Mahyavanshi are a scheduled caste of India, who were originally identified as Vankars, Mahars and Holiyas but started a successful movement in the early 20th Century to establish their identity as a branch of Mayavat Rajputs. The community members are mainly located in regions of Gujarat, Maharashta, Daman and Rajasthan.
The new nomenclature of Mahyavanshi was given to them via a Government of India circular in the year 1939, due largely to the efforts of K. M. Munshi, then Home Minister of Bombay and Dr. Purshottam Solanki, representative of Depressed Classes of Gujarat, who stressed that Mahyavanshis are descendats of Rajputs.[1][2][3][4][5] Later on in year 1968, vied a Government of India circular, the of Daman, were also given the status of Mahyavanshi after the liberation of Daman from Portuguese.[1][2][3][4][5]
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A prominent figure in re-writing the new history of Mahyavanshis was Makanji Kuber Makwana, who wrote several works on the ancient history of Mahyavnashi and linking them with the Mayavat Rajputs (a branch of Parmara clan), and started a new social movement to "regain" their Rajput and Kshatriya status.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
In the 1930s-40s many Dalit communities were active in changing their caste name and social status to Rajput: Rohits from Khalpa to Rohit, others like to Mahyavanshis, Garua to Guru and Bhangi to Rishi. Of these, only the Mahyavanshis were successful in getting official recognition from British Government of India to get a change of name from and Vankar, and gain Kshatriya status officially. The Mashyavanshis were able to mobilize public opinion and procured support for their cause from both from British and Indian leaders.[4]
The historical research books published like:
all written in Gujarati by Makanji Kuber Makwana (1849–1924), in which he tried to establish that or Vankars were originally Mayavat Rajputs and should be recognised as Mahyavanshis. These books also helped them get the Rajput status.[2][4] [6]
Dr. Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, in a 1931 lecture stressed that the Mahyavanshi were the descendents of the Hattiavanshi king Arjuna, arguing that because of the slaughter of Parsuram they were relegated to a lower caste.[4][5][7]
The Mahyavanshis are primarily divided in to exogenous clan: Pardinar, Danania, Katharia, Barodia, Chaseia or Surti, Gohel, Parmar, Rathod, Wadekar, Makwana, Solanki and Vaghela.[1]
Many Mahyavanshi customs are Rajput in origin:[7] They have following customs in their caste, which point towards that they are of Rajput origin:-[7][8]