Rai (India)

For the Jat clan, see Rai (Punjabi surname).

Rai is a historical title of honour in India.It was conferred by the British Raj on certain landlords who were most influential and powerful before the British Raj. It showed association of person with power and wealth in the period of the British rule. The British recognised prominent Hindus as Rai Bahadur or Rai Sahib and Rai means noble person .Even now the North Indians who apply the the surname "Rai" are low caste people as well as poor as they work at the land-owners who have more than 70% land in UttarPradesh and other neighbouring states. Some of Yadav people of Poorvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh uses Rai as their main recognized surname ,few Kurmi also uses Rai surname ,In Bihar Mostly Kurmi & Bhatt Beaminster use the surname "Rai" , Babhans also uses Rai Surname. Rai is used as title by Bhatti clan of the Rajputs in Rajasthan . Many peoples in Jharkhand, M.P. ,Rajasthan , Haryana , Karnataka , Punjab , Jammu and Arunachal Pradesh uses 'Rai' as their surname irespective of their castes.In Bengal people uses Roy surnames. Apart from India this surname is also found in Pakistan , Nepal , Bangladesh , Europe, Japan.