
The Doma (), also known as ''Dom'', ''Domra'', ''Domba'', ''Domaka'', ''Dombara'' and ''Dombari'', are castes, or groups, scattered across
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The Doma/Dom were a caste of drummers.
According to
Tantra
Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism.
The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
scriptures, the Dom were engaged in the occupations of singing and playing music.
Historically, they were considered an
untouchable caste called the
Dalits
Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for Untouchability, untouchables and Outcast (person), outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called ...
and their traditional occupation was the disposal and cremation of dead bodies.
The Doma were formerly classified as a
criminal tribe under the 1870s
Criminal Tribes Act
Since the 1870s, various pieces of colonialism, colonial legislation in India during British Raj, British rule were collectively called the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA). This criminalised entire communities by designating them as habitual criminals ...
s of the
British Raj
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule ...
.
They are in the list of
Scheduled caste for
Reservation in India
Reservation is a system of affirmative action in India that was established during the British Raj. Based on provisions in the Constitution of India, Indian Constitution, it allows the Government of India, Union Government and the States and Ter ...
in the Indian states of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
,
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
,
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...
and
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
.
Etymology
Individuals who live by singing and music were referred to as Doma in Tantric scriptures. According to historian M.P Joshi, the word Duma is connected to the sound of a drum.
Its presumed root, ''ḍom'', which is connected with drumming, is linked to ''damara'' and ''
damaru
A damaru (, ; Tibetan languages, Tibetan ཌ་མ་རུ་ or རྔ་ཆུང) is a small two-headed drum, used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. In Hinduism, the damaru is known as the instrument of the Hindu deity Shiva, associated wi ...
'', Sanskrit terms for "drum" and the Sanskrit verbal root डम् ''ḍam-'' 'to sound (as a drum)', perhaps a loan from
Dravidian, e.g.
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
''ḍamāra'' 'a pair of kettle-drums', and
Telugu ''ṭamaṭama'' 'a drum,
tomtom'.
History
The term ''doma'' is mentioned in
Tantra
Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism.
The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
scriptures as individuals who live by singing and music. During the reign of the
Chand dynasty and
Gorkha, all service castes were referred to as Doma and were prohibited from wearing gold and silver ornaments. They had to work as palanquin bearers, but they were prohibited from using palanquins at their weddings. They had to live in separate villages with different cremation sites and water sources. They had to bury the dead cows of others of which they ate flesh. During the British period, the British prohibited these discriminative practices. Social activist
Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai (28 January 1865 — 17 November 1928) was an Indian revolutionary, politician, and author, popularly known as ''Punjab Kesari (Lion of Punjab).'' He was one of the three members of the Lal Bal Pal trio. He died of severe tra ...
and dalit leader Khusi Ram sought to reject low caste status and introduced the term
Shilpkar to replace the pejorative Doma. They conducted purification rituals of
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj () is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda Saraswati founded the samaj in the 1870s.
Arya Samaj was the first Hindu ...
in which shilkars wore sacred threads (Janeu) and were allowed to use a palanquin in their wedding. Since then, in Uttarakhand, the Shilpkar replaced Dom in the official category. But it has done little to reduce the social stigma in the central Himalaya region.
Many
nomadic
Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...
and
peripatetic groups in Uttar Pradesh are said to be of Doma origin such as the
Bangali,
Bhantu,
Bazigar,
Habura,
Kanjar, and
Sansi. It could also be that the term Doma is generically used to describe any peripatetic nomad, as all of the aforementioned groups are distinct and strictly endogamous. Some speak a dialect or
argot
A cant is the jargon or language of a group, often employed to exclude or mislead people outside the group.McArthur, T. (ed.) ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (1992) Oxford University Press It may also be called a cryptolect, argo ...
of their own, while others speak the prevailing dialect or language.
Occupations
Andhra Pradesh
Dom originally hails from the hilly tract of
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam (; List of renamed places in India, formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...
in Andhra Pradesh and they were known for their occupation as drummers and are often considered "untouchables" in the caste system due to their historical role in disposing of bodies, including both animal and human remains.
Chhattisgarh
In
Jashpur district of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
, the Dom were rulers from the 16th century to 18th century, until the defeat of king Raibhan of the Dom dynasty by Sujan Rai of Sonpur who established
Jashpur State.
Delhi
Dom were engaged in occupation of beating drums in marriage ceremonies in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
of caste hindus. But marriages of high caste are facilitated by a Brahmin priest where a drum is not beaten. In Delhi, Dom women facilitate marriages of
Bhangi caste by singing and drum beating as Brahmin do not facilitate marriages of Bhangi caste as they are considered untouchable.
Gilgit-Baltistan
In
Hunza Valley of
Gilgit-Baltistan
Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative units of Pakistan, administrative territory and consists of the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has b ...
, these people are called Bericho, Dom, or Doma. The Dom identity developed out of their work as musicians. They are a heterogeneous group, descended from a number of families that took up service with the various local rulers. The Dom belong to the
Nizari Ismaili sect in
Hunza.
Rajasthan
In
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
, the
Kalbelia tribe is engaged in dance and
snake charming.
Uttarakhand
During the
Chand and
Gurkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with the endonym Gorkhali ( Nepali: गोर्खाली ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of North India.
The Gurkha units consist of Nepali and ...
dynasties (c. 700-1816 CE) in northern India, including regions that are now part of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand (, ), 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 North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
, the term 'Dom' collectively referred to various occupational groups, including artisans and professional entertainers such as singers and musicians. Members of Dom castes were also involved in the disposal of dead animals, including cows.
Uttra Pradesh
In
Varanasi
Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
, the city in
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
, the Dom perform the most important task of
cremation
Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning.
Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...
of dead bodies. According to puranic legend, Raja
Harishchandra
Harishchandra () is a legendary king of the Solar dynasty, who appears in several legends in texts such as the ''Aitareya Brahmana'', ''Mahabharata'', the ''Markandeya Purana'', and the ''Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Devi Bhagavata Purana''. The most ...
was purchased by Kallu Dom and Harishchandra was working under him. However, according to another legend, Harishchandra was said to have been sold to a
Chandala
Chandala () is a Sanskrit word for someone who deals with the disposal of corpses, and is a Hindu lower caste, traditionally considered to be untouchable.
History
Varṇa was a hierarchical social order in ancient India, based primarily o ...
, and the Chandala entrusted him with the responsibility of overseeing the cremation ground (
shmashana).
Demographics
India
In
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
, there were around 706,000 Doms according to the
2011 Census of India.
In Uttar Pradesh, Dom as a Scheduled Caste had a population of 110,353 according to the 2011 Census of India.
In
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
, Doms numbered 316,337 at the
2001 Census of India
The 2001 census of India was the 14th in a series of censuses held in India every decade since 1871.
The population of India was counted as 1,028,737,436 consisting of 532,223,090 males and 496,514,346 females. The total population increased b ...
and were 1.7 percent of the
scheduled caste population of West Bengal. The same census found overall 46.0 percent of Doms (aged 7 and up) were literate. Along gender lines, 58.9 percent of males and 32.6 percent of females were found by the census to be literate.
Nepal
The
Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Dom as a subgroup within the broader social group of
Madheshi
Madheshi people () is a term used for several ethnic groups in Nepal living in the Terai region of Nepal. It has also been used as a political pejorative term by the Pahari people (Nepal), Pahari people of Nepal to refer to Nepalis with a no ...
Dalit
Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...
s. At the time of the
2011 Nepal census
Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working in cooperation with the 58 municipalities and the 3,915 Village Development Committees at a district level, they recorded data from all the m ...
, 13,268 people (0.1% of the population of Nepal) were Dom. The frequency of Doms by province was as follows:
Madhesh Province
Madhesh Province () is a Provinces of Nepal, province of Nepal in the Terai region with an area of covering about 6.5% of the country's total area. It has a population of 6,126,288 as per the 2021 Nepal census, making it Nepal's most densely po ...
(0.2%) and
Koshi Province
Koshi Province () is an autonomous Provinces of Nepal, province of Nepal adopted by the Constitution of Nepal on 20 September 2015. It covers an area of , about 17.5% of the country's total area. With the industrial city of Biratnagar as its cap ...
(0.1%), zero percent in other provinces.
The frequency of Doms was higher than national average (0.1%) in the following districts:
Saptari
Saptari (), is Located in the easternmost part of Madhesh Province, is one of the List of districts of Nepal, seventy-seven districts of Nepal. Its district headquarter is Rajbiraj. Saptari is an Terai#Outer Terai, Outer Terai district. This dist ...
(0.3%),
Dhanusha (0.2%),
Mahottari (0.2%),
Parsa (0.2%),
Siraha
Siraha ( Nepali: , ) is the headquarters and municipality of Siraha District, a part of Madhesh Province, Nepal. Siraha had a population of 28,442 according to the census of 2011. and a population of 82,531 as of 2015. The current population of Si ...
(0.2%) and
Sunsari (0.2%).
Present
The traditional occupation of Dom was making musical instruments and households items of bamboo. They still make musical instruments and households items of bamboo. But due to the advent of electronic music, sales of musical instruments have dwindled.
Official classification
Dom are listed as
Scheduled Caste for
reservation in India
Reservation is a system of affirmative action in India that was established during the British Raj. Based on provisions in the Constitution of India, Indian Constitution, it allows the Government of India, Union Government and the States and Ter ...
(positive affirmative action in the government jobs) in Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
,
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
,
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
and
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
.
Diaspora
*
Dom people
The Dom (also called Domi; / ALA-LC: ', / , Ḍom / or , or sometimes also called Doms) are descendants of the Dom caste with origins in the Indian subcontinent, who through ancient migrations are found scattered across the Middle East and ...
, mainly Middle Eastern descendants of the Dom
**
Abdal Doms in Turkey
**
Doms in Egypt
**
Ghorbati Doms in Iran and Afghanistan
**
Doms in Iraq
**
Doms in Israel
**
Doms in Jordan
**
Doms in Lebanon
**
Doms in Libya
**
Doms in Sudan
**
Doms in Syria
**
Doms in Tunisia
***
Lyuli and
Garachi subgroup of Ghorbati
*
Romani people
{{Infobox ethnic group
, group = Romani people
, image =
, image_caption =
, flag = Roma flag.svg
, flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress
, po ...
, mainly European descendants of the Dom
**
Timeline of Romani history
**
History of the Romani people
***
Roma Route, research project in Europe
**
Romani diaspora
The Romani diaspora refers to the presence and dispersion of Romani people across various parts of the world. Their migration out of the Indian subcontinent occurred in waves, with the first estimated to have taken place in the 6th century.
***
List of Romani settlements
***
List of Romani people
This is a list of notable Romani people and people of Romani descent.
Activists
*Nicolae Gheorghe – Romanian Roma Movement founder
*Pastora Filigrana – Spanish labour lawyer, trade unionist, feminist, columnist, and human rights activist
*Al ...
***
Sinti
The Sinti (masc. sing. ''Sinto''; fem. sing. ''Sintetsa, Sinta'') are a subgroup of the Romani people. They are found mostly in Germany, France, Italy and Central Europe, numbering some 200,000 people. They were traditionally Itinerant groups i ...
, Romanis in Germany, France and Italy and Central Europe,
*
Zott, Arabic term for gypsies, Romani people, and Dom people
**
Zuṭṭ
Zuṭṭ is an Arabicised form of Jat Muslim, Jat. Originally inhabitants of lower Indus Valley, Jats were present in Mesopotamia from the 5th century AD since the times of the Sasanian Empire, although their main migration occurred after the estab ...
, Arabicised form of
Jat people
Notable people
*
List of Romani people
This is a list of notable Romani people and people of Romani descent.
Activists
*Nicolae Gheorghe – Romanian Roma Movement founder
*Pastora Filigrana – Spanish labour lawyer, trade unionist, feminist, columnist, and human rights activist
*Al ...
*
Bilal (Lebanese singer), 21st century
*
Heera Dom, 19th century poet in India
See also
*
Nomads of India
*
Nomadic tribes in India
References
External links
Dombari acrobats
{{Scheduled Castes in West Bengal
Dom in Bangladesh
Dom in Pakistan
Dom in India
Ethnic groups in India
Ethnic groups in Bangladesh
Dalit communities
Shudra castes
Scheduled Castes of Uttar Pradesh
Scheduled Castes of Tamil Nadu
Scheduled Castes of Bihar
Scheduled Castes of West Bengal
Scheduled Castes of Jharkhand
Scheduled Castes of Odisha
Scheduled Castes of Assam
Scheduled Castes of Madhya Pradesh
Scheduled Castes of Chhattisgarh