Rawal (caste)

Rawal is an Indian community from Rajasthan and Gujarat. They are known as priests of devi temples and perform a form of dance known as Rammat during the worship. They were well respected and patronised by the Charans.^[1][2][3]

Origin

Rawals claim to be converted from Brahmins around the 12th century.^[2]

History

In the past,^[when?] Rawals would wander from village to village to present night-long Rammat performances in the temples.^[4][5]

Rammat of Rawal

Rawals are known for their performances called Rammat, which are devotional in nature dedicated to their patron goddess. It begins with a prayer to the goddess after which the performing arena is marked with a sword. This Rammat tradition is thought to be ‘almost extinct’ in modern times.^[2]

Mahendra Bhanawat in the study of folk theatre traditions of Rajasthan, states about the origin of Ramat:^[6]

“Rawals of Rajasthan who visit their distinguished clients (Charan Yajamans) for gifts (virats) would impersonate in various disguises (Swangs) and perform various acts of entertainments-called Ramats. I was told on enquiry that the Rawals, in earlier times, would impersonate the goddesses they worshipped during Navaratras and would sing devotional songs (Charjayen) to the accompaniment of mridanga, taal and rawaj etc. With the passage of time, they started playing kheras in front of Charans also and presented different impersonations(swangs). For a Khera performance, a boy would dress up like the goddess and another boy in his female garb would present various Charjas throughout the night laced with songs, dance and drums. These devotional performances came to be known as Ramats.”^[6][7]

Genealogists

Rawals are one of the castes who perform as genealogists for the Charans.^[2][8]

Modern occupations

Presently, Rawals are mainly engaged in cultivation and in the weaving of coarse cotton cloth and tapes.^[4]

Population

According to the 1961 Census, the Rawal population in Rajasthan was approximately 4,500.^[4]

Further reading

1. Rājasthāna ke Rāvala By Devilal Samar · 1967

See also

• Motisar

References

1. Kothiyal, Tanuja (2016-03-14). Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-316-67389-8. Another client caste of the Charans were the Bhands, who sang and danced for the Charans on festive occasions. Their particular form of dance is still popular and called rammat.
2. Mathur, Madan Mohan (2006). Kuchamaṇi Khyal: An Endangered Folk Theatre Style of Rajasthan. Madan Mohan Mathur. Rawals are the caste genealogists of the Charans . They claim to have been converted from the Brahmins in about 1195 A.D.
3. Qanungo, Kalika Ranjan; Kānūnago, Kālikā Rañjana (1960). Studies in Rajput History. S. Chand. There are seven categories of persons and communities, who in their turn have a hereditary claim on the Charan's bounty, and are not allowed to beg of any other community. Besides their kula-guru family of Brahmans living in Ujjain till today, and the purohit (family priest), these are: the Rao Bhat of Chandisa sept of Marwar (who are the Bhats of the Charans as of the Rathors of Marwar); the Rawal Brahmans, the Goind-pota and the Viram-pota (Bhats singing with dhol?) and the Motisar community
4. Rajasthan, India Superintendent of Census Operations; Mathur, U. B. (1969). Ethnographic Atlas of Rajasthan: With Reference to Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes. Manager of Publications.
5. Vidyarthi, Lalita Prasad; Sahay, B. N. (1980). Applied Anthropology and Development in India. National. The Rawals provide entertainment particularly for the people of Charan caste by arranging night long shows.
6. Bhanawat, Mahendra (1979). Overview of the folk theatre of Rajasthan. Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
7. Sangeet Natak. Sangeet Natak Akademi. 1979. p. 26.
8. Jansen, Jan; Maier, Hendrik M. J. (2004). Epic Adventures: Heroic Narrative in the Oral Performance Traditions of Four Continents. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 978-3-8258-6758-4.