Mythologies of the Chick-Baraik Tribes

Chick Baraik or Baraik is a tribal community from the Chota Nagpur plateau (present Jharkhand) and neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh, and Odisha in India. They are also called as Chik, Chikwa, Baraik, Badaik. They speak Nagpuri, Sadri as their mother tongue and Hindi as link language. It is believed that they originated from a scare crow of Lord Shiva. According to a story, they used to be soldiers and palace guards during the reign of Nagvanshi dynasty. However, they later adopted the profession of weaving. According to the story, the Nagvanshi king Bairisal entered into a ditch of a river in search of diamonds after his men were unable to find diamonds. But after two days, he didn't come out of the ditch. So Baraik and Munda thought that he might be eaten by fish and divided the kingdom among themselves to rule. On the seventh day, the king Bairisal came out of the ditch with diamonds and asked for water. The only person left was the caretaker of the horse, who was a person from an untouchable caste. The king drank water from the person and declared the person touchable. Then he ordered the Baraik and Munda to come. The munda came but Baraik didn't as he was unable to believe that king was alive. This angers the king and he orders to kill all the Baraik and many Baraiks were killed. To escape the warth of the king many Baraik adopted the profession of weaving and became weavers. During British Period, British ethnographers have given their opinions about Chik-baraik. According to British anthropologist Edward Tuite Dalton (1872), the Chik of South Chota Nagpur and other weaver castes such as Tanti, Panika, and Pan in feature are Aryan or hindu rather than Dravidian or Kolarian. They not follow Hindu restrictions on foods but worship Hindu god and goddess. They have no different culture to mark them different from Hindu race. In first census of India during British Raj in 1872, Chik-Baraik were annexed in tribe list as semi-Hindu aboriginal. In 1891 census, Herbert Hope Risley(1891) categorised Chik-Baraik as sub-caste of weaving caste Pans. According to Risley in North Odisha, South and West Chotanagpur reside various weaver caste known by different names in different places such by Pamoa, Pab, Panika, Chik, Chik-Baraik, Baraik, Badaik , Pano ,Ganda, Swansi/Samasi, Mahato, Tanti etc. According to him their origin is now difficult to trace but they have various totemic clans such as Bhainsa (Buffalo), Kachhuwa (Turtle), Nag (Corba), Raja Kauwa (Crow), Peacock, different types of dear, Wild berry etc. which connects them to Dravidian. Most Anthropologist conclude that Chik-Baraik are descendants of some Aryan weaving castes who settled in Chotanagpur at an early date.

Chik baraik are the weaver caste scattered throughout southern and western part of Chota Nagpur plateau. They make traditional dress like Dhoti, Sari, Karia. Cultivation is their secondary source of earning. They also used to be soldiers and Palace guards during reign of Nagvanshi dynasty. It is believed that they originated from a scare crow of Lord Shiva. Anthropologist Edward Tuite Dalton(1872) stated that they are remnants of Aryan or hindu rather than Dravidian or Kolarian. They not follow Hindu restrictions on foods but worship Hindu god and Goddess. They have no different culture to mark them different from hindus. In first Census of India during British Raj in 1872, Chik-Baraik were annexed in tribe list as semi-hindu aboriginal. In 1891 Census, Herbert Hope Risley(1891) has categorised Chik-Baraik as sub-caste of weaving caste Pans (Weaving Caste in Odisha). According to Risley in North Odisha, South and West Chotanagpur reside various weaver caste known by different names in different places such by Pamoa, Pan, Pab, Panika, Chik, Chik-Baraik, Baraik, Ganda, Swansi, Mahato, Tanti etc. According to him their origin is now difficult to trace but they have various totemic clans such as Bhainsa (Buffalo), Kachhuwa (Turtle), Nag (Corba), Raja Kauwa (Crow), Mayur (Peacock), different types of dear, Wild berry etc. which connects them to Dravidian. Most Anthropologist conclude that Chik-Baraik are descendants of some Aryan weaving castes who settled in Chotanagpur at an early date. They practice group endogamy and clan exogamy. There are several clans known as Vansh among Chik-Baraik which are taken from various animals, objects and places includes Baunkra (Heron), Boda (Russell's viper), Chand (moon), Jamakiar, Kanjyasuri, Kothi, Kouwa (Crow), Loha (Iron), Mahanandia, Malua, Masath, Naurangi, Parwar, Rajhans (Hamsa), Singhi (Asian stinging catfish) etc. The traditional occupation of Chik Baraik is making clothes such as Dhoti, Sari, Gamcha etc. In modern times, cheap and attractive clothes are overfloded in market. Too much depend on modern cloth have crippled traditional arts of weaving. Though Chik-Baraik woven cloth is coarse and relatively unattractive than modern cloths yet it enjoys seasonal demands for its ceremonial and ritual value. Chik Baraik speak Nagpuri an Indo-Aryan language. Their deities are Devi Mai, Surjahi (Sun) and Bar Pahari (hill deity). They also worship moon, earth and other deities. Snake is also worshiped as ancestor of the caste. Birth pollution observed for six days. They cremate or bury the dead and observe death pollution for ten days. Their traditional festivals are Asari, Nawakhani, Karam, Jitia, Sohrai, Sarhul, Fagun etc. Their folk dance are Jhumair, Domkach, Fagua etc.

Chick Baraik, a tribal community originally from the Chhotanapur Plateau (Present Jharkhand) and neighbouring states is popularly called as Baraik. They are traditionally the tribal weavers of coarse cloths ranging from saree, lahanga, dhoti, pechhouri, aaji ledri, barki, tolong, gamchha, etc. They have also been cultivators. Their population is hardly found in large number settled at the same place due to their traditional occupation and also due to landlessness as they were mostly concerned with their job ignoring the land occupancy during early stage. To serve the population with weaving clothes for local needs, they got settled with other tribal communities in different villages and therefore are not found in large number of households. In ethnographic records, it is found to have various groups and further divided into totemic clans like Maluwa, Boukra/Bakli, Kauwa, Khukhri, Induar, Besra, Nourangi, Barha, Harin, Gara, Parwar, and many others. Sadri/Nagpuria/Sadani has been their primary mother tongue. However, they have also taken up the other tribal languages of their locality as secondary languages for communication like Kharia, Mundari, Kurukh, etc. They have also well embraced the languages like Hindi in Jharkhand, Bengali in West Bengal, Assamese in Assam and Oriya in Odisha as language of communication with others and sometimes within intra community interactions. They have been traditionally animists/ancestral worshiping and nature worshipers. However, they are found to profess Hinduism in part or in some form and Christianity also in parallel fashion with their traditional culture. Some have left the practices due to migration to other places, especially urban areas and faraway places, where their religious and cultural practices cannot be performed. Still the rich cultural practices during of entire life cycle are seen in the villages and small towns. It is of very much interest to see the name picking of a child well known as chhathi by chasing and meeting a floating sesame seed by raw rice on the shallow water of bronze thali. Maitkoran (worshiping gram deity) by village Pahan (priest), madwa and dalhardi, amba biha, painkotan, pairghani, lawa, harin marek, chuman, etc. are still the most vibrant form of step by step activities during marriage ceremony with earth shattering beats of dhank and nagara full of bass and treble and melodious tune of shahnaii played by the musicians of Ghasi community. Every stage can be witnessed with full of joy and dance open to all males and females of the society. It is really challenge to resist oneself to these beats, which are different during different time and activity with different tune of shahnai. Pahgun, nawakhani, Sohrai, Karam and Jitiya are the major festivals with sarhul. It is so fascinating to listen to different songs and ragas for different season occasion, time and place like damkach, karam, phaguwa, mardana jhumair, tharhiya, lahasua, sanjhi, kalwa, adhratiya, bhinsariya, with sweet beat of popular instruments like mandar, dholak, bansuri, thechka, etc. Even the songs are for those who migrated or had seasonal (chaw masia or six monthly) migration to Assam, Bhotang (Bhutan), and Tapu (Andman and Nicobar Islands). One really needs to revisit and reinvent all the rich cultural heritage of Chik Baraik some of which will be in peril.

Chick Baraik tribes belong to the `proto-anstraloid racial stock`. There is no separate village found for these Chik Baraik tribes. Due to their affectionate and friendly nature, they share space with few of the other tribes of the region. They reside with other castes and tribes in the same villages of the Chik Baraik tribes. Chik Baraik is famous as artisan tribe. This tribal community lives in accord with Oraon, Munda and Kharia. They mainly involve in the occupation of creating cotton threads and clothes. These tribes speak in several languages including Mundari, Sadani and Hindi. To sustain the livelihood, most of these Chik Baraik tribes have undertaken the jobs of weavers, bird trappers. Quite a handful of tribes have adapted to the profession of agriculturists and daily labourers. Apart from that, the weaving is one of the customary professions that these Chik Baraik tribes have adapted. Both males and females have been busy in performing these works from the dawn to the dusk. In order to establish better administration and control, the Chik Baraik tribes have their separate Panchayat systems even of the community in which Chikbaraik tribes of the adjoining villages have taken the membership. In the meeting of community Panchayat several cases related to certain issues and problems arising in the community and are being handled with lots of care and concern. The decision taken by these members of the community Panchayat is conformed by all. They follow the Sarna religion as they worship nature. However, many of the people of this tribe follow Hindu religion nowadays. They have got ardent belief in the supreme deity, better known as Sing Bonga. Devi Mai has also been regarded as their supreme goddess. Other deities whom they believe include Gram Deo, Dhiwar Deo, Pitar Deo, Nag Deo, Bagh Deo, Burheia Dei. It is only very obvious that the festivals and fairs that are an integral part of these Chik Baraik tribes are popularly known as Sarhul, Sohrai, Karma, Nawakhani and so on. The Chik Baraik tribes prefer to live with other tribes and are very social. They celebrate different festivals and occasions together flaunting the exuberance of their tribal culture and tradition.