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Gurjar

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Gujjars
ClassificationBrahmin / Kshatriya
ReligionsHinduism, Sikhism and Islam
LanguagesHindi\Urdu\Hindustani and its dialects, Punjabi and its dialects, Kashmiri, Dogri, Marathi, Gujarati, Persian, Pashto English, and Gojri.
Populated statesNorthern India, Western India, Central India and Pakistan
Subdivisions-

Göçer (pronounced: Guchar) is an age old Turkic designation for a nomad or a collective of nomadic migrants, which can be made up of different ethnic and /or religious backgrounds.

Gujars (also Gujjar, Gurjar, or Gurjara), today are members of a multi-ethnic group mainly inhabiting Punjab (Pakistan), Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab (India) and Gujarat, with some groups in Rajasthan and Haryana. Gujjars belonged to the Kshatriya and Brahmin castes, while they formerly ruled the Gurjara-Pratihara Kingdom, which included much of Northern India during the 6th and 12th centuries and represent the main stock from which many royal Rajput clans claim descent, a view supported by Lieutenant James Tod. A royal Gujjar origin is claimed both by nomadic and pastoral tribes in North Pakistan, North India and Kashmir regions and by all higher caste Muslim Rajputs with name changing to reflect conversion to Islam. (See Rajputs, Rajput clans, Origin of Rajputs Muslim Rajputs).

History

Gujjars are hypothesized to be the partial descendents of a number of aristocratic Eurasian peoples, including the Indo-Scythians, who took part in the Scythian invasions of South Asia from the 5th century BCE to the 1st century CE or some other Turko-Iranian tribes that merged with local Indo-Aryan groups, mainly settling in the Gujarat, Punjab and Kashmir regions. These sun-worshipping, tribes ruled kingdoms covering much of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northwestern India.

The sun cult was connected to the cult of the fire. Fire was worshipped in Central Asia since ancient times. It also played a prominent role in the burial rites. Special buildings related to the fire cult have been frequently reported. In Particular, an Aloukhana - a house of the fire, was discovered in Dzhanbaskale in Khorezm [Tolstov, 1948. p. 98]. For Ferghana a temple from the VI-VIII cc. was excavated in Kasan.

Kuçar (Kuchar): “One MS. [of the Tarikh-i-Rashidi] reads Kus and others Kusan. Both names were used for the same place, as also Kos, Kucha, Kujar, etc., and all appear to stand for the modern Kuchar of the Turki-speaking inhabitants, and Kuché of the Chinese. An earlier Chinese name, however, was Ku-sien.” Elias (1895), p.124, n. 1. Ancient Guici (Kucha) was a crossroads of the great cultures of India, Persia, Greece and China. The extensive ruins of this ancient capital of the Kingdom of Guici [the 'City of Subashi'] lie 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Kucha.

The presence of the Gujjars in India is first attested to after the 5th century invasion of India by the Hunas (Huns). Dadda, the founder of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty, established a kingdom at Nandipur (Nandol) in the 7th century.

With the decline of Buddhism in the 8th-10th centuries in parts of northwest India, and the rise of Brahmanism, Gujjars were mainly assimilated either into the Kshatriya or Brahmin castes. While the majority of Gujjars are classified as Kshatriya, evidently from their clan/caste/family names such as Chauhan, there are others who have been classified as very high Brahmins. The Gujjars once ruled over a large area of Northern India under the name of the royal Gurjara-Pratihara kingdom. With Arab Muslim conquests in the 8th century and the rise of Sufism in the 11th century, many Gujjars came under the influence of Islam. But, they retained their clan names as a form of tribal recognition. Place (cities) names such as Gujranwala, Gujar Kot, Gujar Khan, Gojra and Gujrat in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India are a testament to the Gujar influence in the past.

Maharashtrian /Maratha Gujjars

A community using Gurjar as their surname resides in the coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra, inhabiting Pangre, Hasol, and other villages in Ratnagiri District. Originally bearing the name GurjarPadhye, many now prefer to call themselves Gurjar. The community may have been living in the Konkan region for at least three centuries, although this estimate may be inaccurate. This community belongs to the Brahmin caste and these people call themselves Karhade Brahmins. They speak the Marathi language. This community might be a part of the bigger Gujjar community. However it is difficult to explain why and how they settled down in the Konkan region of Maharashtra and are Brahmins rather than Kshatriyas. Local pandits claim that the Gurjars are essentially a priestly community and that it is only the subcastes that assumed Kshatriya status in order to earn a livlihood in other more practical professions.

Among the ninety-six Maratha clans, there is a clan called "Gujar" alongwith Pratihara. Prataprao Gujar was a famous Maratha general during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Gujjars today

Ethnicity

The majority of Gujjars are found in what is today Pakistan, numbering thirty-three million, while India has the second largest Gujjar population, numbering thirty million. Gujjars are also found as minorities in Afghanistan and Iran.

The Gujjars of today are mainly a combination of local South Asian peoples who have absorbed Central Asian elements over time. Many Gujjars are well represented in agriculture, the urban professions, senior civil service and the higher officer class. They are now settled on substantial tracts of lands and some are avid farmers.

Language

The mother tongue of the Gujjars is Gujari/Gojri, which is very similar to Marwari/ Rajasthani and Gujarathi. The Gujjars of South Asia, regardless of their religion or region speak this language. However, they also speak the languages of the various regions they inhabit including Hindi and its dialects, Punjabi and its dialects, Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Gujarati and Marathi.

Religion

A majority of Gujjars are Muslims, while others are Sikhs and Hindus (mainly in india).

Caste

It appears that the Gujjar population was quickly absorbed into Hindu society and they belonged to the "Varna" of their profession. Dr Dashrath Sharma (Rajsthan Through the Ages, pp 105), ascribes the origin of the Solankis, Parmars, the Guhil/Gohils and Chauhans (Rajput clans) to the Brahmins. However, we know from the works of other scholars that the Solanki and Parmar were actually descendants of aristocratic Gujjars who came to India from pre-Islamic Persia in large numbers. However, it is interesting to note that in Rajasthan there is a caste called "Gurjar Brahmana" which is considered a very high caste of Brahmins. They are also referred to as Zamindar "holders of real estate" owing, in part, to their acquisition of substantial land under the British Zamindari system. The title "safed posh" also refers to the landed political caste of Gujjars, many of whom traditionally occupied positions of great influence during the reign of the Mughal empire and earlier.

Clans

There are currently about 1200 clans/subcastes/subtribes/gotras within the Gurjars. The better-known of them are:

(Note: some subcastes maybe related to an ancient place of origin, a profession or both). Also see Achaemenid Empire, Cambyses.

Famous Gujjars in history

  • Gujjar Singh Bhangi, Misaldar of the Bhangi Misl.
  • Panna Dhay Chechi, extreme example of sacrifice from chittor.
  • Shivaji Rao Bhosle, The Great Maratha Hindu Ruler.
  • Prataprao Gujar, famous Maratha general during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
  • Air Commodore Jasjit Singh AVSM, VrC, VM (padma bhushan)defence services 2006.
  • Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri MVr, c (Movie: Border).
  • Vijay Singh Pathik, Indian Revolutionary, Satyagrahi and Hindi Poet
  • Rustam-e-Hind Gama, The world famous Wrestler from Punjab, Only wrestler who retired unbeaten.
  • Dhan Singh Kotwal, Indian freedom fighter and the first sepoy to revolt against the British in Meerut in 1857).
  • Choudhary Rahmat Ali a Gorsi Gujjar. One of the major architects of Pakistan, who also coined the name of Pakistan.
  • Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed - A Bajarr Gujjar of Vehari (Tufailabad). Awarded the Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military award in Pakistan, in 1958.
  • Mian Muhammad Baksh, famous Punjabi poet, author of very famous Punjabi Poem, Saif Ul-Maluk
  • Choudhary Ameer Hussain, current Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan.
  • Sardar Muhammad Chaudhry, Inspector General Punjab Police Pakistan.
  • Choudhary Sultan Ali, Ex Misister of agriculture Govt of Punjab, Ex Adviser to Prime Minister of Pakistan.
  • Choudhary Muhammad Iqbal, Minister Govt. of Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Ex-President of Pakistan.
  • Chaudhry Anwar Aziz, Ex-Federal Minister Govt. of Pakistan.
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, leading Indian freedom fighter and leader of the Independence. Movement, first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.[citation needed].
  • Rajesh Pilot, Indian political leader.
  • Ram Chandra Vikal, first Gujjar leader of India; also an M.P./M.L.A./Deputy Chief Minister U.P.
  • Sajjad Haider Karim, first member of the European Parliament of Pakistani origin.
  • Avtaar Singh Bhadana, 3 Times MP, currently MP from Faridabad, A Big Entrepreneur.
  • General Muhammad Sawar Khan, Ex-Vice Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan Army.
  • Air Marshall Rahim Khan, Commander-in-Chief Pakistan Air Force in 1971 conflict with India.
  • Prithviraj Chauhan, last Hindu ruler of the Kingdom of Northern India before Muhammad Ghori conquered it at the end of the 12th century.
  • Raja Rawal who founded the city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan in the 8th century on the banks of River Soan.
  • Ch. Ahmed Nasim (I.G. National Highway Police).
  • Ch. Danyaal Aziz, MNA Chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau, Pak.
  • Sahir Ludhiyanvi, A great personlaity. Gave words to the most famous bollywood old melodies.
  • Vishwajeet Pradhan, famous Bollywood actor from Peernagar Ghaziabad, his father, Late Pradhan Peetam Singh was MLA.
  • Arjun Rampal, the famous supermodel turned actor.
  • Famous Villain Ranjeet from Bollywood.

Further reading

For an explanation of ancient names of Central Asia (pre-Turko-Mongolian era.) see the 'Buddhist Records of the Western Countries,' written by Hsien-tsang (Xuanzang), circa 650 AD, taken from translations by Thomas Watters (1904) and Samuel Beal (1884), [1]

‘Legendary Gujjar Personalities and Working Hard for Gujjar Recognition’ by Ch. Muhammad Ashraf Gujjar (Advocate) . He is also a well known columnist and the founder of a Gujjar youth movement.

Note

Note the following ancient town names:

  • Kasanna (Kasan, now part of modern Uzbekistan)
  • Che-Shih/Cheshi/Chach (Tashkent)
  • Ku-chih (Kutchi), see Kuchean, Kucha

KUÇAR (Kuchar): Göçer (Turkish-pronounced: Guchar: nomad/migrant), göçmen: “One MS. [of the Tarikh-i-Rashidi] reads Kus and others Kusan. Both names were used for the same place, as also Kos, Kucha, Kujar, etc., and all appear to stand for the modern Kuchar of the Turki-speaking inhabitants, and Kuché of the Chinese. An earlier Chinese name, however, was Ku-sien.” Elias (1895), p.124, n. 1.

References

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