Aguri (caste)
| Aguri or Ugra Kshatriya আগুরী | |
|---|---|
| Religions | Hinduism |
| Languages | Bengali |
| Populated States | West Bengal |
Aguri, also known as Ugra Kshatriya, is a caste or community of Hindus found in the districts of Bardhaman, Birbhum, Hooghly and Bankura in the state of West Bengal in India.[1] Aguris are considered as a middle-caste group and constitute "more prosperous owner-peasants" among the peasant communities of Bengal.[2][3][4]
Aguris or Ugra Kshatriyas are considered a Forward caste, meaning they do not qualify for any of the government-administered benefits allotted to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
History
Aguris are a cultivating and trading caste. They were brought by the King of Burdawan Mehtha from Agra to West Bengal to fight against the British. Aguris are a mixed caste born out of the union between the Sadgops rulers of Gopbhum and the Punjabi Khetri rulers of Burdwan.[1] McLane believes that Oldham has been misled by the claim made by the Aguris. He cites Mukundaram to prove the presence of the Aguris much before the arrival of the Khetris in Burdwan. The Hindu book Manu says Ugra (Aggressive) was born to a Shudra girl by a Kshatriya.[5]
Ethnology
The Aguris were historically divided into seven sub-groups. Only a few of these exist today, such as the Jana and Suta. There are several gotras, including Bharadwaj, Batsya, Gautam, and Kashyap.
Aguri communities exists mostly in four districts: Burdwan, Birbhum, Hooghly and Bankura.
Culture
Around the beginning of the 20th century, the Aguri were among the agricultural communities that still predominantly adhered to the custom of paying a bride price at the time of marriage, although some more prosperous members among them were already adopting the increasingly common alternative of paying a dowry. This minority believed that bride price was deprecated by higher castes.[6] The Jana sub-group wear the sacred thread during the marriage ceremony.
Notables
- Shakti Samanta, film director and producer
- Benoy Choudhury, freedom fighter, politician
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kundu, Santosh Kumar (2008). বাঙালি হিন্দু জাতি পরিচয় [An Introduction of Bengali Hindu Castes] (in Bengali). Kolkata: Presidency Library. pp. 65–67. ISBN 978-81-89466-13-8.
- ↑ Omvedt, Gail (1982). Land, caste, and politics in Indian states. Authors Guild Publications. p. 92. LCCN lc82901477.
- ↑ Chatterjee, Partha (1997). The Present History of West Bengal: Essays in Political Criticism. Oxford University Press. p. 78. ISBN 978-01-95639-45-2.
- ↑ Singh, Kumar Suresh (2008). People of India: West Bengal, Volume 43, Part 1. Anthropological Survey of India. p. xxvii. ISBN 978-81-70463-00-9.
- ↑ McLane, John R. (25 July 2002). Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal. Cambridge University Press. pp. 137, 157. ISBN 978-0-521-52654-8. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ↑ Sen, Samita (1999). Women and Labour in Late Colonial India: The Bengal Jute Industry. Cambridge University Press. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-52145-363-9.
