Jokhara caste is last name of many people in Indian subcontinent. Jokhara caste definition is A small class of Muhammadans who breed leeches and apply them to patients the name being derived from jonk a leech. They were not separately classified at the census but a few families of them are found in Burhanpur and they marry among themselves because no other Muhammadans will marry with them. In other parts of India leeches are kept and applied by sweepers and sometimes by their women.38 People suffering from boils toothache swellings of the face piles and other diseases have leeches applied to them. For toothache the leeches are placed inside the mouth on the gum for two days in succession. There are two kinds of leeches known as Bhainsa-jonk the large or buffalo-leech and Rai-jonk the small leech. They are found in the mud of stagnant tanks and in broken-down wells and are kept in earthen vessels in a mixture of black soil and water; and in this condition they will go without food for months and also breed. Some patients object to having their blood taken out of the house and in such cases powdered turmeric is given to the leeches to make them disgorge and the blood of the patient is buried inside the house. The same means is adopted to prevent the leeches from dying of repletion. In Gujarat the Jokharas are a branch of the Hajjam or Muhammadan barber caste39 and this recalls the fact that the barber chirurgeon or surgeon in medival England was also known as the leech. It would be natural to suppose that he was named after the insect which he applied but Murrays Dictionary holds that the two words were derived from separate early English roots and were subsequently identified by popular etymology.. Jokhara caste is one of the many castes subcastes of India.
India has thousands of castes and subcastes, they are in existence and practice since the Vedic times. They were created to solve the problem of division of labor. Jokhara caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Jokhara caste do or did in earlier times. Many last names in India indicate the place the person originally belongs to. All castes sub castes are primarily divided into 4 categories:
1.Brahmins – The learned or priestly class
2.Khastriyas – The warrior class or those with governing functions
3.Vaishyas – The trader, agriculturalists or cattle rearers class
4.Shudra – The class that serves other three categories
Jokhara caste belongs to one of the above 4 categories. Indian caste system is the best system to solve the problem of division of labor. In earlier times there was no rigidity in caste system. Indian caste system is still the best solution for the problem of division of labor, the only change that is needed as per changed times is that rather than having a vertical hierarchical system with Brahmins on top and Shudras at bottom, it would be good to have a horizontal socialist system with Brahmins, Khastriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras all at same level.
The caste system of India is in ruins at present. It is also cause of bloody quarrels in certain parts of the rural India. People of backward castes have reservations in government jobs, this facility is widely misused in India. Many of the backward caste people have become rich and still use the facility for their benefit. Many in India believe reservation in jobs should be given on the basis of poverty rather than caste because there are many poors in upper castes as well.
Many foreginers and followers of Abrahmic religions criticize the Indian caste system because of bad material condition of lower castes but if they observe in an unbiased way they would find that there are many in upper castes with bad material conditions. The problem lies in power not in castes, power can corrupt anyone be it from upper caste or lower caste.
Secondly I have seen Abrahmic religions especially Muslims and Christians claiming that they have no caste system – It is an utter lie. All cultures, all countries, all religions have caste system in one form or the other. Christians have different churches depending on the region or language or skin color of people. Muslims have a priestly class that tries to control everything. Arab Muslims before the oil boom were so much divided among tribes that if you drank water from a well of a different tribe you could be shot dead. Tribal divisions still exists among Muslims. You can also see the caste system in a different form in your corporate companies. I had seen different food and drinking facilities for people at different levels.
Jokhara caste is also known as Jokhara Gotra.
Caste situation is quiet different in urban India, people in urban areas especially youngsters don’t bother about castes. Inter caste, inter religious, inter lingual marriages are quiet common in urban India. Inter caste, inter religious and inter lingual marriages in rural areas attract severe criticism and many times people are expelled from community for not marrying as per religious and caste rules.
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