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Kushwaha (surname)

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Kushwaha is a surname used by people of Koeri caste in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.[1][2][3] The Kushwahas are also known as Maurya, Shakya, or Saini in various parts of north India.[2][4][5][6] As per one opinion, the Kushwaha surname is also common among members of Kachhi caste, who later merged with the Koeris to become a single homogeneous community.[7] They are a dominant OBC community in the state of Bihar.[8][9]

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Origin

By the early 1900, due to significant knowledge of agricultural practices, the agricultural communities like Koeri, Kachhi and Murao in the Gangetic Plain had amassed rural wealth and prosperity like the members of Kurmi and Yadav caste. This led them to lay claim on Kshatriya status. According to Herbert Hope Risley and William Wilson Hunter, these communities earlier had belief in Shakta and Shaiva faith, but the general claim on Kshatriya status made them link themselves to Solar Dynasty, via Kusha, one of the son of Lord Rama. Thus the Surname "Kushwaha" was adopted to justify the newly gained wealth and prosperity.[10] This trend became more visible with the passing of time and by 1990s these communities had gained education, more access to non farm jobs and acquired political power to become rising Kulaks in many of the north Indian states. They displaced upper castes from power in political sphere, in coalition with members of similar agricultural castes and started calling themselves as Kushwaha Kshatriya, a phenomenon described as Sanskritisation.[11][12]

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Notable people

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Notable people using Kushwaha as their surname, middle name or first name, who may or may not be associated with caste/clan are:

Bureaucrats

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See also

References

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