Gurjars in Himachal Pradesh or Himachali Gujjars, are a community native to the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. They are descended from Gurjars who moved into this region during medieval times. They are scattered across almost all districts of Himachal Pradesh; They are densely populated in Solan, Mandi, Sirmaur, Chamba, and Kangra districts, while Lahaul and Spiti district has the smallest Gujjar population. Approximately 86% of the total Gurjar population in Himachal Pradesh are Muslim and remaining 14% are Hindu.
In Himachal Pradesh, Hindu Gujjars have traditionally been settled with some nomads, while Muslim Gujjars are primarily nomads with some settled communities. Amongst the nomadic Muslim communities, there are three distinct groups of Muslim Gujjars known as Van Gujjars, Dodhi Gujjars, and Bakarwals.
According to 2011 census data, Gujjars make up a large percentage of the tribal population in HP, representing 23.06% of all Scheduled Tribes in HP and representing 1.39% of the total population of Himachal Pradesh.
The term Gujjar is derived from the Sanskrit word Gurjara. Its literal meaning is "Destroyer of enemy".
The Muslim Gurjars of Himachal Pradesh claim to be descendants of the prophet Ishaque (Isaac). A community legend recounts the prophet Ishaque's trial for his son's, Ash, and Yaqub, where he declared that the son who presented him with goat Kababs would succeed him as prophet as Ash forged for a goat in the forest, Yaqub secured the meat and, with his mother's help, skillfully prepared the Kababs.
While the Hindu Gurjars of Himachal Pradesh claim their origin to Yashoda, the foster-mother of Lord Krishna.
Historically, the Gurjaras are considered to be descendants of the Gujjars, who came to India around the same time as the Hunas. They are often associated with the Huns in ancient text, and the first reference to the Gurjara seems to be after 600 AD.
Muslim Gujjars initially migrated to the former princely states of Chamba and Sirmur due to limited grazing land in Jammu and Kashmir, later spreading to other areas of the Himachal Pradesh.
Gujjars migrated to Himachal Pradesh a few decades before 1881. Census data states that by 1881, there was an estimated 906 Gurjar people living in that area. The 1904 Chamba Gazetteer supports this, stating Gurjars settled there about 40 to 50 years earlier and primarily perused their flocks through the Ravi Valley, Chamba district and the surrounding hills.
The Gazetteer of Kangra state in 1883-84 indicates the presence of Gujjars within the district. Some Gujjar households emigrated from Jammu to the Chamba area and also migrated into the highlands of Rihlu, where they remained all summer grazing their livestock. After September they would depart for Nurpur, where they would remain until the hard winter and return to their customary routes south and west to Kullu or Mandi. Acting in a transitory fashion, many Gujjars would never settle down permanently anywhere else in the Kangra district, but rather use Kangra as a place for rest and sustenance while traveling to Kullu and Mandi.
During the 19th century, Gujjars migrated to Himachal Pradesh, specifically the Dhauladhar range, and began living in forested areas called "dhars". Each spring, these Gujjars would migrate up to their dhar areas (in April) for grazing (summer grazing months) on the millions of acres of high mountain meadows and forests located there and, in the fall (by October), would migrate back down to the plains in Chamba. Gujjars also had many different migration routes; many Gujjars migrated to Kangra from Jammu while many others migrated to Chamba via Chamba.
In Una, Gujjars arrived from other parts of Punjab around the middle to late 19th century and were mostly new settlers to the area from other portions of Punjab. Gujjars migrated to Bilaspur from Delhi or Rajasthan and most of the Gujjars who later settled in Solan district arrived from the Sirmur. Due to the marriage alliance between the Kingdom of Poonch and Sirmaur State, 19 Gujjar families initially migrated into Sirmaur; however, more Gujjar groups continued to migrate into the area via various routes and on their own. According to local lore, it is believed that the migration of Gujjar families to Himachal Pradesh began with the Maharaja of Sirmaur discovering the buffalo milk of the Gujjars of the Poonch Kingdom in Kashmir during one of his trips. The Maharaja liked it so much that he brought back a few families of Gujjars to Sirmur, and over the next few years, these Gujjar families migrated to many other parts of Himachal Pradesh, most likely beginning in the first two decades of the 20th century.
The 1906 Settlement Report for G.S. Hart said that some families of Gujjars moved from Jammu to Kiarda dun during the rule of Maharaja Shamsher Prakash (1870s) while under the Sirmur State. They then spread into adjoining forests in the Shimla Hill States, including Bushahr, Khaneti, and Keonthal.
With restrictions through quotas by the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department on available buffalo grazing, approximately 20% of the Gujjar families left the Saal valley forever from 1990 to 2001 to go to Punjab in search of better grazing opportunities. This ultimately resulted in a loss of ST status and associated benefits, although the benefits were generally not taken advantage of.
The Gujjar community primarily reside in various valleys of Himachal Pradesh, including Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Parvati, Solang, and Kinaur. They are dispersed across different districts in Himachal Pradesh.
In Chamba and Kangra districts, the Gujjar community is referred to as 'Van Gujjars', predominantly consisting of Muslims, making up 97.12% of the Gujjar population of 9,784. In contrast, Gujjars in Una and Bilaspur are known as 'Heer Gujjars', primarily comprising Hindus who have settled in the area.
Muslim Gujjars are predominantly found in the Chamba, Mandi, Solan, Una, and Sirmaur districts. Some of them particularly from the nomad class, also inhabit forest and mountainous areas.
The Hindu Gujjars are mostly settled in Una, Mandi, Bilaspur, Kangra, Chamba, Solan, Sirmaur districts of the state.
In Himachal Pradesh, Gujjars are organized into various clans that are shared among both Hindu Gujjars and Muslim Gujjars.
Himachali Muslim Gujjars are divided further into two main sections: Bhatariye and Bhanariye, which typically do not intermarry. These two sections are further subdivided into exogamous clans. Some known clans among them are as follow:
Hindu and Muslim Gujjars in Himachal Pradesh share many common social and religious practices with the wider population.
In Himachal Pradesh, they speak various regional languages, including Pahari, Kangri, Hindi, Urdu and Gujari. The Kangri language is mostly spoken by Hindu Gujjars in Kangra region. Muslim Gujjars in the state mostly speak Gujari as their mother tongue. In the 2011 census, there were 14,127, Gujari speakers among the Muslim Gujjars in Himachal Pradesh.
Himachali Gujjars have distinctive traditional attire and grooming. Men typically sport beards and wear traditional clothing like loose-fitting trousers, long shirts, and Himachali caps. Women wear fitted trousers, loose tops, and a long scarf to cover their heads, with some Muslim Gujar women observing purdah. Both Gujjar men and women adorn themselves with ornaments, with the women having a particular foddness for gold and silver jewelry.
In Himachal Pradesh, Gurjars typically eat simple, wholesome foods like maize, dairy products such as butter, yogurt, milk and ghee. Meat is an occasional part of their diet, especially among Muslim Gujjars.
Gurjars wedding ceremonies are very simple. Muslim Gujjars welcome the birth of a child as a divine blessing and a joyous occasion. Muslim Gujars recognize various forms of marriage, including Batta-Satta, service based unions, bride price marriages, and Ghar-Jawain. Unlike some other Hindu cultures, they do not practice polyandry.
Gurjar families in Himachal Pradesh often live together in joint families. In these families, the oldest man is in charge and is called "Sayana". They share food and resources, including animals. However, many Gurjar families are now choosing to live in smaller, nuclear families, showing that their society is slowly changing.
The Kucha houses are made up of mud, grass and straw. In Himachal Pradesh tribal Gujjars mostly live in Kucha houses. Almost 48% Gujjar families live in Kucha house, 32% in partially built houses, and 20% in strong, finished houses. In Himachal Pradesh many Gujjars face housing challenges, likely due to financial struggles and limited access to government support.
The majority of Gujjars (86%) in Himachal Pradesh are Muslim and they belonged to Sunni sect of Islam. But there are also Hindu Gujjars (14%) as a minority among Gujjars in the state.
The Gujjars of Himachal Pradesh are believed to have adopted Islam in the 17th century during the rule of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the Indian subcontinent.
As per 2011 states's census report Gujjars contribute as 5.7% in Himachal Pradesh's total population.
The Gujjar community in Himachal Pradesh has a widespread presence across the state. As per the 2011 Census, the state's total population stands at 6,864,602, with Scheduled Tribes accounting for 392,126 individuals. Within this Tribal demographics, Gujjar's number is numbers are 92,547.
Districts wise Gujjar population per 2011 census in Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh's Gujjar population was recorded in state census reports.
Before the formation of the Himachal Pradesh state, Initially Gujjars were recognized as a scheduled tribe in Chamba district in 1950.
The Gujjars of Himachal Pradesh were classified as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian government's general reservation scheme of positive discrimination, effective in 1976.
In a 2003 genetic study, it was revealed that Muslim Gujjars of Himachal Pradesh are genetically different from Hindu Gujjars of Indian Punjab. The study was conducted using samples from Hindu Gujars of the Ropar and Hoshiarpur districts of Punjab and Muslim Gujjars of the Chamba and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh.
While Gujjars form the smallest ethnic and religious minority in Chamba District, they have successfully established ties to many different groups and individuals around them, including politicians with the Indian National Congress, members of civil society, and Islamic organisations. In Saal valley they have connections with diverse groups, including American missionaries, Tribal right activists, and India Gurjar Mahasabha. However, the Ulamas from Deobandi influenced madrasas have had the crucial influence on them.
The constitutional amendments of 1992 facilitated increased political participation for Gujjars, particularly in those areas where they constitute a strong voting majority. Candidates from the Gujjar community often win elections within panchayats such as Baragaon when they are provided with reserved seats for Schedule tribes. In order to be successful in the election process, many of the voters expressed the need for candidates to create and maintain "good relationships" with other groups including General-caste Hindus, non-tribal Muslims and Gaddis. As an example, Hanif a Muslim Gujjar. The political philosophy of Hanif is to support and embrace his Gujjar identity while discreetly differentiating himself from his Muslim ancestry. His wife, Sheena, serves as a member of the panchayat as a true leader who supports Hanif. Together they advocate for women's rights and womenâÂÂs education. The couple uses the changing political structure of India to work towards uniting and empowering the Gujjar community.
The voter turnout for Gujjar's has been consistent at a high level, in spite of doubts about the future. The local madrasa in Badagaon received funding from the government to emphasize the connection between this community's involvement in National Politics. Gujjar's in Chamba are reformulating their relationship with the Himachal state by accepting the rights of 'equal Citizenship' instead of relying on special privileges and tribally status, thereby allowing them to establish a more empowered relationship with the State.
The Gujjar community contributes greatly to the dairy industry in Himachal Pradesh, India. However, they face significant difficulties, including poverty, illiteracy, lack of access to healthcare and basic services due to their nomadic lifestyles. The nomadic practice further exacerbates Issu's (a government-supported economic program) difficulty providing support for Gujjar people and, as such, contributes to their already challenging lifestyle compared to other groups living in the same area.
Most Gujjar people living in Chamba District have a monthly income between 5000 and 10000 Indian Rupees, which constitutes 44% of the population. On the other hand, approximately 24% earn less than 5000 Indian Rupees; therefore, they are struggling financially. Very few Gujjars (only 8%) earn higher monthly income levels, indicating that the Gujjar community requires additional support from economic programs, as well as jobs and social services, in order to help improve their quality of life.
A study completed in 2024 found that Gujjars living in Himachal Pradesh had very low earnings, with 71% earning less than 1000 rupees and approximately 24% earning between 1500 and 2000 rupees; however, this amount is increasing slightly over time. Currently, 40% of Gujjars earn between 1000 and 2000 rupees, and 26% of the population earns between 2000 and 3000 rupees. Unfortunately, the remote area Gujjars feel disconnected from government programs that primarily serve individuals living within a more accessible distance.
The difference in literacy rates between females and males is large. Females represent a much lower literacy rate than Males. Over 50% of the GujjarâÂÂs population have not attained any form of basic literacy skills, and only 1.7% has attained education beyond secondary school. Most Gujjars in the province of Himachal Pradesh only receive limited formal education and hold limited ability to read and write (23.8 % can read/write at least up to grade IV); 11.9% of the population have attained at least some middle school education (class IX); and 4.6% have attained secondary school completion. Chamba district has the lowest literacy rate and Solan district has the highest.
As the Deobandi School of Islam becomes more popular among the Gujjars in Himachal Pradesh, more emphasis on religious identity, education is now viewed in a different manner by the Gujjars. The use of madrassas and student hostels that offer both a mixture of Islamic studies and curriculum incorporating math, computer science, and many other subjects has increased the number of educated Gujjars. The madrassas are often located within the community, have locally born Gujjar teachers, and the teachers are trained within the denomination of Islam at Islamic seminaries. As a result, Gujjars are experiencing higher rates of educational attainment.