Sikligar

TheSikligar(also known asMoyal) is a community found in theIndianstates ofGujarat,Haryana,Rajasthan,andPunjab.By tradition, the Sikligar people specialized in the craft ofmakingand polishing weapons. They are typicallyHinduin Gujarat,Telangana,andAndhra Pradesh;Sikhin Punjab; and either Hindu and Sikh in Haryana.

Origin

TheArabicwordsaiqalmeans apolisher,and the Sikligar are those people who had the hereditary duty of making and maintaining weapons.Many administrators of theBritish Raj,such asH. A. Rose,Denzil IbbetsonandWilliam Crookewrote books that referred to the blacksmith communities asLohars,although in fact that term refers to a specific group of people and is not interchangeable.They were once Lohars and thus blacksmiths but split from the Lohar community and became specialist bladesmiths.

They are a nomadic community, often with encampments at the edge of towns and cities. The Sikligar claim to have beenRajputswho fled from Islamic invading armies and subsequently became weapon polishers to disguise themselves from their foes. Their ancestral home is said to be the city ofKannauj,but they speakGujarati.The community is strictlyendogamousand is divided into twelve clans with equal status. These are the Kanthiwala Bhand, Mole Bhand, Gandhiwala Bhand, Jumarwala, Jilpatia, Pathlerde, Juni, Mat and Bardika clans.

According to their traditions, during the period of the Hindu deityRamaknown as Haryana, there was a clan called the Chakreli. The Chakreli were the traditional manufacturers of swords and shields. The Chakreli lived inChitor,inRajasthan.Their ancestors fled their hometown in the face of invaders, and the ancestors of the Haryana Sikligar moved into the region in ancient times. Other traditions relate that the community is of Rajput origin. According to those stories, they were Rajput soldiers in the army ofPrithvi Raj Chauhan,and became blacksmiths after his defeat at the hands ofMohammed Ghori.

In Punjab, the Sikligar claim to have immigrated from Rajasthan, where they manufactured swords. The community converted to Sikhism after they settled in Punjab, and are now found throughout the area, especially in the districts ofBathinda,andLudhiana.The Sikligar are now divided into a number of clans, the main ones being the Moyal, Tank, Junni, Dangi, Bhond, Bhori, Khichi, Thilipithiya, Dudani, Ghor-chare Tank, Kalyani and Churi te Biori.

Present circumstances

The Hindu Sikligar of Gujarat continue their traditional occupation of sharpeningknives,scissors,household articles and agricultural implements. Economically, they are extremely marginalised, with cases of child labor existing.

The Sikligar in Haryana are now divided into two groups, the Hindu Sikligar and Sikh Sikligar. The difference in religions mean that both groups are distinct communities, with no intermarriage. Both speak theHaryanvidialect. They are found mainly in the districts ofHissar,Jind,Rohtak,Sirsaand Mohendargarh. Settled in hamlets on the outskirts of towns and villages, living often in thatched huts, they are further divided into 84 clans, known asgotras.The main ones being theChauhan,Nirban,Taunk,Kalilot,Mohil,Joone, Dugoli Ke, Moyal, Padyar, Khankhara,Bhati,Dhare, Khichi, Ghelot, Badke,Dangi,Jaspal, Patwa,Solanki,Matlana, Dagar, and Banwari. Their main occupation remains metal burnishing. They are involved in the manufacturing of implements such as spades, sickles, sieves and iron baskets. A small number are now farmers, raising poultry and cattle.

InPunjab,the Sikligar are still engaged in the manufacture of swords, knives, daggers and buckets, selling these implements directly to villagers. The Sikh Sikligar are strictlyendogamous,and practice clanexogamy;their customs are similar to other Sikh communities in Punjab. They speakPunjabi,with most understandingHindi.