The Baghela are a Raghav Agnivanshi clan of Rajputs.[1] They are found in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in India, and the province of Punjab in Pakistan.
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The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit word vyaghra, meaning a tiger. They are descended from Bagh Rao or Vyaghra Deva, son of Rai Jai Singh, the Chalukya ruler of Anhalwara Pattan. The Baghela emigrated from Gujerat under Vyaghra Deva, and settled in the upper valleys of the Sone; the region is now known as Baghelkhand. They were rulers of the princely state of Rewa.[2] The clan is divided into two gotras, the Kashyap and the Bharadwaj.
The Baghela or of Punjab are said to have emigrated from Gujerat with the Kathias, another Rajput tribe, and are seen in that province as clan of the Kathias.[3] They, like other Rajputs of Punjab, have converted to Islam.
They are found mainly in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Madhya Pradesh, and also in Kaimur district of Bihar. In UP, they are found in the districts of Farrukhabad, Banda, and Allahabad districts. In Madhya Pradesh, they are found mainly in the Baghelkhand region, and Rewa is a stronghold of the tribe.
In Punjab, they occupy a few villages near the town of Kamalia, Ahmed Baghela being the most important one.
In Bihar, Baghela are living in Kaimur district, especially around NH-2 and Pusauli Railway Station.