Pagi (title) explained
| Pagi |
| Local Name: | પગી |
| Type: | Title of Koli caste |
| Ethnicity: | Koli people |
| Location: | Gujarat |
| Varna: | Warrior |
| Parent Tribe: | - Talpada Koli
- Chunvalia Koli
- Ghedia Koli
|
| Demonym: | Koli |
| Language: |
|
| Religion: | Hinduism |
| Surnames: |
|
Pagi[1] [2] (also spelled as Paghi[3] and Pugi) is a title used by the Koli caste of the Indian state of Gujarat during the rule of Mughals, Muslims, British, and princely states in British India. They specialised in the tracking of thieves by means of their footprints. Pagi was a title equal to the detective conferred on the Kolis of Talpada and Chunwalia subcastes.[4] [5]
In some cases, Kolis of the Pagi title were treated as of lower status in comparison to those Kolis who were Kotwal, because a small number of Pagi Kolis worked as village watchmen, maintaining order and securing the village at night.[6] [7] Koli Pagis stretched their role as guardsman, police officers and maintain the position in government to use their title proper as Pagi.[8]
The Koli caste is 24% of the total population of Gujarat.[9] They are classified as Other Backward Class (OBC) Kshatriya for their work as Pagi seemed to be a warrior class.[10]
Clans
The Talpada Kolis of Radhvanaj village in Gujarat, whose forefathers were Pagi, adopted the two names as their family clans are Rathod and Solanki.[11]
Principlities
The Kolis who bore the Pagi title ruled over Angadh state as shareholders with kolis of Kotwal title. Angadh was a petty princely state.[12]
See also
Notes and References
- Book: Lobo, Lancy. The Thakors of North Gujarat: A Caste in the Village and the Region. Hindustan Publishing Corporation. 1995. 978-81-7075-035-2. New Delhi, India. 163. en.
- Book: Shah, A. M.. The Structure of Indian Society: Then and Now. 2012-12-06. Routledge. 978-1-136-19770-3. New Delhi, India. 168. en.
- Book: Franco. Fernando. The Silken Swing: The Cultural Universe of Dalit Women. Macwan. Jyotsna. Ramanathan. Suguna. Sangam Books Limited. 2000. 978-81-85604-41-1. India. 21. en.
- Book: Shah, A. M.. Exploring India's Rural Past: A Gujarat Village in the Early Nineteenth Century. Oxford University Press. 2002. 978-0-19-565732-6. New Delhi, India. 82. en.
- Book: Roy, Shibani. Koli Culture: A Profile of the Culture of Talpad Vistar. Cosmo Publications. 1983. Delhi, India. 151. en.
- Book: Jain. Jyotindra. Folk Art and Culture of Gujarat: Guide to the Collection of the Shreyas Folk Museum of Gujarat . Shreyas Folk Museum of Gujarat; Shreyas Prakashan. 1980. India. 133. en.
- Book: Tambs-Lyche, Harald. Power, Profit, and Poetry: Traditional Society in Kathiawar, Western India. Manohar Publishers & Distributors. 1997. 978-81-7304-176-1. India. 130. en.
- Book: Silverberg, James. Peasant Behavior and Its Caste-relevancy: The Kolis of Kasandra. University of Wisconsin. 1962. India. 31–32, 152. en.
- Book: Kohli, Atul. India's Democracy: An Analysis of Changing State-Society Relations. 2014-07-14 . . 978-1-4008-5951-1 . New Delhi. 266. en.
- Book: Kanjamala, Augustine. Integral Mission Dynamics: An Interdisciplinary Study of the Catholic Church in India. International Publications. 1996. 978-81-85574-15-8. New Delhi, India. 156. en.
- Book: Uberoi, Patricia. Family, Kinship and Marriage in India. Oxford University Press. 1994. 978-0-19-563508-9. India. 139. en.
- Book: Clark, Alice Whitcomb. Central Gujarat in the Nineteenth Century: The Integration of an Agrarian System. University of Wisconsin--Madison. 1979. Gujarat, India. en.
