The Muslim Rajputs

Recently, on a trip to Kanpur's dehat region, I chanced upon a unique community of Rajputs, known as the Gautamanas. The unique thing about this community is that it consists of both Hindus and Muslims, whose common ancestry binds them together. Even the Muslims in the community take pride in their Rajput origins and prefer to call themselves Thakurs. The Gautamanas are a good example of communal solidarity and an even better example of how even in a village, Hindu-Muslim customs can fuse, to create a unique identity for a community.

Click here to read about the Gautamana community.