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Gujjar is an ancient ethnicity of the Indian Subcontinent, previously known as Gurjar and Gurjara. It gained currency around the medieval times and remained a prominent identity from 500 to 1100 AD in northern India. These people are known to have established several kingdoms in north Indian, including a vast empire from 800 to 1000 AD. The ancient kingdom called Gurjaradesa (comprising of southern Rajasthan and northern Gujarat).

Origins
The origins of the Gujjars are a subject of debate. The Gujjars are not noticed anywhere before 500 AD, and the lack of any records which elaborate on their origins, has given rise to a lot of speculation. There are many theories regarding the Gujjar origins, however, most of them fall alongside each other in a few broad categories. Following is a list of the most talked about theories, grouped together based on their similarities:

Natives of India
According to various scholars such as K.M. Munshi, B.N. Puri, C.V. Vaidya and R.H.A. Chuhan, the Gujjars originated from the Vedic Aryas and traditionally belonged to the Kashtriya caste. They believe the Gujjars are a native tribe of India.

R.H.A. Chuhan explains that the Gujjars were mentioned as Gurjar throughout the ancient records. It was only after 1300-AD, that they were first called Gujjar or Gojjar in any historical record. He contends that Gujjar and Gojjar are thus just variations of the ancient name Gurjar. Moreover, he says Gurjar is a combination of two Sanskrit words, namely “Guran” (Enemy) and “Ujara” (Destruction). He points towards the findings of Pandit Chotala Sharma and M.R.A. Phulera, saying these authors have proved Gurjar is of Sanskrit origins, through historical evidences.

Pandit Chotalal Sharma and M.R.A Phulera, argue that Gurjar is derived from Guruttar (Greatest Warrior). According to them, the ancient Arya king, Maharaja Dashrath, is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayana as Guruttar (Greatest Warrior). They further explain that according to the Puranas (ancient texts of Hinduism), Maharaja Dashrat Guruttar created a confederation of warriors from the ancient clans of Aryas. This warrior confederation was named Gurjan (Leaders of people) by Maharaja Dashrat Guruttar, but this army was also known as “Gurtar-Rajan” (Warriors appointed as leaders by the Guruttar, i.e. Maharaja Dashrat). The Gurjans successfully protected the kingdom and repeatedly proved to be good defenders, on which occassion the people of the kingdom named them Gurjaran (enemy destroyers). Gurjaran gradually took the forms of Gurjara, Gurjar, Gujjar and Gojjar overtime. Here it is important to note that in some parts of India, the Gujjars are still known as Gurjaran.

The epigraphical records of the ancient Gujjars also support the finding of Pandit Chotalal Sharma and M.R.A. Phulera. If one looks at the inscriptions of the 700-AD royal Pratihara Gujjars, they also claim their descent from the family of Maharaja Dashrat, i.e. Lakshmana, the son of Maharaja Dashrat.

C.V. Vaidya writes that Gujjars cannot be anything but Aryas if one looks at their physical features. He states that Aryas were known to have been tall, fair, with long heads and narrow noses. He says that according to Risley’s survey of Indian tribes, the Gujjars of Punjab have been found to be fair in complexion, tall in height, long heads, and have the narrowest nose among all the tribes surveyed by Risley.

Natives of Central-Asia
According to General Cunningham, the Gujjars belong to the Kushana clan of the Yuchi confederation. He says that the Kushana kings used to call themselves “Guzura” (a person born in a high family), and that Guzura became Gurzara and Gurjara with time. As a physical proof for his theory, he points towards the numerous sub-clan of “Kusana” Gujjars, who he says are the same as “Kushana” of the Yuchis. He further states that the fall of the Kushana empire was followed by the rise of Gurajara-Pratihara empire, which can be best explained as two contineous efforts of a same people.

Authors M.T. Jackson and D.R. Bhandarkar also think the Gujjars came from Central-Asia, but they relate them with the Khazars. They say the Khazars came to India in the third or fourth century AD, with the Huna invasions, as an allied tribe. Khazars living in the Central-Asia in the region of Caspian sea or Bahr-e-Khazar were known as Ghazars. It is implied that the name Ghazar was Sanskritized into Gurjara.

W. Crooke, believed that the North Indians (Kshatriyas/Rajputs) and the Central Asians (Shakas/Scythians) are essentially the same people:"'Accepting the fact the people of Central Asia are of an uniform brachycephalic type, Risley argued that it was impossible to suppose that the long-headed Rajputs and Jats could be descended from races entering India from that region. It is now believed by many scholars that the term Scythian or Hun does not represent homogeneous ethnical types; that as the Greeks and Romans confounded Gauls with Germans ---and to most Greeks a Scythian was any barbarian from the east of Europe,---so it is held to be possible that the Hindus termed any savage enemy who crossed the Himalaya a Saka or a Huna, migrants from a region which displays many different physical typed. It is now generally admitted that these Hun princes rapidly became Hinduised and that from one of their clans, the Gurjara, the present Rajputs were largely, if not wholly, derived.'"V.A. Smith held that the Gurjaras and Hunas are same people:"'The numismatic connection between the Huns and the Gurjaras is extremely close. The fact strongly supports the inference derived from inscriptions and literature that the two tribes were associated. The numismatic evidence also indicated that the Gurjaras were immigrants of later date than the Huns.'"

Natives of Eastern-Europe
Dr Javaid Rahi, a Gujjar historian, writes that the Gujjars came to India from Turkey. According to him the word Gurjar is the sanskrit version of the word Gojar, or Gocer, as it is written in the Romanised Turkish. He says that Gocers are a numerous tribe in Turkey even to this day and are very similar to Gujjars in physique, cultural dress and lifestyle. He also states that Turk is a major sub-clan of the Gujjars of Kashmir. He mentions that Gujari, the tribal language of the Gujjars, also has many Turkish words in it.

Rise to Prominence
The word Gurjara is first noticed in history around the 5th century AD, in the book called Harsha Charita. A Gurjara kingdom is mentioned by Bana Bhatta, the author of Harsha Charita, among the enemies of emperor Harsha's father (Prabhakar Vardhana). According to historians, Prabakhara Vardahana ruled between the dates 560 - 580 ad, and if the Gurjaras were ruling a kingdom by this date it would indicate they existed at least as early as 500 Ad. However, there is reason to believe that the Gurjaras existed even before 500 Ad, as the royal pedigree of the Broach Gurjaras goes as back as 430 Ad.

Huen Tsang, a Chinese pilgrim to India in 660 AD, also mentions a Gurjara kingdom (Ku-Chi-lo in Chinese) in memoirs. He calls it the second biggest kingdom of north-western India.

Early Kingdoms
There were several Gurjara kingdoms, connected through ethnic and clan relationships. Following is a list of some of these kingdoms which are known to history:

Mandor Pratiharas
Harichandra lineage

Nandipuri Pratiharas
Dadda I lineage

Punjab Gurjaras
Alakhana ruler of Gurjara

History
The history of the Gujjar tribe starts from their earliest mention in the historical records, i.e. around 500 AD.

Medieval (500 Ad - 1100 Ad)
The medieval history of the Gujjar tribe is the most crucial period.

Literature
The book Harsha Charita (660 AD) is said to contain the oldest reference of the word Gurjara. The writings of the Chinese traveler, Huen Tsang (670 AD), are considered the second oldest. Both of these references mention a Gurjara kingdom in north-western India. Rajataragni, a book written around 800 AD, also mentions a Gurjara kingdom in Punjab. The writings of the Arab historians, such as Ibn Khordobeh, Al Beruni, Al Sulaiman, and others mention a Gurjara kingdom. The Pala court poet, Pampa, mentions a Gurjara king. Pancha Tantra mentions a Gurjara Desa. Akbar mentions Gujjars. Sher Shah Suri mentions Gujjars.

Inscriptions
Rajor inscription mentions a Gurjara-Pratihara prince named Mathanadeva. The copper plates of the Broach Gurjaras mentions several kings. The Rashtrakuttas of Gujarat mention their fights with the Gurjaras in their inscriptions. The Palas of Bengal mention that Gurjaras were their enemies.

Kingdoms
During the medieval times, several kingdoms were ruled by the Gurjaras. The most powerful one was at Mandor (Rajasthan), as mentioned by Harsha Charita and Huen Tsang. The Nandipuri kingdom (present-day Gujarat) was also a Gurjara kingdom. The Gujjars were also ruling a kingdom in Punjab, it was also called Gurjara, as mentioned in Rajatarangni.

Gurjara-Pratihara Empire
This empire was the greatest of all Gujjar rules.

British Gazetteers and Historians
They mention Gujjars as their enemies. But also accept that they were a great power in the past.

Modern
The Gujjars are present in South Asia. They are widespread.