Blogs of Ch. M. Ashraf Gujjar, on Afghanistani Gurjars

GUJARS : A Warrior Tribe Who Inflicted Collosol Loss To The USSR

GUJJARS : The 2nd Largest Ethinic & Linguistic Entity Of Afghanistan

By: Ch. M. Ashraf Gujjar,
Islamabad, Pakistan.

The U.S.A. and her allied countries had propounded the idea of a broad-based Government in Afghanistan, comprising of all the ethnic and linguastic groups. The western countries had false perception about the exact ethnic and linguastic division of Afghanistan. It was mistakenly believed that the Afghnistan is ethnically devided into Pushtoons and Persian speaking Northern alliance. The U.S.A. and its allies, while forming the present Karzai Government in Afghanistan, absolutely ignored the second largest and major ethnic Gujjar community. The Gujjars constitutes to be the 35% of Afghanistan’s total population.
2. The Gujjar is the largest tribe of the World, which is admittedly recognized to be the major ethnic group in Pakistan, India, Indo-Pak held Jammu & Kashmir, Xing Xiang(China), Tibet, Nepal, Bhuttan, Sakkum, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Georgia and other Central Asian States. The Gujjars can rightly be termed as an International tribe, who are not restricted and confined by the frontiers or borders.
3. There is much known about the Gujjars dwelling in almost all parts of India and Pakistan. There population in India and Pakistan is 20 & 03-billion respectively. The Sub-Continent and Central Asia was ruled for centuries by the Gujjars, also known as Gurjars. It was during their rule that thousands of places were named after them or their sub-tribes in India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asian States. In Central and South Asia there are also numerous places named after the sub-clans of Gujjars, e.g. Chechania, Chechian, Jhanda Chechi, Kharian, New-Katarian, Panjan Kasana, Noon, Bhadana, Jhand Meelu, etc. etc. I am sure a list of such places, given at the end of this article, will be of great interest to realise that to what extent the Gujjars enjoyed power and influence in the Central & South Asia in the ancient times.
4. The Gujjars of Afghanistan have always played a very important and significant role in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan is broadly divided into four major ethnic groups, i.e. (1)-Pushtoons 40%, (2)-Gujjars, speaking Gujari and other languages 35%, (3)-Persian speaking 10% and (4)-others 15% approximately. The over whelming and majority population of 14 Provinces of Afghanistan consists of Gujjar tribe, who generally speak Gujjari langauage. In some areas they also speak Pushto or Persian in addition to Gujjari langauage. This language is also spoken by the Gujjars of India and Pakistan. The Gujjarati, Daccani, Rajasthani, Mewati and mewarri, according to some scholars, are the regional names and dialects of Gujjari language. A brief and approximate account of Gujjar population in some of the Afghan-Provinces is given hereunder:-
i) Kunnarr : This province is situated in the south of Afghanistan and
in the North of Pakistan. The Gujjar tribe is living with over-whelming majority in this Province. The famous towns and villages of the Gujjars are Narrai, Asmar, Hari Kot, Tashagul, Konigul, Gorin, Inchagal, Samsagal, Karchigal, Bazagal, Batash, Hegal and Asoom, etc.
ii) Lughman : Its more than 50% population consists of Gujjar tribe.
There are approximately 45-villages having hundred percent Gujjar population.
iii) Panjsher : The Gujjars constitutes 40% population of this Province.
Perkhar and Wersak towns are the famous strong-holds of the Gujjars.
iv) Badakhshan : The Gujjars constitutes half of the population of this
Province. The Bajjarr, Chauhan, Bherwal, Jangle, Bhaddana, Kohli, Doei and Bokarra are the famous sub-tribes/clans of Gujjars living in this Province.
v) Kondos : The ¾ population of this Province consists of Gujjar tribe.
vi) Farkhar : More than 90% population of this Province belongs to the
Gujjar community. The Dashtiachi, Namakao, Khestazi and Khefdar, etc. are the famous towns & villages of the Gujjar tribe.
vii) Mazar Sharif : In this Province over 30% population consists of
Gujjar community.
viii) Baglan : In this Province over 40% population belongs to the Gujjar
caste.
ix) Aneshkamesh : The 70% population of this Province is consisted of
Gujjar tribe.
x) Palol : The Gujjar is a majority tribe of this Province. The Gujjar
commanders Mr. Ghulam Sakhi Khattana and Mr.Fardol Khatana, the militant leaders of Harkat-e-Islamia Afghanistan also belonged to this Province. They inflicted collosal loss to the enemy during the cold-war.
xi) Andraf : The Gujjars constitues ¾ population of this Province. The
Gujjar Generals Moman Bherwal and Mr. Arbab Therwal Malang, the militant Gujjar Commanders of Hizb-e-Islami belonged to this province. These Generals earned lot of name and recognition during the cold-war.
xii) Taloqan : The Gujjars forms half of the population of the Province.
Mr. Arbab Hakeem Chechi, the Supreme Gujjar Commander of Hizb-e-Islami also belonged to this Province. He also earned world wide recognition during the cold war.
xiii) Shabargan : The Gujjars are 1/3 of the total population of this
Province.

5. The Gujjars are also living with a prominent sizeable minority in the following Provinces of Afghanistan : –
i Nangarhar,
ii Kabul,
iii Logar,
iv Qandhar,
v Gazni,
vi Kapisa,
vii Gardez,
viii Tamroze, and
ix Harat.
6. The Gujjars played a leading role in war (Jehad) against the U.S.S.R. since beginning in the year 1979. Mir Afzal Chechi of Kunnarr Province was one of the leading founders to organise and start the war(Jehad) to liberate Afghanistan from the clutches of U.S.S.R., who also sacrificed his life for the sacred cause. Malik Sher Afzal and Malik Qabeel of Kunnarr Province also significantly contributed towards organizing the war and Jehad against the U.S.S.R.
7. The following militant leaders of various Jahadi organizations, who fought against the U.S.S.R., also belonged to the Gujjar tribe of Afghanistan:-
i) Dr.M.Abdul Qayyum, Founder, Hizb-e-Islami
ii) Maulana M.Younas Khalis Quaid, Hizb-e-Islami
iii) Muhammad Ayub, Amir, Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
iv) Ghulam Chechi, Commander Hizb-e-Islami
v) Mauland Akhawandzada Commander Harkat-e-Islami
vi) Nadir Khan Commander Harkat-e-Islami
vii) Arbab Mian Gul Chechi Commander Jamaat-e-Islami
viii) Haji Zardali Commander Hizb-e-Islami
ix) Haji Daim Khan Commander Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
x) Musafar Khan Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xi) Maulana Umra Khan Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xii) Haji Badam Khan Commander Mahaz-e-Milli
xiii) Mir Alam Commander Jamat-e-Islami
xiv) Malik Sadbar Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xv) Maulana Kaduaali Amir Islami Hizb
xvi) Mirza Lal Doei Commander Jamat-e-Islami
xvii) Madir Gujjarwal Commander Harkat-e-Islami
xviii) Malik Jabeen Chechi Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xix) Malik Shireen Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xx) Malik Maasal Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xxi) Hazrat Bilal Sher Commander Harkat-e-Islami
xxii) Malik Gul Sharif Commander Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
8. The thousands of Gujjar Mujahideens sacrificed their lives while fighting against USSR during the period of cold war. A large number of Gujjars had to migrate to Pakistan and other neighbouring countries during and after the cold-war. The majority of Gujjar migratees were living in Bhai Cheena Camps, Anayat Kaley Camps in Bajorr Agency, Dodaba Camps and Ranrri Camps in Dir district of Pakistan.
9. The culture, language, customs and traditions of the Gujjars are entirely different than the pushtoon ethnic stock. The Gujjars of Afghanistan speaks Gujjari language, the language that also spoken in most of the areas of India & Pakistan and enjoys representation on a number of state owned Radio and Television channels in both the countries.
10. It will be worth mentioning that the Pushto speaking population do not belong to one community, tribal or racial group rather they are devided into Shanwaris, Afridis, Safis, Khattaks, Mashwanis and Yousafzais, etc. etc., who are foes and not friends as they keeps fighting with each other, whereas, on the contrary the Gujjars of Afghanistan belongs to one racial and tribal group unlike Pushtoons, who are just a linguistic group.
11. The over 30-Million Gujjars in Pakistan and 20-Billion Gujjars in India had extended their implied and unconditional support to the notion of forming the broad based Afghan-Government comprising of all the ethnic groups and communities in Afghanistan so to bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan.
12. It was expected that the Gujjars being the second largest ethnic and linguistic community certainly was to be considered as a significant constitutent in broad-based government as by ignoring the Gujjars neither any government can function as a representative establishment nor that could be a workable or perpetual solution to the growing problems of Afghanistan. The U.S.A., U.K. and Pakistan Governments should have derived an acceptable formula giving due representation to the Gujjars of Afghanistan.
13. The worrior & majority Gujjar tribe has not been given any representation while forming the present Afghan Government, the result is obvious, the writ of present Afghan-Government could hardly be established within the radious of only two Kilo meter area and more specifically speaking within the Presidential Compound under the guard and security of Allied forces. They are the brave Gujjars only who can restrict and confine the war-lords into their cloths and can bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan. These Gujjars of Afghanistan also enjoys the unshaken support of 23-billion Gujjars of Pakistan and India in special and millions of Gujjars settled all over the world in common. Its in the larger interest that Allied Forces, in order to bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan, may even now draw a strategy to form a true representative Aghan-Government.
The royal-Gujjars have ruled the South-Central Asia for centuries and it was during their kingdoms that they had named thousands of places. No other tribe can compete the Gujjars on this account. In the wake of recent unrest amongst the Gujjars of Rajisthan in India, which has been termed as the ‘Desert Storm By The Gujjars, an interesting discussion is going on these days as to who the Gujars, Gujjars or Gurjars are? I am mentioning a few name of some places, which will help the historians, anthrapologist and anaylst to ascertain the major and important role played by them in present and past history and the politics of these regions. The visitors of this site are allowed to forward this article to the other web-sites for befitting conclusion about the Gujjars’ history and their role in the present-age