Dudekula caste is surname of many people in southern India. Dudekula caste meaning is The Dudekulas are described by Mr. H. A. Stuart65 as Muhammadans who have taken to the trade of cotton-cleaning (dude, cotton; ekula, to clean). By the Tamils they are called Panjari or Panjukotti, which have the same significance. Though Muhammadans, they have adopted or retained many of the customs of the Hindus around them, tying a tali to the bride at marriage, being very ignorant of the Muhammadan religion, and even joining in Hindu worship as far as allowable. Circumcision is, however, invariable, and they are much given to the worship of Muhammadan saints. In dress they resemble the Hindus, and often shave off the beard, but do not leave a single lock of hair upon the head, as most Hindus do. Over three hundred Hindus have returned their caste as either Dudekula or Panjari, but these are probably members of other castes, who call themselves Dudekula as they are engaged in cotton-cleaning.
The Dudekulas are described by Mr. W. Francis66 as a Muhammadan caste of cotton-cleaners, and rope and tape-makers. They are either converts to Islam, or the progeny of unions between Musalmans and the women of the country. Consequently they generally speak the Dravidian languageseither Canarese or Telugubut [196]some of them speak Hindustani also. Their customs are a mixture of those of the Musalmans and the Hindus. Inheritance is apparently according to Muhammadan law. They pray in mosques, and circumcise their boys, and yet some of them observe the Hindu festivals. They worship their tools at Bakrid and not at the Dasara; they raise the azan or Muhammadan call to prayers at sunset, and they pray at the tombs of Musalman saints. In the Vizagapatam district, the Dudekulas are described as beating cotton, and blowing horns.
For the following note on the Dudekulas of the Ceded Districts, I am indebted to Mr. Haji Khaja Hussain. They claim Bava Faqrud-din Pir of Penukonda in the Anantapur district as their patron saint. Large numbers of Muhammadans, including Dudekulas, collect at the annual festival (mela) at his shrine, and offer their homage in the shape of a fatiha. This, meaning opener, is the name of the first chapter of the Koran, which is repeated when prayers are offered for the souls of the departed. For this ceremony a pilau, made of flesh, rice and ghi (clarified butter) is prepared, and the Khazi repeats the chapter, and offers the food to the soul of the deceased saint or relation.
The story of Faqrud-din Pir is as follows. He was born in A.H. 564 (about A.D. 1122), and was King of Seistan in Persia. One day, while he was administering justice, a merchant brought some horses before him for sale. His attention was diverted, and he became for a time absorbed in contemplation of the beauty of one of the horses. Awakening from his reverie, he blamed himself for allowing his thoughts to wander when he was engaged in the most sacred of his duties as a king. He summoned a meeting of all the learned moulvis in his kingdom, and enquired of them what was the penalty [197]for his conduct. They unanimously decreed that he should abdicate. Accordingly he placed his brother on the throne, and, becoming a dervish, came to India, and wandered about in the jungles. Eventually he arrived at Trichinopoly, and there met the celebrated saint Tabri-Alam, whose disciple he became. After his admission into holy orders, he was told to travel about, and plant his miswak wherever he halted, and regard the place where it sprouted as his permanent residence. The miswak, or tooth-brush, is a piece of the root of the pilu tree (Salvadora persica), which is used by Muhammadans, and especially Fakirs, for cleaning the teeth. When Bava Faqrud-din arrived at Penukonda hill, he, as usual, planted the miswak, which sprouted. He accordingly decided to make this spot his permanent abode. But there was close by an important Hindu temple, and the idea of a Muhammadan settling close to it enraged the Hindus, who asked him to leave. He not only refused to do so, but allowed his disciples, of whom a number had collected, to slaughter a sacred bull belonging to the temple. The Hindus accordingly decided to kill Faqrud-din and his disciples. The Raja collected an armed force, and demanded the restoration of the bull. Faqrud-din ordered one of his disciples to bring before him the skin, head, feet and tail of the animal, which had been preserved. Striking the skin with his staff, he exclaimed Rise, Oh! bull, at the command of God. The animal immediately rose in a complete state of restoration, and would not leave the presence of his preserver. Alarmed at this miracle, the Hindus brandished their swords and spears, and were about to fall on the Muhammadans, when a dust-storm arose and blinded them. In their confusion, they began to slay each other, and left the spot in dismay. The [198]Raja then resolved to kill the Muhammadans by poisoning them. He prepared some cakes mixed with poison, and sent them to Faqrud-din for distribution among his disciples. The saint, though he knew that the cakes were poisoned, partook thereof of himself, as also did his disciples, without any evil effect. A few days afterwards, the Raja was attacked with colic, and his case was given up by the court physicians as hopeless. As a last resort, he was taken before Faqrud-din, who offered him one of the poisoned cakes, which cured him. Falling at his feet, the Raja begged for pardon, and offered the village of Penukonda to Faqrud-din as a jaghir (annuity). This offer was declined, and the saint asked that the temple should be converted into a mosque. The Raja granted this request, and it is said that large numbers of Hindus embraced the Muhammadan religion, and were the ancestors of the Dudekulas.
The Dudekulas, like the Hindus, like to possess some visible symbol for worship, and they enrol great personages who have died among the number of those at whose graves they worship. So essential is this grave worship that, if a place is without one, a grave is erected in the name of some saint. Such a thing has happened in recent times in Banganapalle. A Fakir, named Alla Bakhsh, died at Kurnool. A Dudekula of the Banganapalle State visited his grave, took away a lump of earth from the ground near it, and buried it in a village ten miles from Banganapalle. A shrine was erected over it in the name of the saint, and has become very famous for the miracles which are performed at it. An annual festival is held, which is attended by large numbers of Muhammadans and Dudekulas.
Some Dudekulas have names which, though at first sight they seem to be Hindu, are really Muhammadan. [199]For example, Kambannah is a corruption of Kamal Sahib, and Sakali, which in Telugu means a washerman, seems to be an altered form of Sheik Ali. Though Dudekulas say that they are Muhammadans of the Sheik sect, the name Sheik is only occasionally used as a prefix, e.g, Sheik Hussain or Sheik Ali. Names of males are Hussain Sa, Fakir Sa, and Khasim Sa. Sa is an abbreviated form of Sahib. One old Dudekula stated that the title Sahib was intended for pucka (genuine) Muhammadans, and that the Dudekulas could not lay claim to the title in its entirety. Instead of Sa, Bhai, meaning brother, is sometimes used as a suffix to the name, e.g, Ghudu Bhai. Ghudu, meaning ash-heap, is an opprobrious name given to children of those whose offspring have died young, in the hope of securing long life to them. The child is taken, immediately after birth, to an ash-heap, where some of the ashes are sprinkled over it. Some Dudekulas adopt the Hindu termination appa (father), anna (brother), or gadu, e.g, Pullanna, Naganna, Yerkalappa, Hussaingadu, Hussainappa. Typical names of females are Roshamma, Jamalamma, and Madaramma. They have dropped the title Bibi or Bi, and adopted the Hindu title amma (mother).
The ceremony of naming a child is generally performed on the sixth day after its birth. The choice of a name is entrusted to an elderly female member of the family. In some cases, the name of a deceased ancestor who lived to an advanced age is taken. If a child dies prematurely, there is a superstitious prejudice against its name, which is avoided by the family. Very frequently a father and son, and sometimes two or three brothers, have the same name. In such a case prefixes are added to their names as a means of distinguishing them, e.g, Pedda (big), Nadpi (middle), Chinna (little). Sometimes [200]two names are assumed by an individual, one a Hindu name for every day use, the other Muhammadan for ceremonial occasions.
The Dudekulas depend for the performance of their ceremonies largely on the Khazi, by whom even the killing of a fowl for domestic purposes has to be carried out. The Dudekula, like other Muhammadans, is averse to taking animal life without due religious rites, and the zabh, or killing of an animal for food, is an important matter. One who is about to do so should first make vazu (ablution), by cleaning his teeth and washing his mouth, hands, face, forearms, head and feet. He should then face the west, and an assistant holds the animal to be slaughtered upside down, and facing west. Water is poured into its mouth, and the words Bismilla hi Alla hu Akbar uttered. The operator then cuts the throat, taking care that the jugular veins are divided. In remote villages, where a Khazi is not available, the Dudekulas keep a sacrificial knife, which has been sanctified by the Khazi repeating over it the same words from the Koran as are used when an animal is slaughtered.
The first words which a Muhammadan child should hear are those of the azan, or call to prayer, which are uttered in its ear immediately after birth. This ceremony is observed by those Dudekulas who live in towns or big villages, or can afford the services of a Khazi. It is noted by Mr. Francis that the Dudekulas raise the azan at sunset. A few, who have been through a course of religious instruction at a Madrasa (school), may be able to do this. A Muhammadan is supposed to raise the azan five times daily, viz, before sunrise, between noon and 3 P.M, between 4 and 6 P.M, at sunset, and between 8 P.M. and midnight.[201]
At the naming of an infant on the sixth day, the Dudekulas do not, like other Muhammadans, perform the aguiga ceremony, which consists of shaving the childs head, and sacrificing a he-goat. Children are circumcised before the tenth year. On such occasions the Muhammadans generally invite their friends, and distribute sweets and pan-supari (betel leaf and areca nuts). The Dudekulas simply send for a barber, Hindu or Muhammadan, who performs the operation in the presence of a Khazi, if one happens to be available. When a girl reaches puberty, the Dudekulas invite their friends to a feast. Other Muhammadans, on the contrary, keep the fact a secret.
At the betrothal ceremony, when sweets and pan-supari are taken by the future bridegroom and his party to the house of the girl whom he seeks in marriage, the female members of both families, and the girl herself, are present. This fact shows the absence of the Muhammadan gosha system among Dudekulas. A Muhammadan wedding lasts over five or six days, whereas the ceremonies are, among the Dudekulas, completed within twenty-four hours. On the night preceding the nikka day, a pilau is prepared, and a feast is held at the bridegrooms house. On the following morning, when it is still dark, the bridegroom, accompanied by his relations, starts on horseback in procession, with beating of drums and letting off of fireworks. The procession arrives at the brides house before sunrise. The Khazi is sent for, and the mahr is settled. This is a nominal gift settled on the wife before marriage by the bridegroom. On the death of a husband, a widow has priority of claim on his property to the promised amount of the mahr. Two male witnesses are sent to the bride, to obtain her assent to the union, and to the amount of [202]the mahr. The Khazi, being an orthodox Muhammadan, treats the Dudekula bride as strictly gosha for the time being, and, therefore, selects two of her near relatives as witnesses. The lutcha (marriage badge), consisting of a single or double string of beads, is brought in a cup filled with sandal paste.
The Khazi chants the marriage service, and sends the lutcha in to the bride with his blessing. It is tied round her neck by the female relations of the bridegroom, and the marriage rites are over.
The usual Muhammadan form of greeting among Muhammadans is the familiar Peace be with you. And with you be peace. When a Dudekula greets a Muhammadan, he simply bows, and, with members of his own community, uses a Telugu form of salutation, e.g, niku mokkutamu.
The Dudekulas, male and female, dress exactly like Hindus, but, as a rule, the men do not shave their beard.
Disputes, and social questions affecting the community, are settled by a Khazi.
With the increase in cotton mills, and the decline of the indigenous hand-weaving industry, the demand for cotton-cleaning labour has diminished, and some Dudekulas have, of necessity, taken to agriculture. Land-owners are very scarce among them, but some are abkari (liquor) contractors, village schoolmasters, and quack doctors. In the Ceded Districts, the cotton-cleaning industry is solely confined to the Dudekulas.
The synonyms of Dudekula, Ladaf and Nurbash, recorded at times of census, are corruptions of Nad-daf (a cotton dresser) and Nurbaf (weaving).
Dudekula caste is one of the many castes subcastes of India.
India has thousands of castes and subcastes, they are in existence and practice since the Vedic times. They were created to solve the problem of division of labor. Dudekula caste name could indicate the type of work people belonging to the Dudekula caste do or did in earlier times. Many last names in India indicate the place the person originally belongs to. All castes sub castes are primarily divided into 4 categories:
1.Brahmins – The learned or priestly class
2.Khastriyas – The warrior class or those with governing functions
3.Vaishyas – The trader, agriculturalists or cattle rearers class
4.Shudra – The class that serves other three categories
Dudekula caste belongs to one of the above 4 categories. Indian caste system is the best system to solve the problem of division of labor. In earlier times there was no rigidity in caste system. Indian caste system is still the best solution for the problem of division of labor, the only change that is needed as per changed times is that rather than having a vertical hierarchical system with Brahmins on top and Shudras at bottom, it would be good to have a horizontal socialist system with Brahmins, Khastriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras all at same level.
The caste system of India is in ruins at present. It is also cause of bloody quarrels in certain parts of the rural India. People of backward castes have reservations in government jobs, this facility is widely misused in India. Many of the backward caste people have become rich and still use the facility for their benefit. Many in India believe reservation in jobs should be given on the basis of poverty rather than caste because there are many poors in upper castes as well.
Many criticize the Indian caste system because of bad material condition of lower castes but if they observe in an unbiased way they would find that there are many in upper castes with bad material conditions. The problem lies in power not in castes, power can corrupt anyone be it from upper caste or lower caste.
All cultures, all countries, all religions have caste system in one form or the other. Christians have different churches depending on the region or language or skin color of people. Muslims have a priestly class that tries to control everything. Arab Muslims before the oil boom were so much divided among tribes that if you drank water from a well of a different tribe you could be shot dead. Tribal divisions still exists among Muslims. You can also see the caste system in a different form in your corporate companies. I had seen different food and drinking facilities for people at different levels.
Dudekula caste is also known as Dudekula Gotra.
Caste situation is quiet different in urban India, people in urban areas especially youngsters don?t bother about castes. Inter caste, inter religious, inter lingual marriages are quiet common in urban India. Inter caste, inter religious and inter lingual marriages in rural areas attract severe criticism and many times people are expelled from community for not marrying as per religious and caste rules.