- Watercolour of Khushal Singh Jamadar
- Painting of Tej Singh
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Haryana • Rajasthan • Western Uttar Pradesh • Madhya Pradesh • Delhi • Himachal Pradesh • Punjab • Uttarakhand | |
Languages | |
Haryanvi • Rajasthani • Western Hindi • Garhwali • Himachali • Punjabi | |
Religion | |
Hinduism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Brahmins • Pancha Gauda • Garha |
Gaur Brahmins (also spelled Gor, Gour, Gaud or Gauda) are a community of Brahmins in India. They are one of the five Pancha Gauda Brahmin communities that live north of the Vindhyas. [1] [2]
Gaur Brahmins are most numerous in the western half of Northern India, particularly in the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, and western parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, but a significant number are present in other northern states of India also. [3]
Brahmins, mostly Gaurs, have a significant population in Delhi, around 12% - 14%, larger than the combined population of Jats and Gujjars. They play a dominant role in the region's politics. [4] [ clarification needed ] [5] [ page needed ]
During World War I, Gaur Brahmins were recruited to regiments and companies of the British Indian Army, notably the 1st Brahmans and 3rd Brahmans. [6]
In places where Gaur Brahmins reside, Brahmins who are not of the Gaur community are often considered to have an inferior status. [7]
The Kamboj, also Kamboh, is a caste and cultivating community of India and Pakistan that originated from the central Punjab region.
Mohyal Brahmins are an Indian sub-caste of Saraswat Brahmins from the Punjab region.
Hinduism and Sikhism are Indian religions. Hinduism has pre-historic origins, while Sikhism was founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak. Both religions share many philosophical concepts such as karma, dharma, mukti, and maya although both religions have different interpretation of some of these concepts.
The Janamsakhis, are popular hagiographies of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Considered by scholars as semi-legendary biographies, they were based on a Sikh oral tradition of historical fact, homily, and legend, with the first janamsakhi were composed between 50 and 80 years after his death. Many more were written in the 17th and 18th century. The largest Guru Nanak Prakash, with about 9,700 verses, was written in the early 19th century by Kavi Santokh Singh.
Bhai Bala, born in Talwandi Rai Bhoi into a Sandhu Jat family, was a childhood friend and lifelong companion of Bhai Mardana and Guru Nanak. According to the Bhai Bala Janam Sakhis, he traveled with Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana on all of their great journeys around the world including China, Mecca, and around India. He supposedly died in Khadur Sahib, in his late 70s, in 1544.
Nanakpanthi, also known as Nanakshahi, is a Sikh sect which follows Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of Sikhism.
Varan Bhai Gurdas, also known as Varan Gyan Ratnavali, is the name given to the 40 vars which is traditionally attributed to Bhai Gurdas.
Pancha Gauda is one of the two major groupings of Brahmins in Hinduism, of which the other is Pancha-Dravida.
Pancha Dravida is one of the two major groupings of Brahmins in Hinduism, of which the other is Pancha-Gauda.
The Sikhs are adherents to Sikhism, the fifth largest organized religion in the world, with around 25 million adherents. Sikh History is around 500 years and in that time the Sikhs have developed unique expressions of art and culture which are influenced by their faith and synthesize traditions from many other cultures depending on the locality of the adherents of the religion. Sikhism is the only religion that originated in the Punjab region with all other religions coming from outside Punjab. All the Sikh gurus, many saints, and many of the martyrs in Sikh history were from Punjab and from the Punjabi people. Punjabi culture and Sikhism are mistakenly considered inseparably intertwined. "Sikh" properly refers to adherents of Sikhism as a religion, strictly not an ethnic group. However, because Sikhism has seldom sought converts, most Sikhs share strong ethno-religious ties, therefore it is a common stereotype that all Sikhs share the same ethnicity. Many countries, such as the U.K., therefore misconcievingly recognize Sikh as a designated ethnicity on their censuses. The American non-profit organization United Sikhs has fought to have Sikhs included on the U.S. census as well, arguing that Sikhs "self-identify as an 'ethnic minority'" and believe "that they are more than just a religion".
The Bhatra Sikhs are a group within the Sikhs who originated from the bards of the time of Guru Nanak.
Garha are a Muslim community in the subcontinent. They live pre-dominantly in the states of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.They live pre-dominantly in the city of [Saharanpur] [Deoband] Many villages
Bhat Vahis were scrolls or records maintained by Bhatts also known as Bhatra. The majority of Bhat Sikhs originate from Punjab and were amongst the first followers of Guru Nanak. Bhat tradition and Sikh text states their ancestors came from Punjab, where the Raja Shivnabh and his kingdom became the original 16th century followers of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The Raja's grandson Prince Baba Changa earned the title ‘Bhat Rai’ – the ‘Raja of Poets, and then settled himself and his followers all over India as missionaries to spread the word of Guru Nanak, where many northern Indians became Bhat Sikhs. The majority were from the northern Brahmin caste ,(Bhat ) as the Prince Baba Changa shared the Brahmin heritage. The sangat also had many members from different areas of the Sikh caste spectrum, such as the Hindu Rajputs and Hindu Jats who joined due to Bhat Sikh missionary efforts. The Bhats also contributed 123 compositions in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (pp.1389–1409), known as the "Bhata de Savaiyye". There hereditary occupations consisted of bards, poets, missionaries, astrologists, genealogists, salesmen.
The Singh Sabhā Movement, also known as the Singh Sabhā Lehar, was a Sikh movement that began in Punjab in the 1870s in reaction to the proselytising activities of Christians, Hindu reform movements and Muslims. The movement was founded in an era when the Sikh Empire had been dissolved and annexed by the British, the Khalsa had lost its prestige, and mainstream Sikhs were rapidly converting to other religions. The movement's aims were to "propagate the true Sikh religion and restore Sikhism to its pristine glory; to write and distribute historical and religious books of Sikhs; and to propagate Gurmukhi Punjabi through magazines and media." The movement sought to reform Sikhism and bring back into the Sikh fold the apostates who had converted to other religions; as well as to interest the influential British officials in furthering the Sikh community. At the time of its founding, the Singh Sabha policy was to avoid criticism of other religions and political matters.
Maithil Brahmins are the Hindu Brahmin community originating from the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent that comprises Tirhut, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Munger, Bhagalpur and Santhal Pargana divisions of India and some adjoining districts of Nepal. They are one of the five Pancha-Gauda Brahmin communities. The main language spoken by Maithil Brahmins is Maithili.
Tej Singh was a Sikh commander in the Sikh Empire. He was appointed as commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army during the First Anglo-Sikh War.
Brahmin Sikh is a Sikh religious group whose members belong to Brahmin community. They played a key role in the early years of Sikhism. Sometimes called Kashmiri Sikhs those who are of Kashmiri origin.
Bhai Balu Hasna was a Sikh preacher and leader of a branch of the Udasi sampradaya. He was the younger brother of Bhai Almast.
Bhai Almast was a Sikh preacher, leader of a branch of the Udasi Sampradaya, and the elder brother of Bhai Balu Hasna, another prominent preacher of the Udasi sect.