Bisht
Encyclopedia
The Bisht are a Rajput community living primarily in the Central Himmalayas, such as the Indian state of Uttarakhand
.
Bisht Rajputs refers to the title of Rajput
s in Kumaon
and Garhwal
regions of Uttarakhand
. Bishts are also found in the erstwhile princely state of Rampur
in Himachal Pradesh
.
s) from the kings and in turn collected taxes from the tillers. This practice continued over centuries and was abolished by the British when they enforced land reforms in the hills and as a result the land ownership went to the tiller.
Being a title of status, Bisht became obsolete with caste reforms, but many families still remember the origin of their last names or surnames. Khadeti Bisht, Parihaar Bisht, Panwar Bisht, Newal Bisht, Nainwal Bisht, Rawal
Bisht, Sheela
Bisht, Dhaira Bisht, Heet Bisht, Timle Bisht etc. denotes linegaes in hills and its usage is quite prevalent in Garhwal region while in Kumaon region it is only practiced discreetly .
It is said about Parihaar Bishts that their origin came to existence during the 'Hawan' at mount Abu by Shaks & Hoons alongwith Chauhans,Chalukyas and Panwars in early days of the civilization of these tribes. Parihaars ruled the state of Jaipur (Rajsthan) in seventh & eighth century.
It is also believed that these Rajputs shifted to various parts of Garhwal and Kumao region in sixteenth century for the reason given above.One such group of Parihars shifted to a popularly known village Birmoli,Distt Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand from Dhar (Rajsthan), now in MP, and then scattered to the different parts of the area. The title 'Bisht' represents the royal post (incharge of supplies) in army, bestowed to this royal group by the king of Garhwal when they joined it for their livelihood.
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
.
Bisht Rajputs refers to the title of Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s in Kumaon
Kumaon Division
For Kumaoni/Kumauni People see Kumauni PeopleKumaon or Kumaun is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, a mountainous state of northern India, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar...
and Garhwal
Garhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
regions of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
. Bishts are also found in the erstwhile princely state of Rampur
Rampur, Himachal Pradesh
Rampur Bushahr is a city and a municipal council in Shimla district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is 130 km from Shimla well connected with National Highway which passes through Narkanda .-History:...
in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
.
Etymology
Bisht was a title given by kings to nobles, derived from the Sanskrit vishisht ("distinguished").History
Bisht originated as an occupational title. It was given to nobles who were courtiers to the kings. They possessed grants of lands (jagirJagir
In historic India, a jagir was a small territory granted by the ruler to an army chieftain in fairly short terms usually of three years but not extending beyond his lifetime, in recognition of his military service...
s) from the kings and in turn collected taxes from the tillers. This practice continued over centuries and was abolished by the British when they enforced land reforms in the hills and as a result the land ownership went to the tiller.
Being a title of status, Bisht became obsolete with caste reforms, but many families still remember the origin of their last names or surnames. Khadeti Bisht, Parihaar Bisht, Panwar Bisht, Newal Bisht, Nainwal Bisht, Rawal
Rawal
The Rawal is Rajput clan . Rawal is also a last name for in state of Gujarat, India-History and origin:Bappa Rawal's, a legendary figure in Rajput history, warlike temperament commended him to the attention of Maan Mori, a local chieftain who belonged to the Parmara clan of Rajputs; Maan Mori is...
Bisht, Sheela
Sheela
Sheela ), is a Malayalam film actress from India. She, along with Prem Nazir, holds the world record for acting in the largest number of films together as heroine and hero. In 2005 she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. She has also...
Bisht, Dhaira Bisht, Heet Bisht, Timle Bisht etc. denotes linegaes in hills and its usage is quite prevalent in Garhwal region while in Kumaon region it is only practiced discreetly .
It is said about Parihaar Bishts that their origin came to existence during the 'Hawan' at mount Abu by Shaks & Hoons alongwith Chauhans,Chalukyas and Panwars in early days of the civilization of these tribes. Parihaars ruled the state of Jaipur (Rajsthan) in seventh & eighth century.
It is also believed that these Rajputs shifted to various parts of Garhwal and Kumao region in sixteenth century for the reason given above.One such group of Parihars shifted to a popularly known village Birmoli,Distt Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand from Dhar (Rajsthan), now in MP, and then scattered to the different parts of the area. The title 'Bisht' represents the royal post (incharge of supplies) in army, bestowed to this royal group by the king of Garhwal when they joined it for their livelihood.