Banpar
This article is an extract from
THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. Ethnographic Glossary. Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. . |
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Banpar,
A sub-caste of Malhihs and Gomhis in Behar, probably of Dravidian descent. Their original occupation seems to be that of boatmen and fishermen, but away from the big rivers they till the soil and sometimes engage in trade. They are skilful sportsmen, entrapping the alligator magar and ghariyal strong rope nets and eating their flesh. They marry their daughters as infants or adults, according to their means. Widow-marriage is per-mitted, but the widow may not marry her husband's younger brother, as is usual among the lower castes of Hindus.
Socially the Banpar rank low, but it is a curious circumstance that, like the Mals of Bengal, tradition ascribes their inferior position, not to their use of unclean food, but to their habit of passing the netting needle above above down¬wards in making nets, whereas the other fishing castes of Behar work D.'om below upwards. Ban¬par is the name of a nomadic sub¬caste of G06Jas in Behar, whose speoial fu nction it is to take charge of the large herds of cattle which are driven into Chota Nagpur, Sirguja, Mirzapur, and other j ungle-olad tracts for grazing during the hot weather. This sub-caste is also found in Nepal.
Banpar
(From People of India/ National Series Volume VIII. Readers who wish to share additional information/ photographs may please send them as messages to the Facebook community, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be gratefully acknowledged in your name.)
Synonyms: Mandal [Bihar and/or Jharkhand] Groups/subgroups: Chaurasia, Chavi, Chayeen, Dhoor, Gonrhi, Jaswar, Keot, Khulwant, Kurin, Mallah, Muriary, Sakhwar, Semari, Malho, Shimaliya [Bihar and/or Jharkhand] Surnames: Banpar, Barai, Bhagat, Biswas, Chaurasia, Mahto, Mandal, Parasar, Raut [Bihar and/or Jharkhand] Gotra: Kashyap [Bihar and/or Jharkhand] Exogamous units/lineages (khandan): [Bihar and/or Jharkhand]
Notes
The Banpar, or Gauri (? Gonrhi) Banpar, as they prefer calling themselves, belong to a caste of degraded fishermen and boatmen from Patna and Bihar. Buchanan considered them as a branch of the Koeri, dishonoured by becoming fishermen; but the tribe has sunk so much lower than any offshoot of a clean caste ever does, that it seems far more probable to assign them an aboriginal origin. In Bihar the Banpar, objecting to till the soil, live by fishing and trading. They are skilful sportsmen, entrapping the alligator (magar) and Ghariyal in strong rope nets and eating their flesh.
Although this is, according to Hindu ideas, a sufficient explanation of their low position, it is a curious circumstance that, like the Malo of Bengal, their being outcasted is referred to the peculiarity of passing the netting needle the wrong way, from above downwards, and not to any penchant for forbidden flesh.
