Purigpa
The Purigpa are a community found in Kargil district, Ladakh, India. Out of 39 thousand Purigpas, 38 thousand are Muslim. The remaining few of them are mostly Buddhists. In 2011, there were 992 Buddhists among the Purigpas.[1]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 39,101 (2011) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Kargil District | |
| Languages | |
| Purgi language | |
| Religion | |
| Predominately Shia Islam, Minority Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Dardic People and Tibetan People |
Social status
As of 2001, the Purigpa were classified as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian government's reservation program of positive discrimination.[2] As of 2011 Population Census of India, Purigpa population stood at 39,101 with 20,119 males and 18,982 females. The adult sex ratio stood at 943 and child sex ratio at 971. They boasted a literacy rate of 67.5 per cent, which was better than the average tribal literacy rate of 50.6 per cent in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.[3][4]
History and culture
The Purigpa have varied origins and are descendants of Tibetans and Dards. These two groups began mixing with each other from the 10th century onward.[5]
The Purigpas are primarily Shia Muslims of the Twelver sect. They were converted by preachers who traveled via Baltistan beginning in the 16th century.[5]
See also
References
- "Religion Data of Census 2011: XXXIII JK-HP-ST". Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- "List of Scheduled Tribes". Census of India: Government of India. 7 March 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- "12 Major Tribes of Jammu and Kashmir". Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- Statistical Profile of Scheduled Tribes in India (https://tribal.nic.in/ST/StatisticalProfileofSTs2013.pdf)
- Gellner, David N. (2013). Borderland Lives in Northern South Asia. Duke University Press. pp. 49–51. ISBN 978-0-8223-7730-6.