Kamathi Kamati caste is last name of many people in Indian subcontinent. Kamathi Kamati caste definition is A term applied in the Maratha Districts to immigrants from Madras. It is doubtful whether the Kamathis have become a caste but about 150 persons returned this name as their caste in the Central Provinces and Berar in 1911 and there are about 7000 in India none however being recorded from the Madras Presidency. It is stated that the word Kamathi means fool in Tamil and that in Bombay all Telugus are called Kamathis to whatever caste they may belong. Similarly Maratha immigrants into Madras are known by the generic name of Arya42 and those coming from Hindustan into the Nerbudda valley as Pardeshi while in the same locality the Brahmans and Rajputs of Central India are designated by the Marathas as Rangra. This term has the signification of rustic or boorish and is therefore a fairly close parallel to Kamathi if the latter word has the meaning given above. In the Thana District of Bombay43 people of many classes are included under the name of Kamathi. Though they do not marry or even eat together the different classes of Kamathis have a strong feeling of fellowship and generally live in the same quarter of the town. In the Central Provinces the Kamathis are usually masons and house-builders or labourers. They speak Telugu in their houses and Marathi to outsiders. In Sholapur44 the Kamathis dress like Kunbis. They are bound together by a strong caste feeling and appear to have become a regular caste. Their priests are Telugu Brahmans and their ceremonies resemble those of Kunbis. On the third day after a child is born the midwife lifts it up for the first time and it is given a few light blows on the back. For three days the child sucks one end of a rag the other end of which rests in a saucer of honey and the mother is fed on rice and clarified butter. On the fourth day the mother begins to suckle the child. Until the mother is pregnant a second time no choti or scalp-lock is allowed to grow on the childs head. When she becomes pregnant she is taken with the child before the village god and a tuft of hair is thereafter left to grow on the crown of its head.. Kamathi Kamati 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. Kamathi Kamati caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Kamathi Kamati 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
Kamathi Kamati 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.
Kamathi Kamati caste is also known as Kamathi Kamati 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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