Cheetah (caste)
Encyclopedia
The Cheetah or Cheeta are a Muslim Rajput community found in the state of Rajasthan
in India
. They are also known as Cheeta Thakur.
s. Rao Anoop and Rao Anhal were the descendants of Chauhan
rajputs of Nadol
. This ancestry is not only recorded in the local bards and stories but also in the books of the Bhaats (a group of people who kept records of lineage, normally served nobles). The Bhaats are very few now but some villages the Bhaats still visit and the tradition is still alive though dying. One of the descendent of Rao Anoop, Rao Dudaa accepted to service the moghuls and embraced some Islam
ic virtues, and also wore the title of Khan
. Since then the descendants have been practising both Hindu and Muslim customs. Another sect of the same lineage later came to be known as the Mehrats after the name of an ancestor Rao Mehraji. Cheetas and Mehrats practice both Hindu and Islamic values. The descendants of Rao Anoop have come to be known as the Rawat Rajputs
. One of the descendants of Rao Anoop, Thakur Bhim Singh Chauhan, was awarded the title of Rawat by the ruler of Mewar. Thereafter the descendants have been using this title with their names. These two communities controlled ten to twenty thikanas between Narwar
and Diver
, the remnants of which can still be seen, for example the fort of Athun, the fort of Shyamgarh were the major thikanas of cheetah mehrats and diver, sendra etc were the major thikanas of rawats. The rawats of Diver and many other villages still refer to each other as Thakur
s while the semi-muslim Cheetah Mehrats use the title of Khan awarded to their ancestor; some also use the title Thakur though this is very rare. These two communities intermarried with each other up till the middle of the 20th Century, when this practice was discontinued due to religious differences and due to the customs of Cheetas being more close to the Pathan
s and the customs of Rawats being similar to the Rajputs. They now live in twelve villages in Ajmer District
: Kharekadi, Nathtala, Neuriya, Chaurasiyawas, Nausar, Ratidang, Somalpur, Rajosi, Seeiriya, Kaklana, Khokhara and Ajaysar. They belong to a single clan, the Chauhan
while the Rawats have other Rajput clans as well like the Bhati
s, Gahlot
s, Panwars, Rathore
s intermingled with them.
community, another Muslim Rajput group, with whom they share many customs and traditions. The Cheetah are agriculturist by occupation, with the majority beinfg small and medium sized farmers, with a small number being sharecroppers. Like the Merat, there religious is a mixture of Hindu
and Muslim
traditions. The community are Sunni Muslim, although they practice many Hindu rituals.
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They are also known as Cheeta Thakur.
History and origin
The Cheetah claim descent from Rao Anhal Chauhan, who together with his brother Rao Anoop Chauhan established a small kingdom in the region then known Magra Merwara by defeating the GujjarGujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
s. Rao Anoop and Rao Anhal were the descendants of Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
rajputs of Nadol
Nadol
Nadol is a census town in Desuri tehsil of Pali district, India. Ashapura Mataji temple and Shri Nadol Tirth are big attractions for pilgrims.-Demographics:According to Census 2001, Nadol has a population of 9,020, where male are 4,437 and female are 4,583....
. This ancestry is not only recorded in the local bards and stories but also in the books of the Bhaats (a group of people who kept records of lineage, normally served nobles). The Bhaats are very few now but some villages the Bhaats still visit and the tradition is still alive though dying. One of the descendent of Rao Anoop, Rao Dudaa accepted to service the moghuls and embraced some Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic virtues, and also wore the title of Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
. Since then the descendants have been practising both Hindu and Muslim customs. Another sect of the same lineage later came to be known as the Mehrats after the name of an ancestor Rao Mehraji. Cheetas and Mehrats practice both Hindu and Islamic values. The descendants of Rao Anoop have come to be known as the Rawat Rajputs
Rawat Rajputs
Rawat Rajputs are a group of people who reside in Ajmer, Ballabgarh, Faridabad, Palwal Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh and Pali districts of Rajasthan, the area known as Magra-Merwara and the Kumaon division and Garhwal Divisions of Uttarakhand, India....
. One of the descendants of Rao Anoop, Thakur Bhim Singh Chauhan, was awarded the title of Rawat by the ruler of Mewar. Thereafter the descendants have been using this title with their names. These two communities controlled ten to twenty thikanas between Narwar
Narwar
Narwar is a town and a nagar panchayat in Shivpuri district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Narwar is a historic town and the Narwar Fort is just east of the Kali Sindh River and is situated at a distance of 42 km from Shivpuri. Narwar was known as Narwar District during the times of...
and Diver
Diver
Diver or divers can refer to:*Diving, the sport of performing acrobatics while jumping or falling into water**:Category:Divers*Underwater diving**:Category:Underwater divers**Scuba diving, in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater...
, the remnants of which can still be seen, for example the fort of Athun, the fort of Shyamgarh were the major thikanas of cheetah mehrats and diver, sendra etc were the major thikanas of rawats. The rawats of Diver and many other villages still refer to each other as Thakur
Thakur (Indian title)
Thakur is an Indian feudal title in several Indian languages, literally meaning "lord". A Thikana is the state or estate of a Thakur. A Thakurani is the wife of a Thakur...
s while the semi-muslim Cheetah Mehrats use the title of Khan awarded to their ancestor; some also use the title Thakur though this is very rare. These two communities intermarried with each other up till the middle of the 20th Century, when this practice was discontinued due to religious differences and due to the customs of Cheetas being more close to the Pathan
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s and the customs of Rawats being similar to the Rajputs. They now live in twelve villages in Ajmer District
Ajmer district
Ajmer District is a district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. The city of Ajmer is the district headquarters.Ajmer District has an area of 8,481 km², and a population of 2,180,526 ,Three main groups are; Hindu 1,869,044, Muslim 244,341, Jains 47,812...
: Kharekadi, Nathtala, Neuriya, Chaurasiyawas, Nausar, Ratidang, Somalpur, Rajosi, Seeiriya, Kaklana, Khokhara and Ajaysar. They belong to a single clan, the Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
while the Rawats have other Rajput clans as well like the Bhati
Bhati
Bhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
s, Gahlot
Gahlot
Gahlot is a Rajput clan in India, which traces its ancestry to the Suryavanshi Kshatriyas. The variations of the name include Gehlot, Guhila, Gohil or Guhilote. As a clan name, Gahlot and its variations are found among a number of communities which includes the Rajputs,& GurjarsThe royal Gahlots...
s, Panwars, Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
s intermingled with them.
Present circumstances
The Cheetah are an endogamous community and observe village exogamy. The divide there territory into four zones, and marriage cannot occur with in the zone. They live in close proximity with the MeratMerat
The Merat are a Rajput community, found in the state of Rajasthan in India. They also settled in Punjab and Sindh provinces Pakistan. They are also known as Mer and Merat-Kathat.-History and origin:...
community, another Muslim Rajput group, with whom they share many customs and traditions. The Cheetah are agriculturist by occupation, with the majority beinfg small and medium sized farmers, with a small number being sharecroppers. Like the Merat, there religious is a mixture of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
traditions. The community are Sunni Muslim, although they practice many Hindu rituals.