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The Dogras or Dogra people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group in India and Pakistan consisting of the
Dogri Dogri ( Name Dogra Akkhar: ; Devanagari: डोगरी; Nastaliq: ; ) is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India, with smaller groups of speakers in adjoining regions of western Himachal Pra ...
language speakers. They live predominantly in the
Jammu region The Jammu division (; ) is a revenue and administrative division within Jammu and Kashmir, a union territory of India. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Most ...
of
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...
, and in adjoining areas of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and northeastern Pakistan. Their historical homeland is known as Duggar. Dogra Rajputs ruled Jammu from the 19th century, when Gulab Singh was made a hereditary Raja of Jammu by Ranjit Singh, whilst his brother
Dhian Singh Raja Dhian Singh (22 August 1796 – 15 September 1843) was the longest serving wazir of the Sikh Empire, during the reign of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and four of his successors. He held the office for twenty five years, from 1818 up till his dea ...
was the empire's prime minister of Punjab, until October 1947. Through the Treaty of Amritsar (1846), they acquired Kashmir as well. The
Dogra Regiment The Dogra Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its roots directly from the 17th Dogra Regiment of the British Indian Army. When transferred to the Indian Army like its sister regiments, the numeral prefix ...
of the Indian Army primarily consists of Dogras from the Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and
Jammu region The Jammu division (; ) is a revenue and administrative division within Jammu and Kashmir, a union territory of India. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Most ...
.


Etymology

The term Dogra is thought to derive from ''Durgara'', the name of a kingdom mentioned in an eleventh century copper-plate inscription in
Chamba Chamba may refer to: People *Gilberto Chamba (born 1961), Ecuadorian serial killer *Jessica Chamba (born 1981), European activist Places Ghana * Chamba, a town in the Northern Region India * Chamba (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Himachal Pradesh * ...
. The inscription mentions the Raja of Chamba facing an attack by Kiras aided by the Lord of Durgara (''durgāreśwara''). In medieval times the term ''Durgara'' is believed to have turned into ''Duggar'', eventually transforming to 'Dogra'. Kalhana's ''
Rajatarangini ''Rajatarangini'' ("The River of Kings") is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western part of India, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE. The ...
'' makes no mention of a kingdom by any of these names, but the kingdoms could have been referred to by their capital cities (such as ''Vallapura'', modern
Billawar Billawar is a town and a notified area committee in Kathua district of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Billawar was founded by Raja Bhog Pal in the 7th century A.D., it was a kingdom and its capital was Basohli until the ...
, or ''Babbapura'', modern Babor). In modern times, the term Dogra turned into an ethnic identity, claimed by all those people that speak the
Dogri language Dogri ( Name Dogra Akkhar: ; Devanagari: डोगरी; Nastaliq: ; ) is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India, with smaller groups of speakers in adjoining regions of western Himachal Pr ...
, irrespective of their religion.


History

Scholar Omachanda Handa believes that the Durgara people were originally migrants from Rajasthan. The allusion to ''durg'' (fort) in their name indicates that they may have remained a warrior people, eventually founding powerful kingdoms between
Chenab The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul regi ...
and Ravi, and possibly dominating up to the Sutluj river. According to M. A. Stein, there were some eleven Dogra states in the region, all of which were eventually absorbed into the
Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...
state, which emerged as the most powerful among them. Prior to the rise of Jammu, Babbapura (Babor) is expected to have been the chief state of Dogras. Lying 45 km east of Jammu, Babor contains the ruins of six magnificent temples representing a "thriving artistic activity". The
Rajatarangini ''Rajatarangini'' ("The River of Kings") is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western part of India, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE. The ...
mentions the Raja Vajradhara of Babbapura, vowing allegiance to Bhikshachara of Kashmir in 1120 AD, along with the chiefs of neighbouring kingdoms.


Jammu Dogras

The Jammu Dogras traditionally inhabited the area between the slopes of the Shivalik range of mountains, the sacred lakes of Saroien sar and Mannsar but later spread over whole of Jammu region. They generally speak Dogri and other dialects similar to Dogri or western pahadi influenced languages. The majority of the Dogra are followers of Hinduism, but a large number in Jammu and Kashmir believe in other religions. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, some Dogras embraced Islam. These factors, together with the effects of immigration into the region, have resulted in the Dogra population of Jammu and Kashmir including members of all three religions. The
Dogra dynasty The Dogra dynasty of Dogra Rajputs from the Shiwalik Himalayas created Jammu and Kashmir when all dynastic kingdoms in India were being absorbed by the East India Company. Events led the Sikh Empire to recognise Jammu as a vassal state in 1820 ...
emerged as a regional power, particularly after Rajput Maharaja Gulab Singh emerged as a warrior and his subjects received special martial recognition from the
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. The rule of Gulab Singh's Raj extended over the whole of the Jammu Region, a large part of the Ladakh region as early as March 1846, and a large part of the Indian Punjab (now Himachal Pradesh). The
Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian-union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the so ...
was handed over to Gulab Singh by the British government, as part of the territories ceded to the British government by Lahore State according to the provisions of Article IV of the
Treaty of Lahore The Treaty of Lahore of 9 March 1846 was a peace-treaty marking the end of the First Anglo-Sikh War. The treaty was concluded, for the British, by the Governor-General Sir Henry Hardinge and two officers of the East India Company and, for the ...
dated 9March 1846. Under the Treaty of Amritsar in the same year, the Dogra king of Jammu and the state was thereafter known as the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir State (Raj), also thereafter referred as Kashmir State. The term Dogra hence is more akin to the subjects of Himachal Pradesh, some areas of Punjab and the whole region of Jammu that was ruled by Raja Gulab Singh as part of the Dogra Raj irrespective of the religion of the inhabitants.


Jammu and Kashmir

The
Dogra dynasty The Dogra dynasty of Dogra Rajputs from the Shiwalik Himalayas created Jammu and Kashmir when all dynastic kingdoms in India were being absorbed by the East India Company. Events led the Sikh Empire to recognise Jammu as a vassal state in 1820 ...
was a dynasty of Hindu Rajputs who ruled Jammu & Kashmir from 1846 to 1947. They traced their ancestry to the
Ikshvaku Ikshvaku ( Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Hindu mythology. He is described to be the first king of the Kosala kingdom, and was one of the ten sons of Shraddhadeva Manu, the first man on the earth. He was the founder and first king ...
(Solar) Dynasty of Northern India (the same clan in which
Lord Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
was born; he, therefore, is the 'kuldevta' (family deity) of the Dogras). The
Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
rule extended beyond the Jammu region and the
Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian-union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the so ...
to the Tibetan Buddhist Kingdom of Ladakh and the Emirates of
Hunza Hunza may refer to: * Hunza, Iran * Hunza Valley, an area in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan ** Hunza (princely state), a former principality ** Hunza District, a recently established district ** Hunza River, a waterway ** Hunza Peak, a m ...
,
Gilgit Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a ...
and
Nagar Nagar ( -nagar) can refer to: Places Bangladesh * Nagar, Rajshahi Division, a village * Nagar, Barisal Division, a settlement India * Nagar taluka, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra State * Nagar, Murshidabad, a village in West Bengal * Nagar, Rajasthan ...
. After the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1846, the British gave Kashmir and the title of 'Maharaja' to Gulab Singh – the chief minister – as a reward for aligning with them against the Sikhs.


Military history

The
Dogra Regiment The Dogra Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its roots directly from the 17th Dogra Regiment of the British Indian Army. When transferred to the Indian Army like its sister regiments, the numeral prefix ...
was among the regiments of the
British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which cou ...
, which made significant contributions in both the world wars on all fronts from East Asia to Europe and North Africa. At Independence, it became an infantry regiment of the Indian Army composed largely but not exclusively of the Dogra people. The
Jammu and Kashmir Rifles The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Its origins lay in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. After the accession of the state to the Indian Union in October 1947, ...
, another regiment of the Indian Army, consisting of mainly Dogras was formed out of the former army of the Kingdom of Jammu & Kashmir after it was absorbed into the Indian Army.


Culture


Folk dance and music

* ''Kud'', a ritual dance performed in honour of Lok Devatas. This dance style is performed mostly at night. It is spontaneous and people of all ages and genders participate. Instruments used during the Kud are , , flute, and drums. The rhythm of music controls the movement of participants. This dance continues for the whole night. The number of participants ranges from 20 to 30 members. * ''Heren'', a traditional theatre form performed during the Lohri festival by 10–15 people. It is mostly performed in hilly regions of Jammu, Udhampur and ramnagar. * ''Fumenie'' and ''Jagarana'', a dance style performed by women on the eve of groom's departure to in-laws house. Both the songs are sung by a group consisting of 15–20 members. This traditional dance form depicts the feelings and emotions of women. * ''Paakh/Gwatri/Kark/Masade'', a chorus narrative sung by a group of 10 singers without any musical instruments. * ''Gwatri'', a singing–dance combined tradition in which the singers narrate some text which is acted by the Gwatari dancers. * ''Karak'', a narrative ballet sung by a community called 'Jogies'. They narrate a popular folk tale in their dance style, performed by three members with accompaniment of a typical folk instrument called 'Rabab'. * ''Benthe'', the chorus singing tradition performed specific community of tribal called Gujjar and Bakerwal. The dance is performed by 5–7 members.


Cuisine

Wheat, maize and bajra are staple food besides rice, cereals and a tangy preparation made of mango or tamarind popularly known as ''Ambal'' (अम्बल) or ''Maani'' (म्हाणी)/''Ambal'' (अंबल).The whole dish is called ''Dal patt maani'' (दाल भत्त म्हाणी) and is savoured as a combination. ''Mittha madra'' (मिट्ठा मदरा) is a favourite and is cooked from milk, dry fruits, and semolina. Preparations of ''Rajmash'' (a special variety of red kidney beans); ''Mash Da Madra'' (Yogurt based gravy for black lentils); ''Auryia'' a dish of curd fermented by rye; ''Kulth di Daal'' (Horse gram); ''Ambal'' made from pumpkin, jaggery and tamarind are favourites, especially during ceremonial cooking. The expert cooks are called ''Siyans'', usually
Brahmins Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
. ''Kalari'' is a milk preserved by coagulation of proteins and then fried in a pan to make it delicious. Non-vegetarian food was limited to Rajputs and Vaish (Mahajans). ''Khatta meat'' is mutton cooked with sour pomegranate seeds (''Anardana'') or lime juice and flavoured with fumes of a burning charcoal soaked in mustard oil. ''Keyur'' (घ्यूर) is one of the well known foods of Dogras. It is prepared by flour and butter and served with sugar and curd. Mostly, it is served to bridegroom at the time of marriage by the in-laws. ''Kalaari'' is a favourite food of Dogras in the rainy season. It is prepared by flour mix, cottage cheese and milk cream (malai) with water with help of a small cup shaped pot. ''Kalari'' is served with milk.
Kalari cheese Kalari or Kaladi is an Indian traditional ripened cheese product. It is indigenous to Ramnagar in the Udhampur District of the Jammu division, within the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and a cherished food snack among ethnic Dogras. It i ...
is popular in the Jammu region and in Jammu and Kashmir state more generally. ''Babbru/pathoru'' are prepared with flour and fried in oil. ''Babbru'' is served with Maani/Potato dish/Kheer/Curd etc.Ghyoor(''kyoor(क्यूर)'' is also a very popular dish in dogras which is prepared by using "maida" and "Ghee" and served with curd and sugar.
Kheer Kheer, also known as payasam, is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, although rice may be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur wh ...
is a dish prepared from milk by adding some rice and dry fruit in it. It is served at all the special occasions and festivals. Another popular exotic dish is ''guchiyyan'' (dried black
morel ''Morchella'', the true morels, is a genus of edible sac fungi closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi in the order Pezizales (division Ascomycota). These distinctive fungi have a honeycomb appearance due to the network of ridges wi ...
), usually added as an ingredient in pulao. As it grows naturally in forests and cannot be cultivated, it is a priced commodity (approx 500 Rs. per 100 g) and makes an excelled dish with mountain potatoes (pahadi aloo).
Saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent i ...
or kesar is extensively used to flavour sweet dishes and for its anti-oxidant benefits. Many types of pickles are prepared with ''Kasrod'' (Fiddlehead fern), Mango, ''Tyaoo'', ''Lasoode'' and ''Girgle.''


Notable Dogras

*
Banda Singh Bahadur Banda Singh Bahadur (born Lachman Dev) (27 October 1670 – 9 June 1716), was a Sikh warrior and a commander of Khalsa army. At age 15, he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Bairagi. He established a monastery a ...
(1670–1716) - Sikh warrior and commander of the
Khalsa Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,Kha ...
army * Premchand Degra - Indian bodybuilder from Punjab region * Hans Raj Dogra, Indian politician *
Monica Dogra Monica Dogra is an American musician and actress. She has acted in six feature films, as well as released five studio albums with the band Shaa’ir and func. She is a member on the judging panel of India's first English music talent show, ''The ...
– singer and actor *
Paras Dogra Paras Dogra (born 19 November 1984) is an Indian cricketer who has played first-class cricket since 2001. He is a right-handed batsman. Career In November 2015, Dogra equalled the record of double centuries scored in the Ranji Trophy when he s ...
– cricketer who plays for Rajasthan Royals *
Prem Nath Dogra Prem Nath Dogra (24 October 1884 – 21 March 1972), also known as Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, was a leader from Jammu and Kashmir who worked for total integration of the state with India. He is commonly referred to as ''Sher e Duggar''. He was inst ...
– founder of J&K Praja Parishad and later All India President of Bhartiya Jana Sangh *
Ridhi Dogra Ridhi Dogra (born 22 September 1984) is an Indian actress known for her portrayal of Nusrat in '' Asur'', Astha in '' The Married Woman'', Priya in '' Maryada: Lekin Kab Tak?'' and participation in '' Nach Baliye 6'' and '' Fear Factor: Khatron ...
- actress *
Tirath Das Dogra Tirath Das Dogra ( hi, तीरथ दास डोगरा, IAST: ''Tīrath Dās Ḍōgarā'', born 18 July 1947) is an Indian forensic pathologist and former Pro-Chancellor and vice-chancellor of SGT University, Budhera Gurgaon Haryana 201 ...
– former director All India Institute of Medical Sciences, forensic medicine expert, vice-chancellor of SGT University. Member of Medical Council of India. *
Mian Dido Jamwal Mian Dido Jamwal was a Dogra Rajput warrior from the Jamwal clan who rebelled against the overlords of Jammu, the Sikh Empire. He was descended from Raja Hari Dev of Jammu. Mian Dido was extremely popular among the common people of Jammu, and eve ...
(1780-1821)- Military and political figures during 18 and 19 century. * Ranveer Jamwal - Mountaineer *
Vidyut Jammwal Vidyut Dev Singh Jammwal (born 10 December 1980) is an Indian actor, martial artist and film producer who predominantly works in Hindi films. He is also a practitioner of Kalaripayattu. He is best known for his roles in Commando film series, ...
- actor * Ajay Singh Jasrotia - Martyr of Kargil War 1999 *
Zorawar Singh Kahluria Zorawar Singh Kahluria (1784–12 December 1841) was a military general of the Dogra Rajput ruler, Gulab Singh of Jammu. He served as the governor (''wazir-e-wazarat'') of Kishtwar and extended the territories of the kingdom by conquering L ...
- Military General of first Khalsa and later Dogra rulers of Jammu. * Captain Saurabh Kalia, Kargil War hero * Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar Khan (1919-2003) Longest Serving Pakistani Parliamentarian from Rupochak, District Narowal/Sialkot *
Vijay Mahajan Vijay Mahajan is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the Director of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies. Mahajan was the founder of the BASIX Social Enterprise Group which is engaged in liveliho ...
- Former Dean (Indian School of Business), Distinguished Professor at the McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin *
Manjit Minhas Manjit Minhas (born May 31, 1980) is a Canadian entrepreneur, television personality and venture capitalist. She is co-owner of Minhas Breweries & Distillery, manufacturer of beer brands such as Mountain Crest Classic Lager, Boxer Lager, Lazy Mut ...
- Canadian entrepreneur *
Alla Rakha Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi (29 April 1919 – 3 February 2000), popularly known as Alla Rakha, was an Indian tabla player who specialized in Hindustani classical music. He was a frequent accompanist of sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar and was ...
– Padma Shri awardee and tabla player. * Mehta Basti Ram, Commander * Major
Somnath Sharma Major Somnath Sharma, PVC (31 January 1923 – 3 November 1947), was an officer of the Indian Army, and the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), India's highest military decoration, which he was awarded posthumously. Sharma was c ...
– First recipient of the Param Vir Chakra * Bhim Singh – Leader of the JKNPP, Ex General Secretary of the
All India Congress Committee The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is the presidium or the central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress. It is composed of members elected from state-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousan ...
and international activist for secular democratic value


References


Bibliography

* * * {{Authority control Ethnic groups in Pakistan Ethnic groups in India Himalayan peoples Indo-Aryan peoples Indian surnames Linguistic groups of the constitutionally recognised official languages of India Social groups of India Social groups of Pakistan Social groups of Jammu and Kashmir