User:Sudeshrathod/Ramuji Naik, Rathod

Ramuji Naik was head of Banjara community at Yeoli (Nayak= head)and had considerable influence on the community since he claims to be the representative of 'Sisodia' family and belongs to the 'sakhya kula'. The family worship 'Ma Tulaja Bhavani' as their 'Kul-devata'. As a tradition of adopting ancestral name by the descendants the elder son of Ramuji Naik was Bhojaji Naik. It refers to the families link to the 'Bhojas'of 'Vidarbha' in Maharashtra state. At one time the chief man of the Banjaras, though he might have little influence outside his own caste, had great power within it. When the Berar Gazetteer of 1870 was written the chief man was Ramu Naik, Izardar of Yeoli in the south-east of Yeotmal Taluk. The Superintendent of Police wrote, p. 197: ' Ramu's authority and influence is greater than that of any man in Berar, I believe,' and he was able to exact fines of Rs. 5000 and Rs. 8000. It is said that thirty or forty years ago the Deputy Commissioner asked him to provide some Banjara recruits for military service and he, after due deliberation, offered some thousands of men. Presently he explained that he could not send anyone for permanent service. He had thought the men were only wanted temporarily in some private quarrel of the Deputy Commissioner's.