Wagher

The Wagher are a Hindu caste found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are also known as Vagher, but have no connection with the Vagri tribe.[1] There is also a surname, Wagher, of Polish origin, which is derived from the city of Wejherowo not far from the gulf of Gdansk on Poland's Baltic Sea coast.

History and origin

The Waghers are principally found in Okhamandal taluka of Jamnagar District. They are said to have migrated from Kutch, and their ancestor Jam Hamirji Jadeja, a Bhuj Rajput married a Garasia girl. The community is thus one of the many mixed Rajput groups such as the Khant found in Saurashtra region.[2]

Present circumstances

The community still speak Kutchi, and are endogamous. They have several clans, the main ones being the Manek, Ker, Sumania,Jam, Hahtal, Bhaththad, Bathiya, Gohil, Parmar, Gad, Giggla, Mapani, Tilayat, and Bhayad. The community maintain the practice of clan exogamy. They are a major landowning community in the Dwarka sub-division of Jamnagar District. The community are still mainly farmers, but like other Gujarat castes, they have migrated to other parts of India and overseas in search of work. They are Hindu by religion, although small number have converted to Islam, and form a separate community of Muslim Wagher.[3]

Vagh is gujrati word, means TIGER and Gher means HUNTER. Vagher = Hunter of Tiger. When a prince of kingdom of India became in trouble at jungle at the time of hunting, a lady belong to local tribe helped by hunting/killed Tiger. In this regard the persons belong to her famous as VAGHER family.

See also

References

  1. ↑ People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Three edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 1448-1453
  2. ↑ People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Three edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 1448-1453
  3. ↑ People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Three edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 1448-1453