The Rai, or sometimes pronounced as Rayeen are a Hindu caste found in the state of Haryana and Punjab in India. They are also known as Chaudhary and Rana.
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Origin
Their connection with the Arain, farming caste from Punjab region is uncertain. According to their own traditions, the community were Hindus of Sindh, who were expelled by Umayyad general Muhammad bin Qasim during Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent . They also claim a connection with the last Hindu Rajput ruler Raja Rai Sahasi II of Rai dynasty (c. 416–644 CE) of the Sindh and the brother of Rana Maharath of Chittor. The community is now found mainly in the villages of Mundakhera, Jyotisar and Hariyapur in Kurukshetra District. A small number of Hindu Rai are also found in Ambala and Karnal districts.
Present circumstances
The Rai's are divided into exogamous clans known as gotras. According to their traditions, the community has about 206 clans, of which the main ones are the Majitha,Saroha, Bhadrao, Gellan, Bhatia, Rajre, Dhillon, Malana, Kakkar, Sandhu, Kasan, Andrao and Khaturya. The community is Hindu, which distinguishes it from other Arain groups. Their regional deities are Dada Roopa ki Samad and Sati Mata. Like other Hindu castes, they have set up a caste association known as the Akhil Kshatriya Rai Sabha (the United Kshatriya Rai Association) in English. This act both as a community welfare association as well as an instrument of social control.
The Rai's were and still are farmers. A few were substantial landowners, with a small minority being landless. They practice animal husbandry as a secondary occupation, and they provide much of the dairy products for the towns in Haryana.