Gopa (Ahir)
Kuladevta (male)Shri Krishna
ReligionsHinduism
LanguagesVaries depending on region
Populated statesIndia and Nepal
SubdivisionsKrishnaut, Majhraut, Sadgop, Kannaujia, Gauriya etc

Gopa or Gop or Gope is a synonym of the Yadav (Ahir) caste (also known as "Chandravanshi Kshatriya").[1][2][3][4] It is generally used as a title by the Ahir caste in the states of Bihar,[5] Jharkhand and West Bengal of East India[6][7] and even in Terai region of Nepal.[8]

Etymology

The Sanskrit word Gopa,[9] originally meant only a cowherd; it then came to mean the head of cowpen and lastly the chief of a tribe.[10][11]

Origin and history

Kingdom

Gopegarh in Midnapore.[12]

Gop Jatiye Mahasabha

Gop Jatiye Mahasabha was formed by Babu Ras Bihari Lal Mandal in 1911, It was the regional organization of Gope or Ahir caste of Bihar, Bengal & Orissa.[23][24][25]

Later, the All-India Yadav Mahasabha was formed by merging the Gop Jatiye Mahasabha and Ahir/Yadav Kshatriya Mahasabha. AIYM first National Conference was held in Purnea, Bihar on 17 to 20 April 1924.[26]

Present circumstances

Gopa or Ahir are mainly a landholding community and they are rich cultivators in Indian state of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ Singh, K. S. (2008). People of India: Bihar (2 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-85579-09-2.
  2. ^ Rao, M. S. A. (1987). Social Movements and Social Transformation: A Study of Two Backward Classes Movements in India. Manohar. ISBN 978-0-8364-2133-0.
  3. ^ Madhusudan Das (1980). Madhusudan Das, the Legislator: His Speeches. Pragati Utkal Sangha.
  4. ^ Dalip Kumar (2007). Rural Development and Social Change: Thoughts of Swami Sahajanand. Deep & Deep Publications. pp. 106–. ISBN 978-81-8450-000-4.
  5. ^ Singh, Santosh (9 October 2015). Ruled or Misruled: Story and Destiny of Bihar. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-93-85436-42-0.
  6. ^ Singh, Kumar Suresh (2008). People of India: Bihar, including Jharkhand (2 pts). Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-7046-303-0.
  7. ^ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). India's Communities. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
  8. ^ Yadav, Sohan Ram (1992). Rural and Agrarian Social Structure of Nepal. Commonwealth Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7169-174-6.
  9. ^ Alexander, James Bradun (1893). The Dynamic Theory of Life and Mind: An Attempt to Show that All Organic Beings are Both Constructed and Operated by the Dynamic Agencies of Their Respective Environments. Housekeeper Press.
  10. ^ Humboldt library of science. no. 131 | pt. 2, 1890. Humboldt Publishing Company. 1890.
  11. ^ Rogozin, Z. A. (2005). Vedic India: As Embodied Principally In The Rigveda. Cosmo Publications. ISBN 978-81-307-0085-4.
  12. ^ "Gopegarh Eco Park: Where nature is your only companion". www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  13. ^ Nepālī Saṃskr̥ta abhilekhoṃ kā Hindī anuvāda (in Hindi). Īsṭarna Buka Liṅkarsa. 1985. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  14. ^ Satyal, Yajna Raj (1988). Tourism in Nepal: A Profile. Nath Publishing House. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  15. ^ Bengal (India), West (1965). West Bengal District Gazetteers: Barddhamān. State editor, West Bengal District Gazetteers.
  16. ^ Smith, William L. (1980). The One-eyed Goddess: A Study of the Manasā Maṅgal. Almqvist & Wiksell International. ISBN 978-91-22-00408-0.
  17. ^ McLane, John R. (25 July 2002). Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-52654-8.
  18. ^ McLane, John R. (25 July 2002). Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-52654-8. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  19. ^ Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar (1 July 2004). Caste, Culture and Hegemony: Social Dominance in Colonial Bengal. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 978-81-321-0407-0.
  20. ^ "A village that symbolises Bihar". www.rediff.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  21. ^ "Murho". wikimapia.org. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  22. ^ "This Ancient Rajbari Might Soon Be Listed On The Heritage Tourism Map of Incredible India". Whats Hot. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  23. ^ Madhusudan Das (1980). Madhusudan Das, the Legislator: His Speeches. Archived 2023-03-17 at the Wayback Machine Pragati Utkal Sangha.
  24. ^ Banerjee, Supurna; Ghosh, Nandini (17 September 2018). Caste and Gender in Contemporary India: Power, Privilege and Politics-Google Books. ISBN 9780429783951. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  25. ^ Alam, Jawaid (January 2004). Government and Politics in Colonial Bihar, 1921-1937. ISBN 8170999790. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  26. ^ Banerjee, Supurna; Ghosh, Nandini (17 September 2018). Caste and Gender in Contemporary India: Power, Privilege and Politics. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-429-78395-1.
  27. ^ Bandyopadhyay, Suraj; Rao, A. R.; Sinha, Bikas Kumar; Sinha, Bikas K. (2011). Models for Social Networks With Statistical Applications. SAGE. ISBN 978-1-4129-4168-6. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
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