Saini is a warrior caste of North India. Sainis claim to be descendants of Maharaja Shoorsen, Lord Krishna & King Porus and are related to the ancient Shoorsaini clan, in Puranic literature, are now found by their original name only in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Delhi. They also claim themselves to be Rajputs of the Yaduvanshi Surasena lineage, originating from Yadava King Shurasena, who was the grandfather of both Krishna and the legendary Pandava warriors. Sainis relocated to Punjab from Mathura and surrounding areas over different periods of time.
As with other Rajput origin tribes of the then Punjab region, Sainis also took up farming during medieval period due to the Turko-Islamic political domination. As both a statutory agricultural tribe and a designated Martial Class during British era, Sainis had been chiefly engaged in both agriculture and military service since then until the recent times. However, since the independence of India, Sainis have diversified into different trades and professions other than military and agriculture. Sainis are now also seen in increasing numbers as businessmen, lawyers, professors, civil servants, engineers, doctors and research scientists, etc.
Sainis profess in both Hinduism and Sikhism. Several Saini families profess in both the faiths simultaneuosly and inter-marry freely in keeping with the age-old composite Bhakti and Sikh spiritual traditions of Punjab. Until recent times Sainis were strictly an endogamous kshatriya group and inter-married only within select clans. They also have a national level organization called Saini Rajput Mahasabha located in Delhi which was established in 1920.
Ancient era
Megasthenes, the ancient Greek traveller and ambassador to India, encountered the Shoorsainis, who then a ruling tribe with their capital in Mathura. There is also an academic opinion that the ancient king Porus, the opponent of Alexander the Great, belonged to this Yadava sept.
Saini rulers of Eastern Rajputana
A post-Kushan Shoorsaini kingdom is said to have existed near Delhi and eastern Rajasthan.
A General of this dynasty by the name of Gurdan Saini, who led Rana Hamir Dev's Rajput army against the Khiljis, was also mentioned by poet-scholar Amir Khusro.
British era
During the British period Sainis were classified as both a statutory agricultural tribe and a martial class. Some Saini landlords were also appointed as Zaildars, or revenue-collectors, in various districts.
Distribution
According to the census of 1881, Sainis were not found outside the then Punjab Province (present day Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh and Delhi). The largest Saini clans were in Hoshiarpur district of Jalandhar division where they were in quite commanding position in terms of land holdings and influence, holding at least two zails. In Lahore division they were chiefly concentrated in Gurdaspur where the Salahrias (Salariya) were returned as the largest Saini clan. The Sainis of Jammu area were essentially part of Sainis from the bordering Gurdaspur district.
According to A. E. Barstow the total population of Sainis as per 1911 census was only 113,000 and their presence was restricted mainly to Delhi, Karnal, Ambala and Lyallpur (modern Faislabad in Pakistan) districts, the Jalandhar and Lahore Divisions and the Kalsia, Nahan, Nalagarh, Mandi, Kapurthala and Patiala states. According to him, only 400 of them were Muslims and the rest were Hindu and Sikh.