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| Deserted Villages of Johar |
There are very rare historical and scientific sources available about the early history of Johar/Shauka. Due to the oral tradition of learning from one generation to another and the lack of archaeological sources, like ancient inscriptions, coins, sites and fossils, the only available sources for finding the early history of Johar/Shauka can be some ancient literature/epic (e.g. Mahabharat), local folktales (e.g. Halduwa - Pingaluwa) and legends (e.g. Rajula Malushahi).
Unfortunately, most of the literatures written on Johar/Shauka are mainly focused on the economic and cultural aspects of our society, completely neglecting our history!
The first person to write something factually about our origin and history was the famous explorer and surveyor, Pundit Nain Singh Rawat, whose writings played a significant role in inspiring and helping other authors (e.g. Babu Ram Singh Pangtey, Atkinson, Traill, Shering, etc.) to write seriously about the History of Shaukas!
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| Traditionally carved wooden door |
Chronology/Timeline of History
The History of Johar can be divided into the following chronological periods/eras/events :
1. Halduwa - Pingaluwa Period (The Mahabharat Era; Arrival of Nag Vansh People)
2. Panch Jwari Period (Up to 15th Century AD; The Golden Age of Sunpati Shauka)
3. Arrival of Dham Singh Rawat (16th Century AD; Conflicts & Assimilations)
4. Milamwal Period (Dominance of The Milamwals)
5. The Age of Exploration (19th Century AD; Pundit Nain Singh Rawat, Rai Bahadur Kishan Singh Rawat, Mani Campassi & Others)
6. Indian Independence Movement (1908 - 1947; Participation of Shaukas)
7. Closure of the Indo-Tibet Border Trade (1962; Due to the Indo-China War of 1962)
8. Transition Period (संक्रमण काल) (1962 - 67; The Long Period of Uncertainty)
9. Notification of Shaukas (Bhotiyas) under The Scheduled Tribes Act of India (1967; From ‘Shauka’ to ‘Bhotiya’)
10. Post - Reservation Period (1967 - Present; Opening of New Horizons of Opportunities)
" चे च्यवा! "
