Rajput Mali


Rajput Mali is a distinctive ethnic group from Marwar, Rajasthan as well as a separate sub-category within the Rajput.

Origin

When the Rajput soldiers of Prithviraj Chauhan fell in battles against Shahabuddin Ghori or Muhammad Ghori and the empires of Ajmer and Delhi were destroyed, some Rajputs became captive and could see no way of saving themselves except embracing Islam and they came to be known as Ghori Pathans. Some Rajputs were let off on the recommendation of a royal gardener or Mali who represented captive Rajputs as Malis. In this way many Rajputs became Malis.

Community resolution

When the storm had passed the community which had now been cut adrift from the main Rajput group, thought of devising ways and means of ensuring their purity of blood and guard against any vices that may creep in by adoption of new fold. Accordingly, they assembled on at Ajmer 24 January 1200 and passed a resolution was embodied in a "Parwana" and handed over to a Bhat who was a descendant of Mahakvai Chand Bardai. The resolution reads as follows:
When these people in order to get rid of danger to their life and property settled in cities and towns, and got an experience of this new fold, about its social status and condition after living with them for 3 or 4 years, they felt necessity of framing new social rules after reviewing their past and present condition. They would not tolerate many evils which they had found in that new fold in which they and their descendants were to spend their lives as they had their origin of pure Rajput blood, they assembled in Pushkar under the presidentship of Mahadeo, son of Kushma Ajmera Chauhan on Magh Sudi 7th V.S. 1257 and framed some social rules and regulations for their fold and handed over that document to their Bhat in order to act accordingly.

The meeting unanimously passed 22 reforms for their caste, such as ban on the eating of meat, drinking of wine and killing of animals and widow remarriage etc.

Adoption of new identity in 1930–1940

Rajput Mali community adopted the surname Saini in the 1930-1940 decade during the colonial rule and claimed to be Sainik Kshatriya when registering for the 1941 census.