Gadaria people

The **Gadaria** or **Gadariya** is a herding caste of North India. Traditionally, they were involved in Livestock rearing, especially sheep and cow. They are mainly found in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Bihar 

Some scholars believe that the words Gadar (sheep) and Arya (Indo-Aryans) combined to form Gadararya or Gadarya, meaning Indo-Aryan shepherds. Over time, this term evolved into Gadariya.

## Origin
This caste is believed to be connected to the ancient Gandharas, who are mentioned in the Mahabharata and the Rig Veda. The Rig Veda states that the Gandhara tribe possessed the best quality sheep with fine wool. The Gandharas were also well known for making blankets and were mainly shepherds by occupation. Because of these links, it is suggested that the Gadariya caste originated from the Gändhäras.  They are also believed to be among the earliest settlers of the Narmada (Nerbudda) Valley. Several places in this region are named after them, such as Gadariakheda and Gadarwara. .

The great grammarian Panini (5th century B.C.E.), in his work Ashtadhyayi, referred to Brahmour as Gabdika and its people as Gabdik. The region was also called Gaderan or Gaddiyar, meaning the land of the Gadariyas.

## Sub-castes and clans
There are two major subdivisions amongst Gadarias, namely Dhangar and Nikhar. They share the same gotras such as Chauhan, Parihar, Sisodiya, Shirashwar, Chandel, Mohania, Kula etc are some of the gotras amongst them.

## Notables 
**Religion and Temples**

Gadarmal Devi Temple, is a Hindu and Jain temple built around 7 - 8 century A.D. (**Approximately 1400 years ago**) in present day Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh by a person of Gadaria caste (shepherd).

**Kingdom’s and Dynasties**

Holkar Dynasty, The Holkars were the ruling house of the Indore State of the Maratha Confederacy, they belonged to the Gadaria caste.

**Rulers, chieftains, and warriors**

Mahraja Shri. Malhar Rao Holkar: Founder of the Holkar dynasty; a leading Maratha general under Peshwa Baji Rao I; established Holkar rule in the Malwa region.

**Social Reformer and Freedom Fighter**

Ishwardatt Medhrathi, was a freedom fighter, Hindi writer, and social reformer from Uttar Pradesh. He belonged to the Gadariya (Gareria) caste and worked for the upliftment of backward and marginalized communities. He earned the surname "***Medharthi**"* for being the most brilliant student in his school, and used literature and activism to fight caste discrimination and British rule.

## Classification 
They are classified as Other Backward Class in the Indian System of Reservation.

## Demographics and Distribution
**Uttar Pradesh**

The Gadariya caste is spread all over the Uttar Pradesh. The community forms 4.4% percent of entire Uttar Pradesh state population.

**Gujarat**

The Gadaria caste formed 2% of the total population of Gujarat. They are recorded to be the richest caste in Palanpur, Gujarat

## Religion
They generally practice Hinduism, worshipping various popular deities including Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Hanuman, Kali, Chandi and Lakshmi, as well as various Kuladevata, or family deities. Some of them wear the sacred thread. A majority of them are vegetarians.

## References
### Bibliography
* 
*