History in Brief By Dr. Safdar Mehmood

History in Brief

Dr. Safdar Mehmood

The ancient Kashmiri historian Kalhan states that Shankar Varman the ruler of Kashmir attacked Gujjar Bumi (Gujjar Country). The gujjar ruler Lakhan (Pa) surrendered TAK Des (Taxila) in favour of Shankar Varman and saved his Kingdom. Lakhan belonged to Thak family and was samant (subordinate ally) of Maharaja Bhoj of Qanoj (Rah Trangri Chapter-5 translated by Mr. Stein page 205) K.M. Munshi puts this incident in 890 AD just after the death of Bhoj in 888 AD, Jai Pak was the grandson of this Lakhan Pal.

A stone inscription of ninth century Ad on the main door of temple in the vicinity of Kalanjar shows that the temple was built by Brahman who came from Manglana village of Gurjaratra Mandal (E.E. vol-5, page 210 note-3).

A stone inscription dated V.S. 900 corresponding to 853 AD on a temple of village in Satara District of Maharshtra state that the temple was built by two Brahman brothers who came from Didwana, a village in Shive Gram area which exists to this day in Marwar.

The inscription at Ghatiala informs us that KAKKUK maintained peace and gained fro himself the love of people of MARU, MAAR, Vall, Travani, AJJ and Gurjjaratra (E.I. Vol. 9 page 280). All these territories are in order from the South to the North and Gurjjaratra denotes Ucch areas. Ghatiala inscription is dated V.S. 918 i.e. 861 AD.

Gujrat (Kathiawar) is known by the name from ancient times to this day. In the time of Mahmood Ghazanavi the Kingdom of chauhans was known by the name of Gujrat whose main city was Naran, (Alberuni’s India translated by Mr. E.C. Sachau vol.1 page 270). This Naran still exists as a village on whose ruins Ajmer was built latter on by Ajaj Raj Chauhan in 1108 AD, In the time of Mahmood, Ajmer did not exist.

It must be noted that Gurjjaratra or Gujrat mean the empire of the Gujjar Kings (Ancient Geopgraphy of India Page 312 by Cunninghan and Elliot page 358. A. I. Tr:- by Sachau part II page 437). The King of Qanoj was called Malik Al-Juzar (Gujjar King) by suleman. He called his Kingdon Mamlukat-ul-Jujar”, (kingdom of gujjar) page 126-127 Silsilat-ut-Twarikh printed in 1811 in Egypt.

Kitabul Alaqun Nafisa vol. IV page 134 and 135, states: “way ala ha O al Mulk Yaqala Lehij Juzar” Translation “And adjacent to it there is a King who is called Gujar”.

Al Msalik wal Mammalik page 16 by Ibn-i-Khardadbaha wa Mamlookut Turk wal Tribet al Khazar Kullohim Khaaqaan”

Translation: The title of the Kings of Turk, Tibet and Khazar is Khaqan” Fahaa o la wald a Faridun” There are all dscendant of Faridoon” Wa mim malookul Hind Jaba, Malik at Tank wo Malikaj Juzar: Translation: and there are others among the Kings of Hind Jaba, (Chaap), Tank King and Gujar King.

Marujaz Zahab by Almasudi part I page 303 also mentions Malikuj Juzar.

All these books mention the rulers of Qanoj to be gujars, Two points here are notable:

(1)   The King was called Malik-uj-Juzar i.e. Gujjar King and his territory was called Mamlukataut Juzar i.e. gujjar Kingdom.

(2)   Khazar and Juzar were two different races.

The Gujjar empire of Qanoj had collapsed in 940 AD before the invasiouns of Mahmood. However, the nominal ruler was there. By above brief description it is clear that the whole region from Peshawar to Qanoj and Broach was being ruled over by the Gujjars before the invasions of Ghaznavites and Ghoris.

Now look at the present habitation of the Gujjars. They live in the noth in th Himalayas as a pastoral nomad and at the foot of Himalas in District peshawer, Attock, Jhelum, gujrat, Sialkot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Saharapur as a landlord. In the south they live at the foot of Vindhyachal Mountain in Jhansi, Gwailar, Malwa and Satpura Hills. In the east they lived for centuries in the thick forests along the banks of the river Jamna. It was after 1700 AD that they possessed vast lands. In the west the Gujjars live in Lasbella, Jhalawan and Thl Magsi in Baluchistan.

In the heart of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujrat Kathiawar their population is nominal.

Thus the whole history of the Gujjars speaks itself that they were ousted from their native land. When the britishers came Col. Tod found the gujjars living in the ravines of river Chambal and in the remote places in Thar desert so he included them in the aborinines of India. It was the policy of the Europeans to call upper classes and energetic races of India as foreigners so they called Rajput chiefs of Raiasthan to be Seythian and the Sikh Jats to be Getic and brothers of Germans and Scandmavians. But as soon as it was found that the gujjars ruled the country before the arrival of the foreign muslims they hazardously claimed that the gujjars came in 6^th century AD from abroad and were hinduised, the upper ranks were called Rajputs and rank and file became gujar Jats and Ahirs. This theory is based merely on assumption and it quite incorrect. The rulers were called Gurjars upto 1300 AD whereas during 500 AD to 1300 AD we do not find any Rajput ruler. The statement of Esar Das Rajput before Iltutmish and the genealogical tree presented to Col. Tod by the Rajput Chief of Udaipur reveal that the Rajput belong to the collateral families of the Gujars and can not be separated from them. One thousand years ago Al-Beruni recorded some ancient tribles of the sub continent which are part of gujjar race, such as Van (Vani or Vaina), Jaagal (Jagal), Uddehik (Uddehana), Gaj (Gaj Gahi which workd means one who belongs to Gaj family), Cholik now called Solanki, vokkan (Bokkan), Saradhana (Sarandhana), I.A. Vol I pages 404-408

Moreover, the most ancient tribes such as Amb, Kushan, Lava, Thak (Taksh), Porswal, Yadav, Chuluk, Yaudheya (Johiya) Pratikar, are the constituent parts of the Gujar raice.

Lastly, there is no Kshatriya group with its separate enitity in the sub-continent. If the gujjars, Rajputs, jaats and Ahirs who claim to be the Keshatriyan peoples, are foreigners, where have he acient Kshatriyas, the one fourth population of the Aryas, gone?

The accounts of gujjar empires and Kingdoms are very short in this book these are well researched and comprehensive. I congratulate the author (Rana Ali Hassan Chauhan) for research, hardwork and for quoting contemporary evidence wherever he used the title Gurjar. Rana Ali Hassan Chauhan’s research regarding the native origin of he Gujars is quite convincing. The arguments given by him about the original homeland Aryavert of Aryas are plausible. I am sure his painstaking research and valuable contribution will be appreciated by the readers.