Alaminsorker at 13:52, 8 April 2026

2026-04-08T13:52:08Z

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{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Short description|Ethnic group and caste found in India and Nepal}}
{{About|the Hindu caste found in North India|the Ramayana character|Kewat (Ramayana)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox ethnic group|
| group =
| image =
| caption =
| popplace = India
| region1 = Bihar
| pop1 = 937,861 (0.7174% of Bihar's population)<ref name="Bihar_census"/>
| region2 = West Bengal
| pop2 = 88,530
| langs = [[Kewat language]]
| rels = Hinduism
| related =
}}

The '''Kewat''', also spelled '''Kevat''', is an ethnic group and [[Hindu]] [[caste]], found in the states of [[Assam]], [[Bihar]], [[Tripura]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[West Bengal]] in India. They are the traditional boatmen of northern [[India]], and also in neighbouring country [[Nepal]]. They natively speak the [[Kewat language|Kewat]] language, an [[Eastern Indo-Aryan language]]. But the language is now declining as they have begun to speak the languages commonly used in the regions where they live.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kewat language resources |url=https://joshuaproject.net/languages/kyv |publisher=Joshua Project |access-date=2026-02-15}}</ref>

== Origin ==
The name "Kevata" first appeared in the [[Delhi-Topra pillar|Pillar Edict V]] of Emperor [[Ashoka]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhaumik |first=Sudarshana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bKh4EAAAQBAJ&q=sudarshana+bhaumik |title=The Changing World of Caste and Hierarchy in Bengal: Depiction from the Mangalkavyas c. 1700–1931 |date=26 August 2022 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-64143-1 |pages=60 |language=en}}</ref>

==In India: Present circumstances==
The Kewat are among the 17 OBC communities of [[Uttar Pradesh]] that have been proposed for [[Scheduled Caste]] status by the [[Samajwadi Party]]-controlled [[Government of Uttar Pradesh|Government]]. However, this proposal, which relates to [[votebank politics]] and has been made in the past, has been stayed by the courts; a prior attempt was also rejected by the [[Government of India]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/elections/setback-for-akhilesh-government-as-high-court-stays-their-order-to-include-17-sub-castes-in-the-sc-category-520325/ |title=Setback for Akhilesh government as High Court stays their order to include 17 sub-castes in the SC category |work=Financial Express |date=24 January 2017 |access-date=4 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=UP govt to include 17 other backward castes in SC list |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/up-govt-to-include-17-other-backward-castes-in-sc-list/story-jQWfybFAcSJTnwj2k4NxqO.html |work=Hindustan Times |date=22 December 2016 |agency=PTI |access-date=4 February 2017}}</ref>

Kewats are recognised as [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Caste]] in the states of [[Assam]], [[West Bengal]] and [[Tripura]] as Keot, Keyot or Jalkeot.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scheduled Caste list of Assam, India |url=https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0002.jpg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Scheduled Caste list of West Bengal, India |url=https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0020636052301055616230.jpg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Scheduled Caste list of Tripura, India |url=https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0018.jpg}}</ref>

With a population of 937,861, Kewats constitute 0.7174% of [[Bihar]]'s population in the [[2022 Bihar caste-based survey|2023 caste census]].<ref name="Bihar_census">{{cite news |last=Verma |first=Ritesh |date=2 October 2023 |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/story-bihar-caste-survey-counting-census-full-list-population-share-percent-obc-ebc-upper-caste-muslim-hindu-sc-st-8792660.html |title=List of caste wise population of Bihar |work=Hindustan| access-date=7 October 2023}}</ref>

==In Nepal==
Some Kewats in [[Nepal]] speak the [[Kewat language|Kewat]] language alongside [[Nepali language|Nepali]]. Most Kewat speakers are found in Nepal, since many Kewats in [[India]] or [[Bangladesh]] usually speak the dominant regional languages of the areas they live in.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kewat Language (KYV) – L1 & L2 Speakers, Status, Map, Endangered Level & Official Use |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/kyv/ |publisher=Ethnologue |access-date=2026-02-15}}</ref>
The [[Central Bureau of Statistics (Nepal)|Central Bureau of Statistics]] of Nepal classifies the Kewat as a subgroup within the broader social group of [[Madheshi people|Madheshi]] Other Caste.<ref>[https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II]</ref> At the time of the [[2011 Nepal census]], 153,772 people (0.6% of the population of Nepal) were Kewat. The frequency of Kewat by province was as follows:
* [[Madhesh Province]] (1.4%)
* [[Lumbini Province]] (1.0%)
* [[Koshi Province]] (0.6%)
* [[Bagmati Province]] (0.0%)
* [[Gandaki Province]] (0.0%)
* [[Sudurpashchim Province]] (0.0%)
* [[Karnali Province]] (0.0%)

The frequency of Kewat was higher than national average (0.6%) in the following districts:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf |title=2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report |access-date=13 April 2023 |archive-date=14 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314170005/https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Dhanusha District|Dhanusha]] (6.1%)
* [[Parasi District|Parasi]] (3.5%)
* [[Morang District|Morang]] (2.7%)
* [[Rupandehi District|Rupandehi]] (2.5%)
* [[Siraha District|Siraha]] (2.2%)
* [[Kapilvastu District|Kapilvastu]] (2.1%)
* [[Mahottari District|Mahottari]] (1.1%)

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Indian castes]]
[[Category:Hindu communities]]
[[Category:Other Backward Classes of Bihar]]
[[Category:Other Backward Classes of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Other Backward Classes of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Assam]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of West Bengal]]

Kewat people - Revision history

Alaminsorker at 13:52, 8 April 2026