Sansi
Encyclopedia
Sansi is a nomadic tribe
(population ca. 60,000 in 2002 AD) originally located in the Rajasthan
area of northwestern India
, but expelled in the 13th century by Muslim
invaders and now living in states of Rajasthan
, Haryana
, Punjab
as well as scattered throughout India.
Their language is Sansiboli
, Sansi or Bhilki that is a highly endangered
Indo-Aryan language
of the Central group, total speakers ca. 60,000 (2002). Their traditional occupations vary, from trading to farming.
1871, hence stigmatized for a long time , after independence however they were denotified
in 1952, though the century old stigma continues.
Rajput from whom they claim lineage) and others.
According to several scholars, Maharaja Maharaja Ranjit Singh
, the great ruler of Punjab
, and the most powerful Indian ruler just before British raj, was from the gypsy tribe of Sansis. The origin of these Sansi gypsies is traced to Bhati Rajput
s.
Nomadic tribes in India
The word Nomadic Tribes refers to the people who were forced to live a wandering life by the Indian Caste System. The Nomadic and Denotified Tribes consist of about 60 million in India, out of which about five million lives in Maharashtra...
(population ca. 60,000 in 2002 AD) originally located in the Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
area of northwestern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, but expelled in the 13th century by Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
invaders and now living in states of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
as well as scattered throughout India.
Their language is Sansiboli
Sansiboli
Sansiboli, Sansi or Bhilki is a highly endangered Indo-Aryan language of the Central group. The language is spoken by the nomadic Sansi people....
, Sansi or Bhilki that is a highly endangered
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
Indo-Aryan language
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
of the Central group, total speakers ca. 60,000 (2002). Their traditional occupations vary, from trading to farming.
History
During British rule in India they were placed under Criminal Tribes ActCriminal Tribes Act
The term Criminal Tribes Act applies to various successive pieces of legislation enforced in India during British rule; the first enacted in 1871 as applied mostly in North India The Act was extended to Bengal Presidency and other areas in 1876, and finally with the Criminal Tribes Act 1911, it...
1871, hence stigmatized for a long time , after independence however they were denotified
Denotified tribes of India
Denotified tribes , also known as vimukta jati, are the tribes that were originally listed under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 , as Criminal Tribes and "addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offences." Once a tribe became "notified" as criminal, all its members were required to...
in 1952, though the century old stigma continues.
Famous Sansi's
By religion they are Hindu and Sansi saints are Malang Shah, Sans Mal (BhatiBhati
Bhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
Rajput from whom they claim lineage) and others.
According to several scholars, Maharaja Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
, the great ruler of Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, and the most powerful Indian ruler just before British raj, was from the gypsy tribe of Sansis. The origin of these Sansi gypsies is traced to Bhati Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s.