[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/mer-community-wikipedia-2\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/mer-community-wikipedia-2\/","headline":"Mer (community) – Wikipedia","name":"Mer (community) – Wikipedia","description":"before-content-x4 Ethnic group of Gujarat, India “Mer people” redirects here. For the legendary water-dwelling beings, see Merfolk. after-content-x4 Mer, Maher","datePublished":"2021-08-10","dateModified":"2021-08-10","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/author\/lordneo\/#Person","name":"lordneo","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/author\/lordneo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/df\/Young_India_-_Mer_Keshav_Bhagat.png\/220px-Young_India_-_Mer_Keshav_Bhagat.png","url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/df\/Young_India_-_Mer_Keshav_Bhagat.png\/220px-Young_India_-_Mer_Keshav_Bhagat.png","height":"165","width":"220"},"url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki41\/mer-community-wikipedia-2\/","wordCount":9103,"articleBody":"     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});before-content-x4Ethnic group of Gujarat, India“Mer people” redirects here. For the legendary water-dwelling beings, see Merfolk.       (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4Mer, Maher or Mehar (Gujarati: ISO 15919: M\u0113r, Mah\u0113r, M\u0113har Sanskrit: \u092e\u0947\u0930, \u092e\u0939\u0947\u0930, \u092e\u0947\u0939\u0930; Gujarati: \u0aae\u0ac7\u0ab0, \u0aae\u0ab9\u0ac7\u0ab0, \u0aae\u0ac7\u0ab9\u0ab0; IPA: mer, m\u0259her, meh\u0259r) is a kshatriya j\u0101ti from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in India.[2][3] They are largely based in the Porbandar district, comprising the low-lying, wetland Gh\u0113\u1e0d and highland Bar\u1e0d\u0101 areas, and they speak a dialect of the Gujarati language.[4] The Mers of the Gh\u0113\u1e0d and Bar\u1e0d\u0101 form two groups of the j\u0101ti and together they are the main cultivators in the Porbandar District. Historically, the men served the Porbandar State as a feudal militia, led by Mer leaders. In the 1881 Gazette of the Bombay Presidency, the Mers were recorded numbering at 23,850. The 1951 Indian Census recorded 50,000 Mers. As of 1980 there were estimated to be around 250,000 Mers.Table of Contents       (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4OriginHistoryMers in politicsClansSociety and cultureLifestyleReligionBeliefs and practicesFestivals and pilgrimagesDiasporaNotable peopleScienceSportsPoliticsReferencesSourcesExternal linksOriginMers of other lineages consider the K\u0113shwa\u1e37\u0101 as the earliest lineage citing the proverb: \u0100dya M\u0113r K\u0113shwa\u1e37\u0101, j\u0113ni suraj pur\u0113 ch\u0113 \u015bakh – “the sun stands testimony to the fact that K\u0113shwa\u1e37\u0101s are the original Mers.”  An origin myth of the K\u0113shwa\u1e37\u0101s descending from the neck hair of Rama was recorded by colonial authors. However, possibly the oldest reference to K\u0113shwa\u1e37\u0101s indicates that the founder of this lineage may have lived over a thousand years ago, although, this relies on the genealogies of Barots which are not considered completely accurate as they are projected back in time to pseudo-history.Mers were once associated with the Maitraka dynasty.[4][15] Sinha suggests that the word Maitraka is an adaption from Mihir, which is in turn an adaption from Mer and does not rule out the possibility that the ruling families of the Maitrakas originated from the Mers.[16]HistoryA Mer dynasty existed in Eastern Saurashtra, as noted by an inscription from discovered in Timana in 1207 CE. The ruler Jagamal was a vassal of Bhima II of the Chaulukyas. A further inscription from Mahuva, dated to 1215 CE mentions a Mer king named Ranasimha, proposed to be a successor of Jagamal, in the same area.[2] The Hatasni inscription from 1328 describes the construction of a stepwell by Kuntaraja for the Mer ruler Thepak, who wanted to built a stepwell in his own name as his maternal ancestor Khengar had done. Thepak of the Vakhala family was the son of Rupa, the daughter of Mandalik I had been appointed to rule over Talaja by a Chudasama ruler named Mahisa.[17][18] The S\u012bsodiy\u0101 branch of Mers was formed when the Sisodia Hati Rajputs came from Mewar in Rajasthan to Saurashtra as mercenary warriors and settled at Malia Hatina (Malia of the Hatis) and intermarried with the local Ahirs and Mers.[19]         (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});after-content-x4Gramophone recording of ‘Kanudane Kahi Kahi Thaaki’ from 1937, written by Kavi Pingalshi and sung by Mer Keshav BhagatMers were the dominant agricultural jati in the Jethwa-ruled kingdom around Barda.[20] Mers did not pay rent on their land, only paying a hearth tax and if they cultivated, a plough tax in addition to sukh\u1e0di (quit rent) on villages assigned to them. They would coronate the Jethwa ruler by placing a tilak upon his head.[21] Resultantly, Mers along with Kathis and Rajputs were considered to be ‘Darbars’.[20] Historically, highland Mers, also known as Bh\u014dmiy\u0101 (landed) held more political power than lowland Mers with the latter being restricted from buying land from Bh\u014dmiy\u0101s between 1884 and 1947. The kin of those slain in action were paid 100 rupees (\u00a310) by the Rana during the late 1800s. On the 28th April 1895, the Bharwads of Jamkhirasara (near Bhanvad) organised a collective wedding which was attended by 12,000 people, including large numbers of Mers and the Jam Sahib. Reportedly “places of honour” were reserved for them at the wedding feast and they were “held in most respect”[23] Keshav Bhagat who hailed from Dhandhusar became a radio star in the 1930s, singing traditional Gujarati bhajans, dohas and sorthas.[24]Kanudane Kahi Kahi Thaaki sung by Mer Keshav BhagatIn the 1970s Sarman Munja Jadeja rose to prominence after killing gangsters Devu and Karsan Vagher who had been hired by Nanji Kalidas Mehta to break the strike at the Maharana Mills.[25] As the leader of organised crime in Porbandar he ran a parallel system of justice and was hailed by many Mers as a Robin Hood-like figure.[26] After killing 47 people, he renounced violence having been influenced by the Swadhyay Movement.[25] In 1986 he was murdered by a rival gang resulting in Santokben Jadeja taking over her husbands gang and killing 30 people to take revenge.[25] By the 1990s her gang was wanted in 500 cases and she in 9. Shantokben died in 2011, following which a rival ganglord, Bhima Dula Odedara became dominant in local crime and politics.[27] Odedara took control of the profitable limestone, chalk and bauxite mines; he was given double life imprisonment by the Gujarat High Court for double murder in 2017.[26][28]Mers in politicsMers have dominated the politics of the Kutiyana Vidhan Sabha, the Porbandar Vidhan Sabha and the Porbandar Lok Sabha seats.   The first Mer to become the MLA for Kutiyana was Indian National Congress member Maldevji Odedra in 1962; who also became the Gujarat Congress President. 1980 saw Congress candidate Vijaydasji Mahant elected and he retained his seat in 1985. Mahant also became the Gujarat Congress President.[29] In 1990 Santokben Jadeja won the Kutiyana assembly seat as a Janata Dal candidate. In 1995 her brother-in-law Bhura Munja Jadeja became the MLA  for Kutiyana contesting as an independent. After the Jadejas, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Karsan Dula Odedara held the Kutiyana seat winning in 1999, 2002 and 2007. Since 2012 it has been held by Kandhal Jadeja a Nationalist Congress Party MLA and son of Santokben, who won again in 2017.[30]Maldevji Odedra was elected from the Porbandar Vidhan Sabha seat in 1972 as an INC candidate. In 1985, Laxmanbhai Agath (INC) was elected. Babubhai Bokhiria (BJP) held the seat in 1995 and 1998, losing to Congress candidate Arjunbhai Modhwadiya in 2002. Modhwadiya maintained his seat in 2007 and became the Gujarat Congress President, but lost to Babubhai Bokhiria, who currently is the MLA for Porbandar, in 2012 and 2017.[29][30]Maldevji Odedra held the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat in 1980 on behalf of INC. His son, Bharatbhai Odedra (INC) was elected in 1984 from Porbandar to the Lok Sabha.ClansThe community is endogamous, that is, marriages take place within the community, but exogamous with respect to clan. That is the bride and groom belong to different clans (gotra) known as Bh\u0101y\u0101t. Genealogies of Mer families are maintained by Barots through name recording ceremonies. Patel or headmen is a hereditary title held by family elders who take part in all religious and secular functions. Generally every Mer village is dominated by one of the clans, however, other clans move in as gharjemai (men who live in the houses of their fathers’-in-law when their fathers-in-law have no heir). They are often followed by other relatives. Mers consist of 14 clans called \u015aakh which are further split into segments called Pankh\u012b:[4]Bha\u1e6d\u1e6diChauh\u0101\u1e47Chav\u1e0daCh\u016b\u1e0d\u0101sam\u0101J\u0101\u1e0d\u0113j\u0101K\u0113shwa\u1e37\u0101\u014c\u1e0d\u0113dar\u0101Parm\u0101rR\u0101jsh\u0101kh\u0101S\u012bsodiy\u0101S\u014dla\u1e41k\u012bV\u0101\u1e0dh\u0113rVagh\u0113l\u0101V\u0101\u1e37\u0101Society and cultureLifestyleA 1980 study of the Mers estimated that: an average Mer household contains 6 people, 35% were literate, 95% of households owned their homes and 77% of household members were employed. 77% of those employed worked in the agricultural sector. Mers grow pearl millet (B\u0101jar\u014d), sorghum (J\u014dw\u0101r) and fodder as staple crops, along with wheat where possible. Cotton and peanuts are grown as cash-crops, while vegetables include chillies, clover, aubergines, tomatoes, turnips. Rarely sugarcane, castor and pulses are grown as well. Owing to their consumption of dairy products, cattle and water buffaloes are bred. Prosperous Mers own horses. Small scale plant-based industries are run by Mers, including bio-diesel production from the M\u014dgali \u0101ran\u1e0d (Jatropha curcus L), herbal shampoo from Aloe and ground nut, sesame and castor oil extracting mills. Poorer Mers without lands to their name, undertake quarrying, cutting and stone-working.Mers are mostly vegetarian, with pearl millet (B\u0101jar\u014d), sorghum (J\u014dw\u0101r) and wheat rotis being consumed with vegetables, chillis and curds.  During weddings jaggery, ghee, l\u0101psi and khichdi is served.  As of 1976, it has been reported that vices are common amongst Mers with around 30% consuming alcohol despite the prohibition in Gujarat.  Mer woman with traditional tattoos and earrings known as ‘vedhla’.Historically, Mers were wedded through arranged marriages, which were agreed between the parents of two new-borns. However, a girl married as a child would only be sent to live with her husband’s family after achieving maturity.Cross-cousin marriage was common, while polygamous marriages were rare, only being permitted if a man was unable to have children with his first wife. The women of this community do not observe female seclusion norms, widow remarriage was not prohibited and menstruation seclusion taboos are not followed.Dowry operates largely in the favour of women. Differing from typical Hindu weddings, the Kha\u1e41\u1e0d\u016b\u1e41 ceremony involves a sword being wed as a proxy for the groom. Grooms wear a j\u016bma\u1e47u\u1e41 made of twenty tolas of gold which has either been passed down or borrowed from relatives. Modern transport and equipment such as orchestra troupes are employed.Dates would be distributed in a custome called L\u0101\u1e47, to fellow villagers to celebrate a wedding or the birth of a son.[[[Wikipedia:Citing_sources”>^ Trivedi 1961, p.\u00a0[page\u00a0needed].^ “Central List of OBCs”. National Commission for Backward Classes. 10 September 1993. Retrieved 22 May 2020.^ “Shinshoria \u2013 a traditional ear ornament”. People’s Archive of Rural India. 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2020-05-19.^ “Vedla \u2013 earrings of the Maher community”. People’s Archive of Rural India. 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2020-05-19.^ a b Krutak, Lars. “India: Land of Eternal Ink”.^ TRAVELS THROUGH GUJARAT, DAMAN, AND DIU. 22 February 2019. ISBN\u00a09780244407988.^ Sharma, Manorma (1 January 2007). Musical Heritage Of India. APH Publishing. p.\u00a060. ISBN\u00a0978-81-313-0046-6. Retrieved 6 April 2013.^ Desai, Anjali H. (2007). India Guide Gujarat. ISBN\u00a0978-0978951702.^ a b Tambs-Lyche, Harald (1997). Power, Profit and Poetry Traditional Society in Kathiawar, Western India. New Delhi: Manohar. pp.\u00a0160\u2013161. ISBN\u00a081-7304-176-8.^ Joshi, Swati (2 December 2000). “‘Godmother’: Contesting Communal Politics in Drought Land”. Economic and Political Weekly. 35 (49): 4304\u20134306.^ a b c “Gangs of Porbandar: How Gujarat polls are the latest act in old mafia rivalries”. CatchNews.com. Retrieved 2020-05-19.^ Joshi, Rajesh (8 March 1999). “Santokben, Godmother”. Outlook India. Retrieved 19 May 2020.SourcesCampbell, James, M (1881). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency. Vol. 8: Kathiawar. Bombay: Government Central Press.Maddock, P (1993). “Idolatry in western Saurasthra: A case study of social change and proto\u2010modern revolution in art”. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies. Journal of South Asian Studies. 16: 101\u2013126. doi:10.1080\/00856409308723194.Trivedi, Harshad, R (1961). “A Study of the Mers of Saurashtra: An exposition of their social structure and organization”. University. Vadodara: Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. hdl:10603\/59823. OCLC\u00a0551698930.Trivedi, Harshad, R (1986). The Mers of Saurashtra revisited and studied in the light of socio-cultural change and cross-cousin marriage. Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. ISBN\u00a09788170220442.Trivedi, Harshad, R (1999). The Mers of Saurashtra\u00a0: A profile of social, economic, and political status. Delhi: Devika Publications. ISBN\u00a09788186557204.External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Mer people.     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