Exploring the Three- Tier Identity of Garhjats in Odisha

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, new academic histories were produced as a part of the colonial modernist agenda, emphasising state-centric histories, including dynasties, kings, and royal changes. Such a scheme of history deals with war, conquest, the nature of political dominance, state structures and changes in them, and attempts to privilege a small section of elites living within such structures. Ordinary people were excluded from this kind of historical trend. Conversely, during the early 20th century, Odisha’s princely kingdoms created many local histories that contested imperial viewpoints and highlighted the significance of cultural history. These histories systematically documented individuals’ beliefs, folklore, mythology, legends, and daily rituals. As a result of legal disputes regarding their identities, alliances, and land ownership, royal families and dynasties sought to document their historical accounts to gain legitimacy from the colonial authorities. Following the academic model of colonial historiography, historical legends were used to recreate dynasty glories. They also included Thakur, Thakurani, rituals, and clan traditions in their regal chronicles. Here an attempt has been made to identify three identities of garhjats from these histories: trans-local, sub-regional, and pan-Indian.