View source for Suthar

{{Short description|A caste within the Vishwakarma community of India}}
{{infobox caste
| caste_name          = Suthar/Sutar
| caste_name_in_local =
| image               = Sutar men.png
| image_size          =
| alt                 =
| caption             = Two Sutar men from Baroda State, 1911
| kula_daivat         = [[Vishwakarma]]
| region              = [[Rajasthan]], [[Gujarat]], [[Haryana]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Pakistan]]
| religions           = [[Hinduism]],<ref>{{cite book |quote=Suthar Tarkhans , though Hindus , are in fact more closely allied with the Multani lohars than with the Khatis... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e8o5HyC0-FUC&dq=Suthar+hindus&pg=PA370 |title=Encyclopaedia of Untouchables Ancient, Medieval and Modern |author=Raj Kumar |publisher=Kalpaz Publications |year=2008| isbn=978-81-7835-664-8 }}</ref> [[Islam]]<ref>{{cite book |quote=According to Rose ( 1919 ) , the tradition runs that the Suthars , who are now Muslims , were originally Hindu Tarkhans of the Suthar tribe and that Akbar took 12,000 of them from Jodhpur to Delhi... |title=Global Encyclopaedic Ethnography of Indian Muslim |page=453 |author=Abida Samiuddin, R. Khanam |publisher=Global Vision Publishing House |year=2008 |isbn=978-81-8220-299-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qEXFxCK-ulUC&dq=Suthars+are+hindus+muslims+sikhs&pg=RA1-PA453}}</ref>
| languages           =
| footnotes           =
}}
'''Suthar''' (or '''Sutar''')<ref name=agg /> is a caste within the [[Vishwakarma (caste)|Vishwakarma]] community found primarily in India and Pakistan.<ref name=agg>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=COcwoYRCYhcC&dq=Suthar+sutar+vishwakarma&pg=PA160 |title=Educational and Social Uplift of Backward Classes |page=160 |author=SP Aggrawal, JC Aggrawal |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |year=1991 |isbn=978-81-7022-339-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |quote=Hindus from the border villages belonging to the Bhil, Meghwal, Lohar and Suthar community had now become nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tqYvEAAAQBAJ&dq=Suthar+in+pakistan&pg=PT210 |title=Migrants, Mobility and Citizenship in India |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-00-037987-7 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |editor=Ashwani Kumar, R. B. Bhagat}}</ref> Its traditional occupation is mostly carpentry.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EjORKo7maRUC&dq=Suthar+carpenter&pg=PA135 |editor=AM Shah |publisher=Taylor&Francis |page=135 |title=The Structure of Indian Society |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-136-19770-3}}</ref> Suthar community predominantly found in [[Gujarat]] and [[Rajasthan]] is a mixture of various castes.
== Origins ==
The origins of the Suthar community traces back to the construction of the [[Rudra Mahalaya Temple]], commissioned by King [[Mularaja]] of [[Chaulukya dynasty]] (now Gujarat and southern Rajasthan) <ref name="samaj">{{cite web |date=17 September 2024 |title=Suthar Caste History: A Rich Tapestry of Tradition and Legacy |url=https://sutharsamaj.net/vishwakarma-dharma/history-of-suthar-caste/}}</ref>. Ancient Indian temple construction required a blend of skill-set ranging from [[astronomy]] and [[geometry]] to [[architecture]], [[Vastu shastra]] and [[engineering]] <ref>{{cite book |author=George Michell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajgImLs62gwC |title=The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-226-53230-1}}</ref>. The king invited [[VishwaBrahmin]] with such skill-set from northern India to design the temple and undertake this project. After designing the temple as per King's requirements, the VishwaBrahmins assembled a massive workforce of skilled artisans of different ethnicity and converted them into Brahmin varna through the [[Hindu]] [[ritual purification]]  <ref name="samaj" />, to maintain the sanctity of the temple. After the temple's completion, King Mularaja urged the original VishwaBrahmins to settle in his kingdom. To facilitate the resettlement, the king suggested forming a new community that combined the converted workers and the original Brahmins . This proposal led to the creation of the Suthar community in the Chaulakya kingdom (now Gujarat and southern Rajasthan), a unique blend of Brahmins, Kshatriyas and artisans. <ref name="samaj" />
King Mulraja later invited additional learned Brahmins from northern India to join the Suthar community and serve as the priests of the [[Rudra Mahalaya Temple]].<ref name="aud">{{Cite book |last=Basu |first=Helene |title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online |publisher=Brill |year=2020 |editor-last=Jacobsen |editor-first=Knut A. |chapter=Gujarat |editor-last2=Basu |editor-first2=Helen |editor-last3=Malinar |editor-first3=Angelika |editor-last4=Narayanan |editor-first4=Vasudha}}</ref> The migrant Brahmins who did not join the newly formed Suthar community and served as the priests of the temple, are now known as the [[Audichya Brahmins]].<ref name="aud" />
== Current Demography ==
The Suthar community of Gujarat and Rajasthan community comprises a diverse mix of subcommunities and ethnic groups, resulting in a rich demographic tapestry despite its relatively small population. Currently, the community is divided into several subcastes, each associated with distinct occupations, varnas, and ethnic identities. Notable subcastes include ''Vanshaj Suthar'', ''Vaishya Suthar'', ''Mewada Suthar'', ''Gurjar Suthar'', ''[[Jangid Brahmin|Jangid-Brahmin Suthar]]'', [[Mistri caste|''Mistri,'']] ''Mistri Suthar'', ''Luhar Suthar''.
Each subcaste practices different faiths, yet they share a common heritage and a reverence for deities such as Lord [[Vishwakarma]], Lord [[Vishnu]], and Lord [[Shiva]], with a predominant adherence to [[Vaishnavism]]. Common surnames within this community include ''Suthar'', ''Gajjar'', ''Sharma'', ''Acharya'', ''Rathore'', ''Pancholi'', ''Mistri'', ''Jangid'', ''Panchal''<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Jangid Brahmin Samaj,Shree Vishwakarma,Jangid Community,Samaj Group Jaipur |url=http://www.jangidbrahminsamaj.com/history/eng.htm}}</ref>
== Caste Reservations ==
Some subcastes of Suthar are classified as [[Other Backward classes|OBC]] in states like [[Rajasthan]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sje.rajasthan.gov.in/Default.aspx?PageID=67 |title=Backward Classes in Rajasthan |access-date=27 October 2024 |website=Government of Rajasthan}}</ref> [[Haryana]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://haryanascbc.gov.in/reservation-in-haryana/list-of-backward-classes |title=List of Backward Classes |access-date=27 October 2024 |website=Directorate of Welfare of Scheduled Caste & Backward Classes}}</ref> [[Gujarat]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sje.gujarat.gov.in/ddcw/List-of-Socially-and-Educationally-Backward-Classes-of-Gujarat-State?lang=English |title=List of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of Gujarat State |website=Government of Gujarat}}</ref> Some subcastes of Suthar community, like Suthars of Brahmin varna, either do not take or get reservation or are willingly demanding to give up their reservation status.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://hindupost.in/news/sutar-community-gives-up-reservations/ | title=Sutar community wants to give up reservations, demands to be included in general category | date=29 September 2021 }}</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Social groups of Rajasthan}}{{Social groups of Maharashtra}}
[[Category:Indian castes]]
[[Category:Social groups of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Social groups of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Social groups of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Social groups of Haryana]]