Ajay Kumar at 18:20, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T18:20:25Z

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{{Short description|Caste in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox ethnic group|
| group = Ghasi
| image =
| image_caption =
| pop =
| popplace = {{flag|India}}
| region1 = [[Jharkhand]]
| pop1 = 1,50,520
| ref1 = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jagran.com/jharkhand/ranchi-14081547.html|title=झारखंड में अनुसूचित जातियों में एक भी ईसाई, जैन नहीं|website=jagran|date=19 May 2016|access-date=12 August 2022}}</ref>
| region2 = [[Odisha]]
| pop2 = 1,14,066
| ref2 = <ref name="scstrti"/>
| langs = [[Nagpuri language|Nagpuri]], [[Kurmali language|Kurmali]], [[Odia language|Odia]]
| rels = [[Hinduism]]
| related = [[Ghasiya]]
}}

'''Ghasi''' is a caste found in [[Jharkhand]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Odisha]] and [[West Bengal]]. They are traditionally caretakers of horses and village musicians.<ref name="syr.edu">{{cite web |url=http://thecollege.syr.edu/news/2017/carol_babiracki_research.html |title=Song of India |website=thecollege.syr.edu |date=25 August 2017}}</ref><ref name="scstrti">{{cite web |url=https://www.scstrti.in/index.php/communities/sc-communities/108-sc-communities/359-ghasi|title=Ghasi|website=scstrti|access-date=12 August 2022}}</ref><ref name="Discovery Publishing House">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=za396I85CPEC&pg=PA61|title=Marriages in Indian Society|publisher=Discovery Publishing House|author=Prakash Chandra Mehta|pages=61–65|year=2005|isbn=978-8171419210}}</ref> They are known as [[Ghasiya]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref name="hasan">{{cite book |title=People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two |editor1-first=A. |editor1-last=Hasan |editor2-first=J. C. |editor2-last=Das |pages=530–534 |publisher=Manohar Publications}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The name ''ghasi'' derive from ''ghas'' which means grass. In past, they were cutting grass to feed horses.<ref name="scstrti"/>

==History==
The Ghasi caste is found in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal. They are also found in Uttar Pradesh known as [[Ghasiya]].<ref name="hasan"/> They were serving [[Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur|Nagvanshi]] as militia, musician and ritual specialist.<ref name="CM Babiracki">{{Cite web|url=https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MC/article/download/26077/30298|title=Two Generations in the Fault Lines of India ' s Musical Modernities|author= CM Babiracki|year=2017|page=45|access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref> They also worked as agricultural worker and palanquin bearers.<ref name="Discovery Publishing House"/> The title of ''Naik'' was bestowed upon them by Nagvanshi kings due their expertise in music. The word ''Naik'' derived from ''Naikha'' which means leader of a band. The title of Sahani or Sohani Rajput was given to them by a Nagvanshi king because they had quenched his thrist by providing water.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zQRuAAAAMAAJ&q=Nagpuri+music|title=The Scheduled Castes|publisher=Anthropological Survey of India|author=K.S.Singh|year=1993|page=540|isbn=978-0195632545}}</ref>

According to Dr.Ball, they are known for their gold washing and playing musical instruments in [[Singhbhum district]].<ref name="hasan"/> They were treated as [[Untouchability|untouchable]] due to their profession of beating drums and disposing dead animals.<ref name="Discovery Publishing House"/>

==Present Circumstances==
They are found in the state of [[Jharkhand]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Odisha]] and [[West Bengal]].<ref name="scstrti"/><ref name="syr.edu"/><ref name="Discovery Publishing House"/> In West Bengal, they are concentrated in [[Purulia district]].<ref name="Discovery Publishing House"/> They are an endogamous group. They are patrilocal and patrilinial. They practice clan exogamy. They have number of clans such as Bagh (tiger), Bangar, Bhainsa (buffalo), Hathi (elephant), Kachhua (turtle), Kasriar (bronze), Katihari, Maltiar (a flower), Mohdiar (honey bee), Nag (Cobra), Pandki (dove), Sindur (vermillion), Simarlasa (simal tree gum), Sonwan (gold water) etc.<ref name="hasan"/><ref name="Discovery Publishing House"/>

==Culture==
They speak [[Nagpuri language|Nagpuri]] and [[Kurmali language|Kurmali]] in Jharkhand and [[Odia language|Odia]] in Western Odisha.<ref name="syr.edu"/><ref name="Discovery Publishing House"/><ref name="scstrti"/> Their traditional occupation was caretaker of horses along with village musician. They along with [[Mahli]] community are the traditional maker of musical instruments such as [[dhol]], [[Madal|mandar]], [[Nagara (drum)|nagara]] and [[Dhak (instrument)|dhak]] etc.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BrumDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT144|title=Environment, Knowledge and Gender: Local Development in India's Jharkhand|isbn=978-1351729895|accessdate=4 April 2022|last1=Jewitt|first1=Sarah|date=31 July 2019}}</ref> They play musical instruments in weddings. They have an important role in the preservation of ethnic music. Their folk dance are [[Jhumair|Jhumar]] and [[Domkach]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://democraticworld.in/component/k2/item/603-out-of-the-dark |title=Out of the Dark |last=Dashboard |website=democraticworld |date=7 June 2014|access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref> They practice [[Nacnī|Nacni]] dance and [[Chhau dance]] in [[Purulia district|Purulia]] of West Bengal.<ref name="Discovery Publishing House"/>
They observe the festivals of [[Holi]], [[Diwali]], [[Karam (festival)|Karma]], [[Sarhul]], [[Ramnavami]]. They practice animism with a mixture of Hinduism.<ref name="scstrti"/>

==Official classification==
In 1931, during British Period, they were listed as semi hinduised aboriginal. In 1936, they were listed as Backward tribe in Chotanagpur division of Bihar.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4378487|title=Reappraising Tribal Movements: II: Legitimisation and Spread|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|author=Nirmal Sengupta|date=14 May 1988|volume=23 |issue=20 |pages=1003–1005 |jstor=4378487 |access-date=13 October 2022}}</ref> In Patna division, Palamu, Hazaribagh, Manbhum and Bengal, they were included in Scheduled Caste.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/GOI-SC-ORDER-1936.pdf|title=Government of India 1935 (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1936|date=30 April 1936|access-date=13 October 2022}}</ref> They are included in the list of [[Scheduled Caste]]s in [[Jharkhand]], [[Bihar]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Odisha]] and [[West Bengal]].<ref name="scstrti"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jagran.com/jharkhand/jamshedpur-9417490.html|title=घासी उपजाति पर गरमाई सियासत|publisher=jagran|date=29 June 2012|access-date=12 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cgtrti.gov.in/List_SC.html|title=List of Schedule Caste|publisher=cgtrti.gov|access-date=12 August 2022}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Mukund Nayak]], folk artist
*[[Nandlal Nayak]], music composer and director

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Hindu communities]]
[[Category:Dalit communities]]
[[Category:Social groups of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Odisha]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Musician castes]]

Ghasi - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 18:20, 23 July 2023