Mers

This article is about the Mers ethnic group. For Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, see MERS.

For other uses, see Mer (disambiguation).

Mer
Classification	Kshatriya[citation needed]
Religions	Hinduism
Languages	Gujarati, Hindi and its dialects & Marwari and its dialects.
Populated States	Gujarat, Rajasthan, Sindh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.
Subdivisions	Keshwala, Sisodia (Modhwadia, Kuchhadia, Godhania, Ranavaya, Khistriya) Sumra (Odedra, Visana), Rajshakha (Karavadra, Khunti, Bokhiria, Sundavadra) Parmar, Vaghela (Waghela), Chudasama, Chauhan, Bhatti, Vala, Jadeja, Solanki, Bapodra (Agath), Chavda and Vadher.

The Mer population of Kathiawar region in Saurashtra also known as the Maher, Mihir, Mair or Mehr are a community of people who have evolved from the Kshatriya Rajput varna within Hinduism.^{[citation needed]} They are believed to be of Indo-Aryan descent, and have a rich and diverse history involving many battles, valour and sacrifice to uphold their honour and values. Some of the sacrifices made by them were related to fulfilment of sacred oaths, duties and responsibilities towards common people & also to the Jethwa Ranas of Porbandar. The population of Mers distributed in a number of 155 villages and some 23 nes was reported to be 50,000 according to the Census of 1951. The traditional occupations of the Mer are war and agricultural farming. Some of the Mer villages & land was given to them by the Jethwa Ranas of Porbandar as a token for being part of their royal army against invading tribes in the Kathiwar region.

The Maher of Rajasthan have two territorial divisions (Kundali and Hadoti) and call themselves "Nand Mehar", since they believe to have descended from King Nand of Vrindavan. They also call themselves Nandvanshis.^[1] Mahers live in eastern Rajasthan, with large concentration in the Hadoti area (especially Kota, Bundi and Jhalawar).

Origins

The Mers are of the so-called Aryan stock.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

British writer James Tod associated the term mera ("mountaineer") with the Mers.^[2]

The Mer/Medes settlements

The ancestors of the Mers/Medes entered the Indian continent through the North-west (today known as west Punjab) together with Georgians of Georgia around B.C. 126.^[3] The Georgians were later known as Gurjars. One specific report indicated that these people entered India through Baluchistan via Iran.^[4] At this time western India was under the sovereignty of the Guptas. The Kushans were out of the picture long before the Guptas came into power. It seems that the king of the Gupta dynasty in the North-West province drove away the migrant invaders i.e. the Meds and the Gurjars, to the south. The southern region of the Indus valley in the north was governed by the Jats, who flooded the country in the same way some three centuries earlier.

The Jats opposed these foreigners, who eventually overcame them. Thus, the Medes settled to the east of the Indus River, and the Gurjars went further south, It is reported that of the two tribes the Medes later known as the Mers or Mahers predominated in power and influence.^[5]

In Sanskrit inscriptions, Medpat is the name used for Mewar which became known as Udaipur state after the founding of the city of Udaipur in 1559. Medpat reminds the historians of a period when the territory was ruled by the people called Meds or Mers who were descendants of the Aryans.

Based upon historical evidence the ancestors of the tribe the Mers/Meds entered India through the in those days Pujab/Sindh region and continued further south into Gujarat leaving settlements in Ajmer (from the great Mer Sardar Ajo), Jesalmer (from the great Mer Sardar Jaslo), Badmer (from the great Mer Sardar Bad), Komalmer (from the great Mer Sardar Komal) & the Marwar region (Mhairwara region belonging to partially to Udaipur and also Jodhpur). They seemed to have settled down in the Kathiwar region and are today to be found in villages around Porbandar known as the Mahers of Kathiawar.

Merwara region

The provinces which now go by the name of (Ajmer) Merwara and (Jodhpur) Marwar are the ancient home of the aboriginal clan of the Mers. “The Mair or Mera is, “according to Colonel Tod, “the mountaineer of Rajpootana, and the country he “inhabits is styled Mairwara or the region of hills. As mentioned before the famous historical cities Ajmer, Jesalmer, Khumbhalmer & Komalmer are an attest of the Mers former power and settlements.

The Mers were known as “hillmen” that populated the plain and are also found there. They remained masters of the soil until they were ousted later on by victorious invaders. As chiefs and warriors, like other aboriginal tribes, they have a claim to be called Rajputs, for the name Rajput or Rajputra confers only to a social and not an ethological distinction. The term Rajput is generally applied to an Aryan Ksatriya though everybody knows that the victors intermarried freely with the vanquished non-Aryans, who were never totally annihilated & that the Mer and other non-Aryan tribes claim relationship with the Rajputs.

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh

The name Med-pat are (covered by the former state of Udaipur) means the land of the people called Meds. This name was possibly the original one of the region of Mewad, the habitat of Meds. In subsequent historical times, the area was said to have been controlled by the people named Mev or Mer. A part of this region is even now known as Mewad. However, the people named Mers were concentrated in and around Devgarh and Ajmer-Merwara areas. Some scholars were of the opinion that the Mers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh represent a section of the Hun tribe of the historical fame.

The Mers of Kathiawar

When Mohabed-Been-Kasim invaded Sindh in 712 AD, a tribe of Rajputs known by the name of Mers of Medhs was very powerful in southern Sindh. Col. Walker, in his history of Kathiawar, notes that the Mers were intimately connected with the Jethwa Ranas of Porbandar. He also mentions that the Jethwas and the Mers belong to the same group, although the Mers did not keep pace with the Jethwas. The Jethwas began to distance themselves from the Mers, and the Mers were soon looked down upon as second rate people. The Jethwas eventually disassociated themselves completely from the Mers – so much so that, after they used the Mers to help them in battle, they razed 24 villages in Barda. These Mers were only obliged to pay a nominal tax. Today the Jethwas and the Mers differ in many respects – manners, customs and way of life. However, in the past the Jethwas depended on the strength of the Mers and today the Jethwas have not forgotten their debt of gratitude. It was the custom that when a Rana of Porbandar ascended the throne (or Gaddi), the leader of the Mers would cut the tip of his little finger and make a tilak (mark) with his blood on the forehead of the Rana.

According to the Barots, the forefathers of the Jethwa and the Mers were identical; they settled in Saurashtra at the same time (around 900 AD). The problems facing the Jethwa Rajputs and the Mers were the same. The Barots maintain that the Jethwas belong to "the line of the younger brother", and as long as they had common enemies they lived as brothers. As soon as the common danger disappeared (as happens in many communitites) they began to see each another differently and split into factions, although the Jethwas and the Mers belong to a common stock.

According to the Barots they read in their own books that the forefathers of the Jethwa and the Mers were the same and they came and settled in Saurashtra at the same time which is around 900 A.D. The problems that the Jethwa Rajputs had to solve were the same that the Mers had to solve. So we can see that they were sailing on the same boat. Barots go so far as to maintain that the Jethwas belong to the line of the younger brother and so long as they were afraid of the common enemies they lived as brothers. As soon as the common danger disappeared, they began to look at one another with strange eyes. This is not only what has happened in the case of Jethwas and Mers but in the case of so many communities. A sort of bar often comes and stands between even the children of the same father. Changing circumstances has always created petty communities and so many petty factions. There are so many other proofs also to convince us that the Jethwas and the Mers belong to a common stock.

Modern history

After 1947

Mahatma Gandhi's independence movement and constructive-works programmes highlighted the education of young children; this inspiration even reached the rural communities, which had little education at all. Efforts to educate Maher society were made on two fronts.

Maldev Bapu began a campaign to encourage primary education in Maher society. He contacted the people of the community, and others who had gone to Africa to work; they understood the value of education. These people educated their children, inspiring their relatives and friends to educate their own children in turn; primary schools opened in the villages.

The situation in the rural areas was more difficult for secondary and post-secondary schools. Maldev Bapu had to face economic difficulties and the opposition of villagers who did not consider education a priority. He established Maher Gnyati Bhavan and Vidyarthi Bhavan for the young people in Porbander, so they could stay in the hostels and study further. He travelled from village to village collecting money from village leaders. He went to Africa at the invitation of African Mahers, collected donations and established the "Students' Hostel" and the "Guest House" (Mer Gnatu and Vidyarthi Bhavan) in the community.

During that period, the people from Africa built a guest house for people leaving India for Africa in Mombassa, Kenya. These were the first, successful collective efforts for the social development of the Maher community.

Beginning of revolution in the community

The flame lit by Maldev Bapu in the form of boarding facilities burned for years; children and young boys from the villages received an education, and young men began to join services and businesses. The Maher community took longer steps in the political, cultural and economic fields.

Young people joined the fields of trade and commerce, and they began to work shoulder-to-shoulder with other communities. However, Mahers had difficulty making progress apart from the Gnyati Bhavan which Maldev Bapu had begun. Mahers began to build a Vidyarthi Bhavan with the help of local leaders in Junagadh, inspired by Mahant Shri Vijaydasaji. They obtained a large parcel of land in Junagadh, and began the Students' Hostel.

In Porbander, 6000 yards of land was acquired at a favorable price; construction work could not proceed, although some progress was made.

Organisation of Shri Maldev Rana Keshwala Maher Education and Charitable Trust

The need for a central trust – under the leadership of the late Maldevjibhai Odedera in India and the Iate Jethabhai Visana in other countries – was becoming apparent. After much discussion, the Shri Maldev Rana Keshwala Maher Educational and Charitable Trust was established to organise activities for the benefit of the community. The founders of the society served as trustees, and all community institutions joined the trust.

The trust was responsible for maintaining and developing all Maher community institutions in India, and was a model institution for joining the threads of the community. Scholarships are given to Maher children for higher education from the proceeds of the trust. A short-term loan was also given to the Vidyarthi Bhavan for its development.

Hundreds of Maher families are settled in Jamnagar and the villages around it; since there is a medical school, many impoverished Maher patients and their families must stay in Jamnagar for long periods. A senior Maher, Shri Jethabhai Keshwala, serves with the Kabir Ashram in Jamnagar.

The Maher people in Jamnagar met with Dr. Virambhai and community leaders, and funds were raised for a building on Khambhaliya Road honoring a Maher, Samaj Bhavan. Workers from Jamnagar and Shri Jethabhai obtained donations for its construction. Ahmedabad is the economic and social capital of the state of Gujarat, and the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital is Asia's largest hospital.^[6] A building was bought for Rs.7 lakhs near the hospital lodging and dining facilities for patients and their relatives who come for treatment in the hospital. The labour of the Maher community in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar and the generosity of donors helped purchase the house, which is appreciated by the community. Vallabh-Vidyanagar (Anand) is the educational centre in Gujarat. As of 2011, 35 Maher students are being educated there. A meeting, chaired by Dr. Virambhai, was organised in 1995 in Vidyanagar by its students and the social workers to provide a quality education to Maher children and a dormitory was planned with a donation of Rs.15 lakhs. Obtaining land for the dormitory is in progress.

1981 to 1991

During this period the labour of the leaders and workers (including Shri Maldev Bapu) began to bear fruit, and Maher leaders became politically conscious. Responsibility for the Maher student hostel was delegated to a team of young Maher men under the direction of Shri Laxmanbhai Agath. Shri Bharatbhai Odedra was elected president of the Maldev Rana Maher Educational and Charitable Trust, with Shri Dudabhai Tarkhala managing trustee.

In politics, community leaders reached a watershed. The late Maldev Jibhai became the first Member of Parliament from the Maher community; he was soon appointed as president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, a signal honour. Shri Mahant Vijaydasji was president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee from 1980 to 1991; he was also a high-ranking member of the Gujarat Government. Shri Bharatbhai Odedra, Shri Sukabhai Antroliya, the late Jivabhai Keshwala, Shri Laxmanbhai Agath and other leaders successfully preserved the community's gains in a number of fields.

The appearance of Dr. Virambhai Godhaniya in social services and philanthropy was a turning point for the Maher community. A meeting was organised in 1982, chaired by Dr. Godhaniya, for the renovation of Maher Gnyati Bhavan. Dr. Virambhai donated RS. 7 lakhs for the renovation of the house, and the renovation was completed with the expenditure of RS. 8 lakhs.

Education

The opening ceremony of Maher Gnyati Bhavan was conducted by the well-known educator and philosopher Shri Panduranga Shistriji (Resp. Dads). The ceremony was the first for the Maher community since Indian independence; many Mahers of note were honoured before an audience of 10,000, including guests from the UK and other nations. In 1985, a student hostel was completed at a cost of Rs.14 lakhs. The building was constructed on a 6000-square-yard lot on the airport road, Porbandar with community effort. With the help of the late Shri Rameshbhai Sindhave (a Kharva industrialist), the institution acquired 5,000 square yards of adjoining government land at a reduced price; construction costs were met by proceeds from the sale of the Maher house in Mombassa and by donations from Dr. Virambhai Godhaniya, Shri Batukbhai Odedra, and others (for the building itself and for individual rooms). Another large building, Chaya Maher Samaj, was also constructed and many cultural activities have taken place there.

Young workers from Chaya have completed the building, including many facilities. In Kutiyana there was a longstanding demand for construction of Maher Samaj Bhavan, towards which Dr. Virambhai donated Rs.8.00 lakhs along with other local donors. A typical building, constructed at a cost of Rs. 17.00 lakhs, was named Dr. Virambhai Godhaniya Maher Samaj and a community house (comparable with the one in Kutiyana) was constructed with aid from local leaders, businessmen and donors from Kenya and the UK at Ranavav at a cost of Rs 20 lakhs.

As of 2011 the Maher house in Bokhira is nearing completion; when completed, it will be a model house in the Porbandar area. A male student hostel was planned in Junagadh on a large lot, although there was no hostel for Maher girls; however, Maher leaders realised the need for women's education. Therefore, the trustees decided to start a hostel for girls instead of the boys' hostel, and added one floor and other changes to the hostel. Shri Ramsinghbhai Sundavadra manages the hostel, which houses more than 700 girls. The trust is also planning a secondary school on the same site, which will accompany the Rest House (UTARO) of Bhavanath. Room and board are also provided for Maher families for fairs and festivals. Secondary schools have also been constructed in villages and rural areas in Porbandar, due to successful fundraising; schools now exist in Bagvadar, Advana, Simar, Dhandhusar, Garej and Gorana. Dr. Virambhai sponsored the schools in Bagvadar, Advana and Simar; the high school in Paravada was built with the help of Shri Sureshbhai Thakarar, a Paravada native living in London. The high school in Vadela was established with the aid of Dr. Virambhai, Chhaganbhai Ukabhai from Tanzania, and Dr. Maldevbhai Modhwadiya of Leicester. The school in Garej was founded with the efforts of Shri Virambhai and the family of Shri Sukabhai Antroliya. Elementary and secondary schools are also constructed with local Maher labour and funding.

The secondary school in Bagvadar has received permission to begin eleventh and twelfth standards for its higher secondary section. This is the first higher secondary school in the Barada area which has been so authorised; Dr. Virambhai has been active in the area's secondary-school development. In Porbandar, the Shri Maldevji Odedra Memorial Trust has established the Women's Arts, Commerce and Home Science Mahila College for girls, denoting progress in women's education. As of 2011, about 1,200 girls are studying at the college, which has a staff of 65. The government grants Rs.45.00 lakhs annually for salaries and other expenses. The Porbandar municipality has given 25,000 meters of land (at a discount price of Rs. 1O per meter) to build an educational complex there, which as of 2011 is in progress. In 1991 The Bhagvat Saptah of Bhagavatacharya H.H. Shri Rameshbhai Oza was held there, a demonstration of social unity.

The Saurashtra region recognised our planning and organisational abilities and Rs. one crore was raised in a successful fundraising ceremony, the cost of which was borne by Dr. Virambhai, Smt. Jayashriben Godhaniya and their families. As of 2011, the educational complex is under construction at a cost of Rs.4 Crores. This complex will conduct courses from Standard Sixth to the postgraduate level, according to need, and special emphasis will be placed on educating girls of the Maher and similar communities. The Modadar Educational Trust in Kutiyana has established an Arts and Commerce College in honour of Shri Saraman Munja Jadej, and the people of Kutiyana Taluka will also have a community college.

The Shahid Nagarjun Sisodiya Memorial Trust has established primary schools at Advana, Modhvada and Bagidar, and more schools are planned; this is due to the efforts of Dr. Virambhai Godhaniya and the many Maher donors living abroad. Because of this, the Maher community prides itself on the strides it has made. It also realises, however, that much still needs to be done in the villages and rural areas in the fields of education and infrastructure (water supplies in particular). Maher solidarity in the recent past makes the community confident it will solve present and future problems.

Subdivisions

In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, four sub-regional groups of the Mer were distributed in the past. They have had several endogamous (the social practice of marrying another member of the same clan, people, or other kinship group) groups called hissa, each named after place-names and with names of exogamous (the custom in some societies of marrying outside their people's own social group) lineages called got. These are given below:

Group 1

In this main group there were nine hissas (groups), viz., Kotah, Bhopal, Bundi, Jhalawar, Lakheri, Baran, Mangrol, Iklera and Khanpur.

Group 2

In the second group, there were four hissas (groups), such as, Udaipur, Mandorgarh, Jaipur, and Ajmer located in the region known as Merwara. (This group did not send any representative to attend the Conference of all the Mers at Bhopal, referred to later in this account).

Group 3

The Mers of Bhopal also formed single independent group of hissa. Many of the Bhopal Mers had taken to the profession of village guides as they were poor and did not own land for cultivation.

Group 4

In this group, there were three main hissas, viz., Indore, Ujjain and Ratlam. It is interesting to note that a village near Byavar had a group of Mers called Keshwala; and that the Keshwala lineage of Saurashtra was looked upon there, as the original (adya or asl) Mers.

The majority of the Mers in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh worked in small factories, textile mills and railways. A few were landholders and farmers. They spoke various Hindi dialects, and had a material culture differing widely from that of the Mers of Saurashtra, who speak a variant of Gujarati dialects in the villages.

The social structure of the Mers of Saurashtra is marked by customs of bilateral cross-cousin marriage, junior sororate. The Mers of Saurashtra have fourteen exogamous lineages. It appears that there is probably no group of Mers in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh who practise symmetrical cross-cousin marriage.

Lineages

The Mers are divided into 14 exogamous lineages. Each of these lineages (referred to as Sakas) is further divided to minor or major segments (clans) distributed in a number of villages (gotras). Some of these segments are names after names of the villages inhabited by the people of that segment. Out of the 14 lineages, four are outstanding in status on account of their population, land ownership and historical standing in the composition of the Mer community. These four lineages are: Keshwala, Sisodia, Odedra (Sumra) & Rajshakha whose descendants are settled largely in the villages of the highland located in the Porbandar region.

The other 10 lineages are: Parmar, Vaghela (Waghela), Chudasama, Chauhan, Bhatti, Vala, Jadeja, Solanki, Chavda & Vadher who largely inhabit the villages in the lowland located in Ranavava & Kutiana area.

The Rajput Mer Lineages

• Keshwala (Suryavanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Antrolia & Erda
• Sisodia (Suryavanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Modhvadia, Godhania, Khastriya, Ranavaya, Kuchhadia & Haddiya
• Odedra (also known as Sumra/Soomro/Soomra/Sumrah/Sumera) (Agnivanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Visana
• Rajshakha (Suryavanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Khunti, Karavadra, Gorania, Sundavadra, Bokhiriya, Selor, Selan & Jethwa
• Parmar (Agnivanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Mahiyaria, Balega, Mandera, Pata & Gorsera
• Jadeja (Yaduvanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Kadcha, Tarkhala, Ratia & Kadegia
• Vala (Suryavanshi)
• Vada
  • Subdivisions: Muliyashiya, Khimdaniya, Bapodra-(Mashani) Amar, Agath, Mihikiya, Timmasiya, Bhetakiya
• Chauhan (Agnivanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Gareja
• Vadher (Suryavanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Vadar & Bajigiya
• Chavda (Chandravanshi)
  • Subdividions: Bhatti,Bapodra,Bhutiya & Bhadia)
• Chudasama (Yaduvanshi)
• Solanki (Agnivanshi)
  • Subdivisions: Timba, Divrania, Sida, Bhogesra, Juneja & Waghela
• Vaghela (Agnivanshi)
• Bhatti (Yaduvanshi)

Colonial observations

Colonel Dixon’s portrait on the Mer character:

“	He dilates in their fidelity, truth, and honesty, their determined valour, their simple loyalty, and an extreme and almost touching devotion when put upon their honour. Strong as is the bond of kindred among the Mhairs, he vouches for their fidelity in guarding even their own relatives as prisoners when formally entrusted to their care	”
—From The Indian Empire: Its History, People and Products By Sir William Wilson Hunter[7]

Distribution

Rajput Mers of Kathiwar

After coming to Saurashtra it appears that the Mers must have come in contact with the Rajput families. The surnames must have been adopted by the Mers as they offered and accepted daughters from those of Rajput families. It also looks very strange that we find surnames like – Valas a surname which is known to be one of the principal branches of Kathis. It is very strange things to see how fusions of castes have come into being.

The language of these Mers is very strong, and can sound harsh in tone. The dialect of Gujarati spoken has a very apparent Rajasthani influence, this is perhaps due to the Rajputs in the caste who have ancestry in the desert region.

Religion

The Mers are Hindus; They worship Hindu gods and goddesses and observe all the major Hindu festivals. They have their own temple for the community members. Each clan has its own clan Goddess worshipped by the head of the household on various occasions, The clans deity separates one clan from the other. They makes special offerings to her during the Navratri festival in the month of Aswin (September – October).

Kuldevi

The kuldevi has a crucial role in the religious lives of Mer men and women: she is the foremost divine guardian of their fortune and honour. Many of the myths that recount the miraculous deeds she performs as guardian not only make wonderful reading they abound in romance, intrigue, danger, and conquest they also give access to the worldview of Mer women.

A goddess begins her career as a kuldevi when she becomes incarnate at a critical point in time in order to rescue an endangered group of Mer whom she judges worthy of her protection. In most cases she reveals herself to their leader and inspires him to surmount whatever problems he and his followers face. Afterward she helps him establish a kingdom, at which point he and his relatives become the founders of a kinship branch (kul or shakh ) with a discrete political identity. Later the kuldevi intermittently manifests her presence by helping the group overcome other military and political crises. These manifestations are celebrated in myths chronicling the origins and early achievements of the Mer groups that kuldevis protect.

Because when a woman marries she loses membership in her father's kul and becomes a member of her husband's kul , she is expected to worship the kuldevi who protects its members. Thus, the very first thing a bride must do when she enters her husband's household is to give respect (dhok ) to her new kuldevi . This is a caste norm; every Mer must loyally propitiate the kuldevi who has accompanied the family's kul into battle.

Deities

Ramdev/Rama Pir

Bhagvan Ramdevji Maharaj was a Tunvar Rajput regarded by Hindus as the incarnation of Lord Krishna who tried to rid the world of sin and hatred-he is known as the 'dhori dhaja' carrier which shows he was a warrior deity who bought innocence and bravery here. History goes that five Pirs from Mecca came to test his miraculous powers and after being convinced, paid their homage to him. Since then he is venerated by Muslims as Ramshahpir or Ramapir.

The fame of Ramapir reached far and wide. He believed in the equality of all human beings, both high and low, rich and poor. He helped the down trodden by granting them their wishes. Bhagvan Ramdevji Maharaj took samadhi (conscious exit from the mortal body.) in 1459A.D. Maharaj Ganga Singh of Bikaner constructed a temple around the samadhi in 1931A.D. The devotees of Ramdevpir offer rice, coconuts, churma and toy wooden horses to Ramdevji. The samadhi temple is in Ramdevra, Rajasthan.

Vachhada Dada

Vachhada Dada was of the Darbar caste and he was of Rajput origin, he became a Survir in seven births. Every time he went to get married Muslims would come and take the cattle and kill them and they would do this whilst Vachra dada was walking around the fire getting married (pheras) it is said that he never managed to finish his pheras and he never got married

The medium man (bhuva) of Vachhada Dada is approached for diagnosis and curing of disease among men and animals. When a family member, a cow, a buffalo etc. falls ill or dies, it is believed that the spirit of an ancestor had been annoyed because of neglect of timely worship, lack of offering ritual food and respect. When someone is harassed by an evil spirit, a medium man of Vachhada Dada is consulted. If the evil spirit tries to evade the commands of Vachhada Dada, the medium man threatens to punish the spirit by inciting against it the wrath of this powerful deity.

Vachhada Dada sits on a white Kathiawari horse with a snake at his feet and a flaming sword in his hands. He is worshipped by Kheruds (Gujarati word for farmer) to protect their cattle and keep their crops thriving. Many temples/deras can be found in Gujarat devoted to him.

Folk culture

Mers perform their own unique style of dandiya raas, a traditional folk dance common in Gujarat. Mer Raas is unique in style, pace and athletiscm. The dance is seen by historians to resemble strikes in battle, and is revered internationally.^{[citation needed]}

They are distinguished by tattoos on both men and women.

Food and drink

The main diet of the Maher caste consists of roti (or chapati), made from flour; sak (a curry made from various vegetables, mainly featuring potatoes); and a wide variety of beans and lentils. Rotalo is a favourite among older people. Khisdi is another popular dish; it is simple to make and consists of rice, lentils and sometimes butter. Homemade pickles with various ingredients (including carrots, mangoes and chili peppers) and salads (with cucumbers, spring onions and chili peppers) are also enjoyed. Milk, sash (or lassi) and mango pulp are popular drinks; sweets are usually reserved for guests.

For special occasions (weddings, birthdays, Diwali and other festivals), many foods are served which are not part of the daily diet – methias (sweets), jalebi, gulab jambu, peda and munthar.

Politics

All India Mer Conference was held on 27th and 28th of the month February, 1955 at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. In local language, it was called Akhil Baratiya Mer Parishad. The Conference was attended to by about fifty Mer leaders from Saurashtra and nearly two thousand Mers from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Maldhev Ranabhai Keshwala, the distinguished Mer leader of Saurashtra inaugurated and presided over the function. Maldev Bapu as he was popularly called, addressed the gathering in Hindi, a part of which transliterated and present below:

“Dear friends” Since centuries, our ancestors ruled Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Saurashtra by the dint of their unity, solidarity and physical power. They served the people as rules and became famous for their popular rule in neighbouring states. History provides ample evidence of this. We the children of Unuh, (a powerful Mer ancestor), have today gathered together here for the upliftment of our community. I am glad to welcome you and to have the opportunity of inviting you to stand on a common platform in order to strengthen the bonds of unity and brotherhood among all Mers. I have no words to express my heartiest thanks for the honour you have given me to preside over this function and to guide the deliberations”

He then briefly described the socio-economic conditions of the Mers of Saurashtra, and indicated as to how they were trying to raise the educational status of the Mers by running a Mer Students Boarding House in Porbandar, and encouraged young boys from villages to avail of better occupational opportunities. This , he said had helped in having created a group of highly qualified people such as barristers, doctors, advocates, engineers and a few other specialist and professionals among the Mers, Referring to the historical past of the Mers, he said that the historians called them Maitraka, meaning descendants of the son of God. He also stated “Among the Gurjars we were known as Mihir. In fact we all are Rajputs, and are counted as one of the thirty six clans of the Rajputs.”

The conference noted that the Mers of Saurashtra were the most advanced, while the Mers of various groups in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were relatively backward. The Conference therefore, recommended that a strong social reform movement to improve rules and regulations of the caste phanayats in the latter two states (Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh) should be started as quickly as possible. Four resolutions were also passed at the conference, viz. against dowry, drinking and other social evils prevalent among the Mers living in all the regions.

Notables

Nagarjun Karsan Sisodiya - A freedom fighter who gave his life for the sake of a nation. Maldev Ranabhai Keshwala - A spiritual leader and foremost a freedom fighter of distinction within the Rajput Mer community of Kathiawar. Maldevji Odedra - Noted jurist and socio-political leader, former M.P., Finance Minister and president of Gujarat Congress Organisation.

See also

• Ajmer-Merwara
• Hinduism
• Kathiawar
• Baba Ramdevji
• Kshatriya
• Sisodia
• Maitraka
• Vallabhi
• Pratap Singh, Maharana of Mewar
• Maiya
• Sindhi Rajput
• Mair Rajputs of Punjab
• Rajput
• Rajput clans

References

1. ^ K.C. Das (2008). Global encyclopaedia of the West Indian dalit's ethnography. Global Vision Publishing Ho. pp. 279–. ISBN 9788182202610. http://books.google.com/books?id=uRDOOYwhCl8C&pg=PA279. Retrieved 27 June 2011. 
2. ^ James Tod (1899). The annals and antiquities of Rajastʾhan: or the central and western Rajpoot states of India. Indian Publication Society. pp. 1169–. http://books.google.com/books?id=-P_fAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA1169. Retrieved 27 June 2011. 
3. ^ Hoskyn, 1922 pp. 22
4. ^ Nadvi 1955, p73-75
5. ^ Hoskyn, 1922, p. 115-117, and Elliot, Ibid., p. 519
6. ^ [1] "Civil Hospital planned as world's biggest hospital" The Times Of India, September 25, 2008. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
7. ^ The Horse in the Ancient World Ann Hyland, 2002 Sutton Publ.,p161

Keshwala, Maldev Ranabhai (1935-1955), Maher Jawan Mardo (Brave Maher Soldiers) . Trivedi, Dr. Harshad R. (1961), The Mers of Saurashtra - A Profile of Social, Economic and Political Status., Devika Publications, ISBN 81-86557-20-2 . Trivedi, Dr. Harshad Ramchandra (1986), The Mers of Saurashtra - Revisited and studied in th Light of Socio-Cultural and Cross Cousin Marriage., Naurang Rai, ISBN 82-359-9978-1 . Tod, James (1996), Rajput tales: adapted and abridged from Tod's Annals and antiquities of Rajasthan., Cosmo Publications, Delhi, India, ISBN 81-7020-753-3 . Singhji, Dr. Virbhadra (1994), The Rajputs of Saurashtra, Sangam Books Limited, ISBN 0 86232-327-0 . Hunter, Sir William Wilson (1886), The Indian Empire: Its History, People and Products, Trübner & Co, ISBN 0-415-23188-4 . Gustove, Gustav Salomon Oppert (1888), The Dravidians (On the Original Inhabitants of Bharatvarsha Or India: On the Original, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 81-206-0348-6 . Elliot, Henry Miers (1877), The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians: The Muhammadan Period, Trübner, ISBN 0-543-94718-1 .

External links

• Ramapir Website
• Maheronline a resource for Maher community worldwide
• North American Maher Community (NAMC)
• UK Mahers
• Birmingham Mahers Website
• The Mair Rajputs of Punjab
• Rajput Encyclopedia Britannica; 1911
• British Association of Rajputs
• RajputIndia.com
• The Mewar Encyclopedia
• Ek Tha Raja
• Origin of Rajputs
• Rajput Vansh and Clans
• Marwari Horse
• Indian Princely States
• Scythic Origin of the Rajput Race
• Rajasthan and the Rajputs
• Rajput Blog Spot