Dhangar
Indian Community
The Dhangars is a caste or clan whose members are found in the Indian states of Maharashtra, northern Karnataka, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh. They are referred to as Gavli Dhangars in northern Maharashtra (Khandesh region) and the forested hill tracts of India's Western Ghats. There are many distinct Gavli castes in Maharashtra, and Dhangar Gavli is one of them.
History
Etymology
The word "Dhangar" is inscribed in a Buddhist cave in Pune district of Maharashtra. It is believed that this inscription has its origin between the first and the third century AD. Multiple theories have been proposed for the origin of the word Dhangar. It may be associated with a term for "cattle wealth". Bhagwan Lal Indraji maintains that it is derived from the Sanskrit word Dhang which means 'hill'. Syed Siraj-Ul-Hassan noted that some people of his time believed the term to come from the Sanskrit "dhenugar" ("cattle herder") but dismissed that etymology as being "fictitious". In Kannada, the word Danagãra means 'cowherd' and is derived from Dana which means 'cattle'. Dana is the tadbhava of Dhana, which comes from Go-dhana, meaning 'cattle' in Sanskrit.
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