Who the Rajput are
The Rajput are a large community of north and west India, with smaller populations in Pakistan and Nepal, historically associated with the kingdoms and forts of Rajasthan and a strong code of honour and loyalty. Most are Hindu; some Rajput communities, particularly in Pakistan, are Muslim.
Rajput followers of Jesus are very few. Honour, lineage and clan are central to Rajput identity, and conversion is read as a break with all three. A Gospel that speaks to honour — the King who gave Himself for His people — has a deep point of contact here.
Signs of hope
A culture that already prizes honour, loyalty and sacrifice — themes at the heart of the Gospel.
The honest difficulty
Clan and honour make conversion feel like betrayal, and there are very few Rajput believers to show another way.
What "Frontier" means
Fewer than 1 in 1,000 follow Jesus, and there is no indigenous movement large enough to grow on its own. Most people in this group will never meet a Christian.
This describes access to the Gospel, not the worth of a people or the sincerity of anyone's faith.
How to pray for the Rajput
Take one of these for a week rather than all of them for a day.
- Pray for Rajput families to see Jesus as the King worth their loyalty.
- Ask God to raise up the first Rajput believers in many clans.
- Pray for Muslim Rajput communities in Pakistan as well as Hindu Rajputs in India.
- Pray for courage and protection for those who follow Christ.
Where the Rajput live
Each nation profile carries church size, unreached peoples, what is going well, what is hard, and four prayer points.
Questions people ask about the Rajput
Who are the Rajput people?
The Rajput (also called Thakur) are a people group of roughly 45 million, living mainly in India, Nepal, Pakistan. They speak Hindi, Rajasthani, Punjabi, Urdu and are predominantly Hinduism (most), Islam (some). A historic warrior community whose story runs through the forts and kingdoms of north India — with almost no church among them. Population figures for people groups vary considerably by source and by how a group is defined.
Are the Rajput an unreached people group?
The Rajput are classified as frontier. Fewer than 1 in 1,000 follow Jesus, and there is no indigenous movement large enough to grow on its own. Most people in this group will never meet a Christian. Scripture status: Available in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
How can I pray for the Rajput?
Pray for Rajput families to see Jesus as the King worth their loyalty. Ask God to raise up the first Rajput believers in many clans. Take one of these for a week rather than all of them for a day.