Kanet Rajput in India

The Kanet Rajput have only been reported in India
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge
* Data can be from various sources including official census, agencies, and local research. Data from these sources can sometimes differ even by orders of magnitude. Joshua Project attempts to present a conservative, balanced estimate.

Introduction / History

The Rajput Kanet are the main group of farmers in the northwestern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The Kanet means "indifferent to caste" in Sanskrit. The Kanets claim to be descendants of the rulers of a mountain kingdom that existed 2000 years ago. Rajput means sons of rulers. The British classified them as the lowest caste of laborers in Hinduism during the colonial period.

The Kanets live in the hills and valleys of the west Himalaya Mountains. They cultivate barley, wheat, lentils, maize and potatoes as their main crops. Some Kanets own their land while others work the soil of others.

The Dali Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, makes his home in Himachal Pradesh.

The primary languages of the Rajput Kanets are Kangri, Mandealia, Mahasu Pahari and Bilaspuri. Many Kanets also speak Hindi so that they can communicate with other Indian peoples.


Where Are they Located?

The vast majority of Rajput Kanets live in Himachal Pradesh. A small number of Kanets live in Punjab and Haryana where they also work in agriculture.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The geography of the west Himalayas dominates the lives of the Rajput Kanets. They grow crops suitable to the mountainous terrain the temperatures. They must import rice from the south. Rice is seen a special food for feasts. Rice is used to ferment a local form of liquor. The Kanets wear warm, colorful woolen clothing to protect against the cold. They also raise sheep for wool and mutton. Cattle provide dairy products.

The Kanets are endogamous, that is they tend to marry within their own group. Families arrange marriages. Sons inherit their father's property.

Illiteracy is a problem among the Kanets especially for the women and girls. If the Kanets are to continue to prosper, they will need to be able to read and write.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The largest religion among the Rajput Kanets is Hinduism, the ancient faith of India. The Hinduism of the Kanets is strongly influenced by Buddhism and folk religion. The Kanets often use their own priests when Brahmins are not available. The Kanet perform rituals, which they believe will protect them from evil spirits. Two of their significant Hindu deities are Durga, the mother-warrior goddess and Vishnu, the preserver god.

As Hindus the Kanets participate in the yearly holidays of Holi, the festival of colors, Diwali, the festival of lights and Navratri, the celebration of autumn.

Small portions of the Kanets are Buddhists.


What Are Their Needs?

The Rajput Kanets need to hear the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ in a way they can understand. The New Testament was translated into Kangri in 2017. The Kanets need help in educating their children. They would also benefit from modern science and technology, which could help them increase their crop yield.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Rajput Kanets community to increasingly grow in awareness of Jesus, his life and his sacrifice for them.
Pray the Lord will give them a spiritual hunger, and then satisfy that hunger.
Pray that the Kanets will understand the value of becoming part of God's royal family.
Pray for a disciple making movement among the Rajput Kanets community


Scripture Prayers for the Rajput Kanet in India.


References

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanet
indpaedia.com/ind/index.php/The_Kanet
http://hpkinnaur.nic.in/cnbeliefs.htm


Profile Source:   David Kugel  

The Rajputs

Source:  Asia Harvest      Download

People Name General Rajput Kanet
People Name in Country Rajput Kanet
Natural Name Kanet Rajput
Pronunciation kuh-NET RAHJ-put
Alternate Names Kanet; Ranot Kaundal Rajput; Thohnu; राजपूत, कानेट
Population this Country 752,000
Population all Countries 752,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 15
PeopleID3 20404
ROP3 Code 116188
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States on file 5
Largest States
Himachal Pradesh
724,000
Punjab
20,000
Haryana
7,100
Chandigarh
700
Rajasthan
50
Districts Interactive map, listing and data download
Specialized Website South Asia Peoples
Country India
Region Asia, South
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 11  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Total States 5
  Himachal Pradesh 724,000
  Punjab 20,000
  Haryana 7,100
  Chandigarh 700
  Rajasthan 50
Website South Asia Peoples
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent *
Buddhism
1.20 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
98.61 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.20 %
Unknown
0.00 %
* From latest India census data.
Current Christian values may substantially differ.
Primary Language Kangri (165,000 speakers)
Language Code xnr   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 24
Secondary Languages
(only 15 largest shown)
Hindi
131,000
Mandeali
126,000
Pahari, Mahasu
114,000
Bilaspuri
53,000
Pahari, Kullu
22,000
Punjabi, Eastern
18,000
Churahi
11,000
Sirmauri
6,700
Kinnauri
3,200
Pangwali
2,700
Spiti Bhoti
2,600
Chambeali
2,600
Kanashi
1,200
Pattani
1,100
Hinduri
800
Primary Language Kangri (165,000 speakers)
Language Code xnr   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 24
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown)
  Hindi 131,000
  Mandeali 126,000
  Pahari, Mahasu 114,000
  Bilaspuri 53,000
  Pahari, Kullu 22,000
  Punjabi, Eastern 18,000
  Churahi 11,000
  Sirmauri 6,700
  Kinnauri 3,200
  Pangwali 2,700
  Spiti Bhoti 2,600
  Chambeali 2,600
  Kanashi 1,200
  Pattani 1,100
  Hinduri 800
People Groups Speaking Kangri
Photo Source (Representative photo)
CIAT/NeilPalmer - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group Location: Omid. Other geography / data: GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project  
Video Source Asia Harvest
Profile Source David Kugel 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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