Draft:Raigar

The Raigar (also spelled as Raigar, Rehgar, Raigarh, Ranigar and Rehgarh)are a caste group of India. The Raigar are found in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. They are known as Raigar in the Mewar region of Rajasthan. Language: Dhundari – (dhd)

             Population: 2,845,000(Mainly found in Rajasthan)

Raigar follow Hinduism religion and belong to kshtriya varna.

Raigar are classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC) by the Government of India. Raigar were placed in SC category during the formation of Indian Constitution in 1950 because they were socially backward and being oppressed during British rule. In some parts on India like Assam and southern states of India they were categorised in Other Backward Castes. Some historians historically proven that Raigar origin was originally from Raghuvanshi Kshatriyas and Belonged to Rajputana.

Raigars had served in the armies of the local Rajput kings.

Once leatherworkers,at the beginning of the 20th century, the British Raj administration imposed restrictions on the indigenous manufacturing of saltpetre which destroyed their livelihood.At least some community members served as bonded labour (begari) during the British Raj era. British and landlords exploited them and force them to work in farms as labour .Raigars are the descendants of ancient Malava Tribe, who had their own republic states in the South of Punjab and North of Rajputana during Mahabharata.

Malava Tribe was originated from Maharaja Rishi Ashwapati of Madra Kingdom, who was a descendant of Lord Rama and hence a Suryavanshi Kshatriya ruler of Madra Kingdom. He had a only daughter named Savitri who was married to Prince Satyavan of Shalva Kingdom. According to Tale of Satyavan Savitri, Savitri granted a boon from Yamaraja (God of Death) she and her father will be blessed with 100 sons. And regarding this, those hundred sons of King Ashwapati named as Malav after their mother's name Malavi. According to genealogy of Madra King, during Mahabharata King Shalya was ruler of Madra Kingdom who was also maternal uncle of Pandavas.

Afterwards, all those warrior princes Malavas settled themselves between the region of doab in Punjab and lived there as a union. They hadn't have any King but a chieftain who was granted a title of Raja/Naresh.

During Mahabharata war, this tribe fought from both the sides of Kauravas and Pandavas. Elephant Ashwatthama, who was killed by Bheemsen, was of Malava chieftain IndraVerma. Many of Malavas were martyred in this war.

Malavas had 100 clans which was originated from 100 Malav Princes, and after the Battle of Hydspes, Malavas along with Kshudrakas (descendants of Kosala king Kshudrak) formed an alliance to face Alexander the great, and with the help of Kathi Kshatriyas, they bravely faced Alexander by which he got injured but they were defeated so they left Punjab region and occupied the region of Eastern Rajputana, at Karkotaka (near Tonk) and then they occupied the region of Ujjain where that place was today also known as Malwa Plateau.

Emperor Vikramaditya, son of Malav King Gandharwasen and grandson of Nabovahana, established monarchial rule who was a member of Parmar/ Panwar clan of Malavas. And the only ruling dynasty from the Malavas was the Parmar dynasty who ruled till 1947.

Malavas along with Kshudrakas who formed a union , resulted in the uprising of 350+ clans of Malavas because union resulted Kshudrakas emerged in the Malava tribe.

Other clans else of Parmar dynasty, who were also Raghuvanshi Kshatriyas from the dynastical roots from Ayodhya and also were descendants of Shri Ram, were named as Raghu tribe which in time to time corrupted to Raghur -> Raigur -> Raigar, they all were known as Raigars today.

But what they had their ancestral occupation of warfare and crop production, they served as as peasants and warrior soldiers in different states of ancient Rajputana who also fought many wars and battles against Turks and Mughals.

During the 1st Shaka and Jauhar of Chittorgarh, when Rawal Ratan Singh was ruler of Mewar, Shri ShivShankar Mandawariya ji, who commanded army of Raigars martyred in that battle and his wife Jajorini (daughter of Udaji Jajoria) committed Sati.

During the battle between Muhammad Ghori and Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan, Shri Gunjal Sunwasiya served and fought from Rajputs side and martyred. His samadhi was placed near the Old Fort till after some times of Independence.

Raigars who besides in the region of Bharatpur, Karauli, Dholpur joined the Jatava movement started by Swami Achhutanand Maharaj, took the title Jatava (also Chamaras) and hence they called as Jatavas or Chamaras.

Else of these Raigars, other Raigars moved with the Parmar chiefs (in Punjab under Baba Bachhittar Singh Panwar, Ranas of Umarkot in Sindh, & Rulers of Muli in Gujarat) to different parts of India.

Many of the Raigars were also granted and awarded with the titles of Raje in Punjab, Lamberdar/Nambardar in Delhi Haryana, Chaudhary in Rajasthan, which was also the titles of Rajputs. So why Raigars were known as Dalits?

I am citing the modern reliable sources about the Raigar caste from a recent book published in 2011.Raigar belonged to Kshatriya mentioned in the book by the Indian Author CHANDANMAL NAVALBook publisher, RAJASTHANI GRANTHAGAR, JODHPURBook title “रैगर जाति - Raigar Caste (History and Culture)”Please read page 57-59, Raigars were kshatriya. They are not untouchables.Please ready page number 35-38, Raigars are not related to Chamar Raigars were not Dalit.The editor of the article Raigar mentioned the caste as untouchables according to an anthropologist book writer.

Raigars are not leather tanners or dalits, they are Kshatriya warriors of Raghuvanshi dynasty.