------------------------------------------------- Garasia tribal community has gained a place of prominenece in India due to their lifestyle and culture. This garasia tribal community has got concentration in several areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
As per history, the Garasia tribes are a division of the Rajput community. According to the stories told by locals,in the battle of Haldighati, Maharana pratap’s army got out numbered and defeated by mughals, the soldiers ran into aravalli hills for survival. During Pratap's exile, he received much financial assistance from Bhamashah, a well-wisher. The Bhil tribals of the Aravalli hills provided Pratap with their support during times of war and their expertise in living off the forests during times of peace. Since, then the army never left the hills and been residing since then.
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During Pratap's exile, he received much financial assistance from Bhamashah, a well-wisher. The Bhil tribals of the Aravalli hills provided Pratap with their support during times of war and their expertise in living off the forests during times of peace.
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Maharana Pratap
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Maharana Pratap singh | The Ruler of Mewar | | Reign | 1568–1597 | Born | May 9, 1540 | Birthplace | kolyari, Kumbhalgarh, Juni Kacheri, Pali | Died | January 19, 1597 (age 57) | Predecessor | Maharana Udai Singh II | Offspring | 3 sons and 2 daughters | Royal House | Sisodia, Suryavanshi Rajput | Father | Maharana Udai Singh II | Religious beliefs | Hindu,Rajput |
Maharana Pratap pronunciation (help·info) or Pratap Singh (May 9, 1540 – January 19, 1597) was a Hindu Rajput ruler of Mewar, a region in north-western India in the present day state of Rajasthan. In popular Indian culture, Pratap is considered to exemplify the qualities like bravery and chivalry to which Rajputs aspire, especially in context of his opposition to the Mughal emperor Akbar. The struggle between Rajput confederacy led by Pratap Singh, and the Mughal Empire under Akbar, has often been characterised as a struggle between Hindus and the invading hordes of Muslims, much on the same lines as the struggle between Shivaji and Aurangzeba little less than a century later.
Maharana Pratap was a staunch patriot. Pratap is said to have lamented that "If there had been no Udai Singh between himself and Rana Sanga, he would not have let Turks master Hindustan." He saw Mughals as foreigners who had invaded India and that is why he refused to surrender. His own father Udai Singh had condemned the house of Man Singh for their marriage with unclean foreigners and Pratap Singh himself said that he would call Akbar only a "Turk" and not an emperor. Also Pratap Singh's dogged resistance, even when he had to wander in the jungles of Aravallis and his persistent refusal to surrender even after being reduced to starvation while pursuing Haldighati, do not point to a person who fought for power politics, but rather to a person with a sacred mission. His own vow giving up all comforts of palace life till he recaptured all his kingdom from Mughals and his lifelong observance of that vow also speak of his steadfast patriotism and determination rather than power politics. Similar kinds of observation can be pointed out to his repeated refusal to accept lucrative offers from Akbar in shape of jagirs and suberdaris.
In 1568, during the reign of Udai Singh II, Chittor was conquered by the Mughal Emperor Akbar after the third Jauhar at Chittor. However, Udai Singh and the royal family of Mewar escaped before the capture of the fort and moved to the foothills of the Aravalli Range where Udai Singh founded the city of Udaipur. Rana Udai Singh wanted Jagmal, his favourite son, to succeed him but his senior nobles wanted Pratap, the eldest son, to be their king as was customary. During the coronation ceremony, Jagmal was physically moved out of the palace by the Chundawat Chief and Tomar Ramshah and Pratap was made the King, the Rana of Mewar. Folklore has it that Pratap did not want to go against the wishes of his father but Rajput nobles convinced him that Jagmal was not fit to rule in the troubled times of the day; but it is quite possible that what occurred was a bitterly contested struggle for succession: something characteristic of most South Asian kingdoms of the age.
Though the chief reasons for resentment between Pratap Singh and Akbar, two very visionary rulers is unclear, it is now largely agreed that it had to do with disagreements over the status of Mewar within the Mughal Empire, were it to at all accept Mughal suzerainty. The tensions were further characterised by the fact that Babur and Rana Sanga, grandfathers to Akbar and Pratap respectively, had earlier bitterly contested the control over the Gangetic plains and the Doab. It is evident that there were had been some measures of reconciliation, such as acceptance of ambassadors and representatives between the two courts. However, none of these could ever be taken to any logical end.
[edit]Conflict
Chittorgarh Fort which Rana wanted to reclaim. Also seen isVijay Stambha along with Gaumukh Reservoir.
Chittorgarh (Chittor fort), Pratap's ancestral home, was under Mughal occupation. Living a life on the run, the dream of reconquering Chittor (and thus reclaiming the glory of Mewar) was greatly cherished by Pratap, and his future efforts were bent towards this goal. In essence Pratap remained king of the whole of Rajputana (now Rajasthan) and the lands surrounding it except Chittor.
Nearly all of Pratap's fellow Rajput chiefs had meanwhile entered into the vassalage of the Mughals. Even Pratap's own brothers, Shakti Singh and Sagar Singh, served Akbar. Indeed, many Rajput chiefs, such as Raja Man Singh of Amber(later known as Maharaja of Jaipur) served as army commanders in Akbar's armies and as members of his council. Akbar sent a total of six diplomatic missions to Pratap, seeking to negotiate the same sort of peaceful alliance that he had concluded with the other Rajput chiefs. This is clearly evidential of the ends sought by each of the two rulers: for Akbar, having an independent or semi independent kingdom, within his otherwise consolidated empire was politically unsound and militarily dangerous; for Pratap Singh, on the other hand, to accept vassalage with little in return was a political suicide, and a steep fall for Mewar in the region's power structure.
[edit]Battle of Haldighati
Main article: Battle of Haldighati
On June 21, 1576 (June 18 by other calculations), the two armies met at Haldighati, near the town of Gogunda in present-day Rajasthan. While accounts vary as to the exact strength of the two armies, all sources concur that the Mughal forces outnumbered Pratap's men.
Statue of Maharana Pratap of Mewar on his Chetak horse, commemorating the Battle of Haldighati, City Palace, Udaipur.
However, the numerical superiority of the Mughal army and their artillery began to tell. Seeing that the battle was favouring Akbar and with the huge amount of death of soldiers on both sides, Pratap's generals prevailed upon him to flee the field so as to be able to fight another day. Myths indicate that to facilitate Pratap's escape, one of his lieutenants, a member of the Jhala clan, donned Pratap's distinctive garments and took his place in the battlefield. He was soon killed. Meanwhile, riding his trusty steed Chetak, Pratap was able to successfully evade captivity and escape to the hills. However, Chetak was critically wounded on his left thigh by a mardana (Elephant Trunk Sword, with spear of weight 263 kg.) while Pratap had attempted to nail down Man Singh. Chetak was bleeding heavily and he collapsed after jumping over a small brook a few kilometres away from the battle field. A famous couplet narrates this incident of the battle:
Aage nadiya padi apaar, ghoda kaise utare paar Rana ne socha is paar, tab tak chetak tha us paar
English Translation :
Lies the boundless river ahead, How will the horse cross it? While Rana thought on his side, Chetak was that side!
The battle of Haldighati has commanded a lasting presence in Rajasthani folklore, and the persona of Pratap Singh is celebrated in a famous folk song “O Neele Ghode re Aswar” (O Rider of the Blue Horse).
A monument to Chetak is at the site of the steed's death. The impact of the battle on the Mughal army was also significant.
Maharana Pratap continues to inspire generations of Indians.
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Reign | 1568–1597 | Born | May 9, 1540 | Birthplace | kolyari, Kumbhalgarh, Juni Kacheri, Pali | Died | January 19, 1597 (age 57) | Predecessor | Maharana Udai Singh II | Offspring | 3 sons and 2 daughters | Royal House | Sisodia, Suryavanshi Rajput | Father | Maharana Udai Singh II | Religious beliefs | Hindu,Rajput |
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Aftermath
Pratap retreated into the hilly wilderness of the Aravallis and continued his struggle. His one attempt at open confrontation having thus failed, Pratap resumed the tactics of guerrilla warfare. Using the hills as his base, Pratap continued small raids and skirmishes against the outlying check-posts, fortresses and encampments of his adversaries; some of whom included the Hindu vassals appointed by the Mughals in the wake of Pratap Singh's defeat.
During Pratap's exile, he received much financial assistance from Bhamashah, a well-wisher. The Bhil tribals of the Aravalli hills provided Pratap with their support during times of war and their expertise in living off the forests during times of peace.
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[edit]Personal life
Rana Pratap had 11 Ranis. Guhilot are descendants of Guha, Sisodia's are descendants of Hamir Guhilot of Sisoda village and Ranawats are descendants of Rana Udai Singh. who under the changed strategic realities of the period, abandoned the vulnerable Chittaurgarh and established a new capital of Mewar at Udaipur. The patronymic change in name is usually followed by a major migration of population or battle.
[edit]Final days
Maharana Pratap died of injuries sustained in a hunting accident. He died at Chavand, on January 19, 1597, aged fifty-seven. It is said that as he lay dying, Pratap made his son and successor, Amar Singh, swear to maintain eternal conflict against the Mughals. Thus, his strained circumstances did not overpower Pratap even in his declining years. It is said that he also did not sleep on a bed because of a vow he took that until Chittor was freed he would sleep on the floor and live in a hut despite the fact that he had reconquered almost his entire kingdom from Akbar.
Maharana Pratap's son, Amar Singh, fought 17 wars with the Mughals. After Mewar was depleted financially and in man-power he conditionally accepted them as rulers.
At this time, many menmbers of Maharana Pratap's family of Sisodias band of loyal Rajputs became disillusioned by the surrender and left Rajasthan. This group included Rathores, Deora Chauhans, Pariharas, Tanwars, Kacchwaha and Jhalas. They are called Rors and settled mostly in Haryana, with some in Uttar Pradesh.
GARSIA
Garasia is a scheduled tribe living in the forest areas of the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. They are divided into Rajput Garasia, Adiwasi Garasia and Bhil Garasia.
They are based mainly in the Pali, Sirohi and Udaipur districts of the Rajasthan. In Rajasthan they are separately categorised as Scheduled Tribe.
GEOGRAPHY
MAPS
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Geography
The administrative headquarters of the district is Himmatnagar, about 80 km from Ahmedabad.
Sabarkantha District is bounded by Rajasthan state to the northeast, Banaskantha and Mehsana districts to the west, Gandhinagar andKheda districts to the south and Panchmahal District to the east.
The district is bounded by the Rajasthan State to the north, Banaskantha and Mehsana districts to the west,Gandhinagar, Kheda, and Panchmahal districts to the south.
Himmatnagar (district headquarter) and talukas Prantij,Modasa, Talod are major industrial locations inSabarkantha
Focus Industry Sectors – Agriculture, ceramics,chemicals and milk processing
Tourist Destinations – Idar, Shamlaji temple, PoloForests, Vijaynagar
Key raw materials such as groundnut, cotton, clay,oilseeds and tobacco are abundantly present in Sabarkantha
District comprises 13 Talukas, It is spread across area of 7390 km2. It has Gender Ratio of 947 female per 1000 men and literacy rate for the district is 67.31%.
It falls under Sesmic Zone 3
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Economy
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Sabarkantha one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).[1] It is one of the six districts in Gujarat currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).[1]
§ The economy of the district is heavily dependant on Agriculture and Dairy Farming
§ Highest producer of Cereals, Ber (Indian Jujube) and Pomegranate in the State
§ Sabar Dairy in Sabarkantha district manufactures and distributes different types of milk products
§ Production of large quantities of clay, silica sand and bauxite has opened up new avenues for the glass, tiles, fine bricks and crockery
§ Food processing and textiles are the other emerging sectors which have opened up new opportunities for investment
§ Some key players having operations in Sabarkantha are Sabar dairy, Pathik Agrotech, Oracle Granite Limited, Gujarat Ambuja Exports Ltd., Eureka Tiles, City Tiles Ltd.
Climate
SABARKANTHA
* Flora & fauna : * forest area is 1271 km, crops raddish, pan, honey, gum, green vegetables, cereals, maze, trees : bamboo, mango, wood used for making furniture, wheat, cotton, rice, peanuts, seasame seeeds. * Sabarmati is longest river. Hatimati, harna, mesho, majum and khari. * Dharoi daam on sabarkantha and haroi damn , indrasi and hatimat damn plays important role in farming. Confirm from google * Boring water is also uer for farming and rest is dependant on rain.
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Banaskantha district
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Banaskantha district | — district — | Location of Banskantha in the Northeast of Gujarat | Country | India | State | Gujarat | Headquarters | Palanpur | Government | • District Collectorate | Shri M.Thennarasan | Area | • Total | 10,400.16 km2(4,015.52 sq mi) | Population (2001) | • Total | 2,504,244 | • Density | 233/km2 (600/sq mi) | Languages | • Official | Gujarati, Hindi | Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) | Website | banaskantha.gujarat.gov.in |
Banaskantha is one among the twenty-six districts of the Gujarat state of India. The administrative headquarters of the district is atPalanpur which is also its largest city. The district is located in the Northeast of Gujarat and is presumably named after the West Banas River which runs through the valley between Mount Abu and Aravalli Range, entering into the plains of Gujarat in this region and flowing towards the Rann of Kutch. The district is famous for the Ambaji temple and the Balaram temple which draw many tourists.
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Geography
Banaskantha has a population of 2,504,244 of which 11.00% were urban as of 2001. It covers an area of 10,751 km2 and is the third largest district in the state. Banaskantha shares its borders with Rajasthan state in the North, Sabarkantha district in East, Kutch district in West and Patan district and Mehsana district in the South.
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[edit]Economy
The economy of the district is based on agro & food Processing, tourism, textile and mineral based industries (ceramics). The food Processing industry in the district has attracted 57% of the total investment in the district over the last two decades The district ranks first in the state in the production of vegetables contributing nearly 17.67% to the total vegetable production of Gujarat. It is the largest producer of potatoes in the state. Bajri, Maize, Tobacco, Castor oil, Jowar, Psyllium are the other major crops of the district. It is also one of the leading producers of Isabgul (Psyllium husk) in the country. It is also the 3rd largest producer of oil seeds in the state after Junagadh district and Jamnagar district.
The district has rich mineral reserves including limestone, marble, granite, building stone and china clay. It accounts for almost the entire marble reserves (99.3%) of Gujarat and contributes about 15% to the total production of limestone in the state.
Banaskantha District Central Co-operative Bank is one of the most important banks of Gujarat.
It has got prestigious State Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar.[1] The main agriculture is of Bajra crops.
In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Banaskantha one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).[2] It is one of the six districts in Gujarat currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).[2]
* Lifestyle of garasia * They live in hills within a group of 10-12 families called as “pada” or “faraia” in individual house spread in the area of 7-8 kms. * House are separated from each other with aleat 200 mts. No two house are build together. * They name “pada” according their clan and family name. Mostly used name trees, gods, animals and other thinkgs realted to their families. * As the garasia people are into drinking culture, so to avoid conflicts based on rash behavior, no houses are nearby. Also, the house are made in the middle of theur farms for its protection.
* House are known as “khorlu”. * Earlier house were made by mud and bamboo fence. But, now a days according their family status some house are well built with concrete and marbels in them. * The walls are made by mud brivks and covered with mud paste to give even finish . * Also they paint them with thier clan motifs using rice paste. * Roofs are made with concave mud tiles. * Young couples make their separate houseand start families. * *
JUSAVADA , AMODARA, KANTHRIA, PIPLOTI are te four villages in sabarkatha district in which garasia tribe is spread.
* PUT TABLE FROM BOOK
* They use wells and hand pumps for drinking water, provided by govt. According their policies. * Govt has provided various facilities for their development. * refer site. * They use wood, kerosine and cowdung cakes for cooking. * They use aluminium, copper and brass utensils for cooking. *
