the 5 various pastrolise communities of india?
Answers
The main areas where pastoralism was traditionally practice include
Africa and Asia.
1. Lambani Community of North Karnataka
2.Bakarwal community of j&k
3. Gujjar community of gujarat
4. Ahir community of Gujarat
5.Gaddi Muslim of Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
came. I saw. I conquered. - Julius Caesar
We Came. We Settled. We Stayed. - India’s Immigrants
In the little known district of Moreh, Manipur, there’s an entire community of families who believe they belong to a lost tribe of Israel. As such, over the past five decades or so, generations have continued to practice the Judaism they’ve learned from books. A perfectly believable narrative once you take India’s historically-proven need to debate who and what truly constitutes ‘Indian identity,’ into account.
This despite the country’s ‘Unity In Diversity’ tagline being one of its most popular through centuries. The ‘country which never attacked another’ and openly embraced vividly different cultures and communities which it came in contact with is a proud picture our history books like to paint even though our eminent leaders love to dispute it. While the RSS is busy reiterating that India is a Hindu Rashtra where there are no minorities as everyone has Hindu DNA, plain old logic stands firmly against their ludicrous claims.
It should be noted that first and foremost, the original inhabitants of our subcontinent weren’t, in fact, Hindus (Aryans) but residents of the Indus Valley and Dravidians. Yes, Hinduism has been the prominent religion of this subcontinent for centuries but to envelope it as an all-encompassing term for every individual identity is bewilderingly dangerous. Secondly, the various phases of Indian history are filled with prominent migrations to India - Aryans, Greeks, the Central Asian tribes, Mongols, Mughals and lastly, even the European colonial powers who ruled us for so many years, all of which directly disprove the pure Hindu origin of all modern Indian existence. These are some of the prominent communities which have shaped Indian history. Or are there more? Our curiosity piqued as ever to trace Indian ancestry with broader strokes, to explore, for lack of a better word, immigrant cultures that settled into the wider fabric of this nation.
Much like we did while chronicling Unique Tribes of India, the quest for more answers about our deeply dynamic demographic became paramount for us and this article is simply an exploration of the possible hidden answers to the enigma that is India. Amongst the most ubiquitous question out there, ones pertaining to identity are always the most complex. So while there’s no way to truly break down ‘Who constitutes as Indian,’ allow us to introduce you to some of the most unique communities we discovered who call India their home. Many of them are facing dwindling numbers and chances are, you didn’t even know some of these existed, and if you did, you probably never knew the depth of their stories.
I. Siddis
Mighty rulers, lost in transition
Where Did They Come From?
The story of the Siddis - a term for Indians with African features - represents one of immense melancholy and bravado as it stands to hold an ugly truth- the slavery of Africans in India several centuries ago. Though the exact history and prevalence of the forced migration remains uncertain, it’s speculated that the trade routes between India and Africa bought the first Africans to the country. The more prominent belief is that subsequent trades between the Arabs and Indians saw Africans being brought to the country to act as slaves, servants, concubines and soldiers. The Hindu and Muslim rulers of the country are said however, to have taken deep trust in the Siddis on their arrival, given their physical strength and equestrian skills.
Who Were They Then?
Africans are said to have been a part of Gujarat since the first century where the town of Barygasa (known as Bharuch today) was said to be an Ethiopian town, inhabited by trade merchants from East Africa. The oral history recounted by the Afro-Gujaratis states how their ancestors served as bodyguards to the palaces of Hindu kings. They were even expected to taste the food of the Maharajah before him to check for any attempted poisoning.