Garha
The Garha, sometimes referred as Gaur and occasionally Gada, are a Muslim community or caste found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh[1] and Haryana.[2]
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Languages | |
| • Khari Boli • Urdu • Punjabi | |
| Religion | |
| Islam |
History and origin
The Garha have 51 sub-divisions, known as biradaris. Some of these are based on territorial groupings and some on the sects and castes they belonged to, prior to their conversion to Islam. Their main biradari is the Gaur Brahmin. Most Garha sub-groups claim descent from the Hindu Rajput community. Prior to their conversion to Islam, they were Chandravanshi Rajputs. Most Gada groups also claim descent from the Gaur Brahmin community, and claim Gada is the khadi boli transformation of the original Gauda.
The Garha have a caste association, called the Anjuman Garha (Garha association), whose primary purpose is to look after their socio-economic welfare. The association runs schools imparting Social activity and education, as well as a boarding house for poor boys. They live in multi-caste villages, occupying their own quarters.[3]
The community comprises mostly peasants called Nambardaar, Padhaan, Zamindaar, Chaudhary, concentrated in the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh, and neighbouring Haridwar District of Uttarakhand and Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana. Each of their settlements contains a village-based caste council, known as a biradari panchayat, which acts as an instrument of social control and resolves intra-community disputes. In terms of religion, they are fairly orthodox Sunni Muslims, and have customs similar to other neighbouring Muslim peasant castes. The Garha speak both Urdu and the local Khari boli dialect.[3]
References
- People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two editor K S Singh Manohar 2005 page 509
- People of India: Haryana (Volume XXIII) editor KS Singh Manohar page 407
- People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two editor K S Singh Manohar 2005 page 511