Khandayat (caste)

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'''Khandayat''', also spelled '''Khandait''', is a cultivating caste,<ref>{{cite book |last=Bailey |first=Frederick George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VNHRWtDWsRIC&pg=PA132 |title=Politics and Social Change |publisher=University of California Press |year=1970 |page=132}}</ref><ref name="Congress1997" /> as well as a peasant militia <ref name="Congress1997" /> or landed militia caste from [[Odisha]], East India.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hayami |first1=Yōko |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-VeAAAAAMAAJ |title=Gender and Modernity: Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific |last2=Tanabe |first2=Akio |last3=Tokita-Tanabe |first3=Yumiko |date=2003 |publisher=Kyoto University Press |isbn=978-4-87698-451-0 |page=68 |language=en |quote=land that had been granted to chiefs (dalabehera), sub-chiefs (dalai), and peasant foot-soldiers (paik) – primarily of the Khandayat caste.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Pati|first=Rabindra Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_5seKkk3GkIC&q=Khandayat+landed+militia&pg=PA116|title=Family Planning|date=2008|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-313-0352-8|language=en}}</ref> Some of them had earlier served as feudal chiefs as well as zamindars apart from being land holders and agriculturalists.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ernst |first1=Waltraud |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eKbW3ukh9oC |title=India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism |last2=Pati |first2=Biswamoy |date=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-11988-2 |page=89 |language=en |quote=As highlighted above, most of the chiefs, zamindars, privileged tenure holders were Kshatriyas/Khandayats{{snd}}this marked them out as rulers.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhola |first=Sudhira Chandra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4eLsAAAAMAAJ |title=British Economic Policy in Orissa |date=1990 |publisher=Discovery Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7141-075-0 |page=179 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Samal |first=J. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NO4xIxxt0kYC |title=Economic History of Orissa, 1866–1912 |date=1990 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-218-9 |page=vii |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Patnaik |first=Nihar Ranjan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1AA9W9_4Z9gC |title=Economic History of Orissa |date=1997 |publisher=Indus Publishing |isbn=978-81-7387-075-0 |pages=157 |language=en |quote=These estates were generally held by Khandayat militia chiefs who earlier served the Gajapati Kings.}}</ref> Numerically they are the largest caste of the state.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ktksAAAAIAAJ&q=khandayat+largest+caste+in+odisha |title=Punjab Journal of Politics |date=1986 |publisher=Department of Political Science, Guru Nanak Dev University. |pages=88 |language=en}}</ref> During British raj, they ruled many tributary states in Odisha, including [[Khordha district|Khordha]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Samal |first=J. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NO4xIxxt0kYC |title=Economic History of Orissa, 1866–1912 |date=1990 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-218-9 |page=37 |language=en |quote=In recognition to their ancient lineage and to secure their loyalty, the rights of Raja Of Khurdha and of all other principal khandayats to hold their states at permanent quint rents were recognised by the settlement officers and by the government.}}</ref> Khandayat is recognized as a Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC or state OBC) in Orissa, but categorised as a Forward Caste by the central Government of India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Odisha to include 22 castes in state OBC list |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/odisha-to-include-22-castes-in-state-obc-list-101674372901930.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=List of SEBC in Orissa |url=https://oscbc.odisha.gov.in/home/ListOfSEBC/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-12-03 |title=Centre&rsquo;s no to Orissa on including Khandayat caste in OBC list |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Centrersquos-no-to-Orissa-on-including-Khandayat-caste-in-OBC-list/article16851310.ece |access-date=2025-07-04 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

'''Khandayat''', also spelled '''Khandait''', is a cultivating caste,<ref>{{cite book |last=Bailey |first=Frederick George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VNHRWtDWsRIC&pg=PA132 |title=Politics and Social Change |publisher=University of California Press |year=1970 |page=132}}</ref><ref name="Congress1997" /> as well as a peasant militia <ref name="Congress1997" /> or landed militia caste from [[Odisha]], East India.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hayami |first1=Yōko |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-VeAAAAAMAAJ |title=Gender and Modernity: Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific |last2=Tanabe |first2=Akio |last3=Tokita-Tanabe |first3=Yumiko |date=2003 |publisher=Kyoto University Press |isbn=978-4-87698-451-0 |page=68 |language=en |quote=land that had been granted to chiefs (dalabehera), sub-chiefs (dalai), and peasant foot-soldiers (paik) – primarily of the Khandayat caste.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Pati|first=Rabindra Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_5seKkk3GkIC&q=Khandayat+landed+militia&pg=PA116|title=Family Planning|date=2008|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-313-0352-8|language=en}}</ref> Some of them had earlier served as feudal chiefs as well as zamindars apart from being land holders and agriculturalists.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ernst |first1=Waltraud |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eKbW3ukh9oC |title=India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism |last2=Pati |first2=Biswamoy |date=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-11988-2 |page=89 |language=en |quote=As highlighted above, most of the chiefs, zamindars, privileged tenure holders were Kshatriyas/Khandayats{{snd}}this marked them out as rulers.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhola |first=Sudhira Chandra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4eLsAAAAMAAJ |title=British Economic Policy in Orissa |date=1990 |publisher=Discovery Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7141-075-0 |page=179 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Samal |first=J. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NO4xIxxt0kYC |title=Economic History of Orissa, 1866–1912 |date=1990 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-218-9 |page=vii |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Patnaik |first=Nihar Ranjan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1AA9W9_4Z9gC |title=Economic History of Orissa |date=1997 |publisher=Indus Publishing |isbn=978-81-7387-075-0 |pages=157 |language=en |quote=These estates were generally held by Khandayat militia chiefs who earlier served the Gajapati Kings.}}</ref> Numerically they are the largest caste of the state.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ktksAAAAIAAJ&q=khandayat+largest+caste+in+odisha |title=Punjab Journal of Politics |date=1986 |publisher=Department of Political Science, Guru Nanak Dev University. |pages=88 |language=en}}</ref> During British raj, they ruled many tributary states in Odisha, including [[Khordha district|Khordha]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Samal |first=J. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NO4xIxxt0kYC |title=Economic History of Orissa, 1866–1912 |date=1990 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-218-9 |page=37 |language=en |quote=In recognition to their ancient lineage and to secure their loyalty, the rights of Raja Of Khurdha and of all other principal khandayats to hold their states at permanent quint rents were recognised by the settlement officers and by the government.}}</ref> Khandayat is recognized as a Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC or state OBC) in Orissa.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Odisha to include 22 castes in state OBC list |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/odisha-to-include-22-castes-in-state-obc-list-101674372901930.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=List of SEBC in Orissa |url=https://oscbc.odisha.gov.in/home/ListOfSEBC/}}</ref>

== Etymology ==

== Etymology ==

Mughal chronicler Ain-i-Akbari gave a clear picture of Odisha after the breakdown of the Gajapati Empire. It mentioned different forts ruled by Khandayat Zamindars along with their King Mukund Dev.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_vst2u9kBxgC |title=Mughal India According to European Travel Accounts: Texts and Studies |date=1997 |publisher=Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science. Indiana University |pages=111–112 |language=en |quote=They (the zamindars) are of the castes Khandait and telinga, Kinsmen of Mukund Dev.}}</ref>

Mughal chronicler Ain-i-Akbari gave a clear picture of Odisha after the breakdown of the Gajapati Empire. It mentioned different forts ruled by Khandayat Zamindars along with their King Mukund Dev.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_vst2u9kBxgC |title=Mughal India According to European Travel Accounts: Texts and Studies |date=1997 |publisher=Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science. Indiana University |pages=111–112 |language=en |quote=They (the zamindars) are of the castes Khandait and telinga, Kinsmen of Mukund Dev.}}</ref>

The British conquered Odisha in 1803 and implemented land reforms to increase tax revenue. As part of the adminstration and military, Khandayats enjoyed tax-free lands in Khurda Kingdom in strictly military tenure. But after their Paika Rebellion, they lost most of the free-hold lands.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hayami |first=Yōko |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=-VeAAAAAMAAJ |title=Gender and Modernity: Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific |last2=Tanabe |first2=Akio |last3=Tokita-Tanabe |first3=Yumiko |date=2003 |publisher=Kyoto University Press |isbn=978-4-87698-451-0 |pages=68 |language=en |quote=Land that had been granted to chiefs (dalabehera), sub-chiefs (dalai), and peasant foot-soldiers (paik) – primarily of the Khandayat caste was confiscated along with other land that the british considered to have been given for political offices that were abolished under the new regime}}</ref>

The British conquered Odisha in 1803 and implemented land reforms to increase tax revenue. Khandayats enjoyed tax-free lands in Khurda Kingdom in strictly military tenure. But after their Paika Rebellion, they lost most of the free-hold lands.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hayami |first=Yōko |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=-VeAAAAAMAAJ |title=Gender and Modernity: Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific |last2=Tanabe |first2=Akio |last3=Tokita-Tanabe |first3=Yumiko |date=2003 |publisher=Kyoto University Press |isbn=978-4-87698-451-0 |pages=68 |language=en |quote=Land that had been granted to chiefs (dalabehera), sub-chiefs (dalai), and peasant foot-soldiers (paik) – primarily of the Khandayat caste was confiscated along with other land that the british considered to have been given for political offices that were abolished under the new regime}}</ref>

During British rule, some wealthy people from communities such as [[Adivasi]]s, [[Bhuyan]]s, [[Chasa (caste)|Chasas]], and [[Agharia]]s started identifying as Khandayats in order to gain status, distance themselves from their original castes/communities, and exploit [[Zamindar]] land rights.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ernst|first1=Waltraud|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eKbW3ukh9oC|title=India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism|last2=Pati|first2=Biswamoy|date=2007|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-11988-2|pages=89|language=en}}</ref>

During British rule, some wealthy people from communities such as [[Adivasi]]s, [[Bhuyan]]s, [[Chasa (caste)|Chasas]], and [[Agharia]]s started identifying as Khandayats in order to gain status, distance themselves from their original castes/communities, and exploit [[Zamindar]] land rights.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ernst|first1=Waltraud|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9eKbW3ukh9oC|title=India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism|last2=Pati|first2=Biswamoy|date=2007|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-11988-2|pages=89|language=en}}</ref>