2405:204:312B:7218:0:0:1168:30B0 at 08:55, 22 August 2022

2022-08-22T08:55:44Z

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{{for|[[Sikh]] community from [[East India]]|Agrahari Sikh}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2013}}
[[File:Shri Agrasen Maharaj.jpg|right|thumb|Maharaja [[Agrasena]] from whom the Agraharis claim descent.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Narath |first1=Radhika |title=People still carry out Maharaja Agrasen's ideals |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2017/state-editions/people-still-carry-out-maharaja-agrasens-ideals.html |work=[[The Pioneer (India)|The Pioneer]]|location=India|date=22 September 2017}}</ref>]]
'''Agrahari''', '''Agraharee''' or '''Agarhari''' is an Indian and Nepali [[Vaishya]] community, claimed to be descendants of legendary king [[Agrasena]].<ref>{{cite book | title = People of India: Uttar Pradesh , Voume 42, Part | author = Kumar Suresh Singh |author2=Amir Hasan |author3=Hasan, Baqr |author4=Raza Rizvi |author5=J. C. Das | author-link = Kumar Suresh Singh | publisher = Anthropological Survey of India | edition = illustrated | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-81-73041-14-3 | page = 66 }}</ref> Predominantly, they are found in the [[Indian state]] of [[Uttar Pradesh]],<ref>{{cite book | title = Caste Interaction in Village Tribe: An anthropological Case Study of the Tribes in Dhanaura Village in Mirzapur District of Uttar Pradesh | author = Lalit Mohan Sankhdher | publisher = K. P. Publications | year = 1974 | page = 10–1 }}</ref> [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Jharkhand]], [[Chhattisgarh]] and [[Terai]] region of Nepal.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Shibani Roy |author2=S. H. M. Rizvi |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian surnames |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LgAdAAAAYAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=B.R. |isbn=978-81-7646-247-1 |page=6 }}</ref>

==History==
In 1916, [[Robert Vane Russell]], an ethnologist of the [[British Raj]] period wrote, Agrahari, a sub caste of [[Bania (caste)|Bania]] found chiefly [[Jubbulpore district]] and [[Raigarh State]]. Their name connected with the cities with [[Agra]] and [[Agroha (town)|Agroha]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=Robert Vane Russell |author-link1=Robert Vane Russell |title=The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume 1 |date=1916 |url=https://www.litres.ru/robert-vane-russell/the-tribe-35006321/chitat-onlayn/page-33/}}</ref>

[[William Crooke]] states that Agrahari claim partly a [[Vaishya]] and partly a Brāhmanical descent, and wear the sacred thread. Like that of the [[Agarwal|Agarwāla]] [[Banias]] their name has been connected with the cities of [[Agra]] and [[Agroha (town)|Agroha]]. There is no doubt that they are closely connected with the [[Agarwal|Agarwālas]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=R.V. Russell |author2=Rai Bahadur Hira Lāl |author-link1=R.V. Russell |title=The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India (Volume II) |date=1916 |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22010/22010-h/22010-h.htm}}</ref>

In [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Central Provinces]] of [[British India]],<ref>{{cite book | title = From Zamidar to ballot box: community change in a north Indian market town | author = Richard Gabriel Fox | publisher = Cornell University Press | year = 1969 | page = 286 }}</ref> some of few Agrahari were Malgujars/[[Zamindar]]s.<ref>{{cite book | title = From Zamidar to ballot box: community change in a north Indian market town | author = Richard Gabriel Fox | publisher = Cornell University Press | year = 1969 | page = 83 }}</ref> The ruler of [[Raigarh]] awarded the title Shaw to Agraharis. The title still continues.<ref>{{cite book | title = From Zamidar to ballot box: community change in a north Indian market town | author = Richard Gabriel Fox | publisher = Cornell University Press | year = 1969 | page = 90 }}</ref>

==Agrahari Sikhs==
{{Main|Agrahari Sikh}}

Most of the Agraharis follow [[Hinduism]], although some are [[Sikhs]]. The majority of Agrahari Sikhs are found in the Eastern Indian state of [[Bihar]] Jharkhand and [[West Bengal]]. Author Himadri Banerjee wrote in his book "The Other Sikhs: A View from Eastern India", that Agraharis converted to [[Sikhism]] during [[Mughal period]] by [[Guru Tegh Bahadur|Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji]], 9th Guru of the Sikhs. Mughal rulers were enforcing Hindus to convert to [[Islam]], but Agraharis refused to convert to Islam and they accepted [[Khalsa Panth]], led by [[Guru Tegh Bahadur|Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji]] for protecting their life and religion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030824/spectrum/book8.htm|title=The identity of North-East Sikhs|date=24 August 2003|work=Himadri Banerjee}}</ref>
Other legend says that Agrahari Sikhs are a community of [[Ahom people|Ahom]] converts to Sikhism from the time of 9th [[Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji]]’s travel to [[Assam]]. They are also known as "Bihari Sikhs" having lived for centuries in [[Bihar]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Away from Punjab – the south Indian Sikhs |url=https://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/away-from-punjab-the-south-indian-sikhs_737141.html |publisher=[[Zee News]] |date=18 October 2011}}</ref>
They are running several separate [[Gurudwaras|Gurudwara]] in [[Bihar]] and [[West Bengal]]. The majority of these [[Sikhs]] are found in [[Sasaram]], [[Gaya (India)|Gaya]] and [[Kolkata]] of [[Bihar]] and [[West Bengal]]. In Jharkhand they are found in Dumari Kalan and Kedli Chatti. Agrahari Sikhs not only came Eastwards of India, they are also found in the Indian State of [[Uttar Pradesh]].

==Surname, Gotra & title==
Agrahari often use their community name as surname. However, many people using [[Gupta]], Bania or Baniya, Patwari or Vanik or Banik, Shaw and [[Vaishya]] or Vaishy or Vaish or Baishya or Baish.<ref>{{cite book | title = Identity, Ecology, Social Organization, Linkages and Development Process: a Quantitative Profile | author = Kumar Suresh Singh | publisher = [[Anthropological Survey of India]] | year = 1996 | page = 18 | author-link = Kumar Suresh Singh }}</ref> They have a common [[gotra]], the Kashyap.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Kumar Suresh Singh |author-link1=Kumar Suresh Singh |title=People of India, Volume 16, Part 1 |date=2008 |publisher=[[Anthropological Survey of India]] |page=50 |isbn=9788170463023 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=diL4PB1jyQ4C&q=agrahari+kashyap&dq=agrahari+kashyap}}</ref>

==Reservation==
The [[Mandal Commission]]<ref>{{cite book | title = Protective Discrimination: General category in India, Raj Publications | author = Sharma, Shish Ram | publisher = Raj Publications | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-81-86208-23-6 | page = 224 }}</ref> designated the Agrahari of [[Bihar]]<ref>{{cite book | title = Reservation in services: a manual for government and public sector | author = Ghosh, Subir Kumar | publisher = Akshar Publication | year = 1996 | isbn = 978-81-75290-00-6 | page = 189 }}</ref> and [[Jharkhand]] as [[Other Backward Class]]<ref>{{cite book | title = Protective Discrimination: Other Backward Classes in India, Raj Publications | author = Sharma, Shish Ram | publisher = Raj Publications | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-81-86208-23-6 | page = 47 }}</ref> in the [[Indian caste system]] of [[positive discrimination]].<ref>{{cite book | title = Protective Discrimination: Other Backward Classes in India, Raj Publications | author = Sharma, Shish Ram | publisher = Raj Publications | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-81-86208-23-6 | page = 50 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Agrahari people]]
* [[Agrasen Jayanti]]
* [[Agrahari Sikh]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Social groups of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Social groups of Bihar]]
[[Category:Social groups of Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Social groups of Delhi]]
[[Category:Social groups of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Social groups of Nepal]]
[[Category:Bania communities]]
[[Category:Vaishya community| ]]

Agrahari - Revision history

2405:204:312B:7218:0:0:1168:30B0 at 08:55, 22 August 2022