Raut (also spelled as Rout or Rawat) is an Indian caste.
Contents
The Rauts are mainly found in the Chhattisgarh state, and the neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. Traditionally, they were predominantly distributed in the districts of Durg, Raipur, Bastar, Nagpur and Bhandara.
History
Traditionally, the Rauts were involved in herding and milking the cattle. Like many other cowherding castes of India, they claim descent from the ancient Yadu tribe through Krishna. As such, they are often considered a sub-caste of the larger Ahir caste. According to historian Robert Vane Russell, the word Rawat is a corruption of Rajputra ("princeling").
Culture
The Raut men traditionally performed the local folk epic Candaini (or Chandaini) in a combination of dance and song. The epic tells the story of princess Candaini, who leaves her impotent husband and falls in love with a common man Lorik. Both the characters are from the Raut caste, and the epic seems to have originated in this caste. As late as 1980, the Candaini performers used to be primarily from the Raut caste, but now people from other communities also take part in the performances.