Mer (community)
Ethnic group of Gujarat, India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Mer (community)?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Mer, Maher or Mehar (Gujarati: ISO 15919: Mēr, Mahēr, Mēhar) is a caste from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in India.[1][2][3] They are largely based in the Porbandar district, comprising the low-lying, wetland Ghēḍ and highland Barḍā areas, and they speak a dialect of the Gujarati language.[4][5][6] The Mers of the Ghēḍ and Barḍā form two groups of the jāti and together they are the main cultivators in the Porbandar District.[7] Historically, the men served the Porbandar State as a feudal militia, led by Mer leaders.[8][9] In the 1881 Gazette of the Bombay Presidency, the Mers were recorded numbering at 23,850.[10] The 1951 Indian Census recorded 50,000 Mers.[11] As of 1980 there were estimated to be around 250,000 Mers.[12]
Total population | |
---|---|
250,000 (1980) | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Gujarat, India: Porbandar, Junagadh, Dwarka, Jamnagar | |
Languages | |
Gujarati | |
Religion | |
Hinduism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Gujarati people |