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Kinwar
Kinwars[1] [ Hindi: केनवार or किनवार ] is an Indian clan whose members claim to belong to the Rajput caste and worship Hindu goddesses Kulkula Mata or Mahamaya Mata or Durga Parameshwari Mata as their Kuldevi.[2] They principally resided in the states of Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Many have now migrated to other parts of India and other countries. However, some population of Kinwars can still be found in Balia District and Saharsa district ,Bihar. Most Kinwars use Singh as their surnames but some use Kinwar or Kenwar also.
It is believed that the word Kinwar (also spelt as Kenwar) takes after the Ken River.[3] The ancestors of the Kinwars came from Ken river basin. According to some historians, the Ken river basin Kinwars claim to be an offshoot of Sengar Rajputs.[4]
Kenwar literally means guardians of the Ken river. Ken river basin was the stronghold of Kinwars during mediaeval times. There are ruins of several castles along the banks of 427 KM long Ken river. The Kinwars were likely the guardians (and probably the owners) of many of these castles. These castles were vital in defending their territories against the foreign invaders for a long time but ultimately fell to Mughal empire.
Not much is available in terms of recorded history about Kinwar (Kenwar) migration out of Ken river basin. It is likely, most of them were killed or migrated defending their territory. However, there are some documented evidences that at least two teenage Kinwar princes were given refuge by Raja of Benares (present day Varanasi). One of them was Baijul Singh Kenwar. Most present day Kinwar are descendants of Baijul. According to Saiyad Hasan Ansari (1986) in "Evolution and Spatial Organization of Clan Settlements: A Case Study of Middle Ganga Valley", Baijul commanded the army of Raja Guhurwar (the Raja of Benares. Also spelled as Gaharwar) and married Raja's daughter.[5] Their descendants are what remains of the Kinwar clan.
References[edit]
- ↑ Fox, Richard Gabriel (1971). Kin, Clan, Raja, and Rule: Statehinterland Relations in Preindustrial India. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-01807-5.
- ↑ Rathore, Abhinay. "Kuldevi of all Rajputs". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ↑ Aloney, Hitesh. "Ken River". upscwithnikhil.com. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ↑ "राजपूतों की वंशावली - क्षत्रिय राजपूत इतिहास". kalgati.wikidot.com. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Ansari, Saiyad Hasan (1986). Evolution and Spatial Organization of Clan Settlements: A Case Study of Middle Ganga Valley. Concept Publishing Company.
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