Kurmi - Kshatriya

Kurmi one of the Kshatriya caste in India:-

I am a Katiyar ( a sub caste of Kurmi ) so I am going to tell you all about my Kurmi caste.

               About: Kurmi- the Kshatriyas:-    

Kurmi is one of the Kshatriya caste in India. Kurmi is a Hindu cultivator caste of the eastern Gangetic plain in northern India.  
Kurmi is the name given to a Hindu caste in India. The caste system in India is a pattern of social stratification associated with Hinduism. The word "kurmi" literally means the "I cans" or the "I am ables". The Kurmi are also known as Kunbi. The Kurmi are believed to be descendants of some of the earliest Aryan immigrants to India and come from the Kshatriyas (warrior caste) who became farmers. Kurmi are known in India as the chief agricultural caste.

The word "kurmi" is related to the word karmi derived from the word "karma" (action or merit). Defining caste by karma instead by lineage and birth was a major change of defining caste instead of that based on birth lineage and ancestry linked to the Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures) and espoused by Brahmins (priestly caste).

Historical writers say that the relationship between the Kshatriyas (warrior caste) and the Brahmins became strained. Consequently Brahmins started keeping the Vedas a secret from the Kshatriyas. A Vedic Kshatriya was a defender of the faith and righteous order. However, some Kshatriyas, influenced by Buddha and Mahavira, decided they did not need Vedic scriptures for supreme spiritual self mastery or to define their lineage or caste. Kshatriyas in India's northern Empires adopted Buddhism and Jainism.

There are several late-19th century theories of the etymology of Kurmi. According to Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya (1896), the word may be derived from an Indian tribal language, or be a Sanskrit compound term krishi karmi, "agriculturalist."[4] A theory of Gustav Salomon Oppert (1893) holds that it may be derived from kṛṣmi, meaning "ploughman".

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Who are Kurmi ?:-

The Kurmi are a large peasant community of farmers widely distributed in the states of Uttar Pradesh (more than 5 million), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Assam. Successive waves of land reform legislation all over India since the 1950s abolished the landlord system which enabled the cultivating caste of Kurmi, who were tenant farmers, into a landowning caste. Among the Kurmi there are also businessmen, government servants at various levels, engineers, doctors and defense personnel. In Delhi they are mainly engaged as industrial workers, daily-wage laborers or are self-employed, running shops or dairies.

Origin of Kurmi :-

The name Kurmi is the Sanskrit word Krishi meaning ‘cultivation’. Some authors attempt to trace the divine origin of the Kurmi from the tortoise (kurm) – believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu. These authors further relate the Kurmi to the gods Rama and Indra, the established symbols of the Kshatriya (second level in caste hierarchy) and thereby attempt to claim a higher caste origin.
They are believed to be the direct descendants of the earliest Aryan tribes.

What Are Kurmi's Lives Like? :-

The Kurmi are farmers except in Punjab where they are a landless community who mainly work as gardeners for private and government institutions. Some are sharecroppers, rear buffalo such as those in Bihar, while a few poorer Kurmi work as farm laborers. These days they can be found in all professions including politics, films, medicine, law, administrative services, and business as well as the traditional occupation of agriculture. In Delhi they are employed as industrial workers, daily-wage labourers or are self-employed and own shops or dairies.

These are a progressive community who make good use of the benefits provided by the government. The Kurmi of Bihar in particular have improved their circumstances and are doing well in better paying jobs, as professionals and in government bureaucracy and are now part of the middle class. They have taken advantage of loans to purchase time saving implements and changed the way they farm, using new technology for improved efficiency. They still use indigenous medicine as well as visiting clinics. Family planning is becoming more acceptable as well as formal education for their children. Children of the poor Kurmi are less fortunate. The staple food consists of meat, wheat, rice and pulses. They eat seasonal vegetables, fruit, milk and dairy products. Alcoholic drinks are socially prohibited; nevertheless some of them are addicted to alcohol.

Customs:-

Marriages are usually governed by the rule of sub-group endogamy and clan exogamy. The trend is changing, extending marital restrictions by considering the entire Kurmi community as an endogamous group. Marriages are arranged by elders of the families. Child marriages are still quite common in some rural areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Adult marriages are becoming increasingly preferred. In case of child marriage the gaona (bride’s departure to the husband’s house) takes place after she attains puberty.

The Kurmi believe in monogamy. A dowry is paid in cash and kind. Glass bangles, sindur (vermilion mark) and a nose-ring are the strictly observed symbols of marriage. Divorce is socially permitted and may be sought on grounds of adultery, impotence and maladjustment with compensation given to the aggrieved party. Generally, the caste Panchayat’s (council) decision is binding on both parties. Community custom allows for remarriage of widows and widowers.

Nuclear families exist in urban areas, while extended families are still common in the rural areas. The daughter-in-law observes purdah (veil) and avoids direct conversation with her father-in-law, husband’s elder brother, elder male relatives and strangers. However, lighthearted humorous relationships are allowed between a man’s wife and his younger brother, as well as between the man and his wife’s sister. When the family property is divided all the sons receive an equal share and the eldest son succeeds as head of the family. Although women contribute in the agriculture sphere and perform all the household chores as well, they have a lower status than the men and are dependent on them.

The Kurmi have a rich oral tradition of folklore and folktales passed down over the generations. Women sing folk songs on auspicious occasions like marriage and childbirth. The musical accompaniments are usually the dholak, a cylindrical or slightly barrel-shaped double-headed drum, and the manjira, a pair of small cymbals.

The All India Kshatriya Kurmi Mahasabha is the Kurmi’s national level council that looks after their welfare. Since India’s independence this organization has become a pressure group for politics. Kurmi Politicians have also grown in number and status and there are Kurmi ministers at Central and State levels practicing at this time. Regional and local councils come under the Mahasabha and they exercise social control over the areas under their jurisdiction. Instances of adultery, rape, elopement, disrespect for traditional norms, contempt towards the caste council and matrimonial disputes are handled by these councils.

What Are Kurmi's Beliefs? :-

The Kurmi are Hindus and worship Ram and Vishnu (preserver) as their family deities. The goddesses Kali (goddess of destruction) and Durga (another form of Kali), and god Hanuman are regional deities. They celebrate prominent Hindu festivals like Diwali (festival of lights), Holi (festival of colours), Shivaratri (Shiva’s Night – the celebration of Shiva’s marriage with goddess Parvati) and Dussehra (celebrating the victory of Rama over the demon king Ravana).

The Kurmi’s rites and rituals are performed by Brahmin priests. Mundan (shaving the head) is a ritual performed in childhood while adolescent boys go through the rite of wearing the sacred thread (genoi). The dead are cremated, but the bodies of children are buried. The ashes are immersed in a river, preferably the sacred Ganges River.

   Kurmi politics during British rule :-

The first Kurmi caste association had been formed in 1894 at Lucknow to protest against the police recruitment policy. This was followed by an organisation in Awadh that sought to draw other communities — such as the Patidars, Marathas, Kapus, Reddys and Naidus — under the umbrella of the Kurmi name. This body then campaigned for Kurmis to classify themselves as Kshatriya in the 1901 census and, in 1910, led to the formation of the All India Kurmi Kshatriya Mahasabha. Simultaneously, newly constituted farmers' unions, or Kisan Sabhas—composed of cultivators and pastoralists, many of whom were Kurmi, Ahir, and Yadav (Goala), and inspired by Hindu mendicants, such as Baba Ram Chandra and Swami Sahajanand Saraswati—denounced the Brahman and Rajput landlords as ineffective and their morality as false. In the rural Ganges valley of Bihar and Eastern United Provinces, the Bhakti cults of Rama, the incorruptible Kshatriya god-king of Hindu tradition, and Krishna, the divine cowherd of Gokul, had long been entrenched among the Kurmi and Ahir. The leaders of the Kisan Sabhas urged their Kurmi and Ahir followers to lay claim to the Kshatriya mantle. Promoting what was advertised as soldierly manliness, the Kisan Sabhas agitated for the entry of non-elite farmers into the British Indian army during World War I; they formed cow protection societies; they asked their members to wear the sacred thread of the twice-born, and, in contrast to the Kurmis own traditions, to sequester their women in the manner of Rajputs and Brahmins.

In 1930, the Kurmis of Bihar joined with the Yadav and Koeri agriculturalists to enter local elections. They lost badly but in 1934 the three communities formed the Triveni Sangh political party, which allegedly had a million dues-paying members by 1936. However, the organisation was hobbled by competition from the Congress-backed Backward Class Federation, which was formed around the same time, and by co-option of community leaders by the Congress party. The Triveni Sangh suffered badly in the 1937 elections, although it did win in some areas. The organisation also suffered from caste rivalries, notably the superior organisational ability of the higher castes who opposed it, as well as the inability of the Yadavs to renounce their belief that they were natural leaders and that the Kurmi were somehow inferior. Similar problems beset a later planned caste union, the Raghav Samaj, with the Koeris.

Again in the 1970s, the India Kurmi Kshatriya Sabha attempted to bring the Koeris under their wing, but disunity troubled this alliance.

Many private caste-based armies surfaced in Bihar between the 1970s and 1990s, largely influenced by landlord farmers reacting to the growing influence of left extremist groups. Among these was the Bhumi Sena, the membership of which was drawn mainly from youths who had a Kurmi origin. Bhumi Sena was much feared in the Patna region and also had influence in the districts of Nalanda, Jehanabad and Gaya.

 All India Kurmi Kshatriya Mahasabha:-

The All India Kurmi Kshatriya Mahasabha (AIKKM) is an organisation that was established in 1910 to promote the interests of the Kurmi (Kshatriya) community.

The Kurmi agriculturist community had a reputation as hard-working but were considered to be a tribe rather than a caste by the authorities of the British Raj. They were at one time classified as a criminal tribe and had a reputation for being violent and ruthless in their attempts to dominate untouchable communities. Desiring recognition as a caste, the first Kurmi community association was formed in 1894 at Lucknow to protest against the recruitment policy that debarred them from entry to the police service. This was followed by an organisation in Awadh that sought to draw other communities — such as the Patidars, Marathas, Kapus and Naidus — under the umbrella of the Kurmi name. This body then campaigned for Kurmis to classify themselves as Kshatriya in the 1901 census and, according to Christophe Jaffrelot, this led to the formation of the All India Kurmi Kshatriya Mahasabha in 1910. Other sources agree with this general history, which reflected a wider trend among Indian communities for social and political recognition, but consider the AIKKM to have formed in 1894.

In the 1940s and after, following the independence of India, the position of the AIKKM as a focal point for the community changed. In common with many other caste associations, it had been concerned primarily with resolving disputes among members of the community and with maintaining cohesion but a new breed of educated, youthful Kurmi activists sought a more politicised agenda. They appealed to the upwardly-mobile landowning members of the community to support their goal of recognition for Chhattisgarh as an independent state within the Republic of India. Some of these people, who included Purushottam Kaushik, formed organisations such as the Nau Yuvak Sangh (1946), while Khubchand Bagel was elected as head of the AIKKM in 1948 but, like Kaushik, was primarily interested the Chhattisgarh issue.

  Castes which come under Kurmi :-

What is the total population of the Kurmi caste in India?
The Kurmi-Kahetriyas represent about 37% of India’s population. They are scattered in different names across different states in India. Except for the North Eastern States, they are a dominant caste in other states. This militia-agriculturist caste has actually played a very important role in the history of the country. But today, they are the most marginalised castes in the country. Today, the caste politics of India has provoked the very sentiment of the people belonging to this caste across the country. They feel the politics of India is revolving around caste and religion, why should they be left behind. If Dalits can make it because they are united, if Yadavs can make it because they are together, so why can’t they. This is probably the most unorganised and unpolarised caste in the country waiting for a good leadership like Sardar Patel. The major surnames and castes belonging to the Kurmi-Kshetriyas are the following:

The Rajwade,Chandrakar,Chaudhary, Chandra, Chandrawanshi, Patel, Patidar, Patanwar,Kadwa, Lewa, Uttam, Reddy, Naidu, Niranjan, Wakkaligar, Kunbi, Kanbi, Kutumbi, Kudumi, Kulmi, Kulambi, Kulwadi, Kapu and Kama - all belong to one caste, commonly called as ‘Kurmi’ or ‘Kunbi’. Common surnames or family names of Kurmis include Singh,Sinha, Chaudhary, Rathor, Patel, Verma, Katiyar, Niranjan, Gangwar, Pawar, Patil, Bhonsle, Reddy, Gowda, Mohanta, Scindia, Naidu, Mahato, Sachan, Kanaujia, Jichkar, Wankhde, Chavan, Rau, Mene, Jena, Rout, Routray, Parida, Samal, Swain, Nayak, Gadanayak, Dhal, Dhalsamant, Pradhan, Samantray, Sundaray, Usharay, Baliarsingh, Gumansingh, Patra, Ray, Senapati, Das, Pahi, Mahanty, Majhi, Bhoi, Bhol, and few more. Kurmi caste in Central and Western Odisha comprises of other castes belonging to the sub-castes like Paikas, Chasas, Dumals, Agharias, Kulitas, Rajus, etc.
Mahato/Mahto/Mahata surname is used by kurmi kshatriya people in jharkhand,west bengal..they are follow hinduism.kurmi word source is lord vishnu..kurmi word related to lord vishnu…jharkhand have 20% kurmi and west bengal have nearly 8% kurmi of total population.Bengali kurmi kshatriya people use Mahato(Mahto),Mahata,Singhadeb,Sinha,Singha,Debsingha etc surname. Odia kurmi(5% of odisha total population) use Mohanta,Mahanty,pradhan etc surname.Jhakhand kurmi use Mahato/Mahto, Chowdhury,patel,kumar etc surname.Bihari kurmi(5% of bihar total population) use kumar,patel,verma,mahato/mahto,singh etc surname,bihar CM Nitish Kumar is also a kurmi.Up kurmi population is also large(8% of up total population).Up kurmi use Patel,Verma,Sachan,Katiyar,Singh,Gangwar etc.Gujrat have very large kurmi population(20% of gujrat total population).Gujrati kurmi mostly use Patel surname. Chhattisgarh is also have a high kurmi population(18% of Chhattisgarh total population),they are use Kaushik,baghel,Mahato/Mahto,vyas,routh etc surname, Chattishgarh cm Bhupesh Baghel is also a kurmi.Madhyapradesh is also have a sizable kurmi population (7% of total mp population),they are use verma,Kaushik,Mehta,Singh,Scindia,patel etc surname. MP powerful congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia is also belong to kurmi community.Assam also have 6% kurmi population,assamese kurmi mainly use mahato & kurmi as their surname. Maharastra have also large kurmi population,kunbi maratha community is belong to kurmi family,they are nearly 10% of maharastra total population. Now come to South india,in south india andhra pradesh and telengana also have very large kurmi population.Kapu & Reddy caste are two main caste in this state and they are belongs to kurmi Family(Reddy & kapu both are subcaste of Kurmi Kshatriya).The surname used by kurmi in Andhra Pradesh & Telengana are Reddy,Naidu,Kalyan,Arjun etc.Tamilnadu also have 3% kurmi population. The total population of Kurmi in India is about 30 crores.

The Kurmi-Kahetriyas represent about 37% of India’s population. They are scattered in different names across different states in India. Except for the North Eastern States, they are a dominant caste in other states. This militia-agriculturist caste has actually played a very important role in the history of the country. But today, they are the most marginalised castes in the country. Today, the caste politics of India has provoked the very sentiment of the people belonging to this caste across the country. They feel the politics of India is revolving around caste and religion, why should they be left behind. If Dalits can make it because they are united, if Yadavs can make it because they are together, so why can’t they. This is probably the most unorganised and unpolarised caste in the country waiting for a good leadership like Sardar Patel. The major surnames and castes belonging to the Kurmi-Kshetriyas are the following:

The Rajwade,Chandrakar,Chaudhary, Chandra, Chandrawanshi, Patel, Patidar, Patanwar,Kadwa, Lewa, Uttam, Reddy, Naidu, Niranjan, Wakkaligar, Kunbi, Kanbi, Kutumbi, Kudumi, Kulmi, Kulambi, Kulwadi, Kapu and Kama - all belong to one caste, commonly called as ‘Kurmi’ or ‘Kunbi’. Common surnames or family names of Kurmis include Singh,Sinha, Chaudhary, Rathor, Patel, Verma, Katiyar, Niranjan, Gangwar, Pawar, Patil, Bhonsle, Reddy, Gowda, Mohanta, Scindia, Naidu, Mahato, Sachan, Kanaujia, Jichkar, Wankhde, Chavan, Rau, Mene, Jena, Rout, Routray, Parida, Samal, Swain, Nayak, Gadanayak, Dhal, Dhalsamant, Pradhan, Samantray, Sundaray, Usharay, Baliarsingh, Gumansingh, Patra, Ray, Senapati, Das, Pahi, Mahanty, Majhi, Bhoi, Bhol, and few more. Kurmi caste in Central and Western Odisha comprises of other castes belonging to the sub-castes like Paikas, Chasas, Dumals, Agharias, Kulitas, Rajus, etc.
Mahato/Mahto/Mahata surname is used by kurmi kshatriya people in jharkhand,west bengal..they are follow hinduism.kurmi word source is lord vishnu..kurmi word related to lord vishnu…jharkhand have 20% kurmi and west bengal have nearly 8% kurmi of total population.Bengali kurmi kshatriya people use Mahato(Mahto),Mahata,Singhadeb,Sinha,Singha,Debsingha etc surname. Odia kurmi(5% of odisha total population) use Mohanta,Mahanty,pradhan etc surname.Jhakhand kurmi use Mahato/Mahto, Chowdhury,patel,kumar etc surname.Bihari kurmi(5% of bihar total population) use kumar,patel,verma,mahato/mahto,singh etc surname,bihar CM Nitish Kumar is also a kurmi.Up kurmi population is also large(8% of up total population).Up kurmi use Patel,Verma,Sachan,Katiyar,Singh,Gangwar etc.Gujrat have very large kurmi population(20% of gujrat total population).Gujrati kurmi mostly use Patel surname. Chhattisgarh is also have a high kurmi population(18% of Chhattisgarh total population),they are use Kaushik,baghel,Mahato/Mahto,vyas,routh etc surname, Chattishgarh cm Bhupesh Baghel is also a kurmi.Madhyapradesh is also have a sizable kurmi population (7% of total mp population),they are use verma,Kaushik,Mehta,Singh,Scindia,patel etc surname. MP powerful congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia is also belong to kurmi community.Assam also have 6% kurmi population,assamese kurmi mainly use mahato & kurmi as their surname. Maharastra have also large kurmi population,kunbi maratha community is belong to kurmi family,they are nearly 10% of maharastra total population. Now come to South india,in south india andhra pradesh and telengana also have very large kurmi population.Kapu & Reddy caste are two main caste in this state and they are belongs to kurmi Family(Reddy & kapu both are subcaste of Kurmi Kshatriya).The surname used by kurmi in Andhra Pradesh & Telengana are Reddy,Naidu,Kalyan,Arjun etc.Tamilnadu also have 3% kurmi population. The total population of kurmi in india is nearly 30 crores.
Kurmi people(Uttar pradesh) are originally from Tamilnadu , they are the Agriculture people 1000 years ago who migrated from now Tamilnadu. Kurmi people have themselves mentioned in their quote they came from tamilnadu. agriculture was originated from tamils and it moved all over the globe , their agriculture techniques are used in more than 30 countries all over the world. since 2000 years. tamils moved from this land to all parts of the globe , they were also the first to go all over the globe because of their knowledge in fishing and sea travel. Tamilnadu (now) was once the worlds business hub for egypt, greek,italy, russia, mexico, french,britain,australia, spain, portugese even in 1800’s britain came to india via indian ocean .

Kurmis are descendants of god Indra and Rama .Their population in India is 26–30%,Which makes them the most populated community in India.

Artarvavanshi

Awadhiya

Baghel

Bhosle

Chandel

Chandra

Chandrakar

Chandrawanshi

Chaudhary

Chauhan

Chavan

Devendra Kula Velalar

Gaharwar

Gangwar

Gaur

Gayakwad

Ghamalia

Gowda

Gurjar

Jichkar

Joshwar

Kadwa

Kadaiyar

Kalladi

Kanaujia

Kanbi

Kant

Katiyar

Kochyasa

Koppikar

Kudumi

Kudumbar

Kulambi

Kulmi

Kulwadi

Kunbi

Kutumbi

Lewa

Mahato

Manwar

Mene

Mohanta

Mohanti

Moopan

Marathe

Niranjan

Patanwar

Patel

Pallar

Patidar

Patil

Pawar

Pannadi

Rajwade

Rathore

Rau

Sachan

Sainthwar

Sanodiya

Scindia

Singraur

Sinha

Tihar

Umrao

Uttam

Vaghela

Wakkaligar/Vokkaliga

Wankhede

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