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The Sikligar (also known as Moyal) is a community found in the Indian states of Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab. By tradition, the Sikligar people specialized in the craft of making and polishing weapons. They are typically Hindu in Gujarat, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh; Sikh in Punjab; and either Hindu and Sikh in Haryana. [1] [2] [3]
The Arabic word saiqal means a polisher, and the Sikligar are those people who had the hereditary duty of making and maintaining weapons. [1] Many administrators of the British Raj, such as H. A. Rose, Denzil Ibbetson and William Crooke wrote books that referred to the blacksmith communities as Lohars, although in fact that term refers to a specific group of people and is not interchangeable. [4] They were once Lohars and thus blacksmiths but split from the Lohar community and became specialist bladesmiths. [5]
They are a nomadic community, often with encampments at the edge of towns and cities. The Sikligar claim to have been Rajputs who fled from Islamic invading armies and subsequently became weapon polishers to disguise themselves from their foes. Their ancestral home is said to be the city of Kannauj, but they speak Gujarati. The community is strictly endogamous and is divided into twelve clans with equal status. These are the Kanthiwala Bhand, Mole Bhand, Gandhiwala Bhand, Jumarwala, Jilpatia, Pathlerde, Juni, Mat and Bardika clans. [1]
According to their traditions, during the period of the Hindu deity Rama known as Haryana, there was a clan called the Chakreli. The Chakreli were the traditional manufacturers of swords and shields. The Chakreli lived in Chitor, in Rajasthan. Their ancestors fled their hometown in the face of invaders, and the ancestors of the Haryana Sikligar moved into the region in ancient times. Other traditions relate that the community is of Rajput origin. According to those stories, they were Rajput soldiers in the army of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, and became blacksmiths after his defeat at the hands of Mohammed Ghori. [3]
In Punjab, the Sikligar claim to have immigrated from Rajasthan, where they manufactured swords. The community converted to Sikhism after they settled in Punjab, and are now found throughout the area, especially in the districts of Bathinda, and Ludhiana. The Sikligar are now divided into a number of clans, the main ones being the Moyal, Tank, Junni, Dangi, Bhond, Bhori, Khichi, Thilipithiya, Dudani, Ghor-chare Tank, Kalyani and Churi te Biori. [2]
The Hindu Sikligar of Gujarat continue their traditional occupation of sharpening knives, scissors, household articles and agricultural implements. Economically, they are extremely marginalised, with cases of child labor existing. [1]
The Sikligar in Haryana are now divided into two groups, the Hindu Sikligar and Sikh Sikligar. The difference in religions mean that both groups are distinct communities, with no intermarriage. Both speak the Haryanvi dialect. They are found mainly in the districts of Hissar, Jind, Rohtak, Sirsa and Mohendargarh. Settled in hamlets on the outskirts of towns and villages, living often in thatched huts, they are further divided into 84 clans, known as gotras. The main ones being the Chauhan, Nirban, Taunk, Kalilot, Mohil, Joone, Dugoli Ke, Moyal, Padyar, Khankhara, Bhati, Dhare, Khichi, Ghelot, Badke, Dangi, Jaspal, Patwa, Solanki, Matlana, Dagar, and Banwari. Their main occupation remains metal burnishing. They are involved in the manufacturing of implements such as spades, sickles, sieves and iron baskets. A small number are now farmers, raising poultry and cattle. [3]
In Punjab, the Sikligar are still engaged in the manufacture of swords, knives, daggers and buckets, selling these implements directly to villagers. The Sikh Sikligar are strictly endogamous, and practice clan exogamy; their customs are similar to other Sikh communities in Punjab. They speak Punjabi, with most understanding Hindi.
Khatri is a caste originating from the Malwa and Majha areas of Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Khatris claim they are warriors who took to trade. In the Indian subcontinent, they were mostly engaged in mercantile professions such as banking and trade. They were the dominant commercial and financial administration class of late-medieval India. Some in Punjab often belonged to hereditary agriculturalist land-holding lineages, while others were engaged in artisanal occupations such as silk production and weaving.
Parmar, also known as Panwar or Pawar, is a Rajput clan found in Northern and Central India, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and North Maharashtra. The clan name is also used by Kōḷīs, Garoḍās, Līmaciyā Valands, Mōcīs, Tūrīs, Luhārs, Kansārās, Darajīs, Bhāvasārs, Cūnvāḷiyās, Ghañcīs, Harijans, Sōnīs, Sutārs, Dhobīs, Khavāsas, Rabārīs, Āhīrs, Sandhīs, Pīñjārās, Vāñjhās, Dhūḷadhōyās, Rāvaḷs, Vāgharīs, Bhīls, Āñjaṇās, Mer and Ḍhēḍhs.
Saini is a caste of northern India. The community is given representation in government jobs and educational institutes as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Gogaji is a folk deity, worshipped in the northern states of India especially in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab region, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Gujarat. He is a warrior-hero of the region, venerated as a saint and a 'snake-god'.
Bazigar, or Goaars, are an ethnic group of north-western India. They are primarily found in Punjab and in Pakistan's Punjab, but there are also communities in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan. They were previously nomadic with their main occupation the performance of acrobatics and other forms of entertainment, but they are now settled and engaged mainly in agricultural and similar forms of labour.
Muslim Rajputs or Musalman Rajpoots are the descendants of Rajputs in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent who generally are followers of Islam. Reportedly, they converted from Hinduism to Islam from the medieval period onwards, creating various dynasties and states while retaining Hindu surnames such as Chauhan. Today, Muslim Rajputs can be found mostly in present-day Northern India and Pakistan. They are further divided into different clans.
Lohar is considered to be a caste among Hindus and a clan among Muslims and Sikhs in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, and in Nepal. They form traditionally artisanal castes. Writers of the Raj period often used the term Lohar as a synonym for blacksmith, although there are other traditional smiting communities, such as the Ramgarhia and Sikligar, and numerous non-traditional communities, including the Kayastha, Rajput and Brahmin.
Ror is a caste found primarily in the Indian state of Haryana.
Mehta is an Indian surname, derived from the Sanskrit word mahita meaning 'great' or 'praised'. It is found among several Indian religious groups, including Hindus, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs. Among Hindus, it is used by a wide range of castes and social groups, including Khatris, Rajputs, Brahmins and Banias. Mehta is also a common surname found among the Koeri caste of Bihar, who are commonly known as Kushwaha.
Rajasthani people or Rajasthanis are a group of Indo-Aryan peoples native to Rajasthan, a state in Northern India. Their language, Rajasthani, is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages.
The Multani Lohar are the Muslim Blacksmith and carpenter community found in the state of Gujarat and western Uttar Pradesh Delhi, Rajasthan madhya pradesh in India.
Chhipi is a caste of people with ancestral roots tracing back to India. These people are basically Rajputs and used to wear Kshatriya attire. These people were skilled in the art of war, Later people of this caste started doing printing work. They are found in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh of India.
The Bharbhunja are an occupational caste found in North India and Maharashtra. They are also known as Kalenra in Maharashtra. A small number are also found in the Terai region of Nepal.
The Lakhera are a Hindu caste found in North India and are a community traditionally associated with bangle making.
The Sirkiband are a Hindu caste found in the states of Haryana and Punjab in India. They have scheduled caste status in Haryana. A small number in Punjab are now Sikh.
The Heri are a Hindu caste found in the states of Haryana and Punjab in India.
Chhokar, sometime spell as Chokar or Chokhar, is a clan of the Hindu and Muslim Gurjar people found in the south Asian regions of India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Chauhan is a surname of various Indian communities.
Taunk or Tak is a surname found in people and diaspora of Indian sub-continent.
Rawat is a surname of people belonging to Hindu Rajput community. It is used as a surname, but during the medieval period it was a designation or title given to a soldier who performed exceptionally well in war. Types of Rawat are Chauhan Rawat, Pawar Rawat, Sisodiya Rawat, Dogra Rawat etc. from Uttarakhand and U.P divisions in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and Rajputs of Uttarakhand.
