The Rajbhar (also known as Bhar ,Bhardwaj, Bharat, Bharshiva, Rai or Rajvanshi), are a community of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Nepal and other states of India. Majority population of this community resides in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand & Madhya Pradesh accounting less than 1-2 percent of over all population in all 3 states. [citation needed]
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Languages | |
| Hindi | |
| Religion | |
Hinduism  | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bhar |
The Rajbhar, they are followers of Shaiva Panth. According to a legend the ancestor king of the Bhars was a devotee of lord Shiva and he used to carry the Shivalinga on his shoulders. hence his descendants were known as Bhar Shiv. The Rajbhar were traditionally farmers.[1][2][3] Influenced by the Arya Samaj movement, bhars started using rajbhar, Baijnath Prasad Adhyapak published Rajbhar Jati ka Itihas in 1940. This book attempted to prove that the Rajbhar were formerly rulers who were related to the ancient Bhar ruler.[4]
Rajbhars in Nepal edit
The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Rajbhar as a subgroup within the broader social group of Madheshi Other Caste.[5] At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 9,542 people (0.0% of the population of Nepal) were Rajbhar. The frequency of Rajbhars by province was as follows:
- Lumbini Province (0.1%)
- Bagmati Province (0.0%)
- Gandaki Province (0.0%)
- Koshi Province (0.0%)
- Madhesh Province (0.0%)
- Karnali Province (0.0%)
- Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)
The frequency of Rajbhars was higher than national average (0.0%) in the following districts:[6]
Origin edit
Bhar is a word derived from tribal languages like Gondi and Munda, which means " warrior ". The tribal society of central India used to have its own hierarchy, with clans ranging from Brahmins (priestly class), warriors to service or menial class. 'Bhar' is one such clan which had glorious history in medieval period,. As IT is evident from the origin of its name, Bhar was a warrior tribe which created its own history but slowly disappeared from pages of history. The Bhar formed small kingdoms in the Eastern UP region, until they were disposed by invading Rajput and Muslim groups in the later middle ages.
Notable people edit
- Suhaldev :- Suhaldev or Suheldev was a legendary king of Rajbhar community.
See also edit
- Bhar :- Rajbhar sub caste of Bhar community.
- Rajwar :- Rajwar is a group of Rajbhar caste in India.
References edit
- ^ Mann, Dr. Nisha (2021). Women and Politics with special reference to PRIs. K.K. Publications. p. 210.
- ^ Fox, Richard Gabriel (2021). From Zamindar to Ballot Box. Cornell University Press. p. 71.
- ^ Veer, Peter van der (2020). The Management of Religious Experience and Identity in a North Indian Pilgrimage Centre. Taylor & Francis. p. 310.
- ^ Narayan, Badri (209). Fascinating Hindutva: Saffron Politics and Dalit Mobilisation. SAGE Publications. p. 25. ISBN 978-8-17829-906-8.
- ^ Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II [1]
- ^ 2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report
 | This article about an Indian ethnicity or social group is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |