Bazigar

Bazigars (from Persian: بازیگر‎ bazi + gar), or Goaars, are an ethnic group of north-western India. They are primarily found in Punjab, but there are also communities in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan.[1] They were previously nomadic with their main occupation the performance of acrobatics and other forms of entertainment, but they are now settled and engaged mainly in agricultural and similar forms of labour.[2]

For the language, see Bazigar language.

Origin

The name Bazigar is derived from the Urdu word bazi, which means an acrobat. They themselves claim to be Chauhan Rajputs, who took to the occupation of acrobatics to escape persecution and attempts to forcefully convert them to Islam during the period of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. They have now been granted Scheduled Caste status in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The Bazigar speak their own dialect, known as Bazigar which is a Dravidian language, while speaking in Hindi with outsiders. In Haryana, they are found mainly in the districts of Yamuna Nagar, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Rohtak, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Karnal. Major Bazigar clans in Haryan include the Lalka, Myane, Dharsout, Namsout, and Jagateka.[3]

In Punjab, the Bazigar have Scheduled Caste status. They are found throughout Punjab, but in terms of numbers, they are concentrated in Patiala, Sangrur and Bathinda districts are centres of this tribe. The Bazigar are a nomadic tribe, who go about from village to village practising acrobatic feats. Their primary occupation was the performance of acrobatics. Generally, each family was allocated twelve villages, and the Bazigar were paid by the villagers to entertain them. Many Bazigar were also employed as seasonal agricultural laborers. With the increase in televisions in rural Punjab, the Bazigars traditional occupation is under threat.[4]

The Bazigar are further sub-divided into five sub-groups, the Jogi, Badtia(vertiya), Muchhal(muchhals),Jassuke, Dharamsot and Namsout. The first four sub-divisions cannot intermarry, but Namsout only marry within the clan. Historically, the Bazigar were either Hindu or Muslim, but with the departure of their Muslim patrons, the Bazigar have embraced Sikhism. They have also abandoned their traditional dialect Bazigar boli for standard Punjabi.[5]

References
  1. Schreffler 2011, p. 222.
  2. Deb 1987; Schreffler 2011.
  3. People of India Hayana Volume XXIII edited by M.L Sharma and A.K Bhatia pages 63 to 67 Manohar
  4. People of India Punjab Volume XXXVII edited by I.J.S Bansal and Swaran Singh pages 94 to 96 Manohar
  5. People of India Punjab Volume XXXVII edited by I.J.S Bansal and Swaran Singh pages 94 to 96 Manohar

Bibliography
  • Deb, P. C. (1987). Bazigars of Punjab: A Socio-economic Study. Delhi: Mittal Publications.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Schreffler, Gibb (2011). "The Bazigar (Goaar) People and Their Performing Art" (PDF). Journal of Punjab Studies. 18 (1&2).CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Singh, Birinder Pal, ed. (2010). "Criminal" Tribes of Punjab: A Social-anthropological Inquiry. Routledge. ISBN 9780415551472.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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