Ramaiya
Encyclopedia
The Ramaiya are a caste
found in the state of Uttar Pradesh
in India
. Many members of this community migrated to Pakistan
in 1947 and have settled in Karachi
and Sindh
.
, and partly Muslim
. They get their name from the Hindi
word ramna, which means to wonder. The community acquired this name on account of the fact that they were peddlers, and are said to have belonged to the Bhatra
community, a well known Sikh
caste of Punjab
. Like the Bhatra
, they claim to be Brahmin
s, and more precisely Nagar Brahmin. They migrated into Uttar Pradesh
in the 17th and 18th Century. The community were originally Sikh
, and said to have come from Amritsar
. However long residence in Uttar Pradesh
has meant that Ramaiya are more properly Nanakshahi, rather than Sikh
. A significant number of Ramaiya in the Rohilkhand
region have converted to Islam
. The Nanakshahi are sub-divided into a number of exogamous clans, known as gotra
s. There main gotra
s are the Bamra, Bank, Barsari, Bhat, Bhatti, Bisati, Dargal, Gajra, Gaur, Gujjar, Hardoiri, Nomain, Radi, Rai, Ranipari, Rathore, Sinha and Sipmatua. While the Muslim
branch consists of the following divisions, the Banjara, Rajput and Ramai.
in the districts of Saharanpur
, Bijnor
, Moradabad
and Jyotiba Phule Nagar. Their main settlements in Bijnor District
are Nurpur, Rohunagli, Nahilpur and Hasupur. In Saharanpur District
, their main settlement is Chilkhana. Like other North India
n Hindu
communities, they maintain strict clan exogamy. While the Muslim
section prefers marrying close kin, and practice both parallel cousin and cross cousin marriages. Many Nanakshahi Ramaiya are now orthodox Hindu
.
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
found in the state of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
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...
. Many members of this community migrated to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1947 and have settled in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
.
History and origin
The Ramaiya are a community that are partly SikhSikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
, and partly 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...
. They get their name from the Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
word ramna, which means to wonder. The community acquired this name on account of the fact that they were peddlers, and are said to have belonged to the Bhatra
Bhatra
The Bhat community , also known as the Sangat community, comprised majorly of Sikhs. Today in the United Kingdom there are significant numbers of Sikhs with Bhat ancestry, as there are in India. The Bhat Sikhs were amongst the first followers of Guru Nanak who are also believed to have traveled...
community, a well known Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
caste of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
. Like the Bhatra
Bhatra
The Bhat community , also known as the Sangat community, comprised majorly of Sikhs. Today in the United Kingdom there are significant numbers of Sikhs with Bhat ancestry, as there are in India. The Bhat Sikhs were amongst the first followers of Guru Nanak who are also believed to have traveled...
, they claim to be Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s, and more precisely Nagar Brahmin. They migrated into Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in the 17th and 18th Century. The community were originally Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
, and said to have come from Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
. However long residence in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
has meant that Ramaiya are more properly Nanakshahi, rather than Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
. A significant number of Ramaiya in the Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
region have converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The Nanakshahi are sub-divided into a number of exogamous clans, known as gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s. There main gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s are the Bamra, Bank, Barsari, Bhat, Bhatti, Bisati, Dargal, Gajra, Gaur, Gujjar, Hardoiri, Nomain, Radi, Rai, Ranipari, Rathore, Sinha and Sipmatua. While the 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...
branch consists of the following divisions, the Banjara, Rajput and Ramai.
Present Circumstances
The community were traditionally pedlers and village shop keepers. Many are now successful businessmen. They are found mainly in western Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in the districts of Saharanpur
Saharanpur District
Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab region...
, Bijnor
Bijnor District
Bijnor is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Bijnor city is the district headquarters.-Geography :...
, Moradabad
Moradabad District
Moradabad district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Moradabad town is the district headquarters. Moradabad district is a part of Moradabad division...
and Jyotiba Phule Nagar. Their main settlements in Bijnor District
Bijnor District
Bijnor is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Bijnor city is the district headquarters.-Geography :...
are Nurpur, Rohunagli, Nahilpur and Hasupur. In Saharanpur District
Saharanpur District
Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab region...
, their main settlement is Chilkhana. Like other North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
n 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...
communities, they maintain strict clan exogamy. While the 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...
section prefers marrying close kin, and practice both parallel cousin and cross cousin marriages. Many Nanakshahi Ramaiya are now orthodox 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...
.