Leva Patel

Leva Patidar
Populated states	Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra
Subdivisions	Patidar

Leva Patel (Leuva Patidar) is a sub-caste or community of Patidars in India, situated mainly in Gujarat. They had the highest position among the Patidar subcastes, due to their greater wealth and control of positions in commerce, education, and producer cooperatives.[1]

Origin

Leva Patels originated from the Kheda district of Gujarat as Shudra Kanbis.[2][3] There are a variety of popular legends regarding their origin, such as being migrants from Punjab, migrants fleeing the Kushans, migrants from Ayodhya, or descending from Hunas, Gujars, or Kurmis. However, these legends are of dubious reliability, and are an example of the invention of tradition.[4] The most popular of these traditions is that Levas descend from Lava, son of the deity Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana.[5][6] The Levas claim that their name derives from Lava; however, it actually is a corruption of Reva, the local name for the Narmada River.[7]

They make varying claims to Kshatriya and Vaishya varna status.[8]

In the 19th and 20th centuries, many Leva Patels have immigrated to other countries, like South Africa, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Within India, they have migrated from Gujarat to other states, like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh.[4]

References

Murali, Kanta (2017). Caste, Class, and Capital: The Social and Political Origins of Economic Policy in India. Cambridge University Press. p. 109.
Clark-Deces 2011, p. 290
Gadgil & Guha 1993, p. 84 Quote: "For instance, in western Maharashtra the Rigvedic Deshastha Brahmans are genetically closer to the local Shudra Kunbi castes than to the Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmans (Karve and Malhotra 1968)."
Trivedi, Jayprakash M. (1 January 1992). The Social structure of Patidar caste in India. Kanishka Pub. House. pp. 20, 32. ISBN 9788185475196.
David Francis Pocock 1972, p. 66.
DelhiDecember 7, Prabhash K. Dutta New; December 7, 2017UPDATED; Ist, 2017 18:15. "Patels and Patidars of Gujarat: Descendants of Ram and worshippers of Krishna". India Today.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Sadasivan, S. N. (2000). A social history of India. APH Publishing Corporation. p. 257.
David Francis Pocock 1972, p. 56.

Bibliography

David Francis Pocock (1972). Kunbi and Patidar: a study of the Patidar community of Gujarat. Clarendon Press.
Clark-Deces, Isabelle (2011), A Companion to the Anthropology of India, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN 978-1-4051-9892-9

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[1] Murali, Kanta (2017). Caste, Class, and Capital: The Social and Political Origins of Economic Policy in India. Cambridge University Press. p. 109.

[FOOTNOTEClark-Deces2011290-2] Clark-Deces 2011, p. 290

[GadgilGuha1993-3] Gadgil & Guha 1993, p. 84 Quote: "For instance, in western Maharashtra the Rigvedic Deshastha Brahmans are genetically closer to the local Shudra Kunbi castes than to the Chitpavan Konkanastha Brahmans (Karve and Malhotra 1968)."

[:0-4] Trivedi, Jayprakash M. (1 January 1992). The Social structure of Patidar caste in India. Kanishka Pub. House. pp. 20, 32. ISBN 9788185475196.

[FOOTNOTEDavid_Francis_Pocock197266-5] David Francis Pocock 1972, p. 66.

[6] DelhiDecember 7, Prabhash K. Dutta New; December 7, 2017UPDATED; Ist, 2017 18:15. "Patels and Patidars of Gujarat: Descendants of Ram and worshippers of Krishna". India Today.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[7] Sadasivan, S. N. (2000). A social history of India. APH Publishing Corporation. p. 257.

[FOOTNOTEDavid_Francis_Pocock197256-8] David Francis Pocock 1972, p. 56.