Pasi (caste)
Encyclopedia
The Pasi are a caste found in India, in the states of Bihar
, Delhi
, Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh
. A small number of Pasi are also found in the Terai
region of Nepal. They are one of the Scheduled caste but not Untouchables. The Pasi are also known as Paswan.
sage Bhrigu, the founder of the Bhargavas. The community also trace their descent from the Parsuram, the famous Hindu figure. According to their tradition, the etymology of the word Pasi is from the Hindi word pasina meaning sweat. It is said that they are born out of the sweat of Parsurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. The word Pasi comprised two Hindi words pa meaning grip and as meaning sword, implying thereby one who possesses a sword in his hand or in other words, a soldier. The Pasi have a number of exogamous clans, the main ones being Amlak, Bhargav, Jamdagni, Parswa, and Piplak. They have sub-groups viz. Bauriya, Bittiha, Ahirs, Gujjar, Khatik, Rajpasi. A small number of Pasi have converted to Islam, and are known as Turuk Pasi
. They were the earliest inhabitants of the Awadh
region.
In Haryana, the community has a different tradition to its origin, claiming to be descendants of Paras Ram, the Brahmin
destroyer of the kshatriya
s, as such belonging to the Brahmin community. They were brought to Punjab by Guru Gobind Singh
, the tenth Sikh guru, from Bihar. The community served as soldiers in the various Sikh armies. Their principal place of settlement was Gujranwala
and Lyalpur, both now in Pakistan. At the time of the partition of India
, the community moved from Pakistan, and was settled in Haryana. In 1952, the community was granted Scheduled Caste status. There main area of settlement are the districts of Ambala
, Karnal
and Gurgaon
.
, Sitapur
, Kheri
, Shahjahanpur
, Pratapgarh
, Lukhnow and Allahabad
. In Madhya Pradesh
, they are found in Jabalpur.
The Pasi have a caste council, whose role is to deal with divorces, and offences such as disrespect for traditional norms They are a Hindu
community, and worship Bajranbali and Devi as their family deities. Linguistically, the speak a variety of Hindi
dialects.
The are a community of small peasant farmers. Many have started to migrate to cities, and are now engaged in businesses, private and government service and industrial labour.
In Bihar, the Pasi are also known as the Chaudhary. The community were traditionally connected with toddy tapping. They are found throughout Bihar, and speak the Magadhi dialect of Hindi. They have four sub-divisions, namely the Tirsulia, Gaiduha, Kamani and Byadha. In addition to toddy tapping, the community now are also involved in a number of activities such as petty business.
The Haryana Pasi are still employed mainly as village watchmen and bodyguards. A few are also involved in animal husbandry. As a community, the Haryana Pasi are one of the more successful scheduled caste community, having produced doctors, administrators and military personal. Like other Hindu communities, they are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy. There main clans are the Gujar, Kaithwa and Borasi.
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, 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...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
and 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...
. A small number of Pasi are also found in the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
region of Nepal. They are one of the Scheduled caste but not Untouchables. The Pasi are also known as Paswan.
Origin
The Pasi claim their descent from a VedicVedic
Vedic may refer to:* the Vedas, the oldest preserved Indic texts** Vedic Sanskrit, the language of these texts** Vedic period, during which these texts were produced** Vedic pantheon of gods mentioned in Vedas/vedic period...
sage Bhrigu, the founder of the Bhargavas. The community also trace their descent from the Parsuram, the famous Hindu figure. According to their tradition, the etymology of the word Pasi is from the Hindi word pasina meaning sweat. It is said that they are born out of the sweat of Parsurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. The word Pasi comprised two Hindi words pa meaning grip and as meaning sword, implying thereby one who possesses a sword in his hand or in other words, a soldier. The Pasi have a number of exogamous clans, the main ones being Amlak, Bhargav, Jamdagni, Parswa, and Piplak. They have sub-groups viz. Bauriya, Bittiha, Ahirs, Gujjar, Khatik, Rajpasi. A small number of Pasi have converted to Islam, and are known as Turuk Pasi
Turuk Pasi
The Turuk Pasi are a Muslim community found in the state of Bihar in India. Many members of Turuk Pasi Muslim community migrated to Pakistan after the independence in 1947 and settled in Karachi. A small number of Turuk Pasi are also found in the Terai region of Nepal.-History and origin:The Turuk...
. They were the earliest inhabitants of the Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
region.
In Haryana, the community has a different tradition to its origin, claiming to be descendants of Paras Ram, the Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
destroyer of the kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
s, as such belonging to the Brahmin community. They were brought to Punjab by Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
, the tenth Sikh guru, from Bihar. The community served as soldiers in the various Sikh armies. Their principal place of settlement was Gujranwala
Gujranwala
Gujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...
and Lyalpur, both now in Pakistan. At the time of the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
, the community moved from Pakistan, and was settled in Haryana. In 1952, the community was granted Scheduled Caste status. There main area of settlement are the districts of Ambala
Ambala
Ambala is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border of the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. Politically; Ambala has two sub-areas: Ambala Cantt and Ambala City, approximately 3 kilometers apart from each other...
, Karnal
Karnal
Karnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana.Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata era for the king Karna, a mythological hero and a key figure in the epic tale...
and Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
.
Present circumstances
The Pasi are found throughout Uttar Pradesh state, but are concenterated in HardoiHardoi District
Hardoi disctrict is a district of Uttar Pradesh, India, and Hardoi town is the district headquarters. Hardoi district is a part of Lucknow division.-Economy:...
, Sitapur
Sitapur
Sitapur formerly spelled as Citapore is a town and a municipal board in Sitapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is in the Lucknow Division of Uttar Pradesh...
, Kheri
Kheri
Kheri is a town and a nagar panchayat in Lakhimpur Kheri district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Kheri is located at . It has an average elevation of 148 metres .-Demographics:...
, Shahjahanpur
Shahjahanpur
Shahjahanpur is a municipal board, town and district headquarters of Shahjahanpur District in Uttar Pradesh, India.-History:During the reign of Shahjahan, Mughal forces demolished the city of Kant...
, Pratapgarh
Pratapgarh
Pratapgarh may refer to the following places in India:Cities and towns:* Pratapgarh, Rajasthan* Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh* Pratapgarh, TripuraDistricts:* Pratapgarh district * Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh...
, Lukhnow and Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
. In Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, they are found in Jabalpur.
The Pasi have a caste council, whose role is to deal with divorces, and offences such as disrespect for traditional norms They are a 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, and worship Bajranbali and Devi as their family deities. Linguistically, the speak a variety 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...
dialects.
The are a community of small peasant farmers. Many have started to migrate to cities, and are now engaged in businesses, private and government service and industrial labour.
In Bihar, the Pasi are also known as the Chaudhary. The community were traditionally connected with toddy tapping. They are found throughout Bihar, and speak the Magadhi dialect of Hindi. They have four sub-divisions, namely the Tirsulia, Gaiduha, Kamani and Byadha. In addition to toddy tapping, the community now are also involved in a number of activities such as petty business.
The Haryana Pasi are still employed mainly as village watchmen and bodyguards. A few are also involved in animal husbandry. As a community, the Haryana Pasi are one of the more successful scheduled caste community, having produced doctors, administrators and military personal. Like other Hindu communities, they are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy. There main clans are the Gujar, Kaithwa and Borasi.