Loniya
The Loniya (Lonia or Lunia) or Nonia (Noniya) are a backward caste of Hindus who are located in the bordering territories of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Traditionally, they were engaged in the activities of salt-making and salt-digging[1].
They have taken to writing Chauhan as their surname and referring to themselves as Rajputs, a move that has no historical basis[7][8] or evidence, as scholars have provided examples of entire communities of Shudra[9][10] origin "becoming" Rajput, a phenomenon known as Rajputization, even as late as the 20th century, during the British Raj. For example, William Rowe, in his "The new Chauhans: A caste mobility movement in North India," discusses an example of a sizable portion of a Shudra caste—the Noniyas or Lonias—from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar that had attempted to "become" Rajputs over three generations during the Raj era in an effort to seek higher mobility in the social hierarchy by imitating their customs and traditions.[11]
Synonyms Name in Different States:
In India, of the four language families, the Dravidian and Aryan languages branches are used in two parts of India. In the south, the Dravidian languages are used, in the North, the Aryan languages are used. The Dravidian languages are Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. In all these four languages, for salt the word ‘Uppu’, the basic word used. Therefore, the persons engaged in the manufacture of salt are called Uppura in Kannada, Uppar, Upparolu in Telugu, Uppaliya, Uppaliyan and Upaliga in Tamil. In the northern part of the country, the Aryan languages like Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarathi etc are used, For the English word salt, the Aryan languages meaning is ‘Lon’ or Non, in Sanskrit, for salt, the word ‘Lavan’ is used. In Hindi, ‘Namak’ is used. So the persons engaged in the manufacture of the salt were called Loniya in M.P, Uttar Pradesh, Noniya in Bihar and Bengal and ‘Lonari in Maharashtra and northern part of India. Though the Upparas of the South, Loniyas of North, Lonari of West and Noniya of East are one and the same caste, there is very less knowledge of the same and creating differences. As per historical identities Loniya or Noniya comes under the Endogamous Division of Lodhi also, due to the Rajput title that they go with.
There are castes and sub-castes present in states, each with its own history, traditions, and social dynamics having synonymous names but are of same caste or occupation marry only among their sub-caste or subgroup such as below
| Name of the State | Synonymous Names |
| Andhra Pradesh | Uppara, Sagara, Memar, Beldar |
| Karnataka | Uppara, Sagar, Goundi, Ager, Koosa, Uppalinga, Uppaligashetty, Beldar, Lonmali, Lonkar, Lonaria |
| Kerala | Alvan, Koosa, Upparam |
| Tamil Nadu | Uppara, Uppaliyan, Uppaliya Naicker, Alavan, Padh, Padti, Uppaliya, Sagar |
| Telangana | Uppara, Sagara, Memar, Beldar, Uppilga |
| Bihar | Noniya, Ninia, Lonia, Lonia Chauhan (Rajput), Beldar, Sorgar Gola, Goli, Luniyar |
| Orissa | Uppara, Noliya, Launa, Noniya, Loniya |
| West Bengal | Noniya, Nuniya, Lawaniya |
| Jharkhand | Namkgar, Narere Nurere, Chauhan |
| Chattisgarh | Nuniya, Sorgar, Nungar |
| Madhya Pradesh | Loniya, Lonia Rajput, Noniya, Agri, Lonari Kunbi, Lodhi, Kshatriya Lonari |
| Uttara Pradesh | Loniya, Luniya, Noniya, Ninia, Lodhi, Paramr, Bind, Beldar, Shorgar |
| Uttarakhand | Thakur, Agariya |
| Delhi | Agri, Khanl, Lonari, Loniya, Chauhan (Rajput) |
| Haryana | Noonagar, Thakur, Gola Goli, Sholgar |
| Rajasthan | Loniya, Silawat, Raj, Shoragar, Karawal, Kharol, Kharwa |
| Punjab | Noonagar, Thakur, Uppiliyan, Lawankar |
| Gujarath | Kadiya, Ager, Agri, Chunar, Beldar, Lonari |
| Maharastra | Lonari, Gavandi, Agri, Agera, Jire Gavandis, Kamathi Guvandis, Kadiyas Gavandis, Lonari Kunbi, Kshatriya Lonari, Chauhan |
References
https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Communities_Segments_Synonyms_Surnames_a.html?id=bfAMAQAAMAAJ&redir_esc=yCommunities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames and Titles: K. S. Singh Anthropological Survey of India, 199
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