Gujars are an ancient tribe of the Indian subcontinent, who are known to have been prominent during medieval times. They were known as Gurjara in the previous centuries. The period from 500 A.D. to 1000 A.D. is generally seen as the early period of their history, near the end of which, they were ruling a huge empire. The ancient Gujars were great warriors, and had an extremely enterprising nature.
Another ancient reference to the word Gurjara can be found in the memoirs of Xuanzang, the famous Chinese pilgrim who travelled around North India in the 6th century A.D. He mentions the Gurjara kingdom as the second biggest in north-western India, and says that its capital was known as Bhinmal.
The early history of the Gujars has been traced back to several ancient dynasties, but most historians do not agree with each other on these theories. The well established period of Gujar history among historians begins from middle ages (500 A.D.) and goes till the end of this age (1200 A.D.).
During this time, the leading clan of the Gujar tribe was the Pratihara dynasty (commonly known as Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty). The founder of this dynasty is known as Harichandra, a Brahman Gujar. He was a strong military leader among the early Gujars, whose descendants came to be known as Pratiharas. They conquered vast areas of north India, and got divided into several different branches with time. The most famous of these branches are the Pratiharas of Mandor, Pratiharas of Nandipur, Pratiharas of Idar, Pratiharas of Rajor and Pratiharas of Kanauj. A detailed history of this dynasty is explained in the Gurjara-Pratihara section of this article. The following map shows the extent of the territory ruled by this Gujar dynasty at its peak.
"The Gurjars/Gujjars were no doubt a remarkable people spread from Kashmir to Gujarat and Maharashtra, who gave an identity to Gujarat, established kingdoms, entered the Rajput groups as the dominant lineage of Badgujar, and survive today as a pastoral and a tribal group with both Hindu and Muslim segment" - The People of India, the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI)Origin
There is no definite answer regarding the origin of the Gujar tribe yet, however, a number of well known historians have shown various strong possibilities. The dominant question revolves around deciding whether Gujars are linked with the foreign groups (which invaded India in the ancient times), or the ancient families of India (which are native to the Indian subcontinent). Therefore, this section is divided along these lines as well, to show the views of various historians which define Gujars as either foreigners or natives of India.
Gujars as Foreign Invaders:
It is often thought that Gujars came to India from outside. They are either related to the Scythians (Shakas, Sakas, Kushans) or the White Huns (Huns, Hunas, Hepthalites), which invaded India around 200 B.C. and 300 A.D respectively. Sometimes they are also connected with the Turks (Turkmen Gocers) and the Georgians (Gurjis).
Sir General Alexander Cunningham states that the Gujars came to India from Central Asia with Kushan armies. In fact, he identifies Kushans as Gujars, as he derives the word Gujar from the Kushan royal title 'Gausar'. He says that Gausar was pronounced as Guzar, which became Gujar and Gurjar over time. He adds that Gujar clans such as Kasana, Khatana, Gorsi, Chechi, Turk, Kalchayan, and Bargat are names which show relation with Central Asian places. Gujar is the only numerous tribe of north India whose clan-names give clue to its link with Central Asia, and the fact that Guzar is a well known variation of the word Gujar gives credence to his theory, which connects them to Kushan Gausar.
Professor D.R. Bhandarkar says that Gujars are Khazars, an ancient people who lived in present day Georgia. He says that the word Khazar is pronounced as Ghussar around the Caspian Sea and that is where the Ghussars/Gujars came to India from.
A.M.T. Jackson and V.A. Smith were of the opinion that Gujars are White Huns who became independent after conquering Rajasthan. They cite the similarities between the Gujar and Hun coins to prove that they were related to each other.
Dr. Javed Rahi states that Gujars are Tukmen Gocers who controlled vast territories in and around Central Asia during ancient times. He gives the similarities between their languages, customs, dresses, and physiques as proof that they are related to each other.
Gujars as Natives of India:
A number of historians think that Gujars are natives of India, and not foriegn invaders. They relate them with the ancient Kshatriya (warrior) families of the Surya and Chandra Vansh (Solar and Lunar lineage). It is noteworthy that the epic heroes of India, such as Budha, Rama, Lakshamana, and Krishna also belonged to these families.
K.M. Munshi states that Gujars came to be known by that name because they belonged to the ancient kingdom called Gurjara. He says that the people of this province were known as Gurjara, Gurjar, or Gujar, and hence they were the ancestors of modern day Gujars. According to him the Gurjaras were divided into the four castes, namely, Gurjar Brahmin, Gurjar Kshatriya, Gurjar Vaishya, and Gurjar Shudra.
Rana Hasan Ali Chuhan originates the Gujars from India as well, but derives them from a group of ancient Kshatriyas who were known as Gurtaro or Gurjan. He cites the P.A. Phulera and this concept from the book Kshatria _____, written by P.A. Phulera and Pandit Boleram. This book, he says, states that there was an
(this post is a work in progress....for feedback contact the author at humgujjar@gmail.com)
Reference List:
[1] Harsha Charita written by Bana Bhatta. It is a biography of the North Indian emperor Harsha Vardhana, written by the court historians Bana Bhatta. The book contains the oldest mention of the word 'Gurjar' in all known literature. It mentions that Prabhakara Vardhana, father of Harsha Vardhana, was a "trouble to the sleep of the Gurjaras".
No comments:
Post a Comment