2. The origin of the Gurjars is uncertain. Many Gurjars
claim descent from Suryavanshi Kshatriyas (Sun
Dynasty) and connect themselves with the Hindu
deity Rama. Historically, the Gurjars were Sun-
worshipers and are described as devoted to the feet
of the Sun-god (God Surya). Their copper-plate
grants bear an emblem of the Sun and on their seals
too, this symbol is depicted. Also the Gurjar title of
honor is Mihir which means Sun.Ancient Sanskrit
Poet Rajasekhara in his plays styled Gurjar rulers
as Raghu-kula-tilaka (Ornament of the race
of Raghu), Raghu-gramani (the leader of the Raghus)
and so forth.
3. According to some historical accounts, the kingdom
with capital at Bhinmal (or Srimal) was established by
the Gurjars. A minor kingdom of Bharuch was the
offshoot of this Kingdom. In 640-41 CE, the Chinese
traveller Xuanzang (Hieun Tsang) described the
kingdoms of Su-la-cha(identified with Saurashtra)
and Kiu-che-lo (identified with Gurjara) in his writings.
He stated that the Gurjaras ruled a rich and populous
kingdom with capital at Bhinmal (Pilo-mo-
lo). According to his expositor, M. Vivien de St.
Martin, Su-la-cha represents the modern Gujarat,
and Kiu-che-lo (Gurjjara), "the country of the Gujars",
represents the region between Anhilwara and
the Indus River, i.e. Sindh region.[
4.
5.
6. In the eighteenth century, several Gurjar
chieftains and small kings were in power.
During the reign of Rohilla Nawab Najib-ul-
Daula, Dargahi Singh, the Gurjar chieftain
of Dadri possessed 133 villages at a fixed
revenue of Rs.29,000. A fort at Parlchhatgarh
in Meerut District, also known as Qila
Parikishatgarh, is ascribed to a Gurjar Raja Nain
Singh. According to a legend, the fort was built
by Parikshit and restored by Nain Singh in the
eighteenth century. The fort was dismantled in
1857, to be used as a police station.
7. The Van Gujjars ("forest Gujjars") are found in the Shivalik hills
area of North India. The Van Gujjars follow Islam, and they have
their own clans, similar to the Hindu gotras. They are a pastoral
semi-nomadic community, practising transhumance. In the
winter season, the Van Gujjars migrate with their herds to the
Shiwalik foothills, and in summer, they migrate to pastures high
up in the mountains. The Van Gujjars have had conflicts with the
forest authorities, who prohibited human and livestock
populations inside a reserved park, and blamed the Van Gujjar
community for poaching and timber smuggling. After the
creation of the Rajaji National Park (RNP), the Van Gujjars in
Deharadun were asked to shift to a resettlement colony at
Pathari near Hardwar. In 1992, when the Van Gujjars returned to
the foothills, the RNP authorities tried to block them from the park
area.
8. Small pockets of Gujjars are found in Afghanistan's
northeastern region, paricularly in and around
the Nuristan province. According to Naval
Postgraduate School, "They roam with their herds,
usually of cows, from the high Himalayas in India to
the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan, although rarely are
they seen in Afghanistan anymore, as Pakistan has
hindered their passage through its territory and most
preferred to stay within India. Some in India remain
Hindu, although further west many are Muslim. Often
they can be recognized by their avoidance of others,
and their brightly hennaed beards. They are proud,
fierce, and loyal.
9. The Muslim Gurjars are
considered to be a major tribe in
Pakistan; in fact, they
compromise as much as twenty
percent of the country's entire
populaion.
