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Ahirs
The
Ahirs are concentrated in Mahandergarh, the neighbouring district of Gurgaon and
the Jhajjar tehsil of Rohtak. They claim to have descended from the people to
which Lord Krishna himself belonged, the Yadav tribe. They are by far the best
and the most skilled agriculturists. They are hard working, frugal and orderly.
In habits and nature they are similar to the Jats and they also have a number of
gotras like the Jats.
Rors
Rors,
a small tribe is mostly concentrated in Karnal. They rank with the Jats as
cultivators.
Banias
The word Bania stems from a Sanskrit word Banijyas meaning
trade. They are by tradition the chief trading class in Haryana. The Banias
are divided into three main classes, the Aggarwalas, the Oswals and Maheshwaris.
They mostly confine themselves to local trade in Mandis (wholesale grain
markets) and in the villages. Though small in number they are quite influential
both in business and politics.
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Meos
The Meos are concentrated in Mewat, comprising the hill country tract of Gurgaon,
Alwar and Baratpur. They take their name from the place of their residence the
Mewat. They claim to have a Rajput origin, descendants of an ancestor who was
converted to Islam in the time of Kutub-ud-din. Meos are a happy blend of Islam
and Hinduism. They observe the feasts of both but fasts of none. On the occasion
of marriage, birth and other ceremonies Hindu customs and practices are
observed. As a people they are daring and full of a spirit of adventure.
Harijans
In Haryana, the Harijans constitute roughly about one fifth
of the population of the state. The several categories of Harijans (schedule
castes) are the Chamars, Chhuras, Dhanaks and Julahas. As a single community
the Chamars are the most predominant. In earlier times, the Chamar was
the village shoemaker, the Chhura its scavenger and the Dhanaks and Julahas
were village weavers. They all took a hand in the agricultural operations
by contributing their labour. But now, these Harijans are occupying the
positions of even legislators, ministers, senior government officials
and some of them have entered into competition with the other classes
in small trade and cottage industries.
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Gujars
Gujjars or Gurjaras belong
to the Kshatriya and Brahmin castes. They are concentrated in large numbers
in the Khadar and canal villages of the Karnal district in Haryana. They
are mainly found in the states of Punjab, Jammu &Kashmir, Gujarat.
In another category are the village artisans, craftsmen and
others who help in the agricultural operations. These included the village
blacksmith, the carpenter, the oilman (teli), the barber (nai), the washer
man (dhobi), the village potter (kumhar) and some others.
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