Teli

Teli oil press (Russell, 1916)

Teli is a caste traditionally occupied in the pressing of oil in India and Pakistan. Members may be either Hindu or Muslim; Muslim Teli are called Roshandaar or Teli Malik.

The Jewish community of Maharashtra (called Bene Israel) was also known to be a sub-group in the Teli case called Shanivar Teli meaning Saturday oil pressers for their Jewish custom of abstention from work on Shabbat.Teli are called by the name of Ghanchi caste in Gujarat.

Etymology

The word Teli comes from Tel, which means oil in Marathi, Hindi, and Oriya languages. The name Teli is given because of their profession of "making edible oil". In old times, these people had their small oil mills known as kolhu or ghana operated by oxen to make or extract edible oil from oil seeds like mustard and sesame.

Varna status

The Teli are generally considered to by of the Vaishya (merchant) varna in Hinduism, though possibly of a lower or "less-pure" status. Other sources, however, classify them with the Shudra (cultivators), while others note that the Teli have attempted to avoid lower-classed activities and associations in an attempt to identify themselves as Vaishya.

A history of the Telis written by the Secretary of the Teli Society claimed a Vaishya origin.

Sahu is an surname belonging to the Teli caste of Vaishya varna. This is to be mentioned as a Bania sub-community or caste.

In Bengal, the Teli would be reckoned as Vaishya, along with other traders and bankers such as the Suvarnabanik, Gandhabanik, Saha, had not the Vaishya varna disappeared there.

In Rajasthan, the Teli claim Kshatriya (warrior) status, though their neighbors recognise them as Vaishya.

Distribution

Telis also called themselves Sahu Vaishyas. Telis are found throughout India. Hindu Teli are called Teli Sahu and Muslim Teli are called Teli Malik.

In north Maharashtra, most of them hide their family name and suffix Chaudhari as their surname.

In South India, Telugu-speaking Telis are called as Teli or Gandla. They have considerable population in Andhra Pradesh. They are differentiated as Deva Gandla, Setty Gandla, Sajjana Gandla. There are six gotras amonng them. They do not intermarry among the same gothras. Some Telis claim Kshatriya status and call themselves Reddy Gangla.

In Karnataka, Kannada-speaking Telis are called as Ganiga or Goud; Somakshatriya Ganigas and some Lingayat Ganigas (who worship Shiva) are also found there.

In Tamil Nadu, Telis are called Vaniya Chettiyar, Gandla Chetty, Ganiga Chetty, Chekkalar. Chekku denotes "oil press" in Tamil.

In Kerala, a Teli is often called Chettiar.

Telis are spread all over India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal.

Sub-divisions

This caste is also subdivided into multiple Teli subcastes such as:

• Tilwan Teli (e.g. Bhusari, Chopade, Nalinde, Navpute, Harne, Dahpute)
• Shenwar Teli
• Rathod Teli
• Savji teli(i.e.Shirbhate,Gulhane,etc.)
• Malik Teli
• Tirmal teli
• Ek baili/Erandel teli
• Don baili teli
• Sahu Teli
• Lingayat Teli
• Vaddhar Teli
• Taheeme Teli
• Jairat teli
• Moodi
• kokani teli
• Malik shahu teli
• Padmvanshi Teli

Teli Chauhan

Teli Chauhan are seen in Bhiwani, Hissar (Hisar) and other districts of Haryana, Rajasthan and after grand migration of 1947 in Pakistani East Southern Punjab. This fact, represents that Teli is not something like hereditary caste or bloodline. It was just a professional organization of any family or caste who adopted oil pressing profession, especially during the time East India Company and The Great Freedom Massacre of 1857, when oil-pressing was said to have become a profitable profession and business.

Teli Chauhans are found in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sahiwal Kashmir and Sialkot, Gujranwal, Lahore district of Western Punjab.

Don Baili Teli

These people used to work in oil mills with two oxen (bail) and it was symbol of richness. This Teli community is found mostly in Maharashtra Vidarbha. They speak the Marathi language, which is Zadi Boli in the east. They are widely spread in Amaravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Bhandara, Gondiya, Wardha, Washim, Gadchiroli and Nagpur, as well as in the Pandurna, Ausar and Bhopal area of Madya Pradesh.

Teli Rathore

The Teli Rathore (or Rathod) are another community that traditionally extracted oil from peanuts and soybeans for lighting and other purposes. They moved from various areas in Rajasthan to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and other states.

They are debased Rathore Rajputs and claim to be the descendants of the Rathores of Kannauj. They separated from the main stream Rajputs after Ghori's invasion of India, when their position as kshatriyas was abandoned out of necessity and they turned instead to oil extraction. Instead of calling themselves "Teli" they simply call themselves Rathores or Rathods.

In some areas the Rathor gave up the name Teli entirely, and claimed Rajput status. They claimed either to come from Maihar State, and to have received the title of Mahato (from mahat, "great") from the Raja there. Alternately, some claimed to be "debased" Rathor Rajputs. These claim to have initially been Kshatriyas who took up the profession of oil-presser during times of hardship.

Padmvanshi Teli

As knows Rajsthan's Padmvanshi Teli, Mostly located in Maharashtra and MP (Jalgaon, Aurangabad, Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, Jhabua Sendwa etc.) The Padmvandhi Teli are same cultural to Rathod Teli as mentioned above but Rathod Teli located widely. There last names are Ajmere, Asarwal, Aagwal, Bindwal, Chudhari, Dhakare, Lahiwal, Mahor, Mangrunde, Mangrule, Mavre, Mandavare, Nagare, Nainav, Perdeshi, Rathod, Surale, Sartale, Teli, and Zalwar.

Other Teli

The Bene Israel of Maharashtra were nicknamed the Shanivar Teli ("Saturday oil-pressers") by the local population as they abstained from work on Saturdays which is Judaism's Shabbat.

Notable Telis

• Mahatma Gandhi, often referred to as the "Father of the Nation"
• Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujrat.

Swāmi Nārāyan & the Telis

R.V. Russell wrote in "The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India", 1916

"In the Central Provinces a number of persons belong to it in Nimār, principally of the Teli caste. The Telis of Nimār are anxious to improve their social position, which is very low, and have probably joined the [Swāmi Nārāyan] sect on account of its liberal principles on the question of caste."

See also

• Gupta
• Other Backward Class
• Ghanchi
• Ghanchi (Muslim)