In the ancient times Rajasthan was ruled by a dynasty of Meenas which had the emblem of Fish like the Pandyan kingdom of the south. The Meena kingdom ruled the east of the river Jamuna roughly corresponding to the modern Jaipur and Alwar (ruler) areas. The meena kingdom (Fish kingdom) was called Matsya Kingdom in Sanskrit was mentioned in the Rig Veda.
In the later days the Bhils and Meenas mixed with the Pardeshis (foreign people) who were Scythian Hepthalite or other Central Asian clans. The Scythian mixed Meenas and Bhils remain as Rajput subclans, while the Meenas and Bhils who were displaced by the Scythian invaders and Muslims have mixed with the tribal Bhils and form the Bhil (tribal) meenas.
Meenas of Rajasthan till date strongly follows Vedic culture Meenas mainly worship, Bhainroon (Shiva), Hanuman and Krishna as well as the Devies Meenas have better rights for women in many respects compared to many other Hindu casts. Like remarriage of a widows and divorcees is a common practice and well accepted in their society. Such practice are part of Vedic civilization
Hindu law as codified through acts passed between 1955 and 1956 were based on inegalitarian Victorian English patters of marriage and inheritance and on the customary practices of some the dominant communities in North-West India, among whom women’s right have been seriously coded. The practices of the Nairs in Kerla, Meitei in Mainipur, Meenas in Rajasthan and Jains , which provide better rights to women in many respects, were presumed to be non-existent or non-Indian. Thus the Hindu codified law is in many ways a step backward for some communities.
The book by Alfred Comyn Lyall covers the early formations of Meena cast, their adventures, outlaws, outcast, and refugees generally. The book highlights on the fact of Meenas groups having Bharman and Scythian ancestors. Where most of the Meenas preserve the name of the higher clan or Cast from which founder emigrated and joined Meenas. Some names denote only the founder’s original habitation, while other circle bears the names of notorious ancestors. However, the Bharmans who joined Meenas are the one who have from time to time been persuaded or forced by some wild chief or captain of the pure clans to officiated in a human sacrifice; and that, having thereby quite forfeited their pure cast, they become degraded , and were driven forth to minister into the tribes beyond the pale. This story must not hastily be set aside as improbable, for the tradition of human sacrifice was common then. Further to this, Alfred Comyn Lyall added,
"These Meena Levites appears to be collection of all kinds of waifs and cutting from upper religious caste, they may possible rise in respectability as their clients get on in the world; and one might almost hazard the speculation, though it will be received with horror in certain quarters, that they are something like a Brahmanic tribe in faint embryo."
During the years of invasion, several fresh groups of Meenas have been formed, And Chanda Meena were one of the best in them under the stress of the frightful famine which desolated Rajputan in 1868. As a consequence starving families were compelled to abandon scruples of caste and honesty, to steal cattle and to eat them.
In the later days the Bhils and Meenas mixed with the Pardeshis (foreign people) who were Scythian Hepthalite or other Central Asian clans. The Scythian mixed Meenas and Bhils remain as Rajput subclans, while the Meenas and Bhils who were displaced by the Scythian invaders and Muslims have mixed with the tribal Bhils and form the Bhil (tribal) meenas.
Meenas of Rajasthan till date strongly follows Vedic culture Meenas mainly worship, Bhainroon (Shiva), Hanuman and Krishna as well as the Devies Meenas have better rights for women in many respects compared to many other Hindu casts. Like remarriage of a widows and divorcees is a common practice and well accepted in their society. Such practice are part of Vedic civilization
Hindu law as codified through acts passed between 1955 and 1956 were based on inegalitarian Victorian English patters of marriage and inheritance and on the customary practices of some the dominant communities in North-West India, among whom women’s right have been seriously coded. The practices of the Nairs in Kerla, Meitei in Mainipur, Meenas in Rajasthan and Jains , which provide better rights to women in many respects, were presumed to be non-existent or non-Indian. Thus the Hindu codified law is in many ways a step backward for some communities.
The book by Alfred Comyn Lyall covers the early formations of Meena cast, their adventures, outlaws, outcast, and refugees generally. The book highlights on the fact of Meenas groups having Bharman and Scythian ancestors. Where most of the Meenas preserve the name of the higher clan or Cast from which founder emigrated and joined Meenas. Some names denote only the founder’s original habitation, while other circle bears the names of notorious ancestors. However, the Bharmans who joined Meenas are the one who have from time to time been persuaded or forced by some wild chief or captain of the pure clans to officiated in a human sacrifice; and that, having thereby quite forfeited their pure cast, they become degraded , and were driven forth to minister into the tribes beyond the pale. This story must not hastily be set aside as improbable, for the tradition of human sacrifice was common then. Further to this, Alfred Comyn Lyall added,
"These Meena Levites appears to be collection of all kinds of waifs and cutting from upper religious caste, they may possible rise in respectability as their clients get on in the world; and one might almost hazard the speculation, though it will be received with horror in certain quarters, that they are something like a Brahmanic tribe in faint embryo."
During the years of invasion, several fresh groups of Meenas have been formed, And Chanda Meena were one of the best in them under the stress of the frightful famine which desolated Rajputan in 1868. As a consequence starving families were compelled to abandon scruples of caste and honesty, to steal cattle and to eat them.
