Shilpkar are an artisan community mainly associated with Intaglio techniques and painting. They are largest among Scheduled Caste communities of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in the North India, northern part of India. It is often referred to as t ...

History

Shilpkars are not a single caste but a collection of different castes who used to do artistic works from paper, iron, stone, and rope. Shilpkar originated from Uttarakhand are considered Dalit, as they used to make things from rope. Shilpkar in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and South India, are not considered a Dalit, but have their category mention in SC and OBC, depending upon the State list. In 1925, they were officially recognized as Shilpkar by the British government. Shilpkars are mainly engaged as Intaglio on stone and gems, Painting, crafting, bronzesmiths, with others engaged in and cultivating, or working as, blacksmiths, weavers, drummers. Bhankora is a native musical instrument and is handmade from copper by Shilpkar artisans of Uttarakhand. They used to perform with it at folk festivals or marriages. In 1913, Shilpkar Sudharini Sabha, held a convention for the uplifting of Dalits and oppressed people of the area, known as the Shilpkar Mahasabha in Uttarakhand.

Arya Samaj Arya Samaj ( hi, आर्य समाज, lit=Noble Society, ) is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the san ...

influenced a lot of Shilpkar, especially in the Garhwal region, and many Shilpkars dropped their caste surnames and adopted 'Arya' as a last name. Jayananda Bharati and Baldev Singh Arya were those who promoted "Arya Samaj" in Dalits of Uttarakhand. They started ' Dola Palki Movement' and in 1928 he also organised "Garhwal Sarvadalit Parishad". He also stood with B. R. Ambedkar during the Round Table Conference in 1932. Other notable Shilpkar leaders were Khushi Ram and Bachi Ram Arya. Bachi Ram Arya also appealed shilpkars, to break out of mental slavery and exhorted them to recognise the virtues of education, work with the Brahmans on an equal footing and yet be critical of them.

Distribution

Shilpkars form 52% of the total population of the Scheduled caste population in Uttarakhand and are a beneficiary of the reservation policy. About 68.5 percent of Shilpkars are cultivators by profession. Shilpkars are mainly found in the hill region of

and Terai regions of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

. They are also called

Tamrakar Tāmrakār (Devanagari: ताम्रकार) is a caste of coppersmiths and other metal casters found in Nepal and India. In Nepal, the Tamrakars are found among the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley. Etymology and names The name Ta ...

in Nepal are one of the biggest communities of the country. Shilpkars have surnames like Arya, Ram, Koli, and lal and have a total of 26 sub-castes in the state.

Notable Shilpkars

* Yashpal Arya, former speaker of

Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, also known as the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, is a unicameral governing and law making body of Uttarakhand, one of the 28 states of India. It is seated at Dehradun, the winter capital, and Bhararisain, the summ ...

References

{{Reflist Castes

History

Distribution

Notable Shilpkars

See also

References