Kachhi (sometimes, Kushvaha) is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain that has traditionally been involved in agriculture. The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the Kachhis, Kachhvahas, Koeris and Muraos. Under the Indian government's system of positive discrimination, the Kushwahas are classified as a "Backward" or Other backward class. The Kushwaha had worshipped Shiva and Shakta, but beginning in the 20th century, they claim descent from the Suryavansh (Solar) dynasty via Kusha, one of the twin sons of Rama and Sita. At present, it is a broad community formed by coming together of several caste groups with similar occupational backgrounds and socio-economic status, who, over the time, started inter-marrying among themselves and created all India caste network for caste solidarity. The communities which merged into this caste cluster includes Kachhi, Kachhwaha, Kushwaha,Saini, Shakya, Maurya, Koeri.
Present circumstances
editIn 1991, they were designated an Other Backward Class in the Indian system of positive discrimination. This applied to the populations in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.[1]
References
edit- ^ Agrawal, S. P.; Aggarwal, J. C. (1991). Educational and Social Uplift of Backward Classes: At what Cost and How. Concept Publishing. ISBN 9788170223399. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
Further reading
edit- Chaudhuri, B. B. (2008). Peasant History of Late Pre-colonial and Colonial India. Pearson Education India. pp. 467–468. ISBN 978-8-13171-688-5.
- Richards, J. F. (1981). "The Indian Empire and Peasant Production of Opium in the Nineteenth Century". Modern Asian Studies. 15 (1): 59–82. doi:10.1017/s0026749x00006788. JSTOR 312105.