Poundra (caste): Difference between revisions
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In his 1891 survey of castes, [[Herbert Hope Risley]] documented the Pods to be a branch of the [[Chandala]]; they faced untouchability from Brahmins as well as Navasakhas.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Barman |first=Rup Kumar |date=2014-01-01 |title=From Pods to Poundra: A Study on the Poundra Kshatriya Movement for Social Justice 1891–1956 |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/0974354520140108 |journal=Voice of Dalit |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=121–138 |doi=10.1177/0974354520140108 |issn=0974-3545 |s2cid=148661602}}</ref> He noted a majority to be peasants though some had become traders, and even [[zamindar]]s.<ref name=":2" /> |
In his 1891 survey of castes, [[Herbert Hope Risley]] documented the Pods to be a branch of the [[Chandala]]; they faced untouchability from Brahmins as well as Navasakhas.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Barman |first=Rup Kumar |date=2014-01-01 |title=From Pods to Poundra: A Study on the Poundra Kshatriya Movement for Social Justice 1891–1956 |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/0974354520140108 |journal=Voice of Dalit |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=121–138 |doi=10.1177/0974354520140108 |issn=0974-3545 |s2cid=148661602}}</ref> He noted a majority to be peasants though some had become traders, and even [[zamindar]]s.<ref name=":2" /> |
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In the late nineteenth century, two influential members of the Pod community — Benimadhab Halder and Srimanta Naskar — produced numerous tracts of caste history, as was a common feature of that time. Arguing a descent from the "Poundras" — mentioned across a spectrum of Brahminical literature — they sought to establish the Pods as [[Kshatriya]]s, thereby removing the stigma of untouchability.<ref name=":2" /> In what might be construed as a self-respect movement, it was also demanded that all Pods to [[Sanskritisation|follow Kshatriya rituals]].<ref name=":2" /> In 1901, Halder organized a pan-Bengal conference of the Pods, wherein it was resolved to have the government rename the caste as "Poundra".<ref name=":2" />{{Disputed inline|date=October 2021}} Further mobilisation happened under the leadership of Raicharan Sardar, a lawyer and first graduate from |
In the late nineteenth century, two influential members of the Pod community — Benimadhab Halder and Srimanta Naskar — produced numerous tracts of caste history, as was a common feature of that time. Arguing a descent from the "Poundras" — mentioned across a spectrum of Brahminical literature — they sought to establish the Pods as [[Kshatriya]]s, thereby removing the stigma of untouchability.<ref name=":2" /> In what might be construed as a self-respect movement, it was also demanded that all Pods to [[Sanskritisation|follow Kshatriya rituals]].<ref name=":2" /> In 1901, Halder organized a pan-Bengal conference of the Pods, wherein it was resolved to have the government rename the caste as "Poundra".<ref name=":2" />{{Disputed inline|date=October 2021}} Further mobilisation happened under the leadership of Raicharan Sardar, a lawyer and the first university graduate from the community.<ref name=":2" /> |
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=== Contemporary Bengal === |
=== Contemporary Bengal === |
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The Poundras remain vulnerable to casteist discrimination in 21st century Bengal.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Barman|first=Rup Kumar|date=2020-02-17|title=Casteism and Caste Intolerance in India: A Study on Casteism of Contemporary West Bengal|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2455328x19898451|journal=Contemporary Voice of Dalit|volume=12|issue=2|pages=165–180|doi=10.1177/2455328x19898451|s2cid=214164973|issn=2455-328X}}</ref> |
The Poundras remain vulnerable to casteist discrimination in 21st century Bengal.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Barman|first=Rup Kumar|date=2020-02-17|title=Casteism and Caste Intolerance in India: A Study on Casteism of Contemporary West Bengal|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2455328x19898451|journal=Contemporary Voice of Dalit|volume=12|issue=2|pages=165–180|doi=10.1177/2455328x19898451|s2cid=214164973|issn=2455-328X}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 16:33, 12 March 2024
Poundra, earlier known as Pod, is a Hindu community originating from Bengal.[1] Traditionally located outside the four-tier ritual varna system, the Poundras have been historically subject to acute discrimination — including untouchability — and remain a marginal group in modern Bengal.[1] As of 2011, their population was around two and a half million.[2]
History
Medieval Bengal
No mention is found in the Bṛhaddharma Upapuraṇa (c. 13th century[a]), which is the earliest known document to chronicle a hierarchy of castes in Bengal.[3][b] The Brahma Vaivarta Purana, notable for a very late Bengali recension c. 14/15th century, records "Paundrakas" to be the son of a Vaisya father and Sundini mother but it is unknown if the groups are connected.[4] Mentions are scarce in medieval vernacular literature.
Colonial Bengal
In his 1891 survey of castes, Herbert Hope Risley documented the Pods to be a branch of the Chandala; they faced untouchability from Brahmins as well as Navasakhas.[1] He noted a majority to be peasants though some had become traders, and even zamindars.[1]
In the late nineteenth century, two influential members of the Pod community — Benimadhab Halder and Srimanta Naskar — produced numerous tracts of caste history, as was a common feature of that time. Arguing a descent from the "Poundras" — mentioned across a spectrum of Brahminical literature — they sought to establish the Pods as Kshatriyas, thereby removing the stigma of untouchability.[1] In what might be construed as a self-respect movement, it was also demanded that all Pods to follow Kshatriya rituals.[1] In 1901, Halder organized a pan-Bengal conference of the Pods, wherein it was resolved to have the government rename the caste as "Poundra".[1][disputed – discuss] Further mobilisation happened under the leadership of Raicharan Sardar, a lawyer and the first university graduate from the community.[1]
Contemporary Bengal
The Poundras remain vulnerable to casteist discrimination in 21st century Bengal.[5]
Notes
- ^ Ludo Rocher however notes the text to contain multiple layers (like all other Puranas) making any dating impossible. However, he agrees with R. C. Hazra that a significant part was composed as a response to the Islamic conquest of Bengal.
- ^ Older sources on social setup (not caste) include inscriptions of the Gupta and the Pala periods but these do not refer to Pods.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Barman, Rup Kumar (2014-01-01). "From Pods to Poundra: A Study on the Poundra Kshatriya Movement for Social Justice 1891–1956". Voice of Dalit. 7 (1): 121–138. doi:10.1177/0974354520140108. ISSN 0974-3545. S2CID 148661602.
- ^ "West Bengal : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001" (PDF). Censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- ^ Furui, Ryosuke (2013). "Finding Tensions in the Social Order: a Reading of the Varṇasaṃkara Section of the Bṛhaddharmapurāṇa". In Ghosh, Suchandra; Bandyopadhyay, Sudipa Ray; Majumdar, Sushmita Basu; Pal, Sayantani (eds.). Revisiting Early India: Essays in Honour of D. C. Sircar. Kolkata: R. N. Bhattacharya.
- ^ Rocher, Ludo (1986). "Mixed Castes in the Brahmavaivartapurāṇa". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 106 (2): 254. doi:10.2307/601589. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 601589.
- ^ Barman, Rup Kumar (2020-02-17). "Casteism and Caste Intolerance in India: A Study on Casteism of Contemporary West Bengal". Contemporary Voice of Dalit. 12 (2): 165–180. doi:10.1177/2455328x19898451. ISSN 2455-328X. S2CID 214164973.