Manka (caste)
Encyclopedia
The Manka are a partly Muslim
and partly Hindu
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
.
language, means the making of prayer beads. They claim to be Chavda
Rajput
s. The community is said to have come from Sindh
and are now found mainly in twenty villages of Bachau and Rapar talukas of Kutch District
.
, with substantial Sindhi
loan words. The Manka consist of a number of clans, the main ones being the Jabayi, Chunctria, Jesra, Payana, Chavda and Sinayi. The community is split along religious lines, with the Bhuj
Manka being Muslim
. They resemble other Kutch Muslim
communities in social, ritual and religious activity. The Manka are an endogamous community, and marriages between the clans is the norm. Land is a major economic source, and agriculture is their traditional occupation.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and partly 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...
community found in the state of Gujarat 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...
.
History and origin
The Manka are said to get their name from their profession of making manka, which in the GujratiGujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
language, means the making of prayer beads. They claim to be Chavda
Chavda Kingdom
The Chavda Kingdom or Chapa dynasty also known as Gujar Chapas was an ancient Hindu Kshatriya dynasty which ruled northern Gujarat from 746 AD to 942 AD....
Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s. The community is said to have come from Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and are now found mainly in twenty villages of Bachau and Rapar talukas of Kutch District
Kutch District
Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....
.
Present circumstances
The Manka speak a dialect of KutchiKutchi language
Kachhi Kachhi Kachhi (also spelt Cutchi, Kutchhi or Kachchhi, is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken in the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat as well as in Sindh.- Closely related languages :...
, with substantial Sindhi
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
loan words. The Manka consist of a number of clans, the main ones being the Jabayi, Chunctria, Jesra, Payana, Chavda and Sinayi. The community is split along religious lines, with the Bhuj
Bhuj
Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...
Manka being Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. They resemble other Kutch Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
communities in social, ritual and religious activity. The Manka are an endogamous community, and marriages between the clans is the norm. Land is a major economic source, and agriculture is their traditional occupation.