Nischal
Encyclopedia
Nischal originally Nichal is an Indo-Aryan
Hindu
Punjabi
Rajput
surname originating in the Punjab region
of the Indian subcontinent
. It is part of the broad Kshatriya
varna (caste). They are traditionally members of the military or ran in an administrative capacity. The Kshatriya were assigned to protecting the Hindu dharma
. Over the course of time, Nischals migrated to places across Punjab from their original homeland in Ajmer-Merwara
and Rajputana
.
Nischals came to be known as Mair Rajputs from within amongst the Punjabi Hindu Bhatti / Bhati Rajputs and originate from the Rajput clans of Rajasthan
in Ajmer
and migrated to the Punjab later in their history.
When the Muslim country of Pakistan was created in 1947 with the partition of India
, most of the Nischals living in West Punjab
migrated to India. Several Nischal families before having to migrate to India after Indian Partition can trace their origins to Adamke Village
, which is located in Daska Tehsil
of Sialkot District
in West Punjab
, which was in former Undivided India but now in Pakistan.
Today, Nischals live in numerous regions within India, but are mostly concentrated in Punjab
, Haryana
, Delhi
, Uttar Pradesh
. Nischals are usually Hindu Rajputs but some may be also Sikh
, as the religions are generally very close in the Punjab region.
Nischal (originally "Nichal") is a Hindu "Mair Rajput of Punjab" Gotra
; Rose in 1914 wrote: "The Nichal trace their origin to the Yadu[vanshi] clan of the Bhatti Rajputs. Their gotra includes the Sur, Shinh and Jaura Sunars as they all are descended from a Raja Jandhan a bhatti rajput, as are the Randhawa, Sara, and Nijjar Jats. They too observe some old Rajput customs" (441).,
Nischals are Bhati
(Yaduvanshi) Rajputs who originate from Jaisalmer
area of Rajputana
, when Bhatis migrated to Punjab region centuries ago, the local Punjabi people started calling them Bhatti Rajputs in local Punjabi language as Bhati is pronounced as Bhatti in Punjabi.
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
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...
Punjabi
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
Rajput
Rajput
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...
surname originating in the Punjab region
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. It is part of the broad Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
varna (caste). They are traditionally members of the military or ran in an administrative capacity. The Kshatriya were assigned to protecting the Hindu dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
. Over the course of time, Nischals migrated to places across Punjab from their original homeland in Ajmer-Merwara
Ajmer-Merwara
Ajmer-Merwara is a former province of British India in the historical Ajmer region. The territory of the province was ceded to the British by Daulat Rao Sindhia by a treaty on June 25, 1818....
and Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
.
Nischals came to be known as Mair Rajputs from within amongst the Punjabi Hindu Bhatti / Bhati Rajputs and originate from the Rajput clans of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
in Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
and migrated to the Punjab later in their history.
When the Muslim country of Pakistan was created in 1947 with 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...
, most of the Nischals living in West Punjab
West Punjab
West Punjab was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. The province covered an area of 160,622 km², including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory, but excluding the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The capital was the city of Lahore and the province...
migrated to India. Several Nischal families before having to migrate to India after Indian Partition can trace their origins to Adamke Village
Adamke Village
Adamke or Adamke Cheema is a village in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The village is located at 32°23'N 74°21'E and is nearly 6 km away from Daska. This village belongs to Tehsil Daska and District Sialkot.- Overview :...
, which is located in Daska Tehsil
Daska Tehsil
Daska Tehsil is a subdivision of Sialkot District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. In 2010, it also come into the intention due to famous Butter village case....
of Sialkot District
Sialkot District
Sialkot District or the District of Sialkot , is one of the districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located in the north-east of the province...
in West Punjab
West Punjab
West Punjab was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. The province covered an area of 160,622 km², including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory, but excluding the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The capital was the city of Lahore and the province...
, which was in former Undivided India but now in Pakistan.
Today, Nischals live in numerous regions within India, but are mostly concentrated 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...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. Nischals are usually Hindu Rajputs but some may be also Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
, as the religions are generally very close in the Punjab region.
Nischal (originally "Nichal") is a Hindu "Mair Rajput of Punjab" 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"...
; Rose in 1914 wrote: "The Nichal trace their origin to the Yadu[vanshi] clan of the Bhatti Rajputs. Their gotra includes the Sur, Shinh and Jaura Sunars as they all are descended from a Raja Jandhan a bhatti rajput, as are the Randhawa, Sara, and Nijjar Jats. They too observe some old Rajput customs" (441).,
Nischals are Bhati
Bhati
Bhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
(Yaduvanshi) Rajputs who originate from Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
area of Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
, when Bhatis migrated to Punjab region centuries ago, the local Punjabi people started calling them Bhatti Rajputs in local Punjabi language as Bhati is pronounced as Bhatti in Punjabi.
See also
- Mair Rajput
- Ajmer-MerwaraAjmer-MerwaraAjmer-Merwara is a former province of British India in the historical Ajmer region. The territory of the province was ceded to the British by Daulat Rao Sindhia by a treaty on June 25, 1818....
- KhatriKhatriKhatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber...
- Rajput MersMersThe Mer population of Kathiawar region in Saurashtra also known as the Maher, Mihir, Mair or Mehr are a community of people who have evolved from the Kshatriya Rajput varna within Hinduism. They are believed to be of Indo-Aryan descent, and have a rich and diverse history involving many battles,...
(also known as the Maher, Mihir, Mair or Mehr) - Rajput ClansRajput clansThe Rajputs are a martial race and caste of the Indian subcontinent. They are a Hindu caste whose members generally consider themselves to belong to the Kshatriya varna ; however, Encyclopædia Britannica notes that their members have come from a variety of lineages, including from foreign...
- BhatiBhatiBhati is one of the largest tribes of the Gujjars& Rajput. They claim descent from Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, and thus identify themselves as a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan. The Bhati trace their history to the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner...
(Rajasthan) / Bhatti (Punjab) - Martial RaceMartial RaceMartial Race was a designation created by Army officials of British India, where they classified each ethnic group into one of two categories: 'Martial' and 'Non-Martial'. A 'martial race' was typically considered brave and well built for fighting. The 'non-martial races' were those whom the...
- Sikh RajputsSikh RajputsSikh Rajputs are the followers of Sikhism belonging to the Rajput Ethnic group. Rajputs are a warrior clan. According to the 1901 British census of India, there were 20,000 Rajput converts to Sikhism....
- Punjab (India)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...
State of Punjab, India. - Hinduism and Sikh Panth
Further reading
- Blunt, E.A.H. The Caste System of Northern India. Delhi: S. Chand & Co., 1969.
- Chattopadhyaya, Brajadulal. The Making of Early Medieval India. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Ibbetson, Sir Denzil. Panjab Castes. Lahore: Superintendent, Gov't. Printing, Reprint 1916 (from 1883 original of 1881 census).
- Jain, Kailash Chand. Ancient Cities and Towns of Rajasthan. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1972.
- Rose, H.A. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. Lahore: Civil and Military Gazette Press, 1914.
- Saggar, Balraj. Who's Who in the History of Punjab: 1800-1849. New Delhi: National Book Organisation, 1993.
- Singh, K.S. National Series Volume VIII: Communities, Segments, Synonyms, Surnames, & Titles. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1996.
- Srivastava, Ashirbadi Lal. The History of India: 1000 A.D.-1707 A.D. Jaipur, Shiva Lal Agarwala & Co., 1964.
- Tod, Lt. Colonel James. Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, Vol. 1 (1829), Vol. 2 (1832).
- "The Mair Rajputs of Punjab" by Mr. Rajesh K Verma
- Chapter on "The Meds" from the book (available online): The History of India as told by its own HistoriansThe History of India as told by its own HistoriansThe History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period is a book with eight volumes written by H. M. Elliot and edited by John Dowson. The book was published in 1867-1877 in London. It is a well-known and reputed reference work for the history of medieval India. Despite being...
. The Muhammadan Period, by Sir H. M. Elliot, Edited by John Dowson; London, Trubner Company; 1867–1877 Chapter on "The Meds" From the online version of this historical book, check all three pages of this chapter & Also see page: NOTE (C.).—ETHNOLOGICAL. Native Opinions on the Aborigines of Sind.