| Castes of India | |
| Mazhabi | |
| Classification | Dalits |
| Religions | Sikhism |
| Language | Punjabi |
| Populated States | Punjab region, Rajastan, Kashmir |
A Mazhabi (also spelt as Mazbhi, Mazbi, Majhabhi or Majabhi) is a member of the Rangretta clans (low-caste Hindu chura converts to Sikhism)[1] that are mainly found in the Punjab region, Kashmir and Rajastan. The word "Mazhabi" is derived from the Arabic term "Mazhab" ("sect"), and can be translated as "the religious" or "the faithful"[2]
Mazhabis are best known for their history of bravery, strenghth and self sacrifice in the sikh, Khalsa, British Indian army and Indian army. The Mazhabis were designated as a martial race by British officials.[3] "Martial Race" was a designation created by officials of British India to describe "races" (peoples) that were thought to be naturally warlike and aggressive in battle, and to possess qualities of courage, loyalty, self sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness, the ability to work hard for long periods of time, fighting tenacity and military strategy. The British recruited heavily from these Martial Races for service in the British Indian Army.[4] The British recruited heavily from the Mazhabi sikhs. On the out break of the Indian mutiny in 1857, the British immediately recruited 12,000 Mazhabis to crush the mutiny.[5] After the mutiny, it was only the Mazhabi Sikhs who got recognition as a martial race after they took part in Younghusband’s mission to Lhasa in 1903.[3]
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History
The Mazhabis originally belonged to the Dalit population of Punjab and Haryana in Northern India. Accorded low status in Hindu caste system, they were often employed as street sweepers,toilet cleaners, scavengers or labourers. Later, the Mazhabis adopted Sikhism due to the egalitarian tenets of that religion.
When Guru Tegh Bahadur was killed by the Mughals in Delhi, the Mazhabis led by Bhai Jaita (Jeevan Singh) brought his body back to Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh declared that the Rangrettas (Mazhabis) were his sons, and admitted them to the Sikh faith. Originally, the term Mazhabi referred only to the descendants of these people. However, now-a-days, the term is applied loosely to any low-caste Hindu chura convert to Sikhism.[1]
Reputation as soldiers
Over the years, the Mazhabis acquired reputation as fine soldiers. They fought battles for Guru Gobind Singh. Maharaja Ranjit Singh also enlisted them in large numbers for the existing misls, and in the irregular corps. The Mazhabis became influential during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and married into the landowner communities like the Jatt Sikhs and the Khatris.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh had a great admiration for their bravery and enlisted the mazhabis freely into the khalsa army which he nurtured into an exellent instrument of war. Being afraid, however, to form them into separate corps, maharaja Ranjit Singh attached a company of mazhabis to the existing battalions (misls).
Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu and Kashmir raised a corps of Mazhabi Sikhs in 1851. The British also recognised the great fighting qualities and prowess of these soldiers in the Anglo-Sikh Wars. The stubborn and sustained resistance offered by them and their ability to maintain themselves frugally amazed them.[6] The British had admiration for the mazhabi as they made capital soldiers.[7] The British raised the first Corps of Mazhbi Sikh Pioneers, the fore bearer of the Sikh Light Infantry, in 1850. During the British Raj, they were initially recruited for a coolie corps meant for road construction. In 1855 there were only 1500 sikh soldiers, most of them were mazhabis.[8] In 1857, 12,000 Mazhabis were listed for the 23rd, 32nd and 34th Pioneer Regiments.[5] They were deployed at the Siege of Delhi, Siege of Lucknow and Capture of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. They earned high reputation as soldiers, and became a significant component of the British Indian Army. In 1911, there were 10,866 Sikhs in the Indian army, out of which 1,626 were Mazhabis; They had been reduced to 16% of their original enlistment numbers back in 1857.[5]
The first world war would then see a rise in their enlistment numbers as the Mazhabi sikh pioneers, 23rd Sikh Pioneers, 32nd Sikh Pioneers and 34th Sikh Pioneers were developed into three battalions each.[6] The mazhabi sikh pioneers performed well during the great war. The 1/34th Sikh pioneers won the title of "Royal" during the Great war. The unit armourer and blacksmith made a highly burnished screen, proudly displaying the magnificent achievements of the Mazhabi Sikh Pioneers as epitomized in their Battle Honours. The 34th Royal Sikh Pioneers presented this screen to his majesty King George V of the United Kingdom in 1933.[6] The Mazhabis, along with the Ramdasea Sikhs, were recruited to form the Mazhabi and Ramdasea battalions, that were later merged together to form the Sikh Light Infantry in 1941 for the World War II.
Social status
The social status of the Mazbhis has varied over time. Unlike several other Dalit groups that still practise Hinduism, the Mazhabis have abandoned all ties with Hinduism and its traditional caste roles. During the British rule, the Mazbhis were listed as an agricultural caste on British censuses of caste populations. They were described as Mazbhi Jatts (Mazbhis who followed a Jatt occupation).[citation needed]
In spite of the Sikhism's egalitarian tenets, many Jat Sikhs continued to look down upon the Mazhabis.[9] In March 1966, the Federation of Mazhabi Sikhs offered to support Arya Samaj and Jan Sangh in an agitation against the formation of the Jat Sikh-majority Punjabi Suba.[10] According to a report published in The Tribune on 16 March 1966, a spokesperson for the organization stated that "the Sikh Scheduled Castes had been reduced to a position of mere serfs by the Sikh landlords who would literally crush the Mazhabi Sikhs if Punjabi Suba was formed."[10] In 2005, 56 expelled employees of the SGPC abandoned Sikhism, and alleged that they were being discriminated against because they were Mazhabis.[11]
"Chura" or "Chura sikh" is a somewhat offensive term that is sometimes used to refer to the Mazhabis (Chura and Chamar are two of the main Dalit communities of Punjab; the Churas are Mazhabi, while the Chamars are Ravidasia).
The Government of India recognises Mazhabis as a Scheduled Caste, as part of their official affirmative action program. The urban Mazbhis have made social and economic progress over the years, and are very active in the Panjab Akali party (Sikh nationalist party). However, poverty and illiteracy is still rampant among the Mazhabis living in the rural areas of Punjab.
Notable Mazhabis
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009) |
- Hans Raj Hans
- Buta Singh, Home Minister under Rajiv Gandhi government and erstwhile governor of Bihar
- Charanjit Singh Atwal, Deputy speaker in the indian houses of Parliament hails from Ludhiana, Punjab.
- Shri Lakhwinder Singh, Indian Forest Service, Chief Conservator of Forests, Kerala
- Naik Darshan Singh (MVC), received Maha Vir Chakra for great valour in the face of the enemy.
- Sub Maj Bachan Singh, awarded the Military Cross medal during WW2, Sikh Light infantry
- Sub Mohinder Singh, awarded the Military Cross medal during WW2, Sikh Light Infantry
- Sub Basant Singh, awarded the Indian Order of Merit during WW2, Sikh Light Infantry
References
- ^ a b http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:iZtEaZycA_8J:www.archive.org/stream/imperialgazettee01grea/imperialgazettee01grea_djvu.txt+chura+sikhs+also+known+as+mazhbi+sikhs&hl=en&gl=uk&strip=0
- ^ http://www.archive.org/stream/martialracesofin030605mbp/martialracesofin030605mbp_djvu.txt
- ^ a b http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/force-multiplier/262949/
- ^ Glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and NWFP, H A Rose
- ^ a b c http://punjabpanorama.blogspot.com/2005/09/scheduled-castes-in-sikh-community.html
- ^ a b c http://sikhli.info/index.php/history
- ^ http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/movements/Various%20sects/VASects.htm
- ^ http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:7I5PsbdNnBoJ:www.curriculumunits.com/crucible/hindu-sikh.html+mazhabi+sikh&cd=140&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
- ^ Ishtiaq Ahmed (7 September 2004). "400 years of Guru Granth Sahib". Daily Times. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_7-9-2004_pg3_2. "Unfortunately Sikhism did not succeed in eliminating caste prejudices. Most Jat Sikhs look down upon the inferior castes and the former untouchable ranks, known as Mazhabi Sikhs. Still the egalitarian message of Sikhism is undeniable."
- ^ a b Martha Crenshaw (1995). Terrorism in context. Penn State Press. p. 377. ISBN 9780271010151.
- ^ Vishal Rambani (17 April 2005). "56 Sacked S.G.P.C. Employees Give Up Sikh Religion". Amritsar: The Hindustan Times. http://www.sikhtimes.com/news_041705a.html. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
External Links
- Sikh Light Infantry
- Mazhabi
- Scheduled Castes
- Sikh Heritage Website
- Glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and NWFP, H A Rose
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