Rai

Rai (राय) Ray (राय) Rae (राय) gotra Jats live in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. It is a branch of Chauhan.

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Rai = Rai = Rhăgae (Anabasis by Arrian, p. 182.)

History

The Kiratas are Limbu, Rai, Yakkha, Sunuwar and Lepcha tribes of Eastern Nepal

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Ram Swarup Joon writes about Rawat, Sahrawat, Rae (Tanwar): Rai, Rao, Rawat and Sahrawat were only titles used by Tanwar sardars which later began to be used as gotras. The Rawat Jats have 800 villages in district Gurgaon and 8 villages in district Aligarh.

The capital of Sahrawats was Mohpalpur near Delhi where a very old house is still called a palace.

12 villages near Mehrauli belong to the Sahrawat Jats. In Haryana they are found in Kair, Dipalpur, Bhadani, Kultana and other villages, and some are found in district Meerut also.

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The Rai Dynasty rulers of Sindh were Buddhists of the Mauryan clan Jats. Rai was their title. Their capital was at Alore. Their state extended from Kashmir and Kannauj in the east, Makran and Kewal port in the west, Surat port in south, Kandahar, Sistan, Suleyman, Ferdan and Kekanan hills in the north. The chronology of Rai rulers of Sindh is as under:

• Rai Devagya
• Rai Meharsan
• Rai Sahasi
• Rai Meharsan second
• Rai Sahasi second

Rai Meharsan second had a war with Badshah Nimroz of Iran in which he was killed. After him Rai Sahasi second became the king. Once Sahasi Rai second fell ill. He called his minister to see the letters. The minister sent his munshi Chach for this purpose. The wisdom of Chach influenced the king and he appointed Chach to look after the palace. This way he got free entry into the palace. Chach developed illigal relations with the queen Suhanadi. Chach conspired with the Rani Suhanadi and killed Raja Sahsi Rai second and married with the queen and became ruler of Sindh starting a line of Brahmin rulership.

Rana Maharath, the ruler of Chittor, was brother-in-law of Raja Sahasi Rai. Rana Maharath attacked Chach but Rana was killed in the war in 632. After Chach his son Chandra became king of Sindh. Later after death of Chandra Raja Dahir became the ruler of Sindh.

Ch. 20: March through the Caspian Gates (p.181-182)

Arrian mentions Rai as a large city in the extreme north of Media.... Then taking the Companion cavalry, the light cavalry used for skirmishing, the Greek mercenary cavalry, under the command of Erigyius, the Macedonian phalanx, except the men who had been placed in charge of the money, the archers, and the Agrianians, he marched against Darius. In the forced march which he made, many of his soldiers were left behind, worn out with fatigue, and many of the horses died. He nevertheless pressed on, and on the eleventh day arrived at Rhagae.^[1] This place is distant from the Caspian Gates one day's journey to one marching as Alexander did. But Darius had already passed through this defile before Alexander came up, though many of those who were his companions in flight deserted him on the way and retired to their own abodes. Many also surrendered to Alexander. The latter now gave up the hope of capturing Darius by close pursuit, and remained there five days to give his troops repose. He appointed Oxodates a Persian, who had the ill fortune to be arrested by Darius and shut up at Susa, to the office of viceroy of Media; for this treatment was an inducement to Alexander to rely on his fidelity. He then marched towards Parthia; and on the first day encamped near the Caspian Gates, which he passed through on the second day as far as the country was inhabited.^[2] Hearing that the country further on was desert, he resolved to procure a stock of provisions from the place where he was encamped, and accordingly sent Coenus out on a foraging expedition with the cavalry and a small body of infantry.

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1. A large city in the extreme north of Media, mentioned in the Book of Tobit. It was famous in the Middle Ages under the name of Rai. The ruins of Rai lie south-east of Teheran.

2. ἒστε generally means until. In its present use cf. ii. 11 supra, ἒστε μὲν φἀος ῆν.

p.181-182

Rai village in Sonipat

Rai (राई) is the name of a village in Sonipat district of Haryana. It is on the National Highway No. 1 (GT Road or Shershah Suri Marg), about 40 kilometres from Delhi. It is prominantly inhibited by Brahmins, Tyagis and Chauhan Rajputs. Rai is also the constituency of Haryana Vidhan Sabha.

Distribution in Rajasthan

They are Located in Jaipur city in C-Scheme.

Distribution in Haryana

Villages in Ambala District

Danipur

Distribution in Punjab

Villages in Hoshiarpur district

Moranwali: According to local legend , Moranwali was built by the Rai Jats of Thalla, Jalandhar.

Villages in Jalandhar district

Thalla,

Villages in Amritsar district

Rai population is 2,364 in Amritsar district.

Villages in Firozpur district

In Firozpur district the Rai population is 2,700.

Villages in Sangrur district

• Rai Singhwala is village in Sangrur tahsil of Sangrur district in Punjab.

Distribution in Delhi

• Jhangola Village
• Rai Sikh

{Information Added By:- *Ch. Vikram Singh Siwach (चौधरी विक्रम सिंह सिवाच}

Notable persons

• Basant Rai (Hemu) (1501-1556)

• Harnand Rai (Sub) - From ....?,Rajasthan, The Grenadiers Regiment, Op Rakshak (J&K) Martyr 20-01-1995

References

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