Muraos are a community of agriculturists found in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They are also known as Maurya.[1] They form a part of a wider community called the Kushwaha, which includes Koeri and Kachhi castes. The All India Kushwaha Kshatriya Mahasabha is an organisation of these sub-castes, which also represents the interests of the Murao community.[2] In Uttar Pradesh, a section of the community called Kunjra amongst Muslims, classified as an Other Backward Class, was formed due to conversion of Muraos to Islam. The Kunjra are also called Sabj Farosh and like Muraos, they grew vegetables. In recent times, the community produced educated individuals engaged in white collar jobs. The Kunjras are an urban based and landed community in Uttar Pradesh, a group among them, now called Kabaria has distinguished itself from the community by adopting the profession of dealing in scrap. However, vast majority of them are now involved in trade, business and are employed in service sector.[3]
During 1919-1920, in the villages like Rure, Arkha and Rasulpur of Uttar Pradesh, large population of superior cultivating castes like Muraos and Kurmis resided. These castes had age old tradition of independence and caste solidarity and it was among them that the Kisan Sabha movement of early twentieth century took its initial roots. These cultivating castes followed the traditional method of Nai-Dhobi band (or disallowing the service of barber and washerman to non cooperators in their struggle against the landlords) and used their robust caste panchayats to give initial support to Kisan Sabha politics, which worked for solving peasant grievances against the landlords and also blended with Non-cooperation movement under Mahatma Gandhi.[4]
See also
References
- ^ Vij, Shivam. "Caste groups are burning Rajnath Singh's effigies as he called Chandragupta Maurya shepherd". theprint.in. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^ Christophe Jaffrelot (2003). India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India. United Kingdom: Hurst. p. 199. ISBN 9781850653981. Archived from the original on 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
- ^ Nadeem, Hasnain (2016). The Other Lucknow: An Ethnographic Portrait of a City of Undying Memories and Nostalgia. India: Vani Prakashan.
The Kabaria group of Kunjra has become a distinct and endogamous community dealing in scrap. It is believed that they are converts who once belonged to Hindu Murao caste. They speak both Awadhi and Urdu.The Kunjras are an urban based community and a substantial number of Kunjras own lands and are engaged in agriculture and growing vegetables. In the city they sell vegetables and fruits. Apart from their traditional occupation they are also indulged in business, trade, industry, service or are self-employed. This community also has scholars, white collar employees and political leaders at the regional level.
- ^ The Rise and Fall of Modern Empires, Volume IV: Reactions to Colonialism. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. 2016. p. 210-211. ISBN 978-1-351-88267-5.
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