The
Bais Rajput, (also commonly known as:
Bhains Rajput in certain regions), are a very powerful and
ancient
Rajput clan compromising of the
wealthy, warriors, entrepreneurs and
Zimindar (land
owners).
The Bais Rajput are one of the
Chattis Rajkul - 36 Royal
Rajput lineages and also a clan of the 108 ancient
Dhangar clans.
The Bais Rajput have left a strong stamp in
South Asian history, paving it with its empires
helping the spread of the clan all over the northern half of
South Asia.
The Bais Rajput can be
found pretty much anywhere in parts of north Pakistan
and India
including
many of the most remote parts of Kashmir
.The
Bais Rajput are renowned as warriors and the ability to maintain
dominion over many of their empires. Their eminent reputation was
earned by many of their kings and leaders that ruled over northern
India for centuries under empires, kingdoms and ownership of mass
land amongst the clan.
|
Rajput Clan: Bais |
|
| Vansh |
Suryavanshi |
| Descended from: |
Rishi Gotra: Bharadwaj |
| Branches: |
Divided into 360 sub-divisions of which the most important
are: Tilokchandi: (Rao, Raja, Sainbaisi,
Naihastha, Chotbhaiya, Gudaraha, Madhour), Kath
Bais, Tilsari, Chak
Bais, Nanwag, Bach,
Parsariya, Bijhonia,
Bhetkariya, Gargbansi |
| Ruled in |
Oudh, Mangi Pattan,
Dekhan, Lucknow , Kashmir , Shalikot  , Harsha's Empire, Tanda, Malwa, Nahrwala, Mahrat,
Dakhin, Birar, Bengal , Kasmanda,
Sitapur
district , Orissa |
| Princely
states: |
Oudh
Lucknow
Shalikot
|
| Surnames: |
Bhains, Bais, Baniya, Basade, Baruliya, Badhelia, Basade,
Kataha, Rao, Khathabains, Tilokchandi |
|
Etymology
Bais Rajput (
IPA: bʰaːiɲs ‘rɑːɗpʒʊt or bʰaːis ‘rɑːɗpʒʊt),
(
Sanskrit: बऐञस रआजपऊथॠअ),
(
Hindi: बैंस राजपूत),
(
Urdu: راجپوت بھینس).
Bais Rajput means
"one who occupies the soil" meaning
owners of mass land (
Zimindar). The clans name originates
from
Sanskrit and also is phonetically
translated as
Bhains from
Sanskrit
to the
English. The pronunciation
of the clan name:
Bhains is mostly used widley to the west
of northern
South Asia while the
Hindi pronunciation
Bais is more commonly
used in eastern and central areas.
The original ancient pronunciation was
Bhaiñs or
Baiñs with the nasally pronounced 'n'. As with most words,
over centuries the name was subject to distortion via pronunciation
and accent and so today, in the area of
Oudh
the pronunciation has found its was to be pronounced with out the
nasally pronounced 'n'. Evidence for this can be seen in the
ancient texts such as
Dhangar texts and
texts from the time of
Harshavardhana
which were written along time before the Bais Rajputs gradually
adopted the pronunciation of
Bais.
The
pronunciation and phonetic spelling Bais was coined around
after the takeover of Oudh and is predominantly
used in north western India and some
parts of the Punjab in both India
& Pakistan. It
was accepted as the official pronunciation in
Hindi and the official pronunciation and spelling in
English by the
British observers due
to the fact that it was how it was mainly pronounced in
Baiswara were the observers discovered the Bais
Rajputs.
Pronunciation
Also Spelt:
The word
Bhains is pronounced with a silent
n in
between the
i and the
s and also a light
h before the
b making the pronounced original
Sanskrit transliterated spelling 'Bhains'. The official spelling
though is:
Bais. It is not pronounced anything
like the word
base, rather the
a and
i
phonetically would be replaced with an:
e making it
pronounced much more like:
"Bes". Please see
IPA spelling for further detail in pronunciation.
History & Origin
The Bais Rajputs are considered to be
Suryavanshi. They are an ancient
Hindu warrior caste.
Their eponymous ancestor was Gautamiputra Satakarni also known as
Shalivahana, the king of Shalikot
presently known as Sialkot in Pakistan.
Shalivahana is the mythic son of a snake who
conquered the great Raja Vikramaditya of Ujjain
in 55 AD and
established his own area. The clan claims to have come from
Manji Paithan in the Dekhan in 78 AD when Shalivahana was king.
This was
the Saka era and Shalivahana was the leader of
the Saka nomads who invaded Gujarat
on two
occasions before and shortly after the beginning of the Christian era. It makes sense for
Shesh-Vansh to be called Suryavanshi because they are descendants
of
Lakshman Ji, brother of
Sri Rama, who is believed to be an avtar of
Sheshnag.
The Bais
Rajput come in the list of casts in the super cast known as the
Dhangar Rajput, formed
by wealthy Kshatriyas who moved to the
regions of The Hill States of Punjab and
Azad
Kashmir
and settled there.
The Bais
Rajputs are now a numerous clan and have given their name to an
extensive district Baiswada in the Doab, the
land between the Ganga
and Yamuna
.
They are
found all over the United Provinces and Bihar
.
Bais Rajput means 'one who occupies the soil' meaning owners of
mass lands, making them wealthy as well as warriors.The Bais Rajput
come under the list of the super
Rajput cast:
The '
Dhangar' meaning 'who is wealthy'.
These
Dhangar Rajput Kshatriyas, during times
of hardship, migrated from origins in the Indian state of
Maharashtra
to hills and forests in The Hill States of Punjab and Azad Kashmir
The
Ain-i-Akbari describes
them as being a proud, refractory and domineering race of Rajputs,
living in the Basim Sircar and, with numerous armed forces,
occupying the forts and controlling the surrounding
districts.
As listed in the
list of
Dhangar clans in India:
- Note: In the text Bais is spelt in ancient
pronunciation spelling Bhains
Bhains:
Lineage(Vansh):
Suryavanshi
Kul Gotra:
Bhains
Rishi Gotra:
Bharadwaj
Surnames:
- Bhains (Baniya),
- Baruliya (Badheliya),
- Basade (Bhainsale),
- Kati (Kataha),
- Katheriya,
- Kathabhains,
- Tilokchandi
Bais are considered also to be Nagvanshi. Baiswara is group of 365
villages comprising mostly Bais clansmen.
King of Thanesar
Harshvardhan united the whole nation and chose his
capital as Kannauj
.
Reputation
The Bais Rajput, over centuries, have gained a reputation in many
positions such as: on the battle field, in wealth and in the modern
day and age: in sports.
On the Battlefield
It is well known that the Rajputs are renowned for their warfare
but some are more so then others; the Bais Rajput fit directly into
that category. Since the beginning of the
Rajput era to thedays of the
British Raj, the Bais Rajput fought extensively
in many wars for their own cause and the cause of their allies.
This can
be seen clearly in historical evidence such as during the time of
the Bais Rajput king Harsha and his empire
for which many battles with the Gupta
empire were fought and won, in the taking over of Oudh and
certain parts of northern India from the
Bhars, in the rise of the Mughals
and the days of the Colonial
India.
At the time of the
Mughals the Bais Rajput
were given a special title to honour their warlike and brave nature
they were named the
Bhale Sultan meaning
Lords of the
spear.
The reputation of the clan can be estimated by analysing historical
references. According to tribal tradition in
Sultanpur about half a millennia ago
Rae
Barar, the son of
Amba Rae, brother of the then Raja
of
Morarmau, commanded a troop of cavalry
entirely from the Bais Rajput clan, in the imperial
service and was deputed to exterminate the troublesome
Bhars, (whom the Bais Rajput had already defeated to gain
Oudh), in the Isauli Pargana.
Having accomplished his mission he returned
to Delhi
and
presented himself at the head of his troop before the Emperor, who,
struck with their manly bearing, exclaimed "Ao, Bhale
Sultan!": "Come, spears of the Sultan!".During
the days of the
British Raj the Bais
Rajput became particularly famous for their skills in tank building
for the use of their own armies. Their
Rajas and
aristorats were recorded building tanks around
1730 and again in 1780.
In the 1800s a ban was imposed on all Bais Rajputs in participating
in any warfare for any cause other than the cause of the Bais
Rajputs themselves.
At the time of
Tilokchand, the eponymous hero of
the Bais Rajputs the Bais Rajput were at a peak or
Arooj.
They were brought to the limelight in many different ways, mainly
in power.
The Bais Rajput also played a major part in the
Indian Mutiny of 1857
fighting on both sides.
Wealth
The Bais Rajput (in some cases to this day) are a very wealthy
tribe in terms of how they dressed, ate, their homes and the money
and land to their name. This was due to them being
Zimindar and also mainly due to them being experienced
entrepreneurs.
The Bais Rajput had a strong hold of the
economic situation of India throughout
history. When times were hard they would turn to trade
making them skilled merchants and extremely rich. They excelled in
the trade of anything that they could get their hands on. Anything
that was worth trading and would bring pleasing profits the Bais
Rajputs were prepared to trade. When war was not afoot the Bais
Rajputs looked towards trade as side occupation to their noble
identity.
Not only
did the Bais Rajput trade, but the economy of the northern half of
modern day India and the west
of modern day Pakistan played in the hands of the Bais Rajput. The
Bais Rajputs also accomplished a reputation in finance. They were
well known money lenders. Due to the fact that they had the money
to lend, they would lend the money almmost becoming a banking
system in the areas they were dominant.
The Bais Rajput became so rich at a time it is recorded that each
Bais Rajput held
Lakhs (Hundreds of thousands) of rupees a
piece which could buy them nearly anything. To hold this amount of
money you would have to have been extremely rich.
This wealth caused the Bais Rajput to become the
"best dressed
and housed people" in the areas they resided. This had an
influence on the areas of
Baiswara and beyond as recorded
the whole area between
Baiswara and
Fyzabad
was:
Once the Bais Rajput had gained respect in the financial world it
didn't stop. Luck stroke for the Bais Rajputs and they became
richer and richer making them richer than the average
Rajput clans.
Zimindar
The Bais Rajput clan's identity is based on them being the ones who
occupy the soil. They are very dominant
zimindar
in the areas that they reside. A
zimindar is he who owns
extreme masses of land, a classic estimate would be
"as far as
the eyes can see".In these masses of lands many towns were
erected but there still remained vast amounts of lands wasteful as
they were not being used for any cause. The Bais Rajputs then
decided in making money from these lands by agriculture. They hired
many farmers to work the lands and produced profits adding to their
already rich positions in wealth.
The Bais Rajputs unusually famous for well building.
They ordered the
building of many wells that are being used still to the present day
all over South Asia especially in areas
of Oudh, Lucknow and the
villages around Mangla
Dam
.
Politics
Bais Rajputs play a part in politics around the world.
They play a major
part in politics in Azad
Kashmir, Pakistani Punjab
and India but it does
not stop there. Wherever the Bais Rajput have migrated out
of Southern Asia they have had an
influence in politics on a local and official level such as in
Canada
and the
United
Kingdom
.A notable Indian Bais Rajput politician
would be
Ramesh Bais.
Sports
Sports is another sector in which the Bais
Rajput have excelled, particularly in the sport of
Field Hockey producing many
Olympic champions in the sport, namely the hockey
legend:
Dhyan Chand.
Dhyan Chand was not the last of the
sports personalities to début with Gold medals in the
Olympics. The list carried on and most of them were
the close relatives or family of Dhyan Chand, such as his brother
Roop Singh Bais and many more.
Culture
The Bais Rajput have a variety of custom and have a rich culture.
Over the years the Bais Rajput have distinguished themselves
greatly through many weird and unusual customs and parts of their
culture. They are very superstitious and many would say that their
customs were pointless, however the Bais Rajputs would argue they
are symbols of their culture and have derived from
Hindu mythology.
Customs
The customs in the clan are seen as very strange to those from
outside of the clan but its clansmen are used to such
traditions.
Their tribal totem or symbol is the
cobra.
They perpetuate the tradition of a serpent origin, and assert that
no snake has or even can destroy one of the clan; for the same
reason no Bais Rajput will even kill a cobra. Bais Rajput females
can never wear cotton of any colour but white and above their feet
and ankles their ornaments must be made of gold. The women wear one
long cloth, which is fastened round their wastes around the middle,
the lower folds covering the lower portions of the person, and the
upper parts being thrown over the shoulder.Amongst the Bais Rajput
neither man nor woman, rich or poor, will put a hand to cultivation
or labour of any sort.The Bais Rajputs divide their inheritance
according to a system of primogeniture by which the three elder
sons receive larger shares.
The Bais
Rajput live in groups of villages named Baiswara, where
Bais Rajput have ever migrated they have also formed such coalition
of villages, namely the move to The Hills
States of Punjab and Azad Kashmir. Baiswara are easily recognisable as most
villages prize the name 'Bais' in the name of
their village for example: Kalyal Bhainsi (Azad Kashmir) or Bais Godam (India).
The 'Bais' 'Rajput' clan never kill snakes, which they hold in
great reverence. The Baise believe that no snake has destroyed, or
ever can destroy, one of the clan. They seem to take no precautions
against snake bite except hanging a vessel of water at the head of
the sufferer, with a small tube at the bottom, from which the water
is poured on his head for as long as he can bear it. So important
is the snake to the Bais that the cobra forms part of the clan's
flag.
Criteria for Marriage
Bais Rajput or Jat?
Confusingly, there is a tribe of
Jats that go
by the same name of the Bais Rajputs: the
Bains Jats. This leads to the belief that either
the Bais Rajput are a Jat tribe or the
Bains are a
Rajput tribe;
both of the latter are false.
The
Bains claim ancestry from the Bais
Rajputs and so assume to be
Rajputs and of
the 36 Royal Rajput clans but there is no evidence to support the
claim.
The
Jat caste is a completely different caste to
the
Rajputs, yet the possibility that the
Bains are descendants of the Bais Rajput
could, in fact, be true; as according to the:
Final report of
revised settlement, Hoshiarpur district, 1879-84 - By J.
A. L. Montgomery, the Jat are amongst
the inferior tribes to the Rajputs which are the descendants of the
Rajputs as they are 'fallen' Rajputs due to their widening of
marriages with other lower castes in the cast system. This ideology
is proven incorrect by
genetic
research proving Rajputs and Jats have a completely different
DNA genetic structure and so share very little in common through
ancestry.
Other history books also support the claims of the
Bains by stating that the Bains (Jat) along with
the
Janjua have more 'specific' claims
to ancestry to
Rajputs than other
Jats. Some Bains (Jat) even claim ancestry form the
Janjua Rajput tribes which supports
the notion that such Jat tribes claiming ancestry from Rajputs do
so in order to increase their ranks in the caste system.
Nonetheless, the
Bains and the Bais
Rajput today share nothing much in common except a few claims of
relativity to each other.
Notable Bais Rajputs
Royalty
- Tilokchand - Hindu Indian King & eponymous hero of the Bais
Rajput
- Chandrika Bux Singh - Hindu Indian King and Freedom
Fighter
- Babu Rao Ram Bux Singh - Hindu Indian Freedom fighter
- Prabhakar Vardhan - Indian King of northern South Asia
- Harshavardhana - Bhuddist Indian
Emperor of northern India
- Rajyavardhan - Indian King of Thanesar
- Prabhakar Vardhan - Hindu Indian Emperor
- Rajya Vardhan - Hindu India King of Thaneser
- Raja Abhay Chand - Hindu Indian King of Bais dynasty
- Anand Deo Rajput - Hindu Indian King of Malwa, Nahrwala, Mahrat, Dakhin and Birar.
- Salim Khan - Muslim Indian King of Bengal
- Isa Khan - Muslim Indian King of Bengal
Sports
Leaders & Politicians
- Mardan Singh - Sikh Indian Bais Rajput leader
- Arman Singh - Sikh Indian Bais Rajput leader
- Ramesh Bais - Hindu Indian political
activist
- Ram Lallu Bais - Hindu BJP MP
- Jagbali Prasad Bais - Hindu BSP MP
Media & Entertainment
- Anjhula Singh Bais - Indian supermodel & actress
Bais Rajput & Religion
In the modern day and age the clan consists of two major religious
groups:
Hindus and
Muslims. There are also
Sikh and
Buddhist Bais Rajput but this is a minority
in comparison to the latter two.The Bais Rajput started of as
Hindus as did all in when the cast system came into place a very
long time ago in India. Even so today there are very many Hindu
Bais Rajput as over half Bais Rajput are Hindu. Directing from the
lineage of the
Kshatriyas the Bais Rajput
claim to be descendent of many Hindu gods.As Islam spread over
India quite a few areas in the dynasty of the Bais Rajput converted
in the 14th and 15th century and still to this day remain Muslims.
Also with
the move of many to The Hill States of
Punjab and Azad
Kashmir most if not all converted to Islam as Islam was the
dominant religion in the area. With the coming of the
Mughals the many Bais Rajputs also accepted the invitation from
Islam.Some Muslim Bais Rajput Thakurs experience problems in
expressing their Thakur identity following the religion of Islam as
it does not allow one to be self extravagant and flamboyant in
acts.
There have been prominent Sikh Bais Rajput and most Sikh Bais Rajput reside in
the state if Punjab,
India
. The
Buddhist aslso
had influence on many Bais Rajputs such as
Harsha, there are very few if any Buddhist Bais
Rajputs.Other religions also include:
Animists and followers of the
Bahá'í faith.
International community
Many Bais Rajputs live in countries other than India and Pakistan
such as the United Kingdom, Canada and America.
See also
External links
-
http://books.google.co.uk/books?q=bais+rajput&btnG=Search+Books
- http://www.kosmix.com/topic/Bais_Rajput
-
http://toolbar.google.com/archivesearch?scoring=t&hl=en&ned=tus&lnav=ent5&sa=N&q=bais+rajput
- http://www.raebareli.com/history.html
- http://unnao.nic.in/Places%20of%20Interest.htm
-
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:qUefFj_jnMAJ:newsgroups.derkeiler.com/pdf/Archive/Soc/soc.culture.indian/2005-11/msg00166.pdf+bais+rajput&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=28&gl=uk
References
- Kumarpala Charita of Jayasimha
- Prithviraj Raso of Chandbardai
- Dhangar Samaj Prachin Eitihas va Kul Gotra, Ganpatrao Kolekar,
1992.(Marathi)
- Dhangar samajachi gotre, Ganpatrao Kolekar, 1981 (Marathi)
- Hamara Samaj, Bharat ke Meshpal, 1973 (Hindi)
- Holkaron Ka Eithihas, Madhusudanrao Holkar(Hindi), 2000
- The primary source of information is also from the Mendjogis
(Genealogist),
who keep the record of Dhangar families.
- Crooke, William (1896). The Tribes and Castes of the
North-western Provinces and Oudh. Calcutta, Office of the
Superintendent of Government Printing. ISBN 81-206-1210-8.
- Report of a Tour in Eastern Rajputana in 1871-72 and 1872-73 By
A. C. L. Carlleyle, Alexander Cunningham
- Crooke, William (1896). The Tribes and Castes of the
North-western Provinces and Oudh. Calcutta, Office of the
Superintendent of Government Printing. ISBN 81-206-1210-8.
- Crooke, William (1896). The Tribes and Castes of the
North-western Provinces and Oudh. Calcutta, Office of the
Superintendent of Government Printing. ISBN 81-206-1210-8.
- Crooke, William (1896). The Tribes and Castes of the
North-western Provinces and Oudh. Calcutta, Office of the
Superintendent of Government Printing. ISBN 81-206-1210-8.
- Crooke, William (1896). The Tribes and Castes of the
North-western Provinces and Oudh. Calcutta, Office of the
Superintendent of Government Printing. ISBN 81-206-1210-8.
- Dhangar Samaj Prachin Eitihas va Kul Gotra, Ganpatrao Kolekar,
1992.(Marathi)
- The The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions By
Syed Siraj ul Hassan
- The Tribes and Castes of Bombay By Reginald Edward
Enthoven
- Rajputs and Dhangars have same or common Gotras
- Dhangar Samaj Prachin Eitihas va Kul Gotra, Ganpatrao Kolekar,
1992.(Marathi)
- Dhangar samajachi gotre, Ganpatrao Kolekar, 1981 (Marathi)
- Hamara Samaj, Bharat ke Meshpal, 1973 (Hindi)
- Holkaron Ka Eithihas, Madhusudanrao Holkar(Hindi), 2000
- Settlement Report, 179, sqq.
- Settlement Report, 179, sqq.
- The Tribes and Castes of the North-western Provinces and Oudh
by William Crooke - 1896
- Report on the settlement of the land revenue of the Sultánpur
district ... - Page 179 by A F. Millett - 1873
- Rulers, Townsmen and Bazaars By C. A. Bayly
- Rulers, Townsmen and Bazaars By C. A. Bayly
- Rulers, Townsmen and Bazaars By C. A. Bayly
- Of the sept in Rae Bareli
- Crooke, William (1896). The Tribes and Castes of the
North-western Provinces and Oudh. Calcutta, Office of the
Superintendent of Government Printing. ISBN 81-206-1210-8.
- REPORT OF THE SETTLEMENT OPERATIONS OF THE RA'I BARELI
DISTRICT. Published by , 1872 Original from Oxford University
- Crooke, William (1896). The Tribes and Castes of the
North-western Provinces and Oudh. Calcutta, Office of the
Superintendent of Government Printing. ISBN 81-206-1210-8.
- The Peasant Armed: The Indian Revolt of 1857 By Eric Stokes,
Christopher Alan Bayly Edition: illustrated Published by Clarendon
Press, 1986 Original from the University of Michigan ISBN
0198215703, 9780198215707 261 pages
- REPORT OF THE SETTLEMENT OPERATIONS OF THE RA'I BARELI
DISTRICT. Published by , 1872 Original from Oxford University
- The Tribes and Castes of the North-western Provinces and Oudh
by William Crooke - 1896
- Final report of revised settlement, Hoshiarpur district,
1879-84 - By J. A. L. Montgomery
- Sikhs By A. H. Bingley
- The History of India-Vol VI
- The times of India, The Muslim Rajputs of UP, 8 Jul 2007, 0135
hrs IST, Atul Sethi, TNN
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