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People cluster
Rajput
Unreached
0%
Evangelicals
Who they are
The Rajputs are one of the best-known castes of South Asia. A caste is a social group a person is born into, which by tradition determines the family’s occupation and whom they marry. The name comes from an old word meaning “son of a king.” For centuries the Rajputs were warriors, chiefs and landowners, and many of the palaces and forts of Rajasthan, in northwestern India, were built by them.
Today there are more than 100 million of them, almost all in India and Pakistan, with smaller groups in Nepal and Bangladesh. They speak the language of the region where they live, such as Hindi, Rajasthani, Punjabi or Urdu. Many still live off the land, while others serve in the army, the police and politics. The family is organized into clans, that is, large families with a common ancestor, such as the Chauhan, the Rathor and the Bhatti, and the honor of the clan carries great weight.
In India, most follow Hinduism, and there are also Muslims. In Pakistan, almost all are Muslim. Among so many millions, followers of Jesus are very few, and there are almost no churches made up of Rajputs.
What sets the subgroups apart
What unites the Rajputs is their origin and the pride of their clans, not their religion. In India, especially in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and the Himalayan mountains, most are Hindu and keep the temples and festivals of the family. In the mountains of northern India, the Rajputs of Garhwal and Kumaon have customs of their own that belong to those regions. In Pakistan’s Punjab, most became Muslim over the centuries and today live their faith in Islam.
Often the same clan exists on both sides of the border: there are Hindu Chauhans and Bhattis in India, and Muslim Chauhans and Bhattis in Pakistan and also in India. They keep the same family name and the same pride of origin, but they pray in different ways and have lived in separate countries since 1947, when India and Pakistan were divided.
Where they are still unreached
4
Countries
105.3M
Population
| Country | Share of the people | Population |
|---|---|---|
India
|
72.6%
|
76.394.700 |
Pakistan
|
27.3%
|
28.759.900 |
Nepal
|
0.1%
|
63.800 |
Bangladesh
|
0.1%
|
62.000 |
The 160 peoples in this cluster
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What to pray for
Intercede for this people
May the Rajputs know Jesus as the true King, who came to serve and to give his life.
For the Hindu Rajputs of India, that they would find in Christ the peace they seek in the rituals of the family.
For the Muslim Rajputs of Pakistan, that they would have access to the Scriptures in the language of the heart.
May clan pride not be a barrier, and may whole families be able to hear and follow the gospel together.
For the few Rajputs who already follow Jesus, that they would have courage and be respected by their families.
May churches rise up among the Rajputs, led by their own people, on both sides of the border.