PEOPLE, LANGUAGES AND RELIGIONS
PEOPLES
Kunbi
The
great cultivating casts of the Kunbis constitutes
22 per cent of the population, though they are not as numerous is Yavatmal
as in other districts of Berar.
Kunbis persons a quarter of the population and are the representative
agriculture of class to which the bulk of the patels and cultivators belongs.
The Malis or Marals are four per cent of the population and are chiefly occupied in growing vegetables and garden crops. They have several local subdivisions as the Kosaria, Phulmali, Bhange, Bawne, Jire, Harde, Ghase, and Pahad.
The Banjaras are 6 per cent of the population, residing principally in the forest tracts to the south of the District. They are also known as Labhana from their former occupation of carrying salt. The Mathuria sub-caste are the highest and wear the sacred thread. These generally live a reputable life. The women wear two little sticks fixed up right in their hair, over which their cloth is drawn. Their front hair hang down beside the face, and behind it is woven in to a plait with silk thread and hangs down the back. They have large ornaments of silver tied over the head and hanging down beside the ears. To these are attached little bells. Their arms are covered with bangles of ivory, and they have tinkling anklets on the feet. The women wear skirts and short cloths drawn over the shoulders and along their skirts double lines of cowries are embroidered.
The Andhs are stated in the
census Reports to be an aboriginal tribe and probably are so. Nothing can be
ascertained as to their origin, and they are not found in any Province. They
have now adopted nearly all the practices of Kunbis and are hardly
distinguishable from them in dress or personal appearance. They cultivate in the
ordinary Manner like them. They employ Brahmans as their priests, and profess
to be Vaishnavas by religion , wearing sect marks on their foreheads.
Gond and Pardhans
Like the Andhs, the Gonds and Pardhans have
adopted Hindu dress and customs to a larger extent than in Madhya Pradesh. The Pardhans are the bards and musician of
the Gonds . Together they from about 10 per cent of the population. The
Gonds have three subdivisions-Raj-Gonds, Dadves, Mokasis. The name of the last
may possibly be derived from the fact that they held a privileged tenure under
the Chanda kings and they rank even
higher than the Raj-Gonds, who will take the food at their hands. The
Dadves take food from either of the
other two. Besides these subcastes, which are endogamous, the Gonds are also
divided in to sections that worship different no. of gods and no two persons
who have the same no. of gods may marry with each other. The worshippers
of four,five,six,Seven and twelve gods are
locally distinguished the last not being known in the Madhya Pradesh. The tribe speak Gondi among themselves but
can talk Marthi with outsiders and they dress like the Kunbis. They are tenants
and labourers and a few are patels of villages.
Kolam
The Kolams are a Dravidian
tribe akin to the Gonds but distinct from them, who reside principally in the
Wun taluka. They have a language of
their own. In some respects they retain
very primitive customs, but in dress
they can hardly be distinguished from Kunbis.
They are not considered as impure by the Hindus, are permitted to enter
the Hindu temples.
Majors languages which are spoken in Yavatmal district are Banjari, Gondi, Gujrathi, Hindi, Kolami, Marathi, Sindhi, Telugu. Marthi is the principal language and is the mother tounge of nearly 70.5 per cent of the population. In rural areas Marthis speaker account for 71.6 per cent of the population. They make 63.1 per cent of the population in the urban area . Banjari has second largest number of speaker. It’s speakers account from 9.4 per cent of the total population of the district. It is spoken more is rural areas were as it’s speakers are as much as 10.7 per cent against only 0.3 per cent in the urban areas. The population of Gondi and Kolami speakers are higher and rural areas while the the proportions of Gujrathi , Hindi.Sindi and Urdu speakers are higher in urban areas.Telugu spearkers are fairly distributes over rural and urban areas.
RELIGIONS
The Religions which occoures in Yavatmal district are Buddhists,Christians,Hindus, Jains, Muslims. About 84.2 per cent of the populations reported their religions as Hindus. Buddhists account for 9.61 per cent in rural areas and 3.40 per cent of urban areas . Muslims are only 4.61 per cent in rural areas but make as much as 18.14 per cent in the urban area. Christians are more numerous in urban area.
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