Gopa (Ahir) | |
---|---|
Kuladevta (male) | Shri Krishna |
Religions | Hinduism |
Languages | Varies depending on region |
Populated states | India and Nepal |
Subdivisions | Krishnaut, Majhraut, Sadgop, Kannaujia, Gauriya etc |
Gopa or Gop or Gope is a synonym of the Yadav (Ahir) caste (also known as "Chandravanshi Kshatriya"). [1] [2] [3] [4] It is generally used as a title by the Ahir caste in the states of Bihar, [5] Jharkhand and West Bengal of East India [6] [7] and even in Terai region of Nepal. [8]
The Sanskrit word Gopa, [9] originally meant only a cowherd; it then came to mean the head of cowpen and lastly the chief of a tribe. [10] [11]
Gop Jatiye Mahasabha was formed by Babu Ras Bihari Lal Mandal in 1911, It was the regional organization of Gope or Ahir caste of Bihar, Bengal & Orissa. [23] [24] [25]
Later, the All-India Yadav Mahasabha was formed by merging the Gop Jatiye Mahasabha and Ahir/Yadav Kshatriya Mahasabha. AIYM first National Conference was held in Purnea, Bihar on 17 to 20 April 1924. [26]
Gopa or Ahir are mainly a landholding community and they are rich cultivators in Indian state of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. [27]
Ahir or Aheer are a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most members of which identify as being of the Indian Yadav community because they consider the two terms to be synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a caste, a clan, a community, a race and a tribe.
Agrahari, Agraharee or Agarhari is an Indian Vaishya community, They are the descendants of legendary king Agrasena. Predominantly, they are found in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Terai region of Nepal.
Bhumihar, also locally called Bhuinhar and Babhan, is a Hindu caste mainly found in Bihar, the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, and Nepal.
Yadav, Jadam, or Jadav refers to a grouping of traditionally non-elite, peasant-pastoral communities or castes in India that since the 19th and 20th centuries have claimed descent from the mythological king Yadu as a part of a movement of social and political resurgence. The term Yadav now covers many traditional peasant-pastoral castes such as Ahirs of the Hindi belt and the Gavli of Maharashtra.
Sadgop, also spelled as Sadgope, is a Bengali Hindu Yadav (Gopa) caste. Traditionally they are engaged in dairy-farming and cultivation. However, historically the Sadgop kings had ruled some parts of Rarh region in western Bengal such as Gopbhum, Narajole, Narayangarh and Balarampur. As of late nineteenth century they were one of the fourteen castes belonging to 'Nabasakh' group. As per census report of 1931, Sadgops predominantly lived in the Western Bengal districts of Midnapore, Burdwan and Birbhum.
The Ahirs(Sanskrit: Abhira) are a Hindu caste of Northern India. The Ahir clans are spread almost all over country. They are a tribe of Yadubansi stock. There are three main divisions among Ahirs: Jadubans, Nandbans and Gwalbans. All Ahirs, no matter where they reside, were originally of the same ethnic stock; and it is probable that they were originally a tribe of pastorals, probably Scythian, who entered India, via Persia and Baluchistan.
The Abhira people were a legendary people mentioned in ancient Indian epics and scriptures as early as the Vedas. A historical people of the same name are mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. The Mahabharata describes them as living near the seashore and on the bank of the Sarasvati River, near Somnath in Gujarat and in the Matsya region also.
The Koeri, also referred to as Kushwaha and more recently self-described as Maurya in several parts of northern India are an Indian non-elite caste, found largely in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, whose traditional occupation was agriculture. According to Arvind Narayan Das they were horticulturist rather than agriculturists. They are also recorded as performing the work of Mahajan in credit market of rural parts of Bihar and Bengal in 1880s. Koeris have attempted Sanskritisation— as part of social resurgence. During the British rule in India, Koeris were described as "agriculturalists" along with Kurmis and other cultivating castes. They are described as a dominant caste in various opinions.
The Hindu Ghosh or Ghosi or Ghosi Thakur is a sub-caste of the Hindu Ahir (Yadav) caste in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh. They are divided into various clans (section) and lineages.
Mahto or Mahato is a surname used by several castes and communities in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha in India. Mahato is also a popular surname in Nepal. In the zamindari villages, "Mahto" was a title given to the headman of a village ward. The mahto's duties were to maintain peace in his area, and collect revenue for the zamindar. In Chotanagpur plateau region of Jharkhand, including in the Oraon tribal society, Mahato was historically a title of the village chief. In Bihar, the surname Mahto is primarily used by people belonging to Kushwaha caste. While in Jharkhand, it is a term most often associated with Koeri and Kurmi caste.
Rajputs in Bihar are members of the Rajput community living in the eastern Indian state Bihar. They are popularly known as Babu Saheb, a term that is mainly used in Bihar, the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. They traditionally formed part of the feudal elite in Bihari society. Rajputs were pressed with the Zamindari abolition and Bhoodan movement in post-independence India; along with other Forward Castes, they lost their significant position in Bihar's agrarian society, leading to the rise of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The Zamindars of Bihar were the autonomous and semi-autonomous rulers and administrators of the Mughal subah of Bihar and later during British rule. The zamindars of Bihar were numerous and could be divided into small, medium and large depending on how much land they controlled. Within Bihar, the zamindars had both economic and military power. Each zamindari would have their own standing army which was typically composed of their own clansmen.
Gopal or Gauda is an Indian caste, from Odisha State in East India. Their traditional occupations include dairy farming, cattle herding, cultivation and carrying palanquins of deities. They also worked as Paikas (soldiers) under the kings. Gopal is the name of the milkmen or herdsmen caste in Odisha, which is known by other names in various parts of India.
The Murho Estate was a Chieftaincy and later a Zamindari (estate) of Yadav (Ahir) in erstwhile Bhagalpur district of Bihar.
Krishnaut or Kishnaut Ahir is a subclan of the Yadav (Ahir) caste found in Bihar, Jharkhand and Nepal. The term Krishnaut which to them denotes their descent from Lord Krishna.
Raja Rash Bihari Lal Mandal (1866-1918) was a zamindar, philanthropist and a leader of Indian Independence Movement. He wrote a book named 'Bharat Mata Ka Sandesh' during Bang Bhang movement.
Yadavs in Bihar refers to the people of Yadav community of the Indian state of Bihar. They are also known as Ahir, Gope, etc. The Yadavs form nearly 14.26 % of the state's population and are included in the Other Backward Class category in the Bihar state of India. Ahirs are among the land owning caste in the plains of Bihar.
The Majhraut or Majraut is a clan of Ahir (Yadav) that inhabits the Indian state of Bihar and Jharkhand. They are also found in different parts of Nepal. They are believed to be descended from the Yadav king Madhu who ruled Mathura.
Yadavs of Nepal, also known as Ahir or Gope are one of the prominent caste of Nepal. According to the 2021 Nepal census, 1,228,581 people are Yadav.
The term Ahir is derived from Abhira, a clan mentioned several times in inscriptions and Hindu revered books. The term Ahir is often seen as synonymous with Yadav. The Mahabharata and other authori-tative works use the three terms-Ahir, Yadav and Gopa synonymous.