Khagi

Origin

The word Khagi is said to be derived from the Sanskrit khadgika, which means a sworsdsman. According to the community's tradition, they were originally Chauhans of Ajmer who emigrated under their leaders Kanka and Mahesa, who left their homeland as a result of a famine, and settled in the town of Sahaswan in Badaun District. The Khagi became the local rulers, but fell out with a Sultan of Delhi, who sent a force to suppress them. They suffered defeat, and their estates were confiscated, and they were forced to become cultivators. The community also practiced widow remarriage, a custom not followed by other Rajput clans, and as such evolved into a distinct community. Now, they are entirely distinct from the Chauhan Rajputs. According to the Community Khagis are said to be Khadagvanshis. Khagi is the name opted by Rajput to cover their real identity from Mughals at the time of Maha Rana Pratap and Mughal's Clash.The Mughals use to search for Rajput everywhere and these people lived like farmers with the new name as Khagis to disguise Mughals but they themselves can identify their people by this opted name. Maharan pratap with their soldiers need to hide themselves from mughals during guerilla fight between Rajputs & Mughals. These people left their homeland Rajasthan during Maharana Prtap and Mughal clash & scattered in North part of India near Rivers.

Khagi Caste is the main Hindu caste and has not been included in the central list of OBC so far but has been included in the U.P State List of Other Backward Classes (OBC) by the Government of Uttar Pradesh on dated 26-12-1998. Khagi caste had also been included in Kaka Kalelkar Commission List of Backward Classes. The members of Khagi Caste mainly reside in the villages situated on the bank of the river Ganga in Tarai region (Khadar) in Hasanpur, Dhanoura Tehsils of District J.P.Nagar,and Chandoushi ,Kanth Thesils of District Moradabad, and Shaswan, Gunnar & Bisauli Tehsils of District Badaun,and Sikandrabad Tehsil of District Bulandshar, and Swar, Milak Tehsils of District Rampur, and Kasganj Tehsil of District Kansiram Nagar (former District Eta) and Garhmukteshwar Tehsil of District Panchsheel Nagar (former District Ghaziabad), But their main habitation is in rural areas nearby the bank of the river Ganga in District Jyotiba Phoole Nagar, U.P. The population of Khagi Caste is about I2 lakhs in total.

The request of Khagi Caste for the inclusion in the Central List of Backward Classes for Uttar Pradesh was rejected by the National Commission for Backward Classes in its Advice no.U.P.53/ 98 enclosed herewith sent to the Honourable Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India New Delhi on 31-12-98 on incomplete datum only due to negative entries filled up by the two representatives in the Questionnaire of the N.C.B.C that Khagi Caste is not socially backward and without going through real facts of socially, educationally & economically backwardness of Khagi Caste.

The Honourable two member-bench of the N.C.B.C consisting of Honourable Chairman Shri P.K. Shayamsunder and Honourable member Shri Sahu Akshaya Bhai held public hearing on 22-4-98 at Lucknow and gave its Findings on 29-12-98 in para no 8 of the N.C.B.C. Advice no.U.P.53/98 and rejected the claim of Khagi Caste for the inclusion in the Central List of Backward Classes for Uttar Pradesh only on the ground that out of three, two sets of the N.C.B.C 's Questionnaire filled up by three representatives contain information that the Khagi caste is not socially backward and negative advice of the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh in regard to social backwardness of Khagi Caste. The Honourable Bench of the N.C.B.C upheld in its findings dated 29-12-1998 that Khagi Caste is the main caste and rejected claim of Khagi Caste for the inclusion in the Central List of backward classes on the ground of wrong entries in the Questionnaire of the N.C.B.C by two representatives of Khagi Caste who did not put the real facts before the Honourable Bench of the N.C.B.C about the social backwardness of the Khagi Community and demanded the inclusion of Khagi Caste on only economically and educationally backwardness. Those two representatives of Khagi Caste did not put the sufficient material and facts before the Honourable Bench relating to the socially backwardness of Khagi Caste which was injustice with the members of whole Khagi Community.

Khagi Caste was not included in the O.B.C. List of Uttar Pradesh upto dated 24 -4-1998 when the Honourable Bench of the N.C.B.C held public hearing at Lucknow relating to the claim of Khagi Caste for the inclusion in Central List of Backward Classes for Uttar Pradesh. The Govt. of Uttar Pradesh also gave negative advice to the Honourable Bench of the N. C. B. C in regard to the inclusion of Khagi Caste in the Central List of Backward Classes for Uttar Pradesh as Khagi Caste was not included in the U.P. State List of O.B.C upto dated 24-4-1998. But the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh has included Khagi Caste in State O.B.C. List on 26-12-1998, whereas the Honourable Bench of the N.C.B.C gave its findings only on the basis of the hearing of dated 24-4-1998. Now the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh has given O.B.C. status to the members of Khagi Caste due to the socially, educationally, economically, politically backwardness of the members of Khagi Caste. Hence, Khagi Caste also deserve to be included in the Central List of Backward Classes for Uttar Pradesh. The Honourable Bench gave its findings dated 29-12-1998 on the basis of wrong entries made in the two sets of Questionnaire of the N.C.B.C. By two so called representatives and now effectless and null advice of the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh. Khagi Caste can not be deprived of their rights only on the ground of wrong entries filled up by the two representatives as above mentioned and old and null advice of U.P. Govt. given on dated 24-4-1998. The negative advice of Govt. of Uttar Pradesh given to the Honourable Bench of N.C.B.C on 24-4-1998 for the inclusion of Khagi Caste in the Central list of Backward Classes for Uttar Pradesh has no legal effect now as the Govt. of U.P. has included Khagi Caste in state list of U.P on dated 26-12-1998..

Present circumstances

The Khagis are strictly endogamous community, and practice clan exogamy. Their main clans are the Baiswar, Bais, Banjara, Dalera, Dhimar, Gaurahar, Karluniya, Lodha, Raghuvanshi. Each of these clans is of equal status, and intermarry. The Khagi are a small and medium sized farmers, and tend to occupy their own villages. They are found mainly in Badaun, Bijnor, Moradabad and Jyotiba Phule Nagar in Rohilkhand, and there are also settlements in Etah and Mainpuri districts. Their customs are similar to other Hindu cultivating castes such as the Kurmi and Kisan.

Other clans Suryawanshi is also a clan of khagi caste