Their name is Mahajan, a Bania subgroup of north India, meaning "great people." Maha means "great" and jan means "people." Most of the Mahajans come from present-day Rajasthan. Historically, they are a people who fled into the foothills of the Himalayas during the Mogul Era to escape cruel Islamic rulers. Most Mahajans today speak Hindi, but Marathi, Punjabi, and Dogri are also spoken among them. Though they are most often found in Rajasthan, Mahajans live throughout India.
An economically and socially powerful people, Mahajan Bania are highly respected by Hindu society. In the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Maharashtra, Mahajans work as landlords, traders and businessmen. Ironically, few Mahajans are involved in money lending, a primary job of Banias.
Nearly all Mahajan Banias claim the Hindu religion, but as merchants they have chosen gods that reflect their profession. They worship the god of wealth, the god of good fortune and the god of money. The rupee (Indian currency) is sacred with the Bania, and they use old coins for religious ceremonies. Ganesh (the god who helps overcome obstacles) and Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) are among their favorites. Many are devoted to Vishnu and Shrinathji. Some are Jains, a reform movement of Hinduism.
Though they live all over India, the Mahajan Banias probably don’t have a single Christ follower among them. They need contact with vibrant, Christ loving believers.
Ask the heavenly Father to connect the Hindu Mahajans with loving Christ followers.
Pray that they will realize that their power and prestige can only bring peace and joy if they have a personal relationship with their Creator, the one true living God.
Pray that they would have a desire to serve and respect him as Lord of their lives and of their business practices.
Scripture Prayers for the Bania Mahajan in India.
Some information from “The Scheduled Castes” K. S. Singh, ed. Oxford University Press, USA (1994)
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Bania Mahajan |
People Name in Country | Bania Mahajan |
Natural Name | Mahajan Bania |
Alternate Names | Mahajan; बनिया, महाजन |
Population this Country | 228,000 |
Population all Countries | 228,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 5 |
People ID | 19711 |
ROP3 Code | 115163 |
ROP25 Code | 300836 |
ROP25 Name | Bania |
Country | India | |||||||||||||||
Region | Asia, South | |||||||||||||||
Continent | Asia | |||||||||||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | |||||||||||||||
National Bible Society | Website | |||||||||||||||
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | |||||||||||||||
Total States on file | 24 | |||||||||||||||
Largest States (only 15 largest shown) |
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Districts | Interactive map, listing and data download | |||||||||||||||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 24 (only 20 largest shown) |
Rajasthan 48,000 | |
Uttar Pradesh 43,000 | |
Maharashtra 21,000 | |
Gujarat 20,000 | |
West Bengal 19,000 | |
Andhra Pradesh 19,000 | |
Assam 14,000 | |
Madhya Pradesh 7,700 | |
Telangana 7,300 | |
Uttarakhand 7,100 | |
Delhi 4,900 | |
Jammu and Kashmir 3,200 | |
Odisha 3,000 | |
Punjab 2,700 | |
Haryana 2,200 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Hinduism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
99.82 %
|
Islam |
0.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.18 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Hindi (99,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 23 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Hindi (99,000 speakers) |
Language Code | hin Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 23 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Marwari (India) 28,000 | |
Gujarati 16,000 | |
Bengali 12,000 | |
Marathi 10,000 | |
Dhundari 8,800 | |
Telugu 8,300 | |
Assamese 4,100 | |
Bhojpuri 2,300 | |
Mewari 2,200 | |
Shekhawati 2,100 | |
Sourashtra 900 | |
Kanauji 800 | |
Bagri 500 | |
Konkani 400 | |
Awadhi 400 | |
People Groups | Speaking Hindi |
Primary Language: Hindi
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1806-1962) |
Bible-New Testament | Yes (1811-1998) |
Bible-Complete | Yes (1818-2022) |
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) | Online |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |