Bagal (caste)

The word Bagal is pronounced as Bāgāl (English pronunciation: /bɑːɡɑːl/; বাগাল, Bengali synonym: Rākhāl; রাখাল). The term "Bagal" literally means "herder", which refers to a person whose job it is to tend to and graze domestic animals, particularly cattle.[upper-roman 4] Either in contractual basis of landowners domestic animal or their own. In case of herding cattle of landowners, they were given responsibilities of various household chores.[17][18][19][20] The word Bagal is Bengali derived Kudmali word.[21][22] In Odia it is pronounced as Bagāḻa (Odia pronunciation: [bɔgaɭɔ]; ବଗାଳ), which is Singhbhum origin, bearing same meaning.[23]

The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India do not consider caste as a factor for the Census of India except Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, so there is no detailed information available now for the current population. The last census enumerated caste as a factor before the Independence of India i.e., The last census happened in 1931. The Mayurbhanj state census 1931 recorded a total of 1621 people living in Mayurbhanj state i.e., 1321 form Baripada (mostly from place called Khanua. Southwestern nearby of Haripurgarh, third headquarter of the state), 234 from Kaptipada, 52 from Bamanghati and 14 from Panchpir Subdivision and the census also clustered 355 Ahir Gaura with Bagal, as the return are from same locality with Bagals.[upper-roman 1] In 1901, 11361 Bagal returned, that is 7884 from Medinipur, 1403 from Singhbhum, 1054 from Orissa tributary states, 622 from Manbhum, 383 from Chota Nagpur tributary states, 10 from Balasore and 5 from Puri, who are returned as Hindu. All those Bagals are included in Ahir (broadly tabulated in Ahir and Goala, due interchangeable use of those two terms[lower-alpha 5] and Ahir also includes 4299 Mahkur i.e. 4159 from Chota Nagpur tributary state and 140 from Ranchi, 91 Khandwal from Singhbhum) except Bankura where 1520 Bagals are included in Bauri.[24] In 1911, 730 Bagal returned from Bankura, included in Bauri and 4581 Bagal along with 2154 Ahir from Medinipur, included in Goala.[25] In the census 1891, a total of 8364 Bagals returned from Chota Nagpur Division i.e., 6179 from Singbhum, 2180 from Manbhum and 6 from Lohardaga–Palamu.[26][27] In 1871, 2077 Bagals returned from Manbhum and included as subdivision of Goala.[28] However, In recent past Chakraborty (2012) estimated 20,000 Bagals living in undivided Paschim Medinipur district during his field work.

Census table[lower-alpha 6]

1909 map of Chota Nagpur region
State	Jharkhand		West Bengal			Odisha	Other
Region→ Year↓	Singbhum	Chota Nagpur Tributary States (Saraikela Kharsawan)	Manbhum	Bankura	Medinipur	Orissa Tributary States (Mayurbhanj)
1872	—	—	2,077	—	—	—	—
1891α	6,179		2,180	—	—	—	6 - Lohardaga
1901β	1,403	383	622	1,520	7,884	1,054γ	10 - Balasore 5 - Puri
1911	—	—	—	730	(4,581 ± 2,154)δ	—	—
1931	—	—	—	—	—	1,621ε	—
19xx	—	—	—	—	est. 20,000	—	—
Included in Goala   Included in Ahir   Included in Bauri
	α. Bagal returned in context of occupation. β. Bagals returned as Hindu religion believers. γ. As per Mayurbhanj state census, the Bagals with Ahir Gaura together form 2,020. δ. [(2076M+2505F = 4,581 Bagal) ± (1556M+598F = 2,154 Ahir)] ε. [(784M+837F = 1,621 Bagal) ± (188M+167F = 355 Ahir Gaura)] Note: In some cases the Singhbhum administrative region includes Dhalbhum and two Odia princely states Saraikela and Kharsawan. Similarly change in administration should be noted in other areas, such as Ichagarh, Patamda and Chandil of Manbhum.

The region inhabited by Bagals indicated in deep saffron colour.

Specifically their major concentration is in, but not confined to Ichagarh, Chandil, Saraikela, Adityapur (Gamarhia) and Gobindapur (Rajnagar) of Saraikela Kharsawan district, Golmuri-cum-Jugsalai and Potka of East Singhbhum district in Jharkhand;[31][32][33] Ranibandh, Raipur, Sarenga, Simlapal of Bankura district,[34] Narayangarh, Sankrail, Gopiballavpur, Jhargram, Binpur of Jhargram district, Kharagpur, Debra, Pingla, Sabang, Keshiary, Nayagram, Dantan of Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal;[35][upper-roman 6] Kaptipada, Udala, Samakhunta, Khunta, Badsahi, Baripada, Kuliana, Suliapada, Muruda, Betnati of Mayurbhanj district,[upper-roman 7] Balasore, Remuna, Nilagiri of Balasore district. And village in Ranital GP, Baulakani GP are migrant village of Odisha in Bhadrak and Kendrapara district respectively.

In the Hindu social structure, Bagal people fall in lower section of the Varna system but they perceive themselves in the middle range of caste hierarchy following tribal characteristics[36][16][37] and relatively considered as a clean caste by the tribal community and unclean caste by upper Hindu caste.[38][upper-roman 2][upper-roman 8]

Though the Bagals [of Purulia] call themselves Gopas, the "higher" Hindu castes do not regard them as proper sat-sudras, but do not explicitly state that they are asat-sudras or antyajas. From their features it seems that Bagals have descended from tribal pastoralists and become Hinduized. Radhiya Brahmans do not serve them ritually but Madhya-desiya and Utkal Brahmans do. The Bagals of rural areas are either subsistence farmers or landless agricultural labourers. None of them are seen these days to depend on cattle rearing, their traditional calling.[39]

There are four stratified endogamous subdivision of Bagal society namely Ahir Bagal, Khanroal/ Khandait Bagal, Krishna Bagal and Mogodha Bagal. There are no lineage in Ahir Bagal and Khanroal/ Khandait Bagal [sic] but have totemic clan (gotra). The mejor lineages (bansa) of Bagal society includes Arikuḷa/ Araikuḷa, Banardiha, Bankuar, Buru Bhatua/ Buruhatua, Bukuria, Chardiha, Danadiha, Deoria/ Deoḷia, Gutisukri/ Butisukri, Hajombanda, Jetuar/ Jegoar, Kuḷmahata, Kurkutia, Lakuḷ, Manikdiha, Patkam, Punihasa/ Punrihesa, Samdia/ Samdiha, Sonahatu, Satbhaya, Sikaria, Tetla with variation in pronounciation and romanization.[lower-alpha 7] Which are named after their ancestral territory,[lower-alpha 8] any special events or activities of the lineage. Again those bigger lineages are subdivided into some sub-lineage as lineage Bankura subdivided into Baku Bankuar and Harin Bankuar, Patkam subdivided into Baghamaria Patkam and Rahe Patkam, Bukuria subdivided into Bhitar Bukuria and Bahir Bukuria, Banardiha subdivided into Gora Banardiha and Kalia Banardiha, Lakuḷ subdivided into Gora Lakuḷ and Kalia Lakuḷ, etc. bearing both totemic clan (gotra) like Nag (snake), Sal (sal fish), Kachim (tortoise), Siyal (seal fish), Boni (boni bird), Singai (singai fish) and non totemic clan like Kashyapa, Sandilya. Buru Bhatua/ Buruhatua and Deoḷia lineage claim that they were the community level priest (Dehri) of the Bagal society.[upper-roman 6] There is no information about the Magadha Bagal. They are probably the Bagals of Purulia, who now identify themselves as Gopas (distinct from Gopa and Goala, who also claim themselves as Gopas).[39][40]

As per Singh (1996) edited The People of India, the Bagals sub-divisional group are Ahir Gop, Akhara Gop, Krishna Gop, Nanda Gop bearing totemic clan Angaria (fire wood), Chawriya (deer), Dorhi (seed of Mahua), Kachima (tortoise) and Nag (snake), segmented into lineage Angaria, Chawniya, Dorhi, Nag in Bihar; Bankuar (a deer), Hajam Banta, Harma Bankuar, Jajo Bankuar (horn deer), Kurkutia (white ant), Patkumia, Sikharia, Tentla in Odisha.[41]

Overally, Each sub-divisional group marries within their endogamous group/sub-caste and the major difference among the three endogamous groups is that the Ahir and the Khanadit Bagal use the clan (gotra) name as the lineage (bansa) name, whereas clan and lineage are two different thing for Krishna Bagal. Thus Ahir and Khandait Bagal use clan as an exogamous unit while Krishna Bagal uses lineage as an exogamous unit.[upper-roman 6]

The Bagal society follows a traditional caste council system known as Desh-Sabha, with the Mukhia serving as the head and the Digar and Dakua as assistants and messengers, respectively. Additionally, the Luthukhanria and Damgurguria act as law enforcement officers for the council. The council's main objective is to uphold the community's values and ethics, and those who violate these standards may face punishments such as excommunication, physical punishment, or payment of goods or bhoj.[upper-roman 9]

In comparison, according to Singh (1998), the traditional caste council in the Bagal society is referred to as Bagal Samaj or Bagal Baisi, with the Majhi, Parmanik, and Desh Pradhan/Mahakur serving as the heads at the community, pargana, and regional levels, respectively. The Bagal society has unique titles, such as Barbagal, Mahabagal, Mahakur and Dehri, which are assigned to individuals in recognition of their contributions to the community.[41]

Although the traditional councils are no longer in use, some aspects of their practices continue to be incorporated into the Bagal society's daily life, although they primarily adhere to constitutional rules and regulations of India.

The mythological story may vary depending upon their endogamous division and region. But they all associate themselves with Lord Krishna as their traditional occupation with cattle herding. For instance the myth of Bagals of Midnapore region is like that, Lord Krishna used to go to the pasture every day to graze the cattle. Sometimes he felt tired and wanted to be free from the monotonous work of daily cattle herding. So Load Krishna made a 'Bagal' from sweat and dirt of his own body so that he could graze the cattle in the pastures every day. One day that Bagal shows some Munda people dancing in the Jungle, in the process of his routine job of cattle herding. Then the Bagal joined with them and fell in love with a Munda girl. After that the Bagal and Munda girl got married. Thus they believe that they are the progenitor of that couple. Being descendants of Lord Krishna, they also claim themselves as Krishna Gop/ Krishna Bagal.[upper-roman 2][upper-roman 6]

The origin of the Bagal caste remains uncertain. As K. S. Singh believed that the Bagal people migrated from central India and they are one of the original settlers of erstwhile Singhbhum district of Bihar (now Jharkhand). From where they got their occupational name Bagal. Due to social instability in the region, they migrated to counterparts region Manbhum, Dhalbhum, Medinipur and Mayurbhanj of Bengal province for better livelihood.[upper-roman 2] Whereas the Mayurbhanj State census 1931 noted as;

The Bagals are the cattle–herds. Herding cattle is their principal occupation. In the census of 1901, the Bagals of Medinapore ware included in the Ahir and Gohala, and those of Bankura in Bauri. [...] But a note has been left to the effect that they form a real caste in Mayurbhanj and Saraikela State, which is a fact. Through the large number of Bagals still follow their traditional occupation, many of them have taken to agriculture.[upper-roman 1]

And Marvin Davis noted as;

The Bagals are traditionally associated with work as cattle herders. In 1971, though, the Bagals of Torkotala village [in Midanapore] worked as agricultural laborers, cultivating smaller plots their own on the side. Based on their traditional association with cattle, the Bagals have recently advanced a claim to be Goalas by caste. It is unlikely that this claim will be recognized by other Hindus (of the village), though, at least not in the immediate future, for Sadgops are aware that their own caste is regarded as a purified section of Goala. For the Bagals to establish their claim as Goalas would be indirectly to link the Sadgop and Bagal castes to each other, a link which the Sadgops adamantly deny.[42]

Although some of the Bagal people claim that they're descendants of Yadav group of caste like Ahir, Goala, Gop, Gopal but most of them can't able to answer how the caste was formed. However the Bagals of undivided Midnapore narrate that their ancestor immigrated from erstwhile Bihar and a few are from Mayurbhanj, And as per 1931 census 3 percent of Bagals of Mayurbhanj are immigrants of Midnapore and Singhbhum. By looking at their genealogy and ethnolinguistic affiliation, it's assumed by scholar and ethnographer that the people of Bagal caste had aboriginal descendants, who settled in East Chota Nagpur by adopting cattle herding occupation.[upper-roman 1][11][43]^: 108

Overally, Bagal people are might be descendants of Gond/Gour ethnic group or/and cattle–herder of any tribe and caste, because of various socio-historical processes they segmented and formed real caste by adopting regional language and culture. Further the community is fragmented into territory based sub-divisional endogamous group on the basis of regional status and subsidiary activities they were involved. Subsequently, entered into the Hindu caste system with the trend of Hinduization, resulting social stratification. Nowadays Bagal settlement mostly found on both sides of the Subarnarekha river which is the borderline of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. And only the Bagals of Subarnarekha valley and recent migrants living in nearby districts are known as Bagals, well bounded in between Kangsabati and Baitarani river. Because some of them claim that their kinsmen migrated to North Bengal and Northeast India to work as tea garden laborers during the British Raj.[upper-roman 10][upper-roman 6] But other sources shows that the Bagals were in Assam as a tea garden labourers.[44][45]

Although the people of Bagal caste were traditionally part of pastoralist society, nowadays none of them are seen doing their traditional calling occupation, herding cattle and it's associate activities. Instead agriculture is their primary occupation now. During 19th and early 20th century the Bagals were employed as Baromasia (domestic serf), Bhatua (worker in exchange of food), Dhangar (animal caretaker), Kamins/Muliya (labour) and Munis (helper) along with their traditional occupation Bagal (cattle herder) in affluent household.[upper-roman 10] In the growth of Indian social development some of them switched to different occupations from their racial occupation but still majority of population depends on agriculture and other unskilled work. For instance the occupational pattern (primary and subsidiary) of the total workforce of Bagal population in Mayurbhanj state was Agricultural labourer (335 /120), Farmer (262/76), Tenant farmer (35/34), Grain parcher (14/3), Herdsmen (13/13), Village watchman (3/3), Bullock cart driver (2/6), Iron related worker (2/1) Non-cultivating proprietors of land (2/0) and Teacher (0/1).[upper-roman 11] The Bagals mostly live in rural areas, nearby to reserve forest. Both in forest and revenue villages. The people of the revenue village make their livelihood by agriculture, manual labor, fishing, unorganised work and a few among them are government servants like school teacher, forest guard, defence personnel. And the people of forest village make their livelihood by agriculture, hunting, animal husbandry, collecting forest products.

The livelihood of the Bagals was mostly dependent on forest and agriculture from ancient times. As a pastoral community, they were depend on the forest for pasture. Their livelihood worsened when the Britishers imposed exploitative zamindari rules and high taxes on forest rights in the Jangal Mahal of Bengal Presidency. They began to oppose the rules as there is evidence that they were listed in various criminal records of the British India. Thereafter, they became a part of the Santhal rebellion and other regional peasant movement to fight against the Britishers.[46][47]

The Bagals of Medinapore were involved in large-scale plundering of food grain from wealthy household, a form of food riots caused by a man-made famine in 1943 that fuelled up the Bagals to participate in the Independence India movement.[48]

Humans go through various stages of age, and those steps are observed in a variety of social disciplines. Although the social customs of the Bagal society based on Hinduism, but the methods and purposes are inclined toward Animism.

When a baby is born in the Bagal race, they immediately announce the good news to their relatives and celebrate a festival on the ninth day of the baby's birth, called Narta Ghar, and the baby is named in the twenty-first day. In adolescence, the boy grazes domestic animals, assists his parents with household chores. During puberty, the boy tries to learn agricultural and other sustainable work. The first menstruation of the girl is not seriously observed. Only the affluent family organise a fest. When a boy or girl reaches their marriage age, the family seeks out a suitable spouse for them in their endogamous subdivision. They don't practice cross cousin or same lineage marriage. There are four types of marriage for the people of Bagal community, namely Dekha Chahan Behaghar (arrange marriage), Palaniya/ Sindur ghasa Behaghar (love marriage), Kuta Mala Behaghar (a low cost/ urgent marriage) and Sanga Behaghar (widow remarriage). The method of marriage are by negotiation, courtship, intrusion, mutual consent, exchange or by force. They also practice sororate and levirate marriages, and marriage are always preferred monogamy type but polygamy also seen among them. During pregnancy, a woman has to follow a variety of traditions, rituals as well as taboos. At seven months of pregnancy, the woman's family member happily brings a variety of food and organizes a small feast with the neighbours which they call the Shad Khia.

They mostly cremate dead bodies with Hindu rituals except if the dead body is a pregnant women or kid, then they bury the dead body.[upper-roman 6]

There are two types of festivals based on how they give importance to those festivals.

Bangsa puja / Gotar puja/ Ghar puja, Gan puja, Asali puja, Mag puja, Jantal puja, Nua khai are community level festivals, which are celebrated within their lineage, sublineage, clan or family. Meanwhile, Makar parab, Durga puja, Bandna, Kali puja, Tusu puja, Raja parab, Gamha parab festivals are celebrated with the neighbouring communities of their locality.[upper-roman 14] The Bagals also belief in variety of benevolent and malevolent deities and spirits. Among the significant benevolent deities worshipped by the Bagal are Shiva, Kali, Durga, Garam-Dharam or Sarna, Burha Budhi, Bagut/Bhahuti, Rohini, Karam, Pahar, Sannyash, Manasa, Jitiya and Bonkumari, among others.[upper-roman 10][upper-roman 6]

Bandna Parab, a cattle worshiping festival and Karam Puja, a ritual of worship Karam tree (representing the Karam God) are important festival cum culture for the youth of Bagals.[51]

Bagal people dance to a variety of songs during the festival to make life more enjoyable. Karam Nach, Pata Nach, Kathi Nach, Chhou Nach and Jhumar Nach are key activities.[upper-roman 6][52][19][53] And sing various associated songs of those dance like Jhumar geet, Bandna geet, Makar geet, Karam geet, Ahira daker geet, Tusu geet.[54] Nachni and Rasikia are two terms used for people, who are good at dancing and singing. Often those songs and folklore depicted their past and experiences of their lives. For instance a folklore is like;

Translation: The cows had gone to Bijuban, Calf had gone to Raneban, the Bagal (herder boy) had gone to Arunban. I became really tried by searching and searching, but not yet returned the herder boy.[55][lower-alpha 9]
They also sing jhumar song like;

Translation: In the market, he isn't there, in the village road he isn't seen. Ohh my friends please tell my boyfriend, I shall tie him with Dudhi-lot (symbolising the tie of love).[55][upper-roman 10]

During Karam puja, they sing Karam song like;

Translation: "Oh ! elder brother, please cut a Karam branch, Cut it by just a stroke of battle-axe and return home with it, We shall dress King Karam with dhuti and Queen Indo with saree respectively, Oh ! King Karam, come to our home riding an elephant, Oh ! Queen Indo, come to our home riding a horse."