The lost Meena 's pre-dravidine
Updated Nov 08 2019.publish by encyclopedia.com
Meena=matsya=meen=manu ...
PRONUNCIATION: MEE-nah
ALTERNATE NAMES: Meos; Mewati;meen;mena
LOCATION: India (primarily Rajasthan state)
POPULATION: 5 million (estimate)
LANGUAGE: Various dialects of Rajasthani
RELIGION: Hinduism; some Islamic practices
RELATED ARTICLES: Vol. 3: People of India
INTRODUCTION
The meena, also known as the Meos, or Mewati, are a tribe and caste inhabiting parts of western and northern India. Early views of the Minas held that they were among the oldest inhabitants of the region and represented Pre-Dravidian elements in the population. More recently, however, it has been suggested that the Minas may have migrated to this region from inner Asia in the 7th century along with various Rajput groups. Some Minas even claim Rajput descent.
According to Mina tradition, the Minas ruled most of what is now eastern Rajasthan, an area they referred to as "mindesh" (country of the Minas).
The last important Mina ruler, the Raja of Naen, was defeated by the Rajputs in the 16th century. However, the Minas continued to play a prominent role in the affairs of the region. Like the Bhils in Mewar (Udaipur) State, it was formerly the custom for a Mina to participate in the tika ceremony, placing a ceremonial mark with his own blood on the forehead of a new ruler of Amber State.
Minas held important positions in Amber, guarded the person of the prince at night, and were given charge of the women's quarters.
In the 11th century, when Muslim invaders gained control of northwestern India, some Minas converted from Hinduism to Islam. This branch of the Mina tribe is called the Meos. Further conversions to Islam occurred among the Minas during the 13th and 17th centuries. Despite their conversion, however, Meos continued to follow many of their original Hindu practices, and their culture remains a blend of Hindu and Muslim traits.
Political events since the middle of the 20th century have seen the Meos take on a stronger Muslim identity. British India was partitioned in 1947 and Pakistan was created as a separate country for Muslims. At this time, many Meos migrated from territory that was assigned to the Republic of India to West Pakistan, the western "wing" of the new Islamic state. The Meos who remained in India, a Muslim minority in an overwhelmingly Hindu population, found themselves facing pressures to abandon Hindu traits and conform to traditional Islamic customs.
LOCATION AND HOMELAND
The Minas, along with their allied groups, number some nearly 5 million people and rank among the largest tribes of South Asia. The current estimate of the Mina population is 4,482,000, of which 3,834,440 are found in Rajasthan. The main concentrations of Minas lie in eastern Rajasthan, in Alwar and Bharatpur Districts, spilling over into the Gurgaon District of Haryana State. This area is known as Mewat.
The Minas of Rajasthan identify 12 pals in the state. Pals are historical territorial units settled by Minas who shared a common ancestry and, often, similar cultural and linguistic attributes. Beyond this geographic distinction, there are several divisions among the Minas based on factors such as occupation and status. In addition, all Mina groups are divided into numerous clans (gotras), which are exogamous social units.
The Mers, the hill peoples of central Rajasthan, are also considered to be a branch of the Minas. They trace their descent to Rajput chiefs who married Mina women and are known as Rawat Minas. Like the Rajputs, the Mers are divided into clans. Some Mer clans converted to Islam, while others remained Hindu, but in the past all Mers intermarried.
In Rajasthan, Minas are second in number only to the Bhils and are classed as a Scheduled Tribe. Mina populations have spread from their Rajasthani homeland to adjacent states, although there they are less numerous, may not be recognized as a tribal group, and are sometimes called by different names.
In Uttar Pradesh, the state lying to the northwest of Rajasthan, for instance,
Minas are known as "Pardeshi-Rajputs." This literally means "Rajputs from a foreign land," and no doubt refers to the claims of Mina groups migrating from Rajasthan to Rajput descent. In Madhya Pradesh, Minas are known as Rawats.The Meos who migrated to Pakistan after partition in 1947 settled in the eastern region of that country's Punjab Province.
Minas in Rajasthan are divided
Minas in Rajasthan are divided into the Mina Zamindar, the landowning Minas, and the Mina Chowkidar. Both groups claim ksatriya status, and the 2001 Census of India puts their number at between 2,800,000 and 3,000,000 (the estimate given above includes natural increase since 2001, Bhil Minas, Meos, and related groups). The Zamindar Minas occupy a higher ritual status in the Hindu caste system than the Chowkidar Minas. The Bhil Mina are said to be descendants of Bhils and Rajputs who fled Muslim domination elsewhere in northern India.
LANGUAGE
The Mina homeland lies in the "Hindi belt" (the area where Hindi, an Indo-Aryan language descended from Sanskrit, is widely spoken) of northern India. Minas, depending on where they live in Rajasthan, speak various dialects of Rajasthani, which itself is a regional variant of Hindi. The major dialects spoken in the Mina areas are Mewati, Shekhawati, Harauti, Talhati, Dhundari, and Pachwari. Minas living in other states speak the dialect of their local region.
FOLKLORE :- Matsya or Minavatar
The derivation of the name Mina is uncertain, but some suggest it means "fish." The Minas claim an association with Matsya or Minavatar, the first incarnation of Vishnu in which the Hindu god assumed the form of a fish.
According to a legend related in several ancient texts, a ksatriya king named Manu was fishing in a river when he caught a small fish. The fish promised to protect Manu from coming misfortunes if he took it home rather than return it to the river. The king placed the fish in a small earthen vessel, but it started growing and eventually had to be moved to a pond, then to a lake, to the sea, and finally to the ocean. By now, King Manu realized that the fish was an incarnation of a god. The deity warned the king that a devastating flood was coming and that he should build a boat and embark on it with the seeds of all living things. Forewarned, Manu survived the flood. After the waters subsided, Manu performed a sacrifice to the gods.
A woman was created from this sacrifice, and the entire human race is descended from the union of this woman and Manu.
manu and meena are ksatriya
The legend of the flood is found in many cultures, but the Mina tradition that they are descendants of King Manu achieves two goals specific to the Indian context.
1.First, it gives a degree of legitimacy to the Mina claim of ksatriya status and, therefore, to an advantageous place in the caste structure of Indian society. Thus, where Mina groups have assumed a caste identity, they rank just below the Brahman caste and above the service castes and hill peoples.
2.Second, identification with Vishnu through his Matsya incarnation confirms the Minas as Hindu, an important goal for tribal groups that may have their origins outside Hindu society. Even today, Minavatar remains a major deity for the Minas.
RELIGION
The Minas are Hindus, and worship at the temples and shrines of Hindu deities is an important part of everyday life. Most Minas are Shaivites, meaning they are followers of the god Shiva. But, like all Hindus, they also worship other gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. These gods and goddesses include Rama, Sita, Hanuman, and Bhairon. In addition, Minas revere local deities and construct shrines to these lesser gods on the outskirts of their villages. Daily prayers are offered to Balavji, who represents Hanuman and protects the inhabitants of the village. Shitala Mata (the goddess of smallpox), Pipla Mata, and other lesser village goddesses are also worshipped. The Minas pay special attention to the presiding deities of their clans.
MAJOR HOLIDAYS
In addition to these Hindu observances, Minas celebrate certain festivals that are specific to the Mina community. The Minas go to great lengths to appease their ancestors and set aside a special day for ancestor worship. On this day, special foods are cooked in each household, and the village priest is invited to the house to receive an offering. Another day is set aside to honor local village deities.
Two local festivals in Rajasthan—Tej, the Festival of Swings, and Gangaur, which honors the goddess Gauri—are popular events. Fairs held at various religious shrines in eastern Rajas-than are regularly attended by the Minas. The fair of Mata near Rewasa in Sikar district is a Mina fair marked by offerings of liquor and the sacrifice of buffaloes to the Goddess.
RITES OF PASSAGE
As with other Hindus, the first shaving of a male child's head (handukadi) is a major ritual for the Minas. But perhaps the most important Mina ceremony is the funeral feast (nukta). As is the custom in Hindu India, the Minas cremate their dead.
LIVING CONDITIONS
Mina villages are usually
comprised of the members of one or more clans or gotras, along with
service castes essential to an agricultural settlement. The village is
generally unplanned,
FAMILY LIFE
Widow remarriage is accepted
by the Minas. The preferred partner is a deceased husband's brother or
paternal cousin. Another type of marriage accepted by Mina society is
one in which a woman with a living husband can remarry another man, with
the second husband paying compensation to the first husband. Both men
and women are allowed to seek divorce on grounds ranging from adultery
to the inability to have children.
FOOD
EDUCATION
Despite the
availability of state-supported schools, illiteracy and lack of
education remain problems among many rural communities, including the
Minas, in India. Distance, poor transportation facilities, inadequate
resources in local primary and secondary schools, and a reluctance among
many Minas to send their children to school result in low levels of
education among the community. The literacy rate for Rajasthan in 2001
was 60.41%. However, this average masks a tremendous variation in
literacy in the state. In the Virat Nagar block of Jaipur District (a
rural area), for instance, literacy among girls is only 4.6% (2001).
Among the Mina community, literacy is 52.2%, while for females, this
figure drops to 31.8%, which is higher than the Bhils and most tribal
communities in Rajas-than except for the Dhanka. Some Mina community
associations have attempted to impose fines on Minas who do not send
their children to school. The high costs of sending a child away for
higher education is prohibitive for most Mina parents. But 62% of Mina
children between the ages of 5 and 14 years attend school, although only
around 5% ever graduate from high school.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
The
Minas do not have a written literature but share in the regional
traditions of Rajasthani folk culture. They participate in local fairs
and festivals, and women sing appropriate folksongs at ceremonies, such
as weddings. The Minas are fond of social gatherings and celebrate these
events with song and dance. Many of the songs and dances of the Minas
are considered to be obscene, and modern reformers have tried to ban
these activities.
WORK
Some
Minas, especially those who have large landholdings, are fairly
prosperous. They have accepted agricultural innovations and use modern
equipment such as tillers, tractors, and irrigation pumps. Many Minas,
however, have small, uneconomic holdings and lack modern equipment.
Their agricultural efforts are greatly hampered by the frequent droughts
of the region, and they often must supplement their income by working
as laborers. It is common for all able-bodied men in a village to work
at building roads once their seasonal agricultural activities are
completed.
Small numbers of Minas are engaged in service and other
occupations, but an overwhelming 75% are recorded as cultivators in
2001 census returns.
SPORTS
There are no sports, in the modern sense of the word, associated with traditional Mina society.
ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION
Until
recently, many Mina villages lacked electricity, and entertainment and
recreation was derived primarily through traditional village
festivities. With the development of rural areas and the advent of radio
and even satellite television, such entertainment is available to those
who can afford it. Urban areas provide access to popular Hindi movies,
though again this is a luxury few villagers can afford.
FOLK ART, CRAFTS, AND HOBBIES
Minas
are known for their skill in areas such as basketry, rope-making,
embroidery on cloth and leather, and wall-painting. One Mina community
living near Agra, in Uttar Pradesh
State, makes its living from crafting the brightly colored, embroidered
shoes and sandals worn by Rajasthanis. They are known as the Chamaria
Minas, the Chamars being the traditional leatherworking castes of India.
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
The
Minas face many problems typical of tribal or conservative rural
communities attempting to deal with the modern social and economic
environment of India. Until the mid-20th century, the Minas lived under a
feudal system that placed little emphasis on the social improvement of
the people. Partly due to the indifference of their former rulers and
partly due to their own resistance to change, the Minas continue to face
problems of illiteracy and lack of education. Alcoholism is a problem
among some Minas. Customs such as the paying of the bride-price and the
death-feast have resulted in a considerable debt burden for many Minas.
Though
they achieved little success, movements for social reform among the
Minas date back to the 1920s, when Mina chiefs in Jaipur State founded
the Mina Reformist Committee. Since then, many Mina associations aimed
at social reform have been started. A summary of the social problems
facing the Minas as perceived by the Minas themselves is provided by a
list of offenses, to be punished by fines, set out by a Mina association
in 1974. These included holding the death feast; distilling, selling,
or drinking alcoholic beverages; taking work as a guard; failing to send
children to school; and participating in group singing and dancing.
In
1950, when the president of India announced the list of peoples who
were to be categorized as "Scheduled Tribes," the Minas were surprised
to find they were not on it. However, following representations to the
Government of India through the Mina Mahapanchayat and a visit to Mina
country by a member of the Backward Caste Commission, the Minas were
included on the list, giving them reserved government jobs and places in
educational institutions. The Minas have generally made good use of the
advantages accorded to them by Scheduled Tribe status and rank among
the highest in the state among tribal groups in most socio-economic
indicators.
Minas in Rajasthan object to the agitation by Gujars
to be reclassified as a Scheduled Tribe (ST), as was promised by the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Such agitation was taking place in 2008.
Because of caste politics people vote en bloc as a community and they
benefit as a bloc. This is what happened when Jats in Rajasthan were
granted Other Backward Classes (OBC) status in 1999. Since they are
powerful and generally well off, they cornered the benefits of
reservations. The Gujars, who also have OBC status had to compete with
the Jats, were later promised ST status by the BJP. The community voted
and BJP came to power in Rajasthan. The Gujars now want the promise
fulfilled. Now, if Gujars get included as an ST then the other ST
communities, including the Minas, suffer because someone else will come
to share the ST reservation pie. Hence they protest to maintain their
benefits. "Meenas in Rajasthan are the only Scheduled Tribe and we would
not tolerate any inclusion into our community," the president of
Rastriya Meena Mahasabha is supposed to have said. However, even though
Minas have cornered most of the reservations for Scheduled Tribes in the
state, groups such as the Bhils and Garasias are also classed as
Scheduled Tribes in the state.
Rajasthan State has reservation
quotas of 49% (16% for Scheduled Castes, 12% for STs, and 21% for OBCs).
In June 2008 the state legislature was to meet to consider enacting a
14% job and education quota for the Economically Backward Category
(EBC), which would make Rajasthan the first state in the country to have
this quota. The Rajasthan government offered a 5% special reservation
to the Gujar, Banjara, Gadia Lohar, and Raika communities, bringing an
end to a nearly month-old stand-off over the Gujar community's demand
for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes category. If enacted, the
additional 5% and 14% would bring the total of reservations in Rajasthan
to 68%, one of the highest in the country.
The Gujar-Mina
confrontation in Rajasthan, which has turned violent at times, has
prompted a nationwide rethink of India's policy of reservations based
solely on caste. Yet, this is not just a case of Gujars or Minas wanting
to gain more reservation privileges. It is also the story of how
politicians are attracted to quotas and reservations as vote banks. Once
contemplated as a temporary measure to ensure equality for historically
disenfranchised communities, reservations have become a permanent tool
for vote-bank politics—and have, in the process, been excessively
divisive.
GENDER ISSUES
Women among the Mina have a lower
status then their men. A woman has no right to inherit property, though
she does have an important role in the socio-economic area. She has a
strong influence in family decisions, although the final decision is
always made by the head of the family, who is invariably male. Women
involved themselves in matters like school enrolment (education is seen
by most Minas as a means to better oneself), diarrhea management and
campaigning for safe drinking water. Where there is no supply of safe
drinking water in a village, it is the women who have to sometimes walk
miles to get it, carrying the water in pots on their head—a common scene
in Rajasthan. And women do important agricultural work in the fields.
The
Minas have been strongly influenced by the Hindu groups amongst whom
they live, which leaves them open to the usual abuses (occasionally the
press reports the death of a Mina woman, though this is clearly more of a
problem among caste Hindus). Thus Mina women observe purdah and marriages are arranged, though divorce is rare and usually has to be sanctioned by the local panchayat.
A woman's family pays a dowry (which is quite high for a suitable
match). A widow or widower may remarry, a junior levirate or junior
sororate type of union being considered the most appropriate
arrangement. Child marriage, though now technically illegal in India, is
traditionalamong Mina groups, who think the ideal age of marriage for a
girl is between 6 and 10 years of age.
Tuberculosis and death during delivery is common in the villages, which often lack adequate medical facilities. As income from agriculture is meager, many Mina women suffer the consequences of poverty and illiteracy. Yet they are open to modernization, seeing education and development as a way out of their situation.
special thanks to encyclopedia.com
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ali, Hasim Amir. The Meos of Mewat: Old Neighbours of New Delhi. New Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta: Oxford & IBH Publishing Co, 1970.
Gahlot, Sukhvir Singh, and Banshi Dhar. Castes and Tribes of Rajasthan. Jodhpur. Jain Brothers, 1989.
Gupta, Basant. Environmental Perception and Tribal Modernization: A Study of Meena Landscape. Jaipur: Ritu Publications, 2007.
Jain. P. C. Planned Development Among Tribals: A Comparative Study of Bhils and Minas. Jaipur and New Delhi: Rawat, 1999.
Sharma, S. L. Social Stratification among the Tribes. Delhi: Himanshu Publications, 2004.
Rizvi, S. H. M. Mina: The Ruling Tribe of Rajasthan. B. R. Publishing Corporation: Delhi, 1987.
Vetscher, Trande. "Bethrothal and Marriage among the Minas of South Rajasthan." Man in India 53 (1973): 387–413.
—by D. O. Lodrick.
[…] of Rajput princes their foreheads had to be smeared by the blood drawn from the thumb of a Dravidian Bhil tribal to authenticate their […]
ReplyDelete