{{Short description|Indian caste}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}} {{Infobox caste |caste_name=Balai |image=Tradition loom works.jpg |caption=Weaving, the traditional occupation of Balais |religions=Hinduism |languages=Nimadi, Dhundari, Marwadi, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Gujarati|country=India |related=Salvi, Meghwal, Koli people |state=Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh |population=2,668,000 (2011)}}
The '''Balai''', '''Raj Balai''', '''Balahi''', or '''Bunkar''' are a people and an Indian caste. They live in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nesfield |first=John Collinson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nuU-AAAAYAAJ&dq=bunkar+balai+caste&pg=PA25 |title=Brief View of the Caste System of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh: Together with an Examination of the Names and Figures Shown in the Census Report, 1882, Being an Attempt to Classify on a Functional Basis All the Main Castes of the United Provinces, and to Explain Their Gradations of Rank and the Process of Their Formation. 28th February, 1885 |date=1885 |publisher=North-Western Provinces and Oudh Government Press |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=K. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bfAMAQAAMAAJ&q=balai%5C+balahi&pg=PA1092 |title=Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles |date=1996 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-0-19-563357-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=General |first=India Office of the Registrar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ibzElgStAFkC&q=raj+Balai |title=Census of India, 1961 |date=1962 |publisher=Manager of Publications |pages=14 |language=en}}</ref>
Balais are generally Hindus.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Mayer |first=Adrian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bMPLEAAAQBAJ&dq=balai+caste&pg=PA152 |title=Caste and Kinship in Central India: A Village and its Region |date=2023-07-28 |publisher=Univ of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-31349-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tilonia® |title=Artisans |url=https://www.tilonia.com/blogs/artisans/tagged/weaving |access-date=2025-12-09 |website=Tilonia® |language=en}}</ref> The official categorization of the caste varies from state to state as a scheduled caste or other backward caste.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZX9VBE6Cn4C&q=obc%20bunkar |title=Proceedings of the British Academy |date=2010 |publisher=British Academy |isbn=978-0-19-726451-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kumar |first=Ashutosh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iTIlDwAAQBAJ&q=bunkar |title=Rethinking State Politics in India: Regions Within Regions |date=December 2016 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-315-39145-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Devi |first=Rama |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dmJQEQAAQBAJ&q=balai%20caste |title=Caste and Emancipatory Quest: Ethnography of Dalits in an Urban Neighborhood |date=2025-03-21 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-96-0832-4 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sahgal |first=Kelsey Jo Starr and Neha |date=2021-06-29 |title=Measuring caste in India |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/decoded/2021/06/measuring-caste-in-india/ |access-date=2025-06-19 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>
Balais speak languages including Nimadi, Dhundari, Marwadi, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Gujarati.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Regional Languages |url=https://legislative.gov.in/regional-languages/ |access-date=2023-11-28 |website=Legislative Department of India |language=en-US}}</ref>
According to the 2011 census of India, there are 2,668,000 Balais in India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-31 |title=Census of India 2011: Population, Literacy, Density, Sex Ratio and other information |url=https://educationforallinindia.com/census-of-india-2011-population-literacy-density-sex-ratio-and-other-information/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=Education for All in India |language=en}}</ref>
== Balais as weavers == The Balai caste is a functional caste of weavers; historically, they were engaged in the work of weaving.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Nesfield |first=John Collinson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nuU-AAAAYAAJ&dq=bunkar+balai+caste&pg=PA25 |title=Brief View of the Caste System of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh: Together with an Examination of the Names and Figures Shown in the Census Report, 1882, Being an Attempt to Classify on a Functional Basis All the Main Castes of the United Provinces, and to Explain Their Gradations of Rank and the Process of Their Formation. 28th February, 1885 |date=1885 |publisher=North-Western Provinces and Oudh Government Press |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":5" />
"Balai" is a transliteration of the Hindi word {{Lang|hi|बुनाई}}, which means "weaving".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> They are also known as "Bunkar", meaning "weaver".<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Commissioner |first=India Census |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=960JAAAAIAAJ&q=balahi |title=Census of India, 1901: North-Western Frontier Provinces and Oudh (3 v.) |date=1902 |publisher=Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HcMYAAAAYAAJ&q=%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%88+%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%88 |title=Cittauṛagaṛha |date=1994 |publisher=Javāhara Kalā Kendra |language=hi}}</ref>
In the varna system, Balais belong to the vaishya.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=9. Caste System in Ancient India |url=https://fscj.pressbooks.pub/worldreligions/chapter/caste-system-in-ancient-india/ |website=Florida State College at Jacksonville Pressbooks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Moulik |first=T. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ov89AAAAYAAJ&q=balai%20bunkar%20caste |title=Deogarh's Profiles: Rural Development for Rural Poor |date=1982 |publisher=Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Harish Chandra Bunkar Balai vs The Board Of Revenue Ajmer And Ors |url=https://www.latestlaws.com/judgements/rajasthan-high-court/2023/may/2023-latest-caselaw-5140-raj/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=latestlaws.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Raj Balais == Historically, the Raj Balais were royal messengers. They used to convey messages from one kingdom to another in ancient times.{{When|date=April 2026}} Raj means royal; therefore, Balais who engaged in such royal services were called Raj Balais.<ref name=":1" />
== Beliefs == Balais are generally Hindus. They are devotees of Durga, Chamunda and Kalaratri;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hinduism Basics |url=https://www.hinduamerican.org/hinduism-basics/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Hindu American Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref> they consider Kalaratri as their ''kuladevi'' (tutelary deity).<ref name=":3" /> They also pay tribute to Ramdev Pir.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=K. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iKsqzB4P1ioC&q=balai%20hindu&pg=PP1 |title=People of India: Rajasthan (2 pts.) |date=1998 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7154-766-1 |language=en}}</ref> Balais are divided into a number of gotras, including Chouhan, Rathore, Parihar, Parmar, Solanki, Brejwal, Bunker,<ref name=":1" /> Marichi, Atri, August, Bhardwaj, Matang, Dhaneshwar, Mahachand, Jogchand, Jogpal, Meghpal, Garva, and Jaipal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhartiya |first=Ranjeet |date=2023-07-25 |title= |script-title=hi:बलाई समाज गोत्र,सामाजिक संरचना में गोत्रों की महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका है |url=https://jankaritoday.com/balai-samaj-gotra/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Jankari Today |language=en-GB}}</ref> Balais do not marry within their families or their gotra.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Hinduism Doctrine and Beliefs |url=https://hinducouncil.com.au/new/hinduism/hinduism-doctrine-and-beliefs/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Hindu Council of Australia |language=en-US}}</ref> They live in multi-caste villages, and they bury their dead.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naik |first=Shambhavi |date=2020-02-08 |title=The scientific argument for marrying outside your caste |url=https://theprint.in/science/the-scientific-argument-for-marrying-outside-your-caste/360975/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=April 2026}}
Balais are traditionally non-vegetarian as they believe in ''bali'' (animal sacrifice). As part of worshiping Kalaratri, Balai perform animal sacrifices.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-06-29 |title=7. Religious practices |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/06/29/religious-practices-2/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Jainism === In 1964, Jain Shravak Sangha preached to the Balai, near Ratlam, in the village Guradia. Sangha gave Dharampal Jain Samaj to the Balai in the name of Dharmanatha.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9" />
Around 125,000 people of the Malviya and Gujarati Balai communities are Dharampal Jains.{{As of?|date=April 2026}}<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title= |script-title=hi:जैन संत की प्रेरणा से देशभर में मालवीय और गुजराती बलाई समाज के सवा लाख लोगों ने छोड़ा दुर्व्यसन |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/latest-nagda-news-061503-1642471.html |website=bhaskar.com}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=Śānti (Muni.) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u94cAAAAMAAJ&q=Dharampal+balai+Jain+Samaj |title=Antarpatha ke yātrī Ācārya Śrī Nāneśa |date=1982 |publisher=Śrī A. Bhā. Sādhumārgī Jaina Saṅgha |language=hi}}</ref>
== Associations with other peoples == Sometimes, the Balai are referred to as Julaha or Meghwal.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Commons |first=Great Britain Parliament House of |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n71DAQAAMAAJ&dq=julaha+balai+caste&pg=PA358 |title=House of Commons Parliamentary Papers: Bills |date=1900 |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |language=en}}</ref> Originally,{{When|date=April 2026}} most Balais associated themselves with the Meghwal community.<ref name="Singh 1993">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=K. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zQRuAAAAMAAJ&q=balai%20meghwal |title=The Scheduled Castes |date=1993 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |isbn=978-0-19-563254-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Snodgrass |first=Jeffrey G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uP8r9JAs7xkC&q=megh%20rishi&pg=PR3 |title=Casting Kings: Bards and Indian Modernity |date=2006-08-10 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-804140-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kumar Suresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g9MVAQAAMAAJ&q=megh+rishi |title=People of India: India's communities |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-563354-2 |language=en}}</ref>
In the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the Balai are associated with the Meghwal people due to their various cultural similarities; for example, both engage in the work of handicrafts and embroidery.<ref name="Singh 1993" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hiltebeitel |first=Alf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uV-RrRoMzbgC&q=meghwal |title=Rethinking India's Oral and Classical Epics: Draupadi Among Rajputs, Muslims, and Dalits |date=May 1999 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-34050-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Patel |first1=Vibhuti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qd9mEAAAQBAJ&q=meghwal |title=Gendered Inequalities in Paid and Unpaid Work of Women in India |last2=Mondal |first2=Nandita |date=2022-03-25 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-16-9974-0 |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:Weaving communities of South Asia Category:Social groups of Chhattisgarh Category:Social groups of Rajasthan Category:Indian castes by profession Category:Bania communities