Mahli

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Mahli
Total population
155,023 (2011 census)[1]
Regions with significant populations
India
Jharkhand152,663
West Bengal2,360
Assam13,452 (1951 est.)[2]
Languages
Mahali, Santali, Odia, Bengali, Hindi
Related ethnic groups
Bansphor, Basor

The Mahli are a community in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.[3] Basketry is their main occupation.[4] They speak the Mahali language, which belongs to the Munda group, and many of them also know Odia, Santali, Bengali, and Hindi.[5] They are included in list of Scheduled Tribe.[6]

Origin

They are caste who works as palanquin bearers and bamboo workers. They are divided into five endogamous subdivision: the bansphor Mahli, pahar mahli, Sulunkhi, Tanti and Mahli Munda. Their some septs are Barwar (banayan), Bhuktuar, dumriar (wild fig), gundli (a kind of grain), Induar (eel), Kantiar, Kasriar, Kathargachh (jackfruit tree), Kendriar, Kerketta (a bird), mahukal (a bird), Tirki, Tunduar, Turu, Lang Chenre, Sanga. Their four septs Hansda, Hemron, Murmu, Saren also found in Santal tribe.[7][8]

Culture

Their traditional occupation was making households items of bamboo.

They were also making musical instruments such as Mandar, Dhol, Nagara etc.[9]

Their deity is Surjahi (Solar deity). Other deity are Bar Pahari (mountain deity) and Mansa Devi. Their festival are Bangri, Hariyari and Nawakhani etc.[10]

Official classification

They are listed as a Scheduled Tribe by the Jharkhand government.[11]

See also

Further reading

  • Ota, A.B. (2014). Mahali (PDF). {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)

References

  1. ^ "Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India". www.censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Estimated Population by Castes, 5. Assam – Census 1951" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General, India. 1954. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2024.
  3. ^ "The Constitution (Scheduled tribes) Order, 1950" (PDF). Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. pp. 173, 182. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  4. ^ Pant, Niranjan; Verma, R. K. (2010). Tanks in Eastern India: A Study in Exploration. ISBN 9789290907312.
  5. ^ Ota, A.B. (2014). Mahali (PDF). {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  6. ^ "Mahali". ethnologue.
  7. ^ The tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India. London: Macmillan and Co. 1916. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ Pranab Chandra Roy Choudhury (1970). Bihar District Gazetteers, Volume 12; Volume 16. Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar. p. 128.
  9. ^ Jewitt, Sarah (31 July 2019). Environment, Knowledge and Gender: Local Development in India's Jharkhand. Routledge. ISBN 978-1351729895. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  10. ^ Ranjan, Manish (19 August 2002). Jharkhand Samanya Gyanand. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 9789351867982. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  11. ^ Shah, Alpa (2003). "An Anthropological Study of Rural Jharkhand, India" (PDF). p. 53. Retrieved 8 November 2022. Jharkhand categorises the Mahelis along with the Oraon, Munda and Badaiks, as a Scheduled Tribe



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