Sansi people

Sansi is a nomadic tribe, originally located in the Rajasthan area of northwestern India, but expelled in the 13th century by Muslim invaders and now spread to states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab as well as scattered throughout India. They are often confused with other ethnic groups called Sansi, as Sansi is a widespread name in South Asia.[1][2]

Sansi people in pre independence India.

Language

Their language is Sansiboli, or Bhilki that is a highly endangered Indo-Aryan language of the Central group, total speakers ca. 60,000 (2002).[3][4] Their traditional occupations vary, from trading to farming.

There are allegations that the community performs virginity tests on their women.[5]

History

During British rule in India they were placed under the Criminal Tribes Act 1871, hence stigmatized for a long time,[6] after independence, however, they were denotified in 1952.[7]

As the Sansiya, they were recorded in Uttar Pradesh in the 2011 Census of India. There they were a Scheduled Caste, with a population of 5689.[8]

Notable people

According to some scholars, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab was from the tribe of Sansis.[9][10]

References
  1. Tribes of India By T. Baldizzone, Local Colour Ltd
  2. Journal of Social Research By Council of Social and Cultural Research (Bihar, India), Ranchi University Dept. of Anthropology
  3. Ethnologue.com: Ethnologue report for Sansi
  4. Language in India: Endangered Language: A Case Study of Sansiboli
  5. July 12, ROHIT PARIHAR; July 12, 1999 ISSUE DATE; February 7, 1999UPDATED; Ist, 2013 17:34. "Rajasthan: Virginity tests becomes bane of Sansi tribe women, custom used to make money". India Today. Retrieved 27 May 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. Punjab - Police and Jails The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1908, v. 20, p. 363.
  7. Bania Arrested for Spying by Dilip D'Souza. Rediff.com, 18 January 2003
  8. "A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh". Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  9. The Sansis of Punjab; a Gypsy and De-notified Tribe of Rajput Origin, Maharaja Ranjit Singh- The Most Glorious Sansi, pp 13, By Sher Singh, 1926-, Published by , 1965, Original from the University of Michigan
  10. W. H. McLeod (2009). The A to Z of Sikhism. Scarecrow Press. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-8108-6344-6. Ranjit Singh was a Sansi and this identity has led some to claim that his caste affiliation was with the low-caste Sansi tribe of the same name. A much more likely theory is that he belonged to the Jat got that used the same name.

Further reading
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