Patel

The surname is popular and denotes a particular landowning status. Traditionally the surname is a status name referring to the village chieftains during medieval times, and was later retained as successive generations stemmed out into communities of landowners. Bluntness in speech, an unconcern about dress and appearance, a sense of equality within the fold, and a sense of superiority towards non-Patidars, a self-image of tough independent men, naturally given to ruling over others, mark the Patidar character. "Patidar" literally means a "landowner". Leuva Patels not only outnumber the Kadva Patels (the descendants of Kush), but are also economically stronger with bigger landholdings. Gujarat has over 6,100 industrial units that have a turnover of more than Rs 10 crore. Of these, nearly 1,700 belong to Patels - well over 25 per cent, says Vansjaliya. Amongst the traditional non-mercantile communities, this would be the highest representation. In contrast, Jains own 720 of these and Brahmins only 320. About 40 per cent of the Patidars are businessmen, industrialists and entrepreneurs; 30 per cent fall in the middle-class; 21 per cent are well-to-do farmers; and the remaining 9 per cent are poor, marginal farmers, according to local social scientists and economists. Their success abroad is the stuff of legends: in Africa, Europe as well as the United States.