Bhil Mavchi
Encyclopedia
The Mavchi are one of the sub-groups of the Bhil
community found in the state of Maharashtra
in India
. They are also known as Gavith.
. Dhule District
is located in the north western Maharashtra
. The Mavchi are also found in the neighbouring Dang District
of Gujarat.
The community is referred to as Gavith, which means a headman, on account of the fact that village headmen were often chosen from the Mavchi community. They speak their own dialect, Mavchi, which is distinct from other Bhil dialects, having less Marathi
loanwords.
. The Mavchi are a community of small and medium sized farmers. Some are now beginning to migrate to the cities of Surat
and Mumbai
, and work in the sugar mills. The Mavchi are divided into two groups, the Christian
and Hindu
Mavchi. Among the Hindu
s, there also exists a number of tribal deities, such as Waghdev, their principal god.
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
community found in the state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
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 Gavith.
Origin
The Mavchi are found mainly in the district of DhuleDhule district
Dhule district is a district of Maharashtra state in central India. The city of Dhule is the administrative headquarters of the district.The Dhule district previously comprised tracts of land predominantly inhabited by tribal population...
. Dhule District
Dhule district
Dhule district is a district of Maharashtra state in central India. The city of Dhule is the administrative headquarters of the district.The Dhule district previously comprised tracts of land predominantly inhabited by tribal population...
is located in the north western Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. The Mavchi are also found in the neighbouring Dang District
Dang district
Dang is a district in the state of Gujarat in India. The administrative headquarters of the district are located in Ahwa. The Dangs have an area of 1764 km² and a population of 186,729 ....
of Gujarat.
The community is referred to as Gavith, which means a headman, on account of the fact that village headmen were often chosen from the Mavchi community. They speak their own dialect, Mavchi, which is distinct from other Bhil dialects, having less Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
loanwords.
Present circumstances
The Mavchi are an endogamous community, and practice clan exogamy, There customs are similar to neighbouring Bhil groups such as the VasaveBhil Vasava
The Vasava are a sub-group of the Bhil ethnic community found in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in India. They have scheduled tribe status. In Maharashtra, they are known as Vasave.- Origin :...
. The Mavchi are a community of small and medium sized farmers. Some are now beginning to migrate to the cities of Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
and 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 work in the sugar mills. The Mavchi are divided into two groups, the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and 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...
Mavchi. Among the 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, there also exists a number of tribal deities, such as Waghdev, their principal god.