Mair Rajputs

The Mair are a Sunar caste found in northern India, which identify themselves as Mair Rajputs.^[1]

Caste politics

The Mair, and their fellow Sunar caste the Tanks, were represented by the Mair and Tank Kshatriya Rajput Sahaik Sabha, which in 1901 issued some arguments in support of their claims of being descendents of Rajput goldsmiths from Rajputana.^[2][3] British writer E. A. H. Blunt noted in 1931 that the Mair and Tank claims to Kshatriya status had never been "satisfactorily proved", but allowed that some Sonar sub-castes "may well be of Kshatriya descent", taking as evidence the high social status of goldsmiths.^[4]

Further reading

• Blunt, E.A.H. The Caste System of Northern India. Delhi: S. Chand & Co., 1969.
• Chattopadhyaya, Brajadulal. The Making of Early Medieval India. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1994.
• Ibbetson, Sir Denzil. Panjab Castes. Lahore: Superintendent, Gov't. Printing, Reprint 1916 (from 1883 original of 1881 census).
• Jain, Kailash Chand. Ancient Cities and Towns of Rajasthan. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1972.
• Rose, H.A. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. Lahore: Civil and Military Gazette Press, 1914.
• Saggar, Balraj. Who's Who in the History of Punjab: 1800-1849. New Delhi: National Book Organisation, 1993.
• Singh, K.S. National Series Volume VIII: Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames, & Titles. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1996.
• Srivastava, Ashirbadi Lal. The History of India: 1000 A.D.-1707 A.D. Jaipur, Shiva Lal Agarwala & Co., 1964.
• Walker, Benjamin. The Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. New York: Frederick Praeger, 1968.
• Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. 
• Chapter on "The Meds" from the book (available online): "The History of India as told by its own Historians. The Muhammadan Period", by Sir H. M. Elliot, Edited by John Dowson; London, Trubner Company; 1867–1877 Chapter on "The Meds" From the online version of this historical book, check all three pages of this chapter & Also see page: NOTE (C.).—ETHNOLOGICAL. Native Opinions on the Aborigines of Sind.

References

1. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=dRtYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA309&dq=mair+claim&hl=en&ei=9fh5TvrvI7LE0AHjhfjBAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=mair%20claim&f=false
2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=Th3Mu-_RwjQC&pg=PA440&dq=Mair+and+Tank+Kshatriya&hl=en&ei=xvl5TrrtOoLV0QHG6qytAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Mair%20and%20Tank%20Kshatriya&f=false
3. ^ [1] pg. 203 - in validating "lost" status, as in the following petition presented to the king by the Hindu Mair and Tank Kshatriya Rajput Sabha of Lahore (a caste of Sonars or goldsmiths)
4. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=mABr0B_Ah2QC&pg=PA211&dq=Mair+and+Tank+Kshatriya&hl=en&ei=xvl5TrrtOoLV0QHG6qytAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Mair%20and%20Tank%20Kshatriya&f=false