Kharwar Adivasi
The Kharwar is one of the Adivasi Groups of the Jharkhand State. They are found in the district of Garhawa, Daltonganj, Latehar, Lohardaga, Ranchi., Hazaribagh and Chatra in Jharkhand State. The traditions reveals that they used to Khair grasses for various purposes. That is why, they were known as Kharwar. In course of time, they left the Sone valley settled in old palamau, Ranchi and Hazaribagh districts. Some of them also settled in Rohtasgarh. They are contemporary of Mundari speaking Indian tribles. Revivalistic religions group among the Santhal tribe also call themselves as Kharwar. But they are not Kharwar tribe. They are Santhal tribe for all practical purposes. The Kharwar Tribes were living the Palamau before the arrival of the Chero rule. They had extended help to the Chero chiefs and were rewarded by the Jagirs. The Chero trace their descent from the Suryavanshi Kshatriya. Racially they belong to Proto-anstraloid and linguistically to Dravidian group.
Culture
The Kharwar villages are found in comparatively plain agreas. They erect their houses with mud, wood, bamboo and tiles. They have generally two rooms and verandah in their house with a courtyard. Few houses are also of double storey with wood, date leaves, Khair grasses and soil. They do not have window in the rooms. They leave a little hole in the front wall for light. They have cot, mat, machia, sujani, sack for sleeping purpose. They have Pida for sitting. Sika is used for placing food materials. Food grains are stored in soil made grainary called Kothi and earthen pots. Water is stored in earthen pots. Food is cooked in aluminium utensil. They have bronze Thali, Lota and glass. Some utensils of copper and brass are also found in their house. Now-a-day, steel utensils can also be seen in their houses.
They have plough, Juath, Henga, Khanta, Kudal, Khurapi, Jham, Phar, as, axe, Gaiti, etc as agricultural implements. A number baskets, brooms, and winnowing tray are also found. Denki, Janta, Zoraha-Silaut are their important household machine. Iron and steel boxes are also found in their houses.
Lathi, Bhala, Ber, Garasa, Gulel, Bow and Arrow are their important war weapons. Flute, Dolak, Nagar, Jhal and Kartal are their musical instruments.
Women are found of ornaments. They wear ornaments in head, neck, nose, ear, hand, wrist, fingers and feet. The ornaments are made up of brass, bronze, copper, steel, thread, seed, shell etc. Some ornaments are also of gold and silver. Sometimes, they wear gold and silver plated ornaments are also of gold and silver, Sometimes, they wear gold and silver plated ornaments. They buy ornaments from the Feriwala or in the local Haat.
Women wear Sari, Saya and blouse. The old women cover their entire body from the same Sari. The men wear Dhoti and Ganji. They have Kurta and Gamachha which going out of market. The boys wear Ganji, paint, Bushshirt. The girls wear frock , paint and Salwar suit. The children remain half naked in early childhood.
Family
The family is the smallest unit of the society. It is nuclear in structure. It consist of husband, wife and their unmarried children. The joint families are rare. The married sons start living with their wives in separate family. The married girls leave the house and start living with their husbands in separate house. The old parents are looked after by families of sons who inherit the property of the father. So, they are not expected to look after aged parents. The family is patriarchal. The lineage is partilineal.
The father is the head of the family. But for the smooth functioning of the family, they follow the division of labour based on age and sex. The cooking and the house hold management lies with the mother, while the outside management is done by the father The daughters extend cooperation to their father. The aged look after the house, kids, goat, chicks etc. When young men go out for work. But this division is not watertight compartment like. All members extend full cooperation to each other in the performance of work.
The husband wife relation is very cordial. It is based on cooperation and faith. The husband has full faith in wife and the wife has full faith in husband. They live together, work together and take family decision together. Both struggle hard to maintain the existence of the family. But husband wife relation becomes bitter on cruel behaviour, laziness and development of extra marital relation. Extra marital relation is taken very bad and it leads to divorce with the permission of the community Panchayat. On divorce, children go to the husband. Infant goes with the mother. On divorce both husband and wife are free to remarry. Remarriage can take place with window.
The parent-children relation is also very cordial. The parents love their children very much and children, too, love their parents. Beating of children is rare. Maximum punishment is scolding. Reward and punishment are not given. Premarital relation out side the tribe and within the clan is not taken will. In such cases, parents have to pay the fines decided by the panchayat. The relation of children with their step mother is generally not good. Because they are oppressed in a number of ways. They are beaten and not served food in time. They do not get help of their father. But after marriage, they start leading a separate house with their wives. Now, they lead peaceful life away from step mother. They are not given agricultural land till their father is alive. But they stay peacefully on their labour
The relation between siblings is also good. Being the children of the same parents, they have we feeling. In the childhood, they eat together, work together and sleep together and sleep together. On many occasions, they also make quarrel which is solved by the parents. But in late childhood, they start maintaining a distance. Now brothers play with the boys of their own age group and sisters play with girl of their own age group. The sisters extend help in cooking and serving food. Now brother and sister do not take food together.
The sisters serve food and brothers take food. The sisters take food with their mother when all male members finish their food. Now they sleep in separate room. After marriage, they establish their own houses. The married brothers live in the same village with their families. The married sisters leave the village for ever and go to live with their husband in another village. The families of brother constitute lineage group. The relation between brothers families become sour at the time of division of property. But relationship is restored soon by the community Panchayat. But the relation between families of brothers and sisters remain very good. The relation gets sour when sisters are not accorded well when they come on invitation. Now the families of brothers and sisters maintain relation by reciprocal exchange of invitation, visit, gift, presentation, service, food materials etc.
The relation of the Chero families with the families of the castes and other tribes of the village is generally cordial. They live together, work together and make fun with each other. Being the members of the same village, they know each other by name and face. They also share joys and sorrows. But relation gets.sour on rape, extra marital relation, theft and destruction of the property. Such events leads to violent behaviour and court cases.
Marriage
The marriage is very important ritual which comes in the life of both boys and girls, if they are sexually valid. Even the sexually invalid persons are also married to wash the stain of unmarriedness which is not taken good in the society. Divorced life is taken good in comparison to unmarried life. The usual from of marriage is monogamy. But on barrenness, widower, bigamy is also permissible. Something trigamy is also allowed for the progeny. Window remarriage, levirate and sorrorate marriages are also permissible
They follow the rule of tribe endogamy and clan exogamy. The marriage out side the tribe is not permissible. The marriage within the same clan is also not allowed. Cousins are treated as blood relatives and they are not preferred for the marriage.
The ways of acquiring marriage mates are by bride price, love, elopement, service and also exchange. For the marriage, the father or guardian of the groom approaches the father or the guardian of the girl. When the father of the girl accepts the proposal, he is requested to disclose the demand of the bride price. The bride price is demanded in cash and kind. But it is very nominal. In cash it varies between Rs. 25to 51 and in kind dress of the bride, bride’s parents, brothers, sisters and food grains and goat for extending hospitality. When the father of the boy accepted the bride price, the marriage is declared settle. The father of the boy has to visit several villages in search of the bride. Only then he is able to get the marriage settled. When the marriage is settled the village priest, who is generally a Shakaldwipi Brahman or Kankubja Brahman, is requested to fix a suitable date. The bride price is paid a week before the marriage. The marriage is generally held in between the months of February to May.
A week before the marriage, the father boy come with the male kins along with the bride price. They are accorded well by the kins of the bride. Haria and feast is given. They are extended Vidai by Haria and morning feast.
Now the father of the bride and the groom invite their maternal, paternal and affinal kins to participate in the marriage. They come with invitation like food grains, clothes and money. The female kins perform the rituals of digging out soil for making stores. The male kins perform the rituals of erecting Marawa in the house of the bride and the groom. Each ritual is followed by the feast and hospitality.
The bride and the groom have to observe a number of taboos. They have to observe taboos related to the food, visit and clothes. They have to observe beautificatory rituals for a week in which female kins apply oil, turmeric and ubatan. They also do the ritual of Chumawan to neutralize the effect of evil spirits. On the day of marriage, they do purificatory bath. They wear new dresses. The groom sits in a palanquin. The Palanquin is carried by the male kins or Bhuia caste of the village or neighbourhood. The female kins perform the Chumawan ritual to neutralize any evil attack. The Palanquin of the groom is accompanied by the male kins in the form of the Barat party.
When the Barat Party enters the village of the bride, the male kins of the bride extend a warm accord. They offer flowers and shake hands with all house, where members perform dance to express joys when the sance is over, they are brought at a suitable place for the night halt. They are asked to wadh their hands, face and feet. Then Handia, fried grains and Lakatho sweets or Bundia is served to them in hospitality. After this, the groom is brought in the Marawa amidst the scene of singing and dancing. The bride remains waiting for the arrival of the groom. Too see the groom, she stands up and offer flower beads in his neck. The groom also offers flowerbead on the neck of the bride. All members present there clasp their hands. In the presence of the Brahman priest, the groom puts vermillion in the forehead of the bride. The female kins sing songs. All members present there perform dance, while the bride and the groom make seven rounds of the fire tanks as witness. After the dance, they share Haria and marriage feat.
In the morning, the Vidai of the bride and the groom is made. They seek blessing of all kins present there by touching their feet. Each elder kins pay them some cash The youngers express good wishes. Among the tearful scene, the they are sent in Palanquin with gift presentation and food materials. The members of the Barat Party are also sent by offering Handia, shaking hands, embracing each other and seeking excuse ror extending poor hospitality.
When the Palanquin carrying the bride and the groom reaches at the gate of the groom, the female kin do the ritual of Chumawan by spraying sunfried rice, turmeric, flower, water etc. They are brought in the Marawa by putting steps in baskets. In Marawa they seek blessing of the family deities and all elders present there. All members present there share the community feast.
The bride stays for a week. The father or brother goes to see her. She is brought back. After a year, the groom goes to bring the bride on prior information. The Vidai of the groom and the Bride is made with clothes, sweets, baskets, boxes etc. Now the bride and the groom start living in a separate room as husband and wife. They reproduce progeny and become father and mother. The marriage age is between 12 to 20 for girls and 15 to 25 for the boys.
Kinship
The kinship system of the kharwar presents a modle of relationship based on parentage and marriage. Through parentage, blood relation is established and through marriage. It is transmitted from one generation to the next. The wife is an affinal relative, but she is included in consanguineal relative. Adopted son is also included in consanguineal relative. Asopted son is also included in consanguineal relative. Cousins are also treated as blood relative. On the basis of blood relation, each individual has his ascendants and descendants. Family, lineage and clan are treated as consanguineal kin group. They are patrilateral.
For establish kinship through marriage, tribe endogamy and clan exogamy. The Kharwar tribe is divided in to a number of endogamous units such as Surajbansi, Daulalbandi, Patbandi, Kheri , Bhogti or Gongu and Manjhia, Bhogta, Raut etc. They wear janeu, Too. These endogamous units are divided in a number of exogamous clans such as Kansi, samduar, Chardayal, Kauriyar, Nilkantha, chandiyar, hansgadia, Baherwar, Dewalbandh, Namhuar, Topowar, Badhwar, hansbigia, Lohwar, Barewa, Kachchua, Indwar, Kerketta, Dhan, Dela, Dhinki, Chandan, Pardhia, Besera, Mohkal, Kush, Chuniar, Karnyarm, Sahil, tirkey, Bhagua, Sonvani, Bendra, kasunua, Paven, Nove, Soya, etc.
The Kharwar use classificatory as well as descriptive kinship terminology. They also categorise kin on the basis of age, sex, lineality, coleterality, affinity. They also categorise the kins on the basis of nearness and distance. The bride and the groom should not be relative upto three generations from the father and the mother side. After three generations, the blood relatives are not taken as blood relatives. Now they can become marriage relatives. The marriage creates a set of relatives. It not only binds two individuals of opposite sex as husband and wife but all family members of the bride and the groom come under the bondage of the kinship. They are called by particular kinship terms. All maternal and paternal kins of the bride and the groom also become relatives and called by a kinship term. Thus, the parentage and marriage are the bases of the kinship.
In kinship system, different kins behave following the rules of avoidance, joking and takenonymy. Sas-Putoh, Sas-Damad, Sasur-Putoh, Sasur-Damad, Bhawah-Bhainsur, Jetha Sala-Bahnoi, Jethasali-Bahnoi etc. behave following the rule of avoidance. Jija-Sala, Jija-Sali, nanad-Bhabhi, Devar-Bhabhi, Samadhi-Samadhi, Samadhin-Samadhin etc behave following the rule of joking. Husband-Wife and avoiding relatives behave following the rule of takenonymy. The rule of amitate and avunculate is not existing.
All kindered of an individual are invited on the occasion of ceremonies and rituals. This witnesses the reciprocal exchange of invitation, visit, gift, presentation, service, food materials, feast, respect, and hospitality.
Birth
For the Kharwar family, birth is very pious occasion. It makes the couple as father and mother. It proves the fertile value of the couple – husband and wife. It fills up the laps of mother and gives chance to act as nourisher. The family becomes pleased to see its progeny and the community expresses joys to see the addition of its member. The childless couples are not respected in the society. They are abused as witch.
Generaly birth takes place in house. The Chamain is called to attend the birth. The birth brings pollution period in the family for five days. No body except the attendant is allowed to enter in the delivery room. The navel is cut with a sharp knife. All delivery wastes are buried in a lonely place. In order to save the baby and the mother from the attack of malevolent spirit and witchcraft, a branch of thorny plant is placed at the gate of the room, a lamp is kept lighted for the whole night, fire is kept burnt and a knife is place by the side of the mother.
On the 6th day, the Chamain washes the delivery room; Courtyard and all clothes. All utensils and furnitures are also washed properly. The mother and the child are allowed for purificatory bath in presence of female kins. The mother and the child are allowed for purificatory bath in presence of female kins. The mother wears clean clothes. She covers the child in the same sari. She seeks blessings of the family deity and all elders present there. Then all members present there share the birth feast and the pollution period is over.
After the performance of chhathi ritual, name-giving ceremony takes place when the child becomes of one month age. Food serving occurs when the first tooth erupts. Mundan takes places after completion of two years and earboring is held after three years of age.
Death
The Kharwar are well aware of the death. They believe that death is associated with every birth. But there is difference between deaths. The death is oldhood is taken as good because it transforms the old body into new one either as ancestor or a s rebirth. This death is caused by Yama Raja (Lord of death) But the death during childhood and younghood is not taken good. Unnatural death is also not taken good. Such deaths are caused by malevolent spirits. The souls of such dead persons became Bhuta-Preta. They are dissatisfied soul and remain wondering till their rest lives. They do not get peace. They make attack on, infant, children, pregnant women, nursing mother and milch cattle. They are driven out by the witch doctor (Ojha).
The death brings pollution for nine days. The pollution is observed at lineage and clan level. No families belonging to the lineage and clan group of the dead, use oil and turmeric in food. They do not do any auspicious work. Male members do not do shaving. The female members do not perform bath.
On 9th day, all families was their houses, courtyard, clothes, utensils etc. the female members goto perform bath at the tank. The male members do shaving of head, mustache and beard. They also perform bath in the tank. They touch oil and turmeric and become clean. A purificatory feast is shared by all community members.
Economy
The economic activities of the Kharwar have been agriculture and wage earning. Previously, they were landlords and Zamindars. But due to their extravagant nature, they have turned into poor. Now agriculture is the main means of their stay. Each family owns homestead land, agricultural land, cattleshed and agricultural implements like Jham, Kudal, Khurapi, Plough, Juath, henga etc. they do not hire labour at the time of agriculture. They do it by exchange of labour with other neighbouring families.
The agriculture land is of two types (i) Don, and (ii) Tanr. The Don land has more water storing capacity. In don land cultivation of Jorahan dhan is done which is harvested in the month of Agahan. In Tanr land, cultivation of maize, marua, kurathi, til, arahar etc. is done. They categoriese crops as Vadai, Agahani, Rabi and Garma. Vadai crops are cultivated in Bari land and Tanr land. Agahani crops are cultivated in the month of july and harvested in the month of Agahan (November-December) Rabi crops are cultivated in the month of Agahan and harvested in the month of Chait (April-May). The cultivation of Rabi crops is done in very small areas in the fields situated nearby the village. Garma crops are cultivated in the month of Phagun and harvested in the month of Jayestha (May-June).
They do cultivation by dry and wet method. Vadai crops, Rabi crops and Garma crops are cultivated by dry methods but the Agahani crops particularly field is done by throwing ash, cowdung and domestic wastes in the field. The agricultural processes including manuring, ploughing, sowing, transplanting, weeding, putting fertilizer, watching, harvesting, threshing, winnowing and carrying grains in the house. Manuring is started with the worship of the land. At each stage, worship is done. When the grains come in house, worship is done followed by the festival of Nawakhani.
The agriculture provides the engage of the Kharwar for 6 to 8 months in a year. For rest 6 to 4 months, they depend upon wage earning. They work as causal labour in digging soil, road construction, bridge construction, brick kiln, field and forest. They do not get work regularly. They have to face the situation of unemployment for 2 to 3 months in a year.
Some members of the Kharwar tribe are engaged in small Government jobs. Few are also engaged in small business. Over all family income of the Kharwar is not sufficient and presents a picture of subsistence-oriented. They produce for the consumption, not for the saving. Their family income is quite less than the family expenditure. Naturally, they have to incur loan from the men of means or the Mahajan. They have to pay heavy interest on the loan. They take loan to meet expenditure of marriage, feast, treatment, festivals etc. They do not take loan for the education of children and running small business. They do not want to take loan from the banks because they do not get loan easily and for non-productive purposes.
The Kharwar visit in the local haat for the marketing of grains, spices, oil, salt, sugar, gur, clothes, cshoes, slippers and ornaments. Men, women and children visit the local Haat to sell and purchase commodities. They also enjoy the visit of the Haat by buying Lakatho sweets, Jilebi, pakauri, Bhunja etc.
The Kharwar avail credit facilities in the Haat from the shopkeepers who know them well by name, face and village. They repay the loan after getting payment of wages or harvesting the crops.
Religion
The religion of the Kharwar presents a mixture of tribal and Hindu religion. They have Baiga priest as well as Brahman priest. Some of them are also followers of Islam, Christianity, Jainism and Buddhism. Their main Goods and Goddesses are Sinbonga, Goddess Lakshmi, Bhagwati, Durga, hanumana, Gram Bonga, Dihwar Bonga, etc. they celebrate festivals like chhatha, Sarhul durga Puja, Diwali, Jitia, Sohrai, Nawakhani, Phagu and Ramnawami.
They also believe in ancestral spirits, Bhuta-Preta and witch craft. They offer ancestral worship at the time of birth, marriage and death or whenever, they appear in dream. Bhuta-Preta are driven out by witch-doctor. They offer sacrifices in the name sof Gods and spirits. Sacrifice of he-goat, he-sheep, cock, duck, pigeon and egg is made to please the spirits with the help of the Baiga priest. The offering of Khir, Puri, pakwan is made with help of the Brahman priest. They perform dance at the time of worship and festival. They also do a number of Totaka to neutralise the attack of evil spirits, Bhuta-Preta and witchcraft. They also observe a number of taboos for the well being of the family members.
Political Organisation
The Kharwar have their community Panchayat to solve the problems like intertribe marriage, intra-clan marriage, pre-marital relation, extra marital relation, cruel behaviour, witchcraft, divorce, division of property, atrocities etc. their traditional Panchayat’s Mukhia is the senior and able amle member of the community. He is elected by the heads of the families. They have also inter village Panchayat known as Chatti, patti, pachaura and Sattaura. When the inter village Panchayat is of four villages, it is called Chatti, of five village, it is known as Pachaura and for seven villages, it is Sataura, The head of the inter-village Panchayat is called Mukhia. He is elected by the heads of the village coming under. Chatti, Pachaura and sataura. The decision of the Panchayat is welcomed by all. Those who do not obey are oustead from the community.
The Kharwar have been the descendants of landlords and Zamindars. So, they do not hesitate in going to courts against the decision of the Panchayat. They also take help of thana police to solve the problems. The Kharwar have also taken part in social political movements. They were the armies of the cheroking. Nilambar-Pitambar had launched movement against British Government. The Kharwar have also launched forest movement under the leadership of Fetal singh.
The Kharwar are conscious politically. They have been able to elect Mukhia, Sarpanch, and MLA from their community.
The Kharwar know the political parties and their symbols. They are also members of political parties. They support some political parties at the time of election. They take active part in casting their votes.
Woman
The Kharwar women are industrious. Though they belonged to landlords and Zamindar families, but they do not hesitate in rendering heard labour and earning wages. They are the custodian of culture, first teacher and manager of the food grains and cooking. They are the nourisher of the children and family members. But they have to observe a number of taboos which deprive them from different rights and freedom. Women literacy rate is 5 percent against the male literacy rate 11.
The Kharwar women do not enjoy inheritance right. They cannot sell the property of husband. They can not buy property in their name. They have to perform house hold chores and earn wages. From wages, they have also to nourish their drunkard and lazy husbands.
The Kharwar women have not been benefited by the development schemes meant for the women. There is a need to make them conscious towards their rights and development schemes through Mahila Mandal and Self help Group.
Children
Children of the Kharwar are valuable because they are the future hope of the community. Children of both sexes have their value. Boys are treated as progenitor, when girls are treated as producer and nourisher of the progeny. In the child hood they are given full affection, love and freedom to play. They play games like Goti, Andi, Paisa, Barah Goti, Bagh-Bakari, Raja Chor, Blind-Blind, Gho-Gho Rani, Guli-Danda, Dol-Patta etc. They are also enrolled in schools. But they are engaged in family works. Cases of non attendance and dropouts are more.
Youth
the Kharwar youth are the work force of the community. The responsibility to feed and cloth children and aged is shared by them. They get up early in the morning and go to bed by 9 PM In this period they work in house, their field and also earn wages. But they have to face the situation of unemployment particularly after the agricultural reason. They want to earn wages in off agricultural time. But they do not get work regularly. They have to wonder place to place for work and wages. The youth have been attracted towards the modernity. But their economy do not permit them to live lavishly. In this situation, they feel frustrated. The frustration leads to personality disorganization and development of anti-social behaviour among the Kharwar youth.
Aged
The Kharwar aged know well about their economic alue in the society. They do not want to spend more on their treatment. They expect food of both ends in time. When the food is cooked, it is first served to the aged and children. They have social value because they guide the young generation by his experience. They also have ceremonial and ritualistic value. Their blessings are sought on the occasion of ceremonies and rituals in the family and community. The misbehaviour with aged becomes a matter of social criticism. Such behaviour crates trouble in inheriting the property.
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