Kurmi
Sign in to saveKurmi is a traditionally non-elite tiller caste in the lower Gangetic plain of India, especially southern regions of Awadh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bihar and Jharkhand. The Kurmi came to be known for their exceptional work ethic, superior tillage and manuring, and gender-neutral culture, bringing praise from Mughal and British administrators alike.
Key facts
- Caste.region
- Awadh, Bhojpur, Madhesh, Lumbini
- Caste.languages
- Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Angika, Hindi, Urdu
- Caste.image
- The tribes and castes of the Central Provinces of India (1916) (14577152309).jpg
- Caste.caption
- A group of Kurmi women in traditional "Hindustani dress".
- Caste.country
- India and Nepal
- Caste.classification
- Other Backward Class
via Wikipedia infobox
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Article
8 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
- Twentieth century
- Kurmis in Nepal
- See also
- References
- Further reading
Kurmi is a traditionally non-elite tiller caste in the lower Gangetic plain of India, especially southern regions of Awadh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bihar and Jharkhand. The Kurmi came to be known for their exceptional work ethic, superior tillage and manuring, and gender-neutral culture, bringing praise from Mughal and British administrators alike.
== Etymology == There are several late-19th century theories of the etymology of Kurmi. According to Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya (1896), the word may be derived from an Indian tribal language, or be a Sanskrit compound term krishi karmi, "agriculturalist." A theory of Gustav Salomon Oppert (1893) holds that it may be derived from kṛṣmi, meaning "ploughman".