Batwal
Encyclopedia
The Batwal are a Hindu
scheduled caste found in the state of Jammu and Kashmir
and Punjab
in India
. They are also known as Barwale.
means literally the inhabitant of Batmalu. Other traditions place their origin to the town of Batbal in Jammu
. The community provided the traditional watchmen of the Punjab. According to the community own tradition, the Batwal were forced to flee their settlements when India
was attacked by Alexander the Great. Once the Greek armies retreated, the Batwal found that their neighbours had ceased their lands, and they were forced to become village watchmen. Like other communities of similar status, the Batwal have been granted scheduled caste status, which allows them to avail a number of affirmative action schemes by the Government of India
.
In the Jammu region, from where the Punjab Batwal claim to have originated, there are a number of traditions as their origin. One traditions refer to the fact that the Batwal were tied to the land by the Dogra
landowners, and the word Bat in the Dogri language
means some one who is bomded. They were for generations bonded to particular families of Dogra
s, and were practically serf
s. The Batwal are found mainly in Kathua
, Jammu
and Udhampur
districts.
n traditions as gotra
s. Like other neighbouring Hindu
communities, the Batwal are striucly exogamous
, never marrying within the clan. The major clans include the Basae, a name derived from the Beas River
and meaning those settled along the banks of that river, and the Chariya, i.e. those who were inhabitants of Shimla
. Other clans include the Thage, Kainth, Laskhotra, Lahoria, Mandee, Motton, Nakhotra, Nandan, Sajotra, Sargotra, and Targotra. Most Batwal in India have been strongly influenced by the Arya Samaj
movement, while some Batwals have come under the influence of other Hindu
reformist sects such as the Sacha Sauda. Like the Punjab Batwal, the Jammu Batwal community also consists of clans. Their main clans are the Nakodar, Moten and Kasim. The Batwal shares the customs and traditions of the oocally dominant Dogra
ethnic group and speak Dogri
.
The Batwala were found historically in the submontaine region of Punjab, roughly stretching from Gujrat District
in the west to Hoshiarpur District
in the east. All the Hindu
Batwal are immigrated from what became Pakistan
at the time of the partition of India
. Historically, the Batwal had two functions, the heredity position of the village watchmen as well as those who summoned the village for work. Many were allocated land by the British
authorities, and this saw a transformation, as Batwal took to agricultural. Important Batwal villages include Bhadurpur, Bhaore, Chaute Miani, Azadpur, Habowal, Kakowal, Machiawara, Nurewal, Sarhind and Walipur. These villages are owned by the Batwal community, and they are the dominant community. But many Batwal have started to immigrate to towns and cities, where many are employed as wage labourers. They speak Punjabi
in Punjab
and Dogri
in Jammu and Kashmir
.
In Jammu and Kashmir
, the Batwal are involved mainly in rearing cattle, skinning dead animals and unpaid agricultural work for their Dogra patrons.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
scheduled caste found in the state of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
and Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
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...
. They are also known as Barwale.
Origin
The Batwal of Punjab trace their ancestry to the town of Batmalu in the Kashmir Valley, and the word Batwal in PunjabiPunjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
means literally the inhabitant of Batmalu. Other traditions place their origin to the town of Batbal in Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
. The community provided the traditional watchmen of the Punjab. According to the community own tradition, the Batwal were forced to flee their settlements when 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...
was attacked by Alexander the Great. Once the Greek armies retreated, the Batwal found that their neighbours had ceased their lands, and they were forced to become village watchmen. Like other communities of similar status, the Batwal have been granted scheduled caste status, which allows them to avail a number of affirmative action schemes by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
In the Jammu region, from where the Punjab Batwal claim to have originated, there are a number of traditions as their origin. One traditions refer to the fact that the Batwal were tied to the land by the Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
landowners, and the word Bat in the Dogri language
Dogri language
Dogri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about five million people in Pakistan and India, chiefly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, but also in northern Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, other parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and elsewhere. Dogri speakers are called Dogras, and the Dogri-speaking...
means some one who is bomded. They were for generations bonded to particular families of Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
s, and were practically serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
s. The Batwal are found mainly in Kathua
Kathua district
Kathua district is one of 22 administrative districts that comprise the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is surrounded by Jammu to the northwest, the Doda and Udhampur districts to the north, the state of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Punjab to the south, and Pakistan's working boundary to...
, Jammu
Jammu District
Jammu District is a district in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu is the winter capital of the state. The majority of the population of the district practise Hinduism; people of all religions, Muslims, Sikhs live in peace and harmony. Jammu is also known as city of temples with major attraction as Maa...
and Udhampur
Udhampur District
Udhampur is a district in Jammu and Kashmir. The town of Udhampur is the headquarters of this district.The 2001 census indicates the population of the district to be 743,509. There are 871 females for every 1000 males in the district. The overall literacy rate is 54.16%, with 66.43% for males and...
districts.
Present Circumstances
The Batwal are divided into thirteen clans referred as per North IndiaNorth India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
n traditions as gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s. Like other neighbouring Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
communities, the Batwal are striucly exogamous
Exogamy
Exogamy is a social arrangement where marriage is allowed only outside of a social group. The social groups define the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. In social studies, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects:...
, never marrying within the clan. The major clans include the Basae, a name derived from the Beas River
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
and meaning those settled along the banks of that river, and the Chariya, i.e. those who were inhabitants of Shimla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
. Other clans include the Thage, Kainth, Laskhotra, Lahoria, Mandee, Motton, Nakhotra, Nandan, Sajotra, Sargotra, and Targotra. Most Batwal in India have been strongly influenced by the Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
movement, while some Batwals have come under the influence of other Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
reformist sects such as the Sacha Sauda. Like the Punjab Batwal, the Jammu Batwal community also consists of clans. Their main clans are the Nakodar, Moten and Kasim. The Batwal shares the customs and traditions of the oocally dominant Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
ethnic group and speak Dogri
Dogri language
Dogri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about five million people in Pakistan and India, chiefly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, but also in northern Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, other parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and elsewhere. Dogri speakers are called Dogras, and the Dogri-speaking...
.
The Batwala were found historically in the submontaine region of Punjab, roughly stretching from Gujrat District
Gujrat District
Gujrat is a district of Punjab Province in Pakistan. It is an ancient district located in between two famous rivers, the Jhelum and Chenab. Because of its proximity with the rivers the land is good for cultivation with rice and sugar cane as main crops...
in the west to Hoshiarpur District
Hoshiarpur District
Hoshiarpur District , is a district of Punjab state in northern India.In 2011, Hoshiarpur had population of 1,582,793 of which male and female were 806,921 and 775,872 respectively. There was change of 6.85 percent in the population compared to population as per 2001...
in the east. All the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Batwal are immigrated from what became 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...
at the time of the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. Historically, the Batwal had two functions, the heredity position of the village watchmen as well as those who summoned the village for work. Many were allocated land by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
authorities, and this saw a transformation, as Batwal took to agricultural. Important Batwal villages include Bhadurpur, Bhaore, Chaute Miani, Azadpur, Habowal, Kakowal, Machiawara, Nurewal, Sarhind and Walipur. These villages are owned by the Batwal community, and they are the dominant community. But many Batwal have started to immigrate to towns and cities, where many are employed as wage labourers. They speak Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
in Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and Dogri
Dogri language
Dogri is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about five million people in Pakistan and India, chiefly in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, but also in northern Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, other parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and elsewhere. Dogri speakers are called Dogras, and the Dogri-speaking...
in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
.
In Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
, the Batwal are involved mainly in rearing cattle, skinning dead animals and unpaid agricultural work for their Dogra patrons.