Khateek

Khatik

Regions with significant populations
•  India •  Pakistan
Languages
• Hindi • Punjabi • Rajasthani
Religion
• Hinduism • Islam
Related ethnic groups
• Qassab

The Khatik (Hindi: खटीक, Urdu: کھٹیک‎), are a caste found in Punjab province in Pakistan and in several states in India. Those in Pakistan are Muslim, while most Indian Khateek are Hindu while there is a small minority in Gujarat and Maharashtra, who are Muslim. They are one of the most widespread communities in South Asia. The Hindu Khatik have scheduled caste status in India, while the Muslim Khatik are campaigning for Scheduled Caste status.^[1]

Present circumstances

In India

In India, the Khateek are found in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar. Each of these groups maintains a distinct identity, speaking various dialects of Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati and Marathi, and having different sub-groups.

In Bihar

In Bihar, the Khatik are mainly involved in selling fruits and vegetable as merchants, and have never been butchers.they are very well-to-do and moderately rich people. The community speak Bhojpuri and Hindi, and are found mainly in north Bihar.They are either cultivators, growing and selling vegetables, or in urban areas are simply vegetable sellers.^[2]

In Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, the Khatik enjoy scheduled caste status. They speak Bhojpuri, and other dialects of Hindi. The Khatik engage themselves in various economic activities, such as selling vegetables, fruits, flowers, as well as acting as butchers. The Sonkar sub-division are involved in the selling of fruits, flowers and vegetables. With reforms brought about by the abolishment of the zamindari system, many of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Khatik have become farmers. As their agricultural holdings are extremely small, many are now share croppers. Despite land reforms, the UP Khateek remain are marginalized group.

The Khatik of UP are Hindu, and their traditional deities are Nāga, Santoshi Mata and Hanuman.^[3] While those of Haryana worship regional deities such as Beriwali Devi and Vaishno Devi.^[4]

In Haryana

In Haryana, the community are also known as Chaudhury, and speak Haryanvi. They enjoy scheduled caste status in the state. The community is split along religious lines, with some members of the community belonging to the Hindu faith, while others being Sikh. However, intermarriage does take place between the Hindu and Sikh Khatiks. They are further divided into eighty four clans, which are exogamous. The main ones being the chetiwal, chin chinpadiya, Rajora, Grover, Chawla, Asiwal, Bahwal,Bargujar, Tanwar,Tomar, Chauhan, Aswal, Tisware, Bagri, Khichi, Kataria, Tangsuria, Baswale, Panwar, Paharia, Malwalia, Meowal, Solanki, Badsiwal, Bamboria, Bhilwara and Sankhale/ chillwal and gangwal. They are strictly an endogamous community, with very few cases of intermarriage with other groups. Badgujars are very strong and clever in the khateek they rule over the community especially in Haryana. Their traditional occupation has remained the dyeing of goat and sheep skin. Unlike their kinsmen in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, they have never been pig butchers. Many are now peddlers, selling scrap, household goods and bangles.^[5]

In Punjab

The Khatik of Punjab are is still involved with tanning and dyeing of goatskin. According to their traditions, the community immigrated from Uttar Pradesh in the distant past. The Hindu Khatik have scheduled caste status, while Muslim have other backward class status. Both groups of Khatik are strictly endogenous, and do not intermarry. The Muslim Khatik are Sunni Muslim, and the community has been greatly reduced by emigration to Pakistan. They are now found mainly in Malerkotla, where historically the Nawab had set up a traditional caste council headed by a chaudhary. But with reduction in the numbers of the Muslim Khatik, the position of the Chaudhary is no longer influential. Both communities of Khatik speak Punjabi, with many Muslims also speaking Urdu.^[6]

In Rajasthan

Traditionally the Rajasthani Khatik are a caste of butchers. They also raise cattle and sell in the town markets. In urban Rajasthan, the Khateek run many of the meat shops, and are the main supplier of Jhatka meat, as opposed to the Qassab, who are sellers of halal meat.^[7]

In Gujarat

The Khatik are found mainly in Eder, Himmatnagar, Khedbrahma,Baroda, Vijayagar and Bhiloda. They are divided into the Hindu and Muslim sub-groups. The Hindu Khateek do not slaughter animals, which is done by Muslim Khateek, but they simply sell the meat. There are further territorial divisions, the Jaipuria and Bagard Khateek. The community is also split into a number of gotras, the main ones being the Bagod, Demaria, Dindmania, Chauhan, Chaula, Khoiwad, Khinchi,Boliwal, Lindiwal, Chandal, Bagma and Daima. The community is mostly butchers, but a good many of them have now taken up petty trade.^[8]

In Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, the Khatik are found mainly in [Pune/Nagpur/Wardha/Amravati/Akola/Chandrapur District]. They are said to have immigrated from Madhya Pradesh. According to their traditions, they are a sub-group of the Dhangar community. The majority of the Kathik are Hindu, with a small minority in Pune who are Muslim. They now speak Marathi. T he Hindu Kathik have two sub-divisions, the Barade found in Amravati, Yeotmal, Nagpur, Akola and Buldana, whereas the Marathe are found in Nagpur, Chandrapur, Poona and Marathwada. Both these sub-divisions are endogamous. They usually marry within their own community and preferably in the same sub-division. These two sub-divisions are further divided into clans called kur, which also used as surnames. The main clans are the,Barane, Dhoke, Gholap, Vanjari,Katare, Larokar, Madne,Gadhave,Mahure,Dongare, kamble and Ghone. Each of these clans are of equal status.^[9]

The Khatik are still mainly engaged in the selling mutton, and selling of goats and goats skin and other livestock. A small minority are now cultivators. With growing urbanization, many Khatik are abandoning their traditional occupation. The Khatik have set a statewide association, the Khatik Samaj Sabha, based in the town of ( Pune / Nagpur). Many Kathik are now doctors, engineers, and police officers. Their customs are similar to neighbouring Marathi communities. The community pay special reverence to Ambagade or Karoji Bua, who is a local deity.^[10]

In Chhattisgarh

In Chhattisgarh, the Sonkar are a different community. They are sub-cast of kachhi (Kushwaha/Koshwaha/Maurya) & comes under SC of India.^[11]

In Pakistan

The Khateek in Pakistan have assimilated with the Punjabis in Punjab province. Many Khateek families have migrated to the Persian Gulf, United Kingdom and North America.

Veerwal Movement

in 1958,^[12] a Stanakvasi Jain Muni Sameer Muni ^[13] came into contact with members of the Khatik community in Udaipur region, who decide to adapt Jainism. Their center Ahimsa Nagar, located about 4 miles from Chittorgarh, was inaugurated by Mohanlal Sukhadia in 1966. Sameer Muni termed them Veerwaal, i.e. belonging to Lord Mahavira. A 22-year-old youth Chandaram Meghwal was initiated as a Jain monk at Ahore town in Jalore district in 2005^[14] and was given the name Anant Punya Maharaj.

See also

• Sikh
• Hinduism
• Dalit
• Udit Raj

References