Banaphar, also spelled Banafar and Banafer, is a clan native to the Indian subcontinent of mixed Ahir and Rajput descent.[1]
The legendary 12th century generals Alha and Udal, who appear in the Alha-Khand ballads, were said to belong to this clan. In the ballads, the Banaphars was susceptible to "mean caste" slurs from other Rajputs because of their "mixed" background.[1][2] Ballads referring to Alha and Udal describe great bravery in the medieval period.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rethinking India's oral and classical epics: Draupadī among Rajputs, Muslims, and Dalits{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. University of Chicago Press(May 1, 1999). ISBN 9780226340500
- ↑ Fractured Forest, Quartzite City: A History of Delhi and its Ridge{{#if:Crowley|, Crowley}(7 September 2020). ISBN 9789353885564
- ↑ The Last Hindu Emperor: Prithviraj Cauhan and the Indian Past, 1200–2000{{#if:Talbot|, Talbot}. Cambridge University Press(2016). ISBN 9781107118560