Arora
| Arora | |
|---|---|
| Religions | Hinduism • Sikhism |
| Languages | Punjabi (Lahnda − Saraiki, Thali, Riasti, Pahari-Pothwari, Hindko, Khetrani, Jatki), Sindhi, Hindustani |
| Region | Contemporarily Punjab (India) • Sindh • Haryana • Delhi • Rajasthan • Uttar Pradesh Historically Derajat (Punjab • Balochistan • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sindh and Pothohar Plateau |
| Related groups | Khatri • Bhatia • Sood |
Arora (Punjabi: Aroṛā, IPA: [əɾoːɽaː]) is a caste originating from northern Sindh and southern Punjab comprising both Hindus and Sikhs. The name is derived from their ancestral place of Aror, Sindh. In 712, the Arora people are said to have left Aror and started to settle in the cities of Punjab, mainly in South Punjab. However, according to W. H. McLeod, many Aroras originally came from the Pothohar area in North Punjab.
Their traditional occupations were shopkeeping, petty-business and moneylending in late pre-colonial and colonial times and even as of 2009 many were prominent shopkeepers in Punjab.
Historically, the Arora section of the Khatri community had been principally found in West Punjab, in the districts to the south and west of Lahore. Scott Cameron Levi, believes that they are a "sub-caste of the Khatris".
After the partition of India, Punjabis who migrated from erstwhile West Punjab were mostly Khatris and Aroras. Studies reveal that "Arora Khatri, Bedi, Ahluwalia, etc. are some of the important castes among the Punjabis".
