Lodhi (caste) facts for kids
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The Lodhi (also called Lodha or Lodh) are a group of people in India who traditionally work as farmers. Many Lodhi people live in Madhya Pradesh, but they originally moved there from Uttar Pradesh. The Lodhi community is officially listed as an Other Backward Class in India. However, they often say they are connected to the Rajput warrior class and prefer to be called "Lodhi-Rajput." Even so, they don't have clear records of being Rajput or follow many Rajput customs.
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What Does the Name Lodhi Mean?
The name Lodhi has a few possible meanings. A British official named Robert Vane Russell suggested some ideas:
- It might come from the word lod, which means "clod" (a lump of earth).
- It could come from lodh, which is a type of tree. Lodhi people in Northern India used to collect its bark to make dye.
- Russell also thought that Lodha was the original name, which later changed to Lodhi.
- Another idea is that the name comes from the Ludhiana district in India, suggesting it was where the Lodhi people first lived.
A Look at Lodhi History
The Lodhi community has a long history in India.
- One of the earliest mentions of a Lodhi village chief (called a nagar chaudhari) is in a book from 1768 AD.
- This book talks about a special event in 1594 AD when a temple was made holy. This temple, built during the time of the Bundela ruler Jujhar Singh, still stands today.
During the time of British rule, the Lodhi were described as people who moved from the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh (an old name for a part of India). As they spread out, they became more important in society. Many Lodhi families became landowners and local rulers. They were ranked just below the Brahmin, Rajput, and Bania groups.
Some of these powerful Lodhi landowners were given special titles:
- Thakur: A title for a landlord or chief.
- Raja: A title for a king or prince.
- Diwan: A high-ranking official or minister.
- Lambardar: A village headman responsible for collecting taxes.
These powerful Lodhi leaders played a big part in the Bundela rising of 1842, which was a rebellion against British rule.
Lodhi Community and Politics in the 1900s
In the early 1900s, the Lodhi community started to become more organized in politics.
- They created a story about their origins, saying they came from Kazakhstan.
- They claimed they were the only surviving kshatriyas (a warrior class) after a legendary warrior named Parashurama cleansed the earth. This story helped them claim they had the right to be kings.
After the 1911 census in India, the Lodhi community began to organize politically even more.
- Before the 1921 census, they held a meeting in Fatehgarh. There, they officially claimed the name Lodhi-Rajput.
- In 1929, they formed a big organization called the Akhil Bharatiya Lodhi-Kshatriya (Rajput) Mahasabha.
- During this time, several books were published to support the Lodhi's claim to be Rajputs and Kshatriyas. These included Maha Lodhi Vivechana (1912) and Lodhi Rajput Itihas (1936).
Famous People from the Lodhi Community
Many notable individuals have come from the Lodhi community:
- Avanti Bai: A brave Lodhi queen from Ramgarh (now in Madhya Pradesh). She fought against the British in 1857 and is now seen as an important symbol for the Dalit community.
- Kalyan Singh: An important Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served twice as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and was also a Member of Parliament.
- Rammurti Singh Verma: A former member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
- Uma Bharti: A well-known politician who served as the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
