Khant (caste)

The Khant are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India.[1]

History

The Khant are also referred to as Khant Darbar in Sorath and Kharak in Bhavnagar. According to Bhat and Charan books, they were Rajputs brought from Rajasthan to fight Muslims to save the Somnath temple. These Rajputs then intermarried with Bhil women, thus losing their Rajput status,[2] and the Khant community was formed. They are concentrated in the Bhilka area of Saurashtra. Other traditions make them out to Kolis.[1][3] Ghanshyam Shah of Jawaharlal Nehru University describes them as jāti within the Koli caste cluster.[4]

Society

The Khant have clans called 56 ataks, like the Dabhi, Baraiya, Parmar, Kandoliya, Zala, Gohil, Bheda, Sarvaiya, Deavla, Patriya, Bataviya, etc. There claim to Rajput status is generally acknowledged, and they are referred to as darbars. The Khant are agriculturalist, but being small and marginal farmers, many are involved with agriculture wage labour.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Two edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 643-645
  2. ↑ India's Communities, Volume 5. p. 1686
  3. ↑ Raymond Brady Williams; Yogi Trivedi (2016). Swaminarayan Hinduism: Tradition, Adaptation, and Identity. OUP India. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-19-908959-8.
  4. ↑ Ghanshyam Shah (2004). Caste and Democratic Politics in India. Anthem Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-1-84331-085-3.
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