Barhath (

Devnagari Devanagari ( ; in script: , , ) is an Indic script used in the Indian subcontinent. It is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ancient '' Brāhmī'' script. It is one of the official scripts of India and ...

: बारहठ;

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

: Bārahaṭha) (spelled variously as Barhat, Bareth) is an honorific title of the

Charan Charan (IAST: Cāraṇ; Sanskrit: चारण; Gujarati: ચારણ; Sindhi: چارڻ; IPA: cɑːrəɳə) is a caste in South Asia natively residing in the Rajasthan and Gujarat states of India, as well as the Sindh and Balochistan prov ...

s. The title was given to prominent Charans who displayed bravery in war and occupied significant positions in the

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

s in

medieval India Medieval India was a long period of post-classical history in the Indian subcontinent between the ancient and modern periods. It is usually regarded as running approximately from the break-up of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century to the star ...

. It is used as a surname by Charans of Rohadia clan as well as other clans such as

Sauda Sauda ''()'' is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sauda, where most of the population lives. Other villages in the municipality include Saudasjøen and Amdal. Despite being ...

Etymology

Barhath is derived from "''Dvar-pati''" or "''Dvar-hath''". It translates as 'Guardian of the Gate'.

History

The title 'Barhath' is a synonym of the older term 'Prolpat' or 'Paulpat' which also means 'Guardian of the Gate'. They were described as 'the guardians of Rajput codes of conduct whose poetry and history defined valour, loyalty, and honour'. They oversaw the defense and safety of their Rajput rulers: under siege, they would be the first line of defense at the gate of the fort.

Barhath, a title given to trusted Carans who, during times of
siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...
, stood at the main gates (paul) of
forts A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from ...
and were the first to fight and give their lives in its defense.

Notable people

* Narharidas Barhath (1591–1676), renowned 17th-century poet and author of

vaishnavite Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...

text ''Avatara Charitra'' * Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath (1872–1941), Indian revolutionary leader,

freedom fighter A freedom fighter is a person engaged in a struggle to achieve political freedom, particularly against an established government. The term is typically reserved for those who are actively involved in armed or otherwise violent rebellion. Termi ...

, poet, writer and educator from

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

* Thakur Zorawar Singh Barhath (1883–1939), Indian

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

and independence activist; main accomplice in the

Delhi conspiracy case The Delhi Conspiracy case, also known as the Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy, refers to an attempt made in 1912 to assassinate the then Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge by throwing a local self-made bomb of Anushilan Samiti by Jorawar Singh Bareth a ...

, threw the bomb on Lord Hardinge * Kunwar Pratap Singh Barhath (1893–1918), Indian revolutionary & anti-British activist, accomplice in the

to assassinate Lord Hardinge * Barhath Kriparam Khidiya (1743–1833), 18th-century Rajasthani poet and writer, known for his verses on ethics called ''Rajiya ra Soratha'' * Suryadev Singh Bareth, Indian advocate, poet, and social worker from

Alwar Alwar ( Rajasthani Pronunciation: �lʋəɾ is a city located in India's National Capital Region (NCR) and the administrative headquarters of Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan. It is located 150 km south of Delhi and 150 km ...

; recipient of

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

(1971) for his contributions to progressive agriculture in the region during

Green Revolution The Green Revolution, or the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period during which technology transfer initiatives resulted in a significant increase in crop yields. These changes in agriculture initially emerged in Developed country , devel ...

* Narayan Bareth, veteran Indian journalist and

political analyst Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and law ...

; former State Information Commissioner of

(2020–2022) and Professor of Journalism at

University of Rajasthan The University of Rajasthan, informally known as Rajasthan University (RU, ISO: Rājasthān Viśvavidyālaya), is a public state university located in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. It was founded in 1947 by an Act of the State Legislative Assembl ...

(2016–2017) and Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication (2013–2016)

References

{{reflist Surnames of Indian origin Surnames Titles in India Men's social titles Cultural history of India Linguistic history of India Charan