Mang (caste)

Māng musicians with drums (Russell, 1916)
Mangs in western India (c. 1855-1862).

The Mang or Matang (Minimadig in Gujarat and Rajasthan) community is an Indian caste, historically associated with low-status or ritually impure professions such as village musicians, cattle castraters, leather curers, midwives, hangmen, undertakers, and criminals.[1] In the modern day they are listed as a Scheduled Caste, a designation which has replaced the former term Untouchable.Their origins lie in the Narmada Valley of India, and they were formerly classified as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Acts of the British Raj.[2]

Distribution

Per the 1981 census, the majority of Mang lived in Maharashtra (1,211,335), with much smaller amounts in Gujarat (2,765); Goa, Daman, and Diu (702) and Rajasthan (241).

Social status

In the early 20th century, the Mang began to form caste associations to advocate their cause, such as the Matang Samaj (1932) and Matang Society (1923).[3][4]

Notables

References

  1. ↑ Robert Vane Russell (1916). pt. II. Descriptive articles on the principal castes and tribes of the Central Provinces. Macmillan and Co., limited. pp. 188–. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  2. ↑ Bates, Crispin (1995). "Race, Caste and Tribe in Central India: the early origins of Indian anthropometry". In Robb, Peter. The Concept of Race in South Asia. Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-19-563767-0. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  3. ↑ Surajit Sinha (1 January 1993). Anthropology of Weaker Sections. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 330–. ISBN 978-81-7022-491-4. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Prahlad Gangaram Jogdand (1991). Dalit movement in Maharashtra. Kanak Publications. Retrieved 24 August 2013.

Further reading

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