Bagar (region)
Region in north-western India
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Through India, Grassland and Thar Desert
Etymology
Bagar means the prairie (grazing shrubs and grassland) of northern Rajputana, which likely comes from eponymous Arabic word "baqar" or "bagar" (بقرة) meaning "cow" (sacred to Hindus), derived from the Arabic word "cattle". Baggara in Arabic means "cattle herders". Bagar tract refers to the semi-arid semi-fertile rain-fed sandy shrubby grassland tract at the confluence of arid Thar Desert and fertile bangar and khadir areas of Indo-Gangetic Plain, which as historically inhabited by the cattle herders who remained semi-nomadic until they began to adapt to settled life in the mid to late Medieval Period. Before the adoption of the Arabic name bagar, the area was earlier known as Jangladesh during the Vedic era of Mahabharata and even in early medieval times at least until the end of Hindu reign of Prithviraj Chauhan.
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Bagar tracts
Bagar (Hindi: बागड़) region is characterised by Bagar tracts which are long strips of shifting sand dunes called tibba (टिब्बा) and relatively semi-fertile lands and the area between them is called lal (लाळ) in northern districts of Rajasthan and along the northwestern districts of Haryana.
Geography
The Bagar region has potentially very fertile alluvial soil interspersed with highly permeable very sandy tracts in several places with water table more than 100 feet below ground containing brackish water usually unfit for human consumption, where dust storms frequent during the warm summer months from April till the end of July when monsoon arrives.
Previously, the drinking water availability in the Bagar tract was solely based on the rain & wells and irrigation was possible only in the small areas of Ghaggar basin of Bagar region in districts of Fatehabad, Sirsa, Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar and Anupgarh where the seasonal Ghaggar river flows.
Earlier Western Yamuna Canal and after 1963 Bhakra Nangal Dam canal system provides the water for irrigation in most of Haryana including all of the Bagar region falling in Haryana on its western border.
The Ganga canal in 1927 and in 1984 Indira Gandhi Canal irrigation also known as Rajasthan Canal brought the water of Sutlej and Beas rivers to the fields of Rajasthan including its Bagar tract, stabilizing the sand dunes and soil erosion by preventing the expansion of desert.
Geographically, the Bagar region lies between the:
- Malwa, Punjab to the north,
- The Shekhawati region and the Marwar region of Rajasthan to the south.
- The Aravali Range to the southeast in the Charkhi Dadri district & Tosham tehsil of Bhiwani district,
- Ahirwal region of Haryana also in the southeast.
- The eastern border in bounded to the Haryanavi speaking region of haryana.
- In the west of Bagar region lies the Rohi(रोई)/Cholistan desert in Pakistan's Punjab province, with a few Bagri speakers in Pakistan's Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar districts.
Bagri language
Bagri (बागड़ी), a dialect of overlapping Rajasthani language, Haryanvi language and Punjabi language of the Indo-Aryan family, is spoken by about five million speakers residing in Bagar region of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab states in India.
Politics of Bagar Region (Constituencies and MLA)
There are 40 Constituencies of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan legislative assemblies where the Bagri language is spoken by majority of the population.
- In Punjab, there 4 constituencies of Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib in South Punjab where Bagri speakers decide the fate of elections. Out of 4 constituencies only 1 constituency is reserved for SC candidate.
- In Haryana, there are 15 constituencies in north west haryana which comes under the Bagar region out of which 2 constituencies are reserved for SC candidates.
- In Rajasthan, there are 21 constituencies of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly which comes under the Bagar region in North Rajasthan. Meanwhile, 4 constituencies out of 21 constituencies are reserved for SC candidates.
Rajasthan
Following is the list of the constituencies and the candidates from Bhartiya Janata Party, Congress party and the Independent candidates appeared in 2023 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election from the Bagri speaking region of Rajasthan.
Haryana
Following is the list of constituencies and Members of Legislative Assembly from the Bagri speaking region of North Western Haryana.
Punjab
Following is the list of constituencies and MLA in the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Fazilka district and southern part of Sri Muktsar Sahib district with the significant presence of Bagri Speakers in South Punjab, India.