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:: Gurjar Times History ::


A Sanskrit Dictionary says the meaning of the "Gurjar" is where Gur means enemy and Jar means defeating.The Gurjars in India belong to the north-western parts of India like Gujarat,Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, ,UP, Uttranchal, Haryana, and Punjab. This royal community is a warrior community which not only inhabit in India but in countries like,Pakistan,Iran,Afganistan,Russia and Iran also.In different countries gurjars are known by different name like ‘gujjar’, ‘gojar’,Gorjar,godar,gorj etc.They are mostly Hindus, the rest being either Muslims or Sikhs.Gurjars traditionally belonged to the Kshtriya caste, and ruled over the Gurjara-Pratihara Kingdom - an area comprising almost 60% of south asia during the 8th and 9th centuries. The Gurjars migrated to India in 476 AD with White Hunas and were quickly assimilated into the local population as Kshatriyas. They are believed to have originated from what is now Georgia.In Persain it is pronounced as "Gurjiya".Gujarat is said to be named after them as they settled there in the 6th century AD.

.Historians say that they had migrated to India from Central Asia. It is also said that probably they might have settled in the Indian green territory during 5th or 6th century A.D.The gurjars travelled to India via Rajputana crossing punjab and finally settling in Gurjratra (modern-day Gujarat, which was named after them) where they ruled for many centuries.They called themselves Great RaghuKul Vanshi (Ram Chandra Vanshi). Some historians call them Suryavanshi while some diffrentiate them as AgniVanshis.Initially the Gurjars founded their Kingdom in western Rajasthan(Rajasthan still holds a large majority of gurjar population),later expanding it as far as Assam (KamRoop) in the east and Lahore in the west side. They resisted the Arabian invasion successfully for 300 years till the fall of their kingdom, when Muslims invaders arrived. Dadda, the founder of Pratihara dynasty, established the Gurjar rule at Nandipur (Nandol). Dadda III wrestled Broach from the Maitraks whose citadel had started shaking. After Him there were many kings who keeps the gurjar kingdom name alives.These kings names and their duration of ruling is given below.

Gurjar Kings
Ruling Period
Dadda 1-2-3
Nag Bhatta-1
ParamBhattarak Parmeshwar Nag Bhatta-2
Samrat Mihir Bhoj Mahan or The Great Bhoja
(835-890 AD)
Samrat Mahipal

were the famous Gurjar-Pratihaar kings of India

There are a number of books written on Gurjars history which tells the glorious past of the gurjar community.Mr Baij Nath Puri, a famous historian of India, in his book ‘The history of Gujjars and Pratharas' and another historian Mr K M Munshi, in his book ‘The Glory that was Gujjar Desh’, Rana Ali Hassan Chouhan, in his book ‘The history of Gujjars’, Mr Jatinder Kumar Verma, in his book ‘Gujjar Ithas’, by way of historical records, have fully proved that they belonged to Aryan Dynasty and refuted that they had come from out side India and settled here.There were a number of kingdoms there in the past like dynasty of kusan gujjars whose kingdom was the Kanishka,kingdom of Peshawar etc.During the Gujjar rule,the gojari language was made as an official language and all official work used to be carried out in it.In 9th century A.D & after this period,the arab people who wrote about gujjar history,presented the facts in distoryed manner because at that time,gurjars opposed the Arabs. The Arab historians recognised the Gujjar rule as the most stable and powerful.After ruling for centuries in India,their down fall begins during muslim rulers.In 1697 Al-ud-Din Khijli destroyed the last rule of gurjars in India.After that gurjars were ruthlessly suppressed and presecuted. Numerous plots began to be hatched against Gujjars. Under these bad and hostile conditions some Gujjars ran away for safety while others disliked to be called "Gujjars" and in a way they converted themselves into communities, other than Gujjars.There are one and half million Gurjar muslims in Jammu & Kashmir beacause in kashmir most of the gurjars converted into Muslims during Muslim invasion.After the Muslim invasion the Gurjars turned to farming as their occupation. Gurjars were very rebelled against the mughals and the British which is why they were exploited and punished by the British Govt. until independence.Gurjars saved Kashmir during first Invasion of Pakistan when Pakistan annexed the area, called Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Three Gurjars including one women was awarded Padma Shree by the President of India for the act of patriotism. That was the end of gurjar community past.

Now their exact population is about 3.3 Crores in India and 3 Crore in Pakistan.They speak their mother tounge Gujari (also written 'Gurjuri', 'Gojuri' and 'Gojiri' ) regardless of their religion and region. Gujjars of kashmir, Rajsthan, Haryana,Up, and even pakistan speak the same language 'Gujari' which is very similar to marvari or rajashtani.It was the royal language during their Kingdom thats why They are very fond of it.They are now settled with large tracts of lands in northern India and Pakistan.They are known as very good farmers. They are doing really well in all spheres of life.They are doing well in Education,Politics and all.