Gavli (Konkani: गवळी, Gavḷhī) is a pastoral community found in the states of Goa and Maharashtra in India. The word Gavli means a milkmen or herdsmen in the Marathi language, and refers to a number of communities that practice, or at one time practiced pastoralism in western India.[1]
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Alternate spellings include Gowli, Gowlu, Gawli, Gavali, Gawali, Gauli, Gavadi, Gouli, Goalla, Gwala, Gwalla, Gopa,[2] Godla.
In Maharashtra, the Gavli community have four sub-divisions, the Yadav or Ahir Gavli, Yadavanshi Gavli, Nandvanshi Gavli and Lingayat Gavli. Each of these groups is of a distinct origin, and do not intermarry, and have their own particular customs and traditions.[3]
The Ahir are one of the four sub-divisions of the Gavli found in Maharashtra, and are found through out the state. They are also known as Ahire, Golkar, Goalar, and Rawat. According to their tradition following a communal riot between Hindus and Muslims, they left their ancestral village of Kharpa in Kannauj District of Uttar Pradesh. The community continue speak Hindi among themselves, but most also speak Marathi. They have been granted other backward caste status in Maharashtra. Historically, the community was involved in selling of milk, but now many are daily wage labourers.[4]
Like most Hindu castes, they are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy. The Ahir are further divided into twenty five exogamous clans, the main ones being the Kabliye, Jangde, Fattehlashakariye, Devawale, Mandlewale, Bareteis, Bhaktalwale, Kaliwale, Takhatwale, Panaiwale, Japhrabadi, Kotawal, Kolhapuri, Lalasarapi, Kabali, Bhurewale, Pariwale (Gokhle), Sundeerwale, Kiaraiwale, Jaghre, Bankuwale, Lachnowale, Pahadiye, Shendiwale, Khakiwale, Kadapewale, Kathothiwale, Gaurakshak, Kare and Sonia Surute. The fist seven clans are said to be of higher status, while the rest are of equal, and both give and take brides. The community perceives itself to be of equal status to the Kunbi caste.
The first Yadav Gavli association was founded in 1903, and in the early 1920s it petitioned the Southborough Committee to recognise the caste as Maratha. In support of their claim, the Yadav Gavli cited their legendary descent from Krishna, a history of Yadav kings in North India, Gujarat, and the Deccan, their Kshatriya practices, and their frequent service in the British military, to include the Maratha regiments.[5]
Veershaiv Gavali Samaj is a Gavali tribe" community is also denoted as Veershaiv Gavali, Lingayat Gavali and Veerhaiv Lingayat Gavali, which is recognized as a nomadic tribe. Their mother tongue is Marathi and they are Shaivik (disciple of Shiva), their main profession is to feed cattle and buffaloes and to sell their milk to earn their livelihood.
They have been in this profession from generation to generation, they use to wander traditionally in search of fodder for their cattle from place to place, which enabled them to earn their livelihood, and they have been hardly integrated in the society. King Shivaji during his reign in 17th century makes use of the people of Veershaiv Gavali tribe community to spy for him. Gavali people use to collect important information while selling milk and curd in Mughal Dynasty and forward the same to Shivaji. In the 18th century Gavali people use to wander in the early Nizam state later on that was shared by Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka after the Independence of India in 1947. Following Independence, the people of this community separated among the four states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kartanaka and Goa.
The Gavali now live in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa since last 400 years and their population is in multiple lakhs now. They have remained backward economically and socially, apart from the constitutional safeguards which are enjoyed by the Scheduled Tribes. Still 80% of Gavali community people are buffalo feeders and are in the same milk vending business and some people have private jobs. Their earnings are meager, they are hardly able to meet the expenditure of their daily needs and they don’t have any other source of income. Due to lack of information, knowledge, education and financial support, neither they able to do any other business nor they get any good jobs. 95% of Gavali community people are uneducated and live under very drastic condition irrespective of modern life style. Still most of the families wander from place to place in hope of getting good livelihood.
In Gujarat, the Gavli are an immigrant community, having immigrated in the 18th Century from Maharashtra. They are found mainly in Rajkot and Baroda districts. Most of the community now speak Gujarat, although a significant number still understand Marathi. Marital ties are still maintained with Gavli communities in Maharashtra. The Gavli community is further divided into a number of exogamous clans such as the Hiranwar, Hajari, Bania, Phulsunge and Phenwar. Each of these clans maintains their own tribal deities, such the Bania Gavli, who worship Ajottmata. Historically, the Gavli were cattle herders, although they maintained a distance from Gujarati pastoral communities such as the Ahir and Charan. Many have given up their traditional occupation, and begun to settle down in towns and cities. [6]
Goan Gavlis are generally vegetarians and speak a creole between Konkani and Marathi. Their localities are called as Gavḷhīvāḍo, such places are found in many places in Goa.[3][7]
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