Koshta

Koshta (also spelt as Koshti) are a Hindu caste found in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat ,Andhra Pradesh some parts of Karnataka and some parts of Uttar Pradesh mainly in Bundelkhand area.[1][2]

Koshta
Regions with significant populations
India
Languages
Bagheli, Hindi
Related ethnic groups
Panika, Tanti, Tattama, Devanga

Origin

Koshta people believe that they are the descendants of Markandeya Rishi,[3] or Rajhans, the king of Devagiri (Berar), who was given the title koshti ('man of virtues') in the year 1111 A.D. It is believed that after this episode, Koshta took jobs as soldiers in different princely states, such as in the armies of the Peshwas, Bundelkhand, Rani Lakshmibai and Tipu Sultan. The Koshtas (Koshti) are Kshatriyas and they claim descent from the mythological Suryavansh (Solar) dynasty via Kusha, who was one of the twin sons of Rama and Sita. The community identify themselves as belonging to Vaishnav sect. [4]

Language

The Koshti language is a distinct Indo-Aryan language with words derived from Sanskrit in either their tatsama or tadbhava form.[5] Koshti also contains words borrowed from languages like Marathi, Khari-boli, Bundeli, Chhattisgarhi and variants of Hindi.[3][6][7]

Occupation

The Koshta traditionally worked as royal weavers, although industrialisation and the introduction of power looms beginning in the late 1800s heavily impacted the traditional handloom community.[8] The majority of Koshta today are employed in cotton and silk mills of both the public and private sectors. As the time has passed they have started small scale businesses and others have taken up jobs in various sectors.[4]

References
  1. Mahendra Lal Patel (1997). Awareness in Weaker Section: Perspective Development and Prospects. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 34. ISBN 9788175330290.
  2. "National Handloom Day | The handloom communities of India". The Statesman. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  3. Encyclopaedia Indica, Volume 2 by J.S. Sharma, p. 639
  4. Gujarat, Part 1 By Kumar Suresh Singh, Rajendra Behari Lal, Anthropological Survey of India, p. 722
  5. Vishveshvaranand Indological journal, Volumes 2-3, pp. 43–48
  6. The Indo-Aryan Languages By Colin P. Masica, p. 435
  7. Census of India, 1961: Andhra Pradesh, pp. 189–200
  8. Late Victorian holocausts: El Niño famines and the making of the third world By Mike Davis, p. 148
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