Saraz or Siraj is a hilly region in the eastern part of the
Jammu division of
Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Historically a ''
pargana'' within the erstwhile state of
Kishtwar,
the region currently takes up the northern half of
Doda district and parts of neighbouring
Ramban and
Kishtwar districts. Its population in 2011 stood at people.
The region is defined mainly on the basis of linguistics where the majority of people speak
Sarazi as their mother tongue.
Demographics
Saraz is a rural area located on the right bank of the
Chenab river, including its district headquarters,
Doda district. The areas on the left bank of river are geographically located in
Bhaderwah area. The northern side of Doda district borders with the erstwhile
Anantnag
Anantnag ( ; ), also called Islamabad ( ; ), is the administrative headquarters of Anantnag district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "admi ...
district of the
Kashmir region.
Saraz is a large area, known for the Sarazi dialect spoken there.
The primary native language in the region is
Sarazi. It is widely spoken as a
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...
alongside
Hindi/Urdu, but as a first language it is primarily associated with the Hindu population. Most Muslims speak of
Kashmiri; some Muslim communities speak Sarazi,
Gojri or
Watali, but many of them have shifted to Kashmiri in recent generations, and even those who retain the language still use Kashmiri as a second language. A minority of people also know
Dogri. The languages of administration and education are
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
and English.
History
In the past, Doda was largely inhabited by a
Sarazi population before people started settling there from Kashmir and other adjoining areas.
Historians disagree as to why the Kashmiri population settled in Saraz during the 17th and 18th centuries.
However,
Sumantra Bose says it was repression by the feudal classes elsewhere that drew people to Doda,
Ramban and
Kishtwar.
See also
*
Sarazi language, native language of Saraz region
*Farid Ahmed Naik, first Sarazi language news reporter
References
Geography of Jammu and Kashmir
Doda district
{{JammuKashmir-geo-stub
Chenab Valley