MariskaFeari3794 at 23:57, 11 March 2026

2026-03-11T23:57:35Z

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{{Short description|Indian caste}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
'''Mahyavanshi''' are a [[Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989|schedule caste]] in [[India]] that were previously known as the [[Dhed]] and [[Vankar]] [[caste]]s. They formed as the result of the successful '''Mahyavanshi movement''', which aimed to increase the social position of these groups.

==Mahyavanshi movement==
The new nomenclature of ''Mahyavanshi'' was given to a large number of the Meyavat Rajput community in South Gujarat<ref name="shah">{{cite book |title=Dimensions of Social Life: Essays in Honor of David G. Mandelbaum |editor-first=Paul |editor-last=Hockings |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |year=1987 |isbn=978-3-11084-685-0 |page=502 |first=A. M. |last=Shah |authorlink=A. M. Shah |chapter=Untouchability, the Untouchables and Social Change in Gujarat |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ERQp5YCXiWsC&pg=PA502}}</ref> via a Government of India circular in 1939. This was due largely to the efforts of [[K. M. Munshi]], then Home Minister of [[Bombay Presidency]], and Dr. Purshottam Solanki, representative of the Depressed Classes of Gujarat, who stressed that its members were descendants of ancient rulers known as Meyavats. Later, in 1968, after the [[1961 Indian annexation of Goa|Indian annexation of Daman]] from the Portuguese, the community in [[Daman and Diu|Daman]] were given the same status.<ref name=Daman>{{cite book|author1=Kumar Suresh Singh|author2=B. R. Solanki|author3=N. K. Sinha |author4=Jaime F. Pereira |title=Daman and Diu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KRhkT8SjhD8C&pg=PA127|accessdate=26 July 2011|date=1 January 1995|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7154-761-6|pages=127–}}</ref><ref name=M>{{cite book|author=Y. A. Parmar|title=The Mahyavanshi: the success story of a scheduled caste|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GRR5aUwQUVsC&pg=PA87 |year=1987|publisher=Mittal Publications|pages=87–|id=GGKEY:KEQ4SL0H0RJ}}</ref>{{page needed|date=April 2017}}<ref name=L>{{cite book|author=Sarat Chandra Roy (Ral Bahadur)|title=Man in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4qs4AAAAIAAJ|accessdate=26 July 2011|year=1982|publisher=A. K. Bose}}</ref>

In the 1930s-40s, many [[Dalit|depressed classes]] and communities were active in trying to change their caste name and elevate their social status to that of Rajput. These included the [[Khalpa]], who wanted to be known as ''[[Rohit (caste)|Rohit]]'' and the [[Bhangi]]s desire to be known as ''Rishi'', as well as the Dhed/Vankar claim to Mahyavanshi status. Of these, only the Mahyavanshi claim was successful in gaining official recognition from the [[British Raj]] administration.<ref name="yagnik"/> In some cases, they had a history of working as [[butler]]s for members of the various European [[East India Company (disambiguation)|East India Companies]] in [[Surat]] since probably the 17th century<ref name="shah"/> and their success came because they were able to mobilise public opinion and procure support for their cause from both from British and Indian leaders and through books detailing their [[Invention of tradition|claimed history]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Y. A. |last=Parmar |title=The Mahyavanshi: The Success Story of a Scheduled Caste |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GRR5aUwQUVsC&pg=PA92 |year=1987 |publisher=Mittal Publications |page=92}}</ref> The sociologist [[A. M. Shah]] says that the Mahyavanshi "have an elaborate mythology, caste journals, and written "laws" to regulate the affairs of the caste".<ref name="shah"/>

A prominent figure in re-writing the history of the Mahyavanshi was [[Makanji Kuber Makwana]], who wrote several works on their putative ancient history and genealogy that linked them to the Mahyavat [[Rajput]]s, a branch of the [[Paramara dynasty|Parmara]] clan who had ruled in eastern [[Bengal]]. He is regarded as the spearhead of the "Mahyavat Rajput Movement", which was the name given to the campaign to "regain" their Rajput status.<ref name="parmar86">{{cite book|first=Y. A. |last=Parmar |title=The Mahyavanshi: The Success Story of a Scheduled Caste |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GRR5aUwQUVsC&pg=PA86 |year=1987 |publisher=Mittal Publications |page=86}}</ref> Books of historical research concerning the Mahayavanshi were mainly published around the first decade of 20th century. These books included Makwana's ''Mayavat Rajput Prakash'' (1908) (A Light on Mayavat Rajputs), ''Mayavat Rajputoday'' (1911) (The Rise of Mayavat Rajput) and ''Mahyavanshi Atle Shu?'' (1911) (Who is a Mahyavanshi?)<ref name="yagnik">{{cite book |editor-first=Takashi |editor-last=Shinoda |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KZNfS7mikMoC&pg=PA27 |title=The Other Gujarat |first=Achyut |last=Yagnik |chapter=Search for Dalit Self Identity in Gujarat |page=27 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |year=2002 |isbn=978-8-17154-874-3}}</ref> as well as [[Phakir Jeevan Mevashi]]'s ''Mayavat Ranshingu arthat Khudarano Karta''.

In a 1931 lecture, Munshi stressed that the Mahyavanshi were the descendants of the [[Heheya Kingdom|Hattiavanshi]] king [[Kartavirya Arjuna|Arjuna]], arguing that it was because of the slaughter of [[Parashurama]] that they had been relegated to a lower caste status.<ref name="parmar87">{{cite book|first=Y. A. |last=Parmar |title=The Mahyavanshi: The Success Story of a Scheduled Caste |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GRR5aUwQUVsC&pg=PA87 |year=1987 |publisher=Mittal Publications |page=87}}</ref> Also Purshottam Solanki, in a speech given in [[Bombay Legislative Council]], vehemently stressed that Mahars were martial races and their occupation was military too in past. He further said, thau were not drags of society but have been rulers of Gujarat and other areas of India in past and were descendants of Kshatriya or Rajput clans and should therefore be legitimized as a Kshatriya clan.<ref name=M/>{{page needed|date=April 2017}}

Others involved in this affirming this identity were [[Garibdasji Ramdasji]] and other [[Mahant]]s of [[Ramanandi]] sect, [[Phakir Jeevan Mevasi]], besides several of their community leaders spread across [[Bombay State]] (present day [[Maharashtra]] and [[Gujarat]]), [[Sindh]] ( [[Karachi]] and [[Raban, Pakistan|Raban]] ), [[Portuguese India]] ( [[Daman district, India|Nani and Moti Daman]] ) and also from [[South Africa]], where their population was living in cities like [[Johannesburg]] and [[Pretoria]], who in unison impressed upon the government for revision of their social status.<ref name=M/>

==Subdivisions==
The Mahyavanshis are primarily divided into [[exogamy|exogamous]] clans like Mathariya, Aatekar Pardinar, Damania, Kantharia, Barodia, Chaseia, Surti, Kosadia, Khanvanshi, [[Parmar (clan)|Parmar]], [[Rana (caste)|Rana]], [[Rathore (Rajput clan)|Rathod]], Gohel, [[Solanki (clan)|Solanki]], Tawdia and Vaghela.<ref name=Daman/>{{page needed|date=April 2017}}

==Distribution==
The community members are mainly located in regions of Gujarat, other than [[Kutch]],<ref name="parmar21"/> and in [[Daman District, India|Daman]].<ref name=Daman/> There are some in [[Maharashtra]] and [[Rajasthan]].<ref name=L/> The population is particularly numerous in [[Ahmedabad]], [[Dahod]], Mumbai and [[Surat]].<ref name="parmar21">{{cite book|first=Y. A. |last=Parmar |title=The Mahyavanshi: The Success Story of a Scheduled Caste |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GRR5aUwQUVsC&pg=PA21 |year=1987 |publisher=Mittal Publications |page=21}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Sanskritisation]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

[[Category:Hindu communities]]
[[Category:Social groups of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Social groups of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Dalit communities]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes of Gujarat]]

Mahyavanshi - Revision history

MariskaFeari3794 at 23:57, 11 March 2026