Dhedh

'Dhedh or Dhedha' or Dhedhas are one of the scheduled castes of India. They were one of the out-caste and deprived class of HinduVankar society of India.[1][2]

They were involved in jobs like carrying away animal carcass and works related to leather, animal hides. The word dhedha has been derived from a Gujarati word dhayadavan, to drag.[3][4]

In Rajasthan, the community were called Dhedha and according to census of 1901 were identified as untouchables.[3] In British India, in the Bahwalpur, who were called Vankars to east of Punjab. They ate flesh of dead animals and were considered as out-caste by Hindus, though they have Hindu names.[5]

They have nine exogamous section : (1) Gandel (2) Baru-Pal (3) Sahdal (4) Sapune (5) Lilar (6) Bahmanian (7) Japal (8) Lakhale (9) Turke.[5]


In Maharashtra, Mahars were considered a part of Dhedha community. However, after mass conversion of Mahar community from Hinduism to Buddhism, to avoid curse of untouchability, on foot-steps of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, they are now not to be called Dhedhas or even Mahars but Buddhists.

In Gujarat, Dhedhs are considered as sub-caste of the scheduled caste called vankarss.[2] Some of the other castes in which there are few exceptions of Dhedhs are Bawa (Dhedh) or Dhedh-Sadhu (Sadhu), Dhedh -Barot (Barot).[1]

Dhedhs speak many languages, as per their area of living like Gujarati,[4] Marathi, Rajasthani,[3]Sindhi, Thar[6]

In Kathiawar, the Nagasia Dhehds, once helped the Sarvaiyas to regain their villages of Hathnasi, Jesar and other territories. In recognition of their assistance the Sarvaiya Rajputs forgave Dhedhs from bham tax ( tax on skins of dead animals ) and tax was not levied on all Sarvaiya village till British ruled India.[7]

Dhedhs and Bhil community were closely associated being in similar profession and social status, as out-castes and were two suppressed communities of Gujarat.[8]Bhangis, Dhedhs, Vankars, Mahars, Malas, Madigas were some of the communities, who were contemptuously looked down upon as un-touchables.[9][10]


In South India, the Dhedhs caste were sometimes dharmakartas of Shiva temples. A census report noted that wealth is a very potent factor, both in the way of levelling down caste heights and filling up social depths....a wealthy member of the Dhedh caste is actually the Dharmakartha of a Siva temple in Southern India and a Sathani (Sattada Srivaisnava temple servant) becomes elevated into a Balija often in the course of a few years ; so also a Palli into a Mudaliar.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES ORDERS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1956]Dhed, Dheda
  2. 1 2 Ideals, images, and real lives: women in literature and history By Alice Thorner, Sameeksha Trust (Bombay, India)
  3. 1 2 3
  4. 1 2 Gandhi: the man, his people, and the empire By Rajmohan Gandhi
  5. 1 2 Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province By H.A. Rose, IBBETSON, Maclagan
  6. ↑ Grammar of the Sindhi Language By Ernest Trumpp
  7. ↑ Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Káthiáwar, Govt. Central Press, 1884
  8. ↑ Young India, Volume 10 written by Mahatma Gandhi, 1928.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ The outcasts like Mahar, Dhed, Mala, Madiga and others.
  11. ↑
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/9/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.