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Cultural Ascendency of the Lower Section of the Society in the Early Modern Coastal Orissa: A Case Study of the Kingdom of Khurda Dr. Brundaban Mishra Assistant Professor, Amity Law School, NOIDA, AUUP Introduction: first half of 16th century that adversely affected he important characteristic of the social over the policy of the state to exclusively structure of Orissa in sixteenth century was continue patronage to the as old Brahmanical the existence of a number of communities groups. 3.) The politico- military-economy T dependency of newly established state upon within the same caste groups. The Brahman no longer became the dominant community the heterogeneous communities over the geo- and several new lower groups rose to power political strategic region of the kingdom of th and position in the society. Unlike other part Khurda. In the first half of 15 century a seed of India, Kshatriyas and Vaishya as such were of cultural awaking planted Sarala Das over not prominently noticed in the society and the the Orissan society. Emergence of Vaishnavism intermediary caste groups such as Khandayat, against backdrop of Brahmanical hegemony Karana etc. represented the backbone of the performed the role of pouring water on the seed social structure. Theoretically the society was of cultural awaking in the second half of the th divided into four groups but practically it was 15 century. Extending of patronage to lower the intermediary groups and lower section of section of society side by side Brahmanical the society who enjoyed considerable position groups by the state in the second half of the in society. The strictness of the Brahmanical sixteenth century work as manure for the seed system had ended and the concept of the four of cultural awaking. The seed became a banyan varnas in society became diluted. The lower tree of emerged literary group of lower section sections of the society were no longer servant of society in the seventeenth century and seed of the upper classes and some of them emerged germinate and send down the root toward the as literary groups. They started claiming to be ground in eighteenth century. The downfall an integral part of the society through their of Gajapati Empire and followed by repeated writing. Sanskrit literature slowly faded away Muslim invasion over coastal Orissa adversely and was replaced by Oriya literature that was effected the interest of the as old Brahmanical under the command of the member of the lower groups. Neither the kith and kin of Gajapati section of the society. nor the Brahmanical group in a position to bell them each other from the political crisis. The The cultural ascendency of the lower section of Brahmanical groups gradually loosed the state society as a vernacular literary group during patronage that they once used to have. In that the Bhoi period roughly sixteenth to eighteen paradoxical situation some of the new state centuries in Khurda was closely connected emerged such as Khurda from the edifice of with three independent interrelated factors. Gajapati Empire. Unlike the Gajapati the new 1.) Penetration of Vaishnavism in the society state of Khurda was not in a stable position to th of Orissa during latter half of the 15 century promote exclusively the Brahmanical interest. that show a path of emancipation to the lower Patronage to Brahman was became only a section of society. 2.) The political instability symbolic for the state to retain the as old in Orissa after the downfall of the Gajapati Gajapati legacy. Those communities implicitly empire and repaid invasion of the Muslim in 20 Cultural Ascendency of the Lower Section of the Society in the Early Modern Coastal Orissa: A Case Study of the Kingdom of Khurda turn out to be a part of policymaking and groups found yet Kashtriya and Vaisha groups were only confine to religious domain. On the conspicuously absence over the Varna society. By other hand the state of Khurda established and large the society divided into upper and lower her power and position far away from the caste depending upon the nature of their position political and cultural center of Gajapati. The on traditional caste system. While the upper caste state mainly depended upon the politico- represented Brahman and various intermediary military-economic support from the non- groups the lower caste composed of diversified Brahmanical heterogeneous local communities. groups. Many new social groups emerged from Nevertheless Vaishnavism had already been the lower caste of the society. Depending upon the created an atmosphere that encouraged the nature of their duties they were further divided lower section of society for a cultural assertion. into higher or lower groups within the same caste They identified themselves with the language group. For example the pure low caste Sudra and of their own rather then the privilege state unclear low caste Sudra. The former grouped into language i.e Sanskrit. In order to spread two groups depending upon the degree of purity of Vaishnavism among the mass a few people the traditional caste occupation. The first one was independently started writing in vernacular Chasa who mostly found over the alluvial plain language. Most of the votaries of vernacular land of Puri basin and the second groups was literary groups who identify themselves with Gauras and Gurias found all over the territories. Vaishnavism were being created a broad bass The second one represented numerous castes like among the mass. They created an audience who Tantis, Golas, Thorias, Kansaris and Kachras could want to lessen the gospel of the religion who were untouchable. The unclear lower Sudras through vernacular language. Nevertheless who were classified with three sub groups. The the state too needs the support of the mass in first one Siyals and Chamars who was served order to consolidate her over the new area and by Dhoba and Jyotish as their priest; the second to establish her supremacy over the political Dhobas, Bauris, Khatias and Nuliyas who were dissident. The state aware of the importance not served by Dhoba and have no priest of any of the emerging literary groups who excluded kind; the third Ahir, Gauras, Kelas and Kandras. from the preview of royal patronage by the The bottom of the society consisted of Doms, Pans previous regime. The state followed an inclusive and Haris.1 A section of the people called Rajaka policy and granted patronage to the votaries (washermen), Chamarakara (shoemaker), of literary groups of the lower section of the Kaivartta (fishermen), andDombi (basket maker) society. The patronage holder propagated the were generally treated as outcastes.2 greatness of the king among the mass through The social configuration in Khurda pass throws their vernacular writing. On the other hand a process of transformation from 16th century they played a centrifugal force for the growth onwards. In a process of upward mobility, many and development of vernacular literature in th th lower communities no longer remained servants 17 and 18 centuries. On the other hand by of the high castes. The social dynamism implant granting patronage to the votaries of literary by the state in accordance with the requirement groups of the lower section of the society the that gone through a process of modification king woo the sentiment of their fellow brethren and transformation became ‘monastic caste who used to provide politico-military-economic hierarchy’ during colonial period.3 The Brahman support. Social Configuration 1. L.L.S. O’ Malley, Puri : A Gazetteer, Usaa, New Delhi, Unlike the other part of the India over Orissa 1984,p.78. hard to find four fold division of the society. 2. S. K. Panda, Medieval Orissa A Socio-Economic Study, p.87. Rather Orissa had a complete caste system of it 3. Akio Tanabe, “Recast(e)ing Identity: Transformation own. Although Brahman and the so-called Sudra of Inter-caste Relationship in Post-Colonial Rural Orissa” Modern Asian Studies, 40, 3,(2006) p. 767. 21 Cultural Ascendency of the Lower Section of the Society in the Early Modern Coastal Orissa: A Case Study of the Kingdom of Khurda no longer became the dominant community members of these class groups represented and several new lower groups rose to power themselves as twice-born ranks. There was also and position in the society. The rigidness of the intra-mobility in assuming the statuesque of Brahmanical supremacy over the social setup higher rank by the lower rank people in the same slowly diluted. They no longer remained the groups. The lower members of the same caste single dominant castes. Narasingha Deva (1621- raise themselves as the member of the some 1647) introduced the system of Kulinism and split higher caste groups. For instance the Chasas, the Brahman community into four divisions.4 when they became wealthy raises themselves to They started taking water and ordinary food the membership of the lower classes of Karans, from the hand of the lower caste Sudra5. Some of and assume the respectable title of Mahanti8. them were earning their livelihood by farming. Sixteenth century poet Balarama Dasa in his Emergence of lower Section of Society work Dandi Ramayana states that Santha As a Literary Group Panda maintained his family by gardening.6 In the perplex of above social configuration However they were usually forbidden from the lower section of the society under went for taking up four occupations, ‘Batua’ or the pilgrim a process of cultural ascendency in the middle guide, ‘Ghatua’ or the performer of ‘Sankalpa’ in of the 16th century onwards. They no longer the ‘ Panch Tirtha’ for the pilgrims, ‘Natua’ or became the servant of the upper class and some being the dancer and actor in a drama, ‘Chhatia’ of them started emerging as literary groups.

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