Kudmi Mahato

The Kudmi Mahato are a tribal community in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha of India. They are primarily agriculturalist.

Population

Census data for Kudmi in 1931

Classification

Kudmi were classified as a Notified Tribe by the British Raj under the terms of the Indian Succession Act introduced in 1865 as they have customary rules of succession. Kudmi of Chotanagpur are different from Kurmi of Gangetic plain. According to Mahanta (2003) kudmi follow totemism which stamps them as Dravidian descent and resembles to Dravidian tribe around them according to book The Tribes and Castes of Bengal (1891) written by Herbert Hope Risley. Subsequently, in 1913, they were classified as a Primitive tribe. Then they were omitted from the list of communities listed as tribes in the 1931 census.

They were not in the list of Scheduled Tribes drawn up in 1950. They are included in the list of Other Backward Classes in the States of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. In 2004, the Government of Jharkhand recommended that they should be listed as a Scheduled Tribe rather than Other Backward Class. The Tribal Research Institute of Government of India recommended against this proposal, claiming they are a sub-caste of the Kunbi and thus different to tribal people. Therefore, In 2015, the Government of India refused to approve the recommendation of Jharkhand government to list the Kudmi Mahato as Schedule Tribe.

The language of Kudmi is Kudmali/Kurmali. But according to study, Kurmali language have vocabulary which is neither Dravidian nor Austro-asiatic. The Kudmi people once spoke a distinct language, neither Munda nor Dravidian but also not Indo-Aryan, and at some point switched to the regional Indo-Aryan lingua franca of that time, leaving a distinct substrate in their new language.

In April 2023, a Kudmi organization of West Bengal and Jharkhand engaged in rail blockages and demanded Scheduled Tribe status, a demand which was opposed by some scheduled tribes.

Religion and culture

Social organisations of this tribal community have agitated for scheduled tribe status and recognition of their traditional Sarna religion. During the 20th century, some Kudmis of Chhotanagpur underwent a social change of Kshatriyaization along with the other Kurmi of North India and elevated their status as Kshatriya.

Historically, the Kudmi Mahatos have been a noble class who were landowning zamindars. They exhibit upper-caste status and performed priestly functions in the temples situated in western Rarh region.

The traditional occupation of Kudmi is agriculture. Kudmi are divided into 81 clans or gushti including Keshriar, Hindoiar, Bagh Banuar, Naguar, Punoriar, Bangsoar, Sankhuar, Kanbindha, Katiar, Dumriar, Karuar etc.

They are nature worshippers. Bari Puja, Karam, Chait Parab, Jitiya, Bandna, Tusu Parab are some of the major festivals of Kudmis. They worship Budha Baba in Madapthan and Garam at garamthan. Jhumair and Chhau are their folk dance.

Genetics

According to National Institute of Biomedical Genomics(NIBMG), the Kudmi Mahatos genetically cluster together with other Indo-European speaking populations of Bengal & Orissa region indicating less genetic distance between both the populations. The study also identifies the Kudmi population as Indo-European speaking who have a geographic proximity with the Mundari speaking populations, also mentioned by Genome India Project(GIP).

Although clustered together with other Indo-European populations such as Rahri Brahmins, Kayastha, Mahishya and Oriya Brahmin, they show a considerable affinity with the Austro-Asiatic populations.

Roles in Indian's freedom struggle

The Kudmi Mahato community played a role in various rebellions in India's freedom struggle. From the Chuar Rebellion to the Quit India Movement, many Kudmi Mahatos were martyred. Raghunath Mahato was a notable leader of the Chuar Rebellion in India's freedom struggle against the British. The rebellion he waged against the British is known as the Chuar Rebellion. His Slogan "Apna Gaon, Apna Raaj; Dur Bhagao Bideshi Raaj".

Buli Mahato was the hero martyr of Kol Rebellion and Bhumij Rebellion. Then came the Neel Rebellion 1843-1848 led by Gopal Mahato. Chanku Mahato then led the Santhal Rebellion in Godda district. Also in the Sepoy Mutiny eleven were hanged together with Sukdev Mahato. In addition, Kanka Mahato, Rajani Mahato, Suchand Mahato, Kalicharan Mahato, Gopinath Mahato, Kalia Mahato etc. led the Medi Movement of Orissa. After that, the Kudmis also actively participated in the non-cooperation movement. Five Kudmi Mahato youths were martyred in this movement. These are Gokul Mahato, Mohan Mahato, Sheetal Mahato, Sahadeva Mahato, Ganesh Mahato. Many were also jailed. Girish Mahato, Nanku Chandra Mahato, Govinda Mahato, Dasharath Mahato, Chunaram Mahato, Mathan Mahato and others were imprisoned in Hazaribagh Jail during Mahatma Gandhi's civil disobedience movement. Padak Mahato was also imprisoned in Bhagalpur Jail. Sagar Mahato, Bhajahari Mahato, Bhim Mahato, Satyakinkar Mahato, Mohini Mahato were imprisoned for doing satyagraha in 1941. Then in 1942, Satyakinkar Mahato was imprisoned from Manbazar during the Quit India movement. Chunaram Mahato and Govinda Mahato were martyred during the siege of Manbazar police station in 1942. Among the women Bhavini Mahato played a prominent role. Jagadish Mahato of (Dhanbad-Parabasnia) also took an active part in the Quit India movement. Many others are also involved.

Notable people

• Raghunath Mahato (1738 – 1778), freedom fighter
• Buli Mahato, freedom fighter
• Chanku Mahato (1816 – 1856), freedom fighter
• Binod Bihari Mahato (1923 – 1991), Lawyer and politician
• Dhananjay Mahato (1919 – 2014), freedom fighter, social activist and politician
• Nirmal Mahto (1950 – 1987), political activist
• Sunil Kumar Mahato (1966 – 2007), politician
• Sudesh Mahato, former Deputy Chief Minister of Jharkhand
• Bidyut Baran Mahato, member of parliament to the 16th Lok Sabha from Jamshedpur (Lok Sabha constituency), Jharkhand
• Damodar Sekhar, 1st Raja of Panchkot Raj

See also

• Sadan people
• Mahto

Footnotes

References

Sources

1. Binod Bihari Mahato
2. Raghunath Mahato
3. Bidyut Baran Mahato
4. Mahto
5. Sunil Kumar Mahato
6. Dhananjay Mahato
7. Chanku Mahato
8. Kurmali language
9. Shailendra Mahato
10. Chhatradhar Mahato
11. Mayurbhanj district
12. Buli Mahato
13. Manbhum
14. Kashipur, West Bengal
15. Jhargram
16. Damodar Sekhar
17. Bandna
18. Nagpuria people
19. Adivasi
20. Bagal (caste)