Bandhmati
Encyclopedia
The Bandhmati are a Hindu
caste
found in the state of Uttar Pradesh
in India
. They are also known as Banbasi.
that are traditionally involved in the manufacture of ropes. According to some traditions, they are a community of Banjara
s that took to the manufacture of ropes as such became a endogamous sub-group. The Bandhmati are found mainly in Saharanpur District
, and are mostly Hindu
, with the exception of a small group of Muslim Bandhmati
. Their main tribal deity is Balmiki. The Bandhmati speak the Khari boli dialect of Hindi
, although most of the community both speak and understand standard Hindi
.
n Hindu
s. They live in multi-caste villages, but occupy their own distinct quarters. Each of their settlement contains an informal caste
council, known as a panchayat, sometimes also called a sabha or association. The panchayat is headed by a chaudhary, a position which is elective. As an institution, the main function of the panchayat is to resolve any intra-community dispute, as well as acting an instrument of social control.
The Banndhmati are still involved in their traditional occupation, which is the manufacture of ropes. These are then sold at the local market. The raw material for the manufacture of the ropes is obtained from government owned forest, for which the community require licences. A significant number of Bandhmati are agricultural labourers, while other often migrating to Mumbai
and Delhi
to work as daily wage labourers. Like other scheduled caste communities, they live an extremely marginal economic existence. A small number of Bandhmati have also become poultry farmers, selling their produce in the towns nearest to their settlements.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
found in the state of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They are also known as Banbasi.
Origin
The Bandhmati are a casteCaste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
that are traditionally involved in the manufacture of ropes. According to some traditions, they are a community of Banjara
Banjara
The Banjara are a class of usually described as nomadic people from the Indian state of Rajasthan, North-West Gujarat, and Western Madhya Pradesh and Eastern Sindh province of pre-independence Pakistan...
s that took to the manufacture of ropes as such became a endogamous sub-group. The Bandhmati are found mainly in Saharanpur District
Saharanpur District
Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab region...
, and are mostly Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
, with the exception of a small group of Muslim Bandhmati
Muslim Bandhmati
The Bandhmati are a Muslim community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.- Origin :The Muslim Bandhmati are Muslim converts from the Hindu Bandhmati caste. In Hindi, the word bandhmati literally means a manufacturer of ropes. The exact circumstances to their conversion to Islam are...
. Their main tribal deity is Balmiki. The Bandhmati speak the Khari boli dialect of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, although most of the community both speak and understand standard Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
.
Present circumstances
The Bandhmati practice strict community endogamy, as well as clan exogamy, which a common practice among most North IndiaNorth India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
n Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s. They live in multi-caste villages, but occupy their own distinct quarters. Each of their settlement contains an informal caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
council, known as a panchayat, sometimes also called a sabha or association. The panchayat is headed by a chaudhary, a position which is elective. As an institution, the main function of the panchayat is to resolve any intra-community dispute, as well as acting an instrument of social control.
The Banndhmati are still involved in their traditional occupation, which is the manufacture of ropes. These are then sold at the local market. The raw material for the manufacture of the ropes is obtained from government owned forest, for which the community require licences. A significant number of Bandhmati are agricultural labourers, while other often migrating to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
to work as daily wage labourers. Like other scheduled caste communities, they live an extremely marginal economic existence. A small number of Bandhmati have also become poultry farmers, selling their produce in the towns nearest to their settlements.