Koshta

Koshta (also spelt as Koshti) are a Hindu caste found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh[1] They are also known as thakur and rajput, which is also used as a surname.[2]

Traditions

Some Koshta believe that they are the descendants of Markandeya Rishi,[3] or Rajhans, the king of Devagiri (Berar), who was given the title koshti ('man of virtues') in the year 1111 A.D. It is believed that after this episode, Koshta took jobs as soldiers in different princely states, such as in the armies of the Peshwas, Bundelkhand, Ranilakshmibai and Tipu Sultan.[4]

Language

The Koshti language is a distinct Indo-Aryan language with words derived from Sanskrit in either their tatsama or tadbhava form.[5] Koshti also contains words borrowed from languages like Marathi, Khari-boli, Bundeli, Chattisgarhi and variants of Hindi.[3][6][7]

Place in society

The Koshta traditionally worked as weavers, although industrialisation and the introduction of power looms beginning in the late 1800s heavily impacted the traditional handloom community.[8] The majority of Koshta today are employed in cotton and silk mills of both the public and private sectors. They are a landless community, who live in housing provided by employers.[4] They have also begun to work in bidi making, brass cutlery and utensil manufacturing, tile and brick making and construction work.[9]. In the state of Madhya Pradesh Koshta fall in the category of Scheduled caste in some districts and Other backward caste in the rest.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Mahendra Lal Patel (1997). Awareness in Weaker Section: Perspective Development and Prospects. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 34. ISBN 9788175330290.
  2. ↑ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three edited by A Hasan & J C Das page 847 to 850 Manohar Publications
  3. 1 2 Encyclopaedia Indica, Volume 2 by J.S. Sharma, p. 639
  4. 1 2 Gujarat, Part 1 By Kumar Suresh Singh, Rajendra Behari Lal, Anthropological Survey of India, p. 722
  5. ↑ Vishveshvaranand Indological journal, Volumes 2-3, pp. 43–48
  6. ↑ The Indo-Aryan Languages By Colin P. Masica, p. 435
  7. ↑ Census of India, 1961: Andhra Pradesh, pp. 189–200
  8. ↑ Late Victorian holocausts: El Niño famines and the making of the third world By Mike Davis, p. 148
  9. ↑ Handloom industry in Madhya Pradesh by K.R. Nanekar, p. 13
  10. ↑ Mahendra Lal Patel (1997). Awareness in Weaker Section: Perspective Development and Prospects. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 34–. ISBN 978-81-7533-029-0. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
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