Affinity Bloc: South Asian Peoples

Overview: The Teli are an occupational caste widely distributed across northern India. The traditional occupation of oil pressing has virtually disappeared and the Teli have taken to trade and agriculture on which they now largely depend. In fact, today land is the main economic resource for the majority of the rural Teli community. Some have taken up animal husbandry as a vocation while others rear sheep and goats.

  -- K. S. Singh, People of India, Volume VI. India's Communities N-Z. Delhi: Oxford University Press (1998), pp. 3462-3476

Peoples within this cluster: Teli; Teli, Assamese; Teli, Awadhi; Teli, Bengali; Teli, Bhojpuri; Teli, Chhattisgarhi; Teli, Gujarati; Teli, Haryanvi; Teli, Kannada; Teli, Magahi; Teli, Maithili; Teli, Marathi; Teli, Merwari; Teli, Oriya; Teli, Tamil; Teli, Telugu

Countries where they are found: India; Nepal