Ramoshi
The Ramoshi (alternately Berad or Bedar) are an Indian aboriginal community found largely in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.[1] They are classified as a Scheduled Tribe[2] by the Indian government.
They do consider themselves to be a part of hindunism, they are told to be ancestors of Shri ram .
History
The Ramoshi in Maharashtra were earlier known as Boya, Bedar and Vedan.[3]
The Bedars were employed as sardars by the Maratha rulers.[4] They were then classified as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Acts of the Raj.[5] Ramoshis were employed as Maratha sardars but after the British win over the Marathas, they were unemployed. Taxes were charged from these unemployed families amidst famine. This led to the famous Ramosi rebellion, after which britishers employed them as hill police, decriminalising their tribes.
The great maratha spy bahirji Naik during the reign of chhatrapati shivaji maharaj and chhatrapati sambaji maharaj, was from this caste After decline of Marathas a ramoshi sardar umaji Naik started his own kingdom on fort of purandar to end British era in Maharashtra.
Culture
They were kshtriya in Hindu religion and brave warriors therefore the caste was also known as 'bedar ramoshi' means fearless caste.[6] They are Hindu and belong to the hindu section while some are Vaishanavas.[7]
References
- ^ Sarkar, jadunath (1952). History Of Aurangzib, vol.5. pp. CH.56 Page 173.
- ^ List of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (PDF) (Report). p. 3.
- ^ Dr. K. Jamanadas. "Criminal Tribes of India". Ambedkar.org. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ^ Roy, M. P. (1973). Origin growth and suppression of the Pindaris. pp. A GENERAL ACCOUNT Page 3.
- ^ Bates, Crispin (1995). "Race, Caste and Tribe in Central India: the early origins of Indian anthropometry". In Robb, Peter (ed.). The Concept of Race in South Asia. Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-19-563767-0. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ Sarkar, jadunath (1952). History Of Aurangzib, vol.5. pp. CH 56 Page 173.:”Berads, a race of aboriginal Kanarese, also called Dheds, and regarded as one of the kshtriya in the scale of Hindu castes. They are a virile and hardy people, not much advanced from savagery, but at the same time riot toned down like the over-refined upper castes of Hindu society.”
- ^ People of India: Maharashtra, Volume 3, Kumar Suresh Singh, B. V. Bhanu, Anthropological Survey of India 2004, ISBN 9788179911020
Further reading
- Precolonial India in Practice, Cynthia Talbot, Oxford University Press, 2001, ISBN 978-0195136616