Batwal

The Batwal are a Hindu caste found in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in India. They are also known as Batwal Rajput.

History

There was no caste or communities of Batwal in India until Alexander came and attacks on India. Batwal, Bat-Wal, means, Bat- Stone ("Btta" in Punjabi and Pahari language) and Wal- Built with (Like, milkman is dudhwala, Wal- means who has rich with something) as result Batwal means a person or bunch of folks built with stone. Some very strong, legend, fearless, conversant and proficient in fighting, persons was selected from some Rajput families and from respective Army to go save the border of their respective lands. As all the selected soldiers was not so rich so not special facilities were provided in order to survive. When Alexander's army attacks on different parts in India Batwal was first soldiers who fought with them doughtily where they were ordered to depute. As they were very low in quantity, they could not stop them for long time. Remaining soldiers went to their capitals to let their authorities know about the attack and whole scenario. Although they fought for the finish and redeem their duty but people of their native places declared them good-nought or not able to save them from external attacks. the Batwal were then forced to flee their ares when India was actually attacked by Alexander the Great. Once the Greek armies retreated, the Batwal found that their neighbors had seized their lands, duties, roles and responsibilities and they were forced to become village watchmen. As they were not born to do small jobs so the people who know they did actually a tremendous job, were always with them to help them get their repudiated job, lands, respect and honor that they deserve. As India was always strict to its antediluvian thinking, so rich and authorized people started punishing those who were helping them. Til then Batwals were not known as the Batwal as the battalion was not belong to one particular community or sub-caste (Gautra) when they were sent to save the boarder. As maximum of them belongs to Batmalu in the Kashmir Valley, people started calling them Batwal (Meaning changed as, The person who lived in Batmalu). In course of the time many so called educated authorities and peoples changed the meaning of time to time. As India jumped to the new world, Batwal were lost their dignity, the honor they deserve, their lands, homes, rights and everything and kneel down to their opposite circumstances and start doing every work they found to survive. Once they started doing any work, people of their native places start became habitual to know every individual according to their work. To guard the whole village was not easy work in ancient world of India as India was full of forests and there were always a fear of wild animals and enemies. Batwal were always known as brave who never feel fear to fight with any visible or invisible attacks so the dedicated work allotted them was to guard the village. As many of the people admit the rumours about Batwal that they were not able to fight with Greek armies so people started seeing with domndest way. This was the point where so called Batwal started losing everything in their life. Some of them tried to migrate from Batmalu, J&K to other places (Now that places comes under, J&K, Punjab and Himachal) but they were too far from the place they left behind and people who had opposite thoughts about them, again started ruins their life in different areas of the north India. In British governance, many of the backward people and the people who were in touch of Batwals started counting under Batwal community and treated as low cast people. When documentation world started, Batwals lost their complete identity and became a low cast and fallen under SC category. 90 percent of the people who wrote about Batwals are actually don't know about them. In that days, Many of the people who were not educated and belong to other low casts were listed under or as Batwals and now everything is muddled up.

This is What Other People Know About Batwal:-

The Batwal of Punjab trace their ancestry to the town of Batmalu in the Kashmir Valley, and the word Batwal in Punjabi means literally the inhabitant of Batmalu. Other traditions place their origin to the town of Batbal in Jammu. The community provided the traditional watchmen of the Punjab. According to the community own tradition, the Batwal were forced to flee their settlements when India was attacked by Alexander the Great. Once the Greek armies retreated, the Batwal found that their neighbours had seized their lands, and they were forced to become village watchmen. Like other communities of similar status, the Batwal have been granted scheduled caste status, which allows them to avail a number of affirmative action schemes by the Government of India.

In the Jammu region, from where the Punjab Batwal claim to have originated, there are a number of traditions as their origin. One traditions refer to the fact that the Batwal were tied to the land by the Dogra landowners, and the word Bat in the Dogri language means someone who is bonded. They were for generations bonded to particular families of Dogras, and were practically serfs. The Batwal are found mainly in Kathua, Jammu and Udhampur districts.

Present circumstances

The Batwal are divided into thirteen clans referred as per North Indian traditions as gotras. Like other neighbouring Hindu communities, the Batwal are striucly exogamous, never marrying within the clan. The major clans include the Basae, a name derived from the Beas River and meaning those settled along the banks of that river, and the Chariya, i.e. those who were inhabitants of Shimla. Other clans include the Thage, Kainth, Laskhotra, Lahoria, Mandee, Motton, Nakhotra, Nandan, Sajotra, Sargotra, and Targotra. Most Batwal in India have been strongly influenced by the Arya Samaj movement, while some Batwals have come under the influence of other Hindu reformist sects such as the Sacha Sauda. Like the Punjab Batwal, the Jammu Batwal community also consists of clans. Their main clans are the Nakodar, Moten and Kasim. The Batwal shares the customs and traditions of the oocally dominant Dogra ethnic group and speak Dogri.

The Batwala were found historically in the submontaine region of Punjab, roughly stretching from Gujrat District in the west to Hoshiarpur District in the east. All the Hindu Batwal are immigrated from what became Pakistan at the time of the partition of India. Historically, the Batwal had two functions, the heredity position of the village watchmen as well as those who summoned the village for work. Many were allocated land by the British authorities, and this saw a transformation, as Batwal took to agricultural. Important Batwal villages include Bhadurpur, Bhaore, Chaute Miani, Azadpur, Habowal, Kakowal, Machiawara, Nurewal, Sarhind and Walipur. These villages are owned by the Batwal community, and they are the dominant community. Maximum of the Batwals are in Indian Army, as many of other low caste people are added as Batwals so those people are doing same small works. Now Batwals are almost in all big posts, like Doctor, Advocate, Senior Defense Officers, Companies Owner, Landlord, NIR and working in private firms like, IT companies, Pharmaceutical companies, textiles etc.. They speak Punjabi in Punjab and Dogri in Jammu and Kashmir However, This is not an obligation because, everyone in Punjab speaks Punjabi and Dogri in J&K.