Ahir clans

The Ahir (Sanskrit: Abhira)^[1] is a Hindu caste amongst large set of pastoral communities using Yadav word since late 19th century to early 20th century as part of Sanskritisation process.^[2][3][4] The Ahir clans are spread almost all over country.^[5]

Clans

Yaduvanshi

The Yaduvanshi Ahirs^[6] claim descent from the ancient Yadu or Yadava tribe of Krishna.^[7][8]

Nandvanshi

A legendary story of the origin of the Nandvanshi Ahirs^[8] narrates that on his way to kill the rakshasas, Krishna crossed the river Yamuna accompanied by the Gwalas (his childhood playmates); those that crossed the river with him became the Ahir Nandavanshi. Nandvanshi and Yaduvanshi titles are fundamentally synonymous.^[9][10][11]

Gwalvanshi

The Gwalvanshi Ahirs^[12] are historically associated with cowherding. According to history professor Rahul Shukla, the Gwalvanshi Ahirs had settled in Azamgarh, Varanasi, Gorkakhpur, Mirzapur etc. They were cultivators or farmers in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. At the turn of the century, they evolved into business and other vocations in a big way.^[13][14]

Ghosi

For Main article, see Hindu Ghosi.

The Ghosi are a community found mainly in North India. They were the zamidars and small rulers of various parts of country.^[14] Ghosi trace their origin to King Nanda, the professed ancestor of Ghosi Ahirs.^[15][16]

Phatak

Main article: Phatak

The Phatak Ahirs claim to be descended from Digpal, the Ahir Raja of Mahaban.^[14][17]

Dauwa

The Dauwa Ahirs are the descendants of Shree Balaram, half-brother of Lord Krishna.^[18] Dauwas were rulers of Bundelkhand in past. It is said that Dauwas had established their power in Bundelkhand even before Bundela Rajputs.^[18]

Ahar

Main article: Ahar caste

The Ahar are a Hindu caste of agriculturists.^[19] The Ahar tribe are spread through Rohilkhand and other districts of North-Western provinces, following pastoral pursuits. They are of Yaduvanshi stock.^[20]

Krishnaut

Main article: Krishnaut

Krishnaut or Kishnaut are Ahirs that inhabits the state of Bihar.^[21][22] They claim to be descendants of Krishna.^[23]

Majhraut

Main article: Majhraut Ahir

The Yadavs who migrated from Mathura (Braj) to Bihar and its surrounding areas came to be known as Mathuraut or Majrauth.^[24] They inhabit the Indian state of Bihar and Jharkhand.^{[25][26][27][28]} They are believed to be descended from the Yadava king Madhu who lived in Mathura. Like Krishnaut even Majhraut Ahirs never sold either milk, ghee or butter and have, to a large extent, were cultivators.^[29][30] Some of them were landlords of large estates.

Majhrauts are found all over Bihar but numerically they exceed other sub-caste in Saharsa and it's adjoining district of Bihar.^[31] While most Yadavs were small scale peasants in North and Central India, a small number of them acquired land in newly reclaimed area of Eastern Bihar (Purnea and Saharsa) and became big land holders.^[32][33]

The titles generally used by Majhraut and other sub-caste of Ahirs in Bihar are Yadav, Raut, Gope, Ray, Rai, Roy, Mandal, Singh, etc.^[34][35][36]

See also

• Ahir
• Bihari Ahir
• Yaduvanshi
• Narayani Sena

References

1. Garg, Gaṅgā Rām (1992). Encyclopaedia of the Hindu world, Volume 1 By Gaṅgā Rām Garg, Page no. 113. ISBN 9788170223740. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
2. Jassal, Smita Tewari; École pratique des hautes études (France). Section des sciences économiques et sociales; University of Oxford. Institute of Social Anthropology (2001). "Caste in the Colonial State: Mallahs in the census". Contributions to Indian sociology. Mouton. pp. 319–351. Quote: "The movement, which had a wide interregional spread, attempted to submerge regional names such as Goala, Ahir, Ahar, Gopa, etc., in favour of the generic term Yadava (Rao 1979). Hence a number of pastoralist castes were subsumed under Yadava, in accordance with decisions taken by the regional and national level caste sabhas. The Yadavas became the first among the shudras to gain the right to wear the janeu, a case of successful sanskritisation which continues till date. As a prominent agriculturist caste in the region, despite belonging to the shudra varna, the Yadavas claimed Kshatriya status tracing descent from the Yadu dynasty. The caste's efforts matched those of census officials, for whom standardisation of overlapping names was a matter of policy. The success of the Yadava movement also lies in the fact that, among the jaati sabhas, the Yadava sabha was probably the strongest, its journal, Ahir Samachar, having an all-India spread. These factors strengthened local efforts, such as in Bhojpur, where the Yadavas, locally known as Ahirs, refused to do begar, or forced labour, for the landlords and simultaneously prohibited liquor consumption, child marriages, and so on."
3. Mandelbaum, David Goodman (1970). Society in India. Vol. 2. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 443. ISBN 978-0-520-01623-1.
4. Jaffrelot, Christophe (2003). India's silent revolution: the rise of the lower castes in North India. Columbia University Press. pp. 210–211. ISBN 978-0-231-12786-8. Quote: "In his typology of low caste movements, (M. S. A.) Rao distinguishes five categories. The first is characterised by 'withdrawal and self-organisation'. ... The second one, illustrated by the Yadavs, is based on the claim of 'higher varna status' and fits with Sanskritisation pattern. ..."
5. Fox, Mr. (1971). Kin, Clan, Raja, and Rule: Statehinterland Relations in Preindustrial India. p. 19. ISBN 9780520018075.
6. Singh, Bhrigupati (2021). Poverty and the Quest for Life Spiritual and Material Striving in Rural India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 21, 146. ISBN 9780226194684.
7. Michelutti, Lucia (2002). Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town (PDF). p. 89.
8. Gupta, Dipankar (2021). Caste in Question. SAGE Publication. p. 58. ISBN 9788132103455. Their original caste title was Ahir. The idea of a unique Krishnavanshi kinship category which fuses traditional subdivisions Yaduvanshi, Nandavanshi and Goallavanshi into a single endogamous unit
9. Michelutti, Lucia (2008). The vernacularisation of democracy: Politics, caste, and religion in India. pp. 114, 115. ISBN 9780415467322.
10. Lok Nath Soni (2000). The Cattle and the Stick: An Ethnographic Profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh. Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture, Delhi: Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture, 2000 Original from the University of Michigan. p. 16. ISBN 9788185579573.
11. Gopal Chowdhary (2014). The Greatest Farce of History. Partridge Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 9781482819250.
12. Gupta, Dipankar (2021). Caste in Question. BookRix. p. 58. ISBN 9788132103455. Their original caste title was Ahir. The idea of a unique Krishnavanshi kinship category which fuses traditional subdivisions Yaduvanshi, Nandavanshi and Goallavanshi into a single endogamous unit
13. Ratan Mani Lal (11 May 2014). "Azamgarh: Why Mulayam cannot take Yadav votes for granted". Ratan Mani Lal. firstpost.com. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
14. Lucia Michelutti, Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town (2002) London School of Economics and Political Science University of London, p.90-98
15. Ravindra K. Jain (2002). Between History and Legend: Status and Power in Bundelkhand. Orient Blackswan. p. 32. ISBN 9788125021940.
16. Provinces (India), Central (1908). Central Provinces District Gazetteers. Printed at the Pioneer Press.
17. Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Mainpuri By Uttar Pradesh (India) · [1980]
18. Singh, Mahendra Pratap (2001). Shivaji, Bhakha Sources and Nationalism. Books India International.
19. Oliver Mendelsohn, Marika Vicziany (1998). The Untouchables: Subordination, Poverty and the State in Modern India Volume 4 of Contemporary South Asia. Cambridge University Press. pp. xi. ISBN 9780521556712.
20. Subodh Kapoor (2002). Indian Encyclopaedia, Volume 1. Genesis Publishing Pvt Ltd. p. 108. ISBN 9788177552577.
21. Bihar (India); Choudhury, Pranab Chandra Roy (1957). Bihar District Gazetteers: Bhagalpur. Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar.
22. The National Geographical Journal of India. National Geographical Society of India. 1975.
23. Swartzberg, Leon (1979). The North Indian Peasant Goes to Market. Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 978-81-208-3039-4.
24. Sinhā, Mīnākshī (1993). Mithilā ke Yādava (in Hindi). Mahārājā Lakshmīśvara Siṃha Risarca Sosāiṭī.
25. Bihar (India); Choudhury, Pranab Chandra Roy (1957). Bihar District Gazetteers: Bhagalpur. Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar.
26. Singh, Rana P. B. (1977). Clan Settlements in the Saran Plain (Middle Ganga Valley): A Study in Cultural Geography. National Geographical Society of India, Banaras Hindu University.
27. Bihar (India); Choudhury, Pranab Chandra Roy (1962). Bihar District Gazetteers: Hazaribagh. Superintendent, Secretariat Press, Bihar.
28. Siddiqui, M. K. A. (1993). Inter-caste and Inter-community Relationship: Developing Patterns. Commonwealth Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7169-260-6.
29. Hunter, William Wilson (1877). A Statistical Account of Bengal. Trübner & Company.
30. Hunter, Sir William Wilson (1976). A Statistical Account of Bengal: Districts of Bhágalpur and the Santál Parganás. D. K. Publishing House.
31. Singh, K. S. (2008). People of India: Bihar (2 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-85579-09-2.
32. Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). India's Communities: H - M. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2. While most Yadavs were small scale peasants in North and Central India, a small number of them acquired land in newly reclaimed area of Eastern Bihar (Purnea and Saharsa) and became big land holders
33. Gajrani, S. (2004). History, Religion and Culture of India. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8205-063-1.
34. Singh, K. S. (2008). People of India: Bihar (2 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-85579-09-2.
35. Singh, Kumar Suresh (2008). People of India: Bihar, including Jharkhand (2 pts). Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-7046-303-0.
36. Singh, Santosh (9 October 2015). Ruled or Misruled: Story and Destiny of Bihar. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-93-85436-42-0.