Hindu Ghosi
Community of Ahirs in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hindu Ghosi[1] are a community of Ahirs in India.[1] They are divided into various sections and lineages.[2] The Ghosis have a system of panches and hereditary chaudhris. If one of the latter's line fail, his widow may adopt a son to succeed him, or, failing such adoption, the panch elects a fit person.[2]
Origin
The Hindu Ghosi claim descent from Nanda the foster father of Krishna.[2]
They also claim their importance saying that the sacred texts have mentioned them under the name of Ghosas.[3] The term Ghosa refers to a settlement of the Abhira people[4] or a temporary encampment of cowherds, which was the occupation of those people.[5]
Colonial description
The largest subdivisions of Ahir in Braj region are the Ghosis, Kamarias, Phataks and Nandvanshis. However today they all recognise themselves to be Nandvanshi Ahirs.[6][7][8]
In the Braj region, the Ghosi and other subdivisions of Ahirs were gradually absorbed into the Nandvanshi category of landlords and into the Yaduvanshi subdivision as a consequence of British so-called "official" ethnographies and racial theories.[9] The landlords liked the Yaduvanshi title because they considered it to be prestigious.[10][7][11]