Mair (caste)

Mair or (Suniar) caste often exegeted as Soni (kshatriya or Vaisya) or Deshwali suniar is a traditionally goldsmithing community predominantly found in the northern regions of India, including the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh including other suburbanised region  of Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir, as well as adjacent territories.

 Caste segment 
The Mair caste has historically been associated with the peasant resentment of shudra and Vaishya varna, even since in the modern distinction they were recognised under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) by central government agencies, which is traditionally linked to trade and commerce in the hierarchical framework of the Indian caste system.

 Ethnography clarification 
During the British Raj, the Mair community tremendously made an notable attempts to elevate their social position within the caste hierarchy. Seeking recognition as part of the Kshatriya varna, they engaged in petitions and emphasized their claimed martial lineage in colonial administrative and ethnographic records. Despite their efforts, these claims failed to gain substantial acceptance among colonial officials and ethnographers. Prominent works of that period, such as H. H. Risley’s ethnographic studies and D. Ibbetson’s analysis of Punjab castes, categorized the Mair caste within the broader Vaishya framework, emphasizing their occupational link to goldsmithing and trade.

 Etymology 

 Mythical description 
According to some undocumented Oral sources they were epically stumbled the name on one of their ancestor called mair who killed the golden demon but however its chronically not mentioned in pre -Vedic  articulated compilation.

 Related pages 
 Vaishya
 Communism
 Goldsmith 
 British Raj

References

Category:Castes
Category:Indian people