Khanzada Rajputs
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| • India • Pakistan • Nepal | |
| Languages | |
| • Awadhi • Khari Boli • Bhojpuri • Hindi • Urdu • English | |
| Religion | |
•  Islam 100% • |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| • Rajputs • Muslim Rajputs • Ranghar • Thakurai • Ahbans Khanzada • Bhatti Khanzada • Khokhar Khanzada • Zamindara |
The Khanzada or Khan Zadeh are a community of Muslim Rajputs found in the Awadh region of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. A few are also found in the state of Bihar. This community is distinct from the Rajasthani Khanzada, the descendants of Wali e Mewat Raja Naher Khan. They are also a community of Muslim Rajputs. They refer to themselves as Musalmaan Rajputs, or sometimes just Rajputs. In Bihar, they are also known as Diwani Pathans, from the Persian word divan which means a royal court, on account of the Rajput converts being giving the status of Pathan by the royal court. In addition, a small number of Khanzada are also found in the Terai region of Nepal. After independence of Pakistan in 1947, many members of this community migrated to Pakistan and settled mainly in Karachi.
The word Khanzada in Persian means son of a khan, or king. This has literally the same meaning as the word Rajput, which also means son of a king in Sanskrit. The term khanzada originally applied to the Bachgoti Rajput family of the Rajahs of Hasanpur. They were said to have converted to Islam during the rule of Sher Shah Suri. This family claimed descent from Bariar Singh, a Bachgoti Rajput, who said to have emigrated from Sultanpur in the 13th Century. The Bachgoti had started off as a clan of the Chauhan Rajputs of Mainpuri. Bariar Singh's grandson, Tilok Chand is said to have converted to Islam, and the family took the name khanzada.
Each Khanzada clan has its own tradition as to when they converted to Islam. The community that claims to be the first to convert to Islam are the Dikhit Khanzada of Banda District, who are said to have been converted at the hands of Mohammad Ghori, some eight centuries ago, and calls themselves Ghori Dikhit. Other clans, such as the Rajasthani Khanzada of Mewat are said to have converted during the rule of Firuz Shah Tughlaq in 1355. Similarly,Chandel of Hardoi District are said to have converted during the rule of Sher Shah Suri. Over time, a number of other Rajput clans in what is now eastern Uttar Pradesh also converted to Islam. Many of these Rajput converts were granted estates or talukas, and estate holders were referred to as taluqdars. The history of the Awadh region is in many ways the history of the various taluqdar families, and their struggle with both the Mughals and then the Nawabs of Awadh. While taluqdars formed as special social class, the bulk of the Khanzada remained a community of peasant proprietors. Included among the Khanzada were immigrants Rajput clans from the Punjab, such as Johiya of Chail, the Khokhar of Kot and Bhatti of Yahiapur. In Pratapgarh District, the Khanzadas included representatives of several well known Rajput tribes such as the Bisen, Rajkumar, Bachgoti, Bhale Sultan, Sombansi, Bais, Kanhpuriya, Bharsaiyan, Mandarkia and Bilkharya. Traditionally the Bilkhariya and Bhale Sultan Khanzada are endogamous, while other groups are exogamous. The Mandarkia and Bharsaiyan are both strictly endogamous groupings, and as such differ from other Khanzada groupings who follow the custom of clan exogamy.
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