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Muslim Gujjars

Ethno-religious group in South Asia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Muslim Gujjars
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Muslim Gujjars, or Musalmān Gujjars (Punjabi: مُسَلمَان گُجَّر), also spelled Gujar, are an ethno-religious group of the Gujjar ethnic community, who follow Islam and are native to the north-western regions of South Asia. They are primarily found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and in various regions of northern India.

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The Gujjars have traditionally been recognised as a pastoral people, and the larger portion of them occupy themselves with the herding of cattle, sheep, and goats. They embraced Islam from the medieval period onwards.[1]

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History

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Conversions of Gujjars to Islam began in the 11th century with the arrival of Sufi missionaries in the subcontinent. Numerous clans of Gujjars embraced Islam during the time of Shaykh Farid al-Din Masud and his successors.[2] By the 16th century, Islam had become the predominant religion among the Gujjars of Punjab, Kashmir, and regions lying westwards.[3]

Mughal period

The memoirs of Mughal emperors Babur and Jahangir describe the Gujjars as pastoral people engaged in frequent raids and plundering.[4][5] Sujan Rai writes in the 17th century that the Gujjar tribe of Sarkar Dipalpur was notorious for its refractory and rebellious character.[6]

Following Nadir Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire, several Gujjar chiefs rose to power in Punjab, Hazara, and Kashmir. Notable among them were the Nawabs of Dera Ghazi Khan, the Rajas of Poonch, and the Muqaddams of Kot Najibullah.[7][2][8]

British period

Muslim Gujjars were actively involved in many uprisings against the Colonial rule in India, particularly in the Punjab region, and were said to have given a "great deal of trouble" during the Rebellion of 1857.[9]

During the British Raj era, they were classified as a martial race and enlisted in class company regiments.[10]

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Social organisation

Muslim Gujjars are divided into over 100 clans or gots, the most numerous being Khatana, Chechi, Paswal, Chauhan, Gorsi, Bijar, Kasana, Kalas, Thakria, and Monan. No single clan claims any superiority over the rest. They are indistinguishable from one another and share the same customs and ceremonial practices.[1]

Gujjars vary greatly with the locality in which they are found and the occupation which they follow. In some localities, they combine cultivation of land with the herding of cattle, in others they are purely nomadic, those in the hills quite unlike the caste of the same designation in the plains. In the hills they are exclusively pastoral, they cultivate scarcely at all and maintain their existence by the sale of the produce of their herds. In the plains they are generally good cultivators but, there also, always keep cattle or sheep and goats.[1]

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Demographics

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In 1988, it was estimated that Muslim Gujjars constitute 53 percent of the total Gujjar population.[11]

Afghanistan

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Geographical distribution of Gujars in Afghanistan
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Gathering of Gujar Tribal People in Northern Afghanistan

The Gujjar people have lived in Afghanistan for centuries, with an estimated 1.5 million residing in the country today.[12][13] They primarily inhabit the northeastern regions, including provinces like Kapisa, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan, Nuristan, Laghman, Nangarhar, Kunar, and Khost.[12][13] In some areas of Afghanistan and Kunar province local radio stations air programs in Gujari, Nuristani and other languages.[14]

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Traditional Jirga of the Gujars in Afghan Society

In Upper Asqalan, local elders once requested a former mujahideen commander to take on the role of a Taliban commander to provide protection and leadership for their area (interview, 20 July 2007).[15] Similarly, in Burka, the leaders of the prominent mir family in Kokah Bulaq reached an agreement with a Gujjar commander—who had previously fought alongside them during the resistance against Soviet forces—to assume responsibility as the Taliban commander for the Full Valley, with the aim of safeguarding the local population (interviews, 5 September 2007 and 26 March 2009).[15]

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Group of Tribal Gujar People Gathered in North Eastern Afghanistan

During the Rohilla rule (c. 1720–1770), horse breeding flourished alongside agricultural growth in the region.[16] Gujjars, along with Bhattis, played an important role as roaming traders who helped maintain the quality of local horse breeds by bringing in stallions and mares from regions like Punjab, Afghanistan, and Turkistan.[16] Their involvement contributed to the strength of the regional breeding economy, which supported military demands.[16]

Pakistan

Among eighteenth Pakistani ethnic groups found across four provinces, the Gujjar is one of the largest ethnic group in Pakistan.[17] An estimated 20% of Pakistan's population is Gujjars.[18]

They enjoy good status in Pakistani society and in numbers their population is estimated to be 33 million.[19][20]

Initially Gujjars of Pakistan were predominantly Sun worshipers, later most of them converted to Hinduism.[21]

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Geographical distribution of Gujjars in Pakistan

In 1999, British anthropologist Stephen Lyon estimated that the Gujjar population in Pakistan was around 30 million. He also introduced the concept of "Gujarism"—the idea that Gujjars in Pakistan are aware of their distinct identity and frequently engage in social activities, including local political participation, based on this awareness, a phenomenon he refers to as kin-network activism.[22]

Punjab, Pakistan

The Gujjars of Punjab racially belonged to the Indo-Aryan race.[23] In Punjab, their primary occupation is agriculture, while many are also engaged in small businesses, local politics, and government jobs.

They are found across all divisions of Punjab and primarily in the districts of Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Taxila, Jhelum, Gujar Khan, Sialkot, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Okara, Layyah,[24] Narowal, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Bahawalpure, Bahawalnagar, Gujrat, Gujranwala,[24] Rahim Yar Khan,[24] Jhang, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, Khushab, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Toba Tek Singh.[24] In northern Punjab, their population is estimated at 2.3 million, with additional populations found in central, eastern and southern Punjab.[25]

They have lent their name to several places in Punjab, Pakistan; these places include Gujranwala, Gujarat, Gujar Khan, and Gojra, among others.[26]

In Punjab they follow the ideology kinship of Gujjarism that helps them in building influence in local politics of Punjab.[27]

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Gujjars are also present in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where they're the third largest ethnic groups after the Pashtuns and the Awan, found in the Hazara region as well places like Dir, Swat, and Bajaur, often being conversant in Pashto, the provincial language.[28]

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa their settlements are found in various regions, including Hazara, Chitral, Kohistan, Waziristan, Fatah and other areas of KPK. They are predominantly found in the districts of Dera Ismail Khan, Chitral, Hangu, Kohat, Peshawar, Mansehra, Malakand, Abottabad, Battagram, Haripur, Upper Dir, Lowe Sir, Charsadha, Shangla and Swat.[29]

In Swat, Pir Samiullah was a Gujjar community leader who was the first to raise a private tribal army against the Pakistani 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.[30]

They speak Pashto and Gujari language in main areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Hazara they speak Hindko and Gujari language,[31] while in Chitral valley they speak Kohistani, Chitarali and Gujari language.

Gujjar Qaumi Movement (GQM), a Gujjar organization based in the lower dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, filed a petition in the peshawar high court, demanding for the inclusion of Gujari language in the list of 2023 census forum. The court ordered the provincial government to include the Gujari language, but the remains unimplemented.[32]

Azad Kashmir

In Azad Kashmir, they are single largest ethnic community of the region,[33][34][35] by some estimates even being considered the single largest group with 800,000 individuals[36] and they found in almost every districts of Azad Kashmir. They mainly belong to agricultural class of the AJK.[33]

Their population is mainly found in Poonch, Sandutti, Kotli, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, and Bhimber districts.[37] In Azad Kashmir they use titles like Sardar, Malik, Mian, Khan, Rana and Choudhary.[38]

Muslim Gujjars have influence in local politics of the state, In 2021 in the state assembly election of Azad Jammu and Kashmir many Gujjar politicians were elected.[35]

Gilgit Baltistan

In Gilgit-Baltistan, they are primarily settled in Naltar, Ghizer, and Astore.[39][40] They migrated over a century ago from Swat, Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They rely on farming and livestock rearing, and are known for their unique tradition of carving wooden coffins.[41] They mostly speak two major languages Shina and Gujari.[39]

They are mainly found in Ghizer, Nagar, Shighar, Gilgit, and Hunza districts, and Naltar Valley. There are no restrictions among the women of Muslim Gujjars in the region for the following of Islamic tradition of Purdah.[41] They speak Shina language in the areas of Gilgit district and Khowar language near the Shandpur Pass.[41]

Sindh

In Sind they are mainly found in the rural Sind including the districts of Mirpur-Mathelo dis, Tharparkar, Sangar, Mithi and Hyderabad.[42][43] In Hyderabad and Karachi there are also some Gurjars mostly migrated from Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab for business purposes.

Balochistan

The Gujjars are also found in the Balochistan province of Pakistan and declare themselves natives to the region.[44]

In Balochistan they are mainly found in the districts of Kalat, Jhalawan, Sibi, Quetta, Kuzdhar, Awaran, Makran, and Gawadar.[45][46][43] In Makran, Balochistan Gujjars follow Ziki sect of Shia Islam rest of others in Balochistan follow Sunni Islam and speak Balochi language.[44][43]

In Balochistan Muslim Gujjar claimed to be the original inhabitants of the region but they were likely settled in the region and came here during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar in the Indian subcontinent.[44]

India

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Tribal Gujjar man in traditional dress from Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, India

Jammu and Kashmir

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Renowned Gujjar author; Javaid Rahi from Jammu and Kashmir

The Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir are a predominantly Muslim community. In Kashmir they are the third-largest ethnic community after Dogari and Pahari speaking linguistic groups.[47][48]

Gujjars constitute approximately 88% of the total tribal population in Jammu and Kashmir, with an estimated population of 20-25% of the state's total population and they are located in all districts of Indian adminsntrated Kashmir.[47] The community is scattered across the state, with the largest concentration in Poonch (40%) and Rajouri (33.1%), while they are absent in the Leh district.[49][50]

In Jammu and Kashmir, Gujjars are predominantly Muslims and are divided into settled, nomadic, and agro-pastoralists groups.[49] These Nomadic Gujjars are further divided into Bakarwal, Van-Gujjar, and Dodhi subgroups.[51]

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Geographical Distribution of Gujars in The Indian Himalayan states of, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh

There are notable population of the Gujjars spread throughout the state. Their settlements are mostly found in the valleys of Kangam, Kukernag, Kanghan, Tral, Doru, Pahalgam, Shopian, Kulgam, Handwara, Karnah, Kupwara. Also in all Tehsils of Uri district, tehsils of Haveli, Naushera, Sunderbani, Mendhar, and in the districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Kathua, Soda, Gool, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar.[50]

Himachal Pradesh

Muslim Gujjars are found in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, which borders Jammu and Kashmir and Tibet.[52][53] Muslim Gujjars constitute a significant proportion of the Gujjar community in Himachal Pradesh, making up approximately 86 percent of their population.[54]

The Muslim Gujjars are predominantly found in Kangra, Chamba and Sirmaur and make up to 100% districts population. They are also found in good numbers in Solan and Bilaspur districts.[54]

In 2001, the Himachal Pradesh Government granted Scheduled Tribe status to the Gujjar community. As per the 2011 census out of the state's Scheduled Tribe population of 2,92,126, Gujjars accounted for 92,547 individuals, comprising 23.6% of the state's Scheduled Tribe population.[54]

The majority of them are nomadic, with a smaller number of settled Muslim Gujjars. Traditionally, they are pastoralists, moving with their livestock across the region's mountainous terrain.[52]

Punjab, India

In the Indian state of Punjab Gujjars are mostly found in the Kandi region that covers the districts of Ludhiana, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpure, Gurdaspur, Mohali, Rupnagar, and Nawanshahr.[55][56] Beside Kandi region their population is also found in Amritsar, Bathinda and Malerkotla, Dasuya, and Pathankot districts.[57] They are mostly Muslim some are Sikh and Hindu. In Punjab they belong to settled class of Punjabi farmers.[58] In recent years some Muslim Gujjars are also migrated from Jammu and Kashmir.

In Kandi region there are total one hundred fifty five settlements and one hundred eighteen are of Gujjars.[59]

Before the partition of Punjab in 1947, Gurdaspur became part of Indian Punjab eighty villages of the Muslim Gujjars migrated from Gurdaspur to Sialkot in Punjab, Pakistan. Some other Muslim Gujjars from other districts of Punjab, India migrated to Pakistani Punjab and settled in Sheikhupura and Sargodha districts.[27]

In Punjab along with Hindu and Sikh Gujjars, they are listed in Other backward classes list of the State government.[60]

Ladakh

The Muslim Gujjars and Bakarwal communities in Ladakh are traditionally pastoralists, grazing livestock in areas like Rangdum. Recently, disputes over land encroachment and unauthorized construction have arisen. In 2024, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh intervened to address these issues, including the illegal occupation of grazing land and the ongoing legal dispute over land rights in the region.[61][62][63]

Uttarakhand

The Muslim Van Gujjars of Uttarakhand, with a population of around 70,000,[64] are a semi-nomadic pastoral community living mainly in the Shivalik Hills, bordering Tibet. Traditionally herders, they practice transhumance, migrating with their buffalo herds between the foothills in winter and alpine pastures in summer. Known for being lactovegetarians, they rely solely on milk from their buffaloes. Despite the Indian Forest Rights Act of 2006 granting them forest land rights, they face conflicts with state authorities over access to reserved parks. The community distinguishes itself from other Gujjars by adopting the prefix "Van" ("forest-dwelling") in the 1980s.[65][66][67][64]

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Main geographical distribution of Gujars in The Indian Plain, found in Punjab, Haryana, Dehli, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

In Western Uttar Pradesh Muslim Gujjar are a politically influential community, and they make up a sizable population among other Muslim communities in the region.[68] They make up a substantial portion of the population in regions like Kairana and Muzaffarnagar, with an estimated 150,000 Muslim Gujjars in the Kairana constituency alone.[69] In the Gangoh Assembly constituency they have a population of 57,000.[70] While in the Amethi constituency assembly their population share is about 60,000.[71]

This community has historically been influential in local politics, often rallying behind candidates from their ethnicity, irrespective of their religious identity. Despite being a minority in the broader context, Muslim Gujjars in these areas hold a demographic and political sway, particularly in rural settings.[72][73][74][69]

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Genetics

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Pakistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Research on the NJ tree among Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's ethnic tribes revealed a strong genetic link between the region's Gujjars and Muslim Gujjars in Punjab province.[75] In KPK, they exhibit a high frequency of the R1a haplogroup.[75]

The majority of Muslim Gujjars in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's districts of Swabi and Buner belong to the R1a haplogroup, with frequencies of 61%[76] and 48%[77] in Swat district, respectively.

Gujjars in the districts of Swabi and Buner belong to the R1a haplogroup, with a frequency of 61%; the L haplogroup, 20.97%; J2a haplogroup, 4.84%; R2 haplogroup, 4.03%; J2b haplogroup, 1.61%; Q1a haplogroup, 1.61%; O3-M122 haplogroup, 0.81% and H haplogroup, 4.84% .[76]

Haplogroups found among Gujjars of Buner & Swabi districts
  1. R1a (61.0%)
  2. L (21.0%)
  3. J2a (4.82%)
  4. R2 (4.03%)
  5. J2b (1.61%)
  6. Q1a (1.60%)
  7. o3-M122 (0.81%)
  8. H (4.84%)

This research also indicates that in the Gujjars, the highest frequency of the West Eurasian lineage about 62.3%, South Asian is 33.61%, and 4.1% East Eurasian was found.[78]

In the Swat district, they belong to the R1a haplogroup, with a frequency of 48%; M33 haplogroup, 45%; and N5 haplogroup, 7%.[77][79]

Haplogroups found among Gujjars of Swat district
  1. R1a (48.0%)
  2. M33 (45.0%)
  3. N5 (7.00%)

The study also revealed that the haplogroups found in Gujjars are predominantly 42%; South Asian, 37%; followed by West Eurasian, 2.7%; with smaller positions of Eastern Asian, 1.4% Eastern European, and 1.4%; Northern Asian haplogroups.[79]

Gujjars in the district of Mansehra belong to the H haplogroup, with a frequency of 58.97%; the M haplogroup, 27.69%; and R haplogroup, 14%.[80]

Haplogroups found among Gujjars of Mansehra district
  1. H (59.0%)
  2. M (27.7%)
  3. R (14.0%)

Punjab

In 2019, genetic research indicated that genetically, Gujjars of Punjab are closely related to other Pakistani groups, including the Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochs, Pashtuns, and people of Azad Kashmir.[81]

India

Jammu and Kashmir

In Jammu and Kashmir, the predominant haplogroup found among Muslim Gujjars is R1a, occurring at a frequency of 78%. This is followed by haplogroup H, while haplogroup L is found at the lowest frequency.[82]

Haplogroups found among Gujjars of Jammu & Kashmir
  1. R1a (78.0%)
  2. H (14.0%)
  3. L (8.00%)

Recent genetic research shows that Muslim Gujjars in Jammu and Kashmir have genetic similarity with the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan and Sindhis.[83] But they are genetically different from other tribes of India.[citation needed]

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In popular culture

Muslim Gujjars are part of Punjabi, and Pashto culture and are often portrayed in Pakistani films, Dramas and songs in regional languages of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir.

Punjabi films

Pashto dramas

  • Gujjar Pa Nasha Ke De[86]
  • Gujjar Mama[86]
  • Gujjar Tawani De[86]
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