Namasudra

File:Adi-Santo-Guru.jpg

Adi-Santo-Guru

Namasudra is the name of a community who originally resided in certain regions of Bengal, India.

History and origin

File:Namassej symbol brinha.jpg

Holy Symbol

Namasudra is a community residing in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. Their population is around ~8 million(2010). Nearly 4.8 million people are living in India (mostly in the State of West Bengal); very recent studies in Joshua Project have given a descriptive break up. In India, they are scattered all over northern and northeastern states and over some of southern states also. In Bangladesh they are the main Hindu Community (~ 3 million population). The literacy rate of this community is reported to be nearly 75% in some small pockets of population (2001 census in Manipur, the population is meager 3500) but average literacy is around 55%. As per the 2001 census report of India, the literacy rate in West Bengal of this community is 71.9 percent (Male - 80.6 percent and Female - 62.8 percent) . There is different hearsay in respect of their origin. Although in Bengal Gazetteer and Darjeeling Gazetteer of British India period three Gotras or Clan name have been reported, namely Kashyapa, Bhardwaja and Gautama, the hearsay is that later there was some meetings of the larger families where they agreed to be identified as descendant of Kasyap and included in the scheduled castes' list of Govt. of India under constitutional provision. Nihar Ranjan Roy, a great historian, has given lot of information about this community in his famous book named "BANGLAR ITIHAS - ADI PARBA".

The Exodus

It was an unacceptable community, forced to live in the swamps of extreme south of Bengal till the emergence of British India. Quite interestingly, the socio-religious taboos of Hindu caste system that devastated their social life completely also helped them not to be lost into the vast population ,as they were not acceptable to any community or caste for religious declaration (manusmriti).

With the advent of the Missionaries in Orhakandi, Faridpur, Bengal and of the Great Iconic Family of Sri Sri Haricahnd, the process of enlightenment began within the community. The Iconic Family inspired the Namasudras to establish more than five thousand schools and after 1905 onwards, the great help and Blessings of the Missionary doctor Cecil Silas Mead created the path like that of Exodus for this ostracized community. And the Exodus was politically carried forward by Sri Jogendra Nath Mandal. However, this great phenomenon lasted only another four decades, until 1947, when British-India got independence as secular India and Pakistan, a theocratic state. The community was torn into two parts. In one part, the larger section became the lowborn beggar masses and, as refugees, was being made to settle all over India. In another part (later becoming independent as Bangladesh in 1971, when this community both greatly suffered and fought courageously), they were lowborn of a different religion. A very small section of this community managed to get higher education .

However in course of time the turn of the happenings and incidents have most brutally tightened its stranglehold on their Exodus.

Name of the community

All the names, inclusive of Namasudra found in the most contemporary survey of phenomenological anthropology of this community under Joshua Project of south-east Asian marginalized communities bear the abusing emotive connotations. In the Govt. Census of British-India in 1911, the varna-Hindus actually wanted the documentation to be recorded by more harder abusing connotation as chandala OR Candala. But then, at that critical time of Exodus, the friend-philosopher-guides of this community, Sri Guruchand of the great Iconic family (son of Great Sri Harichand) and the Missionary Doctor Cecil Silas Mead lead the community to insist for the acceptance of the mythological-origin theory disseminated through Sruti by their forefathers over generations after generations.

The name they wanted to be recorded in the Census of 1911 might be either Namassut or Namassej. In Bengali, sut means son, so 'Namassut' means 'Namas' (name of sage) + Sut (meaning son) i.e. son or descendant of 'Namas'. The other name has a similar meaning. Sreej in Bengali is a verb, meaning to generate or to originate. So Namas+ Sreej transformed to Namassreej to Namassej meaning generated or originated from Namas.

Namaswej>Namassej

But most probably the name Namaswej(নমঃসে_বজ) first appeared on web-page in and around year 2000 i.e. more or less than one decade ago.The name was a part of A Declared Revelation named "Swejsantokotha" or "Smritokotha".In Bengali language there are two letters designated by same symbol which in Roman Script are given by "b" and "wa or w " .If there is "w" then in the pronunciation the previous letter becomes double.So according to pronunciation "Namaswej" becomes "Namassej".All the interpretations given by different community members were according to the version written in English or Roman script.In Bengali "Swajan" means kins , so "Namaswej" might be the abbreviation of "Namas"( the rishi, Namas) + "Swajan" > "Namaswajan"> "Namaswej" or the kins or descendants of "Namas".It is same as that given above.The differences might have arisen due to lack of education among the community members.

However on objection from the varna-Hindus the compromised name of the community was documented as Namasudra, the Sut or Sreej née Ssej or Swej being replaced by Sudra. The interpretation changed to Namasya (respectable) sudra (meaning servant or slave-like).

Now-a-days many people of this community designate themselves simply as Namo or Nomo but there are many places where they are considered unacceptable (namasudra.com) till these days also.

Myth of Origin

Every community carries with itself the folk-tale or folklore of their origin or lineage .There may be several contradictions or branchings in the story or completely different stories which may transform each of them magical or unbelievable or a myth. Dr. N. R. Ray the great historian first expressed his doubt in respect of the position of the Namasudras in social hierarchy .He told of the folklore of origin and of degradation that could possibly resolve the anomaly.

Dr. Ray believes that that story will be the story of the people which in part or in essence must conform to the History of The People. Thus goes the Tale .Brahma, the Parameshwar, is the Creator God. He begot Marich. Marich begot Kashyapa. Kashyapa begot Namas. Namas was married to Sulochana, the daughter of Ruchi, the spiritual son of Brahma. They begot Kirtiban and Uruban (most probably instead of Kirtyuruban they together wrongly mentioned as Ariban in Ssejsantokotha or it may be that in old hand written manuscript it became simply uruban>ariban and first part Kirtyu was omitted due to mistake or erasing due to being preserved in bad condition ). They were twin brothers. Their father, Santo or sage Namas, went into deep forest for meditation and did not return in 14 years. So Kirtiban and Uruban were self-dikshitized or self-consecrated. They were married to the two daughters of the King Simanta. They begot eight children and they were married to the children of Asamonjo, the eldest son of the Suryavanshi King Sagar. They are the forefathers of Namasudra community.This explains the origin of the Kashyapa clan only. [From this then one may also propose that the name of the community should be Brahma Kshatriya because father was Brahmin by birth and mother was a daughter of a king.In fact many times these people have been mentioned as Khanda-Kshatriya in some popular newspapers like Anandabazar Patrika etc.But this argument is not applicable unless you believe in varna-custom or jatived or caste-system.In monotheism and sannyasbadi Hinduism there is only gotra and community name.This is incidentally the common accepted process all over the world by which the mythical identity of most population groups have come into being.Namassejas nee namasudras also accept this. So the question of being sudra or Brahma-Kshatriya or any caste name does not arise here and as accordingly the Community also has declared the revealed community-name, Namassej, and also that being any sage or monk or sannyasi does not signify a Brahman or the king being a Kshatriya as these systems of varna or caste developed much later with differentiation of profession and is not accepted by the Namassej nee namasudras(?)].

This is the folklore of the origin of the Namasudras: the story they believe i.e. the History of The People. Sri Harichand told them only to meditate the Parameshwar and take Him to be the origin of all that exist. He told also that they will be Self-Consecrated. Although his followers could not follow his path strictly (they got mixed up with Vaishnavism and with the path of the Bauls ). However his family became Iconic and very recently from some corner of the community A discourse is declared to be published which the editor foretold to be a complete guide to community-life.

The story of their degradation could be found in little magazines or in some minor publications or as hearsay among different community members. This is also very interesting and according to Dr. Nihar R. Ray it conforms better to the findings of phenomenological anthropology of the Namasudras.

Religion

They mostly belong to Hinduism .A small population of the community has been reported to be following Islam in Joshua Project Report and mentioned as Namasudra, Muslim (0.035%).But the authenticity of the report is questionable.Some of them adopted Christianity ( 0.09%), Brahmoism and Buddhism also.

The Iconic Family (Of Orhakandi, Faridpur) had established The Matua-Math in Thakurnagar, India.This folk-Hinduism has a large number of followers( ~8 - 10% ) and getting wooing from the political organisations also.

There is a holy lake called Kamana Sagar. A discourse (ssejsantokotha) demands that thousands of years back they were ostracized from a settlement like this and declared to publish the complete guide to the religious path to be followed by the community. However, no publication has been identified. At present the Lady who is the Head of the Holy Family and the Math is Boroma (The Holy Mother) or Binapanimata.

The Myth of Facts and Findings

According to Dr. Niharranjan Ray the findings of phenomenological anthropology for this community is interesting and requires special attention. There are other opinions. However, recent survey under Joshua Project reveals similar findings. They are given the Ethnic-Code CNN25b where C implies Caucasian, N implies Indo-Iranian, second N implies brown, 25 implies north-Indian and b implies Bengali. Dr. N. R. Ray has also expressed same opinion ;that the community has considerable Alpine mixing.

Their development is also as was found by Risely and Dalton; most unreachable community with higher percentage of population living below poverty line. However, the genome studies conform to the survey of phenomenological anthropology. They are 23% R2Y-DNA and ~31% R1a1 prevalence i.e. ~ 54% Caucasian prevalence.

See also

• Bengali But not Bhadrolok by Annu Jalias
• Namasudra People in Nepal
• Namasudra People in Pakistan

References

• Website dedicated to Namasudra Samaj:namasudra.com
• Ssejsantokotha The Revelation of Seven Santos of the Namassej nee Namasudra
• Int.J.Hum.Genet.,9(3-4):145-230(2009) by m.k.Bhasin
• Bangalir Itihas-Adi Parbo-Nihar Ranjan Ray
• Tagore's Participation in Namasudra Conference in East Bengal in 1925: Mainstream Weekly (Founder Editor nikhil chakrobarty): VOLXLVIII, NO 20, MAY 8, 2010
• Bengalis.*The People, Their History And Culture 6 Volumes Set By S. N. Das, 2002. ISBN 81-292-0066-X, Indigo Books, New Delhi, India

External links

• History of Bengali People-Ancient period-niharranjanray: [1]
• Bengal Gazetteer-Darjeeling Gazetteer by L.O.S.S. Malley: [2]
• Articles on Namasudra by Dr. C. S. Mead: [3][4]
• ....namasudras of bengal by sekhar bandyopadhyay: [5]
• Joshua Project-Namasudra: [6]
• Census of India 2001, Manipur: [7]
• ANUSTUP, IRAQ EBONG EKHON, XXXVII(3-4),2003,pp-439 by manoranjanbyapari: [8]
• The Caste and Tribes of Bengal by H. H. Risely (2 vol.):Herbert Hope Risely[9]
• Castes: [10][11][12]
• E. T. Dalton, 1872: [13][14]
• Desciptive Ethnology Of Bengal by Dalton, E. T.: [15]
• Sri J. N. Mandal: Jogendra Nath Mandal[16][17][18]
• Encyclopædia Britannica based on 1911: [19]
• Literacy & others: [20]
• The stranglehold after 1947: By Vohra: [21], By M. Klass, pp. 43: [22]: by Ross Mullick,JAS vol. 58. no. 1 (Feb 1999) pp. 104–125.: [23]:ABR :[24] & : [25]
• Namasudras in Bangladesh: [26]
• Matua: [27]
• Baruni: [28]
• Webjournals Alphacrucis: [29]
• A prehistory of Indian Y chromosomes : etc. supporting Table 2&3 : [30]
• R2dna information: [31]
• Rabindranath Tagore, The Brahma Poet in Namasudra Conference: The Calcutta Municipal Gazette Tagore Memorial Special Supplement, Saturday, September 3, 1941, editor Amal Home, p. 90 : [32]
• Bengalis.* The People, Their History And Culture by S. N. Das [33]
• A prehistory of Indian Y chromosomes:: Evaluating demic diffusion scenarios By Sahoo et.al. PNAS Jan 24 ,2006 vol 103 no 4 843-848 :[34]