Kanet

The Kanet is a Hindu caste found in the state of Himachal Pradesh in North India.

Kanet/Kunait(कनेत/कुनैत) is a Rajput Clan Native to East Himachal.Kunait Rajputs are considered Status Wise little below the Other Rajput Clans Of Himachal pradesh as they had taken Agriculture practices Very Early.Ethnically and Linguistically they are Indo-Aryans.Kunait Rajputs are the Landlords and are also known by Thakur Tittle Although During British Times they Were Considered as an Agriculturalist Caste.Some Sc/St people also use their Clan name as theirs just like Names of Medieval Era Rajput Clans i.e Bhati,Chauhan,Tanwar,Panwar,Solanki are also used by the Gaddi,Gujjar,Jaat,Koli and Chamars.

Origin

According to One Theory of their Origin Kunait Rajputs are Descendants of Kuninda कुणिन्द/कुणिद Dynasty which Once Ruled the Parts of East Himachal and Uttrakhand Before Century and before the arrival of Medieval Era(6thCE-12thCE) Rajput Clans Chauhan,Parmar,Chandel from the plains in the region. The Kingdom of Kunindas is Also Mentioned in Mahabharata as Kulinda.They were Defeated by the Arjuna. A Kulinda/Kuninda Chief Named Subahu/सुबाहु Is mentioned in Mahabharata who joined the Pandavas with his army and Fought Against Kauravas in the Battle.

One of the first kings of the Kuninda was Amoghbhuti, who ruled in the mountainous valley of the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers (in today's southern Himachal and far western Uttarakhand in northern India).

The Greek historian Ptolemy linked the origin of the Kuninda to the country where the rivers Beas, Sutlej, Yamuna and Ganges originate.[2]

One of the Edicts of Ashoka on a pillar is also present at Kalsi, in the region of Garhwal, indicating the spread of Buddhism to the region from the 4th century BCE.

The Kuninda kingdom disappeared around the 3rd century, and from the 4th century, it seems the region shifted to Shaivite beliefs.

Distribution

Kanet/Kunait are Mostly found in eastern Himachal Pradesh i.e in Districts like Solan,Mandi,Sirmour and Shimla with very few representation in Kangra and Hamirpur.

Location of Ancient Kunindas

Kuninda Kingdom
Before 2nd century BCE–3rd century
Location of Kuninda relative to other groups: the Audumbaras, the Vemakas, the Vrishnis, the Yaudheyas, the Pauravas and the Arjunayanas.
Government	monarchy
History
• Established	Before 2nd century BCE
• Disestablished	3rd century
Today part of	India

See also

• Rajputs
• Gaddis
• Ghirth