The Bhurtiya are a sub caste of the Hindu Ahir (Yadav) caste found in the state
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
in India. And are a sub-group within the larger Yadav community of India.
Origin
The Bhurtiya are a sub-division of the Ahir community.
Like other Ahirs, they claim descent from the god
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
. They are said to have immigrated to
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, where they were known as Chaurasia. About three centuries ago, these Chaurasia settled in
Awadh
Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...
. The etymology of the word Bhurtiya is that it is a corruption of the
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
word phurti, which means quickness. According to their tribal legends, an ancestor of the community was in such a rush, that she left her jewellery, and was given the nickname ''phurti'', and this name was given to her descendants. Over time this was said to be corrupted to Bhurtiya. They are found mainly in the districts of
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
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* The city has a syncretic t ...
,
Allahabad,
Meerut
Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...
and
Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...
.
Present circumstances
The Bhurtiya are divided into several
gotras, such as Bamaria, Bijlauria, Darariha, Dayarba, Duhilwar, Mankathiya, Nurara and Udyana. Marriages are prohibited within the gotra, and the Bhurtiya are strictly endogamous. They are a community of settled agriculturist, with animal husbandry being subsidiary occupation. Like other Ahirs, the community were traditionally graziers, rearing and breeding cattle. They still sell
ghee and other dairy products in the towns near their villages. The Bhurtiya are
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 ...
, and their tribal deities are Dulhadeo, Sheetla Devi and Panch Piria.
See also
*
Ahir clans
The Ahir (Sanskrit: Abhira) is a Hindu caste amongst large set of pastoral communities using ''Yadav'' word since late 19th century to early 20th century as part of Sanskritisation process. Quote: "The movement, which had a wide interregional sp ...
References
{{reflist
Ahir
Social groups of Uttar Pradesh