Chamar

Chamar ("tanner"; from the Sanskrit Charmakara) is a prominent occupational caste in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Chamar is a Dalit sub-caste mainly found in the northern states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and in Nepal at least north to the Himalayas. The traditional occupation of this caste was processing, manufacturing and trading in leather and leather goods, but agriculture is another important occupation in which they engage, either as owners or as tenants.

Chamars have a population of over 50 million. They are known to be one of the most highly influential groups amongst scheduled castes. Traditionally, their social status was low in the Indian caste system because of their association with tanning and thus are still considered as untouchables in some parts of India.

Background and origin

The isolated tanning work was started since the ages and anyone interested in this work used to do this irrespective of low or high status. The origin of Chamars as a group goes back to the era of nomadic tribal living and came into existence with the outcome of inter tribal wars. Tribes used to own only cattle as property and cattle being nomadic they were too. Slowly as the time passed few tribes learnt the art of cultivation and now they owned another property as crop and they started settling down, though not all the tribes settled down at once, this was a slow process. The tribes used to be a group of one family, clan or cliques and generally they share the same family name called Totem or Gotra. These tribes used to fight with each other due to numerous reasons and there were four important reasons of their fight with each other. First being that the tribal men used to send their cattle to graze in other tribes area, second being they used to steal others crop, third being getting away with the other tribes cattle and the most important being they used to pick up other tribes women forcibly. In the war it was usual that one being victorious and the other being looser. In the looser tribe few of them were being killed in the fight, some of them were being made as prisoners of war (those being forced to do the dirtiest work and cleaning of their places), and some of them who saved their lives from the war, were broken from the original tribe and were used to be called Broken Men. The tribes earlier used to live in their marked areas and when they grew in numbers these areas taken shapes of older villages. After the war these broken men used to go to other settled tribes for shelter and food then the settled tribes used to make an agreement with the broken men on number of points that they had to do lots of chores for them including peeling out of the skins of the dead animal and security work in lieu of shelter and food. The settled tribe used to give temporary land on the outskirts of their main area (village) for security reasons being having no past references about them. This is how the broken men turned into the Chamars.

Chamars does not belong to any one particular group, clan or area; they are from all different religions and areas. Tanning being profession, they could be from the original tribes who were living in India even before the Aryan Invasion and they were also Aryans who came from the middle east and settle in north west India with their original tribes. India being shut out from the rest of the world by the mountains and the sea, there grew up a division of labor which gradually crystallized into the caste system, elaborate schemes of religious philosophy were built up by the sages; the trades were fenced round with religious sanctions, so that for a man to follow his fathers calling was made sacred duty, a thing to which he was born, and which, as his fate, he must perforce accept.

Presently most of the Harijan Basties (Place of their living) are on the west side of the villages in the North Western India, reason being all the attacks were being made from the west side of India since ancient times and Broken Men had to provide security to the main villages. And also in North/Western India people share the same family names irrespective of their caste, clan or groups. From this it is very clear that the Chamars are not separate human beings but they are just the same men from different families sharing the same Gotras.

Chamars are an occupational caste, so their population consists of a mixture of local castes of the region. Chamars of Kashmir are very light-skinned, while those in Punjab have typical dark brown skinned.

Chamar were basically those diverse group of people who were engaged in manufacturing, processing and trading in leather and leather goods. Apart from that farming is also their most important occupation, either in full ownership or on share cropping basis, by which they used to get 1/3 or a quarter of the farm produce. They do not belong to any one particular group, clan or area, but are those people from various castes who were classified into the Chamar castes by Mughal and British censuses from time to time for various reasons and purposes such as employment, political, and religion etc. For example Baluch Mochis and Chamars are also classed as Jat meaning camel rider.

Demographics

Chamar Population in India by State
State	Population	State Population %
Bengal	999,756	1.25%
Bihar	4,090,070	5%
Delhi	893,384	6.45%
Chandigarh	48,159	5.3%
Chhattisgarh	1,659,303	8%
Haryana	2,079,132	9%
Himachal Pradesh	414,669	6.8%
Jammu & Kashmir	187,277	1.9%
Jharkhand	837,333	3.1%
Madya Pradesh	4,498,165	7.5%
Punjab	2,800,000	11.9%
Rajasthan	2,465,563	4%
Uttar Pradesh	19,803,106	14%
Uttaranchal	444,535	5%

In Punjab

The most politically and socially influential Chamars are from the state of Punjab, where they form 11% of the population (2.8 million), with Dalits comprising 27% of the population. In the Punjab they are divided into various groups, such as Ad-Dharm, Ravidasi, Ramdasia and Chamar. In Majha they share the same gotras as Saraswati and Mohyal Brahmins, they share family names with Jats and Rajput mahay s.

In Malwa most Chamars turned to Sikhism, whereas in Doaba most of them did not opt for Sikhism. In Majha they are called Ārya (Aryan)and Ravidasia, in Doaba they are called Adi Dharmi. They are highly concentrated in the Doaba, and the Malwa region of Punjab, where they form over 25% of the population.

In Haryana

The total Chamar population in Haryana is more than 2,079,132, about 9% of the Population. Most Chamars in the districts of Hisar, Jind, Panipat, Karnal, Sonepat, Rohtak, Kaithal are Julaha Chamars. They are similar to the Kori Julahas of Western Uttar Pradesh and have family relationships with them.

In Uttar Pradesh

Most Chamars reside in Western Uttar Pradesh are known as Jatav. Total Chamar population in this state is almost 20 million and form 13-14% of the population. In this state, the political party of Chamars Bahujan Samaj Party has its political base and this has led to Bahujan Samaj Party to win the state elections and chief minister post by Ms Mayawati 4 times since 1990.

In Rajasthan

The castes which were involved in leather work in past (before independence) were termed "Chamar". Chamars in Rajasthan can only be identified in the districts adjoining to the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The districts of Bikaner, Shriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Alwar, Bharatpur and Dhaulpur are inhabited by Chamars. In the districts of Bharatpur, Dhaulpur and parts of Alwar (adjoining to Bharatpur) they are known as Jatav. Raigar (leather tanners) and Mochi (shoe makers) are other two castes related to the leather profession.

In Himachal Pradesh

The Chamars are the second largest SC caste in the state after the Kori. Chamars are mainly found in the following districts: Kangra, Mandi and Una.

Religion

Chamars are mostly Hindus. The long term foreign rules by Mughals and British meant that their condition declined day by day. This especially peaked with British rule who practiced divide and rule and preferentially allotted seats in education sector to other castes while ignoring Chamars. In military too, they were excluded. But Hindu revivalists starting from the 15th century preached emancipation of the Chamars. It ultimately culminated in the new Constitution of India; formulated by Dr B.R.Ambedkar. It was hugely supported by most Hindu leaders and reservations in large numbers were provided. Gradually numerous Chamars en-masse increased their standard of living. So much so, that many Muslim authors in the past few decades have lamented that their standard of living in India is far below that of even Chamars. It is symbolic of how much change has occurred since independence. Many Chamars have also joined smaller Hindu religious groups such as the Ravidasi, Arya Samaj. Others joined Sikh Deras such as Nirankari & Radhaswami.

Ravidasia Chamars

Sikh converts from the community working professionally in leather are usually referred to as Ravidasia Sikhs. The term Ravidasi is an adaptation from Ravidasias, as some Chamar castes came to be called.

The spiritual enlightenment of Saint Guru Ravidas attracted many people toward Ravidassia sect. Saint Ravidass was one of those few saints who were directly linked to God without being stuck to false and hoaxful rites.

The teachings of the Sikh gurus, with their rejection of the caste system and emphasis on ethnic equality of all human beings, appealed to them. Of special significance for them was the canonization of the hymns of Shri Guru Ravidas Ji in the Sikh Scripture. Consequently, many Chamars converted to Sikhism and were, as a class, given the respectable name of Ravidassia Sikhs.

Conversion of Hindu Chamars to Sikhism accelerated towards the end of the nineteenth century. This was due to the rise of the Singh Sabha movement, launched in 1873 for the restoration and propagation of Sikh teachings, including the removal of caste distinctions. The number of Chamars who declared Sikhism as their religion increased from 100,014 in 1881 to 155,717 in 1931.

Sub-castes

Raigar is not a sub-caste of Chamar, but economic and professional similarity gives the impression of sub-caste of Chamar. The Raigar, Raiger, Ranger, Regar or Rangar, spelled in various forms, are a community of leather tanners in the Union Territory of Delhi. They are also known as Raidas, Jatia/Jatav, Rangya and Bota. The word Raiger is a corrupt form of raingaya, i.e. those who engage themselves in leather tanning. Those who immigrated to Delhi from Rajasthan claim Rajput ancestry. Incidentally Raigar is also a sub-caste of Rajpurohit in Rajasthan (Rajpurohit). Rajpurohits are Brahmin and the connection between Raigars under scheduled caste list and Raigar Rajpurohits is yet to explored. Both these Raigar caste and subcaste Raigar Rajpurohit have their roots in Rajasthan.

There are three subgroups, namely Sindhi Raiger, Lashkaria Raiger and Raigar. Marriages take place among all the three. These subgroups are further divided into a number of clans (gotras), such as Hingonia,Radia, Bandarwal, Jajoria, Kankheria, Rachoiya, Mauria, Jaggarwal, Atolia, Jaluthria, Dotania, Vohra, Heria, Bokolia, Barolia, Kholia, Sakkarwal, Sarsoonia and Tongaria.

Raigars have now prominent presence in IT sector, banking, civil services, police services in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi. They are also having important positions in political arena of Delhi and Rajasthan,

Politics

The Chamar Community are one of the most involved and influential castes involved in UP politics. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a dalit-dominated political party, is very powerful in U.P and is expanding all over India. The BSP is one of the most powerful political parties of India. It was founded by Kanshi Ram and is led today by Mayawati Kumari, a Chamar. The BSP was created and is dominated by the dalits but currently includes all castes.

Military

The Chamar Community has a history of military service and mostly were in Sikh Light Infantry. Many but not all Chamar families are descended from Kshatriya communities, being defeated by Muslim invaders. The Muslims forced them to eat beef and made them slaves and forced to do menial jobs and tannery and similar things. In Mughal intelligentsia; which was of Mongol origin; metalsmiths and tanners were among the lowest in social ranks. To ensure permanent victory, this technique was frequently employed by Mughals. So much so, that many castes today trace their origin to such cruel practices. Lack of Hindu rule meant that they were never allowed or had a chance to return back to their original caste by performing Shuddhi. This is why they share common Kshatriya names.

Many Chamars have played an active role in the events of 1857. The bravery of Banke Chamar of Village Kurarpur, Distt. Jaunpur (UP) is highlighted by the historians. This revolutionary laid down his life for the country and was ordered to be hanged by the British for his role in the events of 1857. Chetram (Jatav) and Belluram also sacrificed their life for being the moving force behind Barrackpur revolution.

The Chamar Regiment

The 1st Chamar Regiment was an infantry regiment formed by the British during World War 2. Officially, it was created on 1 March 1943, as the 27th Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment was converted. The Chamar Regiment which was involved in the Pacific War Japanese front and was awarded the Battle Honor of Kohima for theirs distinguished role in the Battle of Kohima. The Regiment was disbanded in 1946.

Chamar-Satnami kingdom

There was a Satnami Kingdom of Narnaul (Haryana). The Satnami sect of Hinduism was founded in 1657 in Narnaul (a town in today's Indian state of Haryana, situated about 100 km south-west of Delhi), by a saint names Birbhan. They are considered to be an offshoot of the followers of the great saint Ravidas. The name Satnami reflects the major religious activity of the sect-which is the chanting and meditation of the true name (satnam, names of God), especially the names of Rama and Krishna. Fixing the mind devotedly on divine names, the fluctuations of the consciousness are stabilised, which makes one fit to receive higher intuitive knowledge of the divine. The sect is comprised mostly, but by no means exclusively, of the lower strata of Hindu society-particularly the leather working, sweeper, carpenters, and goldsmith communities-and they observe no caste distinctions-judging people only be their actions. They were known to have dressed simply like saints, and keep shaved heads (and were hence also called mundiyas), and abstain from intoxicants and animal foods. These tenets are still practiced by many today. Today the sect numbers over 15 million, and followers are to be found in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. This huge spread is because those who survived the genocide following their rebellion against the Moghuls spread out into small units over vast tracts of land.

The Satnami revolt occurred in the reign of the Moghul Emperor Aurungzeb. Many Hindus resented Aurungzeb's strict Islamic policies-which included reviving the hated Islamic Jiziya tax (poll tax on non-Muslim subjects), banning music and art, and destroying Hindu temples. The revolt began in 1672 when a Moghul soldier killed a Satnami. Other Satnamis took revenge on the Moghul soldier, and in turn the Moghul soldiers went about repressing the Satnamis. The result was that about 5,000 Satnamis were up in arms. They routed the Moghul troops situated in the town, drove away the Moghul administrators and set up their own administration in its place. The uprising gained the enthusiasm of Hindus in Agra and Ajmer also. Though totally lacking in weaponry and money, the Satnamis inflicted several defeats on the Moghul forces. The contemporary Moghul chronicler, Saqi Mustaid Khan, expressed amazement as to what came over this "destitute gang of goldsmiths, carpenters, sweepers and tanners and other… artisan castes that their conceited brains became so overclouded? Rebellious pride having found a place in their brains, their heads became too heavy for their shoulders." This also shows the thinking of Muslim intelligentsia who regard them as untouchables. Amusingly, in contrast, Hindus have greatly respected the Satnamis throughout for their beliefs like prohibition of intoxicants and meat. The resentment of the Satnami's against the Moghul persecution meant that they even enacted revenge by destroying mosques in the area. It was only with great difficulty that any Muslim soldiers could be brought to face the Satnamis, such was the wrath of the Satnamis at the time. It was only when Aurungzeb himself took personal command and sent 10,000 troops with artillery that the Satnamis fell. They put up a brave defense. According to Saqi Mustaid Khan they believed that they were re-enacting scenes from the Mahabharata war. 2,000 Satnamis were slain on the battlefield and many more were slain in pursuit. What followed was an attempt to slay every remaining member of the Satnamis, and destroy all their homes. The remnants of the Satnamis fled in all directions and for a long time were totally disorganized and leaderless.

Prominent Chamars

Historical

• Guru Ravidas - Religious leader and Satguru of the Ravidasi.
• Jhalkari Bai - Fought in place of Rani Lakshmibai.
• Bhai Jiwan Singh - Sikh Warrior
• Bhai Sangat Singh - Sikh Warrior who fought in place of Guru Gobind Singh

Politics

• Kanshi Ram - Dalit Leader and Founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party
• Mayawati Kumari - President of Bahujan Samaj Party and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
• Jagjivan Ram - First Labour Minister of India, Former Defence Minister of India, Former Deputy Prime Minister of India
• Charanjit Singh Atwal - Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
• Meira Kumar - Lok Sabha Speaker and Member of Parliament
• Chaudhry Dalbir Singh - Dalit Leader and Former Union Minister
• Kumari Selja - Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Minister of Tourism.
• Sushil Kumar Shinde - Former Minister of Power and Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra
• K.H. Muniyappa - Union Minister of State for Railways
• Ashok Tanwar - Former President of National Youth Congress and M.P from Sirsa, Haryana.
• Chand Ram- Central Minister of India and Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana
• Paramjit Singh Kainth - Founder of the Chamar Mahasabha

Sports

• Palwankar Baloo - First Dalit Cricketer and Social Activist, member of Hindu Mahasabha
• Amarjit Kaypee - Cricketer and Record Holder for most runs in the Ranji Trophy
• Sanjay Bangar - Cricketer and First Dalit to play for India professionally in the modern day

Music

• Lal Chand Yamla Jatt
• Kaler Kanth
• Master Saleem
• Sukhwinder Singh
• Hans Raj Hans
• Chamkila
• Lehmber Hussanpuri
• Miss Pooja

See also

• Jatav
• Mochi