|
Sherogars are a Konkani speaking Kshatriya clan. Their present root is Kumta and Honavar talukas of Karwar District of erstwhile Bombay Province, now merged with Karnataka called as Uttar Kannad. The Mysore Tribes and Castes by Shri Aiyer as well as Tribes and Castes of Bombay by R.E.Enthoven records them as Rajputs. Both these ethnological publications record that Sherogars are a subdivision of Laad group. Enthoven shows nine endogamous divisions in Laad group in Bombay Province while Aiyer records existence of seven endogamous divisions in old princely state of Mysore. Both ethnographists have written that Laads were a warrior clan and are Kshatriyas in caste. They wear sacred thread and follow Vaishnav cult. The Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosh and Marathi Vishva Kosh write that these warrior clans along with Laad or Latyayani Brahmins, Laad Wanis, Laad Sonars and Laad Vanjaris left Rajasthan around eighth century on account of Muslim onslaught. They settled down at Surat which was known then as Lata or Laad desh. (citation....Al Barooni the Arabian writer recorded in Gujrat Gazetteer). They were a powerful people in these parts and thus were known by their habitat name. Their further migration down south was due to the Great Durga devi famine of 1394 to 1408. The Laads which constituted nine endogamous sub-divisions, the Sherogars being one of them, migrated during this natural calamity to various parts of Southern Maratha Countries down southwards. The main groups such as Sugandhi Kshatriyas and the Suryavanshis are found in old Mysore State as traders in scents and horses respectively. They are known as Laadaru(Citation.....R.E.Enthovan and L.K. Ananth Krishna Aiyer) . The Sherogars moved along the coast down to Goa. The Laad family is a trustee of Mangeshi Temple is a proof that Laad people travelled to Goa from Laad desh. The Gaonkars of Shiroda are also Laads. In 15th century the Portuguese consolidated their hold on the Goan territory and went on a conversion spree. In the middle of 16th century, the Portuguese king promulgated a law that prohibited the natives from speaking in their local dialects and made use of Portuguese language mandatory (Goamantaki Pratima by Sathoskar). This law was resisted by the ancestors of ex-chief minister Shri Pratap Singh Rane. But most of the konkani speaking migrants like the Saraswats, the Sonars, the Gawdes and the Bhandaris moved down southwards to Karwar district as cultivators and small time traders to save themselves from forcible conversion to Christianity. The Wikipedia website of Ramkshatriya has clubbed the Sherogars with Servegar, Sheregar, Kotegar and Kotwal. It records the Sherogars as the wrong form or incorrect variant of Servegar and Naik of Nayak. Is the term Sherogar really corrupt and incorrect variant? Did the ancestors of Sherogars inherit wrong form or incorrect caste and family names? A detailed study of Sanatana scriptures, Ethnographic and Gazetteer publications reveal it is vice versa. The Sherogars have ancient past. Last year a Draught Compendium was circulated among some senior members of the community. It is noteworthy to mention here that a figure twisting person advocated for burial of the past, saying past is gone by. History is not backward looking exercise. It nudges forward. The past is not dung pile to be buried. Only the persons with eccentric and piggyback ride lineage would suggest burying the past. Individuals must attack the subject matters with proof and should not pass the off -the -cuff remarks in a civilized society. On the backdrop of this and preceding paragraphs it is just and fair to record a few facts about Sherogars and Servegars. The genext has two options to choose from this dilemma one adjudication in a court of law, then second, the genetical and DNA analysis and mapping. This will end the matter of ethnic ambiguity once for all. The people obsessed with political power and fame on piggyback riding have closed mind. Their decision is not based on facts. The Sherogars are also recorded as Messengers which in modern tourism jargon is guide and also recorded by Bombay Kanara Gazetteer as konkani valegars, while the local Havyaka Brahmins address them as Sherugars. Population wise Sherogars are a small community. The 1881 population census statistics lays down their figure to be 3070. Since their earliest known and recorded destination at Laad or Surat region they are known and have remained Sherogars. They have not baptised themselves as such. It may be so with the Ramkshatriyas. ==Name== The Indian Cultural Scripture Bharateeya Sanskriti Kosh mentions that Sherogars found only in Karwar District and describes it as a separate sub-caste. Other English publications have also recorded them as separate endogamous sect. While describing the Koknas and Servegars, Bharateeya Sanskriti Kosh has grouped these in to one sect. The Bombay Kanara Gazetteer states that Sherogars are messengers while locals addressed them Konkan Valegars. Ethnographists Enthovan and Anant Krishna Aiyer say that the Sherogars are Rajput Laads, whose oroginal profession was cavalry. Their present occupation is husbandman. a) There is no specific dictionary meaning of Sherogar. The Sherogar is Shero and Gar like Sona and Gar for Sonagar and Sena and Gar for Senagar. The meaning of Shero as per Gujarati dictionary is (head) endorsement, indorsement, remarks and minute s of meeting. The fact that Sherogars lived in Laad ( Surat) region for over 500 years has connection to it. Its logical, literal and simple meaning is a head of a group of people who endorses a remark in a supervisory capacity. This matches with Goan word " shero" which is again remarks. In olden days the remarks writers were the king’s secret agents or spies or explorers who in turn were experienced and skillful warriors. Gathering information, writing them in special coded language which could be deciphered by members of their group alone and transmission of the same secretly were occupation of a class called "Saragar" in a kingdom known as Bhinamol.( Gujrat Gazetteer page 451). This messenger Saragar might have been modified to Sherogar with change of time and the habitat. Thus the meaning of Sherogar can be deciphered to be writer who endorses the remarks. b) Glossary of Oriental terms House of Lords volume 62 (1830) page 1413 Appendix D published by East India. Company states that Sherogar and Sharogar are synonyms. The meaning attributed is a revenue accountant of a district who checks the accounts of the regular village karkoon (the genext is deprived of the true story of the caste and have to believe whatever is displayed on website.). In Madras Presidency also the Sherogar term is used in a professional context. But the meaning attached is same i.e. superior Administrator. And it was not caste. Two personal servants of a Palegar in Shivganga, Vella Murdoo and Chinna Murdoo rose to become the Sherogars after their chief was killed in a war. They took upon themselves the administration on behalf of the Queen (James Walsh in 40 Years of active military services). The glossary of Technical Terms defines the term Sherogar as "an officer of the peon or military or any other establishments. Col. James Welsh in his publication " Military Reminiscences from Journal of 40 years of active Service in East India Company Establishments" records that a distant relative of a petty palegar of Sivgunga, one Woodiya Thevar was anointed in 1801 as Sherogar of the palayam with much pomp and fanfare after the above named two Murdoo brothers were hanged for rebellion in 1800. These two brothers and one Veer Pandya Katti Bomman were the first Indians to declare independence under Jambu Dweep Freedom slogan. After fierce fighting for months the rebellions were overpowered and mercilessly hanged (History of Tinnevelli district). Even though they were first to raise war cry for Indepenence and Swaraj and gave away their life, they remained unrecognized and unsung for 200 years until the D.M.K. Patriarch Karuna Nidhi erected a temple in their honour recently. This fact is mentioned not to boast but to highlight the meaning and stature of term Sherogar and context in which it is applied in South. c) The Bomay Kanara Gazetteer describes the Sherogars as Konkan Valegar. Konkan means total length of erstwhile Bombay Province Coastline and Vale means palm leaf. Valegar means writer of the palm leaf. In other words, a written palm leaf means a written paper that is a message, which again coincides with term messenger, the other name for the Sherogars in the Gazetter. Additionally, in Kannada Vale also means an ear ornament that is called Vonti in Konkani. In olden days the elders were particular to wear this Vonti. In recent years, although this tradition has taken a back seat, Rajasthani Kshatriyas still wear it. d) Olekar: Valegar, Valekar in Kannada also means Olekar. A postman, in olden days a messenger and in still olden days a secret messenger called SARAGAR for Bhinamol king in Gujarat. e) The most convincing and appropriate explanation is found in Wikipedia. It says that Sherogars were contracted under an obligation to an officer of a Suzarian King to fight war with their band of warriors and in lieu were given plots of the agricultural land. During peacetime, the Sherogar cultivates the land distributing the same among his band of warriors. He also collects the tax or the tribute of the king from his cultivators. The authority is misplaced, and will be exhibited as and when traced. f) Paik: The term Paik means old, original, on foot, pioneer explorer. Among the warriors, he is the front man (scout) exploring the possible advantageous spot for assault; among the migrants he is the first one to settle down and subsequently guiding others, among the converts the original Hindu names like Pai or Naik in Catholic Brahmins (Thurston in caste and tribes of southern India). In Mangalore they are known as the Bamonn. This goes to show that the Paik family of Mirjan and Mugvekan was first to explore the place for migration and subsequently helped others to settle down. This term is very much in vogue in U.S.A., with reference to the original settlers in Wild West. Some even named Pike or Paik like Pike Pronto. At least such names are common in Western novels and movies. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sherogar Konkanis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|