The Dogras or Dogra people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

consisting of the

Dogri Dogri ( Name Dogra Akkhar: ; Devanagari: डोगरी; Nastaliq: ; ) is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India, with smaller groups of speakers in adjoining regions of western Himachal Prad ...

language speakers. They live predominantly in the Jammu region of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

, and in adjoining areas of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several pea ...

, and northeastern Pakistan. Their historical homeland is known as Duggar. Dogra

Rajputs Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

ruled Jammu from the 19th century, when

Gulab Singh Gulab Singh Jamwal (1792–1857) was the founder of Dogra dynasty and the first Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, the largest princely state under the British Raj, which was created after the defeat of the Sikh Empire in t ...

was made a hereditary Raja of Jammu by

Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He ...

, whilst his brother

Dhian Singh Raja Dhian Singh (22 August 1796 – 15 September 1843) was the longest serving wazir of the Sikh Empire, during the reign of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and four of his successors. He held the office for twenty five years, from 1818 up till his dea ...

was the empire's prime minister of Punjab, until October 1947. Through the

Treaty of Amritsar (1846) The Treaty of Amritsar, executed by the British East India Company and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu after the First Anglo-Sikh War, established the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir under the suzerainty of the British Indian Empire. Description ...

, they acquired Kashmir as well. The

Dogra Regiment The Dogra Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its roots directly from the 17th Dogra Regiment of the British Indian Army. When transferred to the Indian Army like its sister regiments, the numeral prefix ...

of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

primarily consists of Dogras from the

and Jammu region.

Etymology

The term Dogra is thought to derive from ''Durgara'', the name of a kingdom mentioned in an eleventh century copper-plate inscription in

Chamba Chamba may refer to: People *Gilberto Chamba (born 1961), Ecuadorian serial killer *Jessica Chamba (born 1981), European activist Places Ghana * Chamba, a town in the Northern Region India * Chamba (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Himachal Pradesh * ...

. The inscription mentions the Raja of Chamba facing an attack by Kiras aided by the Lord of Durgara (''durgāreśwara''). In medieval times the term ''Durgara'' is believed to have turned into ''Duggar'', eventually transforming to 'Dogra'. Kalhana's ''

Rajatarangini ''Rajatarangini'' ("The River of Kings") is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western part of India, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE. Th ...

'' makes no mention of a kingdom by any of these names, but the kingdoms could have been referred to by their capital cities (such as ''Vallapura'', modern

Billawar Billawar is a town and a notified area committee in Kathua district of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Billawar was founded by Raja Bhog Pal in the 7th century A.D., it was a kingdom and its capital was Basohli until the 11t ...

, or ''Babbapura'', modern Babor). In modern times, the term Dogra turned into an ethnic identity, claimed by all those people that speak the

Dogri language Dogri ( Name Dogra Akkhar: ; Devanagari: डोगरी; Nastaliq: ; ) is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India, with smaller groups of speakers in adjoining regions of western Himachal Pr ...

, irrespective of their religion.

History

Scholar Omachanda Handa believes that the Durgara people were originally migrants from

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern ...

. The allusion to ''durg'' (fort) in their name indicates that they may have remained a warrior people, eventually founding powerful kingdoms between

Chenab The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul ...

and Ravi, and possibly dominating up to the Sutluj river. According to M. A. Stein, there were some eleven Dogra states in the region, all of which were eventually absorbed into the

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

state, which emerged as the most powerful among them. Prior to the rise of Jammu, Babbapura (Babor) is expected to have been the chief state of Dogras. Lying 45 km east of Jammu, Babor contains the ruins of six magnificent temples representing a "thriving artistic activity". The

mentions the Raja Vajradhara of Babbapura, vowing allegiance to Bhikshachara of Kashmir in 1120 AD, along with the chiefs of neighbouring kingdoms.

Jammu Dogras

The Jammu Dogras traditionally inhabited the area between the slopes of the Shivalik range of mountains, the sacred lakes of Saroien sar and Mannsar but later spread over whole of Jammu region. They generally speak Dogri and other dialects similar to Dogri or western pahadi influenced languages. The majority of the Dogra are followers of

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

ism, but a large number in Jammu and Kashmir believe in other religions. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, some Dogras embraced

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

. These factors, together with the effects of immigration into the region, have resulted in the Dogra population of Jammu and Kashmir including members of all three religions. The

Dogra dynasty The Dogra dynasty of Dogra Rajputs from the Shiwalik Himalayas created Jammu and Kashmir when all dynastic kingdoms in India were being absorbed by the East India Company. Events led the Sikh Empire to recognise Jammu as a vassal state in 1820 ...

emerged as a regional power, particularly after Rajput Maharaja

emerged as a warrior and his subjects received special martial recognition from the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

. The rule of Gulab Singh's Raj extended over the whole of the Jammu Region, a large part of the Ladakh region as early as March 1846, and a large part of the Indian Punjab (now

). The

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and ...

was handed over to Gulab Singh by the British government, as part of the territories ceded to the British government by Lahore State according to the provisions of Article IV of the

Treaty of Lahore The Treaty of Lahore of 9 March 1846 was a peace-treaty marking the end of the First Anglo-Sikh War. The treaty was concluded, for the British, by the Governor-General Sir Henry Hardinge and two officers of the East India Company and, for th ...

dated 9March 1846. Under the Treaty of Amritsar in the same year, the Dogra king of Jammu and the state was thereafter known as the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir State (Raj), also thereafter referred as Kashmir State. The term Dogra hence is more akin to the subjects of Himachal Pradesh, some areas of Punjab and the whole region of Jammu that was ruled by Raja Gulab Singh as part of the Dogra Raj irrespective of the religion of the inhabitants.

Jammu and Kashmir

The

was a dynasty of

who ruled Jammu & Kashmir from 1846 to 1947. They traced their ancestry to the

Ikshvaku Ikshvaku ( Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Hindu mythology. He is described to be the first king of the Kosala kingdom, and was one of the ten sons of Shraddhadeva Manu, the first man on the earth. He was the founder and first king ...

(Solar) Dynasty of

Northern India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

(the same clan in which

Lord Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...

was born; he, therefore, is the 'kuldevta' (family deity) of the Dogras). The

Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...

rule extended beyond the Jammu region and the

to the Tibetan Buddhist Kingdom of

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu a ...

and the Emirates of Hunza,

Gilgit Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a ...

and

Nagar Nagar ( -nagar) can refer to: Places Bangladesh * Nagar, Rajshahi Division, a village * Nagar, Barisal Division, a settlement India * Nagar taluka, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra State * Nagar, Murshidabad, a village in West Bengal * Nagar, Rajasthan ...

. After the

First Anglo-Sikh War The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company in 1845 and 1846 in and around the Ferozepur district of Punjab. It resulted in defeat and partial subjugation of the Sikh empire and cession o ...

in 1846, the British gave Kashmir and the title of 'Maharaja' to

– the chief minister – as a reward for aligning with them against the

Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The ter ...

Military history

The

was among the regiments of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which cou ...

, which made significant contributions in both the world wars on all fronts from

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. At Independence, it became an infantry regiment of the

composed largely but not exclusively of the Dogra people. The

Jammu and Kashmir Rifles The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Its origins lay in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. After the accession of the state to the Indian Union in October 1947, ...

, another regiment of the Indian Army, consisting of mainly Dogras was formed out of the former army of the Kingdom of Jammu & Kashmir after it was absorbed into the Indian Army.

Culture

Folk dance and music

* ''Kud'', a ritual dance performed in honour of Lok Devatas. This dance style is performed mostly at night. It is spontaneous and people of all ages and genders participate. Instruments used during the Kud are , , flute, and drums. The rhythm of music controls the movement of participants. This dance continues for the whole night. The number of participants ranges from 20 to 30 members. * ''Heren'', a traditional theatre form performed during the Lohri festival by 10–15 people. It is mostly performed in hilly regions of Jammu, Udhampur and ramnagar. * ''Fumenie'' and ''Jagarana'', a dance style performed by women on the eve of groom's departure to in-laws house. Both the songs are sung by a group consisting of 15–20 members. This traditional dance form depicts the feelings and emotions of women. * ''Paakh/Gwatri/Kark/Masade'', a chorus narrative sung by a group of 10 singers without any musical instruments. * ''Gwatri'', a singing–dance combined tradition in which the singers narrate some text which is acted by the Gwatari dancers. * ''Karak'', a narrative ballet sung by a community called 'Jogies'. They narrate a popular folk tale in their dance style, performed by three members with accompaniment of a typical folk instrument called 'Rabab'. * ''Benthe'', the chorus singing tradition performed specific community of tribal called Gujjar and Bakerwal. The dance is performed by 5–7 members.

Cuisine

Traditional dogra food-jammu and kashmir-001

Wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...

and bajra are staple food besides rice, cereals and a tangy preparation made of mango or tamarind popularly known as ''Ambal'' (अम्बल) or ''Maani'' (म्हाणी)/''Ambal'' (अंबल).The whole dish is called ''Dal patt maani'' (दाल भत्त म्हाणी) and is savoured as a combination. ''Mittha madra'' (मिट्ठा मदरा) is a favourite and is cooked from milk, dry fruits, and semolina. Preparations of ''Rajmash'' (a special variety of red kidney beans); ''Mash Da Madra'' (Yogurt based gravy for black lentils); ''Auryia'' a dish of curd fermented by rye; ''Kulth di Daal'' (Horse gram); ''Ambal'' made from pumpkin, jaggery and tamarind are favourites, especially during ceremonial cooking. The expert cooks are called ''Siyans'', usually

Brahmins Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

. ''Kalari'' is a milk preserved by coagulation of proteins and then fried in a pan to make it delicious. Non-vegetarian food was limited to Rajputs and Vaish (Mahajans). ''Khatta meat'' is mutton cooked with sour pomegranate seeds (''Anardana'') or lime juice and flavoured with fumes of a burning charcoal soaked in mustard oil. ''Keyur'' (घ्यूर) is one of the well known foods of Dogras. It is prepared by flour and butter and served with sugar and curd. Mostly, it is served to bridegroom at the time of marriage by the in-laws. ''Kalaari'' is a favourite food of Dogras in the rainy season. It is prepared by flour mix, cottage cheese and milk cream (malai) with water with help of a small cup shaped pot. ''Kalari'' is served with milk. Kalari cheese is popular in the Jammu region and in Jammu and Kashmir state more generally. ''Babbru/pathoru'' are prepared with flour and fried in oil. ''Babbru'' is served with Maani/Potato dish/Kheer/Curd etc.Ghyoor(''kyoor(क्यूर)'' is also a very popular dish in dogras which is prepared by using "maida" and "Ghee" and served with curd and sugar.

Kheer Kheer, also known as payasam, is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, although rice may be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur wh ...

is a dish prepared from milk by adding some rice and dry fruit in it. It is served at all the special occasions and festivals. Another popular exotic dish is ''guchiyyan'' (dried black

morel ''Morchella'', the true morels, is a genus of edible sac fungi closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi in the order Pezizales ( division Ascomycota). These distinctive fungi have a honeycomb appearance due to the network of ridges wi ...

), usually added as an ingredient in pulao. As it grows naturally in forests and cannot be cultivated, it is a priced commodity (approx 500 Rs. per 100 g) and makes an excelled dish with mountain potatoes (pahadi aloo).

Saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma (botany), stigma and stigma (botany)#style, styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly ...

or kesar is extensively used to flavour sweet dishes and for its anti-oxidant benefits. Many types of pickles are prepared with ''Kasrod'' (Fiddlehead fern), Mango, ''Tyaoo'', ''Lasoode'' and ''Girgle.''

Notable Dogras

Banda Singh Bahadur Banda Singh Bahadur (born Lachman Dev) (27 October 1670 – 9 June 1716), was a Sikh warrior and a commander of Khalsa army. At age 15, he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Bairagi. He established a monastery ...

(1670–1716) - Sikh warrior and commander of the

Khalsa Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,Kha ...

army *

Premchand Degra Premchand Degra is an International Federation of BodyBuilders, IFBB professional bodybuilder from India. He won the World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships title in the short-height 80 kg category in 1988. He was also awarded the "Achie ...

- Indian bodybuilder from Punjab region * Hans Raj Dogra, Indian politician *

Monica Dogra Monica Dogra is an American musician and actress. She has acted in six feature films, as well as released five studio albums with the band Shaa’ir and func. She is a member on the judging panel of India's first English music talent show, The St ...

– singer and actor *

Paras Dogra Paras Dogra (born 19 November 1984) is an Indian cricketer who has played first-class cricket since 2001. He is a right-handed batsman. Career In November 2015, Dogra equalled the record of double centuries scored in the Ranji Trophy when he s ...

– cricketer who plays for Rajasthan Royals *

Prem Nath Dogra Prem Nath Dogra (24 October 1884 – 21 March 1972), also known as Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, was a leader from Jammu and Kashmir who worked for total integration of the state with India. He is commonly referred to as ''Sher e Duggar''. He was inst ...

– founder of J&K Praja Parishad and later All India President of Bhartiya Jana Sangh *

Ridhi Dogra Ridhi Dogra (born 22 September 1984) is an Indian actress known for her portrayal of Nusrat in ''Asur'', Astha in ''The Married Woman'', Priya in '' Maryada: Lekin Kab Tak?'' and participation in ''Nach Baliye 6'' and '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke ...

- actress * Tirath Das Dogra – former director All India Institute of Medical Sciences, forensic medicine expert, vice-chancellor of SGT University. Member of Medical Council of India. *

Mian Dido Jamwal Mian Dido Jamwal was a Dogra Rajput warrior from the Jamwal clan who rebelled against the overlords of Jammu, the Sikh Empire. He was descended from Raja Hari Dev of Jammu. Mian Dido was extremely popular among the common people of Jammu, and eve ...

(1780-1821)- Military and political figures during 18 and 19 century. *

Ranveer Jamwal Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal, VSM** (born 26 December 1975) is an officer of the Indian Army and the first Indian to climb the Seven Summits and Mount Everest three times. He is a veteran of more than 30 mountaineering expeditions across sev ...

- Mountaineer *

Vidyut Jammwal Vidyut Dev Singh Jammwal (born 10 December 1980) is an Indian actor, martial artist and film producer who predominantly works in Hindi films. He is also a practitioner of Kalaripayattu. He is best known for his roles in Commando film series, ...

- actor * Ajay Singh Jasrotia - Martyr of Kargil War 1999 *

Zorawar Singh Kahluria Zorawar Singh Kahluria (1784–12 December 1841) was a military general of the Dogra Rajput ruler, Gulab Singh of Jammu. He served as the governor (''wazir-e-wazarat'') of Kishtwar and extended the territories of the kingdom by conquering Lad ...

- Military General of first Khalsa and later Dogra rulers of Jammu. * Captain Saurabh Kalia, Kargil War hero *

Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar Khan Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar Khan ( ur, چوہدری محمد سرور خان; 1919–2003); was the longest serving Parliamentarian in the history of Pakistan. He served in Provincial Assembly of the Punjab and National Assembly of Pakistan from ...

(1919-2003) Longest Serving Pakistani Parliamentarian from Rupochak, District Narowal/Sialkot *

Vijay Mahajan Vijay Mahajan is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the Director of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies. Mahajan was the founder of the BASIX Social Enterprise Group which is engaged in liveliho ...

- Former Dean (Indian School of Business), Distinguished Professor at the McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin * Manjit Minhas - Canadian entrepreneur *

Alla Rakha Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi (29 April 1919 – 3 February 2000), popularly known as Alla Rakha, was an Indian tabla player who specialized in Hindustani classical music. He was a frequent accompanist of sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar and ...

– Padma Shri awardee and tabla player. * Mehta Basti Ram, Commander * Major

Somnath Sharma Major Somnath Sharma, PVC (31 January 1923 – 3 November 1947), was an officer of the Indian Army, and the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), India's highest military decoration, which he was awarded posthumously. Sharma was c ...

– First recipient of the

Param Vir Chakra The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. Param Vir Chakra translates as the "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave", and the award is granted for "most conspicu ...

* Bhim Singh – Leader of the JKNPP, Ex General Secretary of the

All India Congress Committee The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is the presidium or the central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress. It is composed of members elected from state-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousan ...

and international activist for secular democratic value

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Authority control Ethnic groups in Pakistan Ethnic groups in India Himalayan peoples Indo-Aryan peoples Indian surnames Linguistic groups of the constitutionally recognised official languages of India Social groups of India Social groups of Pakistan Social groups of Jammu and Kashmir