Kushwaha

Not to be confused with Kachhwaha.

Kushwahas
Regions with significant populations
 India,    Nepal
Bihar[a][1][2]Koeri (5506113, 4.2120% of population of Bihar)
Dangi (336629, 0.2575% of population of Bihar)[b]
Mali (349285, 0.2672% of population of Bihar)
Uttar PradeshN/A
JharkhandN/A
Madhya PradeshN/A
HaryanaN/A
Languages
Religion
Hinduism

Kushwaha (sometimes, Kushvaha)[4] is a community of the Indo-Gangetic Plain that has traditionally been involved in agriculture, including beekeeping.[5] The term has been used to represent different sub-castes of the Kachhis, Kachhvahas,[6] Koeris and Muraos. 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.[7]


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  1. ^ Verma, Ritesh (2 October 2023). "List of caste wise population of Bihar". Hindustan. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  2. ^ Ayushman, Kumar (28 August 2018). "This 'kheer' cooking in Bihar may leave a bad taste in the BJP's mouth". The Print. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  3. ^ Qadir, Abdul (14 October 2015). "Bihar election 2015 much at stake for BJP in Gurua". Times of India. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  4. ^ Pinch, William R. (1996). Peasants and monks in British India. University of California Press. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-520-20061-6.
  5. ^ Harper, Malcolm (2010). Inclusive Value Chains: A Pathway Out of Poverty. World Scientific. pp. 182, 297. ISBN 978-981-4293-89-1.
  6. ^ "Peasants and Monks in British India". publishing.cdlib.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023. Original Text from Peasants and Monks in British India "Kushvaha-kshatriya identity was espoused by agricultural communities well known throughout the Gangetic north for an expertise in small-scale vegetable and poppy cultivation. Prominent among them were Kachhi and Murao agriculturalists of central Uttar Pradesh, Kachhvahas of western Uttar Pradesh, and Koiris of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh."
  7. ^ Patel, Mahendra Lal (1997). Awareness in Weaker Section: Perspective Development and Prospects. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 37. ISBN 8175330295. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2020. Original Text from Book: The reclassification by identification as other backward classes has placed them in various disadvantageous situations, as political reservations are not permitted to OBC persons. A number of families belonging to these caste groups, namely, Kachhi, Kachhwaha, Kushwaha, Mali, Marrar, Saini, Sonkar, Murai, Shakya, Mourya, Koyri, Koeri, and Panara have come closer to each other and have started intermarrying. They have now developed an all-India network to ensure caste solidarity without jeopardizing the caste interests.