Rautia
Encyclopedia
The Rautia are Hindu
caste
, found in the states of Bihar
and Madhya Pradesh
in India
. They are also known as the Rautas.
prince, who as a reward was given lands in Lohardaga
. The word Rautia may be a corruption of the word raut, meaning an inferior Rajput
. It is quite possible that they are a Rajput
group who have lost status by taking to cultivation, an occupation traditionally forbidden to Rajput
s. They speak the Sadri dialect of Hindi
.
s. Both these groups and endogamous, with the former considering itself superior over the other. Traditionally and primarily they are cultivators. They also gather fruits and tubers from the jungles nearby. A small number have began to emigrate to towns and cities such as Patna
. The community is found throughout Bihar
and Jharkhand
.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
, found in the states of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They are also known as the Rautas.
History and origin
According to their traditions, the community helped a RajputRajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
prince, who as a reward was given lands in Lohardaga
Lohardaga
Lohardaga is a town and the district headquarters of Lohardaga district in the Indian state of Jharkhand, west of Ranchi, the state capital. Earlier Lohardaga was the commissionary headquarters for Chotanagpur. It was only later that the commissionary of Chotanagpur was shifted to Ranchi...
. The word Rautia may be a corruption of the word raut, meaning an inferior Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
. It is quite possible that they are a Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
group who have lost status by taking to cultivation, an occupation traditionally forbidden to Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s. They speak the Sadri dialect of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
.
Present circumstances
The Rautia are divided into two sub-groups, the Bargohri or pure Rautia and this is also divided into gotras (sub - division) Rikhi, Khrakhwar, Lathaor, Katwar and Majhi, and the Majhgohri whose ancestors are said to have married women of other casteCaste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s. Both these groups and endogamous, with the former considering itself superior over the other. Traditionally and primarily they are cultivators. They also gather fruits and tubers from the jungles nearby. A small number have began to emigrate to towns and cities such as Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
. The community is found throughout Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
.