The Multani Lohar are a
Muslim community found in the state of
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
.
[People of India Gujarat Volume XXI Part Two edited by R.B Lal, P.B.S.V Padmanabham, G Krishnan & M Azeez Mohideen pages 781-784]
History and origin
The community claims to be
Rajput
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 ...
s who converted to
Islam. They were originally settled in the city of
Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the olde ...
, and were brought to
Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...
by its ruler to manufacture cannonballs. Over time, these Multani Lohars immigrated to
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...
. Their dialect of
Gujarati still contains substantial
Seraiki loanwords. The community claims to be distinct from the other
Lohar
Lohar is a social group in India, Nepal and Pakistan. They are associated with iron smelting work. They form part of a loose grouping of traditionally artisanal castes known as Panchals.
Lohars worship Lord Vishwakarma and other Hindu gods and ...
communities of Gujarat on account of its Rajput ancestry.
Present circumstances
The community's traditional occupation was that of blacksmithy, but as with other artisan groups, they have seen a decline of their traditional occupation. Many now earn their living as day labourers. Like other
Gujarati Muslim groups, they have a caste council, the Multani Lohar Jamat, which is responsible for the welfare of the community. They are a strictly endogamous community, and practice
gotra
In Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally, the gotra ...
exogamy. All their clans have equal status, and intermarry.
See also
*
Nagori
Nagori is a cattle breed from Rajasthan, India. It is a draught breed, mainly used for agricultural purposes. It is known to have originated in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
See also
*List of breeds of cattle
List of cattle breeds — O ...
References
{{Indian Muslim
Muslim communities of India
Muslim communities of Gujarat
Social groups of Gujarat
History of Multan