Kurmi
Kurmi (Template:Lang-hi)
"Kurmi" is the chief ancient agricultural caste of India. The Singraur, Umrao, Awadhya,KOCHYASA ,GHAYAMLA Gangwar, Kanbi, Kapu, Katiyar, Kulambi, Jaiswar, Kulwadi, Kunbi, Kutumbi, Patel, singhror, choduary, Sachan, Verma all are sub communities comes under community "Kurmi".
In Hindu society there have traditionally been four varnas/castes - 1. Bharmin 2. Kshatriya 3. Vaisya 4. Shudra. People from Kurmi community belong to a sub-caste of Shudra. Shudra are considered as people of lower order/lower caste and are on the lowest ladder of social classes. They are not married into or shared food, accommodation with and are avoided from social, religious ceremonies by the upper caste of Arya namely- Brahmins and Rajputs.
The physical appearance of the Kurmis is dark skin, thick nose and same as the aborigin Indian inhabitants - the dravidians. The Rajputs & Brahmins who claim their ancestry from the Arya look dramatically different from the Kurmis and other castes. The Aryanisation of Kurmis is part of the misguided approach supported, propagated and driven by a certain section of historians and an aspirant lower caste community(KURMI in this case) seeking an equal share (due to millenniums of Socio-economic disparity) in the supposed higher caste of Hindus who originally belong to the Arya community and who have a (Eurasian) appearance plus also hold written records by the Religious record keepers and Bhaats about their origins. Recent studies of genetics in India have shown that only Rajputs and Brahmins from North, North west India have genetic closeness (from their father's side i.e. 'Y' chromosome) with the European races. Apart from these, Brahmins from South india (Tamil Nadu) - 'Iyer' (known for their light colored eyes, features and very fair European like skin) and brahmins from other parts have show the same genetic results. The highest concentration of the Iranian(Zoroastrian,Persian), Eurasian looking Arya in India increases as one moves towards north, north-west. A Citation in this regard and a further proof of the Brahmin & Rajput genetic findings was published in the DECCAN CHRONICLE newspaper, Hyderabad city edition, February the 6th, 2008. (Citing the mentioned reference, even the kayasths are not aryans, enough to humour any Indian.)
Mis-interpretation of Arya religious book - The Rig Ved and other Hindu books, Unfound & Unsupported claims by religious heads (for monetary, social benefits or simple confusion) that name Kurmi & non-Arya communities as Arya(Kshatriya), politically & colonially inspired comments of the Erswhile British colonists - These have been largely used in this propaganda which might be beneficial for the integration of India that is marred by disparities in the 21st century but it is even more a Blatant Lie that does everything but speak any truth. Instances of people with hints of Arya features in Kurmi and other Non-Aryan communities cannot be shelved as these are the traces of Arya genes that have played role due to rare hypergamous marriages that have taken place in course of history since the advent of Arya into India that has been rightly timed at 1200BC. All genetic findings on Indian population reveals no links of Kurmis with the Arya. They are an Oppressed, indigenous & aboriginal people. Pre-Independence, ie before 1947, many Gandhian sects and pro-freedom organizations tried their best to assimilate the non Arya, lower castes into the upper Aryan castes in order to unite the nation against the British colonists. "Karmi" in Ramayana is associated with someone who 'works' or aims in the right order. This is often confused to associate with the Kurmi caste.
Kurmis can no way be kshatriyas because even Shivaji was not kshatriya. He belonged to lowest ladder of social classes, much to the knowledge of my friend.