Mair Rajputs

Mair Rajputs or Maid Rajputs is the name of a Hindu Punjabi caste in India from amongst the Punjabi Rajputs. They are Hindu by religion and comprise of the warrior race of Rajputs who had originally migrated from Rajasthan with the movement of the armies that brought Rajput rule over Punjab and had settled down in Punjab generations ago[citation needed].

During the ensuing prolonged period of lasting peace thereafter[citation needed] when they could not be supported by the armies and could not find any work as warriors they chose to work as Sunars to survive. "Sunar" is a Hindi word for Goldsmith and Jeweler, (Sunyara is the word for them in Punjabi) in India, a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and also at the same time is a businessman specializing in selling gold, silver, other precious metals including precious stones and jewelry / ornaments crafted from these. In time it soon became a well known fact thereafter, locally in Punjab, that the profession and business of "Sunars" was monopolized and run by Hindu Rajputs who had slowly become a subcast of the Punjabi Rajputs by then and became known as "Mair Rajputs".

History

With the partition of India in 1947 into India and Pakistan the Indian state of Punjab was also split in two. Hindus and Sikhs including Mair Rajputs living in the portion of Punjab that was given to the newly created Muslim country of Pakistan had to leave by force to save themselves from communal slaughters and forceful conversion to Islam, many of them fled their ancestral homeland now in Pakistan in a complete destitute state and had to start life afresh in India. All their ancestral land, property and wealth was left behind in what was now Pakistan. The following book gives a detailed account of the atrocities committed against Hindus and Sikhs including Mair Rajputs in Punjab during partition of India in 1947: Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. Online 1 Online 2 Online 3

Please Note: Included are three online sources above from where a free online copy of the above book can be read for reference.

Life was tough for the refugees including the Mair Rajputs at the beginning after partition; they had to live in a destitute state in refugee camps in India before they were allotted specially constructed houses in the Refugee colonies by the government of India. Many of them settled in Delhi and other parts of India after partition.

Today they are again a very successful clan of people and have brought pride for their families and country by excelling in all walks of life, many of them joined the Armed Forces. The British recruited from this clan too from amongst the Rajputs for their Rajput Regiments due to their famous Rajput warrior bloodline and today the Indian Army continuous this tradition.

A small percentage of them still continue to do business and practice as Sunars however majority of them were abruptly shocked to find that in portions of India outside Punjab where they had to migrate to (after the partition of India), the profession of Sunars was considered as something practiced by the lowest in the Hindu caste system known as the "Shudras / workers" who were still considered "untouchables" by some. Mair Rajputs are of the warrior cast "Kshatriya" which is the second highest cast in India after the learned "Brahmins". "Kshatriya" or the Rajputs are the ruling cast of India, a cast of Warriors and Kings / Rajas. Thus the Mair Rajput families after having migrated out of Punjab (the portion that was given to create the Muslim country of Pakistan) to India during partition in 1947 were embarrassed to mention their family craft and business as that of having known to be that of Sunars in the most recent past. They instead preferred to call themselves as "Punjabi Rajputs", which is of course also true and hid any association to Sunars / Goldsmiths / Jewelers. Many had already left practicing as Sunars many generations ago and entered other professions especially after higher education was more readily available.

Today the Mair Rajputs not only live in India but have migrated and settled down all over the world and are doing very well for themselves in all fields[citation needed].

Notable "Mair Rajput" Gothras (Families)

All families are sourced from Mair Rajputs Gotra List

Aashat (Asht): Babbar: Bagga: Bhatti: Buttar: Baghel: Bagri: Bhutta: Bir: Chauhan: Dhalla: Dhariwal: Desor (Dasaur): Dhunna: Gogar: Gogna: Jaura: Kanda: Karwal(Gharwal?): Khangar(Khungar): Khurmi: Khich: Luddhar(Ladhar): Luthra: Main: Mandhari: Masaun: Mitru: Nischal (Nichal): Pajji: Plaud: Roda: Rudra: Sadhiora(Sehdev/Sahdev): Sarna : Shinh (Sinh): Sohal: Sur:

Hinduism, Sikhism and Punjabi Hindu Rajputs

Punjabi Hindus hold Sikhism in high regard, many Punjabi Hindus not only in India but worldwide today visit their local Gurudwaras regularly and adhere to the preaching's of the Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhism is traditionally seen as a religion of warriors who were protectors of Hindus against marauding Islamic invaders who seeked to convert Hindus to Islam by lethal force. There has been a long standing practice in Punjab which still continuous where Hindu families give their first born son to the Guru to be baptized as a Sikh and join the Guru's army of protectors. Many Punjabi Rajput families too have been giving their sons to be enrolled in the Guru's Army and baptized as Sikhs. Thus there are many Hindu, Punjabi Hindu Rajput and Punjabi Hindu Mair Rajput families whose kin are proud followers of Sikhism today. Thus there are many Sikhs who call themselves "Sikh Rajputs" today and still use Rajput family names.