| Gujari | |
|---|---|
| |
| |
 | |
| Native to | India,Pakistan,Afghanistan |
| Region |
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,Uttarakhand,Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh
|
Native speakers | 20 million (2018-2022 estimates)[4][5][6] |
Standard forms | |
| Dialects |
|
| Takri,Perso-Arabic script,Devanagari | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | gju |
| Glottolog | guja1253 |
Gujari[a] (English:/ɡʌjæri/GUU-JAH-REE;گُوجَری) also speltGurjari,Gojri,Gujri,Gojari, orGurjar is aCentral Indo-Aryan language belonging to theIndo-Iranian subdivision of theIndo-European languages spoken by most of theGurjars in the northern parts of India and Pakistan, as well as in Afghanistan.[14][15] Gujari in Jammu and Kashmir is the third most widely spoken language, afterKashmiri andDogri.[16]: 109 It is mostly spoken in northern Indian states, includingUttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir,Himachal Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh, andMadhya Pradesh and inNorthern Pakistani areas, includingGilgit-Baltistan,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Hazara andAzad Kashmir and also in the eastern parts ofAfghanistan.[17]: 68-69 Gujari has strong linguistic similarities toRajasthani,Punjabi,Haryanvi,Gujarati,Dogri, andPahari, especially inphonology andmorphology indicating the bond between the twoIndo-Aryan languages.[16]: 112
It is spoken by 19% ofMuslim Gujjars inAzad Kashmir and 9. 5% in Jammu and Kashmir as the mother tongue.[18] Gujari is written mainly in the Perso-Arabic script inPakistan, but in India it is both written in thePerso-Arabic script and inDevanagari.
Probably out of 16. 3 million people (as of 2011) it is spoken by ethnic Gujjars in various north Indian states who have switched to regional languages elsewhere.
In 1999 thegovernment of then Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir recognized Gujari by including the language in the sixth schedule of thestate constitution.[19][20][21] In March 2025 theGovernment of Azad Kashmir included the Gujari an optional subject in the course curriculum for grades 6 and 8.[22][23]
Since 27 October 2025, theProvincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has in its absolute and unanimous opinion included Gujari as part of its rules to promote the cultural and language diversity in the province. Since then, Gujari has become the sixth officially recognized language in the provincial assembly.[24][25]
Some scholars have linked the Gujari language's origins and characteristics to theGurjar Apabhraṃśa, a language form described by ancientSanskrit grammarians.[26]
In theIndian subcontinent, the language known as "Indik" eventually evolved into Sanskrit and became the language of the elite. As Sanskrit spread, it branched out into various regional languages, known asPrakrit orIndo-Aryan languages. Some researchers believe Gujari is one of these Prakrit, while others argue it's even older than Sanskrit, suggesting Gurjars spoke it when they arrived in India with theAryans. This view posits that Gujari, with its regional variations, diverged slightly from Sanskrit.[17]: 67
Rita Kothari noted that Gurjar Apabhramsa was used as a literary language by the 12th century, with references in poetBhoja's work (1014 AD). Ancient Indian philosopherPatanjali's classification describedApabhramsa as languages spoken in northern India. However as perShapiro &Michael, the termApabhramsa is broadly applied in Indology, making it unlikely that Gujari was specifically known as Apabhramsa or directly descended fromGurjar Apabhraṃśa.[27]
In this regard Gujari language has a special place among the ancient languages of India (Gujari being evidence that it existed beforeJesus Christ).[16]: 109
Gujarat Sultans also encouragedArabic,Persian andSanskrit literature. It has been noted that the people ofGujarat promoted a ‘Gujari’ lingua franca whose forms were distinctly Gujarati (influenced by the culture of the state of Gujarat). They also used Gujari as both an expression of literary work and, like other forms of communication in the empire, to connect the court of Gujarat with other Indo-Muslim courts innorth India and theDeccan.[28]
Significant progress has been made in standardising Gujari writing notably with the publication of "Gojri Grammar" byGraham Bailey in 1905 and with the publication of a six volume book of Gujari dictionary by theJammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) in 1992 which was put together over a period of ten years.[16]: 109
Also notable publications published by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages include Sheeraza and Awaz-e-Gurjar Journals published with Gujari literature.[16]: 109
In 1992 Hallberg and O'Leary carried out a comprehensive study of the Gujari dialects spoken by Gujjars in Pakistan andAzad Kashmir and classified them into Eastern and Western dialect groups on the basis oflexical similarity and intelligibility.[29]
In 1997 Hugoniot and Polster also examined the Eastern Gujari dialect of Dodhi Gujjars of the Indian states ofHimachal Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.[29]
It was also officially declared as a mother tongue in 2006 with the admission of Gujari as a mother tongue by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE).[16]: 109
According to Bukhari's (2007) observations, Gujari has been significantly shaped by other Indo-Aryan languages, including Urdu, Hindko and Pahari.[30]: 1
In March 2023, a Gujjar organisationGujjar Qaumi Movement (GQM) petitioned thePeshawar High Court for included Gujari in the census of 2023, the court orders it in there but still no implementation.[31]
In March 2025Government of Azad Kashmir included Gujari language as an optional subject in the curriculum of Classes 6 and 8.[22][32]
In May 2025 Gojri language books by ProfessorMuhammad Naseer Miskeen in the Gojri language were republished byGandhara Hindko Academy inPeshawar and Gojri short stories in Urdu in "Gojri Afsaaney" and "Sheesho", comedy poetry.[33]
Gujari was admitted as a local language at theProvincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 27 October, 2025 (unanimously) becoming the sixth language of the provincial legislative assembly.[24][25]
Gujari folklore is very large, including songs, ballads and folktales, known as Dastans. Hundreds of folk songs have been recorded and published, including "Nooro", "Tajo", "Nura Beguma", "Shupiya", "Kunjhdi", "Mariyan".[34]
A modern tradition of creative writing encompasses poets such as Sain Qadar Bakhsh, Noon Poonchi, and others. Others such as Mian Nizam ud Din, Khuda Bakhsh Zar, Zabih Rajourvi, Shams ud Din Mehjoor Poonchi,Mian Bashir Ahmed,Javaid Rahi,Rafiq Anjum, Milki Ram Kushan, Sarwari Kassana, Naseem Poonchi have also made remarkable contributions to Gujari through poetry, prose and criticism.[35]
The Gujari language have two major dialectsEastern Gujari andWestern Gujari.[35][36] Both of these two dialects spoken inPakistan:[37] in the areas ofGilgit-Baltistan,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa andAzad Kashmir. These two dialects share approximately 64% to 94% lexical similarities.[36]
Western Gujari is mainly spoken by the Gurjars in theHazara region and other districts ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa.[36][38] These districts includeBattagram,Swat,Dir,Haripur,Mansehra, andBlack Mountain. It is also spoken in many areas of easternAfghanistan.[39] Western Gujari is easily understand for the speaker of eastern Gujari.[36]
Eastern Gujari is mostly spoken in the Shinkari area of eastern Mansehra and also inNagaki,Kakul, andSarban union councils located nearAbottabad district of Hazara region.[39] It is also mixed with northern Hindko and Pahari languages.[36][40]
Van Gujjari is a variety of the Gujari language spoken by theVan Gujjars ofUttarakhand andHimachal Pradesh.
Bakerwali Gujari is mainly spoken by theBakarwal Gujjars in Indian adminsntrated Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.[41]
Banihari Gujari is mainly spoken by the Dhodhi or Banihara Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir. It is closely related to Dogri, Kashmiri and Gujari spoken in various villages of Kashmir.[42]
Scholars disagree on the precise classification of the Gujari language.Walter Roper Lawrence said that the Gujari language was Parimu or Hindki orHindko. Scholars have since disputed this assumption after conducting research.[26]
Colin Paul Masica andSir George Abraham Grierson argued that the language Gujari is closely related to the group of Rajasthani languages.[44][45] Grieson argued that either Rajasthani was the dialect of Gujari or vice versa. He found that it is indeed evident that Gujari has been rehashed to Rajasthani – because there are strong similarities between it and Marwari and even stronger similarities between it andMewati.[26][46]Ethnologue, however, lists the language as not classed as in the Marwari branch of theRajasthani languages, but has three distinct dialects of Gujari in existence: Western Gujari, Eastern Gujari and Dhed Gujari. [ Khandeshi]] (or Dedh Gujari) is spoken mainly in some parts ofMaharashtra andGujarat.[47]
Additionally, in the linguistics Survey of India (the) George Abraham Grierson placed Gujari within the Western Pahari language family.[48]
As noted byJagdish Chandra Sharma (J. C. Sharma), psychological aspects of Gujari are similar to those ofPunjabi language.[39]
Prior to the partition of India Gujari was enumerated in census reports as a dialect of (Marwari) Rajasthani by the StateGovernment of Rajasthan[26] Some scholars argue that Gujari is closely related to the Marwari language.[26]
Frederick Drew wrote in 1875 that Gujari is a type of Pahari language, but his conclusion was later disputed by the Indian Census of 1911. The Indian Census of 1941 states that although Gujari has been classified asPahari language since Drew's writing, that label may not be more reliable than that earlier given to it as Rajasthani.[26][16]: 112
Wanye E. Losey disagreed with the classification of Indo-Aryan languages and submitted that observation of Gujari language in thePhonological andMorphological sense in no way seems to implicate any relation between it andRajasthani (Marwari) orPunjabi language.[39]
Gujari can be written using both Nastaliq andDevanagari scripts. In India, Devanagari is more common in places likeHimachal Pradesh andUttarakhand, while Nastaliq is used in Kashmir. Over in Pakistan, you'll usually see Nastaliq script used by people inAzad Kashmir,Gilgit-Baltistan, Hazara, andKhyber Pakhtunkhwa.[35][20]
Gujari speakingGujjars andBakarwals are concentrated in all districts ofJammu and Kashmir and also inKargil district ofLadakh. As per 2011 census in Jammu and Kashmir there were 11,35,196 Gujari speakers and 34,858 were Khandeshi Gujari speaking individuals.[49]
There are approximately 2 to 3 million Gujari speakers in Jammu and Kashmir.[50]
Districts wise Gujari speakers per 2011 census in Jammu and Kashmir.
| Districts | Gujari | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Rajouri | 2,21,553 | 35.17% |
| Kishtwar | 33,127 | 14.36% |
| Kupwara | 80,163 | 9.21% |
| Baramulla | 34,750 | 3.45% |
| Pulwama | 22,189 | 3.96% |
| Shupiyan | 23,425 | 8.8% |
| Anantnag | 1,23,606 | 11.46% |
| Kulgam | 26,827 | 6.32% |
| Bandipore | 34,586 | 8.82% |
| Badgam | 23,912 | 3.01% |
| Srinagar | 8,935 | 1% |
| Udhampur | 28,770 | 5.18% |
| Jammu | 59,048 | 3.86% |
| Samba | 13,766 | 4.32% |
| Ganderbal | 61,070 | 20.21% |
| Poonch | 1,86,658 | 40.39% |
| Doda | 30,200 | 7.53% |
| Ramban | 30,654 | 12.18% |
| Reasi | 77,674 | 25.6% |
| Kathua | 21.599 | 3.5% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | 283,741 | — |
| 1961 | 209,327 | −1.51% |
| 1971 | 695,375 | +12.76% |
| 1981 | 428,106 | −4.74% |
| 2001 | 747,850 | +2.83% |
| 2011 | 1,135,196 | +4.26% |
| source: Indian census1941[53] _1961[53] _1971[53] _1981[54] _2001[55] _2011[55] | ||
The Gujari speaking population in Jammu and Kashmir was 7,47,850 with an increase of +2.83% according to the2001 Indian census.[55]
The2011 Indian census showed a +4.26% increase in the Gujari speaking population, reaching 11,35,196 in theJammu andKashmir region.[55]
In 1961 census inHimachal Pradesh Gujari speaking Muslim Gujars were recorded as 4,927[56]
In1961 Indian censusUttar Pradesh Gujari speakers were recorded as 1,448.[56]
InMadhya Pradesh's 1961 census Gujari speaking were recorded as 453 Hindu Gujjars.[56]
InAzad Kashmir Gujari speaking Gujjars estimated as 7,00,000 to 8,00,000.[57][58] Gujari speakers found in allten districts of Azad Kashmir, while non Gujari speaking Gujjars are not included.Muzaffarabad,Kotli,Jhelum (Hattian Bala) andHaveli are major districts where 35-30% Gujari is spoken as mother tongue.
Gujar speaking population share in districts of Azad Kashmir.
| Districts | Gujari % |
|---|---|
| Muzaffarabad | 35%[59] |
| Kotli | 35%[59] |
| Jehlum | 35%[59] |
| Haveli | 30% |
| Mirpur | 10% |
| Neelum | 10% |
| Poonch | 6% |
| Bhimber | 5% |
| Bagh | 3% |
| Sudhanoti | 1 or 2% |
There is no official record for Gujari speakers is available inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa as Gujari is not included in any census reports for KPK province. As per estimation there were 2,910 in 1969 for Chitral and 20,000 in 1987 forSwatKohistan.[60] Although they are found throughout northern areas of Pakistan especially in Hazara region.[60]
The population ofGujari (Gojri) speakers inAfghanistan is scattered in the eastern parts of Afghanistan and numbers at 18,580 (according to a 2015 estimate).[61][62] However, other estimates from local tribesmen estimate upwards of 50,000.
Gujari shares linguistic similarities with nearby Indo-Aryan languages like Urdu, Hindi, Mewati,Punjabi,Pahadi, andHindko.[17]: 70
Before Islam, it's unclear how Gujari was written down. Around 1900 AD, when Gujjar tribes migrated to the Himalayan valleys, they started to develop a more regular way of writing Gujari. Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh Gujjars played a role, using different scripts. Gojri mixes letters fromPersian,Urdu,Devanagari, andGurmukhi. The alphabet is like Urdu's, but it has its own distinct sounds.sounds.[17]: 70
The sounds in Gujari are much like other Indo-Aryan languages. There are constants,vowels, and special sounds like nassals, voiced andvoiceless stops, andretroflex constants.[30]: 2
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| ɪ | ʊ | ||
| Mid | e | ə | o |
| ɛ | ɔ | ||
| Open | ä |
All India Radio andDoordarshan Kendra run various Gujari programmes.Radio Kashmir Jammu, Srinagar,Poonch in India and seven radio stations of Pakistan andPTV air Gujari programmes and news bulletins accepted acrossJammu and Kashmir. Books have been published in Gujari, including encyclopedias, poetry, fiction and non-fiction, on topics including dictionaries, grammars, nature, folklore, art and architecture, agriculture, sociology and research.[64]
The National Academy of Letters,Sahitya Akademi, recognized Gujari as one of the major Indian languages for its National Award, Bhasha Samman, and other programmes. TheJammu and Kashmir Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages established a Gujari Department in its Central Office in the 1970s and published in Gujari. They organized seminars, conferences, etc. for the development of the Gujari Language.Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education made curriculum in Gujari up to Middle Standard for teaching Gujari in schools. The University of Jammu Council approved the opening of Gojri Research Centre inJammu University andUniversity of Kashmir that have been awarded doctorate degrees on completing research projects on the language. InPakistan administered Kashmir, the Gujari Academy has been established and postgraduate studies departments were set up in various universities and regional research centers.
In some areas ofAfghanistan andKunar Province local radio stations air programs in Gujari,Nuristani and other languages.[65]
Gujari has connections to Urdu andMarwari (Rajasthani) because they all come from the same Indo-Aryan background. You can see this in how they are written and their vocabulary. Gujari takes words, such as Zubaan (meaning language), fromUrdu, like in the phrase 'Gujari Mahri Zubaan'.[16]: 111 It's also similar to otherIndo-Aryan languages likePunjabi, Urdu/Hindi, Pahari,Hindko, and Kangri.
| English | Sanskrit | Gujari | Urdu|Hindi | Punjabi | Kangri | Rajasthani |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work | Karma | Kamm | Kaam | Kamm | Kamm | Kaam |
| Ear | Karna | Kann | Kaan | Kann | Kann | Kaan |
| Forehead | Masta | Mattho | Maathaa | Mathha | Mattha | Matho |
| Hot | Tapta | Tatto | Taataa | Tatta | Tatta | TaatoZ |
| Sweet | misTha | miTTho | miiThaa | miTTha | miTTha | miiTo |
| Eye | aksi | akhhā | ākh | ãkkh | akkhã | ãkhy |
| Seven | Sapta | satt | saat | satt | satt | Saat |
| English | Gujari | Hindko | Pahari |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | baːp | peː | peoː |
| Daughter | tiji | tiji | ti |
| Tree | buːʈoː | buːʈa | buːʈa |
| Mountain | paːɽ | ʈaka | ʈakiː / ʈaka |
| Tongue | dʑiːb | dʑiːb | dʑiːw |
| Twenty | biː | biːs | viː |
In lower or plain areas of Pakistan, Gujjars have a major concentration in districts like Islamabad, Attock, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Lahore and Layyah. However, due to the revolution of time, the majority of them have forgotten or stopped speaking Gujrai. Gojri Bahali Programme (Gojri Revival Programme) has been launched in these areas to encourage Gujjars to restart speaking Gujari. Though this programme has a particular focus on these areas, it extends to the whole of Pakistan. Under this programme, Gujjars are being persuaded to readopt Gujari as their mother language. They are also being asked to mention it in the mother language column of various forms at educational institutions; when applying for computerised national identity card; and while filling out their particulars when seeking employment. Under this programme, the federal government will be asked to add Gujari in the mother language column of the population census. Similarly, theUniversity of Gujrat will be asked to set up Gojri Department. The programme is the initiative of Muhammad Afsar Khan, aKunduana Gujjar fromChak Dina village inGujrat district.Kunduanas are a branch ofKhatanaGujjars and trace their descent fromKandu, a famousGujjar who lived during the reign of Mughal KingAkbar or immediately before him inGujrat district. His grave survives to date in Makiana village in Gujrat tehsil.[68]
On December 25, 2022, a group of Gujjars in theLower Dir District ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa requested Gujari be taught in schools.Sardar Shajehan Yousef gave the keynote speech at this event. It was organized byTehreek Haquq-i-Gujjar Pakistan. Other figures, including Haji Zarin Khan, Bakht Zada Gujjar, and Imran Yousaf Gujjar, spoke at the meeting. Attendees came fromPunjab andAzad Kashmir. The speakers shared stories of the Gujjars' bravery throughout history, including their fight against the British during the 1857 independence movement.[69]
TheGovernment of Azad Kashmir, theUniversity of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and theAllama Iqbal Open University have began studies on how to protect and keep the Gujari language of Azad Kashmir alive.[70]
The mother tongue of Gujjars is Gojri (Bashir, 2016; Bhat & Khan, 2020) and it is spoken globally by20 million people.
Gojri is one of the ancient Indian Languages belonging to Central group of the Indo-Aryan Languages, spoken by over 20 million people in Central and nor-west India, northern Pakistan and eastern provinces of Afghanistan.
According to a current analysis the Gojri language is the first language of 20 million people in South Asia and nearly eight million people in India, majority of them in Jammu and Kashmir.
The scholars trace the historical roots and affinity of the Gujari language from the Gurjara Apabhramsa of the Sanskrit grammarians.
Gujari: also called Gujuri, Gujer, Gujar, Gujjari,Gurjar, Gojri, Gogri, Kashmir Gujuri, Rajasthani Gujuri, Gojari.
The Gujar people are spread from northwestern and central India, across northern Pakistan, and into northeastern Afghanistan. Their language, Gujari, belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family.
Gujari (Gujuri, Gujuri Rajasthani, Gujer, Gojri, Gogri, Kashmir Gujuri, Gojari, Gujjari) Dialects: WESTERN GUJARI, EASTERN GUJARI. 64% to 94% lexical similarity among dialects. Eastern Gujari appears closer to Northern Hindko or Pahari-Potwari. Western Gujari speakers appear to understand the Eastern dialect better than vice versa.
This study presents descriptions of the phonology and morphology of the two major dialects of Gojri spoken in Pakistan, and compares the analysis of these dialects with the analysis of the Gojri spoken in Punch District of Indian-administered Kashmir (Sharma 1979, 1982).
And because of contacts with various languages in different regions all Gujars in Jammu and Kashmir may not be speaking the same variety of Gojri rather there are regional variations within the Gojri of Jammu and Kashmir. Banihari boli the language of (Dodhi Gujars) has more influence of Dogri and Gojri spoken in Kashmir villages must have the influence of Kashmiri.
George Abraham Grierson classified Gojri as an Indo-Aryan language and grouped it under Rajasthani group of languages with a resemblance to Mewari dialect (see, (Rahi, 2012; Sharma, 1979). However, Ethnologue records the language as unclassified after Marwari group of Indo-Aryan decedents with three dialectal variations, viz., Dhed Gujari, Eastern Gujari, and western Gujari. It is worth mentioning that Dhed Gujari is an alternate name given to a lesser-known indigenous language called Khandesi which is orally used in North-West parts of Maharashtra, and in South-eastern parts of Gujrat.
Gojri Speaking constitute more than 15 million in India having 2 to 3 million population in J&K. Being an oldest and significant language of India, it deserves recognition at National level since long.
According to the 1961 census, the languages given as Gujjari and Gujari which are spoken by the Gujjar nomads in Himachal Pradesh (Gujjari 4927), Uttar Pradesh (Gujari 1448) and Madhya Pradesh (Gujari 453) may be the same as Gojri or as dialects of Gojri.
Language: Gujari = 18,580
 Languages ofJammu and Kashmir | |
|---|---|
| Official languages | ||
|---|---|---|
| Regional languages | ||
| Minority languages | ||
| Sign languages | ||
