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Ahirwal

Ahirwal
Map
Coordinates: 28°12′N 76°36′E / 28.2°N 76.6°E / 28.2; 76.6
CountryIndia
States
Languages
 • OfficialHindi
 • SpokenAhirwati

Ahirwal is a region spanning parts of southern Haryana, north-eastern Rajasthan, and South-Western Delhi[1] The region was once a small principality based from the town of Rewari and controlled by members of the Yaduvanshi Ahir community from around the time when the Mughal empire was in decline.[2]

Overview

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The name translates as "Land of the Ahirs".[3] J. E. Schwartzberg has described it as a "folk region"[4] and Lucia Michelutti as a "cultural-geographic region ... which includes parts of the districts of Alwar, Bharatpur in Rajasthan and Mahendragarh, Rewari, Gurgaon in the state of Haryana."[3] The Ahirwal region in southern Haryana has 11 assembly segments spread over three Lok Sabha seats – Bhiwani-Mahendergarh, Gurgaon and Rohtak (one segment only) – having a sizeable presence of Ahir voters.[5]

The main language of the area is Ahirwati. It is commonly taken to be a dialect of Mewati and classified within the Rajasthani group of languages, but it also has characteristics in common with the neighbouring Western Hindi varieties.[6] The closely related Bangru (also known as Haryanvi) and Hindi are also spoken in the region.

The events at the battle of Rezang La on 18 November 1962 involved many soldiers from the Ahirwal region, who were greatly outnumbered by their Chinese opponents.[7][8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Singh, Jai Pal; Khan, Mumtaz (1999). "Hindu Cosmology and the Orientation and Segregation of Social Groups in Villages in Northwestern India". Geografiska Annaler. B (Human Geography). 81 (1). Wiley on behalf of the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography: 27–28. doi:10.1111/j.0435-3684.1999.00046.x. JSTOR 491040. (subscription required)
  2. ^ Haynes, Edward S. (1978). "Imperial Impact on Rajputana: The Case of Alwar, 1775–1850". Modern Asian Studies. 12 (3). Cambridge University Press: 423–424. doi:10.1017/s0026749x00006223. JSTOR 312228. (subscription required)
  3. ^ a b Michelutti, Lucia (2008). The vernacularisation of democracy: politics, caste, and religion in India. Routledge. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9780415467322.
  4. ^ Schwartzberg, J. E. (1985). "Folk regions in northwestern India". In Mukerji, A. B.; Ahmad, A. (eds.). India: Culture Society and Economy. New Delhi: Inter India Publications. pp. 205–235.
  5. ^ "Gurgaon MP's exit to change political equation in south Haryana". Hindustan Times. 24 September 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  6. ^ Yadav, Shankar Lal (c. 1979). "Ahīrvāṭī". In Sharada, Sadhu Ram (ed.). Hariyāṇā kī upabhāṣāeṃ (in Hindi). Chandigarh: Bhasha Vibhag. pp. 193–269.
  7. ^ "Land Forces Site – Unforgettable Battle of 1962 : 13 Kumaon at Rezang La". Bharat Rakshak. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  8. ^ Mohan Guruswamy (20 November 2012). "Don't forget the heroes of Rezang La". The Hindu.

Further reading

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