Kamboj
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The Kamboj (Devanagari: कंबोज, Nastaliq: کمبوج, Gurmukhi: ਕੰਬੋਜ), also spelled as Kamboh, is a socio-ethnic community primarily found in the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Historically, the Kamboj trace their ancestry to the ancient Kambojas, a warrior and horse-breeding tribe of Indo-Iranian origin, frequently mentioned in Vedic texts, Mahabharata, and Ashokan edicts.
In the post-Vedic period, they were regarded as a frontier community that maintained strong cultural and trade links with Central Asia and Iran. Over time, segments of the Kamboj population assimilated into different regional identities, and during the early medieval and later periods, some Kamboj groups underwent Rajputization, adopting Rajput customs, titles such as "Thakur," and claiming Chandravanshi or Suryavanshi lineage.[1][2][3]
Today, the community includes adherents of multiple faiths, including Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam. They are commonly engaged in agriculture, military service, and other professions. The term "Kamboj" or "Kamboh" is sometimes used interchangeably depending on regional linguistic preferences, with "Kamboh" more commonly used among Muslim sections in Pakistan.
The Kamboj community includes followers of Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam. A significant number of Kamboj identify as Hindu Rajputs, especially in states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. These Kamboj maintain traditional Kshatriya identity, follow clan gotras, and often use titles like Thakur and Chaudhary, reflecting their landowning and warrior heritage. Many of them trace descent from the ancient Kambojas and are recognized locally as part of the Rajput social structure. [4]
Sikh Kambojs are also prominent, especially in Punjab, where they are known for agricultural leadership and community service. Several Sikh Kamboj families retained their traditional gotras and martial culture even after conversion. [5]
Muslim Kambojs, known as Kamboh, are found mainly in northern India and Pakistan. Historically, they held important administrative and military positions during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal periods. [6]
Demographics
Religion
As per the 1931 census of British Punjab, most Kambojs followed Sikhism (42.4%) and Islam (41.5%), with a considerable minority following Hinduism (16.1%).[7]
The Hindu and Sikh Kamboj communities are primarily found in Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu regions of India. Many among them identify as Rajputs and use titles such as "Thakur" and "Chaudhary", indicating Kshatriya status. Several also follow traditional gotra and rishi gotra systems preserved from ancient lineage.[8][9]
Muslim members of the community are called as Kamboh. The Hindu Kambojs and the Sikh Kambojs are found in the Punjab, Haryana and Jammu regions in India, while most of the Muslim Kambohs are found in the province of Punjab in Pakistan.[10]
Numbers
As per the 2017 Pakistani census, Kamboh made around 5% of Lahore's population, which back then amounted to some 550,000 individuals out of a total population of 11 million.[11]
See also
References
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