Khurmi (surname)
Encyclopedia
Khurmi is clan of Khatri
s (mostly Ramgarhia
, Mair Rajputs
as well as Kamboj
) spread over North-Western India, mainly Punjab. Most of them (but not all) are engaged in goldsmith
ry. Their origin, like all such clans which are Khatri
s (Ramgarhia
s, Lohar
s, Rajput
s, Kamboj
s, Gujjar
s) , is in Central Asia
, Eastern Europe
and Caucasus
. Before they adopted this peaceful profession they were skilled weapon makers and for the most part mercenaries who could be engaged from either side to fight. The word Khurmi owes its origin to Khur or the horse-hoof, a sad reminder of the restriction laid upon them (out of strategic concern) from riding horses by warlords who hired them . During the long struggle against Mughal tyranny in last centuries most of them embraced Sikhism
. Two of the generals under Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Jodha Singh and Diwar Singh belonged to Khurmi caste.
Khatri
Khatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber...
s (mostly Ramgarhia
Ramgarhia
The Ramgarhia community is an Indo Aryan ethnic tribe of the Punjab region in South Asia. They are named after Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia who was the leader of the Ramgarhia Misl...
, Mair Rajputs
Mair Rajputs
The Mair are a Sunar caste found in northern India, which identify themselves as Mair Rajputs.Though they are the traditional goldsmiths of North India, now many are also landowners, involved in cultivation, as well as selling grocery. But their main occupation remains the manufacture and selling...
as well as Kamboj
Kamboj
The Kambojs , also Kamboh, are an ethnic community of the Punjab region. They may relate to the Kambojas, an Iranian tribe known to the people of Iron Age India and mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts and epigraphy. Kamboj is frequently used as a surname in lieu of the sub-caste or the gotra name...
) spread over North-Western India, mainly Punjab. Most of them (but not all) are engaged in goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
ry. Their origin, like all such clans which are Khatri
Khatri
Khatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber...
s (Ramgarhia
Ramgarhia
The Ramgarhia community is an Indo Aryan ethnic tribe of the Punjab region in South Asia. They are named after Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia who was the leader of the Ramgarhia Misl...
s, Lohar
Lohar
Lohar is an ethnic sub-caste found among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in Northern India and Northern Pakistan. Originally this community was a warrior tribe living in provinces of Kermanshah in Iran right up to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. In India the Lohars are also known as Vishwakarma, Sharma,...
s, 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, Kamboj
Kamboj
The Kambojs , also Kamboh, are an ethnic community of the Punjab region. They may relate to the Kambojas, an Iranian tribe known to the people of Iron Age India and mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts and epigraphy. Kamboj is frequently used as a surname in lieu of the sub-caste or the gotra name...
s, Gujjar
Gujjar
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) , is in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. Before they adopted this peaceful profession they were skilled weapon makers and for the most part mercenaries who could be engaged from either side to fight. The word Khurmi owes its origin to Khur or the horse-hoof, a sad reminder of the restriction laid upon them (out of strategic concern) from riding horses by warlords who hired them . During the long struggle against Mughal tyranny in last centuries most of them embraced Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
. Two of the generals under Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Jodha Singh and Diwar Singh belonged to Khurmi caste.