108-602: Mazhabi Sikh (also known as Mazbhabi, Mazbhi, Majhabhi or Majabhi) is a community from Northern India , especially Punjab region, who follow Sikhism . Mazhabi are part of wider category of Sikhs, who convert from the valmiki (chuhra) community. The word Mazhabi is derived from the Arabic term mazhab ( Mazhab means religious School of thought), and can be translated as the faithful . They live mainly in Indian Punjab , Rajasthan and Haryana . When Guru Tegh Bahadur ,
216-549: A Jat Sikh-dominated movement. Akali Dal, a religio-political party founded in 1920 and dominated by Jat Sikhs, won all 111 seats that it contested and Khalsa Dal – a new party created with government support – managing to win only three of the 132 in which it put forward a candidate. The campaign saw the Arya Samaj and Jan Sangh , who were both opposed to Punjabi Suba and believed in Hindu upper caste domination, stressing
324-598: A ceremony organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Parkash Singh Badal , then Chief Minister of Punjab and an SAD elder, said that such conversions are "unfortunate and against the basic tenets of Sikhism as Sikh gurus sacrificed their lives resisting conversion", while Amarinder Singh of the INC considered the move by the Hindutva -centric RSS to be "forced conversion". The RSS said that it
432-809: A criminal caste by the British", lost their military employment following the defeat of the Sikhs in the First and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars. Some eventually found employment as pioneers in the army of Gulab Singh , the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir . In 1857, the British turned to them for help during the Indian Rebellion , apparently to counteract the rebellious sepoys of the Bengal Army . The First Pioneer Sikh Regiment soon found itself helping to break
540-504: A fear of Sikh domination. They encouraged Hindu Punjabis to lie by claiming Hindi to be their first language even when it was almost always in fact Punjabi . This attempt to cause a division along religious lines had the tacit support of the government and its impact echoed down the years. In 2005, 56 expelled employees of the SGPC abandoned Sikhism and alleged that they were being discriminated against because they were Mazhabis. According to
648-825: A feudal safeguard against future unrest. In 1861, a supreme legislature for India was established — the Imperial Legislative Council of India . Further reforms also created a unified bank — the Imperial Bank of India , a police force — the Indian Imperial Police and a unified army — the Imperial Indian Army . In 1876, the Crown-ruled India and the numerous Indian states under the Crown's suzerainty formed
756-485: A geographical dividing line in the country. Indian states that are entirely above the Tropic of Cancer are Himachal Pradesh , Punjab , Haryana , Delhi , Uttarakhand , Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and most of North East Indian states. However that definition would also include major parts of Rajasthan , Madhya Pradesh , Jharkhand and West Bengal and minor regions of Chhattisgarh and Gujarat . In Maharashtra ,
864-910: A good source for recruitment. According to Captain A. H. Bingley they were particularly loyal soldiers. The Jat Sikh community has constituted an important source of recruits for the Indian Army. Many serve in the Indian Army , including the Jat Regiment , Sikh Regiment , Rajputana Rifles and the Grenadiers , where they have won many of the highest military awards for gallantry and bravery. In Punjab (India) , Jat Sikhs are associated with agricultural pursuits and land ownership. They own more than 80%, and possibly as much as 95% of available agricultural land in Punjab. They often reside in
972-478: A hierarchy of priests ( Brahmins ), warriors Kshatriyas , and commoners and peasants ( Vaishyas and Shudras ), and but which excluded certain peoples whose occupations were considered impure, arose during this period. On the Deccan Plateau , archaeological evidence from this period suggests the existence of a chiefdom stage of political organisation. In the late Vedic period, around the 6th century BCE,
1080-625: A large urban middle class, transformed India into one of the world's fastest-growing economies , and increased its geopolitical clout. Yet, India is also shaped by seemingly unyielding poverty, both rural and urban; by religious and caste-related violence ; by Maoist-inspired Naxalite insurgencies ; and by separatism in Jammu and Kashmir and in Northeast India . It has unresolved territorial disputes with China and with Pakistan . India's sustained democratic freedoms are unique among
1188-643: A loose political union called the Indian Empire , and Queen Victoria was crowned the Empress of India in 1877. In the decades following, public life gradually emerged all over India, leading eventually to the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885. The rush of technology and the commercialisation of agriculture in the second half of the 19th century was marked by economic setbacks, and many small farmers became dependent on
SECTION 10
#17327724811651296-787: A majority in North India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, are descendents of the Indo-Iranians who migrated from Central Asia via the Bactria-Margiana Culture into this region between 2000 BC and 1500 BC after the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilisation . There was a slow migration of Indo-Iranian peoples through the northwest leading to the development of the Indo-Aryan languages from Proto-Indo-Iranian and minor vocal synthesis with
1404-525: A model for later Indian kingdoms. Under the Guptas, a renewed Hinduism based on devotion, rather than the management of ritual, began to assert itself. This renewal was reflected in a flowering of sculpture and architecture , which found patrons among an urban elite. Classical Sanskrit literature flowered as well, and Indian science , astronomy , medicine , and mathematics made significant advances. The Indian early medieval age, from 600 to 1200 AD,
1512-685: A regional headquarters in Lucknow . The Hindu newspaper puts Bihar, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh related articles on its North pages. Articles in the Indian press have included the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal in North as well. The Tropic of Cancer , which divides the temperate zone from the tropical zone in the Northern Hemisphere , runs through India, and could theoretically be regarded as
1620-779: A report published in The Tribune on 16 March 1966, a spokesperson for the Federation of Mazhabi Sikhs stated that "the Sikh Scheduled Castes had been reduced to a position of mere serfs by the Sikh landlords who would literally crush the Mazhabi Sikhs if Punjabi Suba was formed." The federation offered support for Arya Samaj and Jan Sangh in opposition to the Punjabi Suba. Although Sikh leaders recognise
1728-810: A wide variety of birds, including peafowl , parrots , and thousands of immigrant birds, such as the Siberian crane . Other birds include pheasants , geese , ducks , mynahs , parakeets , pigeons , cranes (including the celebrated sarus crane ), and hornbills . great pied hornbill , Pallas's fishing eagle , grey-headed fishing eagle , red-thighed falconet are found in the Himalayan areas. Other birds found here are tawny fish owl , scale-bellied woodpecker, red-breasted parakeet , Himalayan swiftlet , stork-billed kingfisher and Himalayan or white-tailed rubythroat . Important national parks and tiger reserves of North India include: Corbett National Park : It
1836-509: A wide variety of fish, amphibians and reptiles in the region. Animal species in North India include elephant , bengal tiger , indian leopard , snow leopard , sambar (Asiatic stag) , chital (spotted deer) , hangul (red deer) , hog deer , chinkara (Indian gazelle) , blackbuck , nilgai (blue bull antelope) , porcupine , wild boar , Indian fox , Tibetan sand fox , rhesus monkey , langur , jungle cat , striped hyena , golden jackal , black bear , Himalayan brown bear , sloth bear , and
1944-520: Is Sikhism , originating from the Indian subcontinent . They are one of the dominant communities in the Punjab, India , owing to their large land holdings. They form an estimated 20–25% of the population of the Indian state of Punjab . They form at least half of the Sikh population in Punjab, with some sources estimating them to be about 60–66% appx. two-third of the Sikh population. The Jatt word
2052-771: Is a geographical and broad cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent ) wherein Indo-Aryans form the prominent majority population. It extends from the Himalayan mountain range in the north to the Indo-Gangetic plains , the Thar Desert , the Central Highlands and the northwestern part of the Deccan plateau . It occupies nearly three-quarters of
2160-436: Is also a Hindu majority state but has a large aboriginal minority. The union territories of Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim majority territories while Ladakh has a Muslim plurality with minority Hindus and Buddhists. The state of Punjab has a Sikh majority of 60% and is the homeland of Sikh religion. Linguistically, North India is dominated by Indo-Aryan languages . It is in this region, or its proximity, that Sanskrit and
2268-568: Is also notorious for heavy fog during the winters. Extreme temperatures among inhabited regions have ranged from −45 °C (−49 °F) in Dras , Ladakh to 50.6 °C (123 °F) in Alwar , Rajasthan. Dras is claimed to be the second-coldest inhabited place on the planet (after Siberia ), with a recorded low of −60 °C. The region receives heavy rain in plains and light snow on Himalayas precipitation through two primary weather patterns:
SECTION 20
#17327724811652376-570: Is core reserve. This park is known not only for its rich and varied wildlife but also for its scenic beauty. Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers National Park : Located in West Himalaya, in the state of Uttarakhand, these two national parks constitute a biosphere reserve that is in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004. The Valley of Flowers is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and
2484-765: Is defined by regional kingdoms and cultural diversity. When Harsha of Kannauj , who ruled much of the Indo-Gangetic Plain from 606 to 647 CE , attempted to expand southwards, he was defeated by the Chalukya ruler of the Deccan. When his successor attempted to expand eastwards, he was defeated by the Pala king of Bengal . No ruler of this period was able to create an empire and consistently control lands much beyond their core region. During this time, pastoral peoples, whose land had been cleared to make way for
2592-415: Is derived from Persian form of the ancient term Jit is Jatt (जट्ट) with short vowel and double short ‘t’. Initially, some Jats started to follow the teachings of Guru Nanak , which did much to remove social barriers created by the sāvarṇa caste society. Jats were previously indifferent towards deep religious affairs. While followers important to Sikh tradition like Baba Buddha were among
2700-410: Is predominantly Tropical evergreen and Montane . Of the evergreen trees sal , teak , Mahogany, sheesham (Indian rosewood) and poplar are some which are important commercially. The Western Himalayan region abounds in chir , pine , deodar (Himalayan cedar), blue pine , spruce , various firs , birch and junipers . The birch, especially, has historical significance in Indian culture due to
2808-474: The 13th Frontier Force Rifles , which previously would not have contemplated them. When India became independent in 1947, the British Indian Army became the Indian Army. This, like its predecessor, relies on the martial race theory for much of its recruitment and thus there is a grossly disproportionate number of Sikhs within its ranks. The Mazhabi Sikhs and Ramdasias continued their service with
2916-566: The Adi Granth , three verses (in Asa and Dhanashree ragas ) attributed to Bhagat Dhanna (born 1415), a Jat, were included in the scripture. It has been postulated, though inconclusively, that the increased militarisation of the Sikh panth following the martyrdom of Guru Arjan (beginning during the era of Guru Hargobind and continuing after) and its large Jat presence may have reciprocally influenced each other. Dharam Singh , one of
3024-587: The Aravalli Range , beyond which lies the state of Gujarat . The Vindhya mountains are, in some interpretations, taken to be the southern boundary of North India. The predominant geographical features of North India are: The states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir also have a large forest coverage. North India lies mainly in the north temperate zone of the Earth . Though cool or cold winters, hot summers, and moderate monsoons are
3132-798: The Buddhist pilgrimage centres of Sarnath and Kushinagar , the Sikh Golden Temple as well as world heritage sites such as the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve , Khajuraho temples , Hill Forts of Rajasthan , Jantar Mantar (Jaipur) , Qutb Minar , Red Fort , Agra Fort , Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal . North India's culture developed as a result of interaction between these Hindu and Muslim religious traditions. The terms 'North Zone,' 'North Region,' or 'Northern Cultural Zone' are used by various ministries of
3240-531: The House of Maurya . The Magadhan Mauryan emperors are known as much for their empire-building and determined management of public life as for Ashoka 's renunciation of militarism and far-flung advocacy of the Buddhist dhamma . In North India, by the 4th and 5th centuries, the House of Gupta of Magadha had created a complex system of administration and taxation in the greater Ganges Plain; this system became
3348-545: The Indus Valley Civilisation , the first urban culture in South Asia, which flourished during 2500–1900 BC north-western Indian subcontinent. Centred around cities such as Mohenjo-daro , Harappa , Dholavira , and Kalibangan , and relying on varied forms of subsistence, the civilisation engaged robustly in crafts production and wide-ranging trade. Between 2000 BC and 1500 BC, several waves of Indo-Aryan migrations from Central Asia occurred and these migrants settled in
Mazhabi Sikh - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-655: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and SGPC. Perhaps the most notable politician to come from the Mazhabi community is Buta Singh , former Minister of Home Affairs and chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes of the central government. In 2014, both the SAD and the Indian National Congress (INC) voiced their opposition to Christian Mazhabi people being reconverted to the Sikh faith in
3564-642: The Siege of Delhi , a second regiment was raised in 1858 and a third followed soon after. This military employment contributed to a gradual improvement in their social status and in 1911 their official classification in Gujranwala and Lyallpur was uplifted to that of "agricultural caste" by the British authorities. The British military classification system, which rated recruits according to their caste, continued to assert that Mazhabis were best suited as pioneers while, for example, Jat Sikhs should be infantry. It
3672-481: The Sultanate of Delhi in 1206. The sultanate was to control much of North India and to make many forays into South India. Although at first disruptive for the Indian elites, the sultanate largely left its vast non-Muslim subject population to its own laws and customs. By repeatedly repulsing Mongol raiders in the 13th century, the sultanate saved India from the devastation visited on West and Central Asia, setting
3780-786: The Yamuna and the Narmada rivers. North India includes the states of Himachal Pradesh , Uttarakhand , Punjab and Haryana , Rajasthan , Uttar Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh , Goa , Gujarat , Maharashtra , Bihar , Jharkhand , and West Bengal and union territories of Chandigarh , Delhi , Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh . In its narrower administrative sense, the term has varying implications ( see below ) with different states included being Haryana , Himachal Pradesh , Punjab , Uttarakhand , Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and union territories of Chandigarh , Delhi , Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh . Indo-Aryans , who today form
3888-587: The community-funded completion of the Darbar Sahib to house the Guru Granth Sahib and serve as a rallying point and center for Sikh activity, established the beginnings of a self-contained Sikh community, which was especially swelled with the region's Jat peasantry. They formed the vanguard of Sikh resistance against the Mughal Empire from the 18th century onwards. Whilst W. H. McLeod
3996-589: The ninth Sikh guru , was martyred by the Mughals in Delhi, Ranghreta community member recovered his dismembered body from a Muslim crowd and brought it back to his son, Guru Gobind Singh . His name was Bhai Jaita Ji. In recognition of their act, he admitted the untouchables into the Khalsa (the Sikh faith), giving them the name Mazhabi ("faithful"). Within the present-day Mazhabi community, one group calls itself
4104-593: The partition of India into two states: India and Pakistan. Vital to India's self-image as an independent nation was its constitution, completed in 1950, which put in place a secular and democratic republic. Per the London Declaration , India retained its membership of the Commonwealth , becoming the first republic within it. Economic liberalisation, which began in the 1980s and the collaboration with Soviet Union for technical know-how, has created
4212-535: The snow leopard , the Himalayan brown bear and the musk deer . Desert National Park : Located in Rajasthan, this national reserve features extensive sand dunes and dry salt lakes. Wildlife unique to the region includes the desert fox and the great Indian bustard . Jat Sikh Jat Sikh or Jatt Sikh ( Gurmukhi : ਜੱਟ ਸਿੱਖ) is an ethnoreligious group, a subgroup of the Jat people whose traditional religion
4320-738: The 17th century was a factor in India's economic expansion, resulting in greater patronage of painting , literary forms, textiles, and architecture . Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as the Marathas , the Rajputs , and the Sikhs , gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience. Expanding commerce during Mughal rule gave rise to new Indian commercial and political elites along
4428-506: The 19th century drew to a close, untouchables such as the Mazhabis were still denied equal access to the gurdwara (places of worship) by their fellow Sikhs and during the early years of the 20th century members of the Arya Samaj in order to capitalise on them so they tried an attempts to convert those groups to Hinduism. In spite of Sikhism's egalitarian tenets, It believed that the Singh Sabha movement also viewed them as being inferior, despite initially being established in 1873 in part with
Mazhabi Sikh - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-417: The Dravidian languages. North India was the historical centre of the ancient Vedic culture , the Mahajanapadas , and Magadha Empire, the medieval Delhi Sultanate and the modern Mughal India and the Indian Empire , among many others. It has a diverse culture, and includes the Hindu pilgrimage centres of Char Dham , Haridwar , Varanasi , Ayodhya , Mathura , Prayagraj , Vaishno Devi and Pushkar ,
4644-418: The Government of India to refer to the northernmost administrative division of the country, whether one of four or six. These terms are distinct from 'North India,' which refers to a much larger geo-cultural region. The Northern Zonal Council is one of the advisory councils, created in 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act to foster interstate co-operation under the Ministry of Home Affairs , which included
4752-759: The Himalayan region like Kinnauri , Ladakhi , Balti , and Lahuli–Spiti languages . The composite culture of North India is known as Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb , a result of the amicable interaction of Hindus and Muslims there. Dance of North India too has diverse folk and classical forms. Among the well-known folk dances are the bhangra of the Punjab , Ghoomar of Rajasthan, Nati of Himachal Pradesh and rouf and bhand pather of Kashmir. Main dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accorded classical dance status by India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama such as Kathak . Each state of North India has its own regional forms of clothing: North Indian vegetation
4860-410: The Indian Monsoon and the Western Disturbances . The Monsoon carries moisture northwards from the Indian Ocean , occurs in late summer and is important to the Kharif or autumn harvest . Western Disturbances, on the other hand, are an extratropical weather phenomenon that carry moisture eastwards from the Mediterranean Sea , the Caspian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean . They primarily occur during
4968-469: The Indian Army entered the Golden Temple , Jat Sikh soldiers broke out in mutiny against their officers in the Sikh Regiment and Punjab regiments A total of 2,000 Sikh personnel took part in the mutinies. In the most sensational case 1,400 mainly Jat Sikhs deserted after killing their commanding officer and armed themselves. A significant number of those were also new recruits who were incited easily into mutiny and some were forced at gun point to take part in
5076-498: The Indian Platoon of the Welch Regiment in 1933. The Mazhabi Sikhs, together with the Ramdasia , were recruited to the Sikh Light Infantry regiment (SLI) after its formation in 1941. Despite unwillingness among some policy makers, the British had to abandon their traditional distinction between martial and non-martial races during the Second World War. This was necessitated by the need for more recruits than could be supplied by those communities upon which they usually relied, such as
5184-419: The Indo-Gangetic Plain. The Vedas , the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism , were composed during this period, and historians have analysed these to posit a Vedic culture in the Punjab region and the upper Gangetic Plain . During the period 2000–500 BCE , many regions of the subcontinent transitioned from the Chalcolithic cultures to the Iron Age ones. The caste system , which created
5292-423: The Jat Sikhs, Dogras and Punjabi Musalmans . In addition, indiscipline among Jat Sikhs caused by their concerns regarding a post-war division of India was another reason to prefer recruitment of new classes. While recruitment from the pre-war martial classes was still pre-eminent, that from newly recognised classes such as the Mazhabis and Ramdasias became significant. Mazhabis were even recruited into units such as
5400-401: The Mughals united their far-flung realms through loyalty, expressed through a Persianised culture, to an emperor who had near-divine status. The State's economic policies, deriving most revenues from agriculture and mandating that taxes be paid in the well-regulated silver currency, caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets. The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of
5508-443: The Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. This was one of many examples of the mass migrations that took place across the border in both directions as communities found themselves in the midst of violence driven by religious differences. As of 2011, there were 2,633,921 Mazhabis in the Indian state of Punjab, of whom 2,562,761 declared themselves to be Sikh, 71,000 as Hindu and 160 as Buddhists. The total Scheduled Caste population of
SECTION 50
#17327724811655616-435: The Punjab as being of shudra or vaishya status in the Hindu ritual ranking system of varṇa . Kishan Singh says: A serious contradiction afflicts the Jat farmer of the Punjab. He has unflinching faith in Guru Gobind Singh, yet at the same time he is imbued with traits typical of a Jat. There are two sides to the Jat's known traits. One has a positive effect in the sense that it saves him from feeling inferior; and
5724-411: The Ranghreta and claims a higher status on the grounds that one of their ancestors was Bhai Jaita Ranghreta , who carried the head of Tegh Bahadur from Delhi to Guru Gobind Singh in Anandpur Sahib On seeing this act of bravery and self renunciation Guru Gobind Singh uttered "Ranghreta Guru ka beta", which means Ranghreta is son of Guru. The definition of Mazhabi today is somewhat blurred because of
5832-484: The SLI in the new army. The SLI has served in almost all of the post-1947 conflicts involving India, including the wars with Pakistan in 1947 , 1965 and 1971 , the Hyderabad Police Action of 1948 and the Chinese aggression in 1962 . It has also served in Sri Lanka , where the 1st, 7th, 13th and 14th Battalions have contributed towards peace-keeping. The Mazhabi Sikh soldiers have a reputation for their loyalty and reliability. During Operation Blue Star in 1984, when
5940-405: The Sikh militants were neutralised. A large number of these special police officers were said to have been used during the February 1992 elections. An open season was declared on Sikh terrorists and the police were able to use whatever means deemed necessary to achieve victory. Major Sikh militant leaders were targeted, and many did not survive. Most of them live in separate clusters in villages. As
6048-539: The Valmiki-Mazhabi Sikh Morcha, conflates the terms. Mazhabis who converted from Sikhism to Christianity under the influence of Christian missionaries in the later years of the British Raj are sometimes referred to as Christian Mazhabi Sikhs. Some also profess Hinduism but call themselves Mazhabi, as do a small number who follow the tenets of Buddhism . The Mazhabis were recruited to the army of Ranjit Singh but as separate companies attached to regular battalions rather than as part of an integrated force. This situation
6156-500: The aim of eradicating untouchability. The British Raj system of land allocation in the Punjab also worked against the Mazhabis. As land in the new canal colonies was made available for cultivation, the Raj allocated it to people on the basis of the scale of existing landholdings, which meant that dominant landholding communities such as the Jats received most of the 4,000,000 acres (1,600,000 ha) that became available between 1885 and 1940 while outcastes were excluded entirely. During
6264-403: The area and population of India and includes all of the three mega cities of India : Mumbai , Delhi and Kolkata . In a more specific and administrative sense, North India can also be used to denote the Indo-Gangetic Plain within this broader expanse, stretching from the Ganga-Yamuna Doab to the Thar Desert . Several major rivers flow through the region including the Indus, the Ganges ,
6372-409: The capital city's population. The states of Rajasthan , Haryana , Himachal Pradesh , Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are overwhelmingly Hindu-majority. Maharashtra, Uttarakhand , Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are also Hindu majority states, but have a large Muslim minority (12% in Maharashtra, 14% In Uttarakhand, 18% in Bihar, 19% in Uttar Pradesh and 27% in West Bengal). Jharkhand
6480-416: The coasts of southern and eastern India. As the empire disintegrated, many among these elites were able to seek and control their own affairs. By the early 18th century, with the lines between commercial and political dominance being increasingly blurred, a number of European trading companies, including the English East India Company , had established coastal outposts. The East India Company's control of
6588-533: The consolidation and demarcation of sovereignty, the surveillance of the population, and the education of citizens. Technological changes—among them, railways, canals, and the telegraph—were introduced not long after their introduction in Europe . However, disaffection with the company also grew during this time and set off the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . Fed by diverse resentments and perceptions, including invasive British-style social reforms, harsh land taxes, and summary treatment of some rich landowners and princes,
SECTION 60
#17327724811656696-441: The contribution of the Mazhabis and Ravidasias to the community and have tried to include them in their organisations, not least because of the size of their population, both groups still feel alienated because of discrimination by higher-caste Sikhs, especially the Jats. It is because of this that they have turned to political parties such as the Bahujan Samaj Party rather than maintaining past associations with Sikh politics through
6804-410: The conversions were an attempt by the RSS to drive a wedge between their religion and Sikhism where previously there had been a harmonious relationship. The Government of India recognises Mazhabi Sikh as a Scheduled Caste as part of their official affirmative action program. Between 30,000 and 40,000 Mazhabi Sikhs were reported to be congregated at Govindghar in an attempt to reach India during
6912-477: The cost of moving goods, and helped nascent Indian-owned industry. After World War I, in which approximately one million Indians served in the Indian Army , a new period began. It was marked by the enactment of the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms as the Government of India Act 1919 but also repressive legislation , by more strident Indian calls for self-rule, and by the beginnings of a nonviolent movement of non-co-operation, of which Mahatma Gandhi would become
7020-474: The earliest significant historical Sikh figures, and significant numbers of conversions occurred as early as the time of Guru Angad (1504–1552), the first large-scale conversions of Jats is commonly held to have begun during the time of Guru Arjan (1563–1606). While touring the countryside of eastern Punjab, he founded several important towns like Tarn Taran Sahib , Kartarpur , and Hargobindpur which functioned as social and economic hubs, and together with
7128-429: The endangered caracal . Reptiles are represented by a large number of snake and lizard species, as well as the ghariyal and crocodiles . Venomous snakes found in the region include king cobra and krait . Various scorpion , spider and insect species include the commercially useful honeybees , silkworms and lac insects. The strikingly coloured bir bahuti is also found in this region. The region has
7236-559: The extensive use of birch paper ( Sanskrit : bhurja patra ) as parchment for many ancient Indian texts. The Eastern Himalayan region consists of oaks , laurels , maples , rhododendrons , alder , birch and dwarf willows . Reflecting the diverse climatic zones and terrain contained in the region, the floral variety is extensive and ranges from Alpine to Cloud forests, coniferous to evergreen, and thick tropical rainforests to cool temperate woods. There are around 500 varieties of mammals, 2000 species of birds, 30,000 types of insects and
7344-485: The far north, languages of Dardic (such as Kashmiri) and Pahari (such as Dogri, Kumaoni and Garhwali) groups are spoken in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand. Punjabi is spoken in Punjab . Bengali is spoken in West Bengal. Languages of Bihari group, such as Maithili, Magahi and Bhojpuri are spoken in Bihar and Jharkhand. A number of aboriginal languages of Austroasiatic and Dravidian origin are spoken in some regions. Several Sino-Tibetan languages are spoken in
7452-490: The general patterns, North India is one of the most climatically diverse regions on Earth. During summer, temperatures often rise above 35°C across much of the Indo-Gangetic plain, reaching as high as 50°C in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, and up to 49°C in Delhi. During winter, the lowest temperatures on the plains dip below 5°C and drop below freezing in some states. Heavy to moderate snowfall occurs in Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. Much of North India
7560-408: The growing agricultural economy, were accommodated within caste society, as were new non-traditional ruling classes. The caste system consequently began to show regional differences. In the 6th and 7th centuries, the first devotional hymns were created in the Tamil language. They were imitated all over India and led to both the resurgence of Hinduism and the development of all modern languages of
7668-445: The inaugural Panj Piare quintet, was a Jat. 18th century Sikh literature claims he was the reincarnation of Bhagat Dhanna. At least eight of the 12 Misls of the Sikh Confederacy were led by Jat Sikhs, who would form the vast majority of Sikh chiefs. According to censuses in gazetteers published during the colonial period in the early 20th century, further waves of Jat conversions, from Hinduism to Sikhism, continued during
7776-617: The influence of Valmikism. While Sikhism is in theory an egalitarian faith that takes no notice of caste, gender and other social demarcations, Fenech and Singh note that "there is often a level of hypocrisy between what is taught and what is actually put into practice." Mazhabis are discriminated against by Sikhs whose origins lie with higher-ranked castes and many Chuhras have turned to Valmikism but are still referred to as Mazhabi. While young Valmikis , who accept Valmiki as their guru, increasingly object to being labelled as Sikh, their elders are less concerned. At least one of their organisations,
7884-456: The initiative as well, with many sojourning in Indian seminaries and translating Buddhist and Hindu texts into their languages. After the 10th century, Muslim Central Asian nomadic clans, using swift-horse cavalry and raising vast armies united by ethnicity and religion, repeatedly overran South Asia's north-western plains. A general Qutub-ud-din Aibak declared his independence and established
7992-599: The leader and enduring symbol. During the 1930s, slow legislative reform was enacted; the Indian National Congress won victories in the resulting elections. The next decade was beset with crises: Indian participation in World War ;II , the Congress's final push for non-co-operation, and an upsurge of Muslim nationalism . All were capped by the advent of independence in 1947, but tempered by
8100-571: The middle class; chronicling the life of the Buddha was central to the beginnings of recorded history in India. In an age of increasing urban wealth, both religions held up renunciation as an ideal, and both established long-lasting monastic traditions. Politically, by the 3rd century BCE, the Kingdom of Magadha had annexed or reduced other states and evolved into the Magadha Empire under
8208-561: The mutinies. Despite that, the Indian Army officers were correct when they expressed confidence to journalists that the Mazhabi Sikhs of the Sikh Light Infantry would not mutiny. In Punjab, Sikh militants had stepped up their attacks on law enforcement as well as civilians, including minority groups. The Punjab had now reached a state of emergency and Director General of Police , Kanwar Pal Singh Gill , responded by raising Mazhabi Sikhs as "Special Police Officers". This tactic
8316-485: The numerous discussions, conferences and proposals that preceded Indian independence, the Mazhabis sought to obtain an autonomous region within partitioned Punjab which they proposed to be called "Mazbhistan". This was one of many instances reflecting the lack of coherence among adherents of Sikhism at that time. Many Jat Sikhs continue to look down upon the Mazhabis, and they are also considered to be of lower status by
8424-480: The other Dalit communities, being the Ramdasia / Ravidasia . The internal division between Jat Sikh and Mazhabi still broadly follows the economic distinction between farmer and landless labourer. It is land-ownership rather than varna's stress on occupational status that defines discrimination within the Sikh communities of the Punjab, and Ronki Ram notes that the nature of untouchability itself in Punjab differs from
8532-403: The other side is negative. It makes him overbearing and arrogant which is a disease. A Jat's negative traits can be suppressed only through the true spirit of Sikhism. Major A.E Barstow comments, that due to their diet and their fondness for wrestling and weightlifting, they possessed good physical attributes for soldiery. According to R. W. Falcon, Jat Sikhs (alongside other Sikhs) were seen as
8640-814: The perception of the westerners." The Government of Bihar official site places the state in the eastern part of India. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are largely considered as being a part of north India, however. By 55,000 years ago, the first modern humans, or Homo sapiens , had arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa, where they had earlier evolved. The earliest known modern human remains in South Asia date to about 30,000 years ago. After 6500 BC, evidence for domestication of food crops and animals, construction of permanent structures, and storage of agricultural surplus appeared in Mehrgarh and other sites in Balochistan, Pakistan . These gradually developed into
8748-470: The preceding decades. The relationship between the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities of the Punjab region, and between communities such as the Jats and the Rajputs , has been ambiguous over many centuries. The various groups often claim similar origins while asserting their distinctiveness. Irfan Habib has argued that Sikhism did much to uplift the social status of Jat people, who were previously regarded in
8856-577: The rebellion rocked many regions of northern and central India and shook the foundations of Company rule. Although the rebellion was suppressed by 1858, it led to the dissolution of the East India Company and the direct administration of British territories in India by the British Crown . Proclaiming a unitary state and a gradual but limited British-style parliamentary system, the new rulers also protected princes and landed gentry as
8964-648: The region uses references to these six seasons quite extensively and has done so since ancient times when Sanskrit was prevalent. In the mountainous areas, sometimes the winter is further divided into "big winter" (e.g. Kashmiri chillai kalaan ) and "little winter" ( chillai khurd ). The people of North India mostly belong to the Indo-Aryan ethno linguistic branch, and include various social groups such as Brahmins , Rajputs , Kayasthas , Banias , Jats , Rors , Gurjars , Kolis , Yadavs , Khatris and Kambojs . Other minority aboriginal ethnic communities such as Dravidians and Austroasiatics exist throughout
9072-414: The region. Hinduism is the dominant religion in North India. Other religions practiced by various ethnic communities include Islam , Sikhism , Jainism , Zoroastrianism , Judaism , Baháʼí , Christianity , and Buddhism . Hindus constitutes more than 80 percent of the North India's population. National capital of India ( New Delhi ) is overwhelming Hindu-majority with Hindus constituting nearly 90% of
9180-567: The rest of India because it is "related more to prejudice than pollution". Many Mazhabi are still exploited in low-status jobs, they are often forced to live in less desirable areas of villages, cannot use the gurdwaras frequented by higher-caste Sikhs and must use special cremation grounds. The outcome of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) elections in December 1954 favoured Punjabi Suba ,
9288-570: The rural areas, and are economically influential in the state. Jat Sikhs have various clans, known as a got (clan or sub-caste; gotra in Hindi), which come under a particular zaat ( tribe or caste ; jati in Hindi), in Punjabi. These clans generally claim descent from a common male ancestor, are usually exogamous (with some exceptions), and historically entire villages, and even clusters of villages, were often inhabited by entirely by
9396-446: The scene for centuries of migration of fleeing soldiers, learned men, mystics, traders, artists, and artisans from that region into the subcontinent, thereby creating a syncretic Indo-Islamic culture in the north. The sultanate's raiding and weakening of the regional kingdoms of South India paved the way for the indigenous Vijayanagara Empire . In the early 16th century, northern India, then under mainly Muslim rulers, fell again to
9504-459: The seas, greater resources, and more advanced military training and technology led it to increasingly assert its military strength and caused it to become attractive to a portion of the Indian elite; these factors were crucial in allowing the company to gain powerful influence over the Bengal province in 1757 and sideline the other European companies. Its further access to the riches of Bengal and
9612-543: The small states and chiefdoms of the Ganges Plain and the north-western regions had consolidated into 16 major oligarchies and monarchies that were known as the mahajanapadas . The emerging urbanisation gave rise to non-Vedic religious movements, two of which became independent religions. Jainism came into prominence during the life of its exemplar, Mahavira . Buddhism , based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha , attracted followers from all social classes excepting
9720-764: The state was 8,860,179. At that time, there were 158,698 Mazhabis in Rajasthan, comprising 11,582 Hindus, 147,108 Sikhs and 8 Buddhists. 141,681 lived in Haryana (11,485 Hindu, 130,162 Sikh and 34 Buddhists), 460 resided in Himachal Pradesh, 3,166 in Chandigarh, 2,829 in Delhi NCT, 6,038 in Uttarakhand, and 14,192 in Uttar Pradesh. North India North India , also called Northern India ,
9828-763: The states of Chandigarh , Delhi , Haryana , Himachal Pradesh , Jammu and Kashmir , Ladakh , Punjab and Rajasthan . The Ministry of Culture established the North Culture Zone in Patiala , Punjab on 23 March 1985. It differs from the North Zonal Council in its inclusion of Uttarakhand and the omission of Delhi . The Geological Survey of India (part of the Ministry of Mines ) in its Northern Region, included Uttar Pradesh and Delhi , but excluded Rajasthan and Chandigarh , with
9936-726: The subcontinent . Indian royalty, big and small, and the temples they patronised drew citizens in great numbers to the capital cities, which became economic hubs as well. Temple towns of various sizes began to appear everywhere as India underwent another urbanisation. By the 8th and 9th centuries, the effects were felt in South-East Asia, as South Indian culture and political systems were exported to lands that became part of modern-day Myanmar , Thailand , Laos , Brunei , Cambodia , Vietnam , Philippines , Malaysia , and Indonesia . Indian merchants, scholars, and sometimes armies were involved in this transmission; South-East Asians took
10044-596: The subsequent increased strength and size of its army enabled it to annex or subdue most of India by the 1820s. India was then no longer exporting manufactured goods as it long had, but was instead supplying Britain with raw materials. By this time, with its economic power severely curtailed by the British Parliament and having effectively been made an arm of British administration, the East India Company began more consciously to enter non-economic arenas, including education, social reform, and culture. In 1833,
10152-854: The superior mobility and firepower of a new generation of Central Asian warriors. A Turco-Mongol emir, Zahir-ud-din Mohammad "Babur", after defeating the Delhi Sultanate, upgraded himself from Emir and proclaimed himself as the Padishah of Hindustan . His successors were called Mughals or Moguls by European historians owing to the dynasty's Mongol origins. They did not stamp out the local societies it came to rule. Instead, it balanced and pacified them through new administrative practices and diverse and inclusive ruling elites, leading to more systematic, centralised, and uniform rule. Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic identity, especially under Akbar ,
10260-422: The term "North Indian" is sometimes used to describe migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, often using the term bhaiya (which literally means 'elder brother') along with it in a derogatory sense. However within Uttar Pradesh (literally meaning "North Province" in Hindi) itself, "the cultural divide between the east and the west is considerable, with the purabiyas (easterners) often being clubbed with Biharis in
10368-537: The three presidencies of Bengal , Bombay and Madras were unified into a unitary state, headed by the Governor-General of India and the creation of the Government of India . Historians consider India's modern age to have begun sometime between 1848 and 1885. The appointment in 1848 of Lord Dalhousie as Governor General of India set the stage for changes essential to a modern state. These included
10476-415: The title of "Royal". The Sikh Pioneer regiments, which were practically the only military employer of the Mazhabis, were disbanded in December 1932. The cause was mainly advances in road-building techniques and the need to economise. Most of their recruits were released from the army, the only means by which they had been able to advance themselves in society. A Mazhabi Sikh platoon did replace Rajputs as
10584-549: The variety of flora, this richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals. Dachigam National Park : Dachigam is a higher altitude national reserve in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that ranges from 5,500 to 14,000 feet above sea level. It is home to the hangul (a red deer species, also called the Kashmir stag). Great Himalayan National Park : This park is located in Himachal Pradesh and ranges in altitude from 5,000 to 17,500 feet. Wildlife resident here includes
10692-675: The various Prakrits are thought to have evolved. Hindi is spoken in Western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and by a large number of people in many urban centres across North India. Many other languages of the Central Indo-Aryan languages such as Awadhi, Braj, Haryanvi, Chhattisgarhi, Bundeli and Bagheli are spoken in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Marwari, Harauti, Malvi, Gujarati, Khandeshi, Marathi and Konkani are spoken in Rajasthan, extreme eastern Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa. Towards
10800-457: The whims of far-away markets. There was an increase in the number of large-scale famines , and, despite the risks of infrastructure development borne by Indian taxpayers, little industrial employment was generated for Indians. There were also salutary effects: commercial cropping, especially in the newly canalled Punjab, led to increased food production for internal consumption. The railway network provided critical famine relief, notably reduced
10908-821: The winter season and are critically important for the Rabi or spring harvest , which includes the main staple over much of North India, wheat . The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand receive some snowfall in winter months. Northern Indian tradition recognises six distinct seasons in the region: summer ( grishma or garmi (jyesth- ashadh), May–June), rainy ( varsha (shravan-bhadra), July–August), cool ( sharad (ashivan-kartik), September–October, sometimes thought of as 'early autumn'), autumn ( hemant (margh-paush), November–December, also called patjhar , lit. leaf-fall ), winter ( shishir or sardi (magh-phagun),January–February) and spring ( vasant (chaitra-baishakh), March–April). The literature, poetry and folklore of
11016-605: The world's newer nations; however, in spite of its recent economic successes, freedom from want for its disadvantaged population remains a goal yet to be achieved. North India lies mainly on continental India, north of peninsular India. Towards its north are the Himalayas which define the boundary between the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan plateau . To its west is the Thar desert , shared between North India and Pakistan and
11124-566: Was calculated in 1898 that there were 2,452 Mazhabis in the army, along with 28,146 Jat Sikhs and 9,000 other Sikhs. During World War I the single-battalion regiments of the Mazhabi Sikh Pioneers ;– the 23rd , 32nd and 34th Pioneer Regiments – were expanded to comprise three battalions each. These units served in Egypt, Europe, Mesopotamia and Palestine and performed well. The 1/34th Sikh Pioneers were awarded
11232-444: Was designed both for community protection and to dull any incentive for Mazhabis to join with the militants, although in fact Mazhabis had often been victims of attacks by those people. Their loyalty was to the government and was never questioned. Mostly unemployed people, they were provided with guns by the state and were literally given a licence to kill. Gill received heavy criticism for the brutality and ruthlessness of his tactics but
11340-538: Was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park along the banks of the Ramganga River. It is India's first National Park, and was designated a Project Tiger Reserve in 1973. Situated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India. Cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas, it comprises a total area of 500 km out of which 350 km
11448-478: Was forced upon him because high-caste Sikhs refused any closer connection. They served as pioneers , operating mainly as a labour corps that worked on construction of roads, bridges and canals. They were not, however, mere labourers because it was expected that their infantry skills would enable them to defend themselves in the event of attack. The Mazhabis, whom historian Stephen Cohen says "had strong caste traditions of violence and aggressiveness and were classed as
11556-423: Was not sponsoring conversion to Hinduism but rather to Sikhism and that the SGPC had been lax in stemming the tide of poor Sikh families switching to Christianity. It was claimed by an RSS colleague, Ram Gopal, that 2,470 people had already been converted in the year prior to the controversy being commented upon and that the SGPC had initially supported the idea. There were also protests by Christians, who claimed that
11664-476: Was of the position that Jats only began to convert in large numbers to Sikhism and influence the community by the time of Guru Amar Das and certainly by the time of Guru Arjan, Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech on the other hand opine that large scale conversions of Jats into Sikhism came about during Guru Nanak's time settled down in Kartarpur and living an agricultural lifestyle. When Guru Arjan compiled
#164835