National Highway

Baniya

Posted in caste by Shivam Vij on February 24, 2007

I’m “Punjabi Khatree” by caste and was under the impression that ‘Khatree’ in Punjabi for ‘Kshatriya’. In a family mariage in kanpur the ‘Punjabi Brahmin Pundit’ broke my heart by saying that Punjabi Khatrees are in fact baniyas. My already low self-esteem has fallen further. And as if he was offering me solace, he said that amongst Punjabis Vaishs have been place higher than Khshatriyas.

Whatever. All I know is that that bulging tummy of mine speaks of caste.

16 Responses

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  1. Sicilian said, on February 25, 2007 at 8:14 am

    No No , he was wrong as far as know Punjabi Khatrees belong to “untouchables” . How do you feel about that? Well you belong to such a great height that you are almost untouchable by the lowly and common masses which the world consist of.

    Cheers

  2. Salauddeen said, on February 26, 2007 at 1:30 am

    The only famous Bania I have heard of is the famous Mahatma Gandhi!

  3. Chillax said, on February 26, 2007 at 4:25 pm

    Funny Pundit….Not castefully educated i guess….
    by the way khatree’s are Kshatriya’s ….forget the tummy warrior…you got to fight.

  4. Shivam Vij said, on February 26, 2007 at 6:28 pm

    Chillax: do enlighten me a bit more. Major life-threatening identity crisis you know!

  5. gaddeswarup said, on February 26, 2007 at 8:55 pm

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khatri
    says (assuming that Khatree=Khatri), Khatris are kshatriyas; your family name is in the list. But recently Wikipedia references are banned from some history assignmnts in an American University.

  6. Shivam Vij said, on February 26, 2007 at 10:37 pm

    You save my life, Swarup!

  7. Sicilian said, on March 2, 2007 at 7:33 am

    Be proud to be a kshatriya , fight !!
    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Rajputs_torch_Dalits_houses_in_Karnal_village/articleshow/1709765.cms

  8. Jai_Choorakkot said, on March 8, 2007 at 2:09 pm

    I commend previous commenters for realizing that Shivam is going tongue-in-cheek here and only making fun of these caste-based imagery; I like that their comments are perhaps trying to turn it back on him somehow.

    Now if only I could convince myself that this is evident from their comments…

    regards,
    Jai

  9. Random notes at National Highway said, on March 8, 2007 at 7:21 pm

    [...] Much relief that I’m not baniya after all. I can once again blame Pepsi and Coke for my obesity. I’m back to being anti-MNC. Ha! [...]

  10. gaddeswarup said, on March 9, 2007 at 2:43 pm

    To Jai above: That was what I thought too.

  11. gaddeswarup said, on March 9, 2007 at 2:48 pm

    To Jai above: Very neatly put.

  12. baniya.com - Welcome! said, on March 16, 2007 at 4:33 pm

    [...] Baniya at National Highway http://www.shivamvij.com/2007/02/baniya.html [...]

  13. dear friend
    ist you enquire that weather he is a real pundit or just carrying proffession for profit
    punjab comprised an area far bigger than hindustan one end touching delhi other touching iran our castes creed culture is far far superior compared to all indian breeds only we marry our children others only trade them this practices can be varified from history and preaent prevailing coustoms fallewed in marriges
    but as family history dies after disintegration
    with the dis integration of punjab
    its history culture had gone to dogs
    i heared from my ancistors that war of indipendence was faught only in punjab
    and bengal but because of dis integration of this two great states by british and indian leadears other states claim small incidents to be war of freedom
    but read history carefully and you will note that they were themselves slaves of muslim rulers and today claim to be great kshtria warrior
    if so why did mansing gave his sister jodabai to akbar for protecting kingdom you can find such shameful incidents in all kshtria families ask them to show one in punjabi families who preffered a death then compromise
    example are 10 siikh gurus who preffered to die for the sake of religion then compromise and this is a real honesty
    you show a single guru or king
    from other parts of india who equals or nears them

  14. siddius said, on October 26, 2007 at 2:25 pm

    No, man. I’m absolutely sure Khatris are baniyas. Not ethnically, since they are not racially similar to other baniyas, but by caste, YES. Most wiki articles are put up by ridicuous dudes, so no confirmation there….I’ve seen a genetic chart for SIKHS, and Khatri sikhs are place in communities of trader descent…though that’s not a bad thing, man…baniyas are hella powerful and snog rich, so why worry? Though the paunch is a downside, haha.

  15. hari said, on January 1, 2008 at 4:29 pm

    dear , it is the only after the british , that we are looking at the divisions ,because they have written our history in such a way that we shud be divided further in future and shud not be a strong community or country both .
    For generations brahmins ,kshatriyas and baniyas were together and the functioning of the state was very much depending on all the three communities , now the shudras and the untouchables were in a different race alltogether .
    u know one thing , in modern india all these concepts dont hold good , so dont worry , there are 3 conditions of power which are most important , knowledge ,statesmanship ,wealth , which are named in prehistoric times as brahmin,kshatriya and baniya ,u have atleast one power of being to either of the community .so it is perfectly fine .now the brahmins and shudras are the only ones , who show pride intheir caste , the brahmins because they can show that even if they do not have any power they have a caste with a history of betraying the masses , and the shudras to get addmission in schools and colleges and govt jobs by showing their caste certificates .
    so it is perfectly fine .

  16. sonia said, on March 29, 2009 at 11:19 am

    Its not at all true dear friend.. no need to feel so low about that.. Punjabi khatree is an upper caste. its the same as kshatriya in other states.. what u thought earlier was correct.. so cheer!!


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