Dr. Editor: removed Category:Herding castes using HotCat

2026-06-02T05:32:09Z

removed Category:Herding castes using HotCat

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:02, 2 June 2026
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	*{{Cite book \|last=Sainī \|first=Abhilāshā \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JpeZzwEACAAJ \|title=Rāuta jāti: udbhava evaṃ vikāsa \|date=2021 \|publisher=Saṅkalpa Prakāśana \|isbn=978-81-951646-6-0 \|language=hi}}		*{{Cite book \|last=Sainī \|first=Abhilāshā \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JpeZzwEACAAJ \|title=Rāuta jāti: udbhava evaṃ vikāsa \|date=2021 \|publisher=Saṅkalpa Prakāśana \|isbn=978-81-951646-6-0 \|language=hi}}

	~~[[Category:Herding castes]]~~
	[[Category:Indian castes]]		[[Category:Indian castes]]
	[[Category:Social groups of Chhattisgarh]]		[[Category:Social groups of Chhattisgarh]]

Ajay Kumar: Introducing Raut (caste)

2023-07-23T15:10:20Z

Introducing Raut (caste)

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{{Short description|Cattle herding caste of central India}}
{{Infobox caste
| caste_name = Raut/Rawat
| native_name = {{lang|hne|राउत}}
| religions = [[Hinduism]]
| populated_states = {{ubl|Nepal/ Kumau /Gadwal/ Uttaranchal [[Chhattisgarh]]|[[Madhya Pradesh]]| [[Maharashtra]]}}
| classification = [ {(Chettris / Basistha)} [Ahir]]([[Yadav]])}}
'''Raut''' (also spelled as '''Rout''') is an [[Indian caste system|Indian caste]], whose traditional occupation is [[herding]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Joyce Burkhalter Flueckiger |title=Gender and Genre in the Folklore of Middle India |url=https://archive.org/details/gendergenreinfol00flue |url-access=registration |year=1996 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=0-8014-8344-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/gendergenreinfol00flue/page/141 141] }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Lidia Guzy |title=Marginalised Music: Music, Religion and Politics from Western Odisha/India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HnU5C3IrHQcC&pg=PA147 |year=2013 |publisher=LIT Verlag Münster |isbn=978-3-643-90272-6 |page=147 |quote="...the Raut/Gour (the caste of herdsmen), the dominant caste in Chhattisgarh..."}}</ref>

The Rauts are mainly found in the [[Chhattisgarh]] state, and the neighbouring states of [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Maharashtra]]. Traditionally, they were predominantly distributed in the districts of [[Durg district|Durg]], [[Raipur district|Raipur]], [[Bastar district|Bastar]], [[Nagpur district|Nagpur]] and [[Bhandara district|Bhandara]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book | title = People of India: Maharashtra, Volume 1 |author1=Kumar Suresh Singh |author2=B. V. Bhanu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OmBjoAFMfjoC&pg=PA1781 |agency= Anthropological Survey of India | year = 2004 | isbn = 9788179911006 | publisher = Popular Prakashan | page = 1781 }}</ref>
On the other hand, it is important to note that there are also other Rauts who are of Chhetri caste found in both Nepal and India, with a significant history of military service in both countries. The Chhetri community in Nepal traces its origins back to the Sinjha Valley, located in Jumla of the Karnali province. It is believed that the Khas Aryans, from which the Chhetris descended, scattered from this valley and eventually settled throughout the region.
The Raut caste, as part of the Chhetri community, has a strong tradition of military involvement, reflecting their historical role as warriors. This tradition has been maintained in both Nepal and India, with many members of the Raut caste serving in the armed forces of both nations.

== History ==
Raut may have been a tribal militia in [[Chota Nagpur Plateau|Chhota Nagpur]], originating from the [[Kanwar (tribe)|Kawar]] and [[Kol tribe]]s<ref name=":0" />
The Raut caste originated as a result of land rewards granted to warriors serving in the armies of royal families. Many of these warriors belonged to the Chhetri caste and, over time, became associated with the land they received, adopting the surname Raut.
The Raut caste is predominantly found in western Nepal and Uttarakhand, India. Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces (2019–2021) general Bipin Rawat was among these. Though spell different the actual word is रौत which means the land as reward.
They are particularly concentrated in Udaipur in eastern Nepal, the southeastern region of the Kathmandu Valley, and Lamjung district, which neighbors the Gurkhas. The Gurkhas played a significant role in the unification of Nepal, and as skilled army personnel, the Rauts dispersed and settled in various parts of Nepal alongside them.
The Raut caste is believed to have historical connections to the Khas people, who originated from the Sinjha Valley kingdom. Through this link, the history of the Raut caste can be traced.
There are few communities scattered in plain of Nepal who also writes Raut and are Patels.
The distinct features of Raut in Nepal is the gotra (गौत्र) being Basistha (बशिष्ठ).

== Culture ==
Traditionally, the Rauts were involved in herding and milking cattle.<ref name="Margaret_Epic">{{cite book | title = Epic traditions in the contemporary world: the poetics of community |editor1=Margaret H. Beissinger |editor2=Susanne Lindgren Wofford | page = 137 | publisher = [[University of California Press]] | year = 1999 }}</ref> Traditionlly, their main business was sale of milk and milk products.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wT-BAAAAMAAJ&q=raut |title = The Cattle and the Stick: An Ethnographic Profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh|isbn = 9788185579573|last1 = Soni|first1 = Lok Nath|year = 2000|page=86}}</ref>

[[Raut Nacha]] is a traditional dance of the Raut community which is performed on Diwali. In this dance, the Rauts wear a special costume, sing and dance in a group with sticks in their hands in the village pathways.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Raut Nacha-Culture & Heritage|url=https://durg.gov.in/culture-heritage/|website=[[Durg District]], Government of Chhattisgarh}}</ref>

The Raut men traditionally performed the local folk epic ''Candaini'' (or ''Chandaini'') in a combination of dance and song. The epic tells the story of princess Chanda, who leaves her impotent husband and falls in love with a common man [[Veer Lorik]]. Both the characters are from the Raut caste, and the epic seems to have originated in this caste.<ref>{{cite book | title = Gender, genre, and power in South Asian expressive traditions |author1=Arjun Appadurai |author2=Frank J. Korom |author3=Margaret A. Mills | page = 196 | publisher = [[Motilal Banarsidass]] | year = 1994 | isbn = 9788120811782 }}</ref> As late as 1980, the Candaini performers used to be primarily from the Raut caste, but now people from other communities also take part in the performances.<ref name="Margaret_Epic"/>

In the 20th century, they underwent [[Sanskritisation]], and adopted customs and values of the high-caste Hindus.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wT-BAAAAMAAJ&q=raut |title = The Cattle and the Stick: An Ethnographic Profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh|isbn = 9788185579573|last1 = Soni|first1 = Lok Nath|year = 2000|pages=45–46}}</ref>

== Sub-castes and related groups ==

The main Raut sub-castes include Gawala, Thetwar, Jheriya, and Kosariya.<ref name="Sharma2000">{{cite book|author=Arun Kumar Sharma|title=Archaeo-anthropology of Chhattīsgaṛh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ihuAAAAMAAJ&q=thethwar+raut|year=2000|publisher=Sundeep Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7574-096-9|page=96}}</ref>

The Rauts are included in the central list of [[Other Backward Class]]es for Chhattisgarh, along with other herding castes and sub-castes including Brajwasi, Gawli, Gawali, Goli, Lingayat-Gaoli, Gowari (Gwari), Gowra, Gawari, Gwara, Jadav, Thethwar, and [[Gopal (caste)|Gop/Gopal]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Central List of OBCs|url=http://www.ncbc.nic.in/User_Panel/GazetteResolution.aspx?Value=mPICjsL1aLvU0s0yRV7aeb13aoM90cT9ioOuR4xIGRL%2fPpW8Y55aF3GqmP%2b6qk0h|website=National Commission for Backward Classes}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* {{cite book | title = The cattle and the stick: an ethnographic profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh | author = Lok Nath Soni | publisher = [[Anthropological Survey of India]] | year = 2000 | isbn = 9788185579573 }}
*{{Cite book |last=Guptā |first=Śaśi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LpWazwEACAAJ |title=Rāuta jāti kā samājaśāstrīya anuśīlana |date=2022 |publisher=Saṅkalpa Prakāśana |isbn=978-93-91435-01-1 |language=hi}}
*{{Cite book |last=Sainī |first=Abhilāshā |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JpeZzwEACAAJ |title=Rāuta jāti: udbhava evaṃ vikāsa |date=2021 |publisher=Saṅkalpa Prakāśana |isbn=978-81-951646-6-0 |language=hi}}

[[Category:Herding castes]]
[[Category:Indian castes]]
[[Category:Social groups of Chhattisgarh]]

Raut (caste) - Revision history

Dr. Editor: removed Category:Herding castes using HotCat

Ajay Kumar: Introducing Raut (caste)