[citation needed] The Thakurai are said to have originated in Rajasthan, and were converted to Islam during the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
Their ancestor was a Mahabat Khan, (Ashfaque Ahmad (mukhiya) from his family) who was a Sisodia Rajput of Mewar, who converted to Islam.
They are now found in fifty three villages in Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, East and West Champaran District, and also have a presence in neighbouring Terai region of Nepal.
Informed members of the community claim they use Thakurai to differentiate themselves from local Hindu Rajputs.
[1] Unlike, other Muslim communities, they maintain good relations with Hindu Rajputs who live in the same villages, likely due to a common heritage.