This study was designed to record information of Hill Damai emphasizing on their socio-economic and political organization, life cycle rituals, and language and kinship pattern. An attempt also has been made to explore the impact of modernization on their traditional occupations. This paper also highlights the salient traditional occupational features and recommendations of policies for the promotion of traditional occupation for self-reliant. It also deals with the causes of intergenerational occupational mobility and shift from the traditional occupation of hill Damai. The caste engaged in sewing clothing is called Suchikar or Sujikar. Those who play musical instruments like damau (damaha), hudko, and devbaja, particularly, in wedding processions referred to as damai dholi hudke, nagarchi and nagdi. Originally they were called different names according to which instruments they played. Someone employed in sewing is now called darji, tailor, master, or tailor-master. Darji was once used only for tailors, but now it is used for all tailors as well as musicians. Similarly, damai or damahi has also undergone extension of its meaning. Initially it only meant someone who played the damaha.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. History of Dalit
3. The caste system today
4. Patron-client relationship in a caste-stratified society
5. Conclusion
Objective and Key Themes
This ethnographic study examines the dynamics of the patron-client relationship (Bali/Bista system) among the Damai community in a hill village of central Nepal, focusing on how socio-economic shifts and modernization influence their traditional occupational roles and social status within a caste-stratified society.
- Analysis of the historical and legal status of Dalits under the Muluki Ain.
- Examination of the traditional Bista/Bali Pratha system as a form of non-monetary reciprocal labor.
- Impact of modernization, mechanization, and market changes on traditional Dalit occupations.
- Exploration of identity politics and the struggle for economic and social justice.
- Assessment of the decline of the jajmani system and the resulting marginalization of the Damai community.
Excerpt from the Book
Patron-client relationship in a caste-stratified society
I have always wondered why there are food restrictions in various religions and cultures and the author Marvin Harris has given me an idea as to maybe why such dietary disapproval exists. I belongs to the Hindu religion so I could be compared a lot of information or fact explained in this article however, it is interesting as to the facts supporting the possible reason of the food prohibitions. When I was school level student some of my friends especially those who belongs top of the cast hierarchy within the Hindu religion, were found very strict to abominable to pig and pig keepers too in my home town. They were not allowed touch pigs body and eat flesh, because pigs counted as impure and dirty animals and everyone who touches pig shall be unclean.
Thus the Dalit castes within the Hindu religion participate in non-monetary reciprocal services known as the `Bali Pratha' system. ‘Bali Pratha is a term Dalits provide services to other caste people as per their traditional occupation and collect some crops from them as wage of their labor work. On the other hand, members of the so-called higher castes like the Brahmins and Chetris do not accept cooked food and water from the Dalits. In addition, they are also denied access inside the homes of these higher caste groups, Also, temples, eating-places and public water taps are out of bounds for these marginalized communities. Relating the Jonathan Parry's arguments on it 'Pure Gift' most likely to arise to highly differentiate societies with an advance division of labor such an ideology being a logical end-product of the kind sequence Levis Struss (1969) traces from restricted to generalized to complex system of reciprocity, Moreover, if as Mauss argues; gift are the primitive analogue of the social contract then they clearly carry a social load which in centralized politics is assumed by the state.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of Nepal's cultural diversity and classifies the Dalit groups, specifically introducing the Damai community's traditional occupational roles and their marginalized status.
History of Dalit: Details the historical legal framework of the 1854 Muluki Ain and how it entrenched caste hierarchies and discriminatory practices against untouchables.
The caste system today: Discusses the evolution of caste dynamics in modern Nepal, noting that while legal discrimination is prohibited, social barriers and class divides persist.
Patron-client relationship in a caste-stratified society: Analyzes the theoretical underpinnings of the Bista/Bali system, gift exchange, and how these traditional structures create dependency for the Damai community.
Conclusion: Summarizes the decline of traditional occupations due to modernization and advocates for holistic policy interventions to improve the social and economic standing of Dalits.
Keywords
Damai, Dalit, Caste System, Patron-client relationship, Bali Pratha, Bista system, Nepal, Social stratification, Ethnography, Modernization, Untouchability, Occupational mobility, Identity politics, Jajmani system, Economic exploitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the patron-client relationships of the Hill Damai community in Nepal and how these relationships are affected by changing social and economic structures.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include caste-based discrimination, the traditional Bista/Bali labor exchange system, the impact of modernization on traditional crafts, and the struggles for Dalit identity and justice.
What is the core research objective of this study?
The objective is to record and analyze the socio-economic and political organization of the Hill Damai, specifically evaluating how their traditional livelihood patterns are shifting in contemporary Nepal.
Which theoretical approach is primarily used to analyze the subject?
The author employs an ethnographic approach, drawing on anthropological theories of gift exchange—referencing Marcel Mauss and Jonathan Parry—to explain the reciprocal nature of the patron-client relationship.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the history of Dalits in Nepal, the legal evolution of caste, the mechanisms of the Bista system, the educational status of marginalized groups, and the decline of traditional occupations.
Which keywords best describe this paper?
Key terms include Dalit, Damai, Caste System, Bali Pratha, Patron-client relationship, Modernization, and Nepal.
How did the Muluki Ain influence the life of the Damai community?
The 1854 Muluki Ain formally categorized the Damai as "Impure and Untouchable," codifying their low social status and effectively barring them from social, economic, and administrative participation.
What role does the 'Bista' system play for the Damai?
The Bista system acts as an informal contractual arrangement where Damai provide traditional tailoring or musical services to upper-caste patrons in exchange for food-grains and ritual gifts, creating a cycle of dependency.
Why are traditional occupations among the Damai currently declining?
The decline is attributed to the rise of mass-produced industrial goods, the mechanization of clothing production, and the younger generation's search for better-paying employment opportunities abroad.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Navaraj Nepali (Autor:in), 2018, Dynamics of Patron-Client Relationship in a Caste Stratified Society. An Ethnographic Study from a Damai Hill Village on Central Nepal, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/445048
