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Encyclopedia > Bakarwal

Bakarwal (or Bakharwal) is a nomadic tribe based in the Pir Panjal and Himalayan mountains of South Asia. They are mainly goatherds and shepherds Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ... The Pir Panjal Range is a range of mountains that form a part of the Middle Himalayas across the two states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in India. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... South Asia is a southern geopolitical region of the Asian continent comprising territories on and in proximity to the Indian subcontinent. ...

The nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. In Jammu & Kashmir, these nomadic people are cow/buffalo herders (esp. Gujjars) and goat/sheep herders (esp. Bakerwals). However, the two groups are very closely associated and intermarry, and commonly referred to as the "Gujjars and Bakarwals." Photographed in Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Photo by Paul La Porte; from http://laporte.uchicago.edu/india2.htm
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The nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. In Jammu & Kashmir, these nomadic people are cow/buffalo herders (esp. Gujjars) and goat/sheep herders (esp. Bakerwals). However, the two groups are very closely associated and intermarry, and commonly referred to as the "Gujjars and Bakarwals." Photographed in Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Photo by Paul La Porte; from http://laporte.uchicago.edu/india2.htm

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Etymology

Bakarwal is derived from the Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi/Kashmiri/Dogri terms, Bakri/Bakar meaning "goat", and Wal meaning "one who takes care of". Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... The phrase Zaban-e Urdu-e Mualla written in () is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Aryan family that developed under Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, and Sanskrit influence in South Asia during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (1200-1800). ... Punjabi (also Panjabi; in Gurmukhī, Panjābī in Shāhmukhī) is the language of the Punjabi people and the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ... For other uses, see Kashmiri (disambiguation) Kashmiri (, also , Kashmiri: ) is a Dardic language spoken primarily in Kashmir, a South Asian region now split between India, Pakistan and China. ... Dogri is an Indic language spoken by some two million people in South Asia, chiefly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir but also in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, other parts of Kashmir and elsewhere. ...


Essentially, the name implies "high-altitude goatherds/shepherds".


Although, Bakarwals are a gotra or clan of the Gujjar community, many local shepherds, who may not necessarily belong to the community, are termed as Bakarwal. A gotra (lit. ... A Gujjar (also Gujar, Gurjar, or Gurjara, is a member of an ethnic group mainly inhabiting Punjab (Pakistan), Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab (India) and Gujarat, with some groups in Rajasthan and Haryana. ...


Geographical distribution

Bakarwals are spread throughout the northern part of the Himalayan Range. This includes the states of Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab (India) in India. Uttaranchal (Hindi: उत्तरांचल) became the 27th state of the Republic of India on November 9, 2000. ... Himachal Pradesh (Hindi: हिमाचल प्रदेश), formally the Punjab Hill States, is a mostly mountainous state in northwest India. ... Punjab (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, Hindi: पंजाब) is a state in northwest India and forms a part of the larger Punjab region, which also includes the province of Punjab (Pakistan),the Indian states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and Delhi and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. ...


In Pakistan, Bakarwals are found in the hilly northern parts of Punjab (Pakistan) as well as parts of the North West Frontier Province. The Punjab or Panjab (Punjabi: ) province of Pakistan is the countrys most populous region and is home to the Punjabis and various other groups. ... North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) is geographically the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan. ...


In the disputed Kashmir region, Bakarwals are found across all areas of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir ruled by the Dogras. Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani administration. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...


In Jammu and Kashmir in India, Bakarwals are found in all three regions of the state including Jammu (comprising the districts of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri and Doda), the Kashmir Valley (comprising the districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara, Pulwama, Badgam and Anantnag) and Ladakh (comprising the district of Ladakh and Kargil). It has been suggested that Indian Administrated Kashmir be merged into this article or section. ... A gateway to the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Kathua lies just 88 kilometers south of the states winter capital of Jammu. ... Udhampur is a sleepy town used more as a transit point between Jammu and Srinagar when travelling by road (National Highway Number 1A). ... District Poonch,popularly known as mini Kashmir, is the smallest in area and the remotest district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. ... Rajouri town, in Rajouri District, Jammu & Kashmir, India. ... Doda is a district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. ... Srinagar (Hindi: श्रीनगर, Urdu: سرینگ, Kashmiri: سِرېنَگَ सिरीनगर) , is the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India, and is situated in the valley of Kashmir. ... Categories: Stub ... Pulwama is a district in Jammu and Kashmir, India. ... Anantnag is a district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in north India. ... Tikse monastery, Ladakh Ladakh is the largest district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, covering more than half the area of the state (of which it is the eastern part). ... Kargil was a part of Gilgit-Baltistan before 1947, but now is a town in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. ...


In Pakistan, Bakarwals inhabit the Northern Areas (Gilgit, the Hunza Valley and Baltistan) and Azad Kashmir (Mirpur and Muzaffarabad). Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... This page is about the town of Hunza in northern areas of Pakistan. ... Baltistan (Urdu: بلتستان) , also known as Baltiyul in Balti, is a region to the north of Kashmir, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Urdu: آزاد کشمیر), is part of the Pakistani-occupied section of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, along with the Northern Areas. ... Mirpur is a city of Azad Kashmir. ... Muzaffarabad is the capital of the State of Azad Kashmir, located in the north of the state, which is part of the Pakistani-controlled part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, along with the Northern Areas. ...


They are also found in the PRC controlled regions of the state, namely Aksai Chin and the Shaksgam Valley. PRC is a common abbreviation for: Peoples Republic of China Palestinian Red Crescent Popular Resistance Committees This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... China - India Western border showing Aksai Chin Aksai Chin is one of the two main border disputes between India and China, the other being Arunachal Pradesh. ...


Bakarwal Life

They lead a lonely and tough life in the high-altitude meadows of the Himalayas and the Pir-Panjal. Every year, they take their sheep high into the mountains, above the tree-line to graze in the lush meadows.


It may take them as many as sixty days to reach these meadows. During the summer, they move from one meadow to the other. They generally travel in pairs but sometimes they may go alone or in larger groups (depending on how many sheep/goats need to be taken care of).


They are accompanied by their dogs, the famous bhotia or bakarwal dogs, and their pack-animals. The Bhutias are people of Tibetan origin, who migrated to Sikkim, India after the 15th century through Bhutan, where they are also known as Ngalop and constitute half of the countrys population. ...


See Also

Castes and Tribes of the Punjab
Brahmin communities Saraswat Brahmins | Punjabi Brahmins | Mohyal | Bali | Bhimwal | Chhibber | Datt | Lau | Mohan | Vaid
Dalit groups Punjabi Dalits | Balmiki | Chamar | Chura | Chhimba | Kabirpanthi | Mazhabi | Ramdasia | Rangrehta | Ravidasi
Jat clans Jat | Atwal | Aulakh | Bagri | Bains | Bajwa | Bajya | Bhalli | Bhangu | Bharhaich | Bhinder | Bhullar | Brar | Chahal | Chahar | Chaitha | Chatha | Cheema | Chhillar | Deol | Deshwal | Dhariwal | Dhaliwal | Dhillon | Dhindsa | Faujdar | Gandhar | Garewal | Gill | Grewal | Hala | Hayer | Jakhar | Johiya | Kang | Khirwar | Khokhar | Langah | Maan | Mahil | Maitla | Malhi | Manes | Mehria | Nijjar | Noon | Pannu | Purewal | Randhawa | Riar | Sahota | Sandhu | Sekhon | Shergill | Sidhu | Takhar | Takshak | Tarar | Toor | Virk | Waraich | Wattu
Khatris and related communities Khatri | Arora | Bhatia | Sood | Kukhran | Ahuja | Alreja | Bedi | Dumra | Mehra | Kapoor | Khullar
Rajput clans Rajput | Bhatti | Chadhar | Chauhan | Dogra | Janjua | Jarral | Khakha | Kharal | Minhas | Mir | Meghwar | Meo | Naul | Ranial | Sial | Tiwana
Tarkhans and related groups Khasa | Lohar | Ramgarhia | Tarkhan
Others Abbasi | Ahir | Ahluwalia | Alavi | Arain | Awan | Bakarwal | Bania | Bishnoi | Dhangar | Farooqi | Gakhar | Gardezi | Gilani | Gujjar | Hashemi | Kalal | Kamboh | Kamboj | Labana | Mekan | Osmani | Quraishi | Ranghar | Saini | Sansi | Sayyid | Shaikh | Siddiqui


 
 

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