Muslim Gujjars

Muslim Gujjars or Musalmān Gujjars (Punjabi: مُسَلمَان گُجَّر) are an ethno-religious group predominantly found in the north-western regions of South Asia. They embraced Islam from the medieval period onwards.^[1]

Muslim Gujjars

Kagan Gujars
Regions with significant populations
Pakistan, India, Afghanistan
Languages
Urdu, Panjabi, Hindi, Gujjari, Pashto, Dari, Hindko, Koshur
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Muslim Rajputs, Jat Muslim, Bakarwal, Indus Kohistani people, Kashmiri Muslims, Shina people, Gaddis, Nuristanis, Van Gujjar people, Hindkowans

Gujjars are an Indo-Aryan agro-pastoral people or tribe, believed to be of either Hunnic or Scythian origins. They settled in the north-western regions of South Asia around the fourth century where they adopted Indic religions.^[2]

Conversions of Gujjars to Islam began in the 11th century with the arrival of Sufi missionaries in the subcontinent. Numerous clans of Gujjars embraced Islam during the time of Shaykh Farid al-Din Masud and his successors.^[3] By the 16th century, Islam had become the predominant religion among the Gujjars of Punjab, Kashmir, Khyber Paktunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh, Balochistan and present-day Afghanistan.^[1]

The memoirs of Mughal emperors Babur and Jahangir describe the Gujjars as pastoral people engaged in frequent raids and plundering.^[4][5] Sujan Rai writes in the 17th century that the Gujjar tribe of Sarkar Dipalpur was notorious for its refractory and rebellious character.^[6]

Following Nadir Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire, several Gujjar chiefs rose to power in Punjab, Hazara, and Kashmir. Notable among them were the Nawabs of Dera Ghazi Khan, the Rajas of Poonch, and the Muqaddams of Kot Najibullah.^[7][8][9]

Muslim Gujjars were actively involved in the 1857 uprising against the Company rule, particularly in the Punjab region, and were said to have given "a great deal of trouble" during the Mutiny.^[10]

Later, during the British Raj era, they were classified as a martial race and enlisted in class company regiments.^[11]

Muslim Gujjars are divided into over 100 clans or gots, which include Khatana, Chechi, Chauhan, Kasana, Paswal, Gorsi, Katariya, Bajar and Kalas.^[12]

In 1988, it was estimated that Muslim Gujjars constitute 53 percent of the total Gujjar population.^[13]

The Gujjar people have lived in Afghanistan for centuries, with an estimated 1.5 million residing in the country today.^[14][15] They primarily inhabit the northeastern regions, including provinces like Kapisa, Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan, Nuristan, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Khost.^[14][15] Historically recognized as one of Afghanistan's 14 ethnic groups,^[14][16][17] the Gujjars have a distinct culture and lifestyle. However, many live in poverty and face marginalization,^[18] with some displaced by militias, such as in 2018 in Takhar province.^[19] During the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of healthcare led to the use of Andak meat for treatment, despite religious objections.^[14] Gujjar leaders have advocated for better infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, and sought government scholarships for their youth.^[20]

Gujjars are mostly found in Punjab province, where they gave their name to cities and towns such as Gujranwala, Gujar Khan and Gujrat, but for economics reasons recently they have emigrated to cities such as Karachi.^[21]

Gujjars are also present in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where they're the third largest ethnic groups after the Pashtuns and the Awan, found in the Hazara region as well places like Dir, Swat, and Bajaur, often being conversant in Pashto, the provincial language.^[22]

In Swat, Pir Samiullah was a Gujjar community leader who was the first to raise a private tribal army against the Pakistani Taliban, with around 10,000 men, but was eventually defeated and executed by the Taliban in 2008, who then desecrated his dead body by hanging it publicly.^[23]

In Azad Kashmir, they are one of the region's largest communities, by some estimates even being considered the single largest group with 800,000 individuals.^[24]

In Gilgit-Baltistan, they are primarily settled in Naltar, Ghizer, and Astore.^[25] They migrated over a century ago from Swat, Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Traditionally pastoralists, they rely on farming and livestock rearing, and are known for their unique tradition of carving wooden coffins.^[25]

Muslim Gujjars are also present in Sindh, with some having migrated from Punjab to cities like Karachi in search of better economic opportunities. Traditionally pastoralists and farmers, many have moved to urban areas in recent years for work.^[21]

The Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir are a predominantly Muslim community. In Jammu and Kashmir, Gujjars are mostly nomadic, semi-nomadic, and agro-pastoralists.^[26]

Gujjars constitute approximately 88% of the total tribal population in Jammu and Kashmir, with an estimated population of around one million, or 8% of the state's total population. They are the third-largest ethnic group in the region, after Kashmiri Muslims and Dogra Hindus. The community is scattered across the state, with the largest concentration in Poonch (40%) and Rajouri (33.1%), while they are absent in the Leh district.^[26]

Muslim Gujjars are found in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, which borders Jammu and Kashmir and Tibet.^[27][28] The majority of them are nomadic, with a smaller number of settled Muslim Gujjars. Traditionally, they are pastoralists, moving with their livestock across the region's mountainous terrain.^[27]

The Muslim Gujjars and Bakarwal communities in Ladakh are traditionally pastoralists, grazing livestock in areas like Rangdum. Recently, disputes over land encroachment and unauthorized construction have arisen. In 2024, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh intervened to address these issues, including the illegal occupation of grazing land and the ongoing legal dispute over land rights in the region.^[29][30][31]

The Muslim Gujjars of Uttarakhand, with a population of around 70,000,^[32] are a semi-nomadic pastoral community living mainly in the Shivalik Hills, bordering Tibet. Traditionally herders, they practice transhumance, migrating with their buffalo herds between the foothills in winter and alpine pastures in summer. Known for being lactovegetarians, they rely solely on milk from their buffaloes. Despite the Indian Forest Rights Act of 2006 granting them forest land rights, they face conflicts with state authorities over access to reserved parks. The community distinguishes itself from other Gujjars by adopting the prefix "Van" ("forest-dwelling") in the 1980s.^{[33][34][35][32]}

The Muslim Gujjars make up a substantial portion of the population in regions like Kairana and Muzaffarnagar, with an estimated 150,000 Muslim Gujjars in the Kairana constituency alone.^[36] This community has historically been influential in local politics, often rallying behind candidates from their ethnicity, irrespective of their religious identity. Despite being a minority in the broader context, Muslim Gujjars in these areas hold a demographic and political sway, particularly in rural settings.^{[37][38][39][36]}

• Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, 19th century Punjabi Sufi poet^[40]
• Chaudhari Rahmat Ali, Pakistan movement activist^[41]
• Tufail Mohammad, Nishan-e-Haider recipient^[42]
• Fazal Ilahi, President of Pakistan from 1973 to 1978^[43]
• Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistani international cricketer^[44]
• Hafiz Saeed, Pakistani Islamist^[45]
• Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gul, Pakistani politician^[46]
• Nawabzada Mazhar Ali, Pakistani politician^[46]

• List of Punjabi Muslim tribes