Meenas, Meena or Mina is a community mainly found in Rajasthan, India. The name Mina is derived from Meen (fish), and the Minas claim descent from the fish incarnation of Lord Vishnu also called Matsya Avatar. This fact is supported by the centuries old culture of celebrating Meenesh Jayanti in the name of Loard Vishnu by Meena community on 3 Tithi of Chaitra Shukal paksha according to Hindu calendar. , Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area but encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert) which has an edge that parallels the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... Incarnation of Vishnu as a Fish, from a devotional text. ... Normally Matsya Jayanti is celebrated in the month of March or April by the Meenas. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... A page from the Hindu calendar 1871-72. ...

Originally they were a ruling cast, and were ruler of Matsya, i.e., Rajasthan, but their slow downfall began with the rise of the Rajputs and was completed when the British government declared them a “Criminal Tribe”. This very action was taken to support their alliance with Rajput kingdom in Rajasthan, and Meenas were still in war with Rajputs, doing gorilla attacks to retain their lost kingdoms. Matsya Kingdom was probably founded by fishermen community who later attained kingship. ...

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, Jats etc. Brahmin perform all rituals from birth, marriage and death for Meenas like for any other higher Hindu cast. For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya (Hindi: , from Sanskrit: , ) is the title of the princely military order in the Vedic society. ...

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". Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ...

[Meenas of India]
Map source: Joshua Project.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

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). , Jaipur   (Hindi: जयपुर, Urdu: جے پور), also popularly known as the Pink City, historically sometimes rendered as Jeypore, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. ... Sikar is a town in the state of Rajasthan in India. ... Shekhawati (शेखावाटी) is a semi-arid region located in the northeast part of Rajasthan, India. ... Alwar is famous for its scenic landscape Alwar is a city in the Rajasthan state of western India. ... Kota can refer to: The Indonesian word for city. ... Jhalawar(Hindi:झालावाड़) is a city in southeastern Rajasthan. ... Bundi is a city and a municipality of approximately 88,000 inhabitants (2001) in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India. ... , Madhya PradeÅ›   (HindÄ«: मध्य प्रदेश, English: , IPA: ), often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. ...

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 their 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. Matsya Kingdom was probably founded by fishermen community who later attained kingship. ... In Hindu mythology, Virata is the king in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. ... Uttara in Hindu mythology is the name of the son of King Virata who went into battle with Arjuna, in disguise, as his charioteer. ...

Perhaps 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. In Hindu mythology, Virata is the king in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. ...

Medieval history

Very little has been recorded of the true history of Meenas. Col Tod, gathered together stories that ran through families hundreds of years later and while his efforts remain appreciated, a lot of what he wrote is fiercely disputed by modern historians.

According to Tod the Meena King Raja Ralun singh also known as Alan Singh Meena of Khogong 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. This act of Rajputs was most coward and shameful in Rajasthan history. Rajput (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound , son of a king) is a Caste among Hindus in India, Pakistan and Nepal. ... , Delhi (Hindi: , Urdu: , Punjabi: ), sometimes referred to as Dilli, is the second-largest metropolis in India after Mumbai with a population of 13 million. ... Deepavali, also called Diwali or Divali, is a major Hindu festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. ...

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]. Ajmer   , or Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Indias Rajasthan state. ... Amber Fort Interior of one of the palaces in Amber Fort Amber is a ruined city of Rajasthan state, India. ... Dhundhar is a region of Rajasthan state in western India. ... Amber Fort Interior of one of the palaces in Amber Fort Amber is a ruined city of Rajasthan state, India. ...

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 NaenNahn 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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 1024 pixel, file size: 370 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) auther-brijesh,source-fly sl300m mobile camera, I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 1024 pixel, file size: 370 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) auther-brijesh,source-fly sl300m mobile camera, I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under... Amber Fort Interior of one of the palaces in Amber Fort Amber is a ruined city of Rajasthan state, India. ... A garden featuring depictions of various arhats (Hsi Lai Temple, California) An arhat (Sanskrit, also arahat or arahant (Pali); Chinese: 阿羅漢, āluóhàn; Tibetan: dgra-bcom-pa; Jp. ...

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 introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... For other uses, see Akbar (disambiguation). ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Jodhabai was the first wife of Akbar and the mother of Jahangir. ... For other uses, see Akbar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Akbar (disambiguation). ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... For other uses, see Akbar (disambiguation). ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Amber pendants. ...

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

Meenas during the British occupation

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. In the social sciences, assimilation is the process of integration whereby immigrants, or other minority groups, are absorbed into a generally larger community. ...

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. Rajput (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound , son of a king) is a Caste among Hindus in India, Pakistan and Nepal. ... A taur (metanalyzed from centaur), also called a centauroid, is a modern creature of science fiction and fantasy literature. ... , Delhi (Hindi: , Urdu: , Punjabi: ), sometimes referred to as Dilli, is the second-largest metropolis in India after Mumbai with a population of 13 million. ...

During the war with Rajputs and Mughals, the Meena community has been divided in basic four sects (1.) The Zamindar Meena (2.) The Chokidar Meenas (3) Parihar Meenas and (4.) The Bhil(Tribal) Meenas. Historically they have same roots otherwise they do not share any other relation. Like no marriages among them etc. The Zamindar Meenas are traditionally connected with farming profession, and most of them are economically good. ...

The Chowkidar Meenas, who are granted with status as ruler Meenas of Rajasthan. In the the history they were rulers in Jaipur and in 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. Chowkidar Meenas call themselves Meena Thakur and claim Kshatriya status.

The Zamindar Meena are traditionally connected with farming profession, and most of them are economically good. They claim a Kshatriya status equivalent to that of the Rajputs. In the local socio-ritual hierarchy they enjoy a clean cast status. The Zamindar Meenas are traditionally connected with farming profession, and most of them are economically good. ...

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 (Tribal) Meenas 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. A Rajput (possibly from Sanskrit rāja-putra, son of a king) is a member of a prominent caste who live throughout northern and central India, primarily in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Rajputana (or Raj(prut)tana), which means Land of the Rajputs rajput love old rotten cheese wanna see whitch cheese we like go to this web page http://home. ...

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. Karauli (also Karoli or Kerowlee) is a town in Rajasthan state of India. ... Sawai Madhopur is a city in Rajasthan state of western India. ... , Jaipur   (Hindi: जयपुर, Urdu: جے پور), also popularly known as the Pink City, historically sometimes rendered as Jeypore, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. ... Gangapur is a city and a municipal council in Aurangabad district in the state of Maharashtra, India. ... The Dhangar caste is primarily located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. ... Lodhi (also sometimes Lodi) is a Pashtun tribe, most likely a sub-group of the larger Ghilzai of Afghanistan and Pakistan who were part of a wave of Pashtuns who pushed east into what is today Pakistan and India. ...

References

• "Rajasthan" by Pauline Lynden ISBN-13:9782843234460. Abstract: The state of Rajasthan in northwestern India is a land of contrasts, ranging from fertile farmlands to scorching desert sands. The varied landscape is home to a complex society of Hindus, Muslims, Jains, and Sikhs from numerous castes and clans. When feudalism ended in Rajasthan in 1947 with India's independence, artists, dancers, mimes, percussionists, singers, and acrobats lost their patrons-the Rajput nobility-and became street performers or artists-for-hire. These two books explore how art has survived in Rajasthan since that time. Impressions of Rajasthan, the first English-language publication from the Busquets, longtime residents of India, offers a balanced view of Rajasthani society, from the Dalit-formerly called "untouchables"-to the Zamindar Mina, wealthy landowners who are vegetarian Hindus. Rajasthan's geographic and human diversity spawned its vibrant artistic traditions, the guardians of which are the women. Impressions includes colorful pictures of women decorating their homes, drawing the sacred diagrams (or "mandana") to propitiate the gods, painting pictograms representing rites of passage, and executing traditional wall paintings called thapa. Two hundred magnificent full-color illustrations enliven the in-depth study of these art forms and their long history, symbolism, techniques, themes, and motifs. Also portrayed is the work of male artists, public artists for hire who prepare themselves spiritually through meditation just as the women ritually prepare their courtyards with cow dung, ocher, and water before painting the walls. Van Lynden's first publication, Rajasthan, is the perfect complement to Impressions. Whereas Impressions is more scholarly, with historical, cultural, and anthropological content (as well as a helpful glossary and a brief English-language bibliography), Rajasthan is more personal, almost spiritual.

Van Lynden is a Belgian bookbinder and artist who has traveled frequently to India, and her diary-like work presents her impressions in few words but an abundant number of photographic collages. (There are 350 in all.) These two books are highly recommended for libraries wishing to enhance their non-Western collections.-Nancy Mactague, Aurora Univ. Lib., IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. In the Indian caste system, a Dalit, often called an untouchable,or an outcaste, is a person who does not have any varnas. ... In the Indian caste system, a Dalit, often called an untouchable,or an outcaste, is a person who does not have any varnas. ... The Zamindar Meenas are traditionally connected with farming profession, and most of them are economically good. ... Mandane of Media (c. ...

• "Mina, The Ruling Tribe of Rajasthan (Socio-biological Appraisal)" ISBN 81-7018-447-9
• "Impressions of Rajasthan" ISBN 2-08-011171-X
• "Rajasthan". By Monique Choy, Sarina Singh
• "Annals and Atiquities of Rajast'han", or "The Central and Western Rajpoot States of India", James Tod ISBN 81-7167-366-X
• "Crime, Liberalism and Empire: Governing the Mina Tribe of Northern India by Brown Mark", Social Legal Studies 2004 13: 191-218
• "Culture and Integration of Indian Tribes" By Rann Singh Mann, Published 1993 MD Publications Pvt Ltd, ISBN 8185880034
• "People of India" By Kumar Suresh Singh, Anthropological Survey of India, Published 1998, Popular Prakashan, ISBN 8171547699
• "http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9052787/Mina"
• "Dishonoured by History: 'criminal Tribes' and British Colonial Policy " By Meena Radhakrishna, Published 2001, Orient Longman,192 pages,ISBN 812502090"

External links

• meena society