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Revision as of 09:36, 12 May 2026
| Pasi | |
|---|---|
 Pasis Group in 1868 | |
| Languages | Hindi |
| Populated states | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh |
| Related groups | Bhar |
The Pasi (also spelled Passi) is a Bharshiv Nagavanshi community of India.[1][2] Pasi refers to tapping toddy, a traditional occupation of the Pasi community.[3] The Pasi are divided into Gujjar, Kaithwas, Trisulia and Boria.[4] They are classified as an Other Backward Class in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.[5][6] They live in the northern Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.The Pasi are also known as Bhar or Bharshiv nagavanshi.
The Pasi community of Awadh (Oudh) has a long and significant historical presence, with many traditions, local histories, and colonial records suggesting that Pasi chiefs once controlled important parts of the region, especially in areas around present-day Lucknow, Unnao, Hardoi, Sitapur, and Raebareli. Raja Bijli Pasi is one of the most prominent figures in this legacy, remembered as a powerful ruler associated with ancient Lucknow and several forts. Many Pasis, particularly Rajpasi traditions, identify themselves as descendants of the Bharshiv Nagvanshi lineage, connecting their ancestry to ancient Naga warrior dynasties, though these claims are rooted more in community history and identity than universally confirmed academic consensus. Historically, Pasis were known for their martial strength, landholding power, and resistance movements, making them one of the major indigenous communities of Awadh. Their influence was substantial, especially before later political powers became dominant, and their contributions to regional history remain deeply important. While describing them as the single most powerful caste of all Awadh. They were undeniably a major warrior and ruling force in parts of the region with a proud historical legacy.
List of Pasi and Bhar Rulers in Awadh History
The history of the Pasi and Bhar communities in Awadh is defined by a period of powerful localized chieftainships between the 10th and 14th centuries. According to regional records and the Gazetteer of the Province of Oudh, this era was significantly influenced by the rise of a unified identity under the term Rajpasi.
The Foundation of the Rajpasi Dynasty
- Maharaja Trilokchand Bharshiv Rajpasi (c. 911–918 CE): A legendary sovereign and warrior regarded as the foundational patriarch of the Rajpasi lineage.
- Reign and Territory: He established a vast kingdom centered in Bahraich that eventually expanded to include Delhi, Allahabad (Prayagraj), and parts of Bundelkhand.
- Military Conquests: In 918 CE, he reportedly led a powerful combined army of Arkh and Bhar warriors to attack Delhi, where he defeated and dispossessed Raja Bikrampal.
- Unification of Lineages: He is credited with organizing the Bhar community and establishing the Arakh lineage, assuming the title of "Rajpasi" (Conquering Pasi) to unite these warrior factions into a single political force.
- Cultural and Religious Legacy: A staunch devotee of the Sun (Surya), he is believed to have constructed the historic Sun Temple at Balark, near Bahraich.
- Succession: Local traditions and oral histories state that his descendants continued to rule the region for nine generations following his death.
Principal Sovereigns and Regional Rulers
| # | Name of Ruler | Timeline | Primary Region | Historical Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maharaja Suheldev Pasi | Early 11th Century (c. 1033 CE) | Bahraich / Shravasti | The most prominent figure of the Pasi-Bhar alliance; he unified a confederacy of 21 local chieftains to defeat the invading Ghaznavid army of Salar Masud. |
| 2 | Maharaja Bijli Pasi | 1148–1184 CE | Bijnor (Lucknow) | A legendary monarch who governed the Bijnor Pargana through a network of 12 strategically linked forts. He was a contemporary of King Jayachandra of Kannauj. |
| 3 | Maharaja Daldev Pasi | 12th–13th Century | Dalmau (Raebareli) | Known as the "Lord of the Ganges," he ruled from the massive Dalmau Fort on a high cliff, managing major riverine trade routes. |
| 4 | Maharaja Jas Pasi | Late 11th – Early 12th Century | Jasnaul (Barabanki) | The founder of Jasnaul (modern-day Barabanki); he established a stable principality that acted as a buffer between Lucknow and Bahraich. |
| 5 | Maharaja Chita Pasi | Early 12th Century | Chhitiyapur (Sitapur) | Credited with founding Chhitiyapur (modern Sitapur); known for early urban planning and regional judicial systems. |
| 6 | Maharaja Karuveer Bharpasi | Late 11th Century | Sujanganj (Jaunpur) | A powerful eastern chief who coordinated the defenses of the Pasi-Bhar confederation in the Jaunpur-Sultanpur belt. |
| 7 | Maharaja Kerarbir Bhar | 12th Century | Kerakat (Jaunpur) | The founding father of Kerakat; he was a fierce independent ruler who resisted the early centralizing forces of the Delhi Sultanate. |
| 8 | Maharaja Lakhan Pasi | 10th–11th Century | Lakhanpur (Lucknow) | Traditionally cited as the founder of Lakhanpur, establishing his capital at the site now known as Lakshman Tila. |
| 9 | Maharaja Satan Pasi | 12th Century | Satrikh (Unnao) | Ruler of Satankot; he was a vital military ally to Maharaja Bijli Pasi and governed the strategic Unnao-Lucknow border. |
| 10 | Maharaja Maliha Pasi | 11th Century | Malihabad (Lucknow) | The founder of Malihabad; he was a master of land management who promoted agriculture across the western Lucknow plains. |
| 11 | Maharaja Salhiya Pasi | 11th Century | Sandila (Hardoi) | Established Sandila as a major military garrison and commercial hub to protect the western borders of the Awadh region. |
| 12 | Maharaja Khaira Pasi | 11th Century | Khairabad (Sitapur) | Founder of Khairabad; he established a hub of commerce that remained a major administrative center through the Mughal era. |
| 13 | Maharaja Lahari Pasi | Late 14th Century | Laharpur (Sitapur) | Founder of Laharpur; he is remembered for his military resistance against the Tughlaq dynasty's expansion in 1398 CE. |
| 14 | Maharaja Baldev Pasi | 12th Century | Dalmau (Raebareli) | Co-ruler and administrative head of the Dalmau principality; he managed civil affairs and land revenue records for the Raebareli region. |
| 15 | Maharaja Kakoran Pasi | 11th–12th Century | Kakorgarh (Lucknow West) | Sovereign of the strategic Kakorgarh Fort; he maintained a defensive bastion that protected the western approaches to the central Awadh plains. |
| 16 | Maharaja Belha Pasi | 12th–13th Century | Belhagarh (Pratapgarh) | Founder of Belhagarh; famous for large-scale public works, including the construction of massive water reservoirs and irrigation ponds. |
| 17 | Maharaja Pan | 10th Century (Traditional) | Panhan (Unnao) | Established the settlement of Panhan; remembered in local folklore as a benevolent king who promoted agrarian stability. |
| 18 | Maharaja Incha | 11th Century | Inchauli (Barabanki) | Founder of Inchauli; he transformed the region into a center for indigenous crafts, weaving, and textile production. |
| 19 | Maharaja Devmati Pasi | 12th Century | Lucknow Outskirts | A warrior queen and contemporary of Bijli Pasi; she is celebrated for leading defensive maneuvers against invading regional clans. |
| 20 | Maharaja Rampal Pasi | 13th Century | Sultanpur Region | Governed the central Sultanpur plains; he focused on clearing dense forests to expand arable land and founded several market towns. |
| 21 | Maharaja Hulasi Pasi | 11th Century | Hulaskhera (Sitapur-Lakhimpur) | Ruler associated with the ancient site of Hulaskhera; he managed the northern forest-agricultural interface. |
| 21 | Maharani Kintuma Pasi | 11th Century | Kuntur (Barabanki) | Traditionally associated with the Awadh region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. Her era is generally linked to the period between the 11th and 12th centuries, a time when local Pasi chieftains and kings held significant political power in North India. |
| 22 | Maharaja Bans Pasi | 12th Century | Bansgaon (Gorakhpur) | Established the easternmost reach of Pasi influence in Bansgaon, managing the transition between the central plains and the eastern forests. |
The 21 Allied Chiefs of the Bahraich Campaign (1033 CE)
These rulers formed the core of the military confederacy that fought alongside Maharaja Suheldev:
- Raisayab & Rairayab
- Arjun & Bhagann
- Gang
- Makaran
- Shankar & Karan
- Birbal
- Jaipal & Shripal
- Harpal & Harkaran
- Harkhu
- Narhar, Bhallar, & Judhari
- Narayan
- Bhalla, Narsinh, & Kalyan
Etymology
According to William Crooke, the word Pashi derives from the Sanskrit word Pashika, a noose used by Pasis to climb and tap toddy, a drink obtained from palm tree. The tapping of toddy is the original occupation of the Pasi community. However, just like other aspirational caste groups of India, Pasis have a myth of origin. They claim that they originate from the sweat of Parshuram, an incarnation of Vishnu. They claim support for this in the word sweat being derived from the Hindi word Pasina and it further paves the way for their claim of "Kshatriyatva".[3]
Population
The Pasi live mainly in the northern Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were their traditional occupation was that of rearing pigs.[7] The Pasis of most of the north Indian states have been classified as Scheduled Castes by the Government of India.[3] In the 2001 Indian census, the Pasi were recorded as being second-largest Dalit group in Uttar Pradesh. At the time, they constituted 16 per cent of the Dalit population of the state and mostly inhabited the Awadh region.[8] The 2011 Census of India for the state recorded their population as 6,522,166. This figure includes the Tarmali.[9]
History
Ramnarayan Rawat states that the role of the Pasi (and other untouchable) communities in the Kisan Sabha movement has been understated by earlier historians. He writes that earlier scholarship held Pasi involvement to be minimal, late-arriving, and more inclined towards criminality and rioting than political activism.[2] He notes that the involvement of Pasi and Chamars was significant from the outset. According to him, the Pasi, being land owners, had the same concerns as other Savarna groups, rather than being the 'alienated' pig-rearers they had sometimes been characterised as.[2] Chandra Bhan Prasad, a political commentator, has said that those who continued pig-rearing were ill-treated by socio-political activists, who blamed the occupation in large part for their untouchable status rather than the Brahminism.[10]
The Pasi have in recent times engaged in invention of tradition. Badri Narayan, a social historian and cultural anthropologist, says that
Sources of vision and contemplation are absent without literature. This feeling, along with the growing urge to construct an assertive identity and the sense of being deprived of history, led the Pasi community towards the invention of heroes, histories and myths and their documentation in the print medium.[11]
Of late,[when?] Hindu Nationalists (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and affiliates) have been trying to appropriate different folk-heroes of the Pasi caste as Hindu icons to mobilize the electoral prospects of the Bharatiya Janata Party.[12] Hindu nationalists have supported claims that there was a Pasi kingdom that ruled what is now Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the 11th and 12th century. The rulers of this claimed state include Bijli Pasi.[13]
Notable people
- Bijli Pasi, a king from the Pasi community.
- Madari Pasi was a leader of the militant peasant Eka Movement.
See also
References
- ↑ Pandey, Gyan (1988). "Peasant Revolt and Indian Nationalism: The Peasant Movement in Awadh, 1919-1922". In Guha, Ranajit; Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty (eds.). Selected Subaltern Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 274. ISBN 978-0-19505-289-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rawat, Ramnarayan S. (2011). Reconsidering Untouchability: Chamars and Dalit History in North India. Indiana University Press. pp. 12–15. ISBN 978-0-25322-262-6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Badri Narayan (2012). Women Heroes and Dalit Assertion in North India: Culture, Identity and Politics. SAGE. p. 136. ISBN 9780761935377.
- ↑ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). India's Communities: H - M. Oxford University Press. p. 2796. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
- ↑ "National Commission for Backward Classes". www.ncbc.nic.in. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ↑ "National Commission for Backward Classes". www.ncbc.nic.in. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ↑ Hunt, Sarah Beth (2014). Hindi Dalit Literature and the Politics of Representation. Routledge. pp. 8, 23. ISBN 978-1-31755-952-8.
- ↑ Vij, Shivam (8 May 2010). "Can the Congress Win Over UP's Dalits?". Economic and Political Weekly.
- ↑ "A-10 Individual Scheduled Caste Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix - Uttar Pradesh". Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ↑ Prasad, Chandra Bhan (2011). "My Experiments with Hunting Rats". In Babu, D. Shyam; Khare, Ravindra S. (eds.). Caste in Life: Experiencing Inequalities. Pearson Education India. pp. 161–162. ISBN 978-8-13175-439-9.
- ↑ Narayan, Badri (2006). Women Heroes and Dalit Assertion in North India: Culture, Identity and Politics. SAGE Publications India. p. 140. ISBN 978-8-13210-280-9.
- ↑ Narayan, Badri (14 January 2009). Fascinating Hindutva: Saffron Politics and Dalit Mobilisation. SAGE Publishing India. pp. 65–72. ISBN 978-93-5280-135-0.
- ↑ Badri Narayan (2012). Women Heroes and Dalit Assertion in North India: Culture, Identity and Politics. SAGE. p. 72. ISBN 9780761935377.