Panchal caste is last name of many people in Indian subcontinent. Panchal caste definition is An indeterminate group of artisans engaged in any of the following five trades: Workers in iron known as Manu; workers in copper or brass called Twashtik; workers in stone or Shilpik; workers in wood or Maya; and workers in gold and silver designated as Daivagnya.71 The caste appear to be of Telugu origin and in Madras they are also known as Kammala. In the Central Provinces they were amalgamated with the Sunars in 1901 but in 1891 a total of 7000 were returned belonging to the southern Districts; while 2700 members of the caste are shown in Berar. The name is variously derived but the principal root is no doubt panch or five. Captain Glasfurd writes it Panchyanun.72 In the Central Provinces the Panchals appear generally to work in gold or brass while in Berar they are blacksmiths. The gold-workers are an intelligent and fairly prosperous class and devote themselves to engraving inlaying and making gold beads. They are usually hired by Sunars and paid by the piece.73 They are intent on improving their social position and now claim to be Vishwa Brahmans presumably in virtue of their descent from Viswa Karma the celestial architect. At the census they submitted a petition begging to be classified as Brahmans and to support their claim they employ members of their own caste to serve them as priests. But the majority of them permit the remarriage of widows and do not wear the sacred thread. In other respects their customs resemble those of the Sunars. The Berar Panchals on the other hand appear to be a much lower group. Mr. Kitts describes74 them as a wandering caste of smiths living in grass-mat huts and using as fuel the roots of thorn bushes which they batter out of the ground with the back of a short-handled axe peculiar to themselves. The Berari Panchals he continues who differ from the Dakhani division in the custom of shaving their heads and beards on the death of a parent have been in the Provinces for some generations. They live in small pals or tents and move from place to place with buffaloes donkeys and occasionally ponies to carry their kit. The women of the Berari division may be distinguished from those of the Dakhani Panchals by their wearing their lugras or body-cloths tucked in at the back in the fashion known as kasote. It is no doubt from the desire to dissociate themselves from the wandering blacksmiths of Berar that the Panchals of the Central Provinces desire to drop their caste name.. Panchal 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. Panchal caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Panchal 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
Panchal 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.
Panchal caste is also known as Panchal 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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