The Tanti are a Hindu caste found in the state of Bihar in India.[1]
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The word tanti is derived from the Hindi word tant, which means a loom. They were traditionally weavers, and are one of the many communities found in South Asia, traditionally associated with this craft. According to their trafitions, they were created by the Hindu god Shiva from his tears. The community is found in south Bihar, and district of Ranchi in Jharkhand.[2]
The Tanti are endogamous and consist of a number of totemistic clans, the main ones being the Nag, Sal and Kachchap. They are further divided into uncha or pure Tanti, and the nicha or impure Tanti. These two sub-divisions do not intermarry. They use Tanti and Tantubai as their surnames. The Tanti speak Panchpargania dialect of Hindi. Their traditions are similar to other Hindu weaving castes, such as the Koshta and Tattama.[3]
The Tanti are victims of mechanization, as their traditional occupation is no longer viable. They are now taking up agriculture, which is their primary occupation. The community is Hindu, but incorporate many folk beliefs. In general, literacy rates are poor, and the community is economically marganilized.[4]Tanti is also called Tantwa is some districts of Uttar Pradesh mainly Deoria, Gorakhpur and eastern part of Bihar mainly Chhapra, Sivan, Buxar, Arrah etc.They are not involved in traditional weaving occupation. They have not agriculture lands, therefore they are mainly laborers and some are working in government and private jobs. They are not organized because they are very under developed.