What is the origin of Dogra people?
When and how they started ruling Kashmir. I read that many local Kashmiris (knowns as Hatoo) had to migrate in Punjab due to cruelties of these Rajas.
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Dogras are offshoot of Punjabis similar to Serikis of southern punjab, they populate Jammu and Himachal pradesh in India, they are british classified martial caste, considered to be expert guerrilla fighters, very beautiful people, mainly hindu people. India has divisions of Dogra regiments. Dogras were contributors in renewing Muslim-Sikh rivalry, One of the great sikh Banda Singh Bahadur is also considered dogra though often he is disputed as Kashmiri pandit, Major Somnath Sharma, first PVC,highest gallantry award, for saving srinagar in first war on my Kashmir:k:
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Welcome back the kaur :)
So were the Maharajas of Kashmir were Dogra? Although the names Gulab Singh suggests that they were Sikhs? What was the story behind migration of Hato people in Punjab?
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Singh title was initially used by Yadavs of Nepal, its literal meaning is Lion, all Rajputs to this day use Singh as their title everywhere. For Sikhs, title was bestowed by Guru Gobind Singh. I don't have any idea about Hato people though, Maharaja Hari Singh was dogra, their family always spoke dogri. Preity Zinta is also dogra.dogras are into all three religion of Punjab, role of Dogra Sikhs in disintegrating Maharaja Ranjeet Singh empire was also prominent.
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Dogras are regarded as traitors by my Sikh friends apparently the Dogras sided with the British and cuased strife between Sikhs, Sikhs and Muslims and Hindus and Muslims. Dogras are apparently according to my Sikh friends Hindu and not Sikh. Singh simply means lion and I know of a few Punjabi Muslims with the last name Singh too. 
British classed them as a martial race but the Dogras were always only good on home turf whenever they tried to invade others they failed, they were badly thrashed by Chinese troops when they tried to invade Northwards and same happened in thier Westward expansion becuase of Pathans.
That said they did rule Kashmir for a long time until partition, and then the last Rajah caused all the problems for Pakistan 
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Yes I heard Dogra / Doger surname in Muslims here in Pakistan. So the Dogras defeated Maharaja Ranjeet Singh to get rule over Kashmir? I've been reading that Kashmir was sold to Dogras for nominal amount by British Government.
Hatos were the Muslims from Kashmir, who migrated to Punjab . Many died on their way to Punjab due to severe weather of areas like Peer Panjaal. These Hatos then worked as cheap labor in Punjab and were best in lifting heavy burden.
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Of course, for the right wing sikh, anything beyond Jats is non sikh:D, Dogras Hindu Rajput were against Pundas, they hated pundas because of acceptance in masses and power of holding opinion they had, Mughal governor Wazir Khan, who wanted to convert Pundas to islam by forcing beef like tipu did in Kerala, Pundas asked for the help of Guru Tegh Bahadur who was martyred by Hazrat Mian Aurangzeb, and the rivalry got renewed between Sikhs and Mughals, Pundas propagated Guruji as avtaar of Arjun in Kaliyug, converting many into dual acceptance into Hindu and Sikh. Maharaja Hari Singh was last defence of us, the pundas, in valley, after that we had to come out due to violence of muslims against Pundas, and counteroffensive of pundas is still on:)
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Is it true that beef is never been part of traditional Kashmiri dishes? I came to know about this while searching for origin of Shab Deg?
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Forcing beef? I can understand Wazir Khan doing that… but its totally against the character of Tipu…
Then again maybe its true… 
Are Pundas and Pundits the same thing?
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Then you need to research on Tipu’s campaign on Kerala, forcing beef is easiest way of destroying religion, Hinduism is closed religion and their is no revertion in it except in Aryasamaj like ideology.
Punda comes from word Pandey, title of Brahmins, british used to call rebels as Pandies as first one to revolt was Mangal Pandey while local delhites called them Tilangas, as first regiment was supposed to have recruited from Telangana:)
Kashmir is named after Hindu Maharishi Kashyap, Kashyap gotra is very much prominent in Pundas, It was pure hindu place till Kailash in Tibbet before sufi Islam came, it is the only area which I know where there is no separate ghettoes of Hindus and Muslims to this date:k:
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
I though Sikhs joined forces with British in 1857
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
I though Sikhs joined forces with British in 1857
That is correct, British Indian army has recruited soldiers from Oudh before revolt.Most of them were high caste hindus and muslims, Sikhs always despised Mughals because of confronting history, sikh sided with british only to destroy mughal empire, after victory on delhi in 1857, they even desecrated Jama Masjid with wine and pork.
Re: Kashmir and Dogra Raj
Thanks Maura. Did not know the last partm