Wikipedia

Chapa

clan of the Gurjar ethnic community

Chapa[1][2][3][4] also known Chap[5][6] is a clan of the Gurjar ethnic community of northern India. Once they ruled in the Chapa dynasty of Wadhan and Anhilwada, Gujarat.[7][4]

Chapa, Chap
Religions
Languages
Country
Region
EthnicityGurjar (Gujjar)

Chap Gujjars are distributed in various regions of Pakistan and India. They are mostly Hindus, although some are Muslim.[8][9]

Origin

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Uncertainty surrounds the origin of the Chapa Gujjars. However, according to Brahman historian, K.M. Munshi, asserts that this Gujar clan as well as the Chapa Gujjars, are descended from Brahman (a varna in Hinduism)[5].

Etomology

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The name Chapa or Chap is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word Chapotkrisht (Chapotkata/Chapotkat), which signifies strong or excelled at archery.[4]

History

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According to some historians, Chapa Gujjars ruled in the Chapa dynasty (from approximately 500 to 670 A.D)[10] of Gujarat before the establishment of the Chavda dynasty (690–742 A.D.) and Bhinmal was their capital now in Rajasthan.[4]

Because of their rule and influence their ruling territory got its name as Gurjaradesa/Gurjaratra during the regime of Chapa ruler Vyaghramukha in about 628 A.D later it came to known as Gujarat.[1][8][2]

Chapa Gujjars ruled in Gujarat for more then 200 hundred years before the Gurjar Pratiharas until the invasion led by Sultan Mehmood Gaznavi of Gazna.[10]

In an historical account Sir George Abraham Grierson mentioned about the Chapa dynasty and it's ruler Vyaghramukha of Chapa clan of the Gurjars of Gujarat as;

We know that as early as the first half of the seventh century, Bhinmal (Srimäla) to the north-west of Mount Abt, was the capital of a kingdom ruled by Vyaghramukha Chapa. The Chapas were a subdivision of the Gurjars. A coin of Vyaghramukha was found associated with numerous slightly earlier Hiça coins of the sixth and seventh centuries on the Manaswal Platean in the outer Siwalik Hills, Hoshiyarpur District, Panjab, which at that period undoubtedly was under Huna-Gurjara rule.[11]

British historian James Campbell about Chapa Gurjars mentioned as;

Chápas a branch of the Gurjjaras (Gujars) as the centre of power at Anahi- laváda , 480 ; a Gurjjara king of Bhinmal (A.D. 628).[12]

Distribution

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Chap Gujjars are found in Punjab, Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan. In India they are mainly located in Gujarat,[13] Rajasthan,[4] Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

References

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Citations

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 singh, Rajinder (2023-01-01). Gujrat Indian State. Guarav book center. Archived from the original on 2023-12-24. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Warikoo, Kulbhushan; Som, Sujit (2000). Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya. p. 8. Chapas the undoubted proof that they are Gurjars, and secondly, from the fact that it was mainly through the Chapas that the Gurjars gave their name to Gurjaratra, and thirdly, the statement of the astronomer Brahm Gupt whose writing at Bhinmal in 628 A.D. under the Gurjar king Vyaghra Mukh.
  3. ↑ Rahi, Dr Javaid (2017-01-01). The Gujjars Vol: 06 Edited by Dr. Javaid Rahi Book series on Gujjar History and Culture. Jammu and Kashmir Acacademy of Art, Culture , Languages , Jammu.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Khan, Aakib. Complete Rajasthan (English). SI Publication. p. 106. The Gurjar clan, which ruled at Bhinmal, was known as Chapas (this name is a short version of Chapotkrisht, sanskit word which means excelled in archery or strong.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Warikoo, Kulbhushan; Som, Sujit (2000). Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya. p. 25. K.M. Munshi has assigned Brahman origin to four Gurjar families (i) Chap (ii) Chauhan (iii) Gehlot (iv) Parmar. We are to examine his arguments in the light of historical facts. The founder of Chap kingdom at Broach was Dadda by name
  6. ↑ "Gurjar Gotra". 2023-12-10. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  7. ↑ Varma, Ratanalāla (1987). Bhāratīya saṃskr̥ti ke rakshaka (in Hindi). Bhāratīya Gurjara Parishad. pp. 59_119. Dholpur, Sakambhari and Malwa, ruled by the allied Gurjar clans of Pratiharas, Parmaras-including Chapa, chah- manas, chalukyas and Gehlots, were parts of Gurjardesa, united in the social and linguistic unity of the people.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Varma, Ratanalāla (1987). Bhāratīya saṃskr̥ti ke rakshaka (in Hindi). Bhāratīya Gurjara Parishad. Dholpur, Sakambhari and Malwa, ruled by the allied Gurjar clans of Pratiharas, Parmaras-including Chapa, chah- manas, chalukyas and Gehlots, were parts of Gurjardesa, united in the social and linguistic unity of the people.
  9. ↑ Rahi, Javaid (2012-01-01). The Gujjars Vol: 01 and 02 Edited by Dr. Javaid Rahi. Jammu and Kashmir Acacademy of Art, Culture , Languages , Jammu. p. 412.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Historical Background and Socio Cultural Aspects of Gujjar Community in Jammu and Kashmir A Case Study. Vol. 68. 2020. p. 54. ISSN 0474-9030. Another Gujjar dynasty called Chapa dynasty had been in power about 200 years which are displaced by Pratiharas and had power until Mahmud Ghazni come. Raja Shankervarman of Kashmir invaded Gujarat the kingdom of Gujara was ruled by one Lakhandev (one region known as Takka) presently that region is Punjab. In 6th and 7th century great famine and drought occur in Rajasthan and Gujarat and these people migrated towards Jammu and Kashmir and finally mostly now permanently settled here.
  11. ↑ Grierson, Sir George Abraham (1916). Linguistic Survey of India: Volume 9, Part 4. Office of the superintendent of government printing, India. p. 12.
  12. ↑ Campbell, James M. (1988). Hindu Castes and Tribes of Gujarat. Vintage Books. Chápas a branch of the Gurjjaras (Gujars) as the centre of power at Anahi- laváda , 480 ; a Gurjjara king of Bhinmal (A.D. 628).
  13. ↑ Campbell, James M. (1988). Hindu Castes and Tribes of Gujarat. Vintage Books. Chápas a branch of the Gurjjaras (Gujars') as the centre of power at Anahi- laváda , 480 ; a Gurjjara king of Bhinmal (A.D. 628).


Sources

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  1. Printed at the Government Central Press (1901) Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency :Volume 9, Part 1 p.560
  2. Sir George Abraham Grierson (1916) Linguistic Survey of India: Volume 9, Part 4 p.12
  3. Archaeological Survey of India (1911) Indian Antiquary: Volume 40 p.86
  4. Vintage Books (1988) Hindu Castes and Tribes of Gujarat: Volume 2 p.560


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