Sialkot is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The predominant caste found in Sialkot are:
Arains
The Arains are an agricultural caste and are the largest caste group in the Sialkot region, making up over 60% of the population. They trace their origins to the Arab invaders of Sindh and moved into the Punjab region around the 11th century. The Arains were granted lands in Sialkot by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century in return for their military service. They are known for their martial traditions and many notable politicians and army officers have hailed from the Arain caste.
Jatts
The Jatts are the second largest caste group in Sialkot after the Arains. They make up around 20% of the Sialkot population. The Jatts are an agricultural caste as well, with origins in the Punjab region dating back thousands of years. They embraced Sikhism under Guru Gobind Singh in the 17th century. The Jatts of Sialkot played an important role in the colonial British Indian Army and many continue to serve in the Pakistan military.
Rajputs
The Rajputs, though smaller in number, have been influential in Sialkot as they were extensive landowners and aristocrats during the Mughal era. They make up around 5% of the Sialkot population. The Sialkot Rajputs claim descent from the royal warriors of ancient India and converted to Islam under the influence of Sufi saints. Under British rule, some Rajputs served in the colonial army as well.
Gujjars
The Gujjars are a small caste group making up around 3% of Sialkot’s population. They are an agrarian caste who originated as nomadic herders. Most Gujjars follow Sunni Islam. The Gujjars have historically resided in the outskirts of Sialkot city.
Artisan Castes
There are some traditional artisan castes that make up around 5% of Sialkot’s population such as carpenters, blacksmiths, potters, and weavers. They trace their descent to migrants from various parts of northern India who came to Sialkot centuries ago to ply their trades. These castes are essential to Sialkot’s famed cottage industry and handicrafts production.
Christians and Other Minorities
There is a small Christian minority of around 2% living in Sialkot, mostly descended from converts during British rule. Sialkot was also once home to a Sikh community of traders and merchants prior to the Partition, who migrated to India in 1947. There are also some scheduled castes, making up 5% of the population, who were traditionally marginalized but are now accorded equal rights and status under Pakistani law.
Conclusion
To summarize, Sialkot is overwhelmingly dominated by the Arain caste due to their historical prominence as landowners and their martial traditions. The Jatts form the next largest group as fellow agriculturalists and soldiers. While other castes like the Rajputs, Gujjars, artisans and minorities form a smaller part of Sialkot’s caste makeup, the Arains and Jatts have been the most influential in the politics, economy and culture of the Sialkot region for centuries.
Caste | Percentage of Population |
---|---|
Arains | 60% |
Jatts | 20% |
Rajputs | 5% |
Gujjars | 3% |
Artisan Castes | 5% |
Christians and Minorities | 7% |
History of Prominent Castes in Sialkot
Arains
The Arains first came to the Sialkot region around the 11th century from Arabia and Central Asia. They were granted extensive lands and titles in Sialkot during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century in return for providing military service. Under the patronage of Akbar, the Arains became wealthy landlords and aristocrats based around Sialkot. When the British took over Punjab in 1849, the Arains shifted their loyalties to the colonial rulers while maintaining their positions as landowners. After Pakistan’s independence, Sialkot became a stronghold of the Arains.
Jatts
The Jatts have inhabited the Sialkot region for many centuries as cultivators. They began converting to Sikhism during the time of Guru Gobind Singh in the late 17th century. The Sialkot Jatts played an important military role under Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Sikh Empire based in Lahore. When the British wrested control of Punjab from the Sikhs, some Jatts switched loyalties to become valued soldiers of the Raj while others opposed colonial rule. After Pakistan was created, the Jatts of Sialkot continued to wield influence as agricultural elites.
Rajputs
Sialkot was home to many Hindu Rajputs before the arrival of Islam. Under the Mughal Empire, the Rajputs converted but maintained their elite status as aristocrats and landowners. They received favors from Mughal emperors for their martial skills and loyalty. As Mughal power declined, the Sikh Empire seized Sialkot in 1802. Some Rajputs served the Sikhs at this time. The British allied with the Rajputs of Sialkot as a counterweight to the rebellious Jatts. But after Pakistan’s creation, most Rajputs migrated to India.
Gujjars
The Gujjars came to Sialkot centuries ago from the nearby Kashmir and Jammu regions where they worked as nomadic buffalo herders and milk sellers. In Sialkot, they adopted agriculture and settled in villages on the outskirts of Sialkot city. As a small community, they maintained a low profile while largely adhering to Sunni Islam. The Gujjars continue reside in the rural hinterland of Sialkot district.
Artisan Castes
Sialkot has historically been home to many skilled artisans that contributed to its cottage industries. These artisans mostly came from outside Punjab centuries ago. The carpenters of Sialkot are called Mistrys, tracing their origin to Pashtun immigrants. The Kumhars have been Sialkot’s potters for generations, migrating from Larkana. Ansari Sheikhs and Rangrez Sheikhs make up the weaver caste in Sialkot. They came from India to produce shawls and garments. These artisan communities specialized in crafts that bolstered Sialkot’s thriving crafts industry.
Caste Dynamics in Contemporary Sialkot
Despite rapid urbanization and industrialization in recent decades, caste remains relevant in Sialkot. Here are some key points about the caste system today:
- Politics is dominated by the Arains and Jatts who leverage their biradari networks.
- Inter-caste marriages are rare as clan and biradari ties remain strong.
- Tribal traditions like Vanni, swara and honor killings related to clan honor still occur.
- Low-caste Kammis are still looked down upon and face discrimination.
- Islam has influenced the weakening of caste, but kinship ties prevail.
- Non-Muslim castes like Kolhis are among the poorest groups.
- There is limited mobility as people prefer to stick to traditional occupations.
So while aspects of caste have eroded, clan identity and traditional power structures remain influential, especially in rural areas. However, a growing educated urban middle class and expanding economy is slowly changing the old caste dynamics of Sialkot.
Caste Association With Livelihoods and Occupations
Caste and occupational specialization have been closely linked in Sialkot since the medieval era. Here are some of the traditional livelihoods associated with the major caste groups:
Arains
– Landowners and farmers growing crops like rice, wheat and sugarcane
– Colonial soldiers and modern-day army officers and police
– Politicians and civil bureaucrats
– Professionals like doctors, engineers, teachers
Jatts
– Farmers specializing in crops like maize, wheat and rice
– Dairy farmers rearing buffalos and cows
– Truck drivers and transporters
– Laborers and agricultural workers
– Soldiers and police officers
Rajputs
– Aristocrats and landlords though many have migrated
– Small business owners
– Government officials and politicians
– Lawyers and judges
– Army officers
Gujjars
– Dairy farmers and buffalo herders
– Farm laborers and agricultural workers
– Truck drivers and transporters
– Construction workers
Artisan Castes
– Carpenters and woodworkers (Mistrys)
– Potters producing crockery and tiles (Kumhars)
– Weavers making garments and textiles (Ansari and Rangrez)
However, with rapid urbanization and spread of education, younger generations are leaving traditional caste occupations to become professionals in new industries and services.
Influence of Caste on Politics
Caste plays an influential role in the politics of Sialkot district. Key aspects include:
- Political candidates rely on biradari networks of their own caste for electoral support.
- The majority Arain caste dominates district and city politics.
- Jatt biradaris have also produced many politicians at district level.
- Some families like the Rajas and Mujahids have generations of politicians.
- Inter-caste rivalry can lead to tensions during elections.
- Patronage flows through caste channels in the form of public jobs and contracts.
- Minority castes have negligible political representation.
However, there is also an emerging shift as educated youth prefer party policies over caste. Caste politics is now criticized as regressive by many. But caste remains the bedrock of electoral politics in Sialkot, especially in rural constituencies.
Changes to Caste Identity Over Time
Caste identity and practices in Sialkot have evolved considerably over the past century under various influences:
- Islam encouraged egalitarianism and weakened caste prejudice.
- British administrators classified castes according to occupation.
- New education and occupations broke traditional caste jobs nexus.
- Urbanization and emergence of middle class diluted caste distinctiveness.
- Inter-caste marriages have become more common.
- Political parties downplay explicit caste affiliations.
- Economic growth and capitalism encouraged inter-caste cooperation.
Yet caste retains relevance through emergent identity politics, marriage customs, rural networks, and political patronage. Caste in Sialkot has transformed from a formal hierarchy to a more diffuse kinship and biradari-based system. But attachments of clan, lineage and caste persists in everyday social life.
Conclusion
In summary, the old agrarian caste structures of Sialkot – dominated by a few landowning and warrior castes like the Arains and Jatts – have evolved and adapted over time due to urbanization, economic dynamism and education. Occupational caste restrictions have weakened. Nevertheless, caste operates through kinship networks, political patronage and customary traditions that still wield influence in Sialkot’s society and politics, despite an overlay of modernization. Caste narratives remain integral to Sialkot’s identity and social order in contemporary times, even as their nature transforms.