Who were the original inhabitants of this mountains area of Himalayas, i.e. in District of Chamba is of great concern.
While going back to the Harappa period and coming to the Aryans we find that the RAVI VALLEY was must have been inhabited by the people called Dravidians during Harappa period and thereafter the Aryans overtook them.
It seems not improbable that the aborigines of this area now represented to a large extent by the various low caste tribes, which form a very considerable proportion of the population. They are included under the names of "KOLI, HALI, SIPI, CHAMAR, DUMNA, BARWALA, MEGH, DARAIN, REHARA, SARARA, LOHAR, BHATWAL, and DHAUGRI" and some others.
at the present time the four principal caste subdivisions are BRAHMIN, RAJPUT, THAKUR, AND RATHIS, of which the two latter may be regarded as one caste, and they included the great bulk of the high caste population. They represent the three sections of the ancient Aryan community. Viz. BRAHMIN, KSHTRIYA and VAISHYA. It is certain that all of them have received large accessories from the plains of the previous periods as the result of invasion and immigration.
Gaddi Brahmins have a tradition that their ancestors came from Delhi side to Brhmour probably from KANNOUJ in the reign of RAJA AJIA VERMAN 757-776. Many of the Rajput are the descendent of the invaders from the plains. the Gaddi Rajputs have the same tradition as the Gaddi Brahmins at to their original home, while the Gaddi Khatrio say that their ancestors’ fled from LAHORE to escape persecution, probably at the time of early Mohammedan invasions.
There is a popular saying that ": UJJDYA LAHORE TE BASIA BHARMOUR" it is doubtless many of the all castes came to this region for the same reason during the mohammedan rule and also even prior to this during Greek and Persian invasions.
The thakur and rathis are certainly of ancient origin, and are regarded as indigenous to the hills. in chamba they number more thanm one half of the high caste ionhabitants, there is common saying in the area which is, "CHANAL JETHA; RATHI KNETHA", the chanal is elder the Rathi the younger. The meaning attached to this saying by the people is that the high caste are dependent on the chanals, just younger brother is on an elder one. No ceremony of any importance can take place without their presence and help.
The gaddi is a separate clan, the term Gaddi is a generic name and under it are BRAHMINS, RAJPUTS and KHATRIS, THAKURS and RATHIS. The majority however are KHATRIS. In Sanskrit the word GADDAR means sheep and the GADDARI means shepherd and GADDARAN means country of shepherds.
The Brahmins of harsar and ranas of ulansa do not consider themselves to be gaddis and even today they have not been ascribed the status of ST, which goes to prove that gaddi is a separate clan.
gaddi brahmin, rajput and khatris wear yagyopwit, thakur and rathis do not wear this. the lower castes "KOLI, HALI, SIPI, CHAMAR, DUMNA, BARWALA, MEGH, DARAIN, REHARA, SARARA, LOHAR, BHATWAL, DHAUGRI and other some are not considered to be gaddis. People from outside, consider them to be the gaddi being inhabitant of the bharmour. Even the status of ST has been given to them.
Prior to the founding of bharmour kingdom by RAJA MARU VERMAN 548-567 this region was under the rule of petty chiefs who bore the title of thakur and ranas. These chiefs owned status of very diminutive size and were called RUNHU. They are said to have been constantly at war with one another, and their RUNHU boundaries were in consequence unsettled.
Ranas were Rajputs and thakurs were between the Ranas and Rathis. ranas used to marry the daughters of thakurs but did not marry their daughters to the Thakurs. In the same manner the Thakurs used to marry the daughter of Rathis but did not marry their daughters to the Rathis.
Their descendants stills resides in the same areas and their influence did not diminished even during the reign of Suryavanshi verman Dynasty of Brahmpur and Chamba kingdom.
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