Etymology The word "
Dhangar" is inscribed in a Buddhist cave in
Pune district of Maharashtra. It is believed that this inscription has its origin between the first and the third century AD. Multiple theories have been proposed for the origin of the word Dhangar. It may be associated with a term for "cattle wealth".
Bhagwan Lal Indraji maintains that it is derived from the Sanskrit word
Dhang which means 'hill'. Syed Siraj-Ul-Hassan noted that some people of his time believed the term to come from the Sanskrit "
dhenugar" ("cattle herder") but dismissed that etymology as being "fictitious". In
Kannada, the word
Danagãra means 'cowherd' and is derived from
Dana which means 'cattle'. Dana is the
tadbhava of
Dhana, which comes from
Go-dhana, meaning 'cattle' in
Sanskrit. According to
Shamba Joshi, Hatakara-Dhanagara (
Hatkar-Dhangar) is a compound of two words of the same meaning.
Subdivisions Initially there were twelve tribes of Dhangar, and they had a
division of labour amongst brothers of one family. The nation around
Hingoli was called Bara-Hatti which means country of twelve Hatkar-Dhangars. These twelve tribes later formed three sub-divisions and one half-division. These three being
Hatkar (shepherd),
Gavli or Dange (cowherd) and
Khutekar (wool and blanket weaver)/Sangar. All sub-castes fall in either of these divisions.
Historical migrations The archaeological evidence and ethnographic data suggest that the contemporary Dhangar castes are the result of more than one migration from North-West
India, between 4000 and 10000 BC. a mixed dialect of
Gujarati and
Marathi and are closely related to the Ladshe and Dange who have supposedly come from
Gujarat. On the other hand,
Gadhari-Nikhar and
Gadhari-Dhangar, having migrated from
North India, speak
Sanskrit and Hindi. Telangi speaks
Telugu and probably migrated from
Andhra Pradesh, the remaining groups speak
Marathi. In the past, some Dhangars were
Inamdars and some were tenure-holders, holding lands either by a share or by paying a lump sum for a certain period. used by Dhangar tribe of
Maharashtra Dhangars were also known for producing fine breeds of cattle and ponies.
Khillari cattle, a mixture with a breed of
Mysore, was pioneered by a Dhangar of
Nashik named Gowdia who owned cattle in
Mysore state. Similarly, Dhangar or Khilari
pony is considered the best breed of ponies in Deccan. It is believed that their superior excellence is due to the Dhangar's practice of castrating them.
Role in the Maratha Empire Dhangars are noted for their martial qualities. A large number of
Shivaji's most trusted
Mawalas or
Maratha footmen were West-
Pune Dhangars. On the other hand,
Hatkar Dhangars, who are found mainly in the former
Nizam state, especially in
Nanded,
Parbhani and
Vidarbha, are known as
Bargi Dhangars or "shepherds with the spears" and were perhaps
Bargirs or mounted troopers during the time of the
Maratha Empire. However,
Bargi or Bande Dhangar is a distinct sub-caste from them. Hatkars were in the army of
Shivaji in large numbers and were known for their bravery in the
Maratha Empire. "Naik" and "Rao" were the titles given to them.
Hatkars were a dread to others and even
Nizam was afraid of them. It is on the historical record that for restraining the Hatkars, Nizam had sought help from the
British Indian army. While some sources claim
Malhar Rao Holkar, Founder of the
Maratha Indore state, belonged to the Hatkar Dhangar sub-caste, the
bakhars of
Holkar dynasty say that he was a Khutekar Dhangar.
Relationship with Yadavs According to the
1891 Census of India, the pastoral class of Indian population was divided into two groups. First group was called cattle graziers which included
Ahirs,
Gopas,
Gawali and
Golla. The second group was called shepherds which included
Gadaria, Dhangars,
Kuruba,
Idaiyan,
Bharwad and
Rabari. In the early 1920s, the leaders from the North Indian
Ahir and the Maharashtrian
Gavli which were ritually considered as lower castes and formed the bulk of landless peasants in Gangetic plains, founded
All India Yadav Mahasabha (AIYM) in order to lay claims to Yadava identity through sanskritisation of their constituents and by re-imagining a glorified past based on a fabricated descent from the mythical
Yadu. Many castes across India adopted Yadav as the last name, illustrating claimed descent from Yadu. They also started practicing vegetarianism and teetotalism. Various communities, all over India, who were traditionally involved in cattle related occupations enthusiastically followed these recommendations. This effort was part of the process of
Sanskritization and Aryanization. Dhangar society in India includes Dhangars in Maharashtra and
Goa, Gadaria in North India, Bharwad in
Gujarat, and Kuruba both in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. However,
Dhangar Gavli is a distinct caste from
Yadav Gavli in
Maharashtra and
Goa. Moreover,
Ahirs of Maharashtra prefer to be known as Ahir Dhangars and
Marathas of
Indore (Madhya Pradesh), like
Holkars, call themselves Dhangar gadaria. In North India the gadaria, who call themselves dhangar, were at one time a wing of Dhangar society. Ahir is one of the
gotra of Dhangars. ==Rajputisation attempt==