Khangar (community)

For the volcano in Russia, see Khangar.

The Khangar community are a clan of Indian origin. They are referred to by many other names, such as Khangaar, Khungar, Khengar, Khagar, Khangdhar and Rao Khangad.[1]

The community ruled areas of present-day Bundelkhand after the fall of the Chandelas in 1182 A.D. and until the mid-14th century Their seat of power was at Garh Kundar, a fort built by Khub Singh Khangar. During Khangar rule, Bundelkhand was known as Jujhauti, implying the land of warriors.[2]

The Khangars were formerly classified as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Acts of the British Raj.[3] They claim kshatriya status in the Hindu ritual ranking system known as varna but this is disputed. Other communities, such as the Bundelas, believe that such status is hereditary rather than acquired and that the Khangars were not thus born even though they did come to rule.[4] During the period of the British Raj, when the process of sanskritisation became apparent and the administration attempted to record caste in censuses, the All-India Khangar Kshatriya League campaigned for official recognition as kshatriya.[5] The 1961 census in Madhya Pradesh noted that "This caste has in the recent past made determined attempts at social climbing and all of them now say that they are Kshatriyas: they call themselves as Khangar Kshatriyas.",[6] When the madhya pradesh government came to know about the courageous deeds of khangar kshatriya's then they have started a 3 days festival in garhkundar (tehsil/block-niwari,district-tikamgarh) known as "Garhkundar mahotsav", as to recall the great warrior of ancient time maharaja khet singh khangar, which is celebrated at each 27-28-29 of December every year

References

  1. ↑ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). India's communities (People of India: National Series). Oxford University Press. pp. 1684–1686. ISBN 9780195633542.
  2. ↑ Fass, Virginia; Sharma, Rita (1986). The Forts of India. London: William Collins Sons Ltd. p. 141. ISBN 0-00-217590-8.
  3. ↑ Bates, Crispin (1995). "Race, Caste and Tribe in Central India: the early origins of Indian anthropometry". In Robb, Peter. The Concept of Race in South Asia. Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-19-563767-0. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  4. ↑ Jain, Ravindra K. (2002). Between History and Legend: Status and Power in Bundelkhand. Orient Blackswan. p. 27. ISBN 9788125021940.
  5. ↑ Maheshwari, Shriram (1996). The Census Administration Under the Raj and After. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 109–110. ISBN 9788170225850.
  6. ↑ India. Office of the Registrar General (1965). Census of India, 1961: Madhya Pradesh 8. p. 18.

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Further reading

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