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Gujjars or Gurjars (Hindi: गुर्जर, Urdu: گُجّر) are an ethnic group of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Variously known as Gurjar, Gujjar, Gojar, and Goojar. They are also referred to as Gurjara in the medieval texts of Sanskrit. The Gujjars are largely an agricultural community particularly known for dairy-farming. A small number of them are also pastoralists. They are most numerous in the regions of Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Kashmir.

The Gujjars are known to have been influential during the medieval times. The name Gujjar is still associated with several important places. The most important among them being the Indian state of Gujarat, derived from "Gurjaratra" (Gujjar Nation). Pakistani districts of Gujrat and Gujranwala, and the cities called Gujar Khan and Gojra are also well known. The Indian state of Rajasthan was also known as "Gurjaratra" in the past.

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. V.A. Smith held that the Gurjaras and Hunas are same people based on the fact their coins were almost identical.

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 iHarsha Charitan it.

Introduction to History
The Gurjaras came to the forefront of Indian history around the medieval times and remained a prominent people until the 1000 Ad.

Harsha Charita by Bana Bhatta (660 AD)
The word Gurjara is first noticed in history around the 7th century AD, in the book called Harsha Charita. The author Bana Bhatta mentions a Gurjara kingdom among the enemies of emperor Harsha Vardhana'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.

The Pedigree of the Broach Gurjaras (430 AD)
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. The Kaira plates belonging to the Broach Gurjaras give the following list of kings:

Huen Tsang's Memoirs
The Budhist monk called Huen Tsang who visited northern India around 660 AD mentioned a Gurjara kingdom (written as Ku-Chi-Lo in Chinese). He calls it the second biggest kingdom of north-western India and mentions the king as a Kshatriya.

Kingdoms and Dynasties
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

Avanti Pratiharas
Nagabhatta I Lineage

Nandipuri Gurjaras
Dadda I Lineage

Punjab Kingdom
Alakhana ruler of Gurjara

The Gurjara-Pratihara Empire
The branch of Naghabhatta became the imperial power of northern India.

Mughal Era
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British Era
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Indo-Pak Era
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Demographics
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Culture and Society
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