THE "INDEGENOUS", "ABORIGINAL" KASHMIRI

If you thought that among Kashmiris, there are only pandits aka Brahmins and the Kashmiri Muslims who are basically Kashmiri Pandits who converted to Islam, then you are wrong.

While the Kashmiri Pandits(KP) and by extension the Kashmiri Muslim(KM) are not indigenous Kashmiri populations. They are said to be Saraswat Brahmin communities who settled in the valley thousands of years ago.

Interestingly the Saraswat Brahmin (known as Gauda Saraswats) of the Konkan coastal region(Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka etc) claim a completely different origin rooted in the Saraswati River (modern-day Haryana/Rajasthan). According to the Sahyadri Khanda of the Skanda Purana, the Saraswats migrated south after the Saraswati River dried up.

The Saraswats became part of the "KoBra" community ie; Konkanastha Brahmins who are different from the Deshastha Brahmins. Saraswat "KoBra" are fair skinned, light eyes (blue/grey) mostly. They share traits with the Chitpavan Brahmins (Konkanastha). European observers in the 19th century noted the fair skin and light eyes (blue/grey) of many Chitpavans and hypothesized they might be of Nordic or Jewish (Bene Israel) descent. Saraswats being "fish eating" as opposed to the strict vegetarianism was used by early ethnographers to suggest a "foreign" or "non-Vedic" origin.

Following the 1990 insurgency, which led to the mass displacement of the Pandit community. Many Pandits refer to themselves as the "indigenous" people of the valley currently living in exile.

Anyways coming back to the main topic...........

THE "BATALS": The "dalit" Kashmiri.

The Batals(also known as Watal, Battal, or Batul) are often described as the "invisible" or "forgotten" indigenous layer of the Kashmir Valley. While the broader Kashmiri identity is dominated by the history of Pandits and the subsequent conversion to Islam, the Batals represent a distinct, marginalized social stratum that some anthropologists believe predates the major Indo-Aryan migrations into the valley.

Historians and ethnographers suggest that the Batals are the descendants of the aboriginal inhabitants who occupied the valley long before the arrival of the Vedic tribes or the Saraswat Brahmins.

Much like the "Dalits" in other parts of India, the Batals were historically pushed to the periphery of Kashmiri society. They were traditionally associated with "unclean" professions—leatherwork, cleaning, and professional singing/dancing (the Batal-Pather). Because they handled animal hides, they were kept separate from both the high-caste KPs and, later, the upper-class KM "Ashrafs."

Even within this marginalized group, there is a hierarchy that mirrors the complex social engineering of ancient Kashmir:

Sufi Batals: Those who shifted toward more "respectable" labor or became wandering mystics.

Dambal Batals: Historically associated with specific folk dances and agricultural labor.

The "Lower" Batals: Those still tethered to tanning and scavenging, who remain the most socially excluded today.

While almost all Batals are technically Muslim today, their conversion was often a "mass movement" to escape the rigid caste hierarchies of the medieval period. Despite being Muslim, they retained many "pagan" or pre-Islamic folk traditions that are distinct from the mainstream Persianized culture of Srinagar.

In the current socio-political climate of the valley, the Batals are often caught in a "double marginalization." They are frequently excluded from the broader "Kashmiri Nationalist" narrative because of their low social status, yet they don't always fit into the "Scheduled Caste" categories defined by the Indian government

THE CHOPAN/CHOPPANS

While the Batals are often viewed as the marginalized "urban or village" indigenous layer, the Chopan (or Choppan) are the "high-altitude" indigenous people of the Kashmir Valley.

In the social hierarchy of Kashmir, they are the traditional professional shepherds. While they are often confused with the Bakarwals, they are ethnically and linguistically distinct.

Unlike the nomadic Bakarwals (who speak Gojri and migrate between Jammu and Kashmir), the Chopan speak Kashmiri as their mother tongue. Many anthropologists consider the Chopan to be part of the ancient, pre-Islamic pastoralist stock of the valley.

Some historians link them to the ancient Khashas, a tribe mentioned in the Mahabharata and Rajatarangini as the fierce inhabitants of the mountains surrounding the Kashmir Valley. Because they spend 6–7 months of the year in complete isolation in the high Himalayas, they have preserved ancient mountain lore, herbal medicine knowledge, and folk songs that are much older than the urban Persianized culture of Srinagar.

The Chopan are the guardians of the "Wandari"—the traditional knowledge of high-altitude routes and passes. In the 1947, 1965, and 1999 conflicts (Kargil), it was often the Chopan shepherds who first spotted infiltrators or unusual military movements, making them an informal but vital part of the valley's security architecture.

The Bakarwals and Gujjars (who do similar work) have had ST status for decades, giving them access to government jobs and reserved seats while the Chopan (or Choppan) dont have ST status. The Chopan community is demanding they be recognized as a Scheduled Tribe to gain the same protections as the nomads they share the mountains with.