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Sainis of Western Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal |
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Uttar Pradesh the most populated province of India is known as the Cradle of Indian culture, history and politics. In 1997, northern districts were separated to create a new province called Uttaranchal. Eighty percent of the state population is rural. History---only one archeological site of Harrapa period has been found in Ganga Jamuna doab which is Alamgirpur near Meerut.The excavations of Ambakheri, Naseerpur, Hulas, Bhadrabad and Bargaon are found in Saharanpur district and dates back to 1500-1200 BC -vedic period. Kankali Tila at Mathura dates to 6th century BC. This land in vedic period was known as BRAHMARSHI DESH. Aryans from Sapt-Sindhu gradually extended towards Ganga Jamuna Doab and Eastern Gangetic plains and created 16 Mahajanpads. Out of these Kuru, Panchala, Surasena and Vatsa were largest as per the Budhist relics. Kuru kingdom was around Delhi ( INDRAPRASTHA), Surasena with capitol at Mathura. As per Hindu traditions present day districts of Saharanpur, Muzzaffar nagar and Hardwar, Buland Shahr etc. were ruled by PANDAVAS around 1200 BC. Many antiques of that era are recovered in these areas. Copper articles have been found in Mathura and Rampur. Later during Maurya empire , Budhism spread in the region. Mathura and Sarnath were centres of Bahrut-Sanchi school of art. Due to monsoon floods and Muslim invasions that ruined the region ,history of this region is not fully traced. SAINIS --- Sainis are vedic kshatriya people of SURASENA dynasty and Krishna-Pandava lineage. Sainis are found all throughout the province in different pockets and are known as Saini (western UP), Mali (south-west UP), Baghban ( Bijnaur),Kushwaha ( eastern UP) etc., in these different pockets. They are farming people who produce cash crops, vegetables, and also work as expert horticulturists and floriculturists.They are most densly concentrated in Western UP and Southern Uttaranchal ie. Dehradun, Hardwar and Uddham Singh Nagar districts and are thinly distributed in Eastern UP along with allied caste of Maurya who also prefer to be called as Kushwaha. In Western UP they speak Khari Boli, also called Kaurvi, and also Haryanvi. In Eastern UP they speak Hindi and in some parts Bhojpuri as well. WESTERN UP - Saharanpur and Muzzaffar nagar zone--- this portion of Ganga -Jamuna doab was probably one of the first regions of upper India occupied by vedic Aryan colonisers as they spread eastward from Sapt- Sindhu. This area is just across the river Jamuna, and on the other side is Saini dominated district of Yamunanagar in Haryana. Sainis are the largest peasant caste of Saharanpur and the 3rd largest farming caste of Muzzaffar nagar district. Nukur, Gangoh, Deoband, Kalsia etc. are Saini dominated belts in Saharanpur and Morna, Thana Bhawan and Bubana Kalan in Muzzaffar nagar. They produce cash crops such as rice, sugarcane, wheat and maize etc., in Western UP. Mr. Rajpal Singh Saini of Sarwat village is district president of Muzzaffar nagar Saini Sabha and is MLA from Morna constituency. Mr. Sahib Singh Saini (former MLA) from Sarsawa is Saharanpur distt. Congress president.Mr. Dharam Singh Saini of Saharanpur, Mr. Krishan Pal Saini of Thana Bhawan , and Mr. Rakesh Saini of Morna other important leaders. Moradabad zone--- includes districts of Moradabad, Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Rampur and Bijnaur. Sainis are one of the majority Hindu farming caste of this zone. Many Sikh Sainis of Pakistan Bar area are also settled in Bijnaur district along with the original Saini inhabitants. Sh. Partap Singh Saini is president of Moradabad Saini Sabha and is a former MLA of Mordabad and was a member of 11th Lok Sabha of India from Amroha constituency. Mr. Mangal Singh Saini is now BJP MLA from Amroha. In Rampur district, Suar and Tanda segments are Saini dominated. Mr. Radhe Shyam Arya Saini and Mr. Suresh Saini are leading persons of this segment. Sh. Tula Ram Saini former MLA is a BJP leader from Hasanpur assemby constituency of Jyotiba Phule Nagar district. Meerut zone—Sainis are a minority farming caste in the districts of Buland Shahr, Baghpat, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad and Meerut just as in Rohtak in Haryana. Sainis constitute a sizeable poulation in Meerut -Sardana -Mawana and Ghaziabad - Hapur belts. Mr. Harpal Saini is an impotant leader from Sardana. Barrilly---- in the districts of Barrilly, Badaun, Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur Saini community is in very less proportion. Agra zone—consists of Mathura, Aligarh, Hathras, Agra, and Etah, Hardoi and Jhansi. Saini community has considerable population in this zone and are also called as Malis. Mr. Mool Chand Saini of Mathura is an expert in reading and deciphering the Brahmi script of stone figures. Mr. Hari Singh Saini of Aligarh and Mr.Pooran Singh Saini of Mathura are prominent leaders of the community. Many Saini transporters from Doaba region of Punjab are settled in Aligarh City.
Uttaranchal -- Dehradun –this district is on the north side of Saharanpur and Sainis are the dominant professional farming caste. Dehradun also shares borders with Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh which has a large population of Sainis. Timli-Vikasnagar-Kalsi, Shahpur, Jhajra-Majra, Doiwala and Rishikesh are Saini dominated belts. Edicts of Mauryan time are found in Kalsi and Dehradun. Sh. Mulk Raj Saini was MP of 5th Indian Parliament from Dehradun. Hardwar--- is also a Saini farmers area. Roorkee is the stronghold of Saini community. Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh are celebrated here from vedic times. Mr. Ram Singh Saini is a prominent leader of this region, he is MLA and state leader of Samajwadi Party of Sh. Mulayam Singh Yadav. Uddham Singh Nagar and Nainital---Saini farmers are found in large numbers in these districts. |
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