Aguri (caste)
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| Aguri or Ugra Kshatriya আগুরী |
|
|---|---|
| Religions | Hinduism |
| Languages | Bengali |
| Populated States | West Bengal |
Aguri, also known as Ugra Kshatriya, is a caste or community of Hindus found in the districts of Bardhaman, Birbhum, Hooghly and Bankura in the state of West Bengal in India.[1] Aguris are considered as a middle-caste group and constitute "more prosperous owner-peasants" among the peasant communities of Bengal.[2][3][4]
Aguris or Ugra Kshatriyas are considered a Forward caste, meaning they do not qualify for any of the government-administered benefits allotted to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
Contents
History
Aguris are a cultivating and trading caste. They were brought by the King of Burdwan Mehtha from Agra to West Bengal to fight against the British. Aguris are a mixed caste born out of the union between the Sadgops rulers of Gopbhum and the Punjabi Khetri rulers of Burdwan.[1] McLane believes that Oldham has been misled by the claim made by the Aguris. He cites Mukundaram to prove the presence of the Aguris much before the arrival of the Khetris in Burdwan.[5]
Ethnology
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The Aguris were historically divided into seven sub-groups. Only a few of these exist today, such as the Jana and Suta. There are several gotras, including Bharadwaj, Batsya, Gautam, Krishnatriyo and Kashyap.
Aguri communities exists mostly in four districts: Burdwan, Birbhum, Hooghly and Bankura.
The Jana(s) are the upper group of this community i.e. they are the superior group and the Suta(s) are the second division members of this community.
Culture
Around the beginning of the 20th century, the Aguri were among the agricultural communities that still predominantly adhered to the custom of paying a bride price at the time of marriage, although some more prosperous members among them were already adopting the increasingly common alternative of paying a dowry. This minority believed that bride price was deprecated by higher castes.[6] The Jana sub-group wears a sacred thread during the marriage ceremony.[citation needed]
References
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