Jhojha
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Languages | |
| • Khari Boli • Urdu • | |
| Religion | |
•  Islam 100% • | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| • Khoja • Rajpoot • Jhojha Turk. |
The Jhojha are a Muslim community or clan found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab in India.[1] A few were also found in the Mohali District of Punjab who have migrated to Pakistan.[2]
History and origin
There are a number of traditions as to the origin of the Jhojha community.The Jhojha community is descendant from the Turk rulers soldiers. Whenever Turks won any region they gave some properties around the region to their soldiers to live and protect from the enemies. They have to struggle a lot for their survival because the areas they were provided were lack of basic needs that is why they were called "Jhuj" or " Jhoojne wala" later the name is transformed into Jhojha. As the Indian soldiers were Rajputs and many of these Hindu Rajputs converted to Islam and lived with Jhojha's they are also called Jhojha Rajput's.
INTERNAL DIVISION
The Jhojha have many sub-divisions, the main ones being the Bangarwale, the Khaderwale, the Chaudhary, the Turk or the Mughals, the Boobhna and the Khoja. The Jhojha of Muzaffarnagar District are Bangerwale, those of Saharanpur District belong mainly to the Khaderwale division. In Rohilkhand, their main divisions are the Turk and Khoja.[4].
Present Circumstances
They are mainly found in the districts of Hardwar, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Rampur, Moradabad, Bulandshahr and Aligarh of Uttar Pradesh.
The majority of the Jhojha are still found in Haridwar District, with the tehsil remaining a stronghold of the tribe.[6] In Muzaffarnagar District, they are concentrated in the tehsil of Jansath, and generally found in the east of the district, while in Bulandshahr District, they are found in villages near the town of Bulandshahr and few villages in Aligarh District.
In Rohilkhand, they are found in the districts of Rampur, Bijnor and Moradabad. The Jhojha in Rampur District are found in Swar, Bilaspur and Sadar tehsils.[7] In Moradabad, the jhojha are found in Kunderki, Bilari and Sambhal Tehsil.[8] While in Bijnor District, they are found mainly in Bijnor tehsil, Najibabad tehsil, Nagina tehsil, Dhampur tehsil and near the Ganges river.[9]
JHOJHA OF PUNJAB'
Jhojhas were also found in Kharar Tehsil of Ambala District, which now forms part of Mohali District of Punjab and the adjoining Basi (Dera Basi) Tehsil of Kalsia State, also now in Mohali District. According to the Punjab Jhojhas, they were by origin Rajputs of Jaisalmer, who were excommunicated from the Rajput community, when they took to cultivation. They are said to have left Saharanpur and to have settled in the Kharar and Dera Basi in the 18th century. The Jhojha community was further divided into a number of clans, known as gots from Sanskrit gotra meaning clan. Among the large gots were the Bhatti, Barah, Chauhan and Taoni, all well known Rajput tribes. Like other East Punjab Muslims, the Jhojhas were forced to leave their homeland at the time of the independence in 1947, and have now resettled in Pakistani Punjab. The Jhojha community of Punjab is Punjabi speaking, and are entirely Sunni.[5] where they assimilated into other Urdu speaking Muslim peasant castes, such as the Rohilla.
They have a village-based caste council, which exercises social control. In terms of religion, they are fairly orthodox Sunni Muslims, and have customs similar to other neighbouring Muslim peasant castes, such as the Kamboh, Garha, and Muley Jat.[1]
The Jhojha have two statewide caste associations, the Tanzim Anjuman Jhojha (Organization of Jhojha associations)and Uttar Pradesh Jhojha Kanyan Sabha.