These Haryanvis are actually Greek!

K. Rajbir Deswal writes about the Magha tribe in Haryana, whose members bear a striking resemblance to Greeks and trace their lineage to the mighty Magadha empire.

THE story of the Maghas unwinds itself back to more than a couple of millennia yet its truth is reflected in the genetic, historical and cultural aspects of the tribe. A look at their faces and confusion is sure to set in, for they bear a striking resemblance to Greeks, confirming their lineage to two distinct and different races — Indian and Greek. Maghas claim their lineage to the mighty Magadha empire. And they have convincing evidence to prove their lineage in the form of their bodily features. Their customs, traditions and rituals are now similar to those of the locals.

Maghas have a fair complexion and have broad foreheads with golden brownish hair. Their long faces have well-defined features. The locals, in comparison, are shorter in height.

Maghas are the inhabitants of Indri, a town some 20 km north-east of Karnal in Haryana. The place bears testimony to the fact that long ago it was surely the capital of some kingdom. Even today Indri has ruins of palaces, fortresses, orchards, ponds and mounds etc belonging to a bygone era. The Yamuna flows at a distance of about 10 km from here.

Maghas migrated to Indri and various other places in Haryana, including Sadhora, Naraingarh, Tohana etc., from the then kingdom of Magadha which constitutes the present-day Bihar. Legends confirm that Indragarh was the capital’s name at that time. Even

Karnal was known as Kelagarh as is confirmed by the district gazetteer. The ruined remains of Indri bring out the existence of its magnificent culture.

Eighty-year-old Raja Ram, who is the nambardar of Indri, speaks about many interesting details about his Magha tribe. Members of his tribe, he says, still have typical Grecian features — large forehead, long nose, luscious lips and a pinkish complexion. To protect their own genetic lineage, Maghas perform endogamous marriages within their tribe. There is a practice called Anta-Santa which is still prevalent in the Magha tribe where a person who marries another’s sister will have to marry away his own sister to the brother of his wife.

Even to this day, the Maghas have retained their genetic typicalities of appearance and the men and women of this tribe stand out from the rest of the local population, in so far as their beauty, body structure and complexion is concerned. Raja Ram says whenever he visits surrounding places and villages beyond the Yamuna, people who are not aware of his tribe find him ‘different looking’. The population of Maghas in Haryana does not exceed 5,000. And over the years’ they have adopted the Hindu customs.

Raja Ram claims that Maghas have been known in the past as warriors par excellence. They are teetotallers, non-vegetarions and non-smokers. Women observe the purdah system and wear heavy ghagras. The ornaments have a typical Haryanvi look. Raja Ram sadly recalls that whenever any person of their community died, his belongings were taken away by the then rulers of Kunjpura. After the fall of Magdha empire for centuries altogether, his tribesmen were looked on with suspicion and branded as ‘aliens’. Till Independence, the tribe was not recognised as a distinct ethnic entity.

Raja Ram’s beautiful 19-year-old grand-daughter, like all her tribe’s women, bears the Grecian stamp on her well-sculpted looks, that Maghas are so proud of.

Their folk lore boasts of Queen Nihaldey who outshone the rest of the beauties of her times. She was a stunning beauty who fell in love with Nar Sultan, a very handsome man and the son of the King of Kelagarh. Her sister Mahakdey was also equally beautiful.

Two palaces, now in ruins, belonging to these beautiful women, are still present in Indri. The Sheesh Mahal (see photograph) in Gudha village, near Indri, is believed to have belonged to Nihaldey. Even a casual look at this structure gives an impression of a perfect blend of Indian and Grecian architecture. The domes are supported by aisles and arches in pinnacle style with overhanging casements made from small bricks.

It cannot be said for sure as to why and when did the Maghas migrate to this place. It is believed that the Maghas migrated to this area around the time when the structures were built. An Idgah also stands close to these structures.

The Haryanvi swang with different titles like Nihaldey Ka Qissa, Mahakdey Ka Qissa and Jaani Chor, are enacted even to this day and many other qissas and raginis have been attributed to the love stories of Nihaldey and Nar Sultan. The love story of Mahakdey, too, has all the ingredients of a romantic plot. The present police station of Indri is housed in what was one time known as the palace of Queen Mahakdey. The beautiful pond in front of this structure speaks about the glory and richness of a full-fledged kingdom of its times.