THE MIANAS SAURASHTRA Introduction

The Indian Journal of Social Work, Vol. XXI, No. 4 (March 1961). THE MIANAS SAURASHTRA Y. D. JADEJA, M.A. The author examines in detail the origin of the Miana Community which is one of the ex-criminal tribes of Saurashtra, Gujarat State. The programme, undertaken to rehabilitate them, should be based on the understanding of their culture and traditions and appreciation of their social, psychological and economic conditions. Mr. Jadeja is a Block Development Officer in Saurashtra. Introduction.—Mianas are the tribal people it. Thus, Malia is a bad country for troops scattered all over Kutch and Saurashtra. In in the rains, and particularly so for movement. Saurashtra, they are clustered in one place and A few Miana families are also found most of them are found inhabiting the territory scattered over certain other parts of Saurash of the former Malia State. Mianas are about tra also—such as Amran-Bela, Dhrol, Jam- 7000 in number; and Malia State is inhabited nagar, Wadhwan and Dhrangadhra. It seems by about 1500 or 2000 families of Mianas who from this that Mianas have generally lived form a major class of its population. This around the Runn of Kutch. This strengthens tribe became notorious as criminal; hence the the opinion that the Mianas originally were State is known as "Malia of Mianas". Malia, fishermen, and agriculture was adopted by therefore, is a famous den of robbers known them only after migrating to Malia. Mianas as Mianas. are hospitable, but not mild in manners. They are by nature a bit reserved and do not mix Area of Ex-Malia State is about 103 sq. freely with other communities. They are lazy miles. On the North of this State is the Runn and hot tempered, and even commit murders of Kutch, Ex-Dhrangadhra State on the East, with or without provocation. and Ex-Morvi State about 24 miles on the West and South. The Country about Malia Mianas belong to an Ex-Criminal Tribe is extremely low and sloping gently off to the and have been the residents of Saurashtra for Runn, which is about five and a half miles the 200 years. They committed crimes, both distant. This is a plain country with a rich within as well as outside the District. In most soil, but perfectly fallow. This flat and waste cases, they returned to their headquarters plain is covered with prickly bushes, and wood immediately after committing crimes. Aged is scarcely to be seen. persons, women and children usually stayed back at home, while adult male members In the rainy season, it is a perfect marsh went out for thieving. They committed pro for many miles', rendering it impossible to perty offences, and their favourite seasons move out on horseback. The Machhu river were Summer and Winter. They travelled also has a course past Malia. It has high long distances at times for committing banks and few good passes, but in the rainy offences. season, it is often impassable for some days together. So the Machhu river has always Mianas are well-known for their bravery been an obstacle to a force marching across and dexterity. They served as the force of the 432 Y. D. JADEJA, M.A. Malia State. Though small in number they known as Wagad. Again from Wagad, as we constituted a formidable body of free booters. shall see later on, Mianas were invited by the From their arrival at Malia is to be dated the Chief of the Malia State and were allowed to disputes with the head of the family at Morvi, settle in Malia in the thirties of the eighteenth which gradually degenerated into an implac century. able and hereditary resentment. They are by nature courageous and hazardous. Here it is necessary to mention that one more opinion traced the origin of Mianas, who Some Mianas own the houses in Malia are cent per cent Muslims today, to the 'Meh' proper; but as they are not in a condition to Rajputs of Mahikantha. There is a definite get them repaired, they have deserted those and convincing reason how these ruling Class houses and are living in the mud and thatched Hindus became Muslims. The supporters of huts (Kubas) near their fields. This helps this opinion give some story regarding this them to protect their own produce in the change, and it would be better to discuss this fields. But it also helps them in their criminal here only. activities of committing thefts and easily dislocating the stolen property. The story in this regard holds that the Mianas originally were Rajputs; but it Origin.—There are different opinions becomes difficult to ascertain when they regarding the origin of the term, Mianas. switched over to the Muslim religion. Mainly there are three explanations as To support this opinion it is argued follows: that in the thirteenth century Muslim (1) The term is not descriptive of anything King Allauddin commanded his Suba to and is only a family or patronymic appella collect ransom from Rajput rulers of Mahi tion, from one 'Miyan' or 'Minyo', their Kantha region. Rajput kings from Sind, ancestor. So the word seems to have been Gujarat and Rajputana united to oppose the adopted from the name of their ancestor. Suba and tried to reduce the fort in which mixture of the words 'Miyan and 'Mini'. he sought refuge; but all efforts were fruitless until they adopted the Muslim religion as (2) Mianas originally belong to Sindh; and advised by some Muslim Fakir. Among these their tribe is known as 'Mini' in Sindh. So victorious Rajputs, who became converts to the 'Miana' might have come out of the Islam, were the 'Meh' Rajputs, of Mahi (3) According to another opinion, the Kantha, also. Afterwards they migrated to original name of the Mianas is traced to Sind and their kingdom vanished. Slowly they 'Meh', which, in the language of Sindh, adopted the professions of fishing, etc., and signifies a mean or low caste. In Sindh, the became known as a low caste. As the time original country of the Mianas, they are marched on, these Meh came to be known fishermen, but in Kutch and Malia they are as Mianas. thieves. General Description:— Though we cannot come to any definite conclusion from the above explanation re Mianas are strongly built and possess garding the origin of the term, Miana, it is stamina and vigour. They are normal in certain that originally Mianas belonged to height, varying from fairly tall to short per Sindh, from where they have migrated after sons. They are dolichocephals and possess wards and settled themselves in the region wheat-coloured complexion. They have str- THE MIANAS SAURASHTRA 433 aight hair, its colour varying from brown to not habituated to take their bath daily. They black. do not wash their clothes regularly. Though their mother-tongue is kutchy, they The rooms are small, dingy and not well- speak Gujarati also. When they have to deal ventilated. Most of the houses lack windows, with others, they speak in Gujarati, and and if they are there, they are very small Kutchy is spoken only when they talk among in size. The rooms are decorated with cloth- themselves. pieces of embroidery, photos, mirrors, etc. Vessels, utensils and even glass bottles are As regards their dresses, the males put on arranged on the shelves for the purpose of shirts, jackets and special types of Dhoti decoration. known as ajarakh. This ajarakh has a full- size coloured design. They also put on a Among the furniture we find one or two small piece of cloth as head-gear. The females big wooden boxes covered with thin designed put on ghagras around to cover the back, sheets of either brass or iron known as pataras. and chorsas around the girdle, blouse known They use smaller wooden boxes for preserving as kapda which does not cover the back, and cooked food, milk, etc. Nowadays they use chorsa which is a type of sari with different steel trunks for keeping clothes. The pataras colours and designs. Old women put on are brought by the women in dowry and are the padas instead of ghagras. used generally for keeping mattresses, orna ments, important documents and other valu Usually those Mianas, who are economic able articles. Big earthen jars for preserving ally better, dwell in mud and stone houses, corn are also found in the houses of agri while the poorer persons live in small huts culturists. known as Kuba. When there are five or seven Kubas situated at one place, the site is called Many Mianas have constructed huts wandh. Around the Malia region there are (wandh) in their own fields or at other con about 1000 such Kubas. venient places under the pretext that they may properly watch the crop. In fact, they prefer Mianas generally live in villages; but more to stay out of the village so that it may be often they also prefer to live in wandh more convenient for them to conceal their (or kubas) outside the village, at a distance criminal activities. This wandh is not easily ranging upto a mile or two. Villages are accessible to the police. It usually consists of very dirty and the houses are situated one one katcha room covered by a thatched roof. adjoining the other. Other communities also normally reside in houses adjoining to these Economy.—Originally Mianas were fisher- of Mianas. Houses are mostly made of kutcha men in Sindh and Kutch. But when they mud wall and the roof made out of bamboos migrated to Malia, they served in the army and local tiles.

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