Hingorja
Encyclopedia
The Hingorja are a Muslim
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
and a province of Sindh
in Pakistan
. They are one of a number of communities of pastoral nomads found in the Banni
region of Kutch.
s, who were devotees of Hinglaj Mata, whose temple is situated in Hingol in Baluchistan
. They were converted to Islam
, about five centuries ago, and migrated to Kutch in search of pasture. The Hingorja perceive themselves to be Muslim Rajputs.
, in the Kutch District
of Gujarat, and the neighbouring districts of Badin
and Tharparkar
in Sindh
. They speak a dialect of Kutchi
, with substantial Sindhi
loan words. The community is endogamous, but does marry with other Samma communities, such as the Hingora
. They are divided into a number of clans, the main ones being the Malwani, Jeshwani, Parian, Rebani and Kheera.
The Hingorja are a community of Maldhari cattle breeders. In addition to cattle breeding, the Hingorja are also cultivators, and landless agricultural labourers. Like other Kutchi
communities, many of them have migrated to other parts of India
in search of employment.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community found in the state of Gujarat in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and a province of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. They are one of a number of communities of pastoral nomads found in the Banni
Banni Grasslands Reserve
Banni Grasslands Reserve or Banni grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch in Kutch District, Gujarat State, India. They are known for rich wildlife and biodiversity and are spread across an area of...
region of Kutch.
History and origin
The Hingorja claim descent from Samma RajputRajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, who were devotees of Hinglaj Mata, whose temple is situated in Hingol in Baluchistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
. They were converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, about five centuries ago, and migrated to Kutch in search of pasture. The Hingorja perceive themselves to be Muslim Rajputs.
Present circumstances
The community is concentrated in the villages of Nandi Daddar, Mota Banda and Dumcara in the taluka of BhujBhuj
Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...
, in the Kutch District
Kutch District
Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,652 km², it is the largest district of India....
of Gujarat, and the neighbouring districts of Badin
Badin District
Badin District a district in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The total area of the district is 6,726 square kilometres, according to the 1998 census of Pakistan, it had a population of 1,136,636 of which 16.42% were urban...
and Tharparkar
Tharparkar District
Tharparkar District is one of twenty three districts of Sindh province in Pakistan. It is headquarters is at Mithi. It has the lowest Human Development Index of all districts in Sindh.-Demography:...
in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
. They speak a dialect of Kutchi
Kutchi language
Kachhi Kachhi Kachhi (also spelt Cutchi, Kutchhi or Kachchhi, is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken in the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat as well as in Sindh.- Closely related languages :...
, with substantial Sindhi
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
loan words. The community is endogamous, but does marry with other Samma communities, such as the Hingora
Hingora
The Hingora are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India and a province of Sindh in Pakistan. They are one of a number of communities of Maldhari pastoral nomads found in the Banni region of Kutch.-History and origin:...
. They are divided into a number of clans, the main ones being the Malwani, Jeshwani, Parian, Rebani and Kheera.
The Hingorja are a community of Maldhari cattle breeders. In addition to cattle breeding, the Hingorja are also cultivators, and landless agricultural labourers. Like other Kutchi
Kutchi people
The Kutchi people traditionally reside in the Kutch region of the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat and in the Sindh province of Pakistan...
communities, many of them have migrated to other parts of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in search of employment.