GADI LUHAR TRIBE AND HERITAGE OF PUNJAB: A STUDY

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GADI LUHAR TRIBE AND HERITAGE OF PUNJAB: A STUDY

Anita Chahal

Senior Research Fellow

Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communication

Punjabi University, Patiala

ABSTRACT

In northern India, tribes are further categorized in north-west border tribes, north-east border tribes and tribes of central India. Punjab being the important gate of India, many people entered and lived here. Punjab being agricultural state, opens doors for many people migrated from other regions in search of daily wages. Like other migrated people, Gadi Luhar Tribe came here from Chitorhgarh, Rajasthan. Social declination of this tribes is said to be the triumph of Allahudin Khilji over Chitorh in 1308. At that time, they took oath to not to live in houses, not to sleep on bed and not to live at a particular place. Due to this, all the places they pass through, different areas they stayed in, could not affect their identity. Their culture is being held by

generations. Their culture is not personal but united in nature. This is a culture born from war and tragedy so it is a culture of escapism, fear and taboos. Industrialization, mechanization and

urbanization affected their occupation but it could not affect their culture and identity. The cultural revivalism, reincarnation of traditional values did not change their style of living at large. The objective of this research work is to study these parameters in context of Gadi Luhar tribe with respect to Punjabi culture and heritage. The studies and literature of Gadi Luhar tribe is followed in this research work and interviews will be conducted from people of tribe.

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Punjabi culture accepts the existence of various tribes into itself. The geographical location of Punjab is such that many castes and communities in the forms of warriors, dacoits and forces had entered here. Due to this, many changes occurred in this land. Thus, culture of Punjab is named as ‘Mixed Culture’.

Tribal life means the life style of 'such' a group of people who lives in the common field or area and run their social groups, themselves. These people have common language, common religious structure, law, costume and they follow their own cultural traditions. 1 Tribal community is defined as small or big groups, living in the bounded parameters that participate in and fulfill the moral conditions of ‘common life’ than saving ‘personal welfare’, such family groups are named as tribal community.2 In nomadic Tribe, occupation at a particular place is not always possible. Every nomadic Tribe is found to be scattered in small units in any place. To maintain an organization in a tribe, communal efforts are found more useful than the individual struggle. It is said that the organization, oneness, and uniqueness is formed from the need to share mutual experiences. 3 The Tribal councils are formed on the basis of Tribal norms, traditional accreditations, religious taboos, and rules for the mutual welfare. These all are not forced or by any ruling class but is natural in entire life style of any tribe. 4 For Dr. Rivers, Geographic specificity is not the basic indicator of tribes as many tribes are migrating. These migratory habits are concerned with the tribal lifestyle. As this lifestyle is the specification and origin of various tribes.5

HISTORY OF GADI LUHAR TRIBE:

The earliest human inhabitants of Indians are pre-Dravidians, proto-Australiods, or Veddids, who entered from north-west in two or more waves.6 As per popular affirmation, the ancestors of Tribe consider themselves from high communities, as castes of Rajput because people of Gadi Luhar Tribe say their caste is higher than ‘Malvia’ and ‘Maru’ Luhars of Rajasthan.7

The historical evidences are found of Tribal people to be the followers of Maharana Pratap. This includes the affirmations of the follower Rajputs of Maharana Pratap like not to go to Chitorh until the lost prestige of Rajputs and Chitorh is not achieved. To fulfil this affirmation, these Rajputs left homes, took their families into forests, made arms for Maharana Pratap and fight against Muslim rulers. As they lost the war, and could not regain the prestige of Chitorh, that Rajput lineage of Gadi Luhar Tribe will never go to Chitorh.8

For Colonel James Tod, the sand of Mewar consist of bloodshed of Rajput warriors, the situations in which Maharana Pratap occupied the empire of Mewar, the stigma of anti-state interests of father Uday Singh, the declination of Chitorh and the feeling of prestige. Thrice attacks on Chitorh had destroyed everything except the Rajput prestige.9

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victory, all the alive Rajputs were ordered to be killed. The people were burned or killed in that mutiny, the weight of sacred thread is found to be 74½ mann (A weighing Unit). Till today, the people of Gadi Luhar Tribe during some aggrement, writes the figure 74½ and write ‘At the sin of

killing Chitrh’.

Meaning: One who does not obey will be named of all the soldiers died in Chitorh.10

DIFFERENT KINDS OF TRIBES IN PUNJAB :

As per the book ‘Punjab da Lok Virsa part-1’ by Dr. Karnail Singh Thind, there are 27 Nomadic Tribes in Punjab. These tribes include Sansi, Boriya, Bazigar, Barar, Gandhile, Nat, Gujjar, Madari, Gadi Luhar, Sikligar and Mahatam.

LANGUAGE :

The language of Gadi Luhar tribe is ‘Pijin’, said to be formed by the Business English, a mixture of English and Chinese. This language formed ‘Kiryol’ as the mother language.11

The migrating and refugee traditions of tribe in different areas of Punjab and Rajasthan, never affected their language. Either not being a geographical language, they retain the existence of the language. Many criminal tribes have the code language.12

The fertilized soil of Punjab paves way for various people involved in direct or indirect agricultural tools. They left Chitorh in particular and Rajasthan in general. They had limited sources and could not face the attackers. They were separate from their origin and had lived a nomadic life.13

IDENTITY OF GADI LUHAR TRIBE: A SPECIFICATION OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CHITORH

For Rajinder Bhatt, Chitorh is named after Raja Chitrakut. Bappa Raval was the first emperor to establish rule over Chitorh in 8th century.14 Different affirmations are made at the name of Chitorh. Tribal people are very much associated with the Chitorh Fort. For their folk tales, the stories told by ancestors, Chitorh is formed and built by them. According to Tribal myth, Chitorh is built by Bhim, the Pandava son, in the Mahabharata period. One pond associated with this is called ‘Bhimtal’ and the second is called ‘Bhimgodi’.15

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According to Mohan Kumar, Harbu Chauhan and Chimni Bai, guides from Chitorgarh, For centuries, the ancestors of Gadi Luhar Tribe were living in Chitorgarh. For them, when first Mughal emperor, Babar defeated Sangram Singh alas Rana Sangha in war, then tribal ancestors were with Rana Sangha. In this war of swords with guns and tanks, Rana was brutally injured and his companions brought him out of the field. Disturbed knowing this, he criticized them and took an oath to not to go back to Chitorh without his victory. Being stubborn to his decision, they killed him with a poison. His death enrooted the Muslim empire and was a reason of Gadi Luhar’s decline.17

WOMEN OF GADI LUHAR TRIBE:

Facing problems related to health, security and existence while living and shifting in various places, the women of tribe were supposed to be strong, both physically and psychologically. The women have more freedom in Gadi Luhar Tribe. And the tribe is women specific. There is no difference between son and daughter. The families without daughters face difficulties for boy and girl’s interchange marriage proposal between two families. The families with equal proportion of boys and girls are found to be prestigious in the tribe. As per tribal affirmation, many families do not accept marriage proposals from the family with no daughter. During pregnancy, they don’t bother if the woman is giving birth to a daughter or son. They take care of her equally. The tribe woman is expected to give birth to a child without help of another woman.

Following taboos in the tribe represent the women power:

To shout during delivery

To ask for water

To eat anything till mid noonafter delivery

To insist to see the face of dead child18

In common with Hindu lower castes, the tribes emphasize equality in social behavior with ethnic group, greater equality of status for women, more liberal relations between sexes as the men and women work together, a more personal relation between husband and wife, a more ‘romantic’ type of courtship, love adventures and love feuds.19

TABOOS :

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specified that Rajputs were the ancestors of Gadi Luhar Tribes and they transformed into Gadi Luhar Tribes after Chitorh defeat.20

The tribe people don’t use Lajj (The rope to fetch water from well) to get water. It is said that Muslim soldiers mixed poison in all the wells of Chitorh. Due to which, Maharana Pratap denied his followers to use the rope. According to Colonel Tod, when Maharana Pratap and his companions were overpowered by Muslim soldiers at Kalamgir hill, a rajput faithbreaker named Devraj mixed poison in a well named ‘Nagan’ in Kamalmeer.21

Taboos are found to stay away from the people, not belonging to the Tribe since they have only economic relations with them.

Following taboos are found:

To fetch water from the Shudra’s waterhole or tap

To accept the clothes or food of other people To sit on the others’ bed or seater

To participate in bullock or cart race with a shudra

To call another outer woman as nurse during delivery

Sexual freedom of tribal women for sale purposes

To take shelter in a mosque

To stop cart near cementry

To participate in the outer people’s birth or death ceremonies

Physical relations with outers

To take photograph with outers

To accept gift or any present from the outers

To let outers participate in decision making of panchayat

To be associated with Muslim community To give others’ shelter in camp

To drink with outer or to be part in crime with them22

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Tribal families are women specific so, the income and spending along with all the decisions are taken by the women. Men are supposed to make women comfortable and help them out in upbringing children, household chores and occupation.23

As women used to sell things, gather iron utensils from houses for repair, specific taboos were mentioned for them with the fear of losing the Tribal prestige. A Tribal woman could take any freedom inside the tribe but not outside.24

Keeping in mind the tribal women are allowed for physical freedom for selling things to the outsiders. This has been done to decrease the distance between the seller women and the customer. For the women’s physical freedom has been divided, dividing her body into three parts (bottom to top):

The part of body from waist or from the belt of ghagra to feet is for husband.

The Part of body from waist to chin is for child.

The part from chin to forehead is for occupation.25

OCCUPATION:

The ancestors of Gadi Luhar Tribe lived in Chitorhgarh and they used to make weapons for emperors. Later, leaving Chitorh they used to build soles to buffaloes’ feet and poke horses’ nose for riding. During British government, the tribes like Gadi Luhar, Sikligar and Luhar castes used to make weapons and swords. Some People of Gadi Luhar Tribe used to bring bullocks from Bangar area, serve them and later sell them. These were called as ‘Bangariya Luhar’. The villagers used to wait for them to buy bullocks. Another occupation remains the agricultural tools made of iron. E.g.

Datari, daat, gandasi fal, kahi, kuhari, fala, sangal, dubki kanda, ramba, rambi, tangali sutan, toke, sangala sut, kalpa, jang etc. Along with these, the iron bowls used to fetch water from well were constructed.26 Along with agricultural tools, women use to sell the iron utensils for kitchen and home. They used to collect utensils like iron boxes, knives, digging tools for repairing too. The tribal occupation is both in hands of men and women. Men have to build things and women have to sell them door to door.

ART AND CRAFT FOR OCCUPATION: IMPORTANCE OF PUNJAB

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Being independent for living and sources, with artisan apecializations, the tribal people were skilled, talented and creative. The sand of Punjab is fertilized enough for agricultural end products and raw materials to be used by Tribal people in crafting. As they needed to earn for their survival from these things so, they used to go to markets to sale them. The unique work by them added Punjabi Cultural value. Their this art introduced them with the culture and heritage of Punjab. Their art has been emerged as the heritage of the state. And their artistic work contributed in the richness of heritage.

COSTUMES, ORNAMENTS AND TATOOS:

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Life Style: Gadi Luhar Kabika in Donn Kalan Village, Patiala

THE PHENOMENON OF EMERGENCE OF TRIBES INTO CASTES:

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consist of two layers: pure tribal remnants, who have not taken to regular food production, little bands of tribal or partially detribalized people living on the fringes of society even in the neighborhood of well developed modern cities.

The most important difference between tribe and caste is the non specialization of the tribe. If a tribe is linked with a specialized occupation, it becomes a caste. For such specialization, the tribes start emerging into castes on the basis of primitive economies. Gadi Luhar Tribe worked as lower castes in various areas or Rajasthan, Gujrat and Punjab while leaving Chitorh.Verrier Elwin describes in ‘The Religion of Indian Tribe’ that how the Saros of Orissa are married to Hindu Ghosts. This specifies the King Lavana theme in ‘Yoga Vasishtha’, suggesting a similar emotional need among tribes in reverse direction. This would safeguard their independence and separate identity. The tribe is a complete, self-contained, integral society, but a caste is the part of society. Endogamy, being the acceptance of tribes into castes, accepts the difference between itself and tribes as natural and immutable. It is not only for providing the shelter or space to live tribal communities but a life-long, a generation long concept. Until the population pressure in any given area become too acute, tribe and caste lived at peace.27

The annual report of Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs 2003-2004 said Punjab has no tribal population. The ethnographic study of the de-notified and nomadic tribes of Punjab was entrusted to the department of sociology and social anthropology of the Punjabi University, following several representations to the Centre from these communities that they be recognized as STs and SCs.28

There are a numerous ways in which tribes have contributed to the institutional pattern of the majority society. ‘Totemism’ is a system of classification or cosmology whereby a tribe orders the species of nature and sees itself in relation to that order. As per Geza Roheim, totemism is an intimate relation supposed to exist between a group of kindred people on the one side and species of natural or artificial objects on the other side, or expressed more psychologically, the self-projection of a social unit into a natural unit. According to Claude Levi-Strauss, totemism is a particular expression, by means of a special nomenclature formed of animal and plant names, which is its sole distinctive characteristic, of correlations and oppositions. For him,it is a way to make opposition, instead of being an opposition, instead of being an obstacle to integration, serve rather than to produce it. He says, man originally felt himself identical to all those like him, plants and animals, and he come to acquire capacity to distinguish himself as he distinguishes them, i.e. to use the diversity of species as conceptual support for social differentiation.29

CULTURAL ASSIMILATIONS OF GADI LUHAR TRIBE:NEMERGENCE INTO PUNJABI CULTURE

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For this process, the tribal existence is seen as- Independent, Inter dependent and dependent. In the first stage, they are nomadic, in second, semi-nomadic and in third they are assimilated simultaneously. The condition evolves from the modernization and social, economic and political changes. Since such socio economic dependence plays major role in changing their life style. If they own technologically run and industrial occupations leaving the traditional, they have to wear the costumes, change their life style accordingly. Which slowly lead to their cultural decline.31

EDUCATION OF GADI LUHAR’S CHILDREN:

The education of tribal people began with 1871 Criminal Tribes Act by British govt. As per this act, there was a provision to educate the children of tribal people. So, the arrangements were made to teach them while their parents were imprisoned.Under this act, many families were relieved so that they could teach atleast one child. During schooling, the involvement of children with non-tribal children started which affected their though and behavior. In 1952, Indian Govt. demolished Criminal Tribes Act and many plans were made for the social up gradation of Tribal people in order to disconnect them from the illiteracy and to connect with the developed life. In context with Punjab, the tribes could not utilize the reservation quota as Punjab was announced to be a state without tribes as all the quota was provided at the name of other scheduled castes.32

CONCLUSION :

More than the religion, tribe has set of rules which are holding the culture within. Their heroes did not challenge the customs, and if they did, they had to sacrifice with their lives. Such stories increase the tribal people’s firm belief into the tribal norms, affirmations, traditions and customs. These are the stories of fear which does not let them go out of the limitations.

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Their culture gave a lot to the heritage, to the art and culture of Punjab. The performing arts influence the folklore, folk songs and folk dances of Punjab. The manufacturing arts influenced the Punjabi women of making Pakhi, bedsheets, table sheets, curtains, mirror covers, cousins for house utensils and ghagras, kurtis and shirts in costume and followed the designs of ornaments. The culture of Gadi Luhar Tribe influence Punjabi heritage directly or indirectly. All these traditions travelled generations to generations and shadowed the literature and cultural heritage of Punjab.

References:

1. Dariya. 2014. Punjab de atit te vartaman kabile. Amritsar: Ravi Sahit Prakashan. pp. 36 2. Kazak, Kripal. 2005. Gadi Luhar Kabile da sabhyachar. Patiala: Publication Bureau,

Punjabi University. pp. 24

3. Kazak, Kripal. 2005. Gadi Luhar Kabile da sabhyachar. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. pp 27-28

4. Kazak, Kripal. 2005. Gadi Luhar Kabile da sabhyachar. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. pp. 33

5. Singh, Baldev, 1975. Bharti Sanskriti ate Jatiya. (Majumdar, D. N., Trans.). Patiala: Punjabi University. pp. 415

6. Lannoy, Richard. 1971. The Speaking Tree: A Study of Indian Culture and Society. pp. 177 7. Kazak, Kripal. 2005. Gadi Luhar Kabile da sabhyachar. Patiala: Publication Bureau,

Punjabi University. pp. 1

8. Paliwal, Devi Lal (ed). 2005. Maharana Pratap Samriti Granth. Udaypur: Sahit Sansthan Rajasthan, Vidyapith. pp. 169

9. Tod, Colonel James. Rajasthan ka Itihas. (Keshav Kumar, Trans.). Allahabad: Adarsh Hindi Pustkalya. pp. 192

13. Dariya. 2014. Punjab de atit te vartaman kabile. Amritsar: Ravi Sahit Prakashan. pp. 79

14.Mewar ke Maharana aur Shenshah Akbar. pp. 53

16.Ruhela, Satpal. 1968. The Gudiala Luhar of Rajasthan. Delhi: Inspex Indian Publishers. pp.12-13

17.Kazak, Kripal. 2005. Gadi Luhar Kabile da sabhyachar. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. pp. 12

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19.Lannoy, Richard. 1971. The Speaking Tree: A Study of Indian Culture and Society. pp. 183 20. Ruhela, Satpal. 1968. The Gudiala Luhar of Rajasthan. Delhi: Inspex Indian Publishers. pp.

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21.Tod, Colonel James. Rajasthan ka Itihas. (Keshav Kumar, Trans.). Allahabad: Adarsh Hindi Pustkalya. pp. 200

24.Kazak, Kripal. 2005. Gadi Luhar Kabile da sabhyachar. Patiala: Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. pp. 68-70

27.Lannoy, Richard. 1971. The Speaking Tree: A Study of Indian Culture and Society. pp. 180-181

28.Singh,IP . 8 tribes in Punjab match Scheduled Tribe category: Report

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/8-tribes-in-Punjab-match-Scheduled-Tribe-category-Report/articleshow/4961528.cms

29.Levi Strauss, Claude, Jacobson, Claire & Grundfest, Brooke.1963. Structural Anthropology. New York: Basic Books. pp. 89

30.Dariya. 2014. Punjab de atit te vartaman kabile. Amritsar: Ravi Sahit Prakashan. pp. 116 31.Dariya. 2014. Punjab de atit te vartaman kabile. Amritsar: Ravi Sahit Prakashan. pp. 82