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 ...
, northern India. Historically a ''
pargana
Pargana ( bn, পরগনা, , hi, परगना, ur, پرگنہ) or parganah, also spelt pergunnah during the time of the Sultanate period, Mughal times and British Raj, is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent and each ...
'' within the erstwhile state of Kishtwar, the region currently takes up the northern half of
Doda district
Doda is a district in the eastern part of Jammu Division in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The district consists of 18 tehsils viz. Thathri, Bhaderwah, Doda, Mohalla, Bhagwa, Assar, Bhalla, Gundna, Marmat, Kahara, G ...
and parts of neighbouring Ramban and Kishtwar districts. Its population in 2011 stood at people.
The region is defined mainly on the basis of linguistics where the majority of people speak
Sarazi
Sarazi or Sirazi (also spelled Siraji) is an Indo-Aryan language of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is native to the Saraz region, a hilly area taking up the northern half of Doda district and parts of neighbouring Ramban and Kishtwar districts.
...
as their mother tongue.
About and Demographics
Saraz is a rural area, located on right bank of Chenab river which includes its district headquarter
Doda district
Doda is a district in the eastern part of Jammu Division in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The district consists of 18 tehsils viz. Thathri, Bhaderwah, Doda, Mohalla, Bhagwa, Assar, Bhalla, Gundna, Marmat, Kahara, G ...
. The areas on the left bank of river are geographically located in
Bhaderwah
Bhaderwah or Bhadarwah (also ''Bhaderwah Valley'') is a town, tehsil, sub-division and also additional district in the Doda district of the Jammu Division of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is also known as Chota Kashmir (Mini Kashmir) for its sc ...
area.
Saraz is a large area, known for Sarazi dialect spoken here. It includes various villages such as Rajgarh, Ganika, Bhagwah, Dessa, Kashtigarh, Koti, Bhangra, Bijarani, Mohalla, Kulhand, Malwana, Jodhpur, Babor, Jatheli, Bharat and Udayanpur.
The major native language of the region is
Sarazi
Sarazi or Sirazi (also spelled Siraji) is an Indo-Aryan language of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is native to the Saraz region, a hilly area taking up the northern half of Doda district and parts of neighbouring Ramban and Kishtwar districts.
...
. It is widely used as a
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
alongside
Hindi/Urdu
Hindustani (; Devanagari: ,
*
*
*
* ; Perso-Arabic: , , ) is the '' lingua franca'' of Northern and Central India and Pakistan. Hindustani is a pluricentric language with two standard registers, known as Hindi and Urdu. Thus, the lan ...
, but as a first language it is primarily associated with the Hindus. Most Muslims are speakers of
Kashmiri Kashmiri may refer to:
* People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir
* Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley
* Kashmiri language, their language
People with the name
* Kashmiri Saikia Baruah ...
; there are also Muslim communities who speak Sarazi, Gojri or Watali, but many of these have been shifting to Kashmiri in recent generation, and even those who preserve their native language still acquire Kashmiri as a second language. A minority of people also know Dogri. The languages of administration and education are
Sarazi
Sarazi or Sirazi (also spelled Siraji) is an Indo-Aryan language of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is native to the Saraz region, a hilly area taking up the northern half of Doda district and parts of neighbouring Ramban and Kishtwar districts.
...
population before people started settling there from Kashmir and other adjoining areas. The reasons for Kashmiri population settling in Saraz during the 17th and 18th centuries is a matter on which historians disagree. However Sumantra Bose says it was repression by feudal class that drew people to the district of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar. The northern side of Doda district borders with the erstwhile Anantnag district of the
Kashmir region
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompass ...
. People often migrated from Kashmir to Saraz area whenever there were famines in Kashmir.