Satani87 caste is last name of many people in Indian subcontinent. Satani87 caste definition is A Telugu caste of priests and mendicants of which 900 persons were returned principally from the Chanda District in 1911. In the Central Provinces Ayawar Satani and Dasari have been taken as one caste but elsewhere they are considered as distinct. Ayawar is a term of respect analogous to the Hindustani Maharaj and is applied to the Satanis and other religious orders. The Satanis and Dasaris are distinguished in Madras; Satani is stated88 to be a corruption of Sattadavan which means One who does not [407]wear (e.g. the sacred thread and scalp-lock). It is a mixed religious order recruited from any caste except the Pariahs leather-workers and Muhammadans. The Dasaris89 are said to be the reputed descendants of a wealthy Sudra of one of the northern Districts who being childless vowed that if offspring should be granted to him he would devote a son to the service of the god. After this he had several children one of whom he consecrated to the deity calling him Dasan (the obedient servant). Dasan and his offspring made their livelihood by begging. This order like that of the Satanis is reinforced by idle members of the lower Sudra castes who become Dasaris by being branded by the Guru of Tirupatti and other shrines. In the Central Provinces the Dasaris are stated to be recruited from the impure Mala caste of the Telugu country and hence to rank below the Satanis. Many of the Madrasi servants in European households call themselves Dasaris. Members of the agricultural castes are usually admitted into the Satani order and its status is almost equal to theirs. The caste in spite of its small numbers has several subdivisions as the Sale Satanis who are weavers the Bukkas who are sellers of kunku or red powder and five other subdivisions who are all beggars. Some of these eat together but do not intermarry. They have exogamous family groups usually named after sacred places in Madras or celebrated Gurus (spiritual preceptors) or deities as Tirupatti Ramanujamwar Shaligramwar and so on. The caste marry in the ordinary way and do not observe celibacy. Widow-marriage is allowed but a widow must marry a widower and the officiating priest at the ceremony must also be a widower. The Satanis principally revere Vishnu whom they worship on Fridays. Their priests are taken from their own order and form a separate subcaste under the name of Parmastwar. A novice on being initiated to the order is branded with the figures of a Sankha (conch-shell) and Chakra (discus). They both burn and bury the dead and the spirits of female as well as of male ancestors are propitiated. This is done by calling a married woman by the name of the dead female putting red powder on her forehead and worshipping her. Among the Satanis a widow accompanies the corpse of her husband to the grave. They officiate at funerals and a Satani priest applies the caste-mark to the body of the corpse and also to that of the four persons who are to carry it. He receives presents in the name of the dead man and takes the red cloth with which the corpse is covered. At the funeral feast the Satani offers cooked food including flesh and also liquor to the god and the assembled guests then partake of them. The Satani drinks liquor only and does not eat the food and since he must stay to the end of the feast he sometimes becomes intoxicated. The Satanis are priests and mendicants. Though they do not wear the sacred thread themselves the manufacture of it is one of their hereditary occupations. They collect alms in a lota or brass vessel on which representations of the conch and discus are drawn. The Dasaris wander about singing hymns to a monotonous accompaniment upon a leather instrument called tappai (perhaps a tabor). They are engaged by some Sudra castes to sing their chants in front of the corpse at funerals. Others exhibit what is called the Panda sewai that is they become possessed by the deity and beat themselves over the body with a flaming torch. A few train young bulls to perform tricks and travel about exhibiting them. Some have become masons and goldsmiths. Men have the mark of the trident on the forehead the two outer lines being white and the middle one red or yellow. They shave the head and face clean not retaining the scalp-lock. Women have a vertical streak on the forehead and do not wear glass bangles nor the necklace of black beads. Neither men nor women are tattooed. The Satanis have a fairly good social position and the lower castes will take food from them. [408]. Satani87 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. Satani87 caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Satani87 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
Satani87 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.
Satani87 caste is also known as Satani87 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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