Meena

Meena or Mina
Classification	Kshatriya Varna in Hinduism
Religions	99.76% Hinduism, 0.08% Christianity, 0.02% Islam
Languages	Hindi, Mewari, Marwari, Dhundari, Harauti, Panjabi Eastern, Wagdi , Malvi, Garhwali, Bhili etc.
Populated states	India,Pakistan
Subdivisions	Bhil Meena, Meo, Rajput or pardeshi community in Maharashtra.

Meenas, Meena or Mina is a caste and community mainly found in Rajasthan, India. The name Mina is derived from Meen, meaning 'fish' in Sanskrit, and the Minas claim descent from the Matsya Avatar, or fish incarnation, of Vishnu.

Meenas celebrate Meenesh Jayanti in the name of Vishnu on 3 Tithi of Chaitra Shukal paksha according to the Hindu calendar. The main reference of this belief is based on the scripture of the Matsya Purana.

Originally Meenas were a ruling cast, and were ruler of Matsya, i.e., Rajasthan, but their slow downfall began with the assimilation with Scythian (See Meenavar) and was completed when the British government declared them a “Criminal Tribe”. This very action was taken to support their alliance with Rajput kingdom then in Rajasthan, and Meenas were still in war with Rajputs, carrying out guerilla attacks to retain their lost kingdoms.

Scholars still disagree as to whether the Minas are an indigenous tribe, or whether they migrated to the region from Central Asia. According to Britannica, "the Minas are possibly of inner Asiatic origin, and tradition suggests that they migrated to India in the 7th century with the Rajputs".

Geography

Members of the Meena community are found in the northern part of Rajasthan. Meenas share the Brij and Matsya Area of Rajasthan i.e.Sawai Madhopur,Dausa,Jaipur,Dholpur and Karauli districts in Jaipur and Bharatpur region (also the Bharatpur and Bayana districts) with other communities. They inhabit the area from Jaipur-Sikar in Shekhawati region and Alwar in the northeast region of the state. They are also widely spread in Kota, Jhalawar and Bundi. Meenas are also found in north-western Madhya Pradesh. The Meenas, community of Rajasthan, are an agricultural people occupying one of the most fertile regions of the state. The Meena kings were the early rulers of major parts of Rajasthan including Amber (early capital of Jaipur).

In the book “Culture and Integration of India Tribes” by R.S.Mann it is clearly mentioned that Meenas are considered as a Kshatriya cast equally as Rajputs, and having higher social status in the society. They are well integrated with other higher cast like Rajputs, Brahmins etc. Brahmin perform all rituals from birth, marriage and death for Meenas like for any other higher Hindu cast.

History

Vedic Period

In the ancient times Rajasthan was ruled by a dynasty of Meenas which had the emblem of Fish like the Pandyan kingdom of the south. The Meena kingdom ruled the east of the river Jamuna roughly corresponding to the modern Jaipur and Alwar (ruler) areas. The meena kingdom (Fish kingdom) was called Matsya Kingdom in Sanskrit was mentioned in the Rig Veda.

In the later days the Bhils and Meenas mixed with the Pardeshis (foreign people) who were Scythian, Hepthalite or other Central asian clans. The Scythian mixed Meenas and Bhils remain as Rajput subclans, while the Meenas and Bhils who were displaced by the Scythian invaders and Muslims have mixed with the tribal Bhils and form the Bhil (tribal) meenas.

Meenas of Rajasthan till date strongly follows Vedic culture [16]. Meenas mainly worship, Bhainroon, Hanuman and Krishna as well as the Devies [17]. Meenas have better rights for women in many respects compared to many other Hindu casts. Like remarriage of a widows and divorcees is a common practice and well accepted in their society. Such practice are part of Vedic civilization.

Hindu law as codified through acts passed between 1955 and 1956 were based on inegalitarian Victorian English patters of marriage and inheritance and on the customary practices of some the dominant communities in North-West India, among whom women’s right have been seriously coded. The practices of the Nairs in Kerla, Meitei in Mainipur, Meenas in Rajasthan and Jains, which provide better rights to women in many respects, were presumed to be non-existent or non-India. Thus the Hindu codified law is in many ways a step backward for some communities. See

Ancient history

At the time of great Epic Mahabharat was written there was a Janpad known as "Matsya Janpad".The capital of this Janpad was "Virat Nagar", now known as "Bairath" and renamed as Virata Nagar again.The Pandavas got shelter there for one year.There are still places known as "Pandupol" near Virat Nagar.Abhimanu the son of Arjun and great warrior married to daughter of King of Virat Nagar the princess was named Uttara. After Abhimanu died in battle of Kurukshetra,and all Pandav sons were killed by Ashwathama they were left without progeny.Uttara was pregnant then.After Pandavas went to Himalaya, the son delivered by Uttara was "Parikhishit" who inherited Pandavas and ruled India. He was killed by "Takshak" a Naga or Nagvanshi Khastriya.His son Janmejay did a Yagya to finish all Nagas at "Nagdah" known as "Nagada" now in MP.King Virat and all his sons and brothers were killed at Kurukhestra in Mahabharat. Some of clan brothers ruled this area after him. Many historical evidence is recovered from this area all belonging to time of Lord Buddha.

Meenas are considered the brothers and kinsmen of Virata, the ruler of Virat Nagar. They ruled this area(Near to Virat Nagar) till 11 th century. Also see Villavar

Main Kingdoms of Meenas (in the Rajasthan)

S.No	Name of the Kingdom	Clan name of the Meena Rulers
1.	Khoh-Gong	Chanda Agnivanshi (a branch of Chauhan)
2.	Maach	Sira
3.	Gatoor & Jhotwada	Nandla (also called Bad-Goti)
4.	Amer (old capital of Jaipur State)	Susawat/Soosawut
5.	Nayala	Davedwal
6.	Naen\Nahn	Gomladu
7.	Ranthambore	Tatu
8.	Bundi	Ushara (Parihar Meenas or Pratihar)
9.	Mawar	Meena
10.	----	Nandla

REF:

1. http://www.creativityofmeenas.org/HistoryofKacchhawas.pdf
2. http://www.creativityofmeenas.org/Meenatribe.htm

Main Forts build by Meena Kings

1. Fort of Amaghar
2. Fort of Hatrohi
3. Fort of Khog
4. Fort of Jamvaramghar

Main bawaries (to hold water from Rain) build by Meena Kings

Main temples build by Meena Kings

1. Dant Mata Temple (Sihra Meena’s dynasty Goddess)
2. Shiv Temple at Nayi ka Nath (Banskho), Jaipur
3. Banki Mata Temple at Raysar, Jaipur (Byadwal Meena’s Dynasty Goddess)
4. Bai Temple at Badi Chopad jaipur

NOTE: Important Book for the reference on above information is “Meena Cast and History of Freedom” by Shri. Lakshmi Nayaran Jharwal

Medieval history

According to Tod the Meena King Raja Ralun singh also known as Alan Singh Chanda of Khogong [15] kind-heartedly adopted a stranded Rajput mother and her child who sought refuge in his realm. Later, the Meena king sent the child, Dhola Rae, to Delhi to represent the Meena kingdom. The Rajput, in gratitude for these favours, returned with Rajput conspirers and massacred the weaponless Meenas on Diwali while performings rituals i.e PitraTrapan , it is customery in the Meenas to be weaponless at the time of PitraTrapan , "filling the reservoirs in which the Meenas bathed with their dead bodies" [Tod.II.281] and thus conquered Khogong. He then subjugated the Sihra Gotra of Meenas at much later on known as Jamwa Ramgarh near Jaipur, and transferred his capital thence. Becoming the son-in-law of the prince of Ajmer, he died when battling 11,000 Meenas[Tod.II.282]. His son Maidul Rae "made a conquest of Amber from the Soosawut Meenas" whose King was the head of the Meena confederation. He subdued the Nandla Meenas, annexing the Gatoor-Gatti district [Tod.II.282]. Hoondeo succeeded to the throne and "continued the warfare against the Meenas" [Tod.II.282]. Koontal, his successor, fought the Meenas "in which the Meenas were defeated, which secured his rule throughout Dhundhar" [Tod.II.282]. The Meenas were the original builders of Amber, which town they consecrated to Amba, the Mother Goddess, whom they knew as "Gatta Rani" or "Queen of the Pass" [Tod.II.282].

Amber, India Fort view from Jaigarh

Describing the destruction of the Meena town of Naed, Tod wrote: "When this latter prince (Baharmull Cuchwaha, a contemporary of Babar and Humayun) destroyed the Meena sovereignty of Naend, he levelled its half hundred gates, and erected the town of Lohan (now the residence of a Rajawut chief) on its ruins" [Tod.II.283]. The name of Meena ruler of Naen\Nahn was Rao Bada Meena, he was so rich that his wealth was compared to Akbar's empire in a local saying as "Rao Bada ko bijano, Akabar ko gharbaar" that mean Rao bada's manual fan was so precious that it was compared with akbar's palace.

The Kachawa Rajput ruler Bharmal of Amber always eyed on Nahn and attacked on it several times but could not succeeded against mighty and brave Bada Meena. Akbar had asked Rao Bada to marry his daughter Shashivadini to Akbar. Later on Bharmal married his daughter Jodhabai to Akbar. Then the combined army of Akbar and Bharmal attacked Bada Meena and killed him damaging 52 kots and 56 gates. Bada's treasure was shared between Akbar and Bharmal. Bharmal kept his treasure in Jaigarh fort near Amber.

The hill that Jaigarh was built was called Chil Tila, when it was ruled by Meenas.

Later on The state is said to have been founded about eleventh century or 1097 by Dūlaha Rāya, who hailed from Gwalior; he and his Kachwaha kinsmen are said to have absorbed or driven out the local Meenas and Bargujar Rajput chiefs. In which the Meenas were to become a key ally of the Kachwahas.

Meenas under British rule

[A Meena of Jajurh,]
Source: [Letters in a Mahratta Camp During the Year, 1809, By Thomas Duer Broughton, ISBN 8120610083

Mark Brown (Social Legal Studies 2004; 13; 191) has well elaborated the impact and issues of Meenas community during the British rule, and change in their status from Higher Social Cast to Criminal Tribe. He also mentioned the division in the Meenas as zamindar Mina group and chowkidar Minas. In his case study he answered why and how Meenas have been put under Criminal Tribal category, even being very different from the other tribal people then. How British manage to control Meenas which were growing threat for British rule in Northern India. In Woolbert’s (1898) account of the raising of the Meena Battalion at Deoli the difficulties and achievements of this process were described. Woolbert describes the Minas’ history thus:

“The Meenas are an athletic and brave race, tall, handsome, and pleasing to address, obedient to their leaders and sensible in kindness, but at the same time blood-thirsty and revengeful. …”

Vivian (1912) suggested that at the turn of the century there were around one million Minas and related clans, though only a small number of these had ever been involved in criminal activity. Nevertheless, those who were so engaged, most famously the Minas living in the village of Shajehanpur in the district of Gurgaon, south of Delhi, came to be represented as a hereditary band of robbers.

Recent history

Despite invasions of their lands throughout history, they were never assimilated, thereby retaining much of their culture and individuality.

The Meenas have played an important part in the history of Rajasthan (earlier known as the Rajputana). In former times, Rajput and Meena chiefs, in subordination to the Taur kings of Delhi, ruled over a considerable tract of the country.

During the war with Rajputs and Mughals, the Meena community has been divided in basic four sects (1.) The Zamindar Meena (2.) The Chaukidar Meenas (3) Parihar Meenas and (4.) The Bhil Meena (Tribal).

The Zamindar Meena are traditionally connected with farming profession, and most of them are economically good. According to the book "People of India" By Kumar Suresh Singh, among all Meena groups, Zamindar Meena enjoys the highest status. They claim a Kshatriya status equivalent to that of the Rajputs. In the local socio-ritual hierarchy they enjoy a clean cast status.

The Chowkidar Meenas, who during the middle age adopted fighting in the armies and later on britishers enforced them to report on Chaukis regularly to ensure that they do not indulge in any criminal activities known as Chowkidar Meena. Like Zamindar Meenas, Chowkidar Meenas call themselves Meena Thakur and claim Kshatriya status.

The Bhil Meena are said to be descended from those Rajputs who, in the wars between their own tribes or with Muslims, were compelled to quit their native home and seek refuge in the vastness of Rajputana, where they formed alliances with the aboriginal families and established tribe.

The character of Meenas differs from place to place. The Meenas of the Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Gangapur area are the most important cultivators for the last four hundred years. They expelled the Dhangars and Lodhis from a number of villages they occupied 500 years ago, and have retained their possession until now.

Meo and Meenas

Majority of Meo population come from Meenas and till date they share same gotras (clan names) and follow very similar Ethics and Culture.

According to Britannica, also called Meo, or Mewati, tribe and caste inhabiting Rājasthān and Punjab states in northern India, and Punjab province, Pakistan, who speak Hindi and claim descent from the Rājputs. In the 11th century, the Meo branch of the Mina tribe converted from Hinduism to Islām, but they retained Hindu dress. Although the Mina and Meo are regarded as variants, some Meo claim that their ancestral home is Jaipur. Originally a nomadic, warlike people practicing animal breeding and known for lawlessness, today most Mina and Meo are farmers with respected social positions. In the late 20th century the Mina in India numbered more than 1,100,000, and the Meo, concentrated in northeastern Punjab, Pakistan, numbered more than 300,000. Both are divided into 12 exogamous clans, led by a headman (muqaddam) and a council (panch) of tribe members. They trace descent patrilineally and divide themselves into three classes: landlords, farmers, and watchmen. Both the Mina and Meo permit widow divorce and remarriage, and the Meo allow a man to exchange a sister or close female relative for his bride. Following Hindu tradition, the Mina cremate their dead while the Meo observe burial rites.

Meo of Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur districts of Rajasthan made efforts to come back in Meena community, but the intermarriage concept (i.e., roti and bati) has put down their offer by Meena leaders. As Meo are followers of Islam.

Origin of the Rajputs in Rajasthan and the Meenas

In the book by Satish Chandra, there appears to be a fair consensus that they were drawn from miscellaneous castes including Brahmans, aboriginal tribesmen and foreigners who had settled in the country. The manner in which they become “Hinduized” or were assigned the status of Rajputs is still not clear in detail, but can be summarised from analogous developments during the later medieval period. Thus, those sections which have control over land or gained political authority at the local and regional levels were often successful in gradually rising in the Varna scale. Conversely, those who lost control over land or local authority often sank in the Varna scale.

However, apart from the control over the land and politics authority, a higher Varna status could not be acquired without the support and backing of the Brahmans, The emergence of the Rajputs in north India represented a tacit alliance between those who controlled land and possessed political authority, and the Brahmans who were the legitimizers , so to speak. In return from granting recognition to the various ruling element as Rajputs or Kshatriyas, the Brahmans received generous grants of land and money for their sustenance, and for building and maintaining temples. In the villages there are many instance and stories prevalent where Meena chieftain claimed him self a Rajput. In general Rajputs of Rajasthan are mix of Meenas, Gujjars, Jats and other worrier tribes.

ref: Meenavar

References

1. "Rajasthan" by Pauline Lynden ISBN-13:9782843234460.
2. "Impressions of Rajasthan" ISBN 2-08-011171-X
3. "Rajasthan". By Monique Choy, Sarina Singh
4. "Annals and Atiquities of Rajast'han", or "The Central and Western Rajpoot States of India", James Tod ISBN 81-7167-366-X
5. "Crime, Liberalism and Empire: Governing the Mina Tribe of Northern India by Brown Mark", Social Legal Studies 2004 13: 191 218
6. "http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9052787/Mina"
7. "Dishonoured by History: 'criminal Tribes' and British Colonial Policy " By Meena Radhakrishna, Published 2001, Orient Longman,192 pages,ISBN 812502090"
8. "Historiography, Religion, and State in Medieval India" By Satish Chandra, Published 1996 Har-Anand Publications ISBN 8124100357
9. "Asiatic Studies. Religious and Social". Series 1 By Alfred Comyn Lyall, ISBN 1402163576 Google Book
10. India, Its People and Their Secular State, By Ram Gopal, Published 1987, Criterion Publications, India, 460 pages.
11. Cultural Heritage of Rajasthan By Manohara Prabhākara, Published 1972

Panchsheel Prakashan, Rajasthan (India), 138 pagesOriginal

See also

• Matsya Kingdom
• Rigvedic tribes
• Dhundhar
• Matsya Rajya
• Jaipur
• Rajasthan
• Meo
• Minas
• Minhas
• Minos In Greek mythology, Minos.

• Lothoo Nitharwal

External links

• meena society