>2v5 at 18:37, 3 March 2021

2021-03-03T18:37:50Z

New page

{{format footnotes|date=May 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
'''Bagar''', also '''Bagad''' ('''बागड़''') and even '''Bar''',<ref name=bar1/> a term meaning the "dry country",<ref name=bagartribune1>Nonica Datta, [http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99jul03/saturday/head1.htm "Forming an identity"], [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]], 3 July 1999.</ref> refers to the sandy tract of north-western [[India]] and eastern parts of current [[Pakistan]] bordering India.<ref name="HarRev">{{Cite web |url=http://revenueharyana.gov.in/html/gazeteers/revised_settlement_hisar.pdf |title=Revised Land and Revenue Settlement of Hisar District 9006-9011 |access-date=26 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517124050/http://revenueharyana.gov.in/html/gazeteers/revised_settlement_hisar.pdf |archive-date=17 May 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> For example, area north and south of [[Ravi river]] between [[Chenab river]] and [[Sutlej]] is called Ihang Bar.<ref name=bar1>1892 , Haryana District Gazetteers: Ambala district gazetteer, Page 2.</ref>

== Etymology==
Bagar means the [[prairie]] (grazing shrubs and grassland) of northern [[Rajputana]],<ref name=etymology1>Elaine King,1998, Tales & legends of India, Page 61.</ref> which likely comes from [[eponymous]] Arabic word "bagar" meaning "cow" ([[Cattle in religion and mythology#Hinduism|sacred to Hindus]]),<ref name=etymology3>2002, Abubakar Garba, "State, city and society: processes of urbanisation", University of Maiduguri - Centre for Trans Saharan Studies, Archaeological Association of Nigeria, Page 82.</ref> derived from the Arabic word "cattle".<ref name=etymology5/><ref name=etymology2>Mohamet Lawan, 1997, No travel is little, Page 66.</ref> ''[[Baggara]]'' in Arabic means "cattle herders".<ref name=etymology5>Deepak Kumar Behera, [[Georg Pfeffer]], 2002, The concept of tribal society, Page 284.</ref><ref name=etymology4>Jemera Rone, Brian Owsley, Human Rights Watch/Africa, 1996, Behind the Red Line: Political Repression in Sudan, Page 274.</ref> Bagar tract refers to the [[Semi-arid climate|semi-arid]] semi-fertile [[Rainfed agriculture|rain-fed]] sandy [[Grassland#Temperate_grasslands,_savannas,_and_shrublands_ecoregions|shrubby grassland]] tract at the confluence of [[arid]] [[Thar Desert]] and fertile [[Khadir_and_Bangar|bangar and khadir]] areas of [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]], which as historically inhabited by the cattle herders who remained semi-nomadic until they began to adapt to settled life in the [[Medieval India|mid to late Medieval Period]]. Before the adoption of the Arabic name bagar, the area was earlier known as [[Jangladesh]] during the [[Vedic era]] of [[Mahabharata]] and even in early medieval times at least until the end of Hindu reign of [[Prithviraj Chauhan]].

''Rājputāna'', meaning "Land of the [[Rajputs]]",<ref name=rajputana>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/490168/Rajputana|title=Rajputana|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> is a historic term for a region in [[India]] that includes mainly the present-day [[States of India|Indian state]] of [[Rajasthan]], parts of [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Gujarat]],<ref name="rajputana" /> as well as adjoining areas of Punjab and Haryana, and some adjoining areas of [[Sindh]] in modern-day southern Pakistan.<ref name="rajput">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/490157/Rajput|title=Rajput|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> It lies to the west of the [[Aravalli Hills]], and was earlier known as [[Samarkand]], the earlier form of [[Registan]], before it came to be known as ''Rajputana'', early in the [[Medieval India|Medieval Period]].<ref>{{cite book |title= Social Cultural History of Ancient India |first=Manilal |last=Bose |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |year=1998 |page=27 |isbn=978-81-702-2598-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t_PpdZosif4C}}</ref> The name was later adopted by [[British Raj|British government]] as the [[Rajputana Agency]] for its dependencies in the region of the present-day [[India]]n state of Rājasthān,<ref name="GuptaBakshi2008">{{cite book|author1=R.K. Gupta|author2=S.R. Bakshi|title=Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs (Set Of 5 Vols.)|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_DLQeSBLpUwsC|access-date=30 October 2012|date=1 January 2008|publisher=Sarup & Sons|isbn=978-81-7625-841-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_DLQeSBLpUwsC/page/n150 143]–}}</ref> which comprised 18 [[princely state]]s, two chiefships and the British district of [[Ajmer-Merwara]], which was renamed to "Rajasthan" in 1949.<ref name="GuptaBakshi2008" />

== Bagri people ==
[[File:Mani Ram Bagri with Rajiv Gandhi and others.jpg|thumb|240px|right|[[Mani Ram Bagri]] with [[Rajiv Gandhi]].]]

The term ''Bagri people'' was originally applied to the Hindu [[Jats]], [[Gurjar]]s<ref name="Rawat1998">{{cite book|author=Ajay Singh Rawat|title=Forests on Fire: Ecology and Politics in the Himalayan Tarai|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zC3rniQnAqAC&pg=PA80|year=1998|publisher=Cosmo Publications|isbn=978-81-7020-840-2|pages=80–}}</ref> and [[Rajput]]s, such as Bagri Jat and Bagri Rajput,<ref name=bagartribune1 /><ref name=bag2>Robert Vane Russell, 1916, [https://books.google.com/books?id=xGXhAAAAMAAJ "pt. II. Descriptive articles on the principal castes and tribes of the Central Provinces"], page 435.</ref><ref name=bag3>Robert Vane Russell, 1916, [https://books.google.com/books?id=6h2Gm1gPZZQC&pg=PT368 "The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India (Volumes I and II)"], [[Library of Alexandria]] publication, {{ISBN|1465582940}}.</ref><ref name=bag4>B.S. Nijjar, 2008, [https://books.google.com/books?id=xQM9voN21ekC&pg=PA51 "Origins and History of Jats and Other Allied Nomadic Tribes of India: 900 B.C.-1947 A.D."], Atlantic Publishers, page 51, {{ISBN|8126909080}}.</ref><ref name=bag5>2000, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8wdWAAAAYAAJ "Haryana District Gazetteers: Rohtak district gazetteer, 1910"], [[Government of Haryana]] Gazetteers organization, page 237.</ref><ref name=mulayjat2>Vīrasiṃha, 2006, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8BFuAAAAMAAJ "The Jats: Their Role & Contribution to the Socio-economic Life and Polity of North & North-west India, Volume 2"], page 305, {{ISBN|8188629529}}.</ref><ref name=mulayjat1>Nonica Datta, 1999, [https://books.google.com/books?id=sBBuAAAAMAAJ "Forming an Identity: A Social History of the Jats], [[Oxford University]] Press, page 12.</ref> but now also applied to [[Bishnoi]] and one of the sections of [[Maheshwari]] [[Bania (caste)|Banias]] (traders), as well as [[Badhik]] ("butcher"), Pardhi ("hunter") and [[Bawariya]] (semi-nomads) castes.<ref name=bag3 /><ref name=mulayjat2 /> Prominent bagri people include was politician from Haryana
[[Mani Ram Bagri]] (1 January 1920 – 31 March 2012, a politician from Haryana), [[Raj Bagri, Baron Bagri]] (24 August 1930 – 26 April 2017, India-born British businessman and a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] member of the [[House of Lords]] from 1997 to 2010, who was made a [[life peer]] in 1997).<ref name="burke">{{cite book |title= Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood|publisher=Burke's Peerage & Gentry |editor= Mosley, Charles |edition=107 |year= 2003 |page=219 |ref=Burke |isbn=0-9711966-2-1}}</ref>

== Bagri language ==
{{Main|Bagri language}}
[[File:WIKITONGUES- Raj speaking Bagri.webm|thumb|A Bagri speaker.]]
Bagri people of the sandy dry Bagar tract speak the [[Bagri language]] ('''बागड़ी'''), a [[dialect]] of overlapping [[Rajasthani language]], [[Haryanvi language]] and [[Punjabi language]] of the [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan family]], spoken by about five million speakers.<ref name="GL1" /><ref name="GL2" />

== Bagri region ==
Bagri region or tract is long strip of shifting sand dunes called ''tibba'' ('''टिब्बा''') and [[Khadir and Bangar|relatively semi-fertile lands]] between them called ''lal'' ('''लाळ ''') along the western border of [[Haryana]] and eastern border of [[Rajasthan]].<ref name="Census1961" />

The Bagar region has potentially very fertile [[Alluvium|alluvial soil]] interspersed with [[Permeability (earth sciences)|highly permeable]] very sandy tracts in several places with [[water table]] more than 100 feet below ground containing [[brackish water]] usually unfit for human consumption, where [[dust storm]]s frequent during the warm summer months from April till the end of July when [[monsoon]] arrives. Previously the tract was solely based on the rain and irrigation was possible only in the small area of Bagar region in districts of Fatehabad, Sirsa, Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar where the season [[Ghaggar-Hakra River|Ghaggar river]] flows. After the opening of [[Bhakra Nangal Dam]] canal system in 1963 as well as the earlier [[Western Yamuna Canal]] now irrigate most of Haryana including all of the Bagar region falling in Haryana on its western border. Opening of [[Indira Gandhi Canal]] in 1983 brought the water of [[Sutlej]] and [[Beas]] rivers to the fields of Rajasthan including its Bagar tract stabilizing the sand dunes and soil erosion by preventing the expansion of desert.<ref name=bag1>E. Walter Coward, 1980, [https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0801498716 "Irrigation and Agricultural Development in Asia: Perspectives from the social sciences"], [[Cornell University]] press, page 302, {{ISBN|0801498716}}.</ref>

In Haryana, it covers southern parts of [[Sirsa district]] (earlier known as [[Bhattiana]]), and western villages of [[Fatehabad, Haryana|Fatehabad]], [[Hisar district|Hisar]], [[Bhiwani district|Bhiwani]] and [[Charkhi Dadri district|Charkhi Dadri]] districts.<ref name="GL1" /><ref name="GL2" /><ref name="Census1961" />

In [[Rajasthan]], it covers parts of tehsils of [[Ganganagar]]; [[Bhadra]], [[Nohar]] in [[Hanumangarh]] district; [[Taranagar]] tehsil in [[Churu district]].<ref name="GL1" /><ref name="Census1961">[https://archive.org/stream/districtcensusha01indi/districtcensusha01indi_djvu.txt India District Census Handboook, 1961]</ref>

In [[Punjab (India)]], bagar tract covers [[Fazilka district]] and southern villages of [[Muktsar district]].<ref name="GL1" /><ref name="GL2" /><ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement1.aspx Census India 2001]</ref>

In [[Punjab, Pakistan]], Bagri as minor language is spoken in [[Bahawalpur]] and [[Bahawalnagar district]], though these are not considered parts of Bagar tract.<ref name="GL1">Gusain, Lakhan: Reflexives in Bagri. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 1994</ref><ref name="GL2">Gusain, Lakhan: Limitations of Literacy in Bagri. [[Nicholas Ostler]] & [[Blair Rudes]] (eds.). Endangered Languages and Literacy. Proceedings of the Fourth FEL Conference. University of North Carolina, Charlotte, 21–24 September 2000</ref><ref name="GL3">Gusain, Lakhan: Bagri Grammar. Munich: Lincom Europa (Languages of the World/Materials, 2000, p. 384</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
India - Haryana - Sirsa.svg|[[Sirsa district]]
India - Haryana - Fatehabad.svg|[[Fatehabad district]]
Map rajasthan dist 7 div.png|Bagar tract through eastern parts of [[Ganganagar district]], [[Hanumangarh]] district, [[Churu district]] and [[Jhunjhunu district]] in [[Rajasthan]]
Punjab district map.png|Bagar tract through [[Fazilka district]] (now a separate district, formerly southern part of [[Firozpur district]]) and southern villages of [[Muktsar district]] of [[Punjab (India)]]
Pakistan Punjab.png|Bagri as minor language is spoken in [[Bahawalpur]] and [[Bahawalnagar district]] of [[Punjab, Pakistan]], though not considered parts of Bagar tract.
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{div col}}
* [[Doab#Khadir, bangar, barani and bagar|Barani, Nehri, Nalli]]
* [[Bhattiana]]
* [[Chak (village)]]
* [[Deshwali]] dialect
* [[Dhani (settlement type)]]
* [[Doab]]
* [[History of Bikaner|Jangladesh]]
* [[Johad]]
* [[Khadir and Bangar]]
* [[Punjab region]]
* [[Divisions of Haryana]]
{{col div end}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Historical regions of North India}}

{{coord missing|India|Punjab, Pakistan}}

[[Category:Regions of Haryana]]
[[Category:Regions of Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Regions of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Regions of Punjab, Pakistan]]

Bagar tract - Revision history

>2v5 at 18:37, 3 March 2021