Tyagi

{{about|the caste|the 1992 film|Tyagi (film)|other uses|Tyagi (disambiguation) }}

{{infobox ethnic group

| group = Tyagi

| image =

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| poptime =

| popplace = India

| langs = Urdu • Hindi • Khadi Boli

| rels = Hinduism • Islam

| related = Garha • Jats • Gurjars • Meds|

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}}

Tyagi, originally called Taga, is a cultivator caste who claim Brahmin status.{{cite book|author=Binod C Agrawal.|title=Tribe, Caste and Peasantry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QUEiAAAAMAAJ&q=taga%20or%20tyagi|year=1974|publisher=Ethnographic & Folk Culture Society, U.P.|page=188}} The landholding community is confined to Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan. They are often considered the highest of the agricultural castes.{{cite book|author=Satya Prakash Arya|title=Sociological Study of folklore|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X8bYAAAAMAAJ&q=a+Sociological+study+of+folklore|year=1975|publisher=Indian Publications|page=116}} During the British Raj, they changed their name from Taga to Tyagi, and began claiming Brahmin status.{{Cite book|last=Rath|first=Saroj Kumar|title=India as a Model for Global Development|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing|year=2018|editor-last=Masaeli|editor-first=Mahmoud|pages=91|chapter=Satyagraha and Social Justice in India|editor-last2=Prabhakar|editor-first2=Monica}} As of a 1990 report by the Backward Classes Commission, Government of Haryana, they were mostly engaged in farming.{{cite book|author=Haryana (India). Backward Classes Commission|title=Report of the Backward Classes Commission, 1990, Government of Haryana|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aH3aAAAAMAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Controller of Printing and Stationery|page=105}}{{cite book|author=Annapurna Chattopadhyaya|title=The People and Culture of Bengal, A study in Origins|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MiRuAAAAMAAJ&q=the%20people%20and%20culture%20of%20bengal%20a%20study%20in%20origins|year=2002|publisher=Firma K.L.M.|page=489|isbn=9788171021444 }} The Government of Haryana granted reservation to Tyagis along with five other castes in 2016.{{cite news|newspaper=The Tribune|date=9 May 2016|title=Tyagis, Rors eye quota at Centre|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/tyagis-rors-eye-quota-at-centre-233868}} However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court shortly put a stay on the government's order.{{cite news|title=Stay on quota for Jats in Haryana|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/hc-stay-on-quota-for-jats-in-haryana-242830|newspaper=The Tribune|date=27 May 2016}}

Religion

The name Tyagi is prevalent in both Hindu and Muslim communities.{{Citation | title=Tribe, caste, and peasantry | author=Kripa Shankar Mathur, Binod C. Agrawal | year=1974 | publisher=Ethnographic & Folk Culture Society, U. P., 1974 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YnqwAAAAIAAJ |page=189 | quote=... The present Hindu and Muslim Tyagis are the descendants of a common ancestor ...}} Community members who converted to Islam are known as Muslim Tyagis,{{Citation | title=Rural-urban articulations | author=Brij Raj Chauhan, Unesco | year=1990 | publisher=A.C. Bros., 1990 | isbn=978-81-85489-01-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zenZAAAAMAAJ | quote=... In Saharanpur district SC Dube described the Tyagi village where half of the population is of Muslim Tyagi and the other half of the Hindu Tyagi ...}} Mulla Brahmin, Musalman Taga, Mahesra and Moolay Taga.History of origin of some clans in India, with special reference to Jats (1992), Mangal Sen Jindal, Sarup & Sons, p. 159

Diet

Members of the community are generally vegetarian but some do eat non-veg food.{{cite book|title=India's communities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw9uAAAAMAAJ&q=Tyagi|pages=3414–3415|author=KS Singh| date=17 September 1998 |publisher=OUP| isbn=978-0-19-563354-2 |quote=Delhi: They are vegetarian but do not take masur dal, onion and garlic. However, tendency to consume non-vegetarian food has been observed....Haryana: They are vegetarian but a few among them have started taking eggs and meat.....Uttar Pradesh: They are vegetarian. Wheat, rice and maize are their staple cereals.}}

Tyagi

Religion

Diet

References

Further reading