Sathwara
Encyclopedia
The Sathwara or Sathvara or Satwara are a Hindu
caste
found in the state of Gujarat in India
.
who took a Kurmi
wife and then left North India
for Saurashtra. Their own origin myth refers to a belief that they were Kshatriya
, who escaped the wrath of the Hindu
god Parshurama by abandoning the Kshatriya
custom of being warriors and took to farming. They are found mainly in north Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch. They speak Gujarati
and Kutchi
.
, Bhavnagar
, Surendranagar
, and Junagadh
. They have two main divisions, based on dietary habits, the vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and each section is endogamous. The north Gujarat Sathwara are further divided into territorial divisions, the Dandariya group found in Sabarkantha and Patanwadia found in Mehsana District
. They are further divided into exogamous clans, the main ones being the Parmar, Songara, Nakum, Katechia, Kacchatiya, Chopda, Khandar, Bedia, Mori and Dabhi. They are constituents of the ther-tasidi group of Hindu
castes, that interdine.
The Sathwara are a number of quasi-Rajput groups found in Gujarat, like the Khant
and have similar customs. Traditionally, they were farmers, but are now engaged in diverse occupations such as masonry. However, the majority of the community remain farmers.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
found in the state of Gujarat in 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...
.
History and origin
There are several traditions as to the origin of the Sathwara community. According to one such tradition, they are descended from a RajputRajput
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...
who took a Kurmi
Kurmi
The Kurmi are a Hindu agricultural Jāti in India.The group has been associated with the Kunbi, though scholars differ as to whether the terms are synonymous. In 2006, the Indian government announced that Kurmi was considered synonymous with the Kunbi and Yellam castes in Maharashtra...
wife and then left North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
for Saurashtra. Their own origin myth refers to a belief that they were Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
, who escaped the wrath of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
god Parshurama by abandoning the Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
custom of being warriors and took to farming. They are found mainly in north Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch. They speak Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
and Kutchi
Kutchi language
Kachhi Kachhi Kachhi (also spelt Cutchi, Kutchhi or Kachchhi, is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken in the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat as well as in Sindh.- Closely related languages :...
.
Present circumstances
The Sathwara are found mainly in the districts of JamnagarJamnagar
Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
, Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar
-Topography:Bhavnagar is a coastal city in the eastern coast of Saurashtra, also known as Kathiawar, located at . It has an average elevation of 24 metres . It occupies area of 53.30 km². General slope dips in the northeasterly direction at the apex of Gulf of Khambhat...
, Surendranagar
Surendranagar district
Surendranagar is an administrative district in the state of Gujarat in India. It has a population of approximately 1.7 million people. Surendranagar is also known as Zalawad, as the city of Surendranagar was ruled by Zala Rajputs...
, and Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
. They have two main divisions, based on dietary habits, the vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and each section is endogamous. The north Gujarat Sathwara are further divided into territorial divisions, the Dandariya group found in Sabarkantha and Patanwadia found in Mehsana District
Mehsana district
Mehsana district is one of the 26 districts of Gujarat state in western India. Mehsana city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district has a population of over 18 lakhs and an area of over 4,500 km². There are over 600 villages in this district...
. They are further divided into exogamous clans, the main ones being the Parmar, Songara, Nakum, Katechia, Kacchatiya, Chopda, Khandar, Bedia, Mori and Dabhi. They are constituents of the ther-tasidi group of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
castes, that interdine.
The Sathwara are a number of quasi-Rajput groups found in Gujarat, like the Khant
Khant (caste)
The Khant are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India.-History:Khants numbered 13,423 , including 6,733 males and 6,690 females. They are found chiefly in Gir villages in Junagadh district in Kathiawar. The chief of the tribe claims descent from Bhati Rajputs. The leading families are...
and have similar customs. Traditionally, they were farmers, but are now engaged in diverse occupations such as masonry. However, the majority of the community remain farmers.