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Revision as of 23:17, 20 January 2006 by 66.198.105.10 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Arain is a basically hindu lower cast previously they were known as shoudras and khatries of hindu slaves of brahman rulers later on most of them converted to islam on arrival of Muhammad bin Qasim a muslim military leader. tribe settled mainly in the Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. Arain are mainly involved in agriculture and form a significant percentage in the Pakistan Army. The population of Arains exceed over 15 millions. Arain originally were one of the Semitic tribes that came and settled in South Asia from Middle East. However, the majority of Arain today might not be descendants of those Arain but in fact people with same profession (i.e. farming). The Arain have also settled in major cities like Lahore, Multan, Islamabad, Karachi and Faisalabad. General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq former president of Pakistan was also Arain.However the britishers put a ban on Arains on their recruitment in British Army becouse of their cowerdness and backwordness.
It is believed the Arain word is derived from the Arabic name Ar-Ra'i, "The shepherd", a title indigenous to Arabia.
Rudyard Kipling's book Kim there is a reference to the Arain Caste.
"Behind them an angry farmer brandished a bamboo pole. He was a market-gardener, Arain by caste, growing vegetables and flowers for Umballa city, and well Kim knew the breed."
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