Ropan Chhapra
Province Introduction
The Amethiya Rajputs of Deoria form an important branch of the Gaur Rajput community, traditionally tracing their ancestry to the ancient region of Amethi in Awadh, located in present-day Lucknow district. This Amethi lies in the Mohanlalganj area of Lucknow, on the old route towards Sultanpur. The name Amethiya is associated with this ancestral territory, from which the lineage subsequently spread to other parts of northern India.
According to traditional Gaur genealogy, the Amethiya line traces its ancestry to Raja Kanhdev Gaur, associated with the royal house of Kannauj. Kanhdev is traditionally said to have established his authority in Amethi, after which his descendants came to be known as Amethiya Gaur. The tradition subsequently connects the lineage with Nar Kahinjari and several important Gaur centres and estates of Awadh.
Historical records from the British period also document the presence of Amethia Rajputs in the Awadh region, particularly around Kumhrawan, Haidargarh and Pokhra, as well as their later presence in the Gorakhpur region. Among Amethiya families of eastern Uttar Pradesh, there is additionally a tradition (though unproven) of an earlier Gaur thikana in the Alwar region of Rajasthan, forming part of the community's ancestral memory.
The Amethiya settlement in the Deoria region is traditionally connected with the Majhauli Raj. According to local tradition, during a rebellion in the reign of Raja Bodh Mall of Majhauli, the Maharani sought the assistance of the Amethiya Rajputs and entrusted them with the southern chauki of the estate. Following their assistance, the Amethiyas are traditionally said to have received a thikana of twelve villages south of Majhauli.
These twelve traditional Amethiya villages are:
- Ropan Chhapra
- Rawatpar Amethia
- Khemadei
- Gauri Amethia
- Bankata Amethia
- Kausad Amethia
- Karauta
- Kuichawar
- Sohagra
- Saria
- Bachaur
- Balua
Among them, Ropan Chhapra holds particular significance. Local tradition associates its establishment with Thakur Rupan Chand, after whom the settlement was traditionally known as Chhapra Rupan, later becoming Ropan Chhapra.
The Amethiya heritage of Deoria has also produced notable figures in public life and culture, including Thakur Sinhasan Singh of Ropan Chhapra, first MP from Gorakhpur, Lalji Singh, former General Manager of the North Eastern Railway, Dr. Shambhunath Singh of Rawatpar Amethia, distinguished Hindi poet and scholar known for Chhayavad, and Thakur Sudama Singh of Ropan Chhapra, a zamindar whose villages and landed interests extended across the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar region, and who is still remembered for his distinctive persona and the respect and affection he commanded among the people associated with the region of his time.