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'{{short description|Indian caste}} {{for|ji}} [[File:Portrait of a Lahore distiller and vendor of liquor (Kalwar, Kullal, Kalal, or Kalar), ca.1862–72.png|thumb|Portrait of a Lahore distiller and vendor of liquor (Kalwar, Kullal, Kalal, or Kalar), ca.1862–72]] {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}} The '''Kalwar,''' '''Kalal''' '''or''' '''Kalar''' are an [[Indian caste system|Indian caste]] historically found in [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[Haryana]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu & Kashmir]] and other parts of north and central India. The caste is traditionally associated with the distillation and selling of [[liquor]], but around the start of the 20th century assorted Kalwar caste organisations sought to leave that trade and redefine their community.<ref name="bayly">{{cite book |title=Locality, Province and Nation: Essays on Indian Politics 1870 to 1940 |editor1-first=John |editor1-last=Gallagher |editor2-first=Gordon |editor2-last=Johnson |editor3-first=Anil |editor3-last=Seal |edition=Reprinted |publisher=Cambridge University Press Archive |year=1973 |isbn=978-0-52109-811-3 |first=Christopher A. |last=Bayly |authorlink=Christopher Bayly |chapter=Patrons and Politics in Northern India |page=[https://archive.org/details/localityprovince0000unse/page/63 63] |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x104AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA63 |url=https://archive.org/details/localityprovince0000unse/page/63 }}</ref>Although some of the Kalwars still are in the liquor business, most have taken jobs in agriculture, business, the military, government service, medicine, accounting, education and engineering. The Kalwar speak the primary languages of the states where they live including Hindi, Bengali and Magahi. ==History== Because their occupation of distilling and selling liquor was considered degrading, the Kalals held a certain view in the traditional [[Indian caste system|caste]] hierarchy of South Asia. This situation changed when the Kalal chief [[Jassa Singh Ahluwalia|Jassa Singh]] rose to political power in the 18th century. Jassa Singh styled himself as [[Ahluwalia (misl)|Ahluwalia]] after the name of his native village, and established the ruling dynasty of the [[Kapurthala State]].<ref name="Donald_1968">{{cite book |author=Donald Anthony Low |title=Soundings in Modern South Asian History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WfD02m8q8eYC&pg=PA70 |year=1968 |publisher=University of California Press |oclc=612533097 |pages=70–71 }}</ref> Following Jassa Singh's rise, other [[Sikh]] Kalals also adopted Ahluwalia as the name of their caste, and started giving up their traditional occupation. The regulations imposed by the [[British Raj|colonial British administration]] on manufacture and sale of liquor accelerated this process, and by the early 20th century, most Kalals had abandoned their traditional occupation. By this time, they had started claiming [[Khatri]] or [[Rajput]] origins to try and enhance their social status.<ref name="Donald_1968"/> Before the advent of the British rule, the Muslim Kalals also attempted to raise their social status by adopting the [[Kakezai]] [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] identity. Some of these Kalal-turned-[[Kakazai|Kakezais]], such as the Hoshiarpur family that ruled the [[Doaba|Jalandhar Doab]] in the 1840s, further raised their status by claiming to be high-caste [[Punjabi Shaikh|Shaikhs]]. Sikh Kalals also claimed Khatri or Rajput origin.<ref name="Donald_1968"/> Kalwars in [[Allahabad]] were claiming themselves to be of the [[Kshatriya]] status in the 1890s.<ref name="bayly" /> During the British rule, the Kalals took up a variety of occupations, including trade, agriculture, army service (especially the Ahluwalias), government service, and law.<ref name="Donald_1968"/> Communities are created by human and not by god. At presently, those who educate themselves improve their lives. ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Indian castes]] [[Category:Social groups of Rajasthan]] [[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]] [[Category:Social groups of Punjab, India]] [[Category:Social groups of Punjab, Pakistan]] [[Category:Brewing and distilling castes]] {{India-ethno-stub}}'