Gujar (also Gujjar, Gurjar, or Gurjara, the Sanskrit form found in some literature) is a member of a South Asian ethnic

group mainly located in eastern Pakistan, Kashmir, Gujarat and northwestern India. Gurjars traditionally belonged to theKshatriya caste, and formerly ruled the Gurjara-Pratihara Kingdom, which included much of northern India during the 8th and 9th centuries. The presence of the Gujjars in India is first attested after the 5thcentury invasion of India by the Hunas (Huns). Dadda, the founder of Pratihara dynasty, established a kingdom at Nandipur (Nandol) in the 7th century. Dadda III wrestled Broach from the ruling Maitraka dynasty of Gujarat. Like the other Rajput clans, the Gurjara-Pratiharas trace their origins to a lineage or race (vanshi), which they call the Great RaghuKul Vanshi, also called the Ram Chandra Vanshi. Some historians call them Suryavanshi, while some diffrentiate them as Agnivanshi. Gurjars were mainly assimilated either into the Kshatriya orbrahmins castes. The majority of Gujars fall into Kshatriya, evident from their sub-caste names of Chauhan and Kasana (kisan i.e.farmers). Gurjars in India also go with the surname Patel, most of them are resident of Gujarat. They, like in Pakistan, are farmers and land-owners similar to 'zamindar' and Choudhary, but in some quarters are viewed as from the more illiterate/backward castes. Rajputs are also actually Gujjars in essence . The Gurjars once ruled over a large area of Northern India under the name of the Gurjara-Pratihara kingdom. Muslim Arab conquests in the 8th century and the rise of Sufism in the 11th century predominantly influenced many Gujjars to convert to Islam. Islam rejects cast classifaction of humanbeings, and with the rise of Islam the Muslim Gujjars no longer adhered to the Kshatriya classifications, but retained their sub-clan names as a form of tribal recognition. Following the rise of Sikhism in the 16th century, many Hindu tribes in eastern Punjab became converted to the Sikh faith. Place names such as Gujaranwala, Gujar Kot, Gujar Khan and Gujrat in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India were named after the Gurjars. It is believed the Gurjars of Gujarat (India) settled there sometime in the 5th/6th century.

Gurjars are a great Kshtriyas caste which ruled almost 60% of south asia in 8th-9th centuries under the name of GurjaraPratihara Kingdom. They came to India in 476 AD with White Hunas and immediately absorbed in the India population as Kshatriyas. They are believed to have come from Georgia (which is pronounced as Gurjiya in Persian, hence providing some explanation to their caste name). They entered India via Rajputana crossing Punjab and finally settling in Gurjratra or Gujarat(which was named after them) where they ruled for many centuries. They called themselves Great RaghuKul Vanshi (Ram Chandra Vanshi). Some historians call them Suryavanshi while some diffrentiate them as AgniVanshis They first founded their Kingdom in western Rajasthan and increased it to Assam (KamRoop) in the east and Lahore in the west. They resisted the Arabian invasion successfully for 300 years. After the fall of their kingdom, Muslim invaders arrived and ruled India one after the other. After the Muslim invasion Gurjars could not create any huge kingdom and chose farming as their occupation. Gurjars very toughly rebelled against the Mughals and British which is why they were exploited and punished by the British Govt. until independence They are now settled with large tracts of lands in northern India and Pakistan. They are known as very good farmers. They also keep animals and work as Dodhe (milkman) in all over the northern India.

Now their exact population is about 3.3 Crores in India and 3 Crore in Pakistan.

They speak their mother tounge Gujari regardless of their religion and region. Gujjars of kshmir, Rajsthan, Haryana,Up, and even pakistan speak the same language 'Gujari' which is very similar to marvari or rajashtani.It was the royal language during their Kingdom thats why They are very fond of it.

According to the report submitted by well-known archaeologist Sir Herbert Rigley in 1901 on Arya community, the Gujars were first grade Ayas. According to Rigley, the index of Gujars is 64.5, which is not found in any Aryan community. It is vary interesting to see the history of such supreme branch of Aryan community. But unfortunately, it is not found with proof in Marathi and so it is necessary to probe into the history. According to Maxmuller the Aryas entered into India in 1500 C. and 1200 B.C. Ved era. From this it can be concluded that Gujar Aryas might have entered into India. According to the historians they came from cocketious mountain in panchand of Punjab called (alias) Saptsindhu. According to the names of Gujars, the name of Gujarat city and Gujranwala came in north-east India. They lived here for some centuries. In 1084 B.C. Punyamitra shrug, a Brahmin general, murdered Bruhratha Maurya with conspiracy and established the kingdom of Shrug lineage. The Shrug committed aggression on north- east India in 90 B.C. The kanwa lineage established kingdom in 72 B.C. In 60 B.C.satvahan kingdom emerged. From 78 B.C.to 125 B.C. Kanishka belonging to Kushan lineage established kingdom. Besides this the Shwet Hunas committed aggression. In 58 B.C. Vikram Savant started. The central shrug institute was divide due to lack of valor and so the foreign aggression started. Tired of this the Gujars who living on the bank of Ravi shifted to Gujarat. In 300 B.C. the Gujar kurmis shifted from Saptasindhu and shifted to Magadh and enrolled themselves in the army of Chandra Gupt. Thereafter the Shuk, Kushans Shwet Hunas commited aggression. In 1978 B.C.they moved in west India via Rajasthan, via Malwa, via Mandasaur,via Saurashtra and became residence of Lad Pradesh. They established their kingdom. In Kashal region the ancestors of Prabhu Ramchandra i.e. Lava and Kusha belonging to Survanash lineage ruled. In Survanash lineage Leva Gujar and Leva patidar, a Kunbi community of kadva Gujar or kadva patidar, the Kunbis are the sub casts. The the last king of this Survanash lineage was Sumitra and he became without kingdom in Punjab in 144 A.D. a king named Kanaksen established his kingdom in Gujarat (Sautashtra). Because of the existence of the Gujar in the region the former name of Saurashtra and Lat Pradesh disappeared and the new name Gujarat came into existence. Reigning for 1000 years in

Saurashtra , in 1094 Siddharaj Jaising upto 1467 A.D. obtaining the right of land upto Mohammad Begad, the Patidar alias patidar became thelandlords. Thereafter in12 to 15 century(A.D.) because of Muslim aggression, some of them shifted by the bank of Tapi to Vidarbha Khandesh and established colonies. According to Gujar Utpatti a book written by Late Sri Ratanlal Verma, because of the terrible aggression of shwet Hunas the band of Gujars shifted to Lahore, Capital of Lava and the second band shifted to Kariyan Nagar , a city of Khari race in the capitl of Gujars .The Gujars of Lahore fought with them. But as they were defeated, they shifted toward Marved. The Khariyanwale Khari team ran away without fighting which is in the Rajasthan.The Lor Gujars alias Lewa Gujars are considered as superior worriers. Even after reaching both the teams, the Kharis, kadwa or Khandesh are inferior to lor alias Lewa Patel Gujar and the internal marriages among them stopped therefrom (right from 78 A.D.after 1900 years in 1974A.D. the internal marriages started).Now in Madya Pradesh Lewa patidar and Kadwa Gujar or Kadwa patidar sub- casts are created. Gujar Gauravis monthly magazine and Jaising Gujar is its editor. In the issue of 12-09-1999,the editor says, the Katana Gujars consider themselves as the lineage of Prabhu Ramchandras son Lawas lineage.Maharashtra Government gazetteer, Jalgaon district edition 1984 says,Lewa patidar (Kunbi) and kadwa gave birth to Gujar and Kadwa patidar (kunbi) sub caste. According to the Bhat Of Chopada via Nandurbar they came into Khandesh in 1234.