Bagar Region

south west Punjab, India where the Bagri language is spoken and which is inhabited by Bagri people. The region is characterised by sandy tracks and shifting sand dunes which are now irrigated by canals. 

Bagar means the prairie (grazing shrubs and grassland) of northern Rajputana, which likely comes from eponymous Arabic word "bagar" 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.

Bagar ( Hindi: बागङ) 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

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 of Punjab (Pakistan) with a few Bagri speakers in the Bahawalpur district & Bahawalnagar district.

Bagri (बागड़ी), a dialect of overlapping Rajasthani language, Haryanvi language and Punjabi language of the Indo-Aryan family, spoken by about five million speakers residing in Bagar region of Rajasthan,Haryana and Punjab states in India

 

The term Bagri people was originally applied to Ethenic Jats, GurjarsRajput and Bishnois living in Bagar Region and who speaks Bagri language

There are also sections of Kumhar, Suthar, Nai, Agarwal Banias and Maheshwari banias as well as Badhik ("butcher"), Pardhi ("hunter"), Bawariya (semi-nomads) castes who are referred as Bagri living in the region. Prominent bagri people are politician from Haryana Mani Ram Bagri (1 January 1920 – 31 March 2012, a politician from Haryana), Raj Bagri, Baron Bagri (24 August 1930 – 26 April 2017, India-born British businessman and a Conservative member of the House of Lords from 1997 to 2010, who was made a life peer in 1997).

There are 40 Constituencies of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan legislative assemblies where 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 decides 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.

Bagar Region (बागड़)
Year	Seats	Indian National Congress		Bharatiya Janata Party		Others
2023	21	10	1	9	0	2
2018	21	9	8	9	7	3
2013	21	1	10	16	8	4

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.

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  Sirsa district
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  Fatehabad district
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  Hisar district
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  Bhiwani district
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  Charkhi Dadri district
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  Bagar tract through Ganganagar district, Anupgarh district, Hanumangarh district, Churu district and Bikaner district in Rajasthan
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  Bagar tract through Fazilka district and southern villages of Muktsar district of Punjab (India)
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  Bagri as minor language is spoken in Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar district of Punjab, Pakistan, though not considered parts of Bagar tract.