Bagal (caste)

The word 'Bāgāl' (English pronunciation /bɑːɡɑːl/; Bengali synonym: Rākhāl) is a Bengali derived Kudmali word, which means a person whose duty is grazing and taking care of domestic animals, specifically cattle of their own or the landowners. In case of herding cattle of landowners, they were given responsibilities of various household chores. In Odia the word pronounced as Bagāl (Odia pronunciation: [bɔgalɔ]) bearing same meaning.[14][15][16][17][18]

The Census commission of India do not consider caste as a factor for the Census of India except Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, so there is no detailed information available now for the current population. The last census enumerated caste as a factor before the Independence of India i.e., The last census happened in 1931. The Mayurbhanj state census 1931 recorded a total of 1621 people living in Mayurbhanj state i.e., 1321 form Baripada, 234 from Kaptipada, 52 from Bamanghati and 14 from Panchpir Subdivision and the census also referred to census 1901,[19][20] where 7824 from Medinipur, 1404 from Singhbhum, 854 from Orissa tributary states, 602 from Manbhum, 383 from Chota Nagpur tributary states, 10 from Balasore and 5 from Puri. All those Bagals are included in Ahir and Goala except Bankura where 1520 Bagals are included in Bauri.[21] In 1911, 730 Bagal returned from Bankura, included in Bauri and 4581 Bagal with 2154 Ahir from Medinipur, included in Goala.[22] In the census 1891, a total of 8364 Bagals returned from Chota Nagpur Division i.e., 6179 from Singbhum, 2180 from Manbhum and 6 from Lohardaga including Palamu.[23][24] However, W. W. Hunter classified 2077 Bagals in the pastoralist group in 1877.[25] By considering Mayurbhanj state census report 1931 and estimation of Chokroborty in Medinipur district (i.e., 20000 people in Midnapore), it's estimated 40000 Bagals living in the core area (in the Subernarekha valley region) of Bagal inhabitants location.[1]

Deep saffron color indicating district level concentration of Bagals in India.

Specifically their major concentration is in the Ichagarh, Itagarh, Gobardhan, Urughutu, Khokhro, Dandru, Khaibani, Bang, Roldi, Kolkapur, Potka, Jahatu, Juri Sarmuda, Nuagaun of Potka Haludpukhur area of Singhbhum district of Jharkhand;[28] Kharagpur, Debra, Pingla, Sabang, Narayangarh, Belda, Keshiary, Nayagram, Dantan, Sankrail, Gopiballavpur and Jhargram of undivided Midnapore district of West Bengal;[1] Baripada and Kaptipada subdivision of Mayurbhanj district,[29] Balesore and Nilgiri subdivision of Balasore district, and the migrant village in Ranitala GP of Bhadrak district and Baulakani GP of Kendrapara district.

In the Hindu social structure, Bagal people fall in lower section of the Varna system but they perceive themselves in the middle range of caste hierarchy following tribal characteristics[30] and relatively considered as a clean caste by the tribal community and unclean caste by upper Hindu caste.[31][32][33]

Though the Bagals call themselves Gopas, the "higher" Hindu castes do not regard them as proper sat-sudras, but do not explicitly state that they are asat-sudras or antyajas. From their features it seems that Bagals have descended from tribal pastoralists and become Hinduized. Radhiya Brahmans do not serve them ritually but Madhya-desiya and Utkal Brahmans do.[34]

There are four endogamous subdivision of Bagal society namely Ahir Bagal, Khanroal/ Khandait Bagal, Krishna Bagal and Mogodha Bagal. Some people regard themselves as Gop, So the name of endogamous group change to Ahir Gop, Akhara Gop, Krishna Gop, Nada Gop. There are no lineage in Ahir Bagal and Khanroal/ Khandait Bagal. They have clan (gotra) like Nag, Doshi, Angaria, Kachima, Chawniya, which act as lineage whereas in the Krishna Bagal, there are approximately 23–25 mejor lineage i.e., Arikula, Banardiha, Bankuar, Bhatua, Bukuria, Chardiha, Danadiha, Deolia, Gutisukri/ Butisukri, Hajombanda, Jetuar/ Jegoar, Kulmahtu, Kurkutia, Lakul, Manikdiha, Patkam, Punihasa, Samdia/ Samdiha, Sanahatu, Satbhaya, Sikaria, Tetla. Which are named after from where their ancestors immigrated, any special events or activities of lineage. Again those bigger lineages are subdivided into some sub-lineage as lineage Bankura subdivided into Baku Bankuar and Harin Bankuar, Pathcom subdivided into Baghamaria Pathcom and Rahey Pathcom, Banardiha subdivided into Gora Banardiha and Kalia Banardiha, Lakul subdivided into Gora Lakul and Kalia Lakul, etc. bearing totemic and non-totemic clan (gotra). Nag (Snake), Sal, Kachim (Tortoise), Siyal, Boni (Indian Myna), Singai are totemic clans while Kashyapa and Sandilya are non-totemic clans. The marriage of every sub-divisional group is strictly endogamy at endogamous/sub caste level and the mejor deference among the three endogamous group is that the Ahir and Khandait Bagal use clan as exogamous unit where as not so in Krishna Bagal, Instead they use lineage as exogamous unit. There is no information about the Magadha Bagal. Buru Bhatua and Deolia lineage claim that they were the community level priest of the Bagal caste.[1] Bagal people use Bagal, Rout or Raut or Routh, Khilar or Khilari, Gop or Gope, Sing or Singh as a surname. Changing surname is also noticed.[6]

Humans go through various stages of age, and those steps are observed in a variety of social disciplines. Although the social customs of the Bagal people are influenced by Hinduism, the methods and purposes are bends toward Animism.

When a baby is born in the Bagal race, they immediately announce the good news to their relatives and celebrate a festival on the ninth day of the baby's birth, called Narta Ghar, and the baby is named in the twenty-first day. In adolescence, the boy grazes domestic animals, assists his parents with household chores. During puberty, the boy tries to learn agricultural and other sustainable work. The first menstruation of the girl is not seriously observed. Only the affluent family organise a fest. When a boy or girl reaches their marriage age, the family seeks out a suitable spouse for them in their endogamous subdivision. They don't practice cross cousin or same lineage marriage. There are four types of marriage for the people of Bagal community, namely Dekha Chahan Behaghar (Arrange marriage), Palaniya/ Sindur ghasa Behaghar (Love marriage), Kuta Mala Behaghar (A low cost/ Urgent marriage) and Sanga Behaghar (Widow marriage). During pregnancy, a woman has to follow a variety of traditions, rituals as well as taboos. At seven months of pregnancy, the woman's family member happily brings a variety of food and organizes a small feast with the neighbours which they call the Shad Khia.

They mostly cremate dead bodies with Hindu rituals except if the dead body is a pregnant women or kid, then they bury the dead body.

There are two types of festivals based on how they give importance to those festivals.

Bangsa puja / Gotar puja/ Ghar puja, Gan puja, Asali puja, Mag puja, Jantal puja, Nua khai are community level festivals, which are celebrated within their lineage, sublineage, clan or family. Meanwhile, Makar parab, Durga puja, Bandna, Kali puja, Tusu puja, Raja parab, Gamha parab festivals are celebrated with the neighbouring communities of their locality.[37]

Bandna Parab, a cattle worshiping festival and Karam Puja, a ritual of worship Karam tree (representing the Karam God) are important festival cum culture for the youth of Bagals.[38]

Bagal people dance to a variety of songs during the festival to make life more enjoyable. Their songs often contain stories and experiences from their lives. Karam Nach, Pata Nach, Kathi Nach, Chhou Nach and Jhumar Nach are key activities.[1][39][16][40]

There is a myth about the origin of the Bagals that Lord Krishna used to go to the pasture every day to graze the cattle. Sometimes he felt tired that Lord Krishna wanted to be free from the monotonous work of daily cattle herding. So he made a 'Bagal' from sweat and dirt of his own body so that he could graze the cattle in the pastures every day. One day that Bagal shows some Munda people dancing in Jungle, in the process of his routine job of cattle herding. Then the Bagal joined with them and fell in love with a Munda girl. After that the Bagal and Munda girl got married. Current Bagal people believe that they are children of that couple. Being descendants of Lord Krishna, Bagal people claim themselves as Krishna Gop/Bagal.[17][1]

Bagal people migrated from central India and they are one of the original settlers of Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.[32] Due to social instability in the region and for better livelihood they migrated to Medinipur and Mayurbhanj State of Bengal province. The Bagal settlement mostly found on both sides of the Subarnarekha river which is the borderline of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. The origin of this community remained unclear but Mayurbhanj State census 1931 noted that;

The Bagals are the cattle–herds. Herding cattle is their principal occupation. In the census of 1901, the Bagals of Medinapore ware included in the Ahir and Gohala, and those of Bankura in Bauri. ...But a note has been left to the effect that they form a real caste in Mayurbhanj and Saraikela State, which is a fact. Through the large number of Bagals still follow their traditional occupation, many of them have taken to agriculture.[19][20]

and Marvin Davis authored, Rank and Rivalry: The Politics of inequality in rural West Bengal noted that;

The Bagals are traditionally associated with work as cattle herders. In 1971, though, the Bagals of Torkotala village [in Midanapore] worked as agricultural laborers, cultivating smaller plots their own on the side. Based on their traditional association with cattle, the Bagals have recently advanced a claim to be Goalas by caste. It is unlikely that this claim will be recognized by other Hindus [of the village], though, at least not in the immediate future, for Sadgops are aware that their own caste is regarded as a purified section of Goala. For the Bagals to establish their claim as Goalas would be indirectly to link the Sadgop and Bagal castes to each other, a link which the Sadgops adamantly deny.[41]

Indeed, In the question of the origin of caste, the response varies from each other, some claim they're descendants of Ahir, some claim Goala, some claim Gop and others are unknown about it. But they might be ethnically descendants of Gond/Gour or/and cow–herd of any caste, because of various socio-historical processes they segmented and formed real caste by adopting regional language and culture. Further the community is fragmented to sub-divisional endogamous group on the basis of regional status and activities they were involved. Note that only the Bagals of Subarnarekha valley and recent migrants living in nearby districts are known as Bagals, well bounded in between Kangsabati river and Baitarani river.[6]

Although the people of Bagal caste were part of pastoralists society, nowadays none of them are seen doing their traditional calling occupation, herding cattle. Instead agriculture is their main occupation now. In the growth of indian social development some of them switched to different occupations from their racial occupation but still majority of population depends on agriculture. The Bagals live both in forest and revenue village. The people of the revenue village make their livelihood by agriculture, manual labor, fishing, unorganised work as well as some are government servants like school teacher, forest guard, defence personnel. Whereas the people of forest village make their livelihood by agriculture along with aunting, animal husbandry, collecting forest products.

The livelihood of the Bagals was mostly dependent on forest and agriculture from ancient times. As a pastoral community, they were depend on the forest for pasture. Their livelihood worsened when the British imposed imposed exploitative zamindari rules and high taxes on forest rights in the Jangal Mahal of Bengal Presidency. They began to oppose the rules as there is evidence that they were listed in various criminal records of the British India. Thereafter, they became a part of the Santhal rebellion to fight against the zamindari system of the Britishers.[42]

The Bagals of Medinapore were involved in large-scale plundering of food grain from wealthy household, a form of food riots caused by a man-made famine in 1943 that fuelled up the Bagals to participate in the Independence India movement.[43]