Jhojha
Encyclopedia
The Jhojha are a Muslim
community or caste
found in the state of Uttar Pradesh
, in India
. Some members of this community migrated to Pakistan
in 1947
and have settled in Karachi
, Sindh
.
Rajput
community. According to this traditions, there was an individual by the name of Abdullah Bhati, a Bhati
Rajput
by caste, who lived in a village near the city of Lahore
, in what is now Pakistan
, during the rule of the Mughal
s. He is said to have looked at the royal treasure, as it was being carried to the Mughal
Emperor's treasury. This annoyed the Emperor, who chased Abdullah and his clan all the way to the town of Roorkee
. When Abdullah and his clan reached Roorkee
, the bards of the tribe praised Abdullah, for being so brave as to have resisted the Mughal
s. They used the term jhujh, which in the local Hindi language, means someone who fights with courage. The word jhujh over time, became Jhojha.
According to other traditions, the Jhojha are, in fact, Mughal
s, having come to India
, with the armies of the Mughal
emperor Babar
. And some the Jhojha of Rohilkhand
claim to be of Turk
origin.
are Bangerwale, those of Saharanpur District
belong mainly to the Khaderwale division, and the Bulandshahr District
belong to the Chaudhary division. In Rohilkhand
, their main divisions are the Turk and Khoja.
region of Uttar Pradesh
. They have a village-based caste council, which exercises social control. In terms of religion, they are fairly orthodox Sunni Muslim
s, and have customs similar to other neighbouring Muslim
peasant castes, such as the Kamboh, Garha
, and Muley Jat
.
The Jhojha have two state wide caste associations, the Tanzim Anjuman Jhojha (Organization of Jhojha associations)and Uttar Pradesh Jhojha Kanyan Sabha.
.
, with the tehsil
of Roorkee
remaining a stronghold of the tribe. In Muzaffarnagar District
, they are concentrated in the tehsil of Jansath
, and generally found in the east of the district, while in Bulandshahr District
, they are found in villages near the town of Anupshahr
.
, they are found in the districts of Rampur
, Bijnor
and Moradabad
. The Jhojha in Rampur District
are found in Swar, Bilaspur and Sadar tehsil
s. In Moradabad, the jhojha are found in Kunderki, Bilari and Sambhal Tehsil. While in Bijnor District
, they are found mainly in Bijnor
tehsil, and near the Ganges river.
A small number of Jhojha are also found in Sindh
, Pakistan
, where they assimilated into other Urdu
speaking Muslim
peasent castes, such as the Rohilla
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community or caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
found in the state of 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...
, 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...
. Some members of this community migrated to 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...
in 1947
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...
and have settled in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
.
History and origin
There are a number of traditions as to the origin of the Jhojha community. According to some traditions, the Jhojha are descended from the HinduHindu
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...
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...
community. According to this traditions, there was an individual by the name of Abdullah Bhati, a 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...
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...
by caste, who lived in a village near the city of Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, in what is now 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...
, during the rule of the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
s. He is said to have looked at the royal treasure, as it was being carried to the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor's treasury. This annoyed the Emperor, who chased Abdullah and his clan all the way to the town of Roorkee
Roorkee
Roorkee is a city and seat of a municipal council in Uttarakhand, in far northern India. It is located on the banks of the Ganges canal on the national highway between Delhi and Dehradun. Roorkee is known for Roorkee Cantonment, one of the country's oldest cantonments, and the headquarters of...
. When Abdullah and his clan reached Roorkee
Roorkee
Roorkee is a city and seat of a municipal council in Uttarakhand, in far northern India. It is located on the banks of the Ganges canal on the national highway between Delhi and Dehradun. Roorkee is known for Roorkee Cantonment, one of the country's oldest cantonments, and the headquarters of...
, the bards of the tribe praised Abdullah, for being so brave as to have resisted the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
s. They used the term jhujh, which in the local Hindi language, means someone who fights with courage. The word jhujh over time, became Jhojha.
According to other traditions, the Jhojha are, in fact, Mughal
Mughal (tribe)
The term Mughal is simply a Turkic word and many groups in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh use the term Mughal to describe themselves...
s, having come to 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...
, with the armies of the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor Babar
Babur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
. And some the Jhojha of Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
claim to be of Turk
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
origin.
Internal Division
The Jhojha have many sub-divisions, the main ones being the Bangarwale, the Khaderwale, the Chaudhary, the Turk , the Boobhna and the Khoja. The Jhojha of Muzaffarnagar DistrictMuzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is part of Saharanpur division. The town of Muzaffarnagar is the district headquarters.-Communication:...
are Bangerwale, those of Saharanpur District
Saharanpur District
Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab region...
belong mainly to the Khaderwale division, and the Bulandshahr District
Bulandshahr District
Bulandshahar District is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. Bulandshahr city is the district headquarters.-Geography:...
belong to the Chaudhary division. In Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
, their main divisions are the Turk and Khoja.
Present Circumstances
The Jhojha are a community made of up of small peasants, concentrated in the DoabDoab
A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...
region of 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...
. They have a village-based caste council, which exercises social control. In terms of religion, they are fairly orthodox Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, and have customs similar to other neighbouring Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
peasant castes, such as the Kamboh, Garha
Garha
The Garha or sometimes pronounced Gara and occasionally Gada are a Muslim community or caste found in the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, India.-History and origin:...
, and Muley Jat
Muley Jat
The Muley Jat, or sometimes pronounced as Mola/Mula Jat are a Muslim community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, and the province of Punjab in Pakistan...
.
The Jhojha have two state wide caste associations, the Tanzim Anjuman Jhojha (Organization of Jhojha associations)and Uttar Pradesh Jhojha Kanyan Sabha.
Distribution
They are mainly found in the districts of Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Rampur, Moradabad and Bulandshahr of Uttar PradeshUttar 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...
.
In the Doab
The majority of the Jhojha are still found in Saharanpur DistrictSaharanpur District
Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab region...
, with the tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
of Roorkee
Roorkee
Roorkee is a city and seat of a municipal council in Uttarakhand, in far northern India. It is located on the banks of the Ganges canal on the national highway between Delhi and Dehradun. Roorkee is known for Roorkee Cantonment, one of the country's oldest cantonments, and the headquarters of...
remaining a stronghold of the tribe. In Muzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar District
Muzaffarnagar district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is part of Saharanpur division. The town of Muzaffarnagar is the district headquarters.-Communication:...
, they are concentrated in the tehsil of Jansath
Jansath
Jansath is a town and a nagar panchayat in Muzaffarnagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Jansath is located at . It has an average elevation of 232 metres .-Demographics:...
, and generally found in the east of the district, while in Bulandshahr District
Bulandshahr District
Bulandshahar District is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. Bulandshahr city is the district headquarters.-Geography:...
, they are found in villages near the town of Anupshahr
Anupshahr
Anupshahr , also Anoopshahr, is a city and a municipal board in Bulandshahr district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.- Geography :Anupshahr is located at . It has an average elevation of .- Demographics :...
.
In Rohilhand
In RohilkhandRohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
, they are found in the districts of Rampur
Rampur District
Rampur district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Rampur town is the district headquarters. Rampur district is a part of Moradabad division. The district occupies an area of 2,367 km²...
, Bijnor
Bijnor District
Bijnor is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Bijnor city is the district headquarters.-Geography :...
and Moradabad
Moradabad District
Moradabad district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Moradabad town is the district headquarters. Moradabad district is a part of Moradabad division...
. The Jhojha in Rampur District
Rampur District
Rampur district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Rampur town is the district headquarters. Rampur district is a part of Moradabad division. The district occupies an area of 2,367 km²...
are found in Swar, Bilaspur and Sadar tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
s. In Moradabad, the jhojha are found in Kunderki, Bilari and Sambhal Tehsil. While in Bijnor District
Bijnor District
Bijnor is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Bijnor city is the district headquarters.-Geography :...
, they are found mainly in Bijnor
Bijnor
Bijnor variously spelt as Bijnaur and Bijnour, is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India...
tehsil, and near the Ganges river.
A small number of Jhojha are also found in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, 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...
, where they assimilated into other Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
speaking Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
peasent castes, such as the Rohilla
Rohilla
The Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...