The Tili is
Hindu caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultural ...
, found in the state of
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
and
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the four ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
. They are one of the fourteen castes belonging to 'Nabasakh' group. Tilis are considered as
General caste.
History and origin
The Tili caste belongs to West Bengal and Bihar. Tilis speak in Angika (Regional language of the then Ang Pradesh in Mahabharata) and
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the ...
. Tilis are now found mainly in
Bhagalpur
Bhagalpur is a city in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the southern banks of the river Ganges. It is the 2nd largest city of Bihar by population and also the headquarters of Bhagalpur district and Bhagalpur division. Known as the Sil ...
and
Banka District
Banka is one of the thirty-eight districts of the state of Bihar in India. The district headquarters of Banka is situated in Banka town. The district was established on 21 February 1991.
History
Banka is the homeland of the revolutionary Sati ...
and also in major parts of West Bengal .
Present circumstances
The Tilis have two sub-divisions, the Kashyap (Dadash) and the Sandil (Ekadash). They maintain the custom of clan exogamy. The Tilis are cultivators, and have customs similar to other neighbouring
Hindu communities such as the
Yadav
Yadav refers to a grouping of traditionally non-elite, Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern state ...
, Kurmi and Sadgop. However in late 1990s, this caste is being linked with Kurmi specially in Bihar because of their main dependency on agriculture and allied activities same as Kurmi. This association is still not widely known but association is being strengthened due to frequent marriage treating themselves at par with Kurmi. Like many other
Hindu communities, they have their own caste association, the Tili Samaj, which acts as a welfare association for the community.
[People of India Bihar Volume XVI Part Two edited by S Gopal & Hetukar Jha pages 940 to 944 Seagull Books]
See also
*
Turha
Turha is a caste mainly found in Bihar, Jharkhand, East UP and Some parts of West Bengal. They worship Lord Shani dev. They claim to belong to Maharana pratap clan. Their main occupation is to sell and grow agricultural products like fish, fruits, ...
References
{{reflist
Social groups of Bihar
Social groups of West Bengal
Indian castes