Gujjar
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| Castes of India | |
| Gujjar or Gurjar | |
| Classification | Kshatriya |
| Subdivisions | |
| Significant populations in | India, Pakistan and Afghanistan |
| Languages | Gujari, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Pashto, Pahari languages, Kashmiri, Kutchi, Khojki, Gujarati, Khowar), Balti etc. |
| Religions | Hinduism, Islam; Sikhism and Jainism to a minor extent |
The Gujjar (Hindi: गुज्जर, Urdu: گجر) or Gurjar (Hindi: गुर्जर, Urdu: گُرجر) are an ethnic group in India and Pakistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar and Goojar.
The Gujjars follow Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam. The Hindu Gurjars belong to the traditional Kshatriya varna in Hinduism, while the Muslim Gujjars are considered to be a Potwari tribe in India and Pakistan.
[edit] History
[edit] Origin
The origins of the Gurjars are uncertain.[1]. The Gurjara clan appeared in northern India about the time of the Huna invasions of northern India. Some scholars, such as V. A. Smith, believed that the Gujjars were foreign immigrants, possibly a branch of Hephthalites ("White Huns").[2] D. B. Bhandarkar (1875-1950) believed that Gujars came into India with the Hunas, and the name of the tribe was sanskritized to "Gurjara".[3] He also believed that several places in Central Asia, such as "Gurjistan", are named after the Gujars and that the reminiscences of Gujar migration is preserved in these names.[3] General Cunningham identified the Gujjars with Yuezhi or Tocharians.[4]
In the past, Gujjars have also been hypothesized to be descended from the nomadic Khazar tribes, although the history of Khazars shows an entirely different politico-cultural ethos[5] In Gazetteer of Bombay Presidency, the British civil servant James M. Campbell identified Gujars with Khazars.
Some Gujjars also claim that the Gujjar caste is related to the Chechens and the Georgians, and argue that Georgia was traditionally called "Gujaristan" (actually Gorjestan) The state of Gujarat in Western India, gets its name from the Gujjars or Gurjars who migrated and settled from Central Asia.[6][7] Some of them also claim that Germans are Gujjars.[6] However, there is no evidence for such claims. The word "Georgia" derived from the Arabic and Persian word Gurj, and not Gujjar or Gurjar.[8][9]
[edit] Gujjar rulers
According to some historical accounts, the kingdom with capital at Bhinmal (or Srimal) was established by the Gujjars. A minor kingdom of Bharuch was the offshoot of this Kingdom.[10] In 640-41 CE, the Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Hieun Tsang) described the kingdoms of Su-la-cha (identified with Saurashtra) and Kiu-che-lo (identified with Gurjara) in his writings. He stated that the Gurjaras ruled a rich and populous kingdom with capital at Bhinmal (Pilo-mo-lo).[11] According to his expositor, M. Vivien de St. Martin, Su-la-cha represents the modern Gujarat, and Kiu-che-lo (Gurjjara), "the country of the Gujars", represents the region between between Anhilwara and the Indus River, i.e. Sindh region.[12]
Vincent Smith believed that the Pratihara dynasty, which ruled a large kingdom in northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries, and has been mentioned as "Gurjara-Pratiharas" in an inscription, was certainly of Gurjara origin. Smith also stated that there is possibility of other Agnikula Rajput clans being of same origin.[13] Dr. K. Jamanadas also states that the Pratihara clan of Rajputs descended from the Gujjars, and this "raises a strong presumption that the other Rajput clans also are the descendants from the Gurjaras or the allied foreign immigrants".[14] D. B. Bhandarkar also believed that Pratiharas were a clan of Gujjars.[3] In his book The Glory that was Gujardesh (1943), Gurjar writer K. M. Munshi stated that the Pratiharas, the Paramaras and the Solankis were imperial Gujjars.
However, some other historians believe that although some sections of the Pratiharas (eg. the one to which Mathanadeva belonged) were Gujjars by caste, the imperial Pratiharas of Kannauj were not Gujjars and there was no Gurjara empire in Northern India.[15][16] H. A. Rose and Denzil Ibbetson stated that there is no conclusive proof that the Agnikula Rajput clans are of Gurjara origin; they believed that there is possibility of the indigenous tribes adopting Gurjara names, when their founders were enfiefed by Gurjara rulers.[13]
Over the years, the Gurjars were assimilated mainly into the castes of Kshatriya varna, although some Gurjar groups (such as Gaur Gurjars of central India) are classified as Brahmins. During the Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent, many of the Gurjar Hindus converted to Islam.[17]
[edit] British rule
In the eighteenth century, several Gujjar chieftains and small kings were in power. During the reign of Rohilla Nawab Najib-ul-Daula, Dargahi Singh, the Gujjar chieftain of Dadri possessed 133 villages at a fixed revenue of Rs. 29,000.[18] A fort at Parlchhatgarh in Meerut District, also known as Qila Parikishatgarh, is ascribed to a Gujjar Raja Nain Singh.[19] According to a legend, the fort was built by Parikshita and restored by Nain Singh in the eighteenth century. The fort was dismantled in 1857, to be used as a police station.[20]
The Imperial Gazetteer of India states that throughout the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Gujars and Musalman (Muslim) Rajputs proved the "most irreconcilable enemies" of the British in the Bulandshahr area.[21] A band of rebellious Gujjars ransacked Bulandshahr after a revolt by the 9th Native Infantry on May 21, 1857. The British officers initially left for Meerut but later sent a small force to retake the town. The British forces were able to retake the town with the help of Dehra Gurkhas, but the Gujars rose again after the Gurkhas marched off to assist General Wilson's column in another area. Under the leadership of Walidad Khan of Malagarh, the British garrison was driven out the district. Walidad Khan held Bulandshahr from July to September, until he was expelled after an engagement with Colonel Greathed's flying column. On October 4, the Bulandshahr District was regularly occupied by the British Colonel Farquhar and measures of repression were adopted against the armed Gujars.
During the revolt of 1857, the Muslim Gujars in the villages of the Ludhiana District showed dissent to the British authorities.[22] The British interests in Gangoh city of Saharanpur District were threatened by the rebel Gujars under the self-styled Raja Fathua. These Gujars rebels were defeated by the British forces under H. D. Robertson and Lieutenant Boisragon, in June 1857.[23] The Gujars of Chundrowli rose against the British, under the leadership of Damar Ram. The Gujars of Shunkuri village, numbering around three thousand, joined the rebel sepoys. According to British records, the Gujars plundered gunpowder and ammunition from the British and their allies.[24][25] In Delhi, the Metcalfe House was sacked by the Gujjar villagers from whom the land was taken to erect the building.[26] The British records claim that the Gujars carried out several robberies. Twenty Gujars were reported to have been beheaded by Rao Tula Ram for committing dacoities in July 1857.[24] In September 1857, the British were able to enliist the support of many Jats and Gujars at Meerut.
The British classified the Gujjars (and around 150 other Indian communities) as "criminal tribe" through the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 (later repealed by the Government of independent India in 1952).[27] Some believe that the British classified the nomadic tribes as "criminal tribes" because they considered these tribes to be prone to criminality in the absence of legitimate means of livelihood, and also because of their participation in the revolt of 1857.[28] The Imperial Gazetteer of India stated that the Gujars were impoverished due to their "lawlessness in the Mutiny".[29], and that the Gujars in Delhi had a "bad reputation as thieves".[30]
During the World War II, several Gujjars served in the British Indian army. Kamal Ram, a Gujjar sepoy, was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry.
[edit] Demographics
Gujjars are mainly concentrated in the Indo-Gangetic plains, the Himalayan region, and eastern parts of Afghanistan, although the Gujjar diaspora is found in other places as well. A majority of Gujjars follow Hinduism and Islam, though small Gujjar communities following other religions exist.
Gujari (or Gojri), classified under Rajasthani[31], has traditionally been the primary language of the Gujjars. But, Gujjars living in different areas speak several other languages including Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Punjabi, Pothohari, Pahari languages (such as Dogri and Kangri), Pashto language, Dardic languages (such as Kashmiri and Khowar), and Balti.
[edit] Gujjars in India
In India, Gujjar populations are found mainly in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, northern Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The semi-nomadic Gujjar groups are found in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and north-western Uttar Pradesh.[32] The name for the state of Gujarat has derived from "Gurjar" [citation needed].
Gujjars in North India are now considered as a vote bank by some political parties.[33][34]. Rajesh Pilot was a major Gujjar leader in North India. The Gujjars were classified as a Scheduled Tribe in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, and as Other Backward Class in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
[edit] Delhi
Gujjars are mainly found in Delhi: that includes a majority of villages in northern part of Delhi are of KHARI (6 villages- namely Chandrawal, Rampura, Gopalpur, Wazirpur,Judbagh and Sultanpur, Tanwar (8 Villages seven in delhi and one falls in Gurgaon district of Haryana namely Fathpur Beri,Asola,Chandan Hola, Dera,Mandi,Bhati Kalan, Bhati Khurd and Gwalpahari(Gurgaon) Mavi 5 Village ambavata(4 villages), Bhati(24 villages),Dedha(24 villages namely Usmanpur, Ghonda, Ghamari, Ghari Mendu, Khajuri Khas, Sherpur, Sadatpur, Biharipur, Gharoli, Gokalpur, Dayalpur, Tukhmirpur, Silampur, Bhuapur, Khichripur, Gazipur, Kotla, Karkar Duman, Chilla, Dallupura,Jagatpur,Kotla, Ghondli, Khuraji Khas and Kondli) Baisoya (6 villages Aliganj, Pilanji, Khairpur, Garhi, Trinagar), bidhuri/bidhudi(5 villages namely Tughaqabad, Madanpur Khadar, Jasola), Rexwal, (2 villages namely Badarpur and Aali) Bosatta (2 villages namely Khanpur and Sarai Kale Khan) Naagar (hasanpur is the only village in delhi ), Kohli gurjar (one village zumrudpur),,Media:lohiasLOHIAS(2 villages ghitorni,Khayla and Aayanagar) Bainsla gurjar (one village Kotla Mubarakpur),AWANA (11 villages in delhi and noida)[citation needed]
[edit] Haryana
The main gotras of Gurjars found in the Faridabad District of Haryana include Bhadana (14 villages), Mavi (10 Village) in Badka Teh PalwalNagar (84 villages), Baisla (26 village), Phagna(1 Village) and Poswal (3 village). The Bhadana gotra in Faridabad District launched an anti-dowry campaign in 2002. The community set elaborate guidelines for solemnizing marriages and holding other functions.[35] In a mahapanchayat ("the great panchayat"), the Gujjar community decided that those who sought dowry would be excommunicated from the society.[36] Brigadier Hem Chand Nagar, born in village Tigaon in Ballabhgarh Tehsil of Faridabad district was the first brigadier among the Gurjar Community.[citation needed]gujjars also present in panipat district with chhoker gotra(24 villages) and rawals(27 villages)
[edit] Jammu and Kashmir
In Jammu & Kashmir, the concentration of Gujjars is observed in the districts of Rajouri and Poonch, followed by, Ananatnag, Udhampur and Doda districts.[37] It is believed that Gujjars migrated to Jammu and Kashmir from Gujarat (via Rajasthan) and Hazara district of NWFP.[38] Another group called Bakarwal (or Bakerwal or Dhangar) belongs to the same ethnic stock as the Gujjars, and inter-marriages freely take place among them.
The Gujjars and the Bakarwals in Jammu and Kashmir were notified as the Scheduled Tribes vide the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Act, 1991.[37] According to the 2001 Census of India, Gujjar is the most populous scheduled tribe in J&K, having a population of 763,806. Around 99.3 per cent population of Gujjar and Bakarwal in J&K follow Islam.[37]
In 2002, some Gujjars and Bakarwals in J&K demanded a separate state (Gujaristan) for Gujjar and Bakerwal communities, under the banner of India Gujjar Parishad.[39]
[edit] Van Gujjars
The Van Gujjars ("forest Gujjars") are found in the Shivalik hills area of North India. The Van Gujjars follow Islam, and they have their own clans, similar to the Hindu gotras.[40] They are a pastoral semi-nomadic community, practising transhumance. In the winter season, the Van Gujjars migrate with their herds to the Shiwalik foothills, and in summer, they migrate to pastures high up in the mountains. The Van Gujjars have had conflicts with the forest authorities, who prohibited human and livestock populations inside a reserved park, and blamed the Van Gujjar community for poaching and timber smuggling[40]. After the creation of the Rajaji National Park (RNP), the Van Gujjars in Deharadun were asked to shift to a resettlement colony at Pathari near Hardwar. In 1992, when the Van Gujjars returned to the foothills, the RNP authorities tried to block them from the park area. The community fought back and finally the forsest authorities had to relent.[41] Later, a community forest management (CFM) programme aiming to involve the Van Gujjars in forest management was launched.
[edit] Punjab
Gujjar's of Punjab are mainly found in Nawansheher, Hoshiarpur,Gurdaspur,Ludahana, Jagrawan,Patiala,Fatehgarh, Mohali and the Anandpur District.In Pakistan area Gujjars are sattled in Noshera,Mardan,Sawat,Mirpur,Jehlum,Gujrat,Gujranwala,Sialkot, Narowal & Shekopura District.In this area, their villages are in heavy concentration. They are largely Hindu and small no of Sikh