Bagal (pronounced as Bāgāl) is a cattle herding caste of East India. Bagal people are living in the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. They use Kudmali/ Manbhumi dialect of Bengali as their mother tongue (with local variations, labelled as Bagal Bhasa) and use Bengali, Hindi and Odia language to communicate with the outside society.
Overview Bagal is assumed as an ethnically tribe derived caste (semi-tribal/ semi-Hinduized Aboriginals). Their socio-cultural behaviour is blend of Hinduism and Animism, and they are one of the marginalized section of Indian society. Their primary concentration in the valley region of the Subarnarekha, i.e., in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, East Singhbhum, Saraikela Kharsawan and Purulia districts of East India.
They are believed to have undergone various socio-cultural purification processes during the Sanskritization movement in India. However, due to their animistic (in other words, non-Vedic Hinduism) behaviors, they are relatively considered inferior in the Hindu social hierarchy and often referred to as Adivasis. They also acknowledge their subordinate status in society due to various socio-historical factors.: The Gouda and Danda Majhi were considered by them [Bhanja Puran] to have enjoy equal position, where the Keuta, Bagdi, Bhuiyan, Bagal, Kudmi and Santal were treated as having inferior status in the social hierarehy in the local level as per tradition.": "They [Patra] generally accept and exchange water with all the castes excepting the Hari, Muchi, Dom, Bagal and Muslims."
Etymology The term "Bagal" is pronounced as Bāgāl ( ; ), which is a Bengali (or Kudmali) word and carries the literal meaning of "herder". Alt URL In Odia it is pronounced as Bagāḻa (; ), which has the same meaning and has its roots in the Singhbhum-Manbhum region. Alt URL
It specifically refers to individuals who are responsible for tending to and grazing domestic animals in villages, primarily cattle. Typically, adolescent boys are employed in this activity under contractual agreements with landowners as Rakhal/Baromasia. They, along with cattle-herding, undertake various household chores.
Population The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India currently do not consider caste as a significant factor due to policy for the Census of India, except for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. As a consequence, comprehensive and up-to-date information regarding the caste composition of the population is currently unavailable. It is noteworthy that the last instance in which caste was systematically recorded as a census category occurred in 1931, prior to India's independence. The Mayurbhanj State census 1931 recorded a total of 1621 people living in Mayurbhanj state i.e., 1321 form Baripada (chiefly from Barpara pargana), 234 from Kaptipada, 52 from Bamanghati and 14 from Panchpir subdivision. In the 1901 census, 12890 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 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 1529 Bagals are included in Bauri. Alt URL In 1911, 4581 Bagal returned from Medinipur, 88 from Monghyr, 1 from Bhagalpur, included in Goala and 730 Bagal from Bankura, included in Bauri. Alt URL In the 1891 census, a total of 9,674 Bagals returned from the Chota Nagpur Division and Feudatory States, with 8,364 being Hindus from Chota Nagpur divisional districts, including 6,179 from Singhbhum (5819 – Dhalbhum/Ghatshila and 360 – Chakradharpur), 2,180 from Manbhum (912 – Barabhum, 320 – Baghmundi, 224 – Para, 210 – Chandil, 203 – Jhalda, and 200 – Purulia, 111 – Manbazar), 5 from Lohardaga-Palamu, and 1,300 from the Feudatory States. Alt URL Alt URL Additionally, the census also noted a total of 15,049 Bagals in the marriage table, with specific distributions in Medinipur (6,191), Singhbhum (5,819), Manbhum (1,543), and Bankura (1,496). In 1872, 2077 Bagals returned from Manbhum and included as subdivision of Goala.Note: Author cited census data from Bengal Census Report, 1872, with subsequent District Compilation in 1873, by Mr. C. F. Magrath, C.S. However, In recent past estimated 20,000 Bagals living in undivided Medinipur district during his field work. + Census table1909 map of Chota Nagpur region StateJharkhandWest Bengal Odisha Other Chota Nagpur Tributary States (Saraikela Kharsawan) Singhbhum Manbhum Bankura Medinipur Orissa Tributary States (Mayurbhanj) 1872 2,077 1891 –β 6,179 2,180 1,300β 5,819 1,543 1,496 6,191 19013831,4036221,5297,8841,054 5 – Puri1911 7304,581 88 – Monghyr1 – Bhagalpur1931 1,621 α. Bagal returned as Hindus and in context of actual occupation.β. 1,300 Bagals returned in Feudatory states, which include both Odisha and Chota Nagpur tributary states. γ. Bagals returned as Hindu religion believers. 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.
+Current distribution of Bagal people in India State District JharkhandRanchi, Saraikela Kharsawan, Paschim Singhbhum, Purba Singhbhum West Bengal Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur Odisha Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada
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;: "The Bagals are distributed in different villages of Midnapur district of West Bengal, Mayurbhanj district of Orissa and Singhbhum district of Bihar." Ranibandh, Raipur, Sarenga, Simlapal of Bankura district, Nayagram, Sankrail, Gopiballavpur, Jhargram, Binpur of Jhargram district, Kharagpur, Debra, Pingla, Sabang, Keshiary, Narayangarh, Dantan of Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal; Rasgobindpur, Muruda, Suliapada, Kuliana, Saraskana, Baripada, Badsahi, Betnati, Khunta, Samakhunta, Udala, Kaptipada of Mayurbhanj district, Balasore, Remuna, Nilagiri of Balasore district, Bhadrak of Bhadrak district, Mahakalpada of Kendrapara district in Odisha.
Social structure The Bagal people, currently being agriculturists, assert themselves in the middle range of the caste hierarchy in the varna system. Though they are relatively regarded as an unclean caste by the caste-based society, specifically by the upper Hindu castes and as a semi-clean caste by the Munda ethnolinguistic tribal community. For instance, in their agricultural operations, only members of the Munda ethnolinguistic tribes work for them and often exchange labour. Conversely, the caste-based society, including those from the Hinduized Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic tribes, accept Bagals as labourers, but vice versa isn't accepted. Similar norms are followed regarding food habits and socio-cultural activities. In a broader sense, they fall into the liminal stage of outside and the lower stratum of four-varna system.
There are four endogamous subdivision of Bagal society namely Ahir Bagal, Khanroal Bagal, Krishna Bagal and Magadha Bagal. The major lineage clusters or sept (bansa) of Bagals of Midnapore includes Araikula (Arikuḷa), Banardiha, Bankuar, Buru Bhatua/Buruhatua, Bukria/Bukuria, Chardiha, Danadiha, Deoria (Deoḷia), Gutisukri/Butisukri, Hajombanda, Jetuar/Jegoar, Kurkutia, Manikdiha, Pathcom, Punihasa, Samdia, Sonahatu, Satvia, Sikaria, Tetla with variation in pronunciation and romanization. Which are named after their ancestral territory, any special events or activities of the lineage. Again those lineage clusters are composed of operational lineages such as Bankuar cluster comprising Baku Bankuar and Harin Bankuar, Pathcom comprising Baghamaria Pathcom and Rahe Pathcom, Bukuria comprising Bhitar Bukuria and Bahir Bukuria, Banrdiha comprising Gora Banrdiha and Kalia Banrdiha, etc. bearing both totemic clan (gotra) like Nag (snake), Sal (sal fish), Kachim (tortoise), Siyal (seal fish), Boni (boni bird), Singai (singai fish), Hans (swan) 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. instead, they associate themselves with totemic clans (gotra). Additionally, there is a lack of available information concerning the Magadha Bagal.
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 (red weaver ant), Patkumia, Sikharia, Tentla in Odisha.
In general, each sub-divisional group predominantly practices endogamy, marrying within their own endogamous group or sub-caste. As for the descendants of the four endogamous groups in Bagal society, it is uncertain whether they originate from a single common ancestry or they are distinct from each other but use the generic occupational name Bagal. The primary distinction among these groups lies in their naming and kinship practices. Both the Ahir and Khanadit Bagal groups use the clan name (gotra) as the lineage name (bansa), treating them as interchangeable. In contrast, the Krishna Bagal group distinguishes between clan and lineage/sept. Unlike the Ahir and Khanadit Bagal groups, who consider the clan as an exogamous unit, the Krishna Bagal group views the lineage/sept as the exogamous unit.
Social organisation 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.
In comparison, according to , 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. In their society, they have unique titles, such as Barbagal, Mahabagal, Mahakur and Dehri, which are assigned to individuals in recognition of their contributions to the community.
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.
History Mythology 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 Lord 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 or Kistobagal according to .
Origin and occupation