Barhath (Devnagari: बारहठ; IAST: Bārahaṭha) (spelled variously as Barhat, Bareth) is an honorific title of the Charans.[1] The title was given to prominent Charans who occupied significant positions in the royal courts in medieval India. It is used as a surname by Charans of Rohadia clan as well as other clans such as Sauda.[2][3][4]
Etymology
Barhath is derived from "Dvar-pati" or "Dvar-hath". It translates as 'Guardian of the Gate'.[5]
History
The title 'Barhath' is a synonym of the older term 'Prolpat' or 'Paulpat' which also means 'Guardian of the Gate'. They were described as 'the guardians of Rajput codes of conduct whose poetry and history defined valour, loyalty, and honour'.[6] They oversaw the defense and safety of their Rajput rulers: under siege, they would be the first line of defense at the gate of the fort.[7][8]
Barhath, a title given to trusted Carans who, during times of siege, stood at the main gates (paul) of forts and were the first to fight and give their lives in its defense.[9]
Notable people
- Narharidas Barhath (1591—1676), renowned 17th-century poet and author of vaishnavite text Avatara Charitra
- Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath (1872—1941), Indian revolutionary leader, freedom fighter, poet, writer and educator from Rajasthan
- Thakur Zorawar Singh Barhath (1883—1939), Indian revolutionary and independence activist; main accomplice in the Delhi Conspiracy Case, threw the bomb on Lord Hardinge
- Kunwar Pratap Singh Barhath (1893—1918), Indian revolutionary & anti-British activist, accomplice in the Delhi Conspiracy Case to assassinate Lord Hardinge; led the Benaras Conspiracy, part of the larger Ghadar Movement; arrested and imprisoned in the Banaras Conspiracy Case and sentenced to 5 years; martyred in jail after refusing to divulge names of co-conspirators
- Barhath Kriparam Khidiya (1743—1833), 18th-century Rajasthani poet and writer, known for his verses on ethics called Rajiya ra Soratha
- Suryadev Singh Bareth, Indian advocate, poet, and social worker from Alwar; recipient of Padma Shri (1971) for his contributions to progressive agriculture in the region during Green Revolution
- Narayan Bareth, veteran Indian journalist and political analyist; former State Information Commissioner of Rajasthan (2020—2022) and Professor of Journalism at University of Rajasthan (2016—2017) and Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication (2013—2016)
References
- ↑ Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo{{#if:Datta|, Datta}. Sahitya Akademi(1987). ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1
- ↑ Honour, Status & Polity{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Rawat Publications(2004). ISBN 978-81-7033-859-8
- ↑ Big Words, Little People: Cash and Ken in Modern Rajasthan{{#if:Snodgrass|, Snodgrass}. University of California, San Diego(1997)
- ↑ Pratap, the Patriot: With a Concise History of Mewar and Its Missing Links{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Pratap Institute of Historical Research(1971)
- ↑ Mahārāṇā Pratāpa ke pramukha sahayogī{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Rājasthānī Granthāgāra(1997)
- ↑ Methodology and Fieldwork{{#if:Vinay|, Vinay}. Oxford University Press(2004). ISBN 978-0-19-566727-1
- ↑ The Seventeenth Century Chronicles of Mārvāṛa: A Study in the Evolution and Use of Oral Traditions in Western India. History in Africa({Template:Date).
- ↑ Marvari Historical Chronicles: Sources for the Social and Cultural History of Rajasthan. The Indian Economic & Social History Review({Template:Date).
- ↑ The Mertiyo Rathors of Merto, Rajasthan: Select Translations Bearing on the History of a Rajput Family, 1462-1660, Volumes 1-2{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. University of Michigan Press(August 2020). ISBN 978-0-472-03821-3