Gopa (caste)

Social community of East India

Gopa (Ahir)

Kuladevta (male)| Shri Krishna
Religions| Hinduism
Languages| Varies depending on region
Populated states| India and Nepal
Subdivisions| Krishnaut, Majhraut, Sadgop

Gopa or Gop or Gope is a synonym of the Yadav (Ahir) caste.[1][2][3][4] It is generally used as a title by the Ahir caste in the states of Bihar,[5] Jharkhand and West Bengal of East India[6][7] and even in Terai region of Nepal.[8]

## Etymology

[edit]

The Sanskrit word Gopa,[9] originally meant only a cowherd; it then came to mean the head of cowpen and lastly the chief of a tribe.[10][11]

## Origin and history

[edit]

### Kingdom

[edit]

Gopegarh in Midnapore.[12]

* Gopala Dynasty and Mahisapala dynasty of Nepal, it was established by the Gopa or Abhira.[13][14]
* Sadgop Dynasty of Gopbhum.[15] It had two Sadgop (Gopa) kings, one ruled from Amrargar and other from Dhekur (also known as Trisasthigar).[16][17][18]
* Sadgop rulers of Midnapore Raj and Narajole Raj.
* Sadgop Kings of Narayangarh and Balrampur.[19]
* Gopa (Ahir) chieftain and zamindari of Murho Estate, Parasadi Estate, Belwarganj Estate, Ranipatti Estate, Tintanga Estate, Surul Raj, Hadal-Narayanpur Estate, Kalikapura Raj etc. in Bihar and West Bengal.[20][21][22]

## Gop Jatiye Mahasabha

[edit]

Gop Jatiye Mahasabha was formed by Babu Ras Bihari Lal Mandal in 1911, It was the regional organization of Gope caste of Bihar, Bengal & Orissa.[23][24][25]

Later, the All-India Yadav Mahasabha was formed by merging the Gop Jatiye Mahasabha and Ahir/Yadav Kshatriya Mahasabha. AIYM first National Conference was held in Purnea, Bihar on 17 to 20 April 1924.[26]

## Present circumstances

[edit]

Gopa or Ahir are mainly a landholding community and they are rich cultivators in Indian state of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.[27]

## See also

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* Yadav
* Ahir
* Bihari Ahir
* Sadgop
* Krishnuat

## References

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1. ^ Singh, K. S. (2008). People of India: Bihar (2 pts.). Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-85579-09-2.
2. ^ Rao, M. S. A. (1987). Social Movements and Social Transformation: A Study of Two Backward Classes Movements in India. Manohar. ISBN 978-0-8364-2133-0.
3. ^ Madhusudan Das (1980). Madhusudan Das, the Legislator: His Speeches. Pragati Utkal Sangha.
4. ^ Dalip Kumar (2007). Rural Development and Social Change: Thoughts of Swami Sahajanand. Deep & Deep Publications. pp. 106–. ISBN 978-81-8450-000-4.
5. ^ Singh, Santosh (9 October 2015). Ruled or Misruled: Story and Destiny of Bihar. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-93-85436-42-0.
6. ^ Singh, Kumar Suresh (2008). People of India: Bihar, including Jharkhand (2 pts). Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 978-81-7046-303-0.
7. ^ Singh, Kumar Suresh (1998). India's Communities. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563354-2.
8. ^ Yadav, Sohan Ram (1992). Rural and Agrarian Social Structure of Nepal. Commonwealth Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7169-174-6.
9. ^ Alexander, James Bradun (1893). The Dynamic Theory of Life and Mind: An Attempt to Show that All Organic Beings are Both Constructed and Operated by the Dynamic Agencies of Their Respective Environments. Housekeeper Press.
10. ^ Humboldt library of science. no. 131 | pt. 2, 1890. Humboldt Publishing Company. 1890.
11. ^ Rogozin, Z. A. (2005). Vedic India: As Embodied Principally In The Rigveda. Cosmo Publications. ISBN 978-81-307-0085-4.
12. ^ "Gopegarh Eco Park: Where nature is your only companion". www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
13. ^ Nepālī Saṃskr̥ta abhilekhoṃ kā Hindī anuvāda (in Hindi). Īsṭarna Buka Liṅkarsa. 1985. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
14. ^ Satyal, Yajna Raj (1988). Tourism in Nepal: A Profile. Nath Publishing House. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
15. ^ Bengal (India), West (1965). West Bengal District Gazetteers: Barddhamān. State editor, West Bengal District Gazetteers.
16. ^ Smith, William L. (1980). The One-eyed Goddess: A Study of the Manasā Maṅgal. Almqvist & Wiksell International. ISBN 978-91-22-00408-0.
17. ^ McLane, John R. (25 July 2002). Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-52654-8.
18. ^ McLane, John R. (25 July 2002). Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-52654-8. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
19. ^ Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar (1 July 2004). Caste, Culture and Hegemony: Social Dominance in Colonial Bengal. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 978-81-321-0407-0.
20. ^ "A village that symbolises Bihar". www.rediff.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
21. ^ "Murho". wikimapia.org. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
22. ^ "This Ancient Rajbari Might Soon Be Listed On The Heritage Tourism Map of Incredible India". Whats Hot. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
23. ^ Madhusudan Das (1980). Madhusudan Das, the Legislator: His Speeches. Archived 2023-03-17 at the Wayback Machine Pragati Utkal Sangha.
24. ^ Banerjee, Supurna; Ghosh, Nandini (17 September 2018). Caste and Gender in Contemporary India: Power, Privilege and Politics-Google Books. ISBN 9780429783951. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
25. ^ Alam, Jawaid (January 2004). Government and Politics in Colonial Bihar, 1921-1937. ISBN 8170999790. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
26. ^ Banerjee, Supurna; Ghosh, Nandini (17 September 2018). Caste and Gender in Contemporary India: Power, Privilege and Politics. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-429-78395-1.
27. ^ Bandyopadhyay, Suraj; Rao, A. R.; Sinha, Bikas Kumar; Sinha, Bikas K. (2011). Models for Social Networks With Statistical Applications. SAGE. ISBN 978-1-4129-4168-6. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2021.