Alexander Cunningham in his 1871 book Archaeological Survey of India propounded that Meghs were Pre-Aryans who came to Punjab from Assyria and settled in Sapta Sindhu (the land of seven rivers). Under Aryan pressure, they may have migrated to the Maharashtra and Vindhyachal region during the Megalithic period (1400-1200 BCE) and later to Bihar and Orissa.[3]
They claim to have descended from Rishi Megh,[1] a saint who had the power to bring rain from the clouds (Megh) through his prayer.[4] The word Meghwar is derived from the Sanskrit word, megh, meaning clouds and rain, and war (Hindi: वार), meaning a group, son and child. (Sanskrit: वार:)[5][6] Literally, then, the words Meghwal and Meghwar connote a people who belong to Megh lineage.[7] It is also said that the Meghs lived in mountaineous regions of Jammu and Kashmir where lot of cloud activity is experienced. People living there were naturally given the name Megh (clouds).[8] In folk lore told by Mirasis (traditional folk artists) Meghs are linked to Suryavansh to which Lord Rama belonged.[8
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