Four groups of people came and inhabited this land at different points of time. And these groups now form the majority here.
The Jats came from a place in Iran then known as Half and which was later known as Jat. Around five hundred years ago they came to Kutch and Sind in search of new grazing pastures and settled there. They were herders by occupation. Those who joined agriculture called themselves Garasia Jats and those who continued their ancestral occupation were known as Dhanetah Jats, and those who chose to study the Koran became Fakirani Jats.
The second group which came here are the Harijans. Harijan is the name given by Mahatma Gandhi to the Meghwals, who originally came from Marwar in Rajasthan. They are the masters of weaving cotton and wool and also in embroidery work.
The third group is the Ahirs who came with Lord Krishna from Gokul in Uttar Pradesh. Most of the communities of Ahirs began with selling ghee and milk. They are now spread all over the state.
The last group which forms a majority here are the Rabaris. The Rabaris are, a nomadic tribe always wandering with their herds. The origin of this tribe has been traced back to Sind and Afghanistan. This tribe has been classified into three distinct groups, namely Vagadia, Dhabaria, and Kachhi. Women of this tribe engage themselves in making beautiful embroidery pieces while the men spend their time tending to their camels and sheep. |
