View source for Leva Patel

{{Short description|Sub-caste of Patidar caste}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox caste
|caste_name       = Leva Patidar
|classification   =
|subdivisions     = [[Patidar]]
|populated_states = [[Gujarat]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Maharashtra]]
}}
'''Leva Patel''' ('''Leuva Patidar''') is a sub-caste of [[Patidar|Patidars]] in India, situated mainly in [[Kheda district|Charotar]] region of Gujarat. Compared to other Patidar subcastes such as the [[Kadava Patidar|Kadava]]s, they had greater wealth and control of positions in commerce, education, and producer cooperatives.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Murali|first=Kanta|title=Caste, Class, and Capital: The Social and Political Origins of Economic Policy in India|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2017|pages=109}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://theprint.in/india/who-are-patels-and-how-they-have-become-a-driving-force-behind-govts-in-gujarat/733361/ |title=Who are Patels and how they have become a driving force behind govts in Gujarat |author=Soniya Agrawal |date=2021-09-15 }}</ref>

== Origin ==
Leva Patels originated from the Katha Vistar Taluka Bhachau Jillo Kutch-Bhuj Gujarat, [[Kheda district|Kheda district of Gujarat]] as [[Shudra]].{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} {{sfn|Clark-Deces|2011|p=290|ps=}}<ref name="GadgilGuha1993">{{harvnb|Gadgil|Guha|1993|p=84}} Quote: "For instance, in western Maharashtra the Rigvedic Deshastha Brahmans are genetically closer to the local [[Shudra]] Kunbi castes than to the Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmans (Karve and Malhotra 1968)."</ref> There are a variety of popular legends regarding their origin, such as being migrants from [[Punjab]], migrants fleeing the [[Kushan Empire|Kushans]], migrants from [[Ayodhya]], or descending from [[Hunas]], [[Gurjar|Gurjaras]]. However, these legends are of dubious reliability, and are an example of the [[invention of tradition]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQ9uAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Social+structure+of+Patidar+caste+in+India|title=The Social structure of Patidar caste in India|last=Trivedi|first=Jayprakash M.|date=1992-01-01|publisher=Kanishka Pub. House|isbn=9788185475196|pages=20, 32|language=en}}</ref> The most popular of these traditions is that Levas descend from [[Lava (Ramayana)|Lava]], son of the deity [[Rama]] in the Hindu epic ''[[Ramayana]]''.{{sfn|David Francis Pocock|1972|p=66}}<ref>{{Cite web|first=Prabhash K.|last=Dutta|date=7 December 2017|title=Patels and Patidars of Gujarat: Descendants of Ram and worshippers of Krishna|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/assembly-elections-2017/story/patels-and-patidars-of-gujarat-descendants-of-ram-and-worshippers-of-krishna-1102486-2017-12-07|website=India Today}}</ref> The Levas claim that their name derives from Lava; however, it actually is a corruption of Reva, the local name for the [[Narmada River]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sadasivan|first=S. N.|title=A social history of India|publisher=APH Publishing Corporation|year=2000|pages=257}}</ref>

In the 19th and 20th centuries, many Leva Patels have immigrated to other countries, like [[South Africa]], the [[United States]], [[Canada]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. Within India, they have migrated from Gujarat to other states, like [[Maharashtra]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[West Bengal]], and [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref name=":0" />

[[Vallabhbhai Patel]], the first [[Home Minister of India]], was a member of this community.{{cn|date=May 2022}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patel, Leva}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{cite book |author=David Francis Pocock |title=Kunbi and Patidar: a study of the Patidar community of Gujarat |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tLxyAAAAMAAJ |year=1972 |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=9780198231752 }}
*{{citation |first=Isabelle |last=Clark-Deces|title=A Companion to the Anthropology of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=98uLj5FpTHQC&pg=PT290|year=2011|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-9892-9}}
[[Category:Indian castes]]
[[Category:Gurjar]]
[[Category:Gurjar clans of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]

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