| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| South Asia | |
| Languages | |
| Gojri •Gujarati •Hindi •Kashmiri •Punjabi •Urdu •Pashto •Haryanvi •Sindhi •Balochi •Pahari •Bhojpuri •Marathi | |
| Religion | |
Hinduism •Islam •Sikhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Jats •Rajputs •Ahirs and otherIndo-Aryan People |
TheGurjar (orGujjar,Gujar,Gurjara[1]) are anagricultural[2] ethnic community, residing mainly inIndia,Pakistan, andAfghanistan,[3] divided internally into various clan groups.[3] They were traditionally involved in agriculture,pastoral andnomadic[4][5][6] activities and formed a large heterogeneous group.[7] The historical role of Gurjars has been quite diverse in society: at one end they have been found related to several kingdoms and, at the other end, some are still nomads with no land of their own.[1][8]
The pivotal point in the history of Gurjar identity is often traced back to the emergence of aGurjara kingdom in present-dayRajasthan andGujarat during theMiddle Ages (around 570 CE).[9] It is believed that the Gurjars migrated to different parts of theIndian Subcontinent from the Gurjaratra.[10]
The Gurjaras started fading from the forefront of history after the 10th century CE. Thereafter, history records several Gurjar chieftains and upstart warriors, who were rather petty rulers in contrast to their predecessors. Gujar or Gujjar were quite common during theMughal era, and documents dating from the period mention Gujars as a 'turbulent' people.
The Indian states ofGujarat and Rajasthan were known asGurjaradesa andGurjaratra for centuries prior to the arrival of the British. TheGujrat andGujranwala districts of PakistaniPunjab have also been associated with Gurjars from as early as the 8th century CE, when there existed a Gurjara kingdom in the same area.[11][12] TheSaharanpur district ofUttar Pradesh was also known as Gurjargadh previously, due to the presence of many Gurjarzamindars in the area.[13]
Gurjars are linguistically and religiously diverse. Although they are able to speak the language of the region and country where they live, Gurjars have their own language, known asGujari. They variously followHinduism,Islam, andSikhism.[14][15]
The Hindu Gurjars are mostly found in Indian states ofRajasthan,Gujarat,Haryana,Madhya Pradesh,Punjab Plains andMaharashtra. Muslim Gurjars are mostly found in Pakistani province ofPunjab, mainly concentrated inLahore and northern cities ofGujranwala,Gujrat,Gujar Khan andJhelum; Indian Himalayan regions such asJammu & Kashmir,Himachal Pradesh, and Garhwal and Kumaon divisions ofUttarakhand; andAfghanistan.
The wordGujjar represents acaste, a tribe and a group in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, locally referred to asjati,zaat,qaum orbiradari.[16][17]
It has been suggested by several historians that Gurjara was initially the name of a tribe or clan which later evolved into a geographical and ethnic identity following the establishment of ajanapada (tribal kingdom) called 'Gurjara'.[18] This understanding has introduced an element of ambiguity regarding ancient royal designations containing the word 'gurjara' such asgurjaraeshvara orgurjararaja, as now it is debatable whether the kings bearing these epithets were tribal or ethnic Gurjaras.[19][20]
Historians and anthropologists differ on the issue of Gurjar origin. According to one view, circa 1CE, the ancient ancestors of the Gurjars came in multiple waves of migration and were initially accorded status as high-caste warriors in the Hindu fold in the North-Western regions (modern Rajasthan and Gujarat).[21]Aydogdy Kurbanov states that some Gurjars, along with people from northwestern India, merged with theHephthalites to become theRajput clan.[22]
Previously, it was believed that the Gurjars had migrated earlier on from Central Asia as well, however, this view is generally considered to be speculative.[23]
According to B. D. Chattopadhyaya, historical references speak of Gurjara warriors and commoners inNorth India in the 7th century CE, and mention several Gurjara kingdoms and dynasties.[24] However, according to Tanuja Kothiyal, the historical image of Gurjars is that of "ignorant" herders, though historical claims of Gurjar past also associate them withGurjara-Pratiharas. She cites a myth that any Rajput claim Gurjars may have comes through a Rajput marrying a Brahmin woman, and not through an older Kshatriya clan.[25] She says that the historical process suggests the opposite: that Rajputs emerged from other communities, such as Gurjars,Jats,Raikas etc.[26]
The oldest known reference to the wordGurjara is found in the book calledHarshacharita (Harsha's Deeds), a biography of kingHarshavardhana written around 630 CE.[27]Banabhatta, the author ofHarshacharita, mentions that Harsha's fatherPrabhakravardhana (560-580 CE) was "a constant threat to the sleep of Gurjara"—apparently a reference to the Gurjara king or kingdom. Inscriptions from a collateral branch of Gurjaras, known asGurjaras of Lata, claim that their family was rulingBharakucha (Bharuch) as early as 450 CE from their capital at Nandipuri.
According to scholars such asBaij Nath Puri, theMount Abu (ancient Arbuda Mountain) region of present-dayRajasthan had been an abode of the Gurjars during the medieval period.[28] These Gurjars migrated from the Abu mountain region and as early as in the 6th century CE, they set up one or more principalities in Rajasthan andGujarat. The whole or a larger part of Rajasthan and Gujarat had been long known asGurjaratra (country ruled or protected by the Gurjars) orGurjarabhumi (land of the Gurjars) for centuries prior to the Mughal period.[29]
InSanskrit texts, theethnonym has sometimes beeninterpreted as "destroyer of the enemy":gur meaning "enemy" andujjar meaning "destroyer").[30][31]
Babur, in the context of revolt, wrote that Jats and Gujjars poured down from hills in vast numbers in order to carry off oxen and buffaloes and that they were guilty of the severest oppression in the country.[32]Many Gurjars were converted to Islam at various times, dating back to Mahmud of Ghazni's raid in Gujarat in 1026. Gurjars ofAwadh and Meerut date their conversion toTamerlane, when he sacked Delhi and forcibly converted them. By 1525, when Babur invaded India, he saw that the Gurjars of northern Punjab were already Muslims. Until the 1700s, conversions continued underAurangzeb, who converted the Gurjars of Himachal Pradesh by force. Pathans and Balochis drove Gurjar converts out of their land, forcing them into vagrancy.[33]
_Men_on_a_Pavement_and_a_Woman_in_a_Doorway_in_Delhi%2c_Shepherd_%2526_Robertson_(possibly)%2c_ca.1859%25E2%2580%259369.png)
In the 18th century, several Gurjar chieftains and small kings were in power. A fort inParikshitgarh inMeerut district, also known as Qila Parikishatgarh, is ascribed to a Gurjar kingNain Singh Nagar.[34][better source needed] Morena, Samthar, Dholpur, Saharanpur and Roorkee were also some of the places ruled by Gurjar kings.[35][36] Bhati Clan of Gurjars had significance influence in Bulandshahr joint magistracy. Rao Roshan Singh of Bhati clan was a landlord of wide area till 1812, other chiefs of this clan were, Shambu Singh, Ajit singh and Dargahi Singh Bhati. The Bhati Gurjars in this area had somewhat similar position as the Gurjar Rajas of Saharanpur area.[37]
InDelhi, theMetcalfe House was sacked by Gurjar villagers from whom the land had been taken to erect the building.[38] In September 1857, the British were able to enlist the support of many Gurjars atMeerut.[39]
The Gurjar people are a tribal group who have lived in Afghanistan for centuries. According to the Afghanistan news agencyPajwok Afghan News, there are currently an estimated 1.5 million Gurjar people residing in the country. The Gurjar people are predominantly found in the northeastern regions of Afghanistan, includingKapisa,Baghlan,Balkh,Kunduz,Takhar,Badakhshan,Nuristan,Laghman,Nangarhar, andKhost. They have a distinct culture and way of life.[40]
The oldAfghanistan constitution recognised 14 ethnic groups officially with the Gurjar ethnic group being one of them.[40]
Many Gurjar tribal people in Afghanistan are deprived of their rights and their living conditions are poor. They have sometimes been internally displaced in the past by illegalmilitias; for example, during 2018 around 200 Gurjar families were displaced from their homes inFarkhar district in Takhar province.[41]
During thecorona virus pandemic, the Gurjar people in the northeastern province of Badakhshan used Andak meat to treat the corona virus, due to lack of clinics and other health facilities in their areas. The Gurjar Tribe Council deemed the meat of the Andak animal asharam (forbidden) but many Gurjar people in the area said they had no choice.[40]
Gurjar tribal leaders met withHamid Karzai when he wasPresident of Afghanistan. They demanded schools and hospitals be built in their areas and theAfghan government give scholarships to Gurjar students to study abroad.[42]
Today, the Gurjars are classified under theOther Backward Class category in some states in India.[43] However, in Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Himachal Pradesh, they are designated as a Scheduled Tribe under theIndian government's reservation program ofpositive discrimination.Hindu Gurjars were assimilated into several varnas.[44]
Gurjars form an important component of Delhi. They have combined their traditional occupation of pastoralism and marginal cultivation over a large area in and around Delhi.[45]
The Gurjar community in Haryana has set elaborate guidelines for solemnizing marriages and holding other functions.[46] In amahapanchayat ("the greatpanchayat"), the Gujjar community decided that those who sought dowry would be excommunicated from the society.[47]
The Rajasthani Gurjars worshipSurya,Devnarayan (anavatar ofVishnu),Shiva andBhavani.[48][49]
In Rajasthan, some members of the Gurjar community resorted to violent protests over the issue of reservation in 2006 and 2007. They demanded a change in their status from Other Backward Class (OBC) to Scheduled Tribe (ST). They felt marginalized and faced livelihood crises. During the 2003 election to the Rajasthan assembly, theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised them Scheduled Tribe status.[50][51] However, the party failed to keep its promise after coming to the power, resulting in protests by the Gurjars in September 2006.[52]
In May 2007, during violent protests over the reservation issue, members of the Gurjar community clashed with the police.[53] Subsequently, the Gurjar protested violently, under various groups including the Gurjar Sangarsh Samiti,[54] Gurjar Mahasabha[55] and the Gurjar Action Committee.[56] Presently, the Gurjars in Rajasthan are classified as Other Backward Classes.[57]
On 5 June 2007, Gurjars rioted over their desire to be added to the central list of tribes who are given favoured treatment under the reservation system However, other tribes on the list oppose this request, as it would make it harder to obtain the few positions already set aside.[58]
In December 2007, the Akhil Bhartiya Gurjar Mahasabha ("All-India Gurjar Council") stated that the community would boycott the BJP, which was in power in Rajasthan.[59] But in 2009 the Gurjar community was supporting BJP so that they could be politically benefitted.Kirori Singh Bainsla fought and lost on the BJP ticket. In the early 2000s, the Gurjar community in Dang region of Rajasthan was also in news its fallingsex ratio, unavailability of brides, and the resultantpolyandry.[60][61]
As of 2022[update], the Gurjars inMadhya Pradesh are classified as Other Backward Classes.[62]
In Maharashtra, Gurjars are in very good numbers in Jalgaon District. Dode Gurjars and Dore Gurjars are listed as Other Backward Classes in Maharashtra.[63]
The State took its name from the Gurjara, the land of the Gurjars, who ruled the area during the 700s and 800s.[64]
They are listed among the Other Backward Classes of Gujarat.[65]
A few scholars believe that theLevaKunbis (or Kambis) of Gujarat, a section of thePatidars, are possibly of Gurjar origin.[66][67] However, several others state that the Patidars areKurmis orKunbis (Kanbis);[68] Gurjars are included in the OBC list in Gujarat but Patidars are not.[65]
Gurjars ofNorth Gujarat, along with those of Western Rajasthan andPunjab, worshipSitala andBhavani.[49]
As of 2001[update], the Gurjars in parts of Himachal Pradesh were classified as a Scheduled Tribe.[69]
The Gurjars and Bakerwals tribes of Jammu and Kashmir were declared a Scheduled Tribe (ST) in 1991.[70] At the 2001 census, they were found principally inRajouri,Poonch,Reasi,Kishtwar district, with presences elsewhere.[71] It is believed that Gurjars migrated to Jammu and Kashmir from Gujarat (via Rajasthan) and Hazara district ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa.[72]
As of 2011[update], the Gurjars and the Bakarwals in Jammu and Kashmir were classified as Scheduled Tribes constitute 12% of the total population of Jammu and Kashmir. However, they claim that they constitute more than 20% of the population, and allege undercounting because of theirnomadic lifestyle, saying that when the censuses were held in 2001 and 2011, half of their population had been in the upper reaches of the Himalaya.[69][73] According to the2011 Census of India, Gurjars are the most populous scheduled tribe in Jammu and Kashmir, having a population of nearly 1.5 million. Nearly all of them follow Islam.[74]
The Gurjars of Jammu and Kashmir in 2007 demanded that this tribal community be treated as alinguistic minority in the erstwhile state and provided with constitutional safeguards for their languageGojri. They also pressured the state government to urge the central government to includeGojri in the list ofofficial languages of India.[75]
In 2002, some Gurjars andBakarwals in Jammu and Kashmir demanded a separate state called Gujaristan for Gujjar and Bakarwal communities, under the banner of All India Gurjar Parishad.[76] Gurjars and Bakarwals have at times been targeted by militants of the insurgency in the territory, such as during theKot Charwal andTeli Katha massacres.
The Van Gujjars ("forest Gurjars") are found in theShivalik Hills area of Uttarakhand. The Van Gujjars follow Islam, and they have their own clans, similar to the Hindugotras.[77] They are a pastoral semi-nomadic community, practisingtranshumance. In the winter season, the Van Gujjars migrate with herds of semi-wildwater buffalo to the Shivalik Hills at the foot of the Himalayas, and in summer, they migrate to alpine pastures higher up the Himalayas. The Gurjars sell milk to local peoples as their primary source of income. They treat their animals with great care and do not eat them nor sell them for meat.[78][page needed]
The Van Gujjars have had conflicts with forest authorities, who prohibited human and livestock populations inside reserved parks.[77] However, India'sForest Rights Act of 2006 granted rights to "traditional forest dwellers" to the lands they have relied on for generations. The conflict between local forest officials, who claim rights over the newly created parks, and the thousand year nomadic traditions of the Van Gujjars has been ongoing.[78][79]
It has been estimated that Gujjars comprise 20% of Pakistan's total population.[80]
In 1999, British anthropologist Stephen Lyon estimated their total population in Pakistan to number 30 million and theorized the notion of "Gujarism", the fact that Gujjars in Pakistan are conscious of their identity and often base their social activities, such as local political participation, on this basis, what he calls kin-network activism.[81]
Gujjars are mostly found in the country'sPunjab province, where they gave their name to cities and towns such asGujranwala,Gujar Khan andGujrat, but for economics reasons recently they have emigrated to cities such asKarachi.[82]
Gujjars are also present inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, where they're the third largest ethnic groups after thePashtuns and theAwan, found in theHazara region as well places likeDir,Swat, andBajaur, often being conversant inPashto, the provincial language.[83]
In Swat,Pir Samiullah was a Gujjar community leader who was the first to raise a private tribal army against thePakistani Taliban, with around 10,000 men, but was eventually defeated and executed by the Taliban in 2008, who then desecrated his dead body by hanging it publicly.[84]
InAzad Kashmir, they are one of the region's largest communities, by some estimates even being considered the single largest group with 800,000 individuals.[85][86]
The heterogeneous category that is variously called gujar/Gujjar/Gurjara.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)This regional dominance and the kingship (rajya) exercised by Gurjar chiefs still figure prominently in oral traditions current among Saharanpur Gurjars and in the depiction of their identity as Ksatriya "kings" in printed histories of the Gujar Jati.
The main grouping is the biradari, which is a very old established norm of people identifying themselves ... A larger and also ancient form of grouping is the caste (qaum). The three main ones are Jaats (farmers), Arains (who traditionally were gardeners) and Gujjars (people who tend livestock and sell milk).
As a result of the merging of the Hephthalites and the Gujars with population from northwestern India, the Rajputs (from Sanskrit "rajputra" – "son of the rajah") formed.
The cultural image of the Gujar is of an ignorant herder though the historical claims of Gujar past also associate them with Gurjara-Pratiharas, with long migrations through Thar. However, as the Devnarayan epic reveals, any Rajput link that the Gujars may claim, comes from multi-caste marriages that are contracted in the course of the epic rather than any other claim to descent from the older kshatriya clan. The original ancestor of the Gujars is a Rajput, who marries a Brahmin woman.
from gradual transformation of mobile pastoral and tribal groups into landed sedentary ones. The process of settlement involved both control over mobile resources through raids, battles and trade as well as channelizing of these resources into agrarian expansion. Kinship structures as well as marital and martial alliances were instrumental in this transformation. ... In the colonial ethnographic accounts rather than referring to Rajputs as having emerged from other communities, Bhils, Mers, Minas, Gujars, Jats, Raikas, all lay a claim to a Rajput past from where they claim to have 'fallen'. Historical processes, however, suggest just the opposite.
Dr. B. N. Puri who wrote a thesis Gurjar Pratihar at oxford university states that the Gurjars were local people
"Gurjar" is a Sanskrit word which has been explained thus: Gur+Ujjar;'Gur' means 'enemy' and 'ujjar' means 'destroyer'. The word means "Destroyer of the enemy".
Sanskrit Dictionary Compiled by Pandit Radha Kant (Shakabada 1181) explains: Gurjar=Gur (enemy)+Ujar(destroyer)
Reaching in numbers almost 1.5 million, Gujar tribe men and women live in parts of Kapesa, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan, Nuristan, Laghman, Nangarhar and Khost provinces.
It would be wrong to think that all foreigners were accepted as kshatriya and Rajputs for, in course of time, the Gujar people broke up into brahmans, banias, potters, goldsmiths, not to speak of herdsmen and cultivators (kunbis), who were looked upon as sudras.
Devnarayan is worshipped as an avatar or incarnation of Vishnu. This epic is associated with the Gujar caste
The Gujars of Punjab, North Gujarat and Western Rajasthan worship Sitala and Bhavani
Vallabhbhai Patel belonged to the famous clan of Leva Gujar Patidars who played a notable role in the history of Gujarat. They were Gujars who came from Punjab and had occupied the rich charotar land between Mahi and Tapi rivers.
In Pakistan, they comprise as much as 20 per cent of the population.
Samiullah was the first tribal leader in Swat to raise a lashkar, or tribal army, to oppose the Taliban. He claimed to have organized more than 10,000 tribesmen to oppose the Taliban and protect 20 villages. Samiullah and his followers are members of the Gujjar community, which is a group distinct from the dominant Pashtun tribal confederations that support the Taliban.
While the Gujjars, numbering close to eight hundred thousand, are possibly the largest such group (...)
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