Kapariya

The Kapariya are Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Khunkhuniya Bhatt and are listed as a Scheduled Tribe.

## Origin

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The word kapariya is derived from the Hindi word kapra, which means a cloth. They claim to be a branch of the Bhatt community, that took to begging. A change of occupation led to an evolution of a distinct community. They have two sub-divisions, the Brahma Bhatta and Rao Bhatta. The Kapariya are found mainly in Fatehpur district, where they are considered the original settlers. They speak Awadhi among themselves, and Hindi with outsiders.[1]

## Present circumstances

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The Kapariya are strictly endogamous and their two sub-divisions, the Brahma Bhatta and Rao Bhatta, are also endogamous. They are further divided into a number of exogamous sub-divisions, known as gotras. The main function of the gotra is to trace descent and to regulate their marriage alliances. The Brahma Bhatta claim a higher status from the Rao Bhatta, a system of hypergamy exists among these two groups.[1]

The Kapariya are a landless community, and are still involved in their traditional occupation is begging. Many have seen a decline in their traditional occupation, and are employed as day labourers. A small number have been granted land, but their land holdings are extremely small. Like other Hindu castes, each Kapariya settlement contains a biradari panchayat, an informal caste association, which acts as an instrument of social control.[citation needed]

The 2011 Census of India for Uttar Pradesh showed the Kapariya Scheduled Caste population as 20,205.[2]

## References

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1. ^ a b People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 725 to 730 Manohar Publications
2. ^ "A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh". Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 6 February 2017.