Bakarwal
| Bakarwal | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| c. 16.5 to 28.5 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Pakistan | 8,400,000 |
| India | 7,549,331 |
| Afghanistan | 5,301,456 |
| China (PRC) | 900,000 |
| Languages | |
| Gojri (varieties of Pashto and Urdu) | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (mostly Sunni) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Iranian peoples | |
Bakarwal (or Gujjar - Bakharwal) is a mostly-Sunni Muslimnomadic tribe based in the Pir Panjal and Himalayan mountains of South Asia. They are mainly goatherds and shepherds. They are found in the entire Kashmir region of India and in the Nuristan province of Afghanistan
The Gujjar-Bakarwals claim a common ancestry from the ancient Gujjar tribe of India. Scholars are of the opinion that they are the foreign stock representing the pastoral nomads who migrated from Central Asia.
Some take the opinion that the "Gujjar-Bakarwals" are the descendants of the Kushan and the Yuezhi (Yuchi) tribes of Eastern Tatars (Turkic-speaking people in south-west Russia). Recent archaeological, linguistic and geographical evidences also support the that they are the descendants of Yuezhi Gurjis (Georgians) who inhabit a territory between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, south of the Caucasus Mountains, now an independent republic which was formerly part of south-west Russia. One of the major traditions of the Gurji (Georgians) people is that they used to give their tribal name to the places and localities they inhabited. It is strongly believed that before their march to the Subcontinent of India, they occupied some places in Iran, Central Asia and Afghanistan. These areas are known as Juzrs or Jurz, Gujar, Guru, Gurjistan, Gujar Khas and Chausak Gujar. When they came to India, they named certain areas as Gujranwala (a district in Pakistan), Gujargarh (Gwalior). Many smaller places also have their names after Gujjars.
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Wikipedia