Poundra, earlier known as Pod, is a Hindu community originating from Bengal.[1] Traditionally located outside the four-tier ritual varna system, the Poundras have been historically subject to acute discrimination — including untouchability — and continue to remain a marginal group in modern Bengal.[1] As of 2011, their population was around two and a half million.[2]

History

Medieval Bengal

No mention is found in the Bṛhaddharma Upapuraṇa (c. 13th century[lower-alpha 1]), which remains the earliest document to chronicle a hierarchy of castes in Bengal.[3][lower-alpha 2] The Brahma Vaivarta Purana, notable for a very late Bengali recension c. 14/15th century, notes "Paundrakas" to be the son of a Vaisya father and Sundini mother but it is unknown if the groups are connected.[4] Mentions remain scarce in medieval vernacular literature.

Colonial Bengal

In his 1891 survey of castes, Herbert Hope Risley documented the Pods to be a branch of the Chandala; they faced untouchability from Brahmins as well as Navasakhas.[5] He noted a majority to be peasants though some had become traders, and even zamindars.[5]

In late nineteenth century, two influential members of the Pod community — Benimadhab Halder and Srimanta Naskar — produced numerous tracts of caste-history, in sync with their times. Arguing a descent from the "Poundras" — mentioned across a spectrum of Brahminical literature — they sought to establish the Pods as Kshatriyas, thereby removing the stigma of untouchability.[5] In what might be construed as a self-respect movement, it was also demanded of all Pods to follow Kshatriya rituals.[5] In 1901, Halder organized a pan-Bengal conference of the Pods, wherein it was resolved to have the government rename the caste as "Poundra".[5] Further mobilization happened under the leadership of Raicharan Sardar, a lawyer and first graduate from this community.[5]

Contemporary Bengal

The Poundras remain vulnerable to casteist discrimination in 21st century Bengal.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Rup Kumar Barman (1 January 2014). "From Pods to Poundra: A Study on the Poundra Kshatriya Movement for Social Justice 1891–1956". Contemporary Voice of Dalit. 7 (1): 121–138. doi:10.1177/0974354520140108. S2CID 148661602.
  2. ↑ "West Bengal : DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES : Census of India 2001" (PDF). Censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  3. ↑ Furui, Ryosuke (2013). "Finding Tensions in the Social Order: a Reading of the Varṇasaṃkara Section of the Bṛhaddharmapurāṇa". In Ghosh, Suchandra; Bandyopadhyay, Sudipa Ray; Majumdar, Sushmita Basu; Pal, Sayantani (eds.). Revisiting Early India: Essays in Honour of D. C. Sircar. Kolkata: R. N. Bhattacharya.
  4. ↑ Rocher, Ludo (1986). "Mixed Castes in the Brahmavaivartapurāṇa". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 106 (2): 254. doi:10.2307/601589. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 601589.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Barman, Rup Kumar (2014-01-01). "From Pods to Poundra: A Study on the Poundra Kshatriya Movement for Social Justice 1891–1956". Voice of Dalit. 7 (1): 121–138. doi:10.1177/0974354520140108. ISSN 0974-3545. S2CID 148661602.
  6. ↑ Barman, Rup Kumar (2020-02-17). "Casteism and Caste Intolerance in India: A Study on Casteism of Contemporary West Bengal". Contemporary Voice of Dalit. 12 (2): 165–180. doi:10.1177/2455328x19898451. ISSN 2455-328X. S2CID 214164973.
  1. ↑ Ludo Rocher however notes the text to contain multiple layers (like all other Puranas) making any dating impossible. However, he agrees with R. C. Hazra that a significant part was composed as a response to the Islamic conquest of Bengal.
  2. ↑ Older sources on social setup (not caste) include inscriptions of the Gupta and the Pala periods but Pods don't find a mention.
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