Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha also known as All India Kshatriya Mahasabha was founded in the year 1897 It was formed to promote, protect and fight for rights and interests of

Kshatriya Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

community of the Indian society.

Early years

After

Revolt of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

position of many

Taluqdar Taluqdars or Talukdar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: ; Perso-Arabic: , ; from ''taluq'' "estate/attachment" + '' dar'' "owner"), were aristocrats who formed the ruling class during the Delhi Sultanate, Bengal Sultanate, Mughal Empire and British Raj ...

s and Rajput Estate Holders, who supported the revolutionists or participated with them were compromised. The British impounded many of their lands and properties and they were taxed with heavy fines. Raja Hanumant Singh, the Chief of

Kalakankar Kalakankar is a village in Pratapgarh district of Indian state Uttar Pradesh. Kalakankar was a zamindari in British India. The famous Hindi poet Sumitranandan Pant Sumitranandan Pant (20 May 1900 – 28 December 1977) was an Indian poet. ...

was one such Taluqdar, who was dispossessed of his many properties for supporting Revolt of 1857. Raja Hanumant Singh, realized a pan India organization was necessary to put the voice and injustice faced by their community. He founded the association with other

s of

Oudh The Oudh State (, also Kingdom of Awadh, Kingdom of Oudh, or Awadh State) was a princely state in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the British in 1856. The name Oudh, now obsolete, was once the anglicized name of ...

and organization named the ''Ram Dal'' in the year 1857. It was renamed ''Kshatriya Hitkarni Sabha'' in 1860. The association was thus formed to protect and fight for rights and interest of Rajput communities. ''Kshatriya Mahasabha'' is successor to the ''Kshatriya Hitkarni Sabha'', which was renamed ''Kshatriya Mahasabha'' 1897 under the leadership of Raja Balwant Singh of Awagarh with Thakur Umarao Singh of Kotla, Raja Rampal Singh of Kalakankar and

Raja Uday Pratap Singh Kunwar Raghuraj Pratap Singh (born 31 October 1969), popularly known as Raja Bhaiya, is an Indian politician. He is an MLA in the 18th Uttar Pradesh Assembly from his native local assembly constituency Kunda on Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) tic ...

Bhinga Bhinga is a town, Nagar Palika and district headquarter of Shravasti district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Geography Bhinga is located at . It has an average elevation of 120 metres (393 feet).Shravasti shares its border with ...

. Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha came into existence on 19 Oct 1897, creating a platform to promote the cause of the Kashatriyas and

Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

s A news letter called ' Rajput Monthly' was launched in 1898. The association had its first conference in the

Boarding House at Agra. Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh of Jammu & Kashmir sponsored the launching of an

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

. At that time the

princely states A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...

rulers and large

zamindar A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...

s held the sway and they started various schools and colleges in their territories for education and giving preference to students of Kshatriya community. However, after independence, the situation changed dramatically for the upper Kshatriya caste and its influential members. The

were merged into the Union of India and later

Zamindari A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...

was also abolished and association was directionless, immediately after independence of India in 1947. However, under president ship of Babu Ram Narayan a prominent Rajput politician from Bihar, meeting was held at

Ujjain Ujjain (, Hindustani language, Hindustani pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, �d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Prad ...

in the year 1955 and association was revived.

Centenary

The centenary celebration of the association was held in 1987 at

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

under president-ship of Raja Digvijaysinhji Prajapsinhji Jhala.

Activities

Re-conversion of Muslim Rajputs

In year 1922 under chairmanship of

Raja Nahar Singh Raja Nahar Singh (died 1858) was a Jat Ruler of the princely state of Ballabhgarh in Faridabad District of Haryana, India . He fought The East India Company in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The small kingdom of Ballabhgarh is only 20 miles fro ...

the organization took pioneering decision to bring back 4 lakh converted

Muslim Rajputs Muslim Rajputs are the descendants of Rajputs of Northern regions of the Indian subcontinent who are followers of Islam. They converted from Hinduism to Islam from the medieval period in India onwards, retaining historically Hindu surnames suc ...

back into

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

fold by way of purification ritual. The historic meeting, where the decision was taken, was held at

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is ...

on 31 December 1922. Later on, under guidance of

Madan Mohan Malviya Madan Mohan Malaviya ( (25 December 1861 — 12 November 1946) was an Indian scholar, educational reformer and politician notable for his role in the Indian independence movement. He was president of the Indian National Congress four times and ...

thousands were brought back in to the Hindu fold after purification. Inspired by this pioneering effort of the Kshatriya Mahasabha, a few months later at

Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha The Hindu Mahasabha (officially Akhil Bhārat Hindū Mahāsabhā, ) is a Hindu nationalist political party in India. Founded in 1915, the Mahasabha functioned mainly as a pressure group advocating the interests of orthodox Hindus before the B ...

, which was founded by Madan Mohan Mavaiya himself, in its 1923 annual meet at

Kashi Kashi or Kaashi may refer to: Places * Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India **Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas **Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi * Kashgar, a cit ...

also passed similar resolution to bring back converted Muslims in to Hindu fold by purification rites

Role in Resolution of Jagirdari Act

During the years 1952-1954, the institution played a pivotal role in respect to ''Jagirdari Case''. The writs were filed in

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

with respect to Resumption of Jagirdari Act. The Supreme Court of India accepted the role of Mahasabha, as a central co-ordinator in this case. The Prime Minister of India,

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

advised

Govind Vallabh Pant Govind Ballabh Pant (10 September 1887 – 7 March 1961) was an Indian freedom fighter and the first chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Alongside Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabh Bhai Patel, Pant was a key figure in the movement fo ...

, the earstwhile Chief Minister of Uttar Paradesh to negotiate with Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha to end the stalemate.

Demanding Reservation on Economic Basis

As back as in year 1980 the association demanded that reservation should be given on economic basis rather than on caste basis. Again in the year 2001, a memorandum containing lacs of signatures was submitted to Hon'ble President of India through District Collectors, demanding reservation on economic basis rather than on caste basis. A nationwide

rath yatra Ratha Yatra (), or Chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. The term particularly refers to the annual Ratha Yatra in Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and other East Indian states, particularly the Odia festival that involve a ...

from

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...

Kanyakumari Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...

demanding reservation on economic basis rather than on caste basis was flagged off in October 2010, which ended in March 2011.

Successful agitation for declaration of birthday of Maharana Pratap as public holiday

In the year 2013 Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha started an agitation and demanded with Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh,

Akhilesh Yadav Akhilesh is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Akhilesh Das (1961–2017), educationist, professor, Indian politician and philanthropist * Akhilesh K. Gaharwar (born 1982), Indian academic and Professor at Texas A&M University * ...

to announce a public holiday on 9 May, as it is the birth anniversary of legendary warrior

Maharana Pratap Pratap Singh I, popularly known as Maharana Pratap (c. 9 May 1540 – 19 January 1597), was a king of Mewar from the Sisodia dynasty. Pratap became a folk hero for his military resistance against the expansionism of the Mughal Empire under A ...

, similar in line with

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...

and

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

, where 9 May is a public holiday. After continuous efforts of two years, finally in 2015 Uttar Pradesh government, declared Maharana Pratap Jayanti a public holiday on May 9 every year.

Raising Issues of Atrocities on Rajputs

The association is today active in raising the issues related to Thakur and Rajput community, for example in 2004 is launched a major campaign for released of various Thakur caste members jailed by Mayavati government. The organization has strong presence in

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...

The organization is known for taking up the rights, issues and cases related to Rajput and Kshatriya members of its own or together with other Kshatriya organizations in India like

Karni Sena Karni Sena (; ), known as Shri Rajput Karni Sena (, : ), is an organisation based in Rajasthan, India. Founded by Lokendra Singh Kalvi and led by Mahipal Singh Makrana, Vishwabandhu Singh Rathore and others. It takes its name from Karni Mata, ...

, Hadoti Mahasabha.

Publication of Books

The organization also helps publish well researched books on Rajput history and kings like Prithiviraj Chauhan,

and other articles. The ''Kshtra Dharma'' magazine published by them has been edited by historians like Raghuvir Sinh and saints like

Krishnananda Saraswati Swami Krishnananda Saraswati (25 April 1922 – 23 November 2001) was a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati and served as the General Secretary of the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India from 1958 until 2001. Author of more than 40 texts, ...

Past Presidents

There are several notable persons since its inception, have headed the organization.Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha website
/ref> * Raja Balwant Singh of Awagadh - 1897 * Maharaja Sahab Rampal Singh of

- 1899 * Maharaja Sir Partap Singh of Jammu & Kashmir -1902 & 1913 * Lt. Col. Partap Singh of Idar - 1903 * General Maharaja Sir Ganga Singh of Bikaner - 1904 *

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

Kaushal Kishor Singh of Manjholi - 1906 * Raja Pratap Bahadur Singh of Partapgarh -1907 * Maharaja Sir Jaswant Singh of

Sailana Sailana is a town in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Sailana is from Ratlam city and away from Banswara district of the neighboring state of Rajasthan. Sailana was once the capital of the Sailana State before it merged ...

- 1911 * Maharaja Dhalip Singh of

- 1920 * Maharajadhiraj Sir Nahar Singhji of Shahapura -1922 * Rao Sahab Gopal Singh Kharwa of

Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...

- 1924 * Maharaja Sawaj Jai Singhji of

Alwar Alwar (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, �lʋəɾ is a city located in India's National Capital Region (India), National Capital Region and the administrative headquarters of Alwar district, Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan. ...

- 1925 * Maharaja Sahab Sajjan Singh of Ratlam - 1929 * Maharaja Dhalip Singh of

- 1930 *

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

Ram Singh of

Orchha Orchha is a town, near city of Niwari in Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by rajput ruler Rudra Pratap Singh some time after 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of covering parts of c ...

- 1933 *Kunwar Saheb Sir Vijay Partap Singh of Bagla, 1940 *

Ram Ranvijay Partap Singh Bahadur of

Dumraon Dumraon is a town, near Buxar city and nagar parishad corresponding community development block in Buxar district in the Indian state of Bihar. Dumraon is one of Bihar's oldest municipalities and one of India's oldest princely states also know ...

- 1941 *Maharaja Kumar Vijay Anand of

Motihari Motihari is the headquarters of East Champaran district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Bihar. It is located District entry point and New City 40.09 kilometres Northeast Mehsi. north of the state capital Patna. Geograp ...

- 1942 * Raja Kamakhya Narayan Singh of

Ramgarh Ramgarh may refer to: Bangladesh * Ramgarh Upazila, a sub-district of Khagrachari District India * Ramgarh, Bihar, a village near Munger, Bihar * Ramgarh, Kaimur, a town in Kaimur district, Bihar * Ramgarh, Uttarakhand, a hill station in Nainital ...

- 1942 & 1953. * Maharaja Yadvendra Singh Judeo of Panna - 1946 * Maharaja Sawai Tej Singh of

- 1947 *Thakur Sahab Col. Maan Singhji Bhati of

Jodhpur Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the Ki ...

- 1948 * Babu Ram Narayan Singh of

Hazaribagh Hazaribagh is a city and a municipal corporation in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is considered as a health resort and is also popular for Hazaribagh ...

- 1955 * Maharawal Lakshman Singh of

Dungarpur Dungarpur is a city in the southernmost part of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dungarpur District. It is the fastest developing town in the southern part of Rajasthan, alongside Aspur ''tehsil''. History Dungarpu ...

- 1960 * Raja Shripal Singh of Singramau, Jaunpur - 1986 * Raja Dr. Digvijay Singhji of

Wankaner Wankaner is a city and a municipality in Morbi district in the State of Gujarat. Until 2013, Wankaner was part of the Rajkot district. Etymology The city was named after its location on the Machhu River, "Wankaner" translating to "riverbend" ( ...

- 1997 * Sh. Mahender Singh Tanwar - 2019

References

{{Reflist Hindu organisations based in India 1897 establishments in India Indian caste movements