Kadia Kshatriyas (also known as Gurjar Kshatriyas, Gurjar Kadia, Gurjar Kshatriya Kadia, Mistri, Kadia or Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas) are a minority group of the Hindu community in Gujarat State, India. They are group of different Kshatriya or Rajput clan bound together by their artistic skills of building forts, temples, palaces & other architects.[1]
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They are a community of Rajput warriors, who migrated from Rajasthan to the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in the early 7th century, fighting and repelling attacks from the North-West frontiers. Some of them later moved to the Kutch region of Gujarat in the 12th century.[2]
This group of warrior Rajput were skilled artisans and masons. They were expert in building forts, palaces, and temples, as well artistic carvings and sculpture. It was due to their special skills that they came to be known as Mistri or Kadia in Gujarat. Further, they are also identified along with Chunaras, as they were skilled in making lime.
The major families in this group belong to Kshatriya clans having the following surnames:Rathod, Solanki, Jethwa, Chavda, Chauhan, Vegad, Varu, Maru, Makwana, Chotaliya, Sawaria, Sarvaiyas, Yadav, Jadav, Chudasama, Vaghela, Parmar, Khodiyar, Gohil, Tank, Vadher, Padhiyar, Kacha, Bhalsod, Poria, Chitroda, Gangani, Kukadia, Raghwani, Ramparia, Shapriya, Javia, Khetani, Kholia, Malvi, Manani, Mavadia, Nanani, Ratnani and Gediya etc.[3][4]
Two major groups are at present found in Gujarat, one in Saurashtra (Halar Region) and another in Kutch Region, who are perhaps a branch of same group because they both same share common history, and their family members have common surnames.
One major community known as Kadia Kshatriyas or Gurjar Kshatriyas are found in Saurashtra, where they have founded thirty six villages in the Halar Region of Jamnagar district. The names of these villages are Ambala, Badanpur, Balambha, Bangaur, Bhimkata, Bhensdad, Bodka, Chavda, Dhrangdhra, Dhudkot, Dudhai, Fatsar, Jaiva, Jamsar, Jamyanthali, Jashapar, Jiragadh, Jivapar, Jodia, Kesia, Kharachia, Kotharia, Madhapar, Manamora, Manekpar, Manpar - Hirapar, Mavnagam, Meghpar, Morana, Padana, Rampar, Ranjitpar, Rohisada, Shampar, Untebshampar and Tankara.[5][6]
The Kadia Kshatriyas of Saurashtra also live in large numbers in Savarkundla, Dhrangadhra, Amreli, Rajula, Mahuva, Koliyak, Hajipur, Konjli, Bapda, Bhallar, Bhavnagar, Talaja, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Visavadar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Gondal, Dwarka, Ahmedabad cities of Saurashtra, Gujarat.
Outside Saurashtra their main population is in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Dhanbad, Jharia, etc.
Another group, who migrated to Kutch from Saurashtra in the 12th century, created their unique identity in the Princely State of Kutch and came to be known as Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas or Mistris of Kutch. They established themselves at the village of Dhaneti and later founded nineteen villages: Nagor, Reha, Ratnal, Vidi, Kukma, Anjar, Sinugra, Chandiya, Nagalpar, Khambhra, Lovaria, Hajapar, Madhapar, Galpadar, Kumbharia, Meghpar Khedoi, Jambudi and Devaliya.[7][8][9][10] The Bhuvad, Shenoi & Medai villages in Kutch were also founded by them.[11] So all together, they have founded twenty-three villages in Kutch. They are famous designers and architects of most of historic monuments of Kutch. In the mid-19th century they also established themselves as railway contractors and coal mine entrepreneurs, and became famous across India as Kutchi Contractor. They are famous designers and developers of buildings and bridges. Today the Mistris of Kutch are found in almost all States of India, where they migrated in decades of 1850-1900 for doing Railway Contracts.
Please refer to page Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas for their history and contributions in India.
The diaspora of this community can be found in all major British Colonies, where they migrated in the mid 19th century. The main diaspora are found in Burma, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Fiji, and South Africa. More recently, due to political instability in last few decades in many African countries, the community has migrated to United Kingdom, USA, Canada and other nations, while some have returned to India
The community is Hindu and have their clan's also worship their, individual Kuldevi or Kuldevta.
The Kadia Kshatriyas are strictly endogamous community, and practice the principle of clan endogamy.
The community is largely vegetarian in diet and avoid alcohol.