Gegi,[1][2][3] Gaigi,[4] or Gegian[5] is a clan (subcaste) of the agricultural Punjabi Gujjar community of Punjab. Their main villages are found in Jehlum, Gujjaranwal, and Gujarat districts in the central Punjab. But their also found in Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistani-administrated-Kashmir.
History
editGagian a village is village located in northeast of Gujrat City, Punjab was founded by the Kshatriya Gegi clan, of the Gurjars who became Muslims in the 17th century during the reign of Aurangzeb. The word Gagian was derived from the Gaigi sub-caste of Gujjar clan.[6] It was populated by two major sub-castes namely Barkatt (Bargatt) and Gaigis.[7] Other Gotras of Gujjar tribe live in Gagian village, including Cheechi, Khatana, Thikri and Chauhans.[8] The entire population practices Islamic faith and express relatively tolerant religious views closely related to traditional Sufi culture.
Shrine
editThe shrine of Sufi saint Baba Saeen Chirag Badshah is located in Gagian. Saint Baba Sher Ghazi, now buried in Chakori Sher Ghazi in Tehsil Kharian, originally belonged to Gagian Gujjars.
Economy
editThe primary occupation is agriculture, attracting many settlers.
Notables
edit- Muhammad Asghar (late) (President Pakistan Wrestling Federation)
References
edit- ^ The Journal of the Anthropological Survey of India. The Survey. 2001. p. 60.
- ^ Om, Hari (1998). Beyond the Kashmir Valley. Har-Anand Publications. p. 81. ISBN 978-81-241-0558-0.
The Gujjars are divided into several "gotras", "Kabeelas" and "deras." Some of their main "gotras" are Bajran, Khatana, Awana, Boken, Berger, Banth, Baru, Bhaleshar, Bogdi, Baniya, Gorsi, Barwal, Chohan, Chopra, Kohli, Chabra, Chad, Doi, Rathore, Dhahder, Gegi, Hakla, Jagal, Kandal...
- ^ Kumar, Raj (2008). Encyclopaedia of Untouchables Ancient, Medieval and Modern. K.P publishers. p. 447. ISBN 978-81-7835-664-8.
Gujarat sections: Gegi_ in Gujarat, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana
- ^ Vidya Prakash Tyagi (2009). Martial Races Of Undivided India. kalpas. p. 239.
- ^ Bharadwaj, A. N. (1994). History and Culture of Himalayan Gujjars. Jay Kay Book House. p. 73.
- ^ "Gurjar's Gotra". gurjarsforum.proboards.com.
- ^ "List of Gurjar clans (Gotra)". Gujjar International Secretariat. Archived from the original on 2017-05-27. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
- ^ "Gujjar history by Ali Hassan Chauhan Gurjar". GujjarNation. Archived from the original on 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2017-06-11.