Agariya people

The Agariya are one of the Scheduled Tribes of India. They live primarily in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Those in the vicinity of Mirzapur were involved in mining and smelting iron during the British Raj.[1]

The Agariya speak the Agariya language as well as Hindi and Chhattisgarhi.[2]

There is a group known as the Agariya in Gujarat that are salt makers in the desert. It is not clear if these Agariya have any relation to the others.[3]

In the early 20th century, the Agariya in Mirzapur were divided into totemic groups. They had been heavily influenced by Hinduism. They called themselves Hindu but did not worship any of the major Hindu deities which other Hindus did.[4]

Sources

  1. http://books.google.com/books?id=hHM6baknNRIC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=Agariya+tribe&source=web&ots=uPQTuryHfA&sig=twQ0ND6VkhYwab4kwvWov6qCAd8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result
  2. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=agi
  3. http://www.freedomfilmsindia.org/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=44
  4. http://books.google.com/books?id=UD8TAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA402&lpg=PA402&dq=Agariya+tribe&source=web&ots=fPHDafy8aO&sig=M4ubht_cQu8DrsS5sDo3eqbGPNQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result