Examine individual changes

'[[File:Mer Dandiya.jpg|thumbnail|right|Maniyaro Ras, garba (Mer ras) of Mer people.]] '''Mer''' is a community from the [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra region]] of [[Gujarat]] state in India. They are also called Maher or Mehr.<ref name="FrancoMacwan2004">{{cite book|author1=Fernando Franco|author2=Jyotsna Macwan|author3=Suguna Ramanathan|title=Journeys to Freedom: Dalit Narratives|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bzj1pyBKZzsC&pg=PA242|accessdate=6 April 2013|date=1 February 2004|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-85604-65-7|pages=242–}}</ref> They speak a dialect of the [[Gujarati language]]. ==Geographical location== [[File:Gujarat Porbandar district.png|right|thumb|Porbandar district,Gujarat where the majority of Mer people live]] They are mainly based in the Porbandar, Ranavav and Kutiyana [[taluka]]s of [[Porbandar district]] Jamnagar Devbhumidwarka in Gujarat. ==Society and culture== They are Rajput and also a predominantly an agricultural community.<ref name="FrancoMacwan2004" /> <ref>Odedra, N.K., 2009. Ethnobotany of Maher tribe in Porbandar district, Gujarat, India. Sourastra university, 87.[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11821969.pdf]</ref>Historically, the men in the community also served in the militia of the former [[Porbandar State]]<ref>Maddock, P., 1993. Idolatry in western Saurasthra: A case study of social change and proto‐modern revolution in art. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 16(s1), pp.101-126.</ref>.The community is endogamous, that is, marriages take place within community, and exogamous with respect to clan. That is the bride and groom belong to different clans. The women of this community do not observe [[Purdah|female seclusion norms]].<ref name="SinghLal2003">{{cite book|author1=Kumar Suresh Singh|author2=Rajendra Behari Lal|title=Gujarat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Cy_-FXW9BQC&pg=PA906|accessdate=6 April 2013|year=2003|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7991-104-4|pages=906–910}}</ref>. Mer men perform their unique version of Dandiya ras called ''Mer ras'' a dance, which is known as a warrior dance. The performance include liberal dusting of Gulal (Vermillion) on the bodies and costumes of the dancers.<ref name="Sharma2007">{{cite book|author=Manorma Sharma|title=Musical Heritage Of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nuWBch2jTqAC&pg=PA60|accessdate=6 April 2013|date=1 January 2007|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-313-0046-6|page=60}}</ref> ==Clans== They are an [[endogamous]] group sub-divided into 14 [[exogamous]] lineages. Out of those 14 Lineages, four are from the Highlands and the remaining are from the lowlands. The lineages are: Keshwala, Sisodiya, Odedra, Karavadra, Rajshakha, Chavda,.<ref name="Mer Online">{{cite web|title=Maher Online|url=http://www.maheronline.org/maher-community|}}</ref> ==Diaspora== Mers started migrating to the British colonies in [[East Africa]] during early parts of 20th century. The businessman, [[Nanji Kalidas Mehta]] was instrumental in helping them to migrate to Africa. Many of the early migrants were from the highlands villages.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Trivedi|first1=Harshad R.(Author)|title=Mers of Saurashtra Revisited and Studied in the Light of Socio-Cultural Change and Cross-Cousin Marriage|date=1986|publisher=Concept publishing|isbn=9788170220442|page=21|url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ecWYqLcfYrIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=porbandar+maher+people&ots=RVcoQVycRE&sig=xBeSNhYgsJJxXQtyopmbN4nzIPs#v=onepage&q=cross%20cousin&f=false}}</ref> After the independence of the East African countries in the 1960s, most Mers and other Asian communities from this region moved back to India, or to the [[British Indian|United Kingdom]]. ==Surnames== Mer share many Rajput family or clan names such as Kuchhadiya,Keshwala, Chauhan, Sisodiya , Rajsakha , Karavadra , Odedra and Parmar.{{cn|date=September 2017}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{commonscat inline}} [[Category:Ethnic groups in India]] [[Category:Social groups of Gujarat]]'