The Brahma Kshatri are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are also known as known as Brahma Kshatriya.[1]
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The word Brahma Kshatri literally means the warriors of the Brahmins. According to their traditions, they are descended from kshatriyas who took shelter with Maa Hingulaj to escape the wrath of Parshuram. The Brahma Kshatri have five endogamous groups based on territorial divisions. They are the Punjabi Brahma Kshatri, Sorathia Brahma Kshatri, Ahmedabad Brahma Kshatri and Kutch Brahma Kshatri. The Brahma Kshatri have a further six divisions, the Brahma Kshatri proper, the Chudgor, Dakhani, Dasa, Natravala, and Panch. Only the Brahma Kshatri proper and Dakhani interdine and intermarry.[2]
The community is said to have its origin in the city of Thatta, in what is now Pakistan. They are said to have left Thatta some five hundred years ago, with some groups settling in Kutch, while others settled in Ahmedabad and Amreli. The community is still found mainly in Kutch, particularly in Mandvi taluka, and speak the Kutchi language. The surname Rasputla belongs to this community.
The Brahma Kshatri are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy. They originally consisted of nine clans, which over time expanded to over ninety six clans. The original nine clans were the Mehra, Kapoor, Tandon, Soning, Talvai, Chopade, Bohra, Kakkad and Sethia.[3]
There traditional occupation was carpentry, with dyeing being a subsidiary occupation. A considerable number of Brahma Kshatri have migrated to East Africa and the Persian Gulf states. The majority of the community are now petty traders.[4]