Bharsaiyan

The Bharsaiyan or Bharaiyan are a Rajput clan found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.

Origin

The word Bharsaiyan is said to be a corruption of the word bhainsauliyan or a native of the town of Bhaisaul, where the tribe is said to have originated from. They claim to be a clan of Mainpuri Chauhans. A small band of Chauhan warriors are said to have moved to Awadh under the leadership of Karan Singh, who married into a family of Bais Rajputs, who were the dominant power in the region. A descendent of Karan Singh, Baz Singh is said to have converted to Islam during the rule of Sher Shah Suri. His descendents are now found mainly in Inhauna in Sultanpur District. Both the Muslim and Hindu branches of the tribe are confined to Raebareli District. They are said to be the earliest settlers in Sultanpur, having dispossed the Bhar and Tiar communities, who are said to be aboriginal.

The Bharsaiyan are mainly a community of small and medium-sized. Like other Rajput clans of Awadh, they practice clan exogamy, and intermarry with other Rajput clans of the region. The Muslim Bharsaiyan now form a community within the larger Khanzada ethnic group of eastern Uttar Pradesh. They are Sunni Muslims, and their customs are similar to other Khanzada groupings.