Mahars

The Mehar are an Indian community historically identified as Dalit and found largely within Maharashtra (where they comprise 15% of the population) and neighboring states. The Mahars traditionally were made to live on the outskirts of villages and their duties included those of village watchman, messenger, wall mender, adjudicator of boundary disputes, street sweeper, and remover and processor of carcasses. They also worked as agricultural labourers and held some land, though they were not primarily farmers. In the twentieth century, as the collective consciousness of the Mahar grew, significant numbers of Mahars began to leave their traditional villages and move into the urban centers of India in search of better employment and educational opportunities.