The Ghasiya, or sometimes pronounced Ghasia are a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

caste A caste is a Essentialism, fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (en ...

found in the 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 ...

in India. They are also known as Ghasiara and have Scheduled Caste status.

Origin

According to some traditions, the word ''ghasiya'' is said to mean grasscutter, from the

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

word ''ghahus'' meaning grass. They are one of a number of tribal communities found in the hilly region of southern Uttar Pradesh, in particularly

Mirzapur Mirzapur () is a city in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is known for its carpets and brassware industries, and the tradition of kajari and birha music. Straddled by the Kaimur extension of Vindhya mountains, it served as the headquarters of t ...

and Sonbadhra. The Ghasiya claim to have immigrated from

Surguja district Surguja district is a district of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. The district is one of the oldest districts of Chhattisgarh. The headquarters of the district is Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, Ambikapur. The district lies in its eponymous Surguja d ...

in what is now in

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 ...

. Their traditions refer to a time when they were rulers, but over time lost their position, and took to cultivation. The Ghasiya are strictly endogamous community, and practice the principle of clan exogamy. These clans are referred to as kuris, and their main clans include the Arilkhanda, Banger, Bhainsa, Janta, Katihari, Sonwan and Surajbansi. The Sonwan claim a higher status, and derive their name from the Hindi word ''sona'', meaning gold. Other clans are also have their own origin myth. For example, Bhainsa are said to have acquired their name from godling Bhainsasur. They are Hindu, but have their own tribal deities such as Burhimai, Dulhadeo, and Sheetla Devi. The Ghasiya speak the Bundelkhandi dialect of Hindi. The Ghasiya are a small landowning community. Many Ghasiya are still employed as grass-cutters. Many are also involved in the manufacture of a comb known as a mandau. They live in their own settlements, interacting little with neighbouring communities. The 2011 Census of India for Uttar Pradesh showed the Ghasiya population, which was classified as a Scheduled Caste, as being 5888.

References

{{reflist Hindu communities Dalit communities Scheduled Castes of Uttar Pradesh Scheduled Castes of Maharashtra Scheduled Castes of Bihar Scheduled Castes of Madhya Pradesh Scheduled Castes of Jharkhand Scheduled Castes of Odisha Scheduled Castes of Chhattisgarh Scheduled Castes of Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes of Telangana