princely states including Sadheikala-Kharasuan in today's Jharkhand also signed for merger with the newly formed Odisha state, while many major Odia-speaking areas were left out due to political incompetence.

Geographic distribution

Although the total Odia population is unclear, 2001 Census of India puts the population of Odisha at around 36 million. There are smaller Odia communities in the neighbouring states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Most Odias in West Bengal live in the districts of Midnapore and Bankura. Surat in Gujarat also has a large Odia population, primarily diamond workers in the southern district of Ganjam. Bengaluru and Hyderabad have sizable Odia population due to an IT boom in late 2000s. Some Odias have migrated to Bangladesh where they are known as the Bonaz community.

While the southern part of the state has intermigration within India, the northern part of the state has migration towards the Middle East and the Western world. Balasore and Cuttack are known as immigration centres of Odisha.

Diaspora

The Odia population abroad originates predominantly from the northern district of Balasore, followed by Cuttack and Bhadrak. The migrants who work within the country predominantly originate from the Ganjam and Puri districts.

Most American Odias prior to 1980 came from Balasore, Sambalpur and Cuttack. Increased demand for software engineers and adoption have brought Odias from other areas.

Migration to the United Kingdom has been recorded since 1935, where mostly people from Balasore in undivided Bengal province went to work, thereafter continuing a chain migration, very predominant then, which continues to this day. Most British Odias have obtained British citizenship.

In the late 2000s, many Odias, predominantly from Balasore and Cuttack, went to the US East Coast to study and to work. This resulted in chain migration, predominantly from Balasore and Cuttack.

During the 2009 construction boom in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, Odias predominantly from Balasore, Bhadrak and Cuttack migrated to the region to earn high salaries in the IT and construction sectors.

Communities

Odias people are subdivided into several communities such as Brahmin, Jyotish
, Karan, Khandayat, Kumuti (Kalinga Vaishya),
Chasa, Gopal, Bania, Kansari
, Gudia, Patara, Tanti, Teli, Badhei, Kamar, Barika, Mali, Kumbhar, Chamar, Sundhi, Keuta, Dhoba, Bauri, Kandara, Domba, Pano, Hadi etc.

Language and literature

Around 35-40 million people in Odisha and adjoining areas speak and use the Odia language which is also one of the six classical languages of India. Odia words are found in the 2nd century B.C. Jaugada inscriptions of emperor Ashoka and 1st century B.C. Khandagiri inscriptions of emperor Kharavela. Clarification needed Known as Odra Bibhasa, or as Odra Magadhi Apabrhamsa in ancient times, the language has been inscribed throughout the last two millennia in ancient Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit and Odia scripts.

The Buddhist Charyapadas were composed in the 7th to 9th centuries by Buddhists like Rahula, Saraha, Luipa, etc.

The literary traditions of Odia achieved prominence towards the rule of the Somavamshi and Eastern Dynasty. In the 14th century during the rule of emperor Kapilendra Deva Routray, the poet Sarala Dasa wrote the ''Mahabharata'', Chandi Purana, and Vilanka Ramayana, praising the goddess Durga. Rama-bibaha, written by Arjuna Dasa, was the first long poem written in Odia. Major contributions to the Odia language in the Middle Ages were contributed by the Panchasakha, Jagannatha Dasa, Balarama Dasa, Acyutananda, Yasovanta and Ananta.

Mughalbandi or Kataki Odia, spoken in the Cuttack, Khordha and Puri districts, is generally considered to be the standard dialect and is the language of instruction and media.

There are eight major forms of Odia spoken across Odisha and adjoining areas, while another thirteen minor forms are spoken by tribal and other groups of people.

New literary traditions are emerging in the western Odia form of the language which is Sambalpuri and prominent poets and writers have emerged like Haldar Nag.

Culture

Art

Odissi