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| langs = [[Hindi]] • [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
| langs = [[Hindi]] • [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
| rels = [[Hinduism]] • [[Islam]] • [[Sikhism]] • [[Ravidassia religion]] • [[Christianity]]
| rels = [[Hinduism]] • [[Islam]] • [[Sikhism]] • [[Ravidassia religion]] • [[Christianity]]
| related = [[Jatav]] • Chanwar Chamar • [[Ramdasia]] • [[Ravidassia]] • [[Regar|Raigar]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Compendium-2016.pdf |title=List of Scheduled Castes |publisher=Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment |access-date=2023-02-27 |page=18 }}</ref> • [[Chambar]] • [[Dhusia]] • [[Julaha Chamar]] • [[Kabirpanthi Julaha]] • [[Ahirwar]]
| related = [[Jatav]] • [[Ramdasia]] • [[Ravidassia]] • [[Regar|Raigar]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Compendium-2016.pdf |title=List of Scheduled Castes |publisher=Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment |access-date=2023-02-27 |page=18 }}</ref> • [[Chambhar]] • [[Dhusia]] • [[Madiga]] • [[Ad-Dharmi]] • [[Ahirwar]]
}}
}}
'''Chamar''' (or '''Jatav''')<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eF8sEAAAQBAJ&dq=Chamar+and+jatav+are+synonymous&pg=PA253|title=A Crusade for Social Justice|page=253|publisher=South Vision Books|author=Dr V.Vasanthi Devi|year=2021}}</ref> is a community classified as a [[Scheduled Caste]] under modern India's [[Reservation in India|system of affirmative action]] that originated from the group of trade persons who were involved in leather tanning and shoemaking<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rawat |first1=Ramnarayan S. |title=Reconsidering Untouchability: Chamars and Dalit History in North India |date=23 March 2011 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-22262-6 |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Reconsidering_Untouchability/bz5dKC81O3IC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=chamar+leather+tanning+shoe+making&pg=PA111&printsec=frontcover |access-date=21 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref>. They are found throughout the [[Indian subcontinent]], mainly in the northern states of India and in [[Pakistan]] and [[Nepal]].
'''Chamar''' (or '''Jatav''')<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eF8sEAAAQBAJ&dq=Chamar+and+jatav+are+synonymous&pg=PA253|title=A Crusade for Social Justice|page=253|publisher=South Vision Books|author=Dr V.Vasanthi Devi|year=2021}}</ref> is a community classified as a [[Scheduled Caste]] under modern India's [[Reservation in India|system of affirmative action]] that originated from the group of trade persons who were involved in leather tanning and shoemaking.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rawat |first1=Ramnarayan S. |title=Reconsidering Untouchability: Chamars and Dalit History in North India |date=23 March 2011 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-22262-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bz5dKC81O3IC&dq=chamar+leather+tanning+shoe+making&pg=PA111 |access-date=21 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref> They are found throughout the [[Indian subcontinent]], mainly in the northern states of India and in [[Pakistan]] and [[Nepal]].


==History==
==History==
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The Chamars are traditionally associated with leather work.{{sfn|Sarah Beth Hunt|2014|p=23}} [[Ramnarayan Rawat]] posits that the association of the Chamar community with a traditional occupation of [[tanning (leather)|tanning]] was constructed, and that the Chamars were instead historically agriculturists.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yadav |first=Bhupendra |date=21 February 2012 |title=Aspirations of Chamars in North India |work=[[The Hindu]] |location=Chennai, India |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-bookreview/article2914334.ece |access-date=14 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223194005/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-bookreview/article2914334.ece |archive-date=23 February 2012}}</ref>
The Chamars are traditionally associated with leather work.{{sfn|Sarah Beth Hunt|2014|p=23}} [[Ramnarayan Rawat]] posits that the association of the Chamar community with a traditional occupation of [[tanning (leather)|tanning]] was constructed, and that the Chamars were instead historically agriculturists.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yadav |first=Bhupendra |date=21 February 2012 |title=Aspirations of Chamars in North India |work=[[The Hindu]] |location=Chennai, India |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-bookreview/article2914334.ece |access-date=14 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223194005/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-bookreview/article2914334.ece |archive-date=23 February 2012}}</ref>


The term ''chamar'' is used as a pejorative word for [[dalit]]s in general.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sabrangindia.in/article/caste-igated-how-indians-use-casteist-slurs-dehumanise-each-other|title=Caste-igated: How Indians use casteist slurs to dehumanise each other|last=Malu|first=Preksha|date=2018-07-21|website=[[Sabrang Communications]]|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/hot-on-web/twitter-calls-out-netflix-original-jamtara-sabka-number-ayega-for-casteist-slur|title=Twitter Calls out Netflix's 'Jamtara' for Using Casteist Slur|date=2020-01-18|website=[[The Quint]]|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}}</ref> It has been described as a [[Casteism|casteist]] slur by the [[Supreme Court of India]] and the use of the term to address a person as a violation of the [[Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Singh|first=Sanjay L.|title=Calling an SC 'chamar' offensive, punishable, says apex court|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-08-20/news/28488600_1_upper-castes-insult-chamar|work=The Economic Times|date=20 August 2008|access-date=12 August 2015}}</ref>
The term ''chamar'' is used as a pejorative word for [[dalit]]s in general.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sabrangindia.in/article/caste-igated-how-indians-use-casteist-slurs-dehumanise-each-other|title=Caste-igated: How Indians use casteist slurs to dehumanise each other|last=Malu|first=Preksha|date=2018-07-21|website=[[Sabrang Communications]]|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/hot-on-web/twitter-calls-out-netflix-original-jamtara-sabka-number-ayega-for-casteist-slur|title=Twitter Calls out Netflix's 'Jamtara' for Using Casteist Slur|date=2020-01-18|website=[[The Quint]]|language=en|access-date=2020-02-29}}</ref> It has been described as a [[Casteism|casteist]] slur by the [[Supreme Court of India]] and the use of the term to address a person as a violation of the [[Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Singh|first=Sanjay L.|title=Calling an SC 'chamar' offensive, punishable, says apex court|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-08-20/news/28488600_1_upper-castes-insult-chamar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429200705/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-08-20/news/28488600_1_upper-castes-insult-chamar|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 April 2014|work=The Economic Times|date=20 August 2008|access-date=12 August 2015}}</ref>


=== Movement for upward social mobility ===
=== Movement for upward social mobility ===
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===Social exploitation===
===Social exploitation===
In reference to villages of [[Rohtas District|Rohtas]] and [[Bhojpur district, India|Bhojpur]] district of Bihar, prevalence of a practice was revealed, in which it was obligatory for the women of Chamar, [[Musahar]] and [[Paswan|Dusadh]] community to have sexual contacts with their [[Rajput]] landlords. In order to keep their men in submissive position, these upper-caste landlords raped these Dalit women, and often implicate the male members of latter's family in false cases, when they refused sexual contacts with them. The other form of oppression which was inflicted on them was disallowing them to walk on the pathways and draw water from the wells, which belonged to [[Rajput]]s. The "pinching of breast" by the upper caste landlords and the undignified teasings were also common form of oppression. In the 1970s, the activism of peasant organizations like "Kisan Samiti" is said to have brought an end to these practices and subsequently the dignity was restored to the women of lower castes. The oppression however was not fully stopped as the friction between upper-caste landlords and the tillers continued. There are reports which indicates that the upper-caste landlords often took the help of Police in order to beat the women of Chamar caste and draw them out of their villages on the question of parity in wages.<ref name="UN">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T-s9SIp1-OsC&pg=PA73|title=Case Studies on Strengthening Co-ordination Between Non-governmental Organizations and Government Agencies in Promoting Social Development|publisher=United Nations (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific)|year=1989|page=72,73,74,75 |access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="SharmaSinghKumar1994">{{cite book | author1 = Kaushal Kishore Sharma | author2 = Prabhakar Prasad Singh | author3 = Ranjan Kumar | date = 1994 | title = Peasant Struggles in Bihar, 1831-1992: Spontaneity to Organisation | publisher = Centre for Peasant Studies | pages = 247| isbn = 9788185078885 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8tBHAAAAMAAJ|quote=According to them, before the emergence of Naxalism on the scene and consequent resistance on the part of these hapless fellows, "rape of lower caste women by Rajput and Bhumihar landlords used to cause so much anguish among the lower cates, who, owing to their hapless situation, could not dare oppose them. In their own words, "within the social constraints , the suppressed sexual hunger of the predominant castes often found unrestricted outlet among the poor, lower caste of Bhojpur-notably Chamars and Mushars.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mPKpCQAAQBAJ |title=Maoist Insurgency and India's Internal Security Architecture |author1=E M Rammohun|author2=Amritpal Singh|author3=A K Agarwal |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|year= 2012|isbn=978-9381411636|pages=18|accessdate=12 June 2022}} Consider the oppression of the lower castes in Bihar. In Bhojpur district of Bihar, the lower castes lived in utter poverty and were also subjected to social exploitation. Kalyan Mukherjee and Rajender Singh Yadav described that the oppression of the lower castes at the hands of the upper castes did not flow from numerical superiority, but rather from niches in the economic hierarchy apropos land ownership and the monopoly over labour. Further the culture of violence ensured that the Chamar or the Musahar never raise their heads in protest. Though begar was a thing of the past, the banihar worked often for nothing. Wearing a clean dhoti, remaining seated in the presence of the master, even on a cot outside his own hut, walking erect were taboo. When the evenings fell or in lonely stretches of field, the rape of his womenfolk by the landlord's lathieths and scions complete a picture of unbridled Bumihar, Rajput over lordship.</ref>
In reference to villages of [[Rohtas District|Rohtas]] and [[Bhojpur district, India|Bhojpur]] district of Bihar, prevalence of a practice was revealed, in which it was obligatory for the women of Chamar, [[Musahar]] and [[Paswan|Dusadh]] community to have sexual contacts with their [[Rajput]] landlords. In order to keep their men in submissive position, these upper-caste landlords raped these Dalit women, and often implicate the male members of latter's family in false cases, when they refused sexual contacts with them. The other form of oppression which was inflicted on them was disallowing them to walk on the pathways and draw water from the wells, which belonged to [[Rajput]]s. The "pinching of breast" by the upper caste landlords and the undignified teasings were also common form of oppression. In the 1970s, the activism of peasant organizations like "Kisan Samiti" is said to have brought an end to these practices and subsequently the dignity was restored to the women of lower castes. The oppression however was not fully stopped as the friction between upper-caste landlords and the tillers continued. There are reports which indicates that the upper-caste landlords often took the help of Police in order to beat the women of Chamar caste and draw them out of their villages on the question of parity in wages.<ref name="UN">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T-s9SIp1-OsC&pg=PA73|title=Case Studies on Strengthening Co-ordination Between Non-governmental Organizations and Government Agencies in Promoting Social Development|publisher=United Nations (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific)|year=1989|page=72,73,74,75 |access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="SharmaSinghKumar1994">{{cite book | author1 = Kaushal Kishore Sharma | author2 = Prabhakar Prasad Singh | author3 = Ranjan Kumar | date = 1994 | title = Peasant Struggles in Bihar, 1831-1992: Spontaneity to Organisation | publisher = Centre for Peasant Studies | pages = 247| isbn = 9788185078885 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8tBHAAAAMAAJ|quote=According to them, before the emergence of Naxalism on the scene and consequent resistance on the part of these hapless fellows, "rape of lower caste women by Rajput and Bhumihar landlords used to cause so much anguish among the lower cates, who, owing to their hapless situation, could not dare oppose them. In their own words, "within the social constraints , the suppressed sexual hunger of the predominant castes often found unrestricted outlet among the poor, lower caste of Bhojpur-notably Chamars and Mushars.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mPKpCQAAQBAJ |title=Maoist Insurgency and India's Internal Security Architecture |author1=E M Rammohun|author2=Amritpal Singh|author3=A K Agarwal |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|year= 2012|isbn=978-9381411636|pages=18}} Consider the oppression of the lower castes in Bihar. In Bhojpur district of Bihar, the lower castes lived in utter poverty and were also subjected to social exploitation. Kalyan Mukherjee and Rajender Singh Yadav described that the oppression of the lower castes at the hands of the upper castes did not flow from numerical superiority, but rather from niches in the economic hierarchy apropos land ownership and the monopoly over labour. Further the culture of violence ensured that the Chamar or the Musahar never raise their heads in protest. Though begar was a thing of the past, the banihar worked often for nothing. Wearing a clean dhoti, remaining seated in the presence of the master, even on a cot outside his own hut, walking erect were taboo. When the evenings fell or in lonely stretches of field, the rape of his womenfolk by the landlord's lathieths and scions complete a picture of unbridled Bumihar, Rajput over lordship.</ref>


==Chamar Caste in different states of India==
==Chamar Caste in different States of India==


===Ad-Dharmi===
===Ad-Dharmi===
The '''[[Ad-Dharmi]]''' is a Chamar caste sect in the state of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], in [[India]] and is an alternative term for the [[Ravidasia]] religion, meaning Primal Spiritual Path.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Ad_Dharm | title=Ad Dharm - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia }}</ref><ref name="Mainstream Weekly 2009">{{cite web | title=Deras and Dalit Consciousness | website=Mainstream Weekly | date=13 June 2009 | url=http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article1425.html | accessdate=6 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='Ad-Dharm Movement was the Revolt Against the Hinduism' – Saheb Kanshi Ram's Speech at Sikri, Punjab, 12th February 2001 {{!}} Velivada|url=https://velivada.com/2017/11/03/ad-dharm-movement-revolt-hinduism-saheb-kanshi-rams-speech-sikri-punjab-12th-february-2001/|access-date=2021-06-27|website=velivada.com|date=3 November 2017 }}</ref> The term Ad-Dharm came into popular usage in the early part of the 20th century, when many followers of Guru Ravidas converted to Sikhism and were severely discriminated against due to their low caste status (even though the Sikh religion is strictly against the caste system). Many of these converts stopped attending Sikh Gurdwaras controlled by Jat Sikhs and built their own shrines upon arrival in the UK, Canada, and Fiji Island.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4412439 | jstor=4412439 | title=Punjabis in England: The Ad-Dharmi Experience | last1=Judge | first1=Paramjit S. | journal=Economic and Political Weekly | date=2002 | volume=37 | issue=31 | pages=3244–3250 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Ad_Dharm | title=Ad Dharm - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia }}</ref> Ad-Dharmis comprise 11.48% of the total of [[Scheduled Caste]] communities in Punjab.<ref>{{cite web|title=Punjab Data Highlights: The Scheduled Castes|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_punjab.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2020 |first=IP |last=Singh |title=Give 'Adi-dharmi' as religion in 2021 census: Ravidassia leaders |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/give-adi-dharmi-as-religion-in-2021-census-ravidassia-leaders/articleshow/76930915.cms |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-22 |title=Why Everyone in Punjab loves a Dalit CM |url=https://www.newsclick.in/why-everyone-punjab-loves-dalit-cm |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=NewsClick |language=en}}</ref>
The '''[[Ad-Dharmi]]''' is a Chamar caste sect in the state of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], in [[India]] and is an alternative term for the [[Ravidasia]] religion, meaning Primal Spiritual Path.<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Ad_Dharm | title=Ad Dharm - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia }}</ref><ref name="Mainstream Weekly 2009">{{cite web | title=Deras and Dalit Consciousness | website=Mainstream Weekly | date=13 June 2009 | url=http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article1425.html | accessdate=6 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='Ad-Dharm Movement was the Revolt Against the Hinduism' – Saheb Kanshi Ram's Speech at Sikri, Punjab, 12th February 2001 {{!}} Velivada|url=https://velivada.com/2017/11/03/ad-dharm-movement-revolt-hinduism-saheb-kanshi-rams-speech-sikri-punjab-12th-february-2001/|access-date=2021-06-27|website=velivada.com|date=3 November 2017 }}</ref> The term Ad-Dharm came into popular usage in the early part of the 20th century, when many followers of Guru Ravidas converted to Sikhism and were severely discriminated against due to their low caste status (even though the Sikh religion is strictly against the caste system). Many of these converts stopped attending Sikh Gurdwaras controlled by Jat Sikhs and built their own shrines upon arrival in the UK, Canada, and Fiji Island.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4412439 | jstor=4412439 | title=Punjabis in England: The Ad-Dharmi Experience | last1=Judge | first1=Paramjit S. | journal=Economic and Political Weekly | date=2002 | volume=37 | issue=31 | pages=3244–3250 }}</ref><ref name="auto"/> Ad-Dharmis comprise 11.48% of the total of [[Scheduled Caste]] communities in Punjab.<ref>{{cite web|title=Punjab Data Highlights: The Scheduled Castes|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_punjab.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 13, 2020 |first=IP |last=Singh |title=Give 'Adi-dharmi' as religion in 2021 census: Ravidassia leaders |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/give-adi-dharmi-as-religion-in-2021-census-ravidassia-leaders/articleshow/76930915.cms |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-22 |title=Why Everyone in Punjab loves a Dalit CM |url=https://www.newsclick.in/why-everyone-punjab-loves-dalit-cm |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=NewsClick |language=en}}</ref>


===Ahirwar===
===Ahirwar===
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===Jatav===
===Jatav===
'''[[Jatav]]''', also known as '''Jatava'''/'''Jatan'''/ '''Jatua'''/'''Jhusia '''/'''Jatia'''/'''Jatiya''', is an Indian [[Dalit]] community that are considered to be a subcaste of the Chamar caste,<ref>{{cite news |title=Chasing the Dalit vote in U.P. |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/chasing-the-dalit-vote-in-up/article5989868.ece |access-date=6 September 2024 |work=The Hindu |date=8 May 2014 |language=en-IN}}</ref> who are classified as a [[Scheduled Caste]] under modern India's [[Reservation in India|system of positive discrimination]].
'''[[Jatav]]''' (also known as '''Jatava''', '''Jatan''', '''Jatua''', '''Jhusia''', '''Jatia''', '''Jatiya''') is an Indian [[Dalit]] community that is a sub-caste of the Chamar caste,<ref>{{cite news |title=Chasing the Dalit vote in U.P. |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/chasing-the-dalit-vote-in-up/article5989868.ece |access-date=6 September 2024 |work=The Hindu |date=8 May 2014 |language=en-IN}}</ref> who are classified as a [[Scheduled Caste]] under modern India's [[Reservation in India|system of positive discrimination]].


According to the [[2011 Census of India]], the Jatav community of [[Uttar Pradesh]] comprised 54% of that state's total 22,496,047 Scheduled Caste population.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Jatavs-on-top-of-SC-population-in-UP/articleshow/47931787.cms |title=Jatavs on top of SC population in UP |date=4 July 2015 |work=The Times of India}}</ref>
According to the [[2011 Census of India]], the Jatav community of [[Uttar Pradesh]] comprised 54% of that state's total 22,496,047 Scheduled Caste population.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Jatavs-on-top-of-SC-population-in-UP/articleshow/47931787.cms |title=Jatavs on top of SC population in UP |date=4 July 2015 |work=The Times of India}}</ref>


===Ravidassia/Ramdasia===
===Ravidassia/Ramdasia===
'''[[Ravidassia]]''' is sect of Chamar Sikhs from Punjab who worship Guru Ravidass<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chander |first1=Rajesh K. |title=Combating Social Exclusion: Inter-sectionalities of Caste, Gender, Class and Regions |date=1 July 2019 |publisher=Studera Press |isbn=978-93-85883-58-3 |url=https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Combating_Social_Exclusion/8TvnDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=ravidasia+chamar&pg=PR21&printsec=frontcover |access-date=6 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref> and '''[[Ramdasia]]''' were historically a [[Sikh]], [[Hindu]] sub-group that originated from the [[Caste system in India|caste]] of leather tanners and shoemakers known as Chamar.<ref name="Rajesh K. Chander">{{cite book |title=Combating Social Exclusion: Intersectionalities of Caste, Class, Gender and Regions |first=Rajesh K I. |last=Chander |publisher=Studera Press |year=2019 |isbn=978-93-85883-58-3|page=64 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8TvnDwAAQBAJ&dq=ramdasia+caste+in+jammu&pg=PA64}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ghuman|first=Paul|title=British Untouchables A Study of Dalit Identity and Education|date=May 2011|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Limited|isbn=978-0754648772|page=iX|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQZcI3FCxlEC&pg=PR9}}</ref>
'''[[Ravidassia]]''' is sect of Chamar Sikhs from Punjab who worship Guru Ravidass<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chander |first1=Rajesh K. |title=Combating Social Exclusion: Inter-sectionalities of Caste, Gender, Class and Regions |date=1 July 2019 |publisher=Studera Press |isbn=978-93-85883-58-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8TvnDwAAQBAJ&dq=ravidasia+chamar&pg=PR21 |access-date=6 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref> and '''[[Ramdasia]]''' were historically a [[Sikh]], [[Hindu]] sub-group that originated from the [[Caste system in India|caste]] of leather tanners and shoemakers known as Chamar.<ref name="Rajesh K. Chander">{{cite book |title=Combating Social Exclusion: Intersectionalities of Caste, Class, Gender and Regions |first=Rajesh K I. |last=Chander |publisher=Studera Press |year=2019 |isbn=978-93-85883-58-3|page=64 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8TvnDwAAQBAJ&dq=ramdasia+caste+in+jammu&pg=PA64}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ghuman|first=Paul|title=British Untouchables A Study of Dalit Identity and Education|date=May 2011|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Limited|isbn=978-0754648772|page=iX|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eQZcI3FCxlEC&pg=PR9}}</ref>


Both the words Ramdasia and Ravidasia are also used inter changeably while these also have regional context. In [[Puadh]] and [[Malwa (Punjab)|Malwa]], largely Ramdasia is used while Ravidasia is predominantly used in [[Doaba]].<ref name="toi">{{cite web|date=30 September 2021|title=Punjab's dalit conundrum: A look into Sikhs' caste identity|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjabs-dalit-conundrum-a-look-into-sikhs-caste-identity/articleshow/86607310.cms|work=[[The Times of India]]|accessdate=7 September 2024}}</ref>[[File:List of Scheduled Castes in Punjab.jpg|thumb|List of Scheduled Castes in Punjab]]
Both the words Ramdasia and Ravidasia are also used inter changeably while these also have regional context. In [[Puadh]] and [[Malwa (Punjab)|Malwa]], largely Ramdasia is used while Ravidasia is predominantly used in [[Doaba]].<ref name="toi">{{cite web|date=30 September 2021|title=Punjab's dalit conundrum: A look into Sikhs' caste identity|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjabs-dalit-conundrum-a-look-into-sikhs-caste-identity/articleshow/86607310.cms|work=[[The Times of India]]|accessdate=7 September 2024}}</ref>[[File:List of Scheduled Castes in Punjab.jpg|thumb|List of Scheduled Castes in Punjab]]


==Chamar Diaspora==
==Chamar Diaspora==
The Chamar diaspora consists of different subcastes who have emigrated from the different states of British India, as well as modern India, to other countries and regions of the world, as well as their descendants.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=I. J. Bahadur |title=Indians in the Caribbean |date=1987 |publisher=Sterling |isbn=978-0-7465-0074-3 |url=https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Indians_in_the_Caribbean/4d0XAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=chamar+caribbean&dq=chamar+caribbean&printsec=frontcover |access-date=6 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
The Chamar diaspora consists of different subcastes who have emigrated from the different states of British India, as well as modern India, to other countries and regions of the world, as well as their descendants.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=I. J. Bahadur |title=Indians in the Caribbean |date=1987 |publisher=Sterling |isbn=978-0-7465-0074-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4d0XAAAAYAAJ&q=chamar+caribbean |access-date=6 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
Apart from the Indian subcontinent, there is a large and well-established community of Chamars throughout different continents of the world, including Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, Caribbean, USA and UK, where they have established themselves as a trade diaspora.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seattle: Why US city's ban on caste discrimination is historic for South Asian Americans |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64728356 |access-date=6 September 2024 |date=22 February 2023}}</ref>
Apart from the Indian subcontinent, there is a large and well-established community of Chamars throughout different continents of the world, including Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, Caribbean, USA and UK, where they have established themselves as a trade diaspora.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seattle: Why US city's ban on caste discrimination is historic for South Asian Americans |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64728356 |access-date=6 September 2024 |date=22 February 2023}}</ref>
[[File:Gurdwara Guru Ravidass, Nasinu, Fiji.jpg|thumb|Gurdwara [[Guru Ravidass]], Nasinu, Fiji Established in 1939]]
[[File:Gurdwara Guru Ravidass, Nasinu, Fiji.jpg|thumb|Gurdwara [[Guru Ravidass]], Nasinu, Fiji Established in 1939]]
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'''[[Ravived]]''' is a caste that is mainly found among Hindus in Mauritius.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://medium.com/@shakunharris/understanding-the-caste-system-in-mauritius-c8fe9468c097 | title=Understanding the caste system in Mauritius | date=6 April 2021 }}</ref> The origin of this caste lay in an Indian caste named Chamar<ref>http://mujournal.mewaruniversity.org/JIR%203-4/JIR3-4.pdf</ref> This same caste is referred to as [[Ravidassia]] outside Mauritius, and this terminology is very seldom used in Mauritius.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/3886 | doi=10.4000/samaj.3886 | title=The 'Land of the Vaish'? Caste Structure and Ideology in Mauritius | year=2015 | last1=Claveyrolas | first1=Mathieu | journal=South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal | doi-access=free }}</ref>
'''[[Ravived]]''' is a caste that is mainly found among Hindus in Mauritius.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://medium.com/@shakunharris/understanding-the-caste-system-in-mauritius-c8fe9468c097 | title=Understanding the caste system in Mauritius | date=6 April 2021 }}</ref> The origin of this caste lay in an Indian caste named Chamar<ref>http://mujournal.mewaruniversity.org/JIR%203-4/JIR3-4.pdf</ref> This same caste is referred to as [[Ravidassia]] outside Mauritius, and this terminology is very seldom used in Mauritius.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/3886 | doi=10.4000/samaj.3886 | title=The 'Land of the Vaish'? Caste Structure and Ideology in Mauritius | year=2015 | last1=Claveyrolas | first1=Mathieu | journal=South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal | doi-access=free }}</ref>


In the ship records on which Indian laborers migrated to [[Mauritius]], around ten percent of the boarded people mentioned their caste as Chamar. After the establishment of caste hierarchies in Mauritius, the Chamar community families turned to the religious songs of [[Kabir]] and [[Ravidass]] for their own religious outlet. Slowly, they started adopting religious-sounding names from these devotional songs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Younger |first1=Paul |title=New Homelands: Hindu Communities in Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, South Africa, Fiji, and East Africa |date=30 November 2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-974192-2 |url=https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/New_Homelands/F0X9eLq57ocC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=ravidass+mauritius&pg=PA32&printsec=frontcover |access-date=30 August 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
In the ship records on which Indian laborers migrated to [[Mauritius]], around ten percent of the boarded people mentioned their caste as Chamar. After the establishment of caste hierarchies in Mauritius, the Chamar community families turned to the religious songs of [[Kabir]] and [[Ravidass]] for their own religious outlet. Slowly, they started adopting religious-sounding names from these devotional songs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Younger |first1=Paul |title=New Homelands: Hindu Communities in Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, South Africa, Fiji, and East Africa |date=30 November 2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-974192-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F0X9eLq57ocC&dq=ravidass+mauritius&pg=PA32 |access-date=30 August 2024 |language=en}}</ref>


===Oceania===
===Oceania===
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Chamar community from [[Punjab]] started immigrating from Punjab to Britain in 1950, and according to a book named 'Sikhs in Britain: An Annotated Bibliography' published in 1987, the population of the Ravidassia community in the West Midlands was around 30,000 during that period.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tatla |first1=Darshan Singh |last2=Nesbitt |first2=Eleanor M |title=Sikhs in Britain An Annotated Bibliography |date=1987 |publisher=Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations, University of Warwick |isbn=9780948303067 |page=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rKPfAAAAMAAJ&q=Sikhs+in+Britain:+An+Annotated+Bibliography+ravidass |access-date=14 January 2024}}</ref> As of 2021, it is estimated that the Ravidasia population in Britain is around 70,000.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Pramod |title=The Idea of New India Essays in Defence of Critical Thought |date=2021 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781000485714 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y9s9EAAAQBAJ&dq=ravidasia+in+england&pg=PT164 |access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref>
Chamar community from [[Punjab]] started immigrating from Punjab to Britain in 1950, and according to a book named 'Sikhs in Britain: An Annotated Bibliography' published in 1987, the population of the Ravidassia community in the West Midlands was around 30,000 during that period.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tatla |first1=Darshan Singh |last2=Nesbitt |first2=Eleanor M |title=Sikhs in Britain An Annotated Bibliography |date=1987 |publisher=Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations, University of Warwick |isbn=9780948303067 |page=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rKPfAAAAMAAJ&q=Sikhs+in+Britain:+An+Annotated+Bibliography+ravidass |access-date=14 January 2024}}</ref> As of 2021, it is estimated that the Ravidasia population in Britain is around 70,000.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Pramod |title=The Idea of New India Essays in Defence of Critical Thought |date=2021 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781000485714 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y9s9EAAAQBAJ&dq=ravidasia+in+england&pg=PT164 |access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref>

===United States===
It is estimated that alone in California, Province of the United States of America, there are around 20,000 Chamars of the Ravidassia sect residing. This sect controls six Guru Ravidass Gurdwaras or temples in California<ref>{{cite news |title=What California's Ravidassia community believes and why they want caste bias outlawed |url=https://apnews.com/article/california-caste-discrimination-bill-ravidassia-sikh-explainer-b0383d1583670fc6cedfeebf6c943d25 |access-date=21 September 2024 |work=AP News |date=29 May 2023 |language=en}}</ref>. The estimated population of Ravidassia Chamars in the United States is around 40,000.
This sect of the Chamar community was the main strength that backed the anti-caste bill passed by the California State Assembly, which was later vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom<ref>{{cite news |last1=Duster |first1=Harmeet Kaur,Chandelis |title=California governor vetoes bill that would ban caste discrimination |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/09/us/california-caste-discrimination-bill-veto/index.html |access-date=21 September 2024 |work=CNN |date=9 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>. 
 

==Occupations==
==Occupations==
[[File:Photograph of Chamars with caption 'Chamars cutting leather and making shoes'.jpg|thumb|Photograph of Chamars with caption "Chamars cutting leather and making shoes"]]
[[File:Photograph of Chamars with caption 'Chamars cutting leather and making shoes'.jpg|thumb|Photograph of Chamars with caption "Chamars cutting leather and making shoes"]]
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==Chamar Regiment==
==Chamar Regiment==
The 1st Chamar Regiment was an infantry regiment formed by the British during [[World War II]]. Officially, it was created on 1 March 1943, as the 27th Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment. It was converted to the 1st Battalion and later disbanded shortly after World War II ended.{{sfn|Sharma|1990|p=28}} The Regiment, with one year of service, received three [[Military Cross]]es and three [[Military Medal]]s<ref name="Sharma1990">{{cite book |first=Gautam |last=Sharma |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLrTzZd0j1kC&pg=PA26 |title=Valour and Sacrifice: Famous Regiments of the Indian Army |publisher=Allied Publishers |year=1990 |isbn=978-81-7023-140-0 |pages=26–}}</ref> It fought in the [[Battle of Kohima]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gautambookcenter.com/images/ww2_kohima.pdf|title=The Battle of Kohima}}</ref> In 2011, several politicians demanded that it be revived.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rjd-man-raghuvansh-calls-for-reviving-chamar-regiment/759232/ |title=RJD man Raghuvansh calls for reviving Chamar Regiment |work=indianexpress.com |date=8 March 2011 |access-date=31 March 2011}}</ref>
The 1st [[Chamar Regiment]] was an infantry regiment formed by the British during [[World War II]]. Officially, it was created on 1 March 1943, as the 27th Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment. It was converted to the 1st Battalion and later disbanded shortly after World War II ended.{{sfn|Sharma|1990|p=28}} The Regiment, with one year of service, received three [[Military Cross]]es and three [[Military Medal]]s<ref name="Sharma1990">{{cite book |first=Gautam |last=Sharma |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLrTzZd0j1kC&pg=PA26 |title=Valour and Sacrifice: Famous Regiments of the Indian Army |publisher=Allied Publishers |year=1990 |isbn=978-81-7023-140-0 |pages=26–}}</ref> It fought in the [[Battle of Kohima]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gautambookcenter.com/images/ww2_kohima.pdf|title=The Battle of Kohima}}</ref> In 2011, several politicians demanded that it be revived.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rjd-man-raghuvansh-calls-for-reviving-chamar-regiment/759232/ |title=RJD man Raghuvansh calls for reviving Chamar Regiment |work=indianexpress.com |date=8 March 2011 |access-date=31 March 2011}}</ref>


==Demographics==
==Demographics==
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==Caste reservation==
==Caste reservation==
Chamar is classified as a scheduled caste in India. It is largely believed that among the scheduled castes, Chamar benefitted more from the caste reservation system as compared to [[Valmiki]]s, [[Bhangi]]s and other Dalit castes due to larger political representation of the group.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/who-gains-from-reservation/237542|title=Who Gains From Reservation?|date=3 Feb 2022|work=[[Outlook India]]|author=Rajinder Puri}}</ref>
Chamar is classified as a scheduled caste in India. It is largely believed that among the scheduled castes, Chamar benefitted more from the caste reservation system as compared to other Dalit castes due to larger political representation of the group.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/who-gains-from-reservation/237542|title=Who Gains From Reservation?|date=3 Feb 2022|work=[[Outlook India]]|author=Rajinder Puri}}</ref>


==Chamars in Nepal==
==Chamars in Nepal==
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==Notable people==
==Notable people==
*[[Guru Ravidass]], was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the [[Bhakti movement]] during the 15th to 16th century CE.
*[[Guru Ravidass]], was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the [[Bhakti movement]] during the 15th to 16th century CE.
⚫
*[[Jagjivan Ram]], former Deputy Prime Minister of India<ref name="Roy">{{cite book |author=Roy, Kaushik |editor-last=Pant |editor-first=Harsh V. |title=Handbook of Indian Defence Policy: Themes, structures and doctrines |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138939608 |page=67 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xG4CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA67 |access-date=12 July 2020 |chapter=Indian society and the soldier: will the twain ever meet? |quote=In 1970, when Babu Jagjivan Ram (himself, a chamar) became the defence minister, he attempted to raise the chamar regiment.}}</ref>
⚫
* [[Kanshi Ram]] (1934–2006), founder of [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] and mentor of Mayawati Kumari<ref>{{cite web|title=I will be the best PM and Mayawati is my chosen heir|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/storyOld.php?storyId=23080|quote=...I am a chamar from Punjab...|work=[[Indian Express]]|date=2 May 2003}}</ref>
* [[Mayawati]], leader of Bahujan Samaj Party and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.<ref name="Mayawati">{{cite news |title=Mayawati talks of a secret successor |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/mayawati-talks-of-a-secret-successor-28178-2008-08-09 |access-date=4 April 2019 |work=[[India Today]] |publisher=[[Indo-Asian News Service]] |date=9 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404213026/https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/mayawati-talks-of-a-secret-successor-28178-2008-08-09 |archive-date=4 April 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* [[Mayawati]], leader of Bahujan Samaj Party and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.<ref name="Mayawati">{{cite news |title=Mayawati talks of a secret successor |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/mayawati-talks-of-a-secret-successor-28178-2008-08-09 |access-date=4 April 2019 |work=[[India Today]] |publisher=[[Indo-Asian News Service]] |date=9 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404213026/https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/mayawati-talks-of-a-secret-successor-28178-2008-08-09 |archive-date=4 April 2019 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* [[Mohan Lal Kureel]] was a [[British Indian Army]] officer who served in [[The Chamar Regiment]] and later an [[Indian National Congress]] politician in the Indian state of [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/sc-commission-asks-defence-secretary-why-chamar-regiment-shouldnt-be-reinstated-1355131.html|title=SC Commission Asks Defence Secretary Why 'Chamar Regiment' Shouldn't be reinstated|website=News18|date=March 2017 |access-date=2019-08-31}}</ref>
* [[Mohan Lal Kureel]] was a [[British Indian Army]] officer who served in [[The Chamar Regiment]] and later an [[Indian National Congress]] politician in the Indian state of [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/sc-commission-asks-defence-secretary-why-chamar-regiment-shouldnt-be-reinstated-1355131.html|title=SC Commission Asks Defence Secretary Why 'Chamar Regiment' Shouldn't be reinstated|website=News18|date=March 2017 |access-date=2019-08-31}}</ref>
⚫
*[[Jagjivan Ram]], former Deputy Prime Minister of India<ref name="Roy">{{cite book |author=Roy, Kaushik |editor-last=Pant |editor-first=Harsh V. |title=Handbook of Indian Defence Policy: Themes, structures and doctrines |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138939608 |page=67 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xG4CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA67 |access-date=12 July 2020 |chapter=Indian society and the soldier: will the twain ever meet? |quote=In 1970, when Babu Jagjivan Ram (himself, a chamar) became the defence minister, he attempted to raise the chamar regiment.}}</ref>
⚫
* [[Kanshi Ram]] (1934–2006), founder of [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] and mentor of Mayawati Kumari<ref>{{cite web|title=I will be the best PM and Mayawati is my chosen heir|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/storyOld.php?storyId=23080|quote=...I am a chamar from Punjab...|work=[[Indian Express]]|date=2 May 2003}}</ref>
* [[Navneet Kaur Rana]] - Former Actress and Former Member of Parliament<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bawa |first1=Anmol Kaur |title=Can 'Sikh Chamar' Be Regarded As 'Mochi' Caste In Maharashtra? Supreme Court Considers In Navneet Kaur Rana's Case |url=https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/can-sikh-chamar-be-regarded-as-mochi-caste-in-maharashtra-supreme-court-considers-in-navneet-kaur-ranas-case-250260 |website=www.livelaw.in |access-date=18 October 2024 |language=en |date=23 February 2024}}</ref>
* [[Ashok Tanwar]] - Former Member Parliament<ref name="Both alliances fielded candidates from the dominant Chamar caste: BJP's Banto Kataria and Congress’s Varun Chaudhary for Ambala, and BJP’s Dr. Ashok Tanwar and Congress’s Kumari Selja for Sirsa.">{{cite news |last1=English |first1=The Mooknayak |title=How INLD is Leading the Charge for Deprived Scheduled Castes Empowerment in Haryana |url=https://en.themooknayak.com/politics/how-inld-is-leading-the-charge-for-deprived-scheduled-castes-empowerment-in-haryana |access-date=25 October 2024 |work=The Mooknayak English - Voice Of The Voiceless |date=18 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Ahirwar]]
* [[Ahirwar]]
* [[Ramdasia]]
* [[Ravidassia]]
* [[Jatav]]
* [[Chambhar]]
* [[Mochi (Hindu)|Hindu Mochi]]
* [[Mochi (Hindu)|Hindu Mochi]]
* [[Mochi (Muslim)|Muslim Mochi]]
* [[Mochi (Muslim)|Muslim Mochi]]
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*{{cite journal |title=A Bibliographic Essay on Hindu and Christian Dalit Religiosity |journal=[[Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies]] |volume=17 |pages=55–65 |year=2004 |first=Mathew N. |last=Schmalz |doi=10.7825/2164-6279.1318 |url=http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1318&context=jhcs|doi-access=free | issn=2164-6260}}
*{{cite journal |title=A Bibliographic Essay on Hindu and Christian Dalit Religiosity |journal=[[Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies]] |volume=17 |pages=55–65 |year=2004 |first=Mathew N. |last=Schmalz |doi=10.7825/2164-6279.1318 |url=http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1318&context=jhcs|doi-access=free | issn=2164-6260}}


{{Ethnic groups, tribes and clans of the Punjab}}
{{Ethnic and social groups of the Punjab|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Dalit communities]]
[[Category:Dalit communities]]
[[Category:Leatherworking castes]]
[[Category:Leatherworking castes]]
[[Category:Hindu denominations]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in India]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in India]]
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[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Delhi]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Delhi]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Punjab]]
[[Category:Social groups of Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Odisha]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Odisha]]

Latest revision as of 04:11, 2 December 2024

This article is about the Indian caste. For the mountain in Nepal, see Chamar (mountain).

Chamar
Leather-bottle makers (Presumably members of the 'Chamaar' caste), Tashrih al-aqvam (1825)
Regions with significant populations
India • Pakistan
Languages
Hindi • Punjabi
Religion
Hinduism • Islam • Sikhism • Ravidassia religion • Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Jatav • Ramdasia • Ravidassia • Raigar[1] • Chambhar • Dhusia • Madiga • Ad-Dharmi • Ahirwar

Chamar (or Jatav)[2] is a community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of affirmative action that originated from the group of trade persons who were involved in leather tanning and shoemaking.[3] They are found throughout the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the northern states of India and in Pakistan and Nepal.

History

The Chamars are traditionally associated with leather work.[4] Ramnarayan Rawat posits that the association of the Chamar community with a traditional occupation of tanning was constructed, and that the Chamars were instead historically agriculturists.[5]

The term chamar is used as a pejorative word for dalits in general.[6][7] It has been described as a casteist slur by the Supreme Court of India and the use of the term to address a person as a violation of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.[8]

Movement for upward social mobility

Between the 1830s and the 1950s, the Chamars in the United Provinces, especially in the Kanpur area, became prosperous as a result of their involvement in the British leather trade.[9]

By the late 19th century, the Chamars began rewriting their caste histories, claiming Kshatriya descent.[10] For example, around 1910, U.B.S. Raghuvanshi published Shri Chanvar Purana from Kanpur, claiming that the Chamars were originally a community of Kshatriya rulers. He claimed to have obtained this information from Chanvar Purana, an ancient Sanskrit-language text purportedly discovered by a sage in a Himalayan cave. According to Raghuvanshi's narrative, the god Vishnu once appeared in form of a Shudra before the community's ancient king Chamunda Rai. The king chastised Vishnu for reciting the Vedas, an act forbidden for a Shudra. The god then revealed his true self, and cursed his lineage to become Chamars, who would be lower in status than the Shudras. When the king apologized, the god declared that the Chamars will get an opportunity to rise again in the Kaliyuga after the appearance of a new sage (whom Raghuvanshi identifies as Ravidas).[11]

A section of Chamars claimed Kshatriya status as Jatavs, tracing their lineage to Krishna, and thus, associating them with the Yadavs. Jatav Veer Mahasabha, an association of Jatav men founded in 1917, published multiple pamphlets making such claims in the first half of the 20th century.[12] The association discriminated against lower-status Chamars, such as the "Guliyas", who did not claim Kshatriya status.[13]

In the first half of the early 20th century, the most influential Chamar leader was Swami Achutanand, who founded the anti-Brahmanical Adi Hindu movement, and portrayed the lower castes as the original inhabitants of India, who had been enslaved by Aryan invaders.[14][15]

Political rise

In the 1940s, the Indian National Congress promoted the Chamar politician Jagjivan Ram to counteract the influence of B.R. Ambedkar; however, he remained an aberration in a party dominated by the upper castes.[16] In the second half of the 20th century, the Ambedkarite Republican Party of India (RPI) in Uttar Pradesh remained dominated by Chamars/Jatavs, despite attempts by leaders such as B.P. Maurya to expand its base.[17]

After the decline of the RPI in the 1970s, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) attracted Chamar voter base. It experienced electoral success under the leadership of the Chamar leaders Kanshi Ram and Mayawati; Mayawati who eventually became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.[18] Other Dalit communities, such as Bhangis, complained of Chamar monopolisation of state benefits such as reservation.[19] Several other Dalit castes, resenting the domination of Dalit politics by Chamars/Jatavs, came under the influence of the Sangh Parivar.[20]

Nevertheless, with the rise of BSP in Uttar Pradesh, a collective solidarity and uniform Dalit identity was framed, which led to coming together of various antagonistic Dalit communities. In the past, Chamar had shared bitter relationship with the Pasis, another Dalit caste. The root cause of this bitter relationship was their roles in feudal society. The Pasis worked as lathail or stick wielders for the "Upper Caste" landlords and the later had compelled them in past to beat Chamars many a times. Under the unification drive of BSP, these rival castes came together for the cause of unity of Dalits under same political umbrella.[21]

Social exploitation

In reference to villages of Rohtas and Bhojpur district of Bihar, prevalence of a practice was revealed, in which it was obligatory for the women of Chamar, Musahar and Dusadh community to have sexual contacts with their Rajput landlords. In order to keep their men in submissive position, these upper-caste landlords raped these Dalit women, and often implicate the male members of latter's family in false cases, when they refused sexual contacts with them. The other form of oppression which was inflicted on them was disallowing them to walk on the pathways and draw water from the wells, which belonged to Rajputs. The "pinching of breast" by the upper caste landlords and the undignified teasings were also common form of oppression. In the 1970s, the activism of peasant organizations like "Kisan Samiti" is said to have brought an end to these practices and subsequently the dignity was restored to the women of lower castes. The oppression however was not fully stopped as the friction between upper-caste landlords and the tillers continued. There are reports which indicates that the upper-caste landlords often took the help of Police in order to beat the women of Chamar caste and draw them out of their villages on the question of parity in wages.[22][23][24]

Chamar Caste in different States of India

Ad-Dharmi

The Ad-Dharmi is a Chamar caste sect in the state of Punjab, in India and is an alternative term for the Ravidasia religion, meaning Primal Spiritual Path.[25][26][27] The term Ad-Dharm came into popular usage in the early part of the 20th century, when many followers of Guru Ravidas converted to Sikhism and were severely discriminated against due to their low caste status (even though the Sikh religion is strictly against the caste system). Many of these converts stopped attending Sikh Gurdwaras controlled by Jat Sikhs and built their own shrines upon arrival in the UK, Canada, and Fiji Island.[28][25] Ad-Dharmis comprise 11.48% of the total of Scheduled Caste communities in Punjab.[29][30][31]

Ahirwar

The Ahirwar, or Aharwar are Dalit members of a north Indian caste categorised among the Scheduled Castes of Chamar. Predominantly are members of the Scheduled Castes with a higher population in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.[32][33][34]

They are present, for example, in the state of Madhya Pradesh.[35] The 2001 Census of India recorded them in the Bundelkhand area and as the largest caste group in Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh, with a total population of 138,167.

Dhusia

Dhusia is a caste in India, associated with Chamars, Ghusiya, Jhusia or Jatav.[36][37] They are found in Uttar Pradesh,[38] and elsewhere.

Most of the Dhusia in Punjab and Haryana migrated from Pakistan after the partition of India. In Punjab, they are mainly found in Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar and Jalandhar cities. They are inspired by B. R. Ambedkar to adopt the surnames Rao[39] and Jatav.

Jatav

Jatav (also known as Jatava, Jatan, Jatua, Jhusia, Jatia, Jatiya) is an Indian Dalit community that is a sub-caste of the Chamar caste,[40] who are classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of positive discrimination.

According to the 2011 Census of India, the Jatav community of Uttar Pradesh comprised 54% of that state's total 22,496,047 Scheduled Caste population.[41]

Ravidassia/Ramdasia

Ravidassia is sect of Chamar Sikhs from Punjab who worship Guru Ravidass[42] and Ramdasia were historically a Sikh, Hindu sub-group that originated from the caste of leather tanners and shoemakers known as Chamar.[43][44]

Both the words Ramdasia and Ravidasia are also used inter changeably while these also have regional context. In Puadh and Malwa, largely Ramdasia is used while Ravidasia is predominantly used in Doaba.[45]

List of Scheduled Castes in Punjab

Chamar Diaspora

The Chamar diaspora consists of different subcastes who have emigrated from the different states of British India, as well as modern India, to other countries and regions of the world, as well as their descendants.[46] Apart from the Indian subcontinent, there is a large and well-established community of Chamars throughout different continents of the world, including Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, Caribbean, USA and UK, where they have established themselves as a trade diaspora.[47]

Gurdwara Guru Ravidass, Nasinu, Fiji Established in 1939
Gurdwara Guru Ravidass Bhavan, Birmingham
Gurdwara Guru Ravidass Sabha, Southall
Gurdwara Guru Ravidass Temple, Auckland
Shri Guru Ravidass Temple in the UK
Gurdwara Guru Ravidass Temple, Pittsburg, California
Gurdwara Guru Ravidass Sabha, Oostende

Mauritius

Ravived is a caste that is mainly found among Hindus in Mauritius.[48] The origin of this caste lay in an Indian caste named Chamar[49] This same caste is referred to as Ravidassia outside Mauritius, and this terminology is very seldom used in Mauritius.[50]

In the ship records on which Indian laborers migrated to Mauritius, around ten percent of the boarded people mentioned their caste as Chamar. After the establishment of caste hierarchies in Mauritius, the Chamar community families turned to the religious songs of Kabir and Ravidass for their own religious outlet. Slowly, they started adopting religious-sounding names from these devotional songs.[51]

Oceania

There is a sizeable population of Chamar Sikhs in Oceania too. Ravidassia Chamars from Doaba established the second gurdwara in the Oceania region in Nasinu on Fiji Island in 1939.[52] A Classical Study by W.H. Briggs in his book Punjabis in New Zealand, Briggs penned down the precise number of Ravidassias in New Zealand during the very first wave of immigration.[53]

United Kingdom

Chamar community from Punjab started immigrating from Punjab to Britain in 1950, and according to a book named 'Sikhs in Britain: An Annotated Bibliography' published in 1987, the population of the Ravidassia community in the West Midlands was around 30,000 during that period.[54] As of 2021, it is estimated that the Ravidasia population in Britain is around 70,000.[55]

Occupations

Photograph of Chamars with caption "Chamars cutting leather and making shoes"

Chamars transitioning from tanning and leathercraft to the weaving profession adopt the identity of Julaha Chamar, aspiring to be acknowledged as Julahas by other communities. According to R. K. Pruthi, this change reflects a desire to distance themselves from the perceived degradation associated with leatherwork.[56]

Chamar Regiment

The 1st Chamar Regiment was an infantry regiment formed by the British during World War II. Officially, it was created on 1 March 1943, as the 27th Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment. It was converted to the 1st Battalion and later disbanded shortly after World War II ended.[57] The Regiment, with one year of service, received three Military Crosses and three Military Medals[58] It fought in the Battle of Kohima.[59] In 2011, several politicians demanded that it be revived.[60]

Demographics

Chamar caste population in different states of India as per the 2011 census of India

State, U.T Population Population % Notes
Bihar[61] 4,900,048 4.7% Counted along Rabidas, Rohidas, Chamar, Charamakar
Chandigarh[62] 59,957 5.68% Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamars, Ramdasi, Ravidasi, Raigar and Jatia
Chhattisgarh[63] 2,318,964 9.07% Counted as Chamar, Satnami, Ahirwar, Raidas, Rohidas, Jatav, Bhambi and Surjyabanshi
NCT of Delhi[64] 1,075,569 6.4 % Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Jatav, Chamars, Ramdasia, Ravidasi, Raigar and Jatia
Gujarat[65] 1,032,128 1.7% Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamar, Bhambi, Asadaru, Chambhar, Haralaya, Rohidas, Rohit, Samgar
Haryana[66] 2,429,137 9.58% Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Jatav, Chamars, Ramdasia, Ravidasi, Raigar and Jatia
Himachal Pradesh[67] 458,838 6.68% Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamars, Ramdasia, Raigar and Jatia
Jammu and Kashmir[68] 212,032 1.72% Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamars, Ramdasia, Rohidas
Jharkhand[69] 1,008,507 3.05% Counted as Chamar, Mochi
Karnataka[70] 605,486 1% Counted as Rohidas, Rohit, Samgar, Haralaya, Chambhar, Chamar, Bhambi
Madhya Pradesh[71] 5,368,217 7.39% Counted as Chamar, Jatav, Bairwa, Bhambi, Rohidas, Raidas, Ahirwar,Satnami, Ramnami, Surjyabanshi
Maharashtra[72] 1,411,072 1.25% Counted as Rohidas, Chamar, Chambhar, Bhambi, Satnami, Ramnami, Haralaya, Rohit, Samagar, Bhambi
Punjab[73] 3,095,324 11.15% During the 2011 census in Punjab, 1017192 people were counted as addharmi in a separate caste cluster, which is another term for Ravidassias.[74][75]

In the same census, the Ravidassias cluster population was 2078132, and both clusters together made a population of 3095324 in Punjab, which is an 11.15% population of Punjab.

Rajasthan[76] 2,491,551 3.63% Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamars, Bhambi, Ramdasia, Ravidasi, Raigar, Haralaya, Chambhar and Jatia
Uttarakhand[77] 548,813 5.44% Counted as Chamar, Jatava, Dhusia, Jhusia
Uttar Pradesh[78] 22,496,047 11.25% Counted as Chamar, Jatava, Dhusia, Jhusia
West Bengal[79] 1,039,591 1.13% Counted as Chamar, Rabidas, Charamakar, Rishi

Caste reservation

Chamar is classified as a scheduled caste in India. It is largely believed that among the scheduled castes, Chamar benefitted more from the caste reservation system as compared to other Dalit castes due to larger political representation of the group.[80]

Chamars in Nepal

The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Chamar as a subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Dalits.[81] At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 335,893 people (1.3% of the population of Nepal) were Chamar. The frequency of Chamars by province was as follows:

The frequency of Chamars was higher than national average (1.3%) in the following districts:[82]

Notable people

See also

References

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Bibliography

Further reading

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