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Nijjar

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Nijjar is a Jat clan from the Northern Indian state of Punjab. Most of the members of this clan are Sikhs by religion. Nijjars are found mostly in the Doaba area of Punjab. Fatehpur, Chomon, Nijjaran, Gobindpur, Kurali, Bhar Singh Pura, Massanian, Kathar, Diantpur, Nijjaran Di Pandori are among prominent villages (pinds) in district Jalandhar of Nijjars. Domeli (Kapurthala district) near Phagwara is also a prominent village of Nijjars. The four Nijjar [also spelt as Nijjher, "Nijhar"or Nijjer, and in a rare alternate spelling "Nijor"] villages of Dianatpur, Masanian, Kathar and Dhepur were first settled by people from village of Domeli [Kapurthala district] near Phagwara. Most likely the village of Dianatpur was settled during the Mogul times around 1775 when the Sikh Missals [confederations] were also in the ascendancy. The forefathers of Dianatpur village used to say that two brothers from the village of Domeli used to bring their animals in the area for grazing and built huts to stay for months at a time. In due course they started cultivating the land and settled down and the village of Dianatpur came into being.It is said that the Nijhar families of Dianatpur, Kathar and Dhepur were tormented by the local muslim jolahas [weavers]. The families invited the jolahas for a meal and surrounded them and set them on fire killing them. The place where this event took place was called “masan” and later on when people settled near the place the village was called Massanian!

DIANATPUR - Village census 2001 No of Households 72 Total Population 349 Male Population 166 Female Population 183 Literate Population 259 Male Literate 125 Female Literate 134 Illiterate Population 90 Male illiterate population 41 Female illiterate population 49 Working Population 95 Population below 06 Male 22 Population below 06 Female 18


Today, this clan includes renowned historians (Dr. Bakshish S. Nijjar) (who also references himself in this page), Judges (Punjab & Haryana High Court, Mumbai, Calcutta Justice, Surinder S. Nijjar originally from Bhar Singh Pura), as well as accomplished agriculturalists. Nijjars have also played a distinct role in Sikh History, providing leadership to the Babbar Akali movement of the early 1920s.

Despite the Doab region being their ancestral homeland, some Nijjars owned vast amounts of agricultural land in Lyallpur, West Punjab, prior to the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. Partition brought great loss and suffering to the Nijjars of Lyallpur (as it did to many Sikhs in West Punjab at the time, who were forced to give up their homes and livelihood, in order to move to India). The Nijjars of Lyallpur moved back to the Doaba region after 1947. Today, their descendants can be found in Fatehpur and Chomon.

Nijjar and Deol Clan

Both clans had contributed greatly in the Ranjit Singh army during Sikh empire rule in Punjab. During the 1800's the Nijjar and Deol clan were the first to own large amounts of land in the Punjab area with out getting taxed the districts included Lahore, Sialkot, and Lyallpur.


The 1970s and 1980s saw many Nijjars leave their native Doaba, to reside in California, Canada, and the UK.

Village Nijjaran produced some very highly qualified individuals. Famous ones are Harnek Singh Nijjar - M.Sc. in Applied Chemistry, Gold Medalist; Jasvir Singh Nijjar, M.Com.; Amarjit Singh Nijjar, M.Sc. Mathematics (Honors);Jaspal Singh Nijjar,B.Sc,B.Ed (Lecturer); Parmjit Singh Nijjar, M.E (Electronics Engineering) and not forgetting Mandip Nijor, M.Sc. E-Commerce (Honors); based in Kent, U.K. (originally from Bhar Singh Pura),Joginder Singh Nijjar (Barrister at law and solicitor), Bhupinder Singh Nijjar (Leading UK businessman - Estate), Jaswinder Singh Nijjar (Leading UK businessman), Nirmal Kaur Nijjar (solicitor in UK), Rajinder Singh Nijjar (Leading UK businessman - Dairy),Sarwan Singh Nijjer (one of the main inspirations to the biulding of GURU NANAK GURDUWARA willenhall west midlands England )

References


  • Max Arthur Macauliffe: A History of the Sikhs; Vol. I, Princeton, 1963.
  • Bakshish S. Nijjar: History of the Babar Akalis; Jalandhar, ABS Publications, 1987.
  • Bakshish S. Nijjar: Indian Punjab; Jalandhar, ABS Publications, 1985.
  • Balbir S. Nijjar: Census Records and Family History (Pre-Partition to 2000)
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