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Lohar (caste)

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Not to be confused with Lohara dynasty.
Lohar (Blacksmith)
Regions with significant populations
• India • Nepal • Pakistan

Lohar is considered to be a sub-caste among Hindus and Sikhs and a clan among Muslims in Northern India, Northern Pakistan and Nepal.[1][2] In India the Lohars are also known as Vishwakarma, Sharma or Panchals.[3][page needed] Muslim Lohar in North India are known as Saifi.

Writers of the Raj period often used the term Lohar as a synonym for blacksmith, although there are other traditional smithing communities, such as the Ramgarhia and Sikligars, and numerous non-traditional communities, including the Yadavs, Kayasthas, Rajputs and even Brahmins.[4]

Exogamous divisions

Lohar of Uttar Pradesh

The Lohar are one of the most widespread communities in Uttar Pradesh. They are divided along religious lines, with the Hindu Lohar are known as Vishvakarmas, and Muslim Lohars are known as Saifis. The Lohar are further divided into a number of exogamous groupings, the main ones being the Kanaujiya, Purbia, Bahai, Moulia and Magajia. Most Lohar are still engaged in their traditional occupation of metal fabrication, but most the Lohar of western Uttar Pradesh are cultivators. The assimilated Lohar speak Hindi and its various dialects such as Awadhi.[6] But others speak Ho[7] and some speak Western Pahari.

See also

References

  1. ^ Bhattachan included the Lohar among the Madhesi Dalit in his report on minorities in Nepal, listing some 82,000. Bhattachan, Krishna B. (2008), Indigenous Peoples & Minorities of Nepal, Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), p. 49, archived from the original on 12 March 2013 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ In Annex I, Bhattarai lists the Lohar as iron-workers under the Madhesi as 0.36% of the Nepalese population. Bhattarai, Hari Prasad (2004). "Cultural Diversity and Pluralism in Nepal: Emerging Issues and the Search for a New Paradigm" (PDF). Contributions to Nepalese Studies. 31 (2): 293–340, page 339. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2011. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b Kumar Suresh Singh; Anthropological Survey of India (1998). India's communities. Vol. 5. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  4. ^ Judge, Paramjit S.; Bal, Gurpreet (1996). Strategies of social change in India. M.D. Publications. p. 54. ISBN 978-81-7533-006-1. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  5. ^ India's communities, Volume 6-page-2017
  6. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 902 to 906 Manohar Publications
  7. ^ "Ho". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2 May 2013.

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