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A Historical Transition of Banjara Community in India with Special Reference to South India

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of History, Government First Grade College, Kuvempunagar, Mysore-570 023, INDIA

Res. J. Recent Sci., Volume 4, Issue (ISC-2014), Pages 11-15, (2015)

Abstract

An incisive insight into the literature on Banjara Community clearly indicates that ample literature has been produced by the Western and Indian scholars. Yet the treatment of the problem is exponential. Deep delve into the process of historical transition of the Banjara Community enables us to focus on various controversial issues and complexities of historical significance. Issues like Semantics, Historicity, Location, Ethnicity, Categorization, Caste-clan, Dichotomy and the community’s identity continued to gravitate the attention of the scholars and researchers alike. Lack of unanimity among the scholars and policy makers on these contentious issues has added perplexity to the puzzle. Ambiguous explanations given by the community historians have further complicated the clear-cut understanding of the process of historical transition. The antiquity of this Banjara Community is traceable to Harappa and Mohenjodaro. Its influence continued to spread and retain its relevance down the centuries to shape and reshape the course of history. There is a speculation about the group of Banjaras who mere concentrated outside India and called as Roma Gypsy, where their social history is not yet clear but proved to be of Indian Origin. This paper however strives to focus on historical transition within the context of India from 13th Century A.D. till 1950’s. Such a treatment might look intellectually awesome and anarchic. Despite it a depiction of the historical transition is inevitable to bridge several centuries old transitional life of the Banjara Community. This paper also unfolds important milestones coupled with phases of migration from North to South India. Thus this is divided into the following, Introduction, Phases of transition and the conclusion.

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