Editing Valmiki caste (section)

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{{short description|Caste in India}}
{{About-distinguish|the Indian caste community|Balmiki sect}}
{{use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}

The '''Valmiki'''s are a variety of communities throughout India who all claim descent from the legendary author of the ''[[Ramayana]]'', [[Valmiki]]. The Valmikis can be classified as a [[caste system in India|caste]] or ''[[sampradaya]]'' (tradition/sect).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.comVa?id=IEVqCwAAQBAJ|title=Valmiki Hindu Jati|date=19 January 2021|isbn=9789350485668|language=Hindi}}</ref>  

In the north-west [[Punjab]] region, this caste had adopted Sikhism. During the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], many Valmiki were prominent rebels. Notable examples include [[Matadin Bhangi]], [[Gangu Baba|Gangu Mehtar]] and [[Bhura Singh Valmiki]].

According to the [[2001 Census of India]], the Valmikis formed 11.2 per cent of the [[Scheduled Caste]] population in the Indian state of [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_punjab.pdf|publisher=Census I |title=Punjab: Data Highlights: The Scheduled Castes |year=2001|access-date=2015-01-05}}</ref> and were the second-most populous Scheduled Caste in [[Delhi|Delhi National Capital Region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_delhi.pdf|title=Delhi: Data Highlights: The Scheduled Castes |year=2001 |publisher=Census India|access-date=2015-01-05 |page=1}}</ref><ref>Leslie, J.(2003) Authority and Meaning in Indian Religions: Hinduism and the Case of Valmiki. Ashgate publishing their favorite weapon is karha . {{ISBN|0754634302}}</ref>{{page needed|date=April 2020}} The [[2011 Census of India]] for [[Uttar Pradesh]] showed the Valmiki population, which was classified as a Scheduled Caste, as 1,319,241.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/SC_ST/PCA-A10/SC-0900-PCA-A-10-ddw.xlsx |title= A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh |publisher=Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |access-date=2017-02-04}}</ref>