Ajay Kumar at 14:40, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T14:40:04Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
The '''Dogra Jheevar''' are a [[Hindu]] caste found in the [[Jammu division|Jammu]] region of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India.<ref>People of India Jammu and Kashmir Volume XXV edited by K.N Pandita, S.D.S Charak & B.R. Rizvi page 292 to 301 Manohar Publications</ref>

== Origin ==

The word is said to be a corruption of the [[Sanskrit]] ''dheevara'', which means someone of mixed origin. Dheevaras receive a mention in the [[Mahabharat]]. In the [[Dogri language]], the term ''jheer'' was often used for a cook. This community may have acquired the name Jheer because members of the community were employed as cooks. The Jheer are a caste associated with water-carrying and may be connected with the [[Jhinwar]] caste of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]. Like the [[Jhinwar]] and the [[Kahar]] of [[North India]], the Jheer were also employed as palanquin bearers.<ref>People of India Jammu and Kashmir Volume XXV edited by K.N Pandita, S.D.S Charak & B.R. Rizvi page 292 to 301 Manohar Publications</ref>

The homeland of the Jheer is a region historically known as Duggar Des, an area stretching from [[Udhampur District| Udhampur]] in the north and [[Kathua District|Kathua]] in the south. They speak the [[Dogri language]], and their customs and traditions are similar to the locally dominant [[Dogra]] community.

== Present circumstances ==

Like most other [[North Indian]] [[Hindu]] [[caste]]s, the Jheer consists of number of clans, with strict rules of clan [[exogamy]]. Their major clans are the Balgota, Bamotra, Khisku, Pounti, Bera, Doe, Athgotra, Sukhajange, Manhotra, Baspurie, Allar, Manni, Sarmutre, Chikkardubbe, Lunjh, Jallandhari, Dain, Bahri, Seotre, Malgotre, Maski, Koonj, Gadari, Pekoe, Sagoch, and Poonchi. They are also strictly [[caste]]-[[endogamy|endogamous]] and occupy their own quarters in villages.

This was historically a landless community, traditionally associated with fishing, water carrying and palanquin bearing. Many were granted lands as part of the [[land reform]] carried out by the [[Government of India]], just after independence in 1947.

Most of them are involved in small businesses, especially restaurant/dhaba businesses, a trade in which the Jhinwar/Dhimar/Jheer have a monopoly in North India.

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dogra]]
[[Category:Indian castes]]
[[Category:Social groups of Jammu and Kashmir]]

Dogra Jheer - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 14:40, 23 July 2023