Regar
The Regar (also spelled as Raigar, Rehgar, Raigarh, Ranigar and Rehgarh) are a caste group of India. They are sometimes associated with the Chamar caste but, for example, the sociologist Bela Bhatia considers them to be distinct. The Regar are found in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. They are known as Regar in the Mewar region of Rajasthan.
Once leatherworkers, at the beginning of the 20th century, the British Raj administration imposed restrictions on the indigenous manufacturing of saltpetre which destroyed their livelihood. At least some community members served as bonded labour (begari) during the British Raj era. Many today work in agriculture.
They have been described as an untouchable caste by anthropologist Maya Unnithan-Kumar and as Dalits by another anthropologist, Mary Grey, and by Bhatia.
References
Notes
- ^ Dalit is essentially a more recent term for Untouchable.
Citations
- ^ Grey, Mary (2016). A Cry for Dignity: Religion, Violence and the Struggle of Dalit Women in India. Taylor & Francis. p. 35.
- ^ Bhatia, Bela (2006). "Dalit rebellion against untouchability in Chakwada, Rajasthan". Contributions to Indian Sociology. 40 (1): 29–61. doi:10.1177/006996670504000102.
In Rajasthan, for example, the Regars, Kolis, Khatiks, Valmikis and similar Dalit castes, which are comparatively "weaker" than the Chamars, do not cooperate with them. According to Mimroth, this is because - in their perception - the Chamars pick fights with the upper castes without adequate cause.
- ^ Debnath, Debashis (June 1995). "Hierarchies Within Hierarchy: Some Observations on Caste System in Rajasthan". Indian Anthropologist. 25 (1): 23–30. JSTOR 41919761.
- ^ Gold, Ann Grodzins; Gujar, Bhoju Ram (2007). Malone, Karen (ed.). Child Space: An Anthropological Exploration of Young People's Use of Space. Concept Publishing Company. p. 195.
- ^ Srivastava, Kamal Shankar (1998). Origin and development of class and caste in India. Sangeeta Prakashan, 1998. pp. 180–190.
- ^ Unnithan-Kumar, Maya (2003). "Reproduction, Health, Rights". In Mitchell, Jon P.; Wilson, Richard A. (eds.). Human Rights in Global Perspective: Anthropological Studies of Rights, Claims and Entitlements. Taylor & Francis. p. 194.