Kshatriya and Brahman class in Gurjars
The Gujjar (Gojri: ethnic group in India,
Afghanistanand Pakistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Goojar
and Gujur
While the origin of the Gujjars is uncertain,
the Gujjar clan appeared in modern Pakistan and northern India about the time of
the Huna invasions of the region. In the 6th to 12th Century, they were
primarily classed as Kshatriya and Brahmin, and many of them later converted to Islam during the Muslim rule in South
Asia.Today, the Gujjars are classified under the Other Backward Classes (OBC)
category in some states in India.The Hindu Gujjars today are assimilated into
several varnas of Hinduism.While in Pakistan the Muslim Gujjars are considered
as tribe.
Gujjars are hypothesized to be the partial descendents of a number of aristocratic Eurasian peoples, including the Indo-Scythians, Georgians, and Khazars of the Caspian Sea, 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 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 names such as Gujranwala, Gujar Kot, Gujar Khan and Gujrat in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India are a testament to the Gujar influence in the past
In the Himalayan regions, Gujjar is considered an important and historical tribe .This tribe has ruled over many princely states in northern India for hundred of years and left their imprints in the Himalayan ranges and inscribed them in such a way that they could not be destroyed even after thousand of years.
Oral traditions of the tribe and some archaeological evidence (particularly cultural and phonetic) suggest that the word Gujar is a derivation of Gurjara and sounds like "Gurjiya/Georgia " (Gurjiya or Gurjistan being the Persian name for Georgia)- indicating that the Gujar tribe is partially of Caucasian/Central Asian origin (Georgia-Chechnya etc). Dr. Huthi is of the view that they came to India when Timur held a reign of terror over them, and consequently they settled here. They came here to protect their lives and religion, and called themselves by the Persian word for "Georgian", "Gurjis". Later this word was presumably changed into "Gurjar" or "Gujjar" or "Gujur"(particularly in Afghanistan)
Gujjars in Jammu & Kashmir have 5000 year history, links with Turkish Tribals. (Srinagar, Apr. 26 2009) Claiming that the presence of Gujjars in the Jammu and Kashmir: could be traced 5000 years back a study said physical feature and facial expression.
Releasing the study here today, National Secretary of Tribal Foundation Dr Javaid Rahi said a latest study revealed that the word Gujjar had been originated in Turkey and initially used by Turks of Central Asia in third millennium BC.
In Turkish language, the word 'Gujjar' was spelled as 'Ger' which stand for a dominant ethnic group who were later turned into a seasonal pastoralist nomad nomad (nō`măd'), one of a group of people without fixed habitation, especially pastoralists. (Some authorities prefer the terms "nonsedentary" or "migratory" rather than "nomadic" to describe mobile hunter-gatherers.) , said a report based on the study conducted by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, a National Organisation working on Gujjars of Indian States.
Dr Rahi said new research has proved that the Gujjar race had remained a most vibrant identity of Central Asia in BC era and later ruled over many princely states in northern India for hundred of years and left their imprints in the Himalayan ranges and inscribed them in such a way that they could not be destroyed even after thousands of years.
The study further revealed that the 5000 year history of Gujjars unexpectedly resembles with the tribes of Turkic origins who left for Koh-e kaf during the era of Christ along with their camels and other domestic animals.
He said in Jammu and Kashmir, Turk is one of the important cast (Gotra) of Gujjars and hundreds of Turk Gujjars are residing in different districts of Kashmir Valley. Claiming that the presence of Gujjars in the Jammu and Kashmir could be traced 5000 years back a study said physical feature and facial expressions of this community resembles to that of Turkish Tribals.
Releasing the study here today, National Secretary of Tribal Foundation Dr Javaid Rahi said a latest study revealed that the word Gujjar had been originated in Turkey and initially used by Turks of Central Asia in third millennium BC.
In Turkish language, the word 'Gujjar' was spelled as 'Ger' which stand for a dominant ethnic group who were later turned into a seasonal pastoralist nomad , said a report based on the study conducted by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, a National Organisation working on Gujjars of Indian States.
He said in Jammu and Kashmir, Turk is one of the important cast (Gotra) of Gujjars and hundreds of Turk Gujjars are residing in different districts of Kashmir Valley.
Gujjars are The Gurjars of today are mainly a combination of local South Asian peoples who have absorbed some Central Asian elements over time. Many Gurjars are well represented in agriculture, the urban professions, civil service and officer class. They are now settled on large tracts of lands in northern India and Pakistan. They are known as very good farmers.
The majority of the Gurjars are found in what is today Pakistan, while India has the second largest Gujar population. Now their population is about 33 million in Pakistan and 30 million in India. The Gujars are characterized by their strong and large build. The majority of Gujars today are Muslim, although there is also a significant Hindu population of Gurjars who go with the title of Patel. Gurjars are sizeable in number in the disputed state of Kashmir, and can also be found as minorities in Afghanistan and Iran .
They speak their mother tongues of Gujarati in India/Sindh (Pakistan) and Gujari/Gojri elsewhere in Pakistan - regardless of their religion or region. The Gurjars of Kashmir, Rajsthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and even Pakistan speak the same language, 'Gujari/Gojri', which is very similar to Marwari or Rajasthani.
They are possibly the partial descendents of any number of Eurasian peoples, including the Scythians, Georgians, and Khazars of the Caspian Sea, 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-speaking groups, mainly settling in the Gujarat, Punjab and Kashmir regions. These sun-worshipping and Buddhist tribes ruled kingdoms covering much of present-day Afghanistan, Punjab, NWFP, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Gujjars are hypothesized to be the partial descendents of a number of aristocratic Eurasian peoples, including the Indo-Scythians, Georgians, and Khazars of the Caspian Sea, 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 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 names such as Gujranwala, Gujar Kot, Gujar Khan and Gujrat in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India are a testament to the Gujar influence in the past
In the Himalayan regions, Gujjar is considered an important and historical tribe .This tribe has ruled over many princely states in northern India for hundred of years and left their imprints in the Himalayan ranges and inscribed them in such a way that they could not be destroyed even after thousand of years.
Oral traditions of the tribe and some archaeological evidence (particularly cultural and phonetic) suggest that the word Gujar is a derivation of Gurjara and sounds like "Gurjiya/Georgia " (Gurjiya or Gurjistan being the Persian name for Georgia)- indicating that the Gujar tribe is partially of Caucasian/Central Asian origin (Georgia-Chechnya etc). Dr. Huthi is of the view that they came to India when Timur held a reign of terror over them, and consequently they settled here. They came here to protect their lives and religion, and called themselves by the Persian word for "Georgian", "Gurjis". Later this word was presumably changed into "Gurjar" or "Gujjar" or "Gujur"(particularly in Afghanistan)
Gujjars in Jammu & Kashmir have 5000 year history, links with Turkish Tribals. (Srinagar, Apr. 26 2009) Claiming that the presence of Gujjars in the Jammu and Kashmir: could be traced 5000 years back a study said physical feature and facial expression.
Releasing the study here today, National Secretary of Tribal Foundation Dr Javaid Rahi said a latest study revealed that the word Gujjar had been originated in Turkey and initially used by Turks of Central Asia in third millennium BC.
In Turkish language, the word 'Gujjar' was spelled as 'Ger' which stand for a dominant ethnic group who were later turned into a seasonal pastoralist nomad nomad (nō`măd'), one of a group of people without fixed habitation, especially pastoralists. (Some authorities prefer the terms "nonsedentary" or "migratory" rather than "nomadic" to describe mobile hunter-gatherers.) , said a report based on the study conducted by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, a National Organisation working on Gujjars of Indian States.
Dr Rahi said new research has proved that the Gujjar race had remained a most vibrant identity of Central Asia in BC era and later ruled over many princely states in northern India for hundred of years and left their imprints in the Himalayan ranges and inscribed them in such a way that they could not be destroyed even after thousands of years.
The study further revealed that the 5000 year history of Gujjars unexpectedly resembles with the tribes of Turkic origins who left for Koh-e kaf during the era of Christ along with their camels and other domestic animals.
He said in Jammu and Kashmir, Turk is one of the important cast (Gotra) of Gujjars and hundreds of Turk Gujjars are residing in different districts of Kashmir Valley. Claiming that the presence of Gujjars in the Jammu and Kashmir could be traced 5000 years back a study said physical feature and facial expressions of this community resembles to that of Turkish Tribals.
Releasing the study here today, National Secretary of Tribal Foundation Dr Javaid Rahi said a latest study revealed that the word Gujjar had been originated in Turkey and initially used by Turks of Central Asia in third millennium BC.
In Turkish language, the word 'Gujjar' was spelled as 'Ger' which stand for a dominant ethnic group who were later turned into a seasonal pastoralist nomad , said a report based on the study conducted by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, a National Organisation working on Gujjars of Indian States.
He said in Jammu and Kashmir, Turk is one of the important cast (Gotra) of Gujjars and hundreds of Turk Gujjars are residing in different districts of Kashmir Valley.
Gujjars are The Gurjars of today are mainly a combination of local South Asian peoples who have absorbed some Central Asian elements over time. Many Gurjars are well represented in agriculture, the urban professions, civil service and officer class. They are now settled on large tracts of lands in northern India and Pakistan. They are known as very good farmers.
The majority of the Gurjars are found in what is today Pakistan, while India has the second largest Gujar population. Now their population is about 33 million in Pakistan and 30 million in India. The Gujars are characterized by their strong and large build. The majority of Gujars today are Muslim, although there is also a significant Hindu population of Gurjars who go with the title of Patel. Gurjars are sizeable in number in the disputed state of Kashmir, and can also be found as minorities in Afghanistan and Iran .
They speak their mother tongues of Gujarati in India/Sindh (Pakistan) and Gujari/Gojri elsewhere in Pakistan - regardless of their religion or region. The Gurjars of Kashmir, Rajsthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and even Pakistan speak the same language, 'Gujari/Gojri', which is very similar to Marwari or Rajasthani.
They are possibly the partial descendents of any number of Eurasian peoples, including the Scythians, Georgians, and Khazars of the Caspian Sea, 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-speaking groups, mainly settling in the Gujarat, Punjab and Kashmir regions. These sun-worshipping and Buddhist tribes ruled kingdoms covering much of present-day Afghanistan, Punjab, NWFP, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
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