English Project on:

My family history

Done by:
Garima panwar
B.A.programme 1st year
Lady shri ram college for
women

My history means the roots of my belonging.

Economic profile
My grandparents were born around 1930s. My
grandfather was born in a village named kudli
but after some years they migrated to
Deedwana a bigger village with his family.
Deedwana is in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
Economically my grandparents belonged to the
rural lower middle class of the society at that
time.
My grand parents were engaged in the
traditional agriculture and horticulture. They
are traditional because our caste is associated
with this occupation.
When my grandfather joined the government
service as he wanted a different path, my
grandmother took all the responsibility of the
farms on her shoulder , she did the managerial
task as well as added to the work force at the
farms. She took care of all the requirements of
the farm and of the house.
My grand parents on maternal side were
engaged in shop keeping and horticulture. My
grandmother on maternal side also helped my
grandfather in horticulture.
Now lets talk about my parents generation.
My grand parents had five sons and three
daughters. Among five sons four are in
business and one in service. Two brothers of
my father were initially in service but they left
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their services to do business. This shows that

business became the first preference of man in
the family of that generation. Among the five
daughter-in-laws only one is a working woman
she is a doctor other four remained to be
housewives
either
due
to
family
responsibilities or due lack of professional
education.
My
father
started
road
construction and a crusher in 1985 with his
two brothers. My mother is a housewife. My
father belongs to upper middle strata of the
society this change in the economic level is
due to the change in occupation as my father
opted for business rather then agriculture and
also migration as my father migrated from
Deedwana to different places for his business
sometimes for months and some times for
years.
Educational background and gender
Now lets have look on how the education and
perspective
towards
it
changed
over
generation.
Education in rural 30s was limited to primary
education for layman. My grandparents did
only their primary schooling . My grandfather
could not study because he had to help his
father on farms and my grandmother was sent
to school but did not find it interesting so she
left after her primary education. She always
regretted that why she did not go school at
that time. My grandfather also had a deep
understanding of education as a vital part of
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ones life. They tried their best to give

education to their children.
Among five only my father is the one who
could not study beyond school level because
one of my fathers brother died and the
financial condition of the family was very weak
so he had to take upon the business and leave
education.
My mother has also done her schooling she
was the first girl in her family who completed
her schooling. My uncles on the maternal side
have completed their education till schooling.
As my mother was the first girl to complete
her schooling this thing bought a huge change
in mindsets of my grandparents towards
education of girls.
Now comes the third generation of my family
which includes me. I am the youngest in the
third generation of my family. Even the third
generation has seen many changes in it. My
cousin brothers have done their graduation or
post graduation in different fields. My cousin
sisters have done their graduation and some
them have done post graduation also but
interesting fact about their education is that
all of them had Home science as their optional
subject in graduation this not because they
wanted to study this but because this was the
only subject available as subject they had no
choice in opting because of the education
system.

My sister is the first girl who is doing a

professional course before marriage and I am
first girl who is sent out to study.
The perspective towards girls education is
changing towards positive and now education
is considered important for everyone.
As we say every thing have reason behind it so
even the changes in my family also have some
reason behind it. Migration from rural to urban
areas changed the mindsets. This provided
educational opportunities and freedom to opt
for a different field of occupation. But the
irony of the situation was this before me not a
single girl was expected to enter into the
professional realm but now it has changed this
shows that mind sets towards girls education
and opting for a profession have changed.
Now lets have look into marriage from gender
point of view women in my first generation did
not have a choice of opting for a partner but it
changed after that now they have equal
freedom to give their preference for a partner.
Male and female are treated equally.
Caste and religion
We belong to Mali or Saini caste of Hindu
religion.
Our
caste
is
associated
with
horticulture and agriculture. Caste has always
remained a very important part of my familys
identity but it never over came the identity of
region. There has been a very little change in
the practices form what was practiced by our
ancestors.
Marriage,
a
childs
birth,
inauguration everything is celebrated as they
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were earlier. Festivals like Basoda , Teez,

Gangore, Sinjara and the practice of going to
our kuldevi after any celebration is still
continuing till today. But there are effects of
western culture in them which do not change
anything but adds to it for example cutting of
ribbon before entering into a new house is
such a sign of western culture.
There has been no inter caste marriage till now
in my family this shows that caste plays an
important role in their identity.
Languages
Marwari is the language which my family
speaks while talking to the other members of
the family but other than that most of the
people know Hindi and English. The third
generation is well versed with English which is
the third language of my family because of
English medium education. I always lived in a
joint family so I retained my mother tongue
but the fourth generation that is my nephews
and niece are not able to retain because they
live in nuclear family even though their family
speaks Marwari but they can not speak it.
Marwari is written in devnagarik script only.
My sense of identity
I am a Indian girl who is a Marwari from
Rajasthan belongs to Deedwana town of
Nagaur district. Then comes that I am Hindu
and Saini by caste. For me the identity of being
an Indian is most important but I also think
that my regional identity and my culture are a
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vital part of what makes me as an individual.

My identity of being a girl also has ubiquitous
presence in my identity.
My siblings also have the same sense of
identity. But those who are living in nuclear
family and away from the native region have a
very less space for the native place in their
sense of identity.
My history is a very important part of my
identity.

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