▁Sur as ena ▁line age ▁who ▁ruled ▁these ▁kingdom s , ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁these ▁areas ▁to ▁avoid ▁forced ▁conversion ▁to ▁Islam . ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁G ahl ot ▁and ▁B ans h id har ▁( 1 9 8 9 ) ▁indicate ▁some ▁common ality ▁in ▁origin ▁with ▁Raj put ▁Mal is ▁of ▁Raj put ana , ▁who ▁are ▁also ▁stated ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁Raj put ▁descent . ▁However , ▁sch ol ars ▁add ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁two , ▁the ▁Sain is ▁continue ▁to ▁maintain ▁their ▁Raj put ▁character ▁despite ▁ad option ▁of ▁agricult ure ▁in ▁the ▁era ▁of ▁Muslim ▁asc end ancy . ▁The ▁former ▁were ▁also ▁included ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁Raj put s ▁in ▁the ▁Mar war ▁State ▁Census ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁ ▁British ▁era ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁British ▁period ▁Sain is ▁were ▁class ified ▁as ▁both ▁a ▁stat ut ory ▁agricult ural ▁tribe ▁and , ▁later , ▁a ▁mart ial ▁race . ▁The ▁latter ▁was ▁an ▁administrative ▁device ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁now - dis cred ited ▁theories ▁of ▁scientific ▁rac ism : ▁eth nic ▁communities ▁were ▁categor ised ▁as ▁being ▁either ▁mart ial ▁or ▁non - mart ial , ▁with ▁the ▁latter ▁being ▁those ▁who ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁un fit ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁arm ies ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁sed ent ary ▁l ifest yles . ▁The ▁community ▁was ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁pe asant ▁pe op les ▁who ▁benef itted ▁from ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁P un j ab ▁Canal ▁Col on ies , ▁through