history of kewat caste

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The Kewat are a Hindu caste, found in the states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in India. They are the traditional boatmen of North India.
History and origin
The Kewat are a community of boatmen, who live along the banks of the Ganges river. Their name comes from the Sanskrit word kaivarta, which means the dweller of water. According to their tradition, they are descended from Nisad, son of the mythological king Venu. They claim to be Suryavanshi Kshatriya. Their main sub-groups are the Banaphar, Dhivar, Balavarna, Chay, Sorahiya, Kairata, and Tiar. The Banaphar consider themselves to be superior to the other groups.
Present circumstances
In Uttar Pradesh
The Kewat live by the banks of the Ganges, and make their livelihood on the river. They are the traditional ferrymen on the Ganges. The community are involved in fishing, rope making and thatching.
The Kewat have a four tiered caste council, the charghat panchayat covers the Awadh region, the baraghat panchayat covers Allahabad. These caste councils deals with resolving disputes with in the community.
In Rajasthan
The Kewat in Rajasthan are found in along the banks of the rivers Chambal, Benas and Kalinath rivers, in the districts of Kota and Sawai Madhopur. They are divided into eighty four clans, and their origin myth refers to them being created by god Vishnu. The community speak the Hadoti dialect of Rajasthani. There traditional occupation of being boatmen has declined, and the community are now mainly daily wage labourers.
Source
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