Accepted Panels

The ethnography on the Charans have been studied without much reference to their historicity. In this paper, we propose to bring out the interdisciplinarity of History and Anthropology in a case study of Charans of Western Rajasthan (Marwar). Charnas did not operate in isolation of historical society or state. They became a support system of the royalty in legitimizing their status and claims. The dominance of the of the ruling class of Rajputs can be contested when we perceive the importance of Charan community. Described as the ‘bards’ of Rajputs, Charans used to compose poems in Dingal in praise of their Rajput patrons. They enjoyed a high social status, and were an essential element of the Rajput states, working not just as warriors but also as ministers, advisors and priests. Charans didn’t limit their compositions to mere eulogizing and mouthing platitudes about Rajput rulers but also chastising them whenever the opportunity arose. Charans were the priests of Charani goddesses. The connection to the Charani goddesses made them protectors and guides of trade routes which were dotted by temples all over the region. Working as chroniclers and genealogy keepers for the royal families, their compositions like the bats, khyats and vigats are integral to the medieval literary corpus and the historical archives alike. This article, primarily using secondary sources and some Charan compositions as sources, outlines the history of Charans and the roles they came to play in the changing political landscapes of medieval Rajasthan. Looking at the various spaces they occupied in the state structures, this article also attempts to delineate their influences on and contestations with the later Rajput-centric polities in the region.