It is often said that India is a land of many cultures and religions. This is undoubtedly true, but there is one aspect of Indian life that remains largely unknown to the world. I’m talking about the tribal caste system of Jalia Kaibarta.
Though they make up a small percentage of the population, the Jalia Kaibarta are an important part of Indian society. Their story is a fascinating example of how a community can overcome adversity and achieve success. I hope you will enjoy reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Jalia Kaibarta of India
You might not know this, but there’s a community in India called Jalia Kaibarta. 1,300,000 Jalia Kaibarta people in India are yet unreached. They are a member of the South Asian Peoples affinity bloc’s Mallah people cluster. Only in India can you find these set of folks.
How did they do it? Well, they were helped by their commercial prosperity and Vaishnavite affiliation. Vaishnavism is a branch of Hinduism that worships Vishnu, and it’s one of the largest Hindu denominations.
In the Brahmavaivarta Purana, it’s said that the Kaibarta are born to a Kshatriya father and a Vaishya mother. AndKaibarta is thought to be a Hinduised word of Kevatta, which refers to a class of fishermen in Buddhism.
So there you have it: the unknown tribal caste system of Jalia Kaibarta.
Occupation of Jalia Kaibarta
The Jalia Kaibarta are a community of low ritual status, who acquired respectable caste identities within the larger Hindu society. This was made possible by their commercial prosperity and their Vaishnavite affiliation.
They were initially considered a single tribe, into 2 groups – the Haliya Kaibarta and the Jaliya Kaibarta. The Haliya Kaibarta are considered to be superior to the Jaliya Kaibarta. In Brahmavaivarta, Kaibarta is said to be born to a Kshatriya father and a Vaishya mother – in other words, they are a Hinduised word of Kevatta which refers to a class of fishermen in Buddhist texts.
The Origin of the Word “Kaibarta”
The word “Kaibarta” has a fascinating origin story. It’s derived from the word “kevatta”, which is a Buddhist term for a class of fishermen. When the Hindu caste system was being formalized, some members of the Kevatta community began to identify as Kaibarta. This was helped along by their commercial prosperity and their affiliation with Vaishnavite Hinduism.
Under the influence of Garamur Satradhikar, many Jalia Kaibarta separated into the mach mara and mach na-mara tribes and abandoned their traditional fishing livelihoods.
Cultural and Social Relevance of Jalia Kaibarta
You might be wondering what the big deal is—why does this all matter?
Well, the Jalia Kaibarta are an important part of Indian society because they play a vital role in the economy. They’re involved in fishing, agriculture, and animal husbandry, and their expertise is essential to the food security of the country.
Not only that, but the Jalia Kaibarta are also known for their skills in boat-building and navigation. In fact, they’ve been referred to as the “boatmen of India” for centuries. And given that India has a long coastline and a large river system, their expertise is essential for transportation and trade.
So, as you can see, the Jalia Kaibarta are a vital part of Indian society—they play a crucial role in the economy and are essential for transportation and trade.
How Jalia Kaibarta Is Changing the Hindu Caste System
The Jalia Kaibartas have been changing the Hindu caste system in two ways: firstly, by their successful economic mobility and secondly, by their religious affiliation with Vaishnavism. Their economic mobility has led to them acquiring higher ritual status within the Hindu caste system. And their religious affiliation with Vaishnavism has helped them gain social acceptance from the upper castes.
Overall, the Kaibarta community is a fascinating example of how Hindus have managed to absorb people of low ritual status into their fold and give them respectable caste identities. This has been possible due to the community’s commercial prosperity and their Vaishnavite affiliation.
