Kurmi Caste Details
Kurmi caste is the representative of the cultivating caste of
the country. They are mostly found in the central province of the country. As
per Hinduism, Kurmis is the name of one of the castes or Jatis of the Hindus.
The Kurmis are known as the chief ancient agricultural caste of India. The
Singraur, Umrao,Chandrakar, Gangwar, Kamma, Kanbi, Kapu, Katiyar, Kulambi,
Kulwadi, Kunbi, Kutumbi, Naidu, Patel, Reddy, Sachan,Verma and Vokkaliga all
belong to Kurmi caste. Kurmis are regarded as the descendants of some of the
earliest Aryan immigrants. Kurmis are the people who are described as a
yellowish-brown coloured native, of an average height, regular build and good
looks. They are the mixture of aborigines.
Kurmi
community is said to be a sub-caste of the Kshatriya Varna. References
regarding the origin of Kurmi are also found in Indian mythologies. Lord Rama
had two sons Luv and Kush. The successors of Luv came to be known as lavyas and
they settled in the region of Kashmir but later moved towards different parts
of India. On the other hand, the successors of Kush later came to be called as
Kushwahas, who established in northern plains of the country. The Kurmi
community used to be the governing bodies in the regions of Maharashtra, Sindh,
Gujarat, Kashmir, and in some parts of Pakistan before the Aryan invasion.
Kurmi community largely belongs to the Chhattisgarh division and Jabalpur
division. Their name has its origin in Sanskrit word Krishi, which means
cultivation or from the word Kurma, which means the tortoise. Few Kurmis belong
to Kashyap gotra, as suggested by the scholars. Kurmis are a functional caste
just like the Kunbis. In some regions like that in Bihar, they show traces of
Aryan blood. The Kurmis largely resemble the features of the Dravidian tribes.
Further, some scholars suggest that it is quite difficult to distinguish a
Kurmi people from a Santhal or Bhumij.
Each caste has certain subdivisions, which have diverse origins.
It is also said that Kurmis and Kunbis are of similar mixed origin. The main
sub-castes are Gaharwar, Chandel and Jadon; these are the names of Rajput
clans. The Usrete were from Bundelkhand, they are also known as Havelia.
Chandnahus of the central province are considered as another large group. It is
also said that the Chandraha Kurmis mainly belonging to Raipur are a part of
Chandnahus. Singrore Kurmis are said to have derived their names from the place
Singror. Desha Kurmis, Santore Kurmis, Manwa Kurmis and Rakhaut Kurmis are
other sub-divisions. Further, each of the sub-caste has several exogamous
divisions. Marriage is prohibited within the same clan. They also have several
birth and funeral rites. They follow all their indigenous traditions
religiously.
Who are they? The Kurmi are a large peasant community
of farmers widely distributed in the states of Uttar Pradesh (more than 5
million), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Assam. Successive waves of land
reform legislation all over India since the 1950s abolished the landlord system
which enabled the cultivating caste of Kurmi, who were tenant farmers, into a
landowning caste. Among the Kurmi there are also businessmen, government
servants at various levels, engineers, doctors and defense personnel. In Delhi
they are mainly engaged as industrial workers, daily-wage laborers or are
self-employed, running shops or dairies.
Origin: The
name Kurmi is the Sanskrit word Krishi meaning ‘cultivation’. Some authors
attempt to trace the divine origin of the Kurmi from the tortoise (kurm) –
believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu. These authors further relate the Kurmi
to the gods Rama and Indra, the established symbols of the Kshatriya (second
level in caste hierarchy) and thereby attempt to claim a higher caste origin.
They are believed to be the direct descendants of the earliest
Aryan tribes.The Kurmi genealogists and historians maintain that the Kurmi are
divided into more than 1500 sub-castes. The more rational view is that the
Kurmi have eleven main divisions and these are endogamous, i.e. they do not
marry outside their division. Some Kurmi are distinguished by the regions from
which they hail. Hence, those from Uttar Pradesh are known as Purabia Kurmi,
those from Bihar, Bihari Kurmi, and those from Madhya Pradesh as Manwa Kurmi.
The Kurmi are listed among the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in
the Indian Constitution. This provides them many benefits such as quotas in
government jobs and development schemes, reserved seats in medical and
engineering colleges, all of which are intended to assist them in improving
their lives.
What Are Their Lives Like? The Kurmi are farmers except in Punjab
where they are a landless community who mainly work as gardeners for private
and government institutions. Some are sharecroppers, rear buffalo such as those
in Bihar, while a few poorer Kurmi work as farm laborers. These days they can
be found in all professions including politics, films, medicine, law,
administrative services, and business as well as the traditional occupation of
agriculture. In Delhi they are employed as industrial workers, daily-wage
labourers or are self-employed and own shops or dairies.
These are a progressive community who make good use of the
benefits provided by the government. The Kurmi of Bihar in particular have
improved their circumstances and are doing well in better paying jobs, as
professionals and in government bureaucracy and are now part of the middle class.
They have taken advantage of loans to purchase time saving implements and
changed the way they farm, using new technology for improved efficiency. They
still use indigenous medicine as well as visiting clinics. Family planning is
becoming more acceptable as well as formal education for their children.
Children of the poor Kurmi are less fortunate. The staple food consists of
meat, wheat, rice and pulses. They eat seasonal vegetables, fruit, milk and
dairy products. Alcoholic drinks are socially prohibited; nevertheless some of
them are addicted to alcohol.
Customs: Marriages are usually governed by the
rule of sub-group endogamy and clan exogamy. The trend is changing, extending
marital restrictions by considering the entire Kurmi community as an endogamous
group. Marriages are arranged by elders of the families. Child marriages are
still quite common in some rural areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Adult
marriages are becoming increasingly preferred. In case of child marriage the
gaona (bride’s departure to the husband’s house) takes place after she attains
puberty.
The Kurmi believe in monogamy. A dowry is paid in cash and kind.
Glass bangles, sindur (vermilion mark) and a nose-ring are the strictly
observed symbols of marriage. Divorce is socially permitted and may be sought
on grounds of adultery, impotence and maladjustment with compensation given to
the aggrieved party. Generally, the caste Panchayat’s (council) decision is
binding on both parties. Community custom allows for remarriage of widows and
widowers.
Nuclear families exist in urban areas, while extended families
are still common in the rural areas. The daughter-in-law observes purdah (veil)
and avoids direct conversation with her father-in-law, husband’s elder brother,
elder male relatives and strangers. However, lighthearted humorous
relationships are allowed between a man’s wife and his younger brother, as well
as between the man and his wife’s sister. When the family property is divided
all the sons receive an equal share and the eldest son succeeds as head of the
family. Although women contribute in the agriculture sphere and perform all the
household chores as well, they have a lower status than the men and are
dependent on them.
The Kurmi have a rich oral tradition of folklore and folktales
passed down over the generations. Women sing folk songs on auspicious occasions
like marriage and childbirth. The musical accompaniments are usually the
dholak, a cylindrical or slightly barrel-shaped double-headed drum, and the
manjira, a pair of small cymbals.
The All India Kshatriya Kurmi Mahasabha is the Kurmi’s national
level council that looks after their welfare. Since India’s independence this
organization has become a pressure group for politics. Kurmi Politicians have
also grown in number and status and there are Kurmi ministers at Central and
State levels practicing at this time. Regional and local councils come under
the Mahasabha and they exercise social control over the areas under their
jurisdiction. Instances of adultery, rape, elopement, disrespect for
traditional norms, contempt towards the caste council and matrimonial disputes
are handled by these councils.
What Are Their Beliefs? The Kurmi are Hindus and worship Ram
and Vishnu (preserver) as their family deities. The goddesses Kali (goddess of
destruction) and Durga (another form of Kali), and the monkey god Hanuman are
regional deities. They celebrate prominent Hindu festivals like Diwali
(festival of lights), Holi (festival of colours), Shivaratri (Shiva’s Night –
the celebration of Shiva’s marriage with goddess Parvati) and Dussehra
(celebrating the victory of Rama over the demon king Ravana). The Kurmi’s rites
and rituals are performed by Brahmin priests. Mundan (shaving the head) is a
ritual performed in childhood while adolescent boys go through the rite of
wearing the sacred thread (genoi). The dead are cremated, but the bodies of
children are buried. The ashes are immersed in a river, preferably the sacred
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