Tiwari - History

History

Tiwari's refers to those Brahmins in Vedic age who used to do all rituals in a Vedic ceremony instead of any specific one. It is one of the most widespread Brahmin surnames in the fertile Gangetic plain region and in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal and Assam. It is also found in countries such as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, due to migration owing to agricultural/plantation employment. The surname is also found in Nepal, Fiji and Mauritius, as well as in other Indian diaspora communities. Tiwaris of Kumaon region in Uttarakhand are mostly from earlier undivided Gujarat state of India. They are sons of Mahatma Shree Shreechand Tiwari (reference:"Kumaon Ka Itihas" by MR. B.D. Pandey, MP, honorably called Kumaon Kesari and was a freedom fighter & "Himalayan Gazetteer" by Edwin T Atkinson, Historian ). They are Samvedi Gautam gotri. The original Tiwaris migrated from Amlabad, Badnagar, Gujarat and settled in the court of Kings of Kumaon. they saved the life of Raja BajBahadur Chand, King of Almorah. Their descendants are known with various surnames in the regions of Kumaon where they settled. The names of village usually replaced the Tiwari surname to make for easy identification, which they got in jagirs from the Rajas of Kumaon. various examples are Balutia, Bameta, Lausali and Suyal etc. Shree Narayn Dutt Tiwari, S/O of Shree Poornanand Tiwari, Ex-CM of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ex central Cabinet minister GOI and Ex-Governor of Andhra Pradesh is one of them.

They have historically been martial Brahmins as well, and due to there involvement in the uprising against the British in the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, when many of the ranks which followed Mangal Pandey, Chandrashekhar Azad(Chandrashekhar Sitaram Tiwari), Ram Prasad Bismil in his rebellion were composed of Brahmins from the agricultural regions of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Due to this they were not declared a martial race by Britishers like Mohyals due to their ardent support for the Indian independence movement and rebellion against the British Raj.Tiwaris were therefore devoid of the support from the newly formed Indian Government by Indian National Congress. Historically, Tiwaris have always fulfilled their religious duties and had great knowledge of the Vedas, Puranas, Shastras and other holy texts. However presently the majority are engaged in more secular vocations. Historians believe that Tiwaris were traditional researchers, warriors and farmers sometimes with a strong connection with the original Indo-European which inhabited the Great Gangetic plains. Tiwari is the degree of the premier Brahmins and found in various Brahmin societies like Saryupareen Brahmins, Kanyakubja Brahmins, Maithil Brahmin, Bhumihar Brahmin and other Brahmins communities .