87-608: Kushwaha (sometimes, Kushvaha ) 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 . 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
174-553: A "Messiah of Backward castes" lost traction when the Yadav ascendancy in politics led other aspirational Backward castes to move away from his party. During the 1990s, Nitish Kumar , who was projected as the leader of Kurmi and Koeri communities, formed the Samta Party , leading to the isolation of Koeri-Kurmi community from Yadavs and Laloo Prasad. In the decades following independence, a complete shift of power from upper castes to
261-522: A caste and the "less literate villagers". Some communities, such as the Muraos in Ayodhya , also constructed temples in support of these claims. Some Kushwaha reformers also said, in a similar vein to Kurmi reformer Devi Prasad Sinha Chaudhari, that since Rajputs , Bhumihars , and Brahmins worked the fields in some areas, there was no rational basis for assertions such labour marked a community as being of
348-583: A million supporters. This coalition followed an alliance for the 1930 local elections, which performed poorly at the polls. The new grouping had little electoral success; it won a few seats in the 1937 elections but was defeated by a two-pronged opposition that saw the rival Indian National Congress (Congress) attracting some of its wealthier leaders to a newly formed unit called the Backward Class Federation, and an effective opposition from upper castes organised to prevent upward mobility of
435-942: A month in the Hindu lunar calendar . William Pinch notes a Kushwaha presence in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar , and they are also recorded in Haryana . Outside India, they are found in Terai , Nepal, where they have been officially recorded as Kushwaha and Koiri . They also have significant presence among the Bihari diaspora in Mauritius. The migration of Biharis to neighbouring countries became more pronounced in post-independence India. Small island nations like Mauritius have significant populations of people of Indian origin. The tradition and culture of Hindu migrants in countries like Mauritius
522-516: A north west to south east orientation till the Aravalli Hills and is about 300 km (190 mi) wide stretching from Haryana in India into Pakistan's Punjab Province . The elevation varies from 275 m (902 ft) in the north to 176 m (577 ft) in the south west. The left quarter of the region is drained mainly by the tributaries of Indus – Ravi , Beas , and Sutlej and
609-573: A peak among Kurmi, Yadav, and Kushvaha peasants in the first four decades of the twentieth century". From around 1910, the Kachhis and the Koeris, both of whom had close links with the British for much of the preceding century due to their favoured role in the cultivation of the opium poppy , began to identify themselves as Kushwaha Kshatriya . An organisation claiming to represent those two groups and
696-666: A peasant community and hence perceived to be of the Shudra varna . Pinch described them as "skilled agriculturalists". This traditional perception of Shudra status was increasingly challenged during the late decades of British Raj rule, although some castes had made claims of a higher status well before the British administration instituted its first census. The Kurmi community of cultivators, described by Christophe Jaffrelot as "middle caste peasants", led this search for greater respectability. According to Pinch; "The concern with personal dignity, community identity, and caste status reached
783-698: A proponent of Kushwaha sanskritisation, published a book offering proof of the Kshatriya status of the Koeri, Kachhi, Murao, and Kushwaha. His reconstructed history said the Kushwaha were Hindu descendants of Kush, and that in the twelfth century, they served Raja Jayachandra in a military capacity during the Muslim consolidation of the Delhi Sultanate . Subsequent persecution by the victorious Muslims caused
870-929: A report of the Institute of Human Development and Studies , the Kushwaha with the per capita income of ₹18,811 are among the highest-earning social groups of Bihar, much above the other important backward castes like Yadavs. They are placed below the upper castes in per capita earning. In regions like Samastipur , Bihar, the Kushwaha are politically strong and are involved with criminality. Author Tilak Das Gupta notes that Koeris of Bihar are known to be an educationally advanced community, along with castes like Awadhia Kurmi and Bania , due to more spread of education among them in contrast with several other communities categorised as Other Backward Class . Amongst various subgroups constituting Kushwaha community, Koeris of Bihar were known to be owner of significant amount of land; they were employers of Schedule Caste labourers and after
957-536: A rift valley and that the existence of such a large rift valley is not possible. According to the recent research, sediment deposited at the bed of the per-historic Tethys Sea folded towards the northern end due to the northward drift of the Indian plate and a trough was formed later due to the emergence of the Himalayas in the north. Beneath the silt deposition, the region rests on hard crystalline rocks which connect
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#17327804360571044-643: A sizeable presence in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh . They are found primarily in areas of the state bordering neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh. In 2023, the regional caste organisation of the community in Madhya Pradesh demanded that at least twenty five candidates of the Kushwaha caste should contest the election in 230 membered Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly . The leaders of the organisation declared that they will support only that political party which will provide appropriate representation to them in
1131-608: Is a City and Municipal Corporation in Bihar , India . It is the headquarter of Samastipur district and comes under Darbhanga division . The Burhi Gandak River flows through the city. It is one of the five railway divisions of ECR, Hajipur. The Samastipur junction is one of the busiest stations in North Bihar after Patna and Katihar . As of 2011 Indian Census , Samastipur had a total population of 62,935, of which 33,025 were males and 29,910 were females. Population within
1218-402: Is drained by three major river systems and has a high ground water table . Due to its rich water resources and fertile alluvial soil, it is one of the world's most densely populated and intensely farmed areas. The eastern part of the plain receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon after the summer, which commonly results in floods and inundations. The rainfall decreases from the east towards
1305-566: Is one of the world's most densely populated and intensely farmed areas. The region was home to the Indus Valley civilisation in 3000 BCE, which was one of the earliest human settlements in the Indian subcontinent. During the Vedic period (c. 1500 – 600 BCE), the region was referred to as " Aryavarta " (Land of the Aryans ). According to Manusmṛti (2.22), 'Aryavarta' is "the tract between
1392-531: Is quite different from the Indian subcontinent, including varna status and "social hierarchy", both of which terms have several variations in Mauritius vis a vis India. The traditional ruling elites like Rajputs and Brahmins are politically and economically marginalised in Mauritius, whereas cultivating castes like Koeri, Ahir , Kurmi, Kahar , and others have improved their social and financial position. According to Crispin Bates: The Vaish are
1479-682: Is the river delta formed by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers when they enter the Bay of Bengal . Spread over the Bengal region , consisting of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal , it is the world's largest river delta and is one of the most fertile regions of the plains. The delta stretches from about 260 km (160 mi) from the Hooghly River east to the Meghna River in
1566-514: The Arabian Sea . Most of the delta lies in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan with a small portion in the Kutch region of India. The delta covers an area of about 41,440 km (16,000 sq mi), and is approximately 210 km (130 mi) across where it meets the sea. The climate is arid , the region receives only 25 and 50 cm (9.8 and 19.7 in) of rainfall. Since
1653-702: The First Battle of Tarain . However, Shihabuddin defeated the Rajputs in the Second Battle of Tarain , which led to the rise of the Delhi Sultanate in the region in the 13th century CE. In 1526 CE, Babur swept across the Khyber Pass and established the Mughal Empire , which ruled for almost the next three centuries. The Maratha Empire founded by Chatrapati Shivaji , briefly captured
1740-675: The Himalaya and the Vindhya ranges, from the Eastern Sea ( Bay of Bengal ) to the Western Sea ( Arabian Sea )". The region was part of what was historically referred to as Hindustan , a term used to refer to the whole of the Indian subcontinent . The term "Hindustani" is also commonly used to refer to the people, music , and culture of the region. The fertile terrain facilitated the rise and expansion of various empires such as
1827-476: The Himalayas in the north and Deccan plateau in the south. However, there has been divergent theories as to the formation of the depression. As per Darashaw Wadia , the depression was a furrow that originally existed since the formation of the plateau in the south and the mountains in the north. Edward Suess had suggested that the depression was a large syncline that was formed when the southward advance of
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#17327804360571914-613: The Himalayas in the north to the Vindhyas and Satpura and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the south in the south, and extends from North East India in the east to the Iranian border in the west. The region is home to many major cities and nearly one-seventh of the world's population. In India, it mainly encompasses the states and union territories of Rajasthan in the west, Punjab , Haryana, Chandigarh , and Delhi in
2001-528: The Himalayas in the north to the northern edge of the Deccan plateau in the south, and extends from North East India in the east to the Iranian border in the west. The region is home to many major cities and nearly one-seventh of the world's population. As the region was formed by the deposits of the three major rivers–Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra , the plains consists of the world's largest expanse of uninterrupted alluvium . Due to its rich water resources, it
2088-585: The Indus delta and the Rann of Kutch . The western part of the region is covered by shifting sand dunes (dharian) and the eastern part of the region (Rajasthan Bagar) is rocky. The region is largely arid with seasonal streams uch as Luni supporting limited agriculture. The Punjab-Haryana Plain lies to the east and north east of the Rajasthan Plain. It extends for a length of 640 km (400 mi) in
2175-532: The Mauryas , Kushan , Guptas , all of whom had their demographic and political centers in the Indo-Gangetic plain. The Maurya Empire existed from 4th to 2nd century BCE and unified most of the Indian subcontinent into one state, and was the largest empire ever to exist on the Indian subcontinent. The Kushan Empire expanded out of what is now Afghanistan into the northwest of the Indian subcontinent in
2262-488: The Northern Plain or North Indian River Plain , is a fertile plain spanning 700,000 km (270,000 sq mi) across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent . It encompasses northern and eastern India , eastern Pakistan , southern Nepal , and almost all of Bangladesh . It is named after the two major river systems that drain the region– Indus and Ganges . Its stretches from
2349-826: The Shivalik range in the north and the Deccan Plateau in the south with the Yamuna River forming the rough western boundary. The region extends 550 km (340 mi) in the north–south direction and is about 380 km (240 mi) wide with an average elevation of 100–300 m (330–980 ft). The Middle Ganga Plain stretches to the east of the Upper Ganga plain and forms part of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It covers an area of 1.44 km (0.56 sq mi), stretching 330 km (210 mi) in north–south direction and 600 km (370 mi) in
2436-538: The Yamuna waters a small portion on the eastern border. The in-between land which encompasses the city of Delhi, largely consists of no major streams except the seasonal Ghaggar River . The region has a humid sub tropical climate with dry winters and receives the major part of rainfall during the south west monsoon between July to September. The Ganga Plain forms the largest sub-unit of the plains and encompasses an area of 375,000 km (145,000 sq mi) across
2523-494: The begar system of forced, unpaid labour; and by providing a platform for people seeking reservation of jobs in government for non-upper-caste people. In 1965, there was an abortive attempt to revive the defunct federation. The Kisan Sabha was dominated by peasant castes like the Koeri, Kurmi, and Yadav; historian Gyan Pandey termed them mainly movements of the middle-peasant castes who organised against eviction with limited participation of other communities. The reality, however,
2610-519: The tika – a liquid form of sandalwood on the head – which is made by the Brahmin priests. In recent times (21st century), Kushwahas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have started associating themselves with the Mauryan dynasty . The members of caste claim that they are direct descendant of the third century B.C ruler Chandragupta Maurya and his grandson Ashoka . The Kushwaha were traditionally
2697-550: The "upper Backward castes"; a term coined to describe the Koeri, Yadav, Kurmi, and Bania in Bihar. The transfer of power also occurred at the local level of governance. The upper caste were first to acquire education and initially benefitted from it but with the expansion in electoral franchise and growth of the "party system", they lost support to upper Backward communities. Nepotism and patronage for fellow caste members in government, which had previously been an upper-caste phenomenon,
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2784-457: The 1940s, the delta has received less water as a result of large-scale irrigation works capturing large amounts of the Indus water before it reaches the delta. The region is home to the largest arid mangrove forests in the world. The population of the active part of the delta was estimated at 900,000 in 2003 with fishing being the major industry. The Rajasthan Plains form the western extreme of
2871-423: The 1990s. Consequently, the coalition emerged with a massive victory and the number of legislators from these agrarian castes grew compared to previous elections. The coalition was later dissolved and in the 2020 Assembly election, the disunity among the three castes and split of votes led to huge decline in the number of Kushwaha legislators. Though generally considered as supporters of Janata Dal (United) in Bihar,
2958-580: The 20th century CE, branches that form the Kushwaha community – the Kachhis, Koeris, and Muraos – favoured a connection with Shiva and Shakta. In the 20th century, the Kushwaha began to claim descent from the Suryavansh dynasty through Kusha, a son of the mythical Rama , an avatar of Vishnu . In the 1920s, Ganga Prasad Gupta, a proponent of Kushwaha sanskritisation , said Kushwaha families worshiped Hanuman , who Pinch described as "the embodiment of true devotion to Ram and Sita", during Kartika ,
3045-547: The Assembly, Baijnath Kushwah, Ajab Singh Kushwah , Siddharth Sukhlal Kushwaha , and Hina Kaware . According to Arun Sinha, the Koeris were known for their market gardening activities. Since Indian independence , the land reform movement made it difficult for the erstwhile upper-caste landlords to maintain their holdings. The growing pressure from left-wing militants backed by Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation (CPI(ML)) and some local political parties; and
3132-609: The BJP with the Lok Janshakti Party and the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party . In the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, Janata Dal (United) allied with its rival Rashtriya Janata Dal due to differences with the BJP. Due to the social composition of these parties and the core-voter base, this coalition drew immense support from the Yadav, Kurmi, and Kushwaha castes, which rarely voted together after
3219-493: The Extremely Backward Castes in Bihar, when it comes to assuming the political leadership of latter. Mani points towards existence of cordial relationship of Kushwahas with the other caste groups in Bihar's villages, where guests of all rural communities are sent to Mahto Ji ka Dalan (a rural living room owned by Kushwahas in popular village culture) to spend the night. As a political bloc, Kushwahas decides
3306-516: The Himalayan region with the peninsula. As the region was formed by the deposits of major rivers, the plains consists of the world's largest expanse of uninterrupted alluvium . The fertile plains span 700,000 km (270,000 sq mi) across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent . It encompasses northern and eastern India , eastern Pakistan , southern Nepal , and almost all of Bangladesh . Its stretches from
3393-429: The Himalayas was blocked by the Indian landmass. Sydney Burrard opined that the region was a deep rift that existed in the earth's crust , which was subsequently filled with alluvium. He also pointed out the existence of other rift valleys in the Himalayan and Deccan plateau region. However, geologists such as Ferdinand Hayden and Richard Oldham have rejected this stating that there is no evidence of existence of
3480-430: The Koeri were prominent. In this period, caste remained the most-effective tool of political mobilisation; some leaders who were theoretically opposed to caste-based politics also appealed to caste loyalties to secure their victory. The Rabri Devi government appointed ten Koeris as ministers in her cabinet, which was sought by many community leaders as a fair representation of the caste. The portrayal of Lalu Prasad Yadav as
3567-651: The Koeri-Kurmi community and Yadavs, whose voting patterns were contrasted. When the Samta Party allied with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Koeris voted for this alliance and in the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP fared well, mostly due to the support of Koeri and Kurmis. The division among Backwards castes also cost their representation in the assemblies. The profile of the Bihar legislative assembly rapidly changed since 1967; until 1995 or 1996,
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3654-511: The Kushwaha community in some of the left -dominated assembly constituencies like Ziradel and Bibhutipur are also core supporters of communist parties— Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation ; mainly because of the creation of rooted leaders like Ramdeo Verma and Amarjeet Kushwaha from the community by these parties. According to author and political analyst Prem Kumar Mani , Kushwahas are more acceptable to other caste groups specially
3741-420: The Kushwaha to disperse and disguise their identity, foregoing the sacred thread, and thus becoming degraded and taking on localised community names. Gupta's attempt to prove Kshatriya status, in common with similar attempts by others to establish histories of various castes, was spread via the caste associations, which Dipankar Gupta wrote provided a link between the "urban, politically literate elite" members of
3828-518: The Muraos petitioned for official recognition as one of the Kshatriya varna in 1928. This action by the All India Kushwaha Kshatriya Mahasabha (AIKKM) reflected the general trend for social uplift by communities that had traditionally been classified as Shudra. The process, which M. N. Srinivas called sanskritisation , was a feature of late nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century caste politics. AIKKM's position
3915-712: The Shudra varna. William Pinch described the growth of militancy among agricultural castes in the wake of their claims to Kshatriya status. Castes like Koeris, Kurmis, and Yadavs asserted their Kshatriya status verbally and by joining the British Indian Army as soldiers in large numbers. The growing militancy among the castes led rural Bihar to become an arena of conflict in which numerous caste-based militias surfaced and atrocities against Dalits became normalised. The militias founded during this period were named after folk figures or popular personalities who were revered by
4002-583: The age group of 0 to 6 years was 8,252. The total number of literates in Samastipur was 46,416, which constituted 73.8% of the population with male literacy of 77.2% and female literacy of 69.9%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Samastipur was 84.9%, of which male literacy rate was 88.9% and female literacy rate was 80.4%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 9,219 and 249 respectively. Samastipur had 12062 households in 2011. Samastipur has several schools and colleges. Most of
4089-571: The boundaries between Koeris and Bhumihars in the Ekwaari . For much of the 20th century, the Koeri were generally less effective and less involved in politics than the Kurmis and Yadavs, who broadly shared their socio-economic position in Hindu society. The latter two groups were more vociferous in their actions, including involvement in caste rioting, whilst the Koeris had only a brief prominence during
4176-702: The colleges are affiliated to the Lalit Narayan Mithila University , Darbhanga . The Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University , is located near the town, in Pusa. This university was constructed in 1970 near the ruins of Pusa Institute which was the Indian Agricultural Research Institute built during the British regime. IGNOU has several study centres in Samastipur. Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (B.S.R.T.C) operates bus services to
4263-543: The defeat of the Marathas, the entire region came under the control of British Raj and remained same until the Indian Independence in 1947. The plains were named after the two major river systems that drain the region– Indus and Ganges . The region was formed as a result of continuous deposition of silt by the major river systems of Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra in the depression that existed between
4350-543: The dominant Backwards castes away from the Rashtriya Janata Dal and distributed their votes to other political parties. Koeris, who were one of the most-populous caste groups, were shifted first towards the JD (U)-BJP coalition. After the expulsion of Upendra Kushwaha from the JD (U) and the formation of the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party , their votes were distributed amongst the JD (U) and the new social coalition of
4437-406: The east–west direction. The elevation varies from 100 m (330 ft) in the western boundary to 30 m (98 ft) towards the south east. This plain is largely drained by Ghaghara, Gandak and Kosi rivers. The Lower Ganga Plain includes parts of Bihar, West Bengal and most of Bangladesh . It stretches for 81,000 km (31,000 sq mi) along a 580 km (360 mi) stretch from
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#17327804360574524-579: The foothills of the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south, and extends between the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the west and Bangladesh's eastern boundary with India. The average elevation is 50 m (160 ft) along the western boundary. The Brahmaputra Valley largely covers the Indian state of Assam and is an eastern extension of the plains. It stretches from the Eastern Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh in
4611-521: The formation of a private army called the Bhumi Sena , which perpetrated massacres of Dalits and other atrocities. The Koeris have always led the battle of weaker sections of society against landlords. In districts such as Aurangabad , Bihar, where the feudal system was prevalent, the Kushwaha along with Yadavs have successfully led the Dalits in their armed struggle against landlords. According to
4698-452: The government. In the 2018-23 Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, there were eight members of legislative assembly belonging to Kushwaha community. From the Bharatiya Janata Party which was in government, Bharat Singh Kushwah and Ram Kishor Kawre from the community were ministers in Government of Madhya Pradesh . There were two other legislators from the BJP in the Assembly. From the Indian National Congress , there were four legislators in
4785-417: The hard working castes like Kurmi, Koeris and Yadav. These small peasant proprietors worked very hard on their land and also drive their labourers hard, and any resistance by agricultural labourers gives rise to the mutual conflicts and atrocities on Harijans. The differences between upper backward castes and the extremely backward castes, and Dalits, due to unequal distribution of the benefits of land reforms,
4872-414: The land reform drive of North Indian states like Bihar, many new landlords of the post reform period also emerged from within them. In Bihar , many Koeris , who now possess land, education and government jobs have become upwardly mobile and demonstrate upper-caste characteristics. In Uttar Pradesh , the Kushwaha community comprise approximately 8.5% of the state's population. They are distributed across
4959-406: The largest and most influential caste group on the island. Internally the group is divided into Koeri, Kurmi, Kahar, Ahir, Lohar and other jatis. In the past many admitted to Chamar status (as shown by historical records), but recently this seems to have become completely taboo. This group, now commonly known as 'Rajputs', will also sometimes describe themselves as 'Raviveds'. An explanation may lie in
5046-419: The lower castes. Also, the three putatively allied castes were unable to reconcile their rivalries. The Triveni Sangh also faced competition from the All India Kisan Sabha , a peasant-oriented socio-political campaigning group run by communists. The appeal of the Triveni Sangh had significantly waned by 1947 but had achieved a measure of success outside elections by exerting sufficient influence to bring an end to
5133-451: The main buyers of these lands. Because the peasant castes considered their land to be their most productive asset, they rarely sold it. The zeal of peasant castes to buy more and more land gradually changed their economic profile, and some of them became "neo-landlords". The peasants attempted to protect their new economic status from those below them, especially the Dalits, who were still mainly landless labourers. The peasants adopted many of
5220-424: The middle of the 1st century CE. Maritime trade along the Silk Road flourished during the period. The Gupta period existed from the 4th to 7th century CE and is noted for its arts, architecture and science. In the 12th century CE, much of the region was ruled by the Rajputs . In 1191 CE, the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan unified several Rajput states and defeated the invading army of Shihabuddin Ghori in
5307-444: The north west, Uttar Pradesh in the north, Bihar and West Bengal in the east, and Assam in the north east. The Indo-Gangetic Plain is divided into two drainage basins by the Delhi Ridge , which is a northern extension of the Aravalli Hills . The western part is drains by the Indus, and the eastern part consists of the Ganga–Brahmaputra river systems. The plains encompassed four distinct geographical regions: The region
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#17327804360575394-439: The north, to the Garo - Khasi - Jaintia and Mikir Hills in the south. Its has the Patkai and Naga Hills to the east and the boundary of the Lower Ganga Plain to the west. The region covers an estimated 56,000 km (22,000 sq mi) and is watered by Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The elevation varies from 130 m (430 ft) in the east to 30 m (98 ft) in the west. The Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta
5481-555: The plains in India and is mostly composed of Thar desert , which occupies an area of 200,000 km (77,000 sq mi) stretching acrss 650 km (400 mi). About three-fourth of the plains lie in India and rest in Pakistan. In India, two-thirds of the region is part of western Rajasthan , extending to the west of Aravalli Hills and rest form parts of Haryana , Punjab and Gujarat . The region has an average elevation of 325 m (1,066 ft) which reduces from east to west, reaching about 150 m (490 ft) towards
5568-419: The post of Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and projected him as the representative of Kushwaha and its subgroups, the Kachhi-Shakya-Maurya-Saini- Mali block. Besides these political parties, smaller parties like Mahan Dal led by Keshav Dev Maurya also claims to represent Kushwaha and its subgroups in state. The central Bihar Backward castes like Koeri are numerically and politically powerful, and reject
5655-420: The practices of their erstwhile landlords. The pattern of land reform in states like Bihar mainly benefitted the middle castes like the Koeris, and was also responsible for the imperfect mobilisation of backward castes in politics. The space created by Backward castes in electoral politics after 1967 was dominated mainly by these middle-peasant castes, who were the biggest beneficiary of the "politics of socialism",
5742-425: The proponents of which were people like Ram Manohar Lohia . The unequitable political space at the disposal of other "Backward castes" and Scheduled Castes was an implication of these land reforms – according to Varinder Grover: The pattern of land reforms in Bihar is one of the main reason for imperfect mobilisation of backward castes into the politics. The abolition of all intermediaries had definitely helped
5829-465: The rapid economic growth of the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the lack of positive discrimination measures of the sort seen in India. The Kushwaha are often associated with the Kurmi caste, which have same socio-economic status in Bihar. Despite having some similarities, the Kushwaha and the Kurmi are different in many aspects. In the early 20th century, socio-economic ascendancy of the Kurmis led them to become landlords. Consequently, they were involved in
5916-405: The region in the early 18th century CE. The Sikh Empire was established by Ranjit Singh around the same time in the north western part of the region. The Europeans arrived in the end of the 15th century CE in peninsular India . The English East India company 's in the Battle of Plassey (1757) and Battle of Buxar (1767) consolidated the company's power in the lower Gangetic plain. With
6003-469: The representation of upper castes was reduced to around 17% but the division among Backwards castes served as a hope to the upper castes to at least increase their representation. The success of the BJP-Samta coalition also consolidated the Koeris and the Kurmis, who merged as a political force in 1996 elections. Since 1996, Koeris voted en masse for the Janata Dal (United) (JD (U))-BJP coalition. The caste-based polarisation in Bihar and other states moved
6090-939: The results of elections in at least 63 assembly seats and in half a dozen Lok Sabha seats like Ara , Khagaria , Karakat , Ujiyarpur and Sasaram . In Khagaria Lok Sabha constituency , a total of five parliamentarians from the community has been elected since 1957, which is second only to Yadav parliamentarians. The Koeri parliamentarians elected from this constituency are Kameshwar Prasad Singh , Chandra Shekhar Prasad Verma , Satish Prasad Singh , Shakuni Choudhary and Renu Kushwaha . In Arrah Lok Sabha constituency from 1951 to 2004 only Koeri and Yadav parliamentarians were elected. The Koeri parliamentarians included Chandradeo Prasad Verma , Haridwar Prasad Singh and Ram Prasad Kushwaha . In Uttar Pradesh, Kushwaha- Maurya community had been traditional supporters of Bahujan Samaj Party , with Mayawati promoting community leaders like Babu Singh Kushwaha and Swami Prasad Maurya . Maurya
6177-452: The rise of Jagdeo Prasad . This muted position dramatically changed in the 1990s when the rise to power of Lalu Prasad in Bihar caused an assertion of Yadav-centric policies that demanded a loud reaction. Earlier, the Koeris were given fair representation in the state governments of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi . The Backward politics of Lalu Prasad Yadav resulted in rise to political prominence of numerous Backward castes, among which
6264-399: The state and are known as Maurya , Morao , Shakya, Koeri, Kachhi , and Saini in different parts of the state. The community has sizeable presence in almost all of the nineteen assembly constituencies of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, which consists seven districts— Jhansi , Hamirpur , Chitrakoot , Jalaun , Banda , Mahoba and Lalitpur . The Kushwaha-Maurya community also have
6351-591: The states of Uttar Pradesh , Bihar, and West Bengal . The Ganges along with its tributaries such as the Yamuna , Gomti , Ghagara , Gandak , Chambal , Kosi , and Sone drain the region. The various rivers and streams originating from both the Himalayas and the Deccan Plateau contribute to fertile soil in the region. The region gently slopes towards the south east and consists of three regions: Upper, Middle and Lower Ganga Plains. The Upper Ganga Plain stretches 149,000 km (58,000 sq mi) from
6438-611: The traditional Jajmani system , which relies upon the Brahmanical notion of purity and pollution. The Backward caste groups in this region do not use the services of Brahmin priests to perform their rituals; most Koeri households employ a Koeri priest to perform their rituals, and their services are also used by other Backward castes like the Yadav. Koeri priests are different from Brahmin priests in their approval of widow remarriage. They also promote non-vegetarianism and do not grow tuft like Brahmins. Koeri priests also disapprove of
6525-482: 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. Before
6612-513: The weakening of the Zamindari system made it difficult for them to survive in rural areas. The decades following independence were marked by the urbanisation of upper castes, who sold their unproductive holdings, which were mostly bought by the peasants of cultivating middle castes, who were affluent enough to purchase land. Some of the land was also bought from Muslim families who were migrating to Pakistan . The Koeris, Kurmis , and Yadavs were
6699-813: The west with the western region encompassing drier areas such as the Thar desert . The region can be sub-divided into various geographical units such as the Sindh Plains , and the Indus Delta in Pakistan; Rajasthan Plain, and Punjab-Haryana Plain in India and Pakistan, Ganga Plain in India and Bangladesh, Brahmaputra Valley in India, Terai region in Nepal, and the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in India and Bangladesh. The Sindh Plains forms
6786-526: The west. It encompasses an area of more than 100,000 km (39,000 sq mi) with two-thirds of it in Bangladesh. It is also one of the most densely populated regions in the world with more than 130 million inhabitants. The area is prone to heavy tropical cyclones . Agriculture and fishing form important part of the economy in the region. 27°N 80°E / 27°N 80°E / 27; 80 Samastipur Samastipur
6873-661: The western part of the plains and encompasses the Sindh region of Pakistan to the west of the Thar desert with the Punjab Plains in the north and the Indus River Delta in the south. The region receives about 13 in (330 mm) of rain annually, mostly from June to September. The economy is largely based on agriculture. The Indus River Delta encompasses the region where the Indus River flows into
6960-657: The whole community. Kushwahas are classified as an Other Backward Caste (OBC) in some states of India. In 2013, the Haryana government added the Kushwaha, Koeri, and Maurya castes to the list of Backward classes. In Bihar they are categorised as OBC. Sub-castes of Kushwaha community, such as the Kachhi, Shakya , and Koeri, are also categorised as OBC in Uttar Pradesh . Notes Citations Indo-Gangetic Plain The Indo-Gangetic Plain , also known as
7047-510: The widespread dacoity and oppressive attitude of the upper-caste landlords faced by these hardworking caste groups, which prompted them to join revolutionary organisations. The Kushwaha engaged in political action during these latter days of the Raj. Around 1933 and 1934, the Koeris joined with the Kurmis and Yadavs to form the Triveni Sangh , a caste federation that by 1936 claimed to have
7134-453: Was a major challenge before the CPI(ML) in mobilisation of collective force of lower castes against the upper-caste landlords. The upper backward castes like Koeri were initially less attached to the CPI(ML) due to their economic progress, and the communists were only successful in mobilising them in regions Patna , Bhojpur , Aurangabad , and Rohtas district. These success were attributed to
7221-476: Was based on the concept of Vaishnavism , which promotes the worship and claims of descent from Rama or Krishna to assume the trappings of Kshatriya symbolism and thus permit the wearing of the sacred thread , even though the physical labour inherent in their cultivator occupation defined them as Shudra. The movement caused the Kushwaha to abandon their claim of descent from Shiva in favour of the alternative myth of their descent from Rama. In 1921, Ganga Prasad Gupta,
7308-555: Was even appointed as National General Secretary of the BSP, in order to placate Kushwahas. Previously, Bahujan Samaj Party founder, Kanshi Ram also gave significant role to community in Uttar Pradesh's caste based politics. In Uttar Pradesh, community is known by various terms like Maurya, Kushwaha, Shakya and Saini . Off late, Bharatiya Janata Party also started promoting leaders of the community; it raised Keshav Prasad Maurya to
7395-681: Was more complex. Dalit communities like the Chamars and Pasis, whose traditional occupations were leatherwork and toddy-tapping respectively, formed a significant portion of the landless peasantry and were significant in the Kisan Sabha, which also included members of the high castes such as Brahmins. The Koeris also had a significant presence in the 1960s Naxalite movement in rural Bihar, particularly in Bhojpur and nearby areas like Arrah , where an economic system dominated by upper-caste landlords
7482-431: Was now available to the upper Backward communities. This phenomenon continued in the 1970s with the premiership of Karpoori Thakur , who had provided 12% reservation to lower Backward castes and 8% to upper Backward castes, in which the Koeri were included. The peak of this patronage was reached during the tenure of Laloo Yadav. From 1990 onwards, the solidarity of Backward castes was severely weakened due to division among
7569-401: Was still in place. Here, the communist upsurge against the prevalent feudal system was led by Jagdish Mahto , a Koeri teacher who had read Ambedkar and Marx , and was sympathetic to the cause of Dalits. Mahto organised his militia under the banner Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) (CPI(ML)), which murdered many upper-caste landlords in the region. These violent clashes demarcated
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