Kummara: Deccan
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Kummara
This article is an extract from THE CASTES AND TRIBES OF H. E. H. THE NIZAM'S DOMINIONS BY SYED SIRAJ UL HASSAN Of Merton College, Oxford, Trinity College, Dublin, and Middle Temple, London. One of the Judges of H. E. H. the Nizam's High Court of Judicature : Lately Director of Public Instruction. BOMBAY THE TlMES PRESS 1920 Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees |
Kummara, Kumbhar, Kumbhakar — the potter caste of the Hyderabad Dominions, concerning whose origin differences of opinion prevail. According to some authorities, they are the descendants of a Brahman father and a Vaishya mother, while others make them the offspring of a Brahman father by a Kshatriya mother. The Kum- maras, themselves, claim to be descended from Shalivahan, a king of Paithan, who was said to be the son of a Brahman father, and a Kum- bhar mother. But it seems highly probable that, like other functional castes, this caste was also recruited from among different classes of Hindu society. The name Kummara, or Kumbhar, is derived from the Sanskrit ' Kumbhakar ' — ^umfc/ia- water jar and /jdi-maker.
Internal Structure
The caste has six endogamous divisions, (1) Shetti or Telaga, or Penta Kummara, (2) Balja, or Lingayit Kum- mara, (3) Bendar Kummara, (4) Dandu Kummara, (5) Maratha Kum- bhar, and Rane Kumbhar. The Shetti Kumiparas are found in the Telugu Districts and form the bulk of the caste. The Balja or Lingayit Kummaras are numerous in the Carnatic and are described in the report on the Lingayit sect ; they make bricks and tiles. The Bendar Kummaras were originally Bendars who adopted the pro- fession of potters and, consequently, separated from the parent tribe. The Dandu Kummaras are base-born and earn their bread by making plates of leaves and by buying manufactured jars from the other Kummara castes and selling them at a profit ; they also manufacture earthen vessels : the name 'Dandu ' means ' army ' and seems to have been applied to the members of this sub-caste as they were attached as potters to the imperial forces in ancient days. The Maratha Kumbhars are the potters of the Marathawada country. They speak Marathi and look like Maratha Kunbis. The Rane Kumbhars were originally Rajputs and have only recently taken to the occupation of a Kumbhar.
As the sub-castes are territorial groups, each has its own exo- gamous sections, characteristic of the locality it occupies. The exogamous sections are based upon family names, and are either tenitorial or titular groups. Only a few of them are totemistic. The section names of the Balja Kummaras are derived from the names of the different gods they worship. Two families bearing the name of the same patron deity cannot intermarry. Section names of the Balja Kummaras — ,
Veerabhadradewaru. Lingadewaru.
Shivadewaru. Mathadharidewaru.
Ishwardewaru. Rampadewaru.
Madladewaru. Sograppadewaru.
Exogamous divisions of the Chetti Kummaras —
Rangamgiri. Pagdi.
Kodisarlu. Mudunola.
Domakunda. Nellotala.
Puskur. Paralollu.
Madugalollu. KannoUu.
Some of these sections are totemistic, and the totem is taboo to the members of the section bearing its name. For example, the members belonging to the ' Koyigarwaru ' section, abstain from eating kp^ja greens, (Portulaca oleracea) and those of the ' Gomadpalliwandlu ' section from eating gomad, (Leucas linifolia). Section names of the Maratha Kummaras —
Chavgule. Vagule.
Mhetre. Urleker.
Saswadker. Ghodke.
Exogamous sections of the Rane Kumbhars —
Varvade. Thakur.
Kotangane. Patal.
Girwala. Vani.
The rule of exogamy is carefully observed and a man cannot marry outside the sub-caste and within the section to which he belongs. He may marry two sisters. He may also marry the daughters of his maternal uncle and elder sister, but he cannot marry the daughters of his patornal and maternal aunts. Exchange of daughters is allowed. Outsiders are not admitted into the caste.
Marriage
The Telugu Kummaras marry their daughters as infants between the ages of 2 and 12 years and social reproach attaches to the parents of a girl who attains puberty before marriage. Among the Maratha and Rane Kumbhars, girls are married either as infants, or as adults, and if a girl becomes pregnant before marriage th? father of ker child is compelled to marry her. Imme- diately after marriage, the girl is sent to her husband's house.
The marriage ceremony of the Kumbhars differs for different sub-castes, but materially conforms to the usage current among the local castes of about the same social standing. The Telugu Kummars regard Kanyadan and Pusli Mittalu, the wearing of mangal- sutra by the bride, to be the binding portion of the ceremony, while among the Maratha Kumbhars, Saptapadi, or the seven rounds made about the sacrificial fire, render the marriage irrevocable. The Rane KumbhMs marry their girls after the fashion of the Northern India castes and. deem Mnndha, or the practice of walking five times round the sacred post of mowha, to be the essential part of the ritual. Poly- gamy is permitted and no theoretical limit is set to the number of wives a man may have.
General
It is customary among the Telugu and the Maratha Kummaras, to devote their daughters to the service of temples and deities in pursuance of vows made in affliction or difficulty. Such girls Eire called Basavis or Murlis ; after dedication they live in the houses of their peurents and consort openly with members of their caste or of higher castes. A Basavi girl inherits her father's property in equal shares with his sons.
Widows are allowed to marry again and divorce is permitted.
In matters of inheritance the Kumbhars follow the Hindu law. In default of male issue in the family, females inherit. The eldest son gets 25% in addition to his own share.
A woman in child-birth is impure for seven days.
Brahmans are employed as priests in marriages, and Jangams or Ayyawars serve them in death rites.
Religion
The patron deity of the Telugu Kumbhars is Pochamma, to whom they offer various sacrifices. G'enerally, the members of the caste officiate as priests, or pujaris, to Nala Pochamma (the deity presiding over black smallpox), Avra Pochamma (the goddess of smallpox), Mahakali (the goddess of cholera), Idamma, Mutyalamma, Maisamma and other animistic deities, and sacrifices of sheep, goats and fowls are offered to tlfem on Sundays generally. The heads of the animals are given to chakjas and mangalas. Some- times, buffaloes are offered to the deities and are afterwards claimed by the malas and madigas of the village. Almost all the gods of the Hindu pantheon are held in great reverence by the members of the caste. On the Ganesh Chouth day, they worship the imple- ments of their craft with offerings of sweetmeat and flowers. At the Divali festival, the females adore Gowri, the consort of Siva, with the help of a Brahman, the ceremony being called NaWam. Balamma and Dancima, who are supposed to trouble infants, are also appeased. Ancestral worship prevails and is performed on every Amawasya day. When a new ancestor is installed, caste .people are enter- tained at a feast.
Kurbhan is the patron deity of the Rane Kumbhars. Like other Hindus, they make pilgrimages to Kasi. They observe all Hindu festivals and worship the Hindu gods.
Disposal of the Dead
The dead are usually buried, but are occasionally burnt with the head towards the south and the face turned towards the east. The ashes and bones, in the case of cremation, are thrown into a river or buried under a tree. Mourning is observed for ten days for the married, and 3 days for the unmarried and infants. All the rites conform to those of the lower castes of Telingana. On the Pitra Amawas^a day, alms are given in the names of the dead ancestors. Vaishnava Kummaras perform the Sradba ceremony. Nearly a month after death, the Saivaits perform the ceremony called Pinnamma and hang bells made of flowers in temples.
Occupation
The occupation of the caste is to manufacture pottery, big and small earthen ware, bricks and tiles. The imple- ments are the potter's wheel, a ball and a wooden mallet. A spade is used to pound earth. Black or red earth is used to make earthen vessels, which are first made on the wheel and then moulded and beaten into the requisite shape by women. The Bendar Kummaras make tiles and bricks. The Dandu Kummaras purchase earthen ware ready made from the Chetti and Rane Kummaras and sell them at a small profit. Formerly, the Kummaras did not know the art of burning the pots and the people used unburnt earthen vessels. Once, one Kummara Gondaya, or " Gonda Brahma ' as he is nick- named, while making pots, applied a quantity of spittle to it as he had no water at hand. God was displeased with this impious act and ordered that the pots should be purified by baking. Ever since then the baking process has been brought into use.
Social Status
The social status of the caste differs for different sub-castes. The Balja Kummaras, being Lingayits, hold the highest rank in the community. But the entire caste takes rank just below the Kapus and Velmas and above the Mangalas and the Chaklas. The Balja Kummaras eat only from the hands of Lingayits, Jangams, Lingayit Kapus and Balijas ; the Chetti Kummaras eat ^ac/if from the hands of Brahmans, Komtis, Satanis, Jangams, Baljas, Kapus and Velmas. All castes, except Brahmans and Komtis, eat sweetmeats from the hands of this caste. Jangams, Kapus, Sales, Kurumas and other inferior castes eat kflchi from the Balja Kummaras. The Telugu and Maratha Kummaras eat mutton, pork, fowl and fish and the flesh of small cloven-footed animals. They indulge in spirituous and intoxicating liquors. The Rane Kumbhars will not eat fowls. Any earthen vessel containing water is broken and thrown away if it is touched by a hen. The Balja Kummaras, being Lingayits by creed, abstain from eating flesh and drinking wine. They drink water in which a Jangam s feet have been washed and eat the leavings of a Jangam. Social disputes are referred for decision to a council of the caste presided over by a chief called chatidhari.
