Khagi
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Languages | |
| • Hindi • Khari boli | |
| Religion | |
| • Hinduism 100% • |
The Khagi are a Rajput caste found mainly in the western region of Uttar Pradesh in India.
Origin
[edit]The word Khagi is said to be derived from the Sanskrit Khadgika, which means "swordsman." According to the community's tradition, they belong to the Kshatriya Rajput community. They were originally from the Sisodias of Mewar and the Chauhan of Ajmer, who emigrated under their leaders, Kanka and Mahesa. These leaders left their homeland as a result of a famine and settled in the town of Sahaswan in Badaun District. Most Khagis use the surname Rana (राणा), a hereditary honorific used by the Sisodia Rajputs of Mewar.
The Khagis became local rulers but eventually fell out with a Sultan of Delhi, who sent a force to suppress them. They suffered defeat, their estates were confiscated, and they were forced to become cultivators. The community also practiced widow remarriage—a custom not followed by other Rajput communities—which led them to evolve into a distinct community.[citation needed]
Clans and Subdivisons
[edit]The Khagis are a strictly endogamous community and practice clan exogamy. Their main clans are Tomar, Baiswar, Bais, Rusiya, Sisodiya, Sikarwar, Chauhan, Bhati, Chandel, Kachhwaha, Imratpuriya Khadagvanshi, Badgujar, and Raghuvanshi. Each of these clans is of equal status, and they intermarry.[1]
Present circumstances
[edit]The Khagis are small- and medium-sized farmers and tend to occupy their own villages. They are found mainly in Badaun, Moradabad, and Jyotiba Phule Nagar in Rohilkhand, as well as in Rampur and Sambhal. There are also settlements in Etah and Mainpuri districts. Their customs are similar to those of the Hindu cultivating castes of the region.[2]
References
[edit]Khagi community belong from ethnic groups of Rajputs And all the people of Khagi society use 'Rana' in their surname.