Ganai (clan)
Ganai (also spelt as Ganei or Genie) is a Kashmiri Pandit clan and surname native to the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India.[1]
Usage
Although Ganai was originally a Kashmiri Brahmin clan used by Scholars,[1] its use in Kashmir has not been limited to the priestly class, and has been vast and appropriated by other groups as well.[1]
Many members of other castes and tribal groups have adopted the kram as well.[1] These other castes include: the Siddiquis,[1] who claim an Arab origin from the first Islamic caliph, Hazrat Umar; and the menial groups like - the Dums (untouchable Dalits), the Malis (gardeners) and the Qassais (butchers & meat-sellers); all of whom today are Muslim.[1]
Hence, most Ganais amongst Kashmir's Muslim population are often associated with the lower social strata of society, and therefore, are often subjected to discrimination, even in graveyard burial.[2] Many native Kashmiri Brahmins who converted to Islam, also retained this last name.[1]
The Ganai clan is also found in Lahore, in what is Pakistan today, where it is one of the clans of Kashmiri Muslims who migrated to, and settled in what is now the province of Punjab, during the 18th and 19th centuries, citing persecution and famine, during Sikh and Dogra rule.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Tahir, Muhammad (March 23, 2019). "A history of the Ganai clan of Kashmir". Free Press Kashmir. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
Sir Walter Lawrence, who was the Settlement Commissioner in Kashmir for five years (1889-1894), writes in his famous book The Valley of Kashmir (1895, p.306): 'The whole subject of Kashmir Krams [surnames] is fraught with difficulty, and this is increased by the fact that men of low occupations are arrogating high-sounding names. Thus of late years the Dums of Kashmir have steadily assumed the Kram of Ganai, much to the annoyance of the original Ganais. To make matters worse, the gardeners and butchers have also taken a fancy to the Kram name Ganai.' While Lawrence mentions that Ganais were believed to be converted Brahmins, he does not dwell much on the subject.
Unknown parameter|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Beigh, Javed (January 2, 2022). "Kashmir's Graveyard Discrimination". Greater Kashmir. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Tahir, Muhammad (August 7, 2019). "Ganais Of Lahore". Kashmir Life. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023. Unknown parameter
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