The Lodhi (or Lodha, Lodh) is a community of agriculturalists, found in India. There are many in Madhya Pradesh, to where they had emigrated from Uttar Pradesh. [1] The Lodhi are categorised as an Other Backward Class, [lower-alpha 1] but claim Rajput ties and prefer to be known as "Lodhi-Rajput", [3] although they have no account of their Rajput origin or prevailing Rajput traditions. [4]
Robert Vane Russell, an administrator of the British Raj, described several possible etymologies for Lodhi, including derivation from lod ("clod"), or lodh, a tree whose bark the Lodhi of Northern India gather to make dye. Russell also stated that Lodha was the original term, later corrupted to Lodhi in the Central Provinces. [5] Another theory derives the name from the district of Ludhiana, supposing it the Lodhi homeland. [6]
A historical mention of a Lodhi village chief (nagar chaudhari) occurs in Navalshah Chanderia's Vardhamana Purana, written in Samvat 1825. It mentions a Gajrath pratishtha function organized by Bhisham Sahu, an ancestor of the author in Samvat 1651 (1594 AD) when a temple at Bhelsi was consecrated. [7] The temple built during the rule of the Bundela ruler Jujhar Singh, still exists. [8]
British sources described the Lodhi as "immigrants from the United Provinces", who spread from that area, and in doing so were able to raise their social status, becoming landholders and local rulers ranking only below the Brahmin, Rajput, and Bania. Some of these large landholders gained the title of thakur, and some Lodhi families in Damoh and Sagar were labeled as rajas, diwans and lambardars by the Raja of Panna. [6] These now-powerful Lodhi played a significant role in the 1842 Bundela rising. [9]
Members of the community developed a myth of origin, claiming that they are originally from Kazakhstan and that they were the only surviving kshatriyas following Parashurama's cleansing of the earth, thus enabling them to become kings. [10]
Following the 1911 census of India, the Lodhi began to further organise politically, and prior to the 1921 census claimed the name Lodhi-Rajput at a conference in Fatehgarh. [11] At the 1929 conference, the Akhil Bharatiya Lodhi-Kshatriya (Rajput) Mahasabha was drafted. [12] The first part of the century also saw the publication of various books outlining Lodhi claims to the status of Rajput and Kshatriya, including the 1912 Maha Lodhi Vivechana and 1936 Lodhi Rajput Itihas. [13]
Singh is a title, middle name, or surname that means "lion" in various South Asian and Southeast Asian communities. Traditionally used by the Hindu Kshatriya community, it was later mandated in the late 17th century by Guru Gobind Singh for all male Sikhs as well, in part as a rejection of caste-based prejudice and to emulate Rajput naming conventions. As a surname or a middle name, it is now found throughout the world across communities and religious groups, becoming more of a generic, caste-neutral, decorative name.
Rajput, also called Thakur, is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Rajput covers various patrilineal clans historically associated with warriorhood: several clans claim Rajput status, although not all claims are universally accepted. According to modern scholars, almost all Rajput clans originated from peasant or pastoral communities.
Bundelkhand is a geographical and cultural region and a proposed state and also a mountain range in central & North India. The hilly region is now divided between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the larger portion lying in the latter state.
Harit Pradesh is a proposed new state of India comprising the western parts of the state of Uttar Pradesh. The etymology derives from harit, meaning 'green', and pradesh, meaning 'state'. Other proposed names include Braj Pradesh and Paschim Pradesh. It consists of an area of 79,832 km2, which is 33.14% of UP and a population of 7.42 crores, which is roughly 35-36% of UP.
Parmar, also known as Panwar or Pawar, is a Rajput clan found in Northern and Central India, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and North Maharashtra. The clan name is also used by Kōḷīs, Garoḍās, Līmaciyā Valands, Mōcīs, Tūrīs, Luhārs, Kansārās, Darajīs, Bhāvasārs, Cūnvāḷiyās, Ghañcīs, Harijans, Sōnīs, Sutārs, Dhobīs, Khavāsas, Rabārīs, Āhīrs, Sandhīs, Pīñjārās, Vāñjhās, Dhūḷadhōyās, Rāvaḷs, Vāgharīs, Bhīls, Āñjaṇās, Mer and Ḍhēḍhs.
Varmā, Verma, Varman, or Burman are surnames found in India and Southeast Asia. These surnames are commonly used by people of different castes and ethnic groups across the region. The surname is used in North India by some of the groups among cluster of castes called Kayasthas. However, in the same region along with Central India, it can also be found among castes like Lodhi rajputs, Prajapats, Kurmis and Koeris.
Chamar is a Dalit community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of affirmative action. They are found throughout the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the northern states of India and in Pakistan and Nepal.
Jatav, also known as Jatava/Jatan/Jatua/Jhusia/Jataau/Jatiya, is an Indian community that are considered to be a subcaste of the Chamar caste, who are classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of positive discrimination.
Sengar, also known as Sanghar, Singraur or Songar, are a clan of Rajputs in India.
Kushwaha is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain that has traditionally been involved in agriculture, including beekeeping. The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the Kachhis, Kachhvahas, Koeris and Muraos. Under the Indian governments system of positive discrimination, the Kushwahas are classified as a "Backward" or Other backward class. The Kushwaha had worshipped Shiva and Shakta, but beginning in the 20th century, they claim descent from the Suryavansh (Solar) dynasty via Kusha, one of the twin sons of Rama and Sita. At present, it is a broad community formed by coming together of several caste groups with similar occupational backgrounds and socio-economic status, who, over the time, started inter-marrying among themselves and created all India caste network for caste solidarity. The communities which merged into this caste cluster includes Kachhi, Kachhwaha, Kushwaha, Mali, Marrar, Saini, Sonkar, Murai, Shakya, Maurya, Koeri and Panara.
Lodha is a name of various Indian communities and may refer to:
The Gadaria or Gadariya is a herding caste that was traditionally involved professionally in livestock breeding, especially sheep. They are primarily found in Uttar Pradesh and in some parts of Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. In Gujarat, they are called Bharwad.
The Kandera, Kadera, Golandāz, Bāndar, Hawāidar is a Hindu community found mainly in the northern and central regions of India. They belong to the Kshatriya varna. In earlier times, they were archers and arrow-makers. Later, they also became involved in roles such as cannon operators, firework crafters, and the production of gunpowder and iron missiles. The term "Kandera" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kandir", which means "an archer".
Chhipi is a caste of people with ancestral roots tracing back to India. These people are basically Rajputs and used to wear Kshatriya attire. These people were skilled in the art of war, Later people of this caste started doing printing work. They are found in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh of India.
The Koli is an Indian caste found in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir states in India. Koli is an agriculturist caste of Gujarat but in coastal areas they also work as fishermen along with agriculture. In the beginning of 20th century, the Koli caste was recognised as a denotified tribe under Criminal Tribes Act by the Indian Government because of their anti-social activities during World War I.
AJGAR is a suggested alliance of the Ahir, Jat, Gurjar and Rajput. It was first proposed by Sir Chhotu Ram, a rural leader and politician in pre-independence India as a form of peasant-alliance.
Jigni State was a princely state of the Bundelkhand Agency of the British Raj. It was a small Sanad state of about 82.87 km2 with a population of 4,297 inhabitants in 1901. The state was surrounded by the Hamirpur and Jhansi districts of the United Provinces.
Bhadauria also referred as Bhadoria, Bhadouria, Bhadauriya, Bhadoriya or Bhaduria are a Kshatriya Rajput clan belonging to the Chauhans of Shakambhari and Ajmer. They were historically mainly concentrated in the ethno-linguistic and geographical regions of the modern day Braj and the Chambal river valley, in what are now the districts of Agra, Etawah, Bhind and Dholpur, in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
Rawat is a surname of people belonging to Hindu Rajput community. It is used as a surname, but during the medieval period it was a designation or title given to a soldier who performed exceptionally well in war. Types of Rawat are Chauhan Rawat, Pawar Rawat, Sisodiya Rawat, Dogra Rawat etc. from Uttarakhand and U.P divisions in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and Rajputs of Uttarakhand.
The claim of a new caste name 'Lodhi-Rajput' was made at an All India conference, held at Fathegarh before 1921. The history of Lodhi organization is about 57 years old.
See from 10:12 to !0:16, "I belong to Lodhi caste"