Maqamat o Aqwam e Pakistan
Sunday, 30 July 2017
Tribes of Dist Lodhran
hutta, Langah, Kanju, Shajra and Uttera tribes
In this post, I shall look at five tribes, the Bhutta, Langah, Kanju, Shajra and Uttera. Of these, three have a substantial presence outside Punjab, namely the Bhuuta (known in Sindh as the Bhutto), Langah and Shajra, while the Kanju and Uttera are confined to south Punjab. All speak Seraiki, are largely Sunni Muslims, and are considered by themselves and others as Jat. Just to make clear, with regards to the Bhutta, there is a well known clan of Arains also called Bhutta, but this post will only look at the Jat Bhutta. The Bhutta, Langah and Shajra also have traditions of being descended from a common ancestor. Just one more point to note, the Uttera have sometimes been confused with the Uttra, but both tribes are distinct.
Bhutta
Like almost any tribe in Punjab, much has been written about the origin of the Bhutta. There is also much confusion between the Bhatti and Bhutta, and whether there is any connection between the two tribes. In terms of numbers, the Bhutta are probably the largest tribe of Jat status in south Punjab, although they are now found as far north as Jhelum (Please see Muslim Jats of Rawalpindi Division).
According some Bhutta traditions, they are a clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs, whose ancestors left Ayodhya, arrived in Multan, and converted Islam at the hands of the Sufi Bahauddin Zakaria. A significant number of Bhutta claim to have descended from Solar Rajputs. Raja Bhutta, the supposed ancestor of the tribe is said to have left Hindustan (roughly the modern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) arrived in Multan, which was then ruled by Raja Dahir, and captured a city which he renamed it Bhutta Wahan. Rajah Dahir could not take any action against Bhutta, as his kingdom was soon facing an invasion by the Arabs, who were successfully in overthrowing Dahir’s kingdom. The city still exists today and is located 16 km north of Rahim Yar Khan on the banks of the lost river of Hakra. After the death of Raja Bhutta, his son Ang Pal became the ruler. During Ang Pal’s rein, Bhutta Wahan was invaded by an Arab army, and he was killed fighting while his six brothers managed to escape. The family dispersed in various directions and most of them embraced Islam.
In Bahawalpur, there is a tradition the Bhutta are the same stock as the Bhatia, a well known Hindu caste found historically in south Punjab, Sindh and Gujarat. Incidentally, if this tradition is correct, the Bhutta are Chabdravanshi, and not Suryavanshi. However, there are also claims that the Bhutta descend from Raja Bhutta, of was said to be fifth in descent from Raja Karan (of the Mahabharata) and say they were forcibly converted even earlier , byMehmood of Ghazni and driven from Uch. The tradition of descent from Rajah Karan is fairly widespread among tribes of this region of Punjab, and all it seems to suggest that a particular tribe has long been resident in the region. In Unch, there are oral traditions, that the town was ruled by the Bhuttas until they were overthrown by the Gilani Sayyids.
During the rein of Sultan Rukn-u-din Feroz Shah (1229 AD ~ 1236 AD), one of Raja Bhutta’s descendents, Muhammad Sadiq Bhutta migrated to the city of Sialkot from Uch. Muhammad Sadiq Bhutta took employment in the court of the Governor of Punjab and as a reward for his services was awarded a estate of about thirty villages (one of these villages – Kotli Bhutta, is still in the possession of his descendents. The Jethal of Jhelum also have traditions that they a branch of the Bhutta tribe.
Bhutta Pirzadas
Perhaps the most famous branch of the clan is found in the town of Khairpur Tamiwali near Bahawalpur, who now claim to be Sayyids. These Pirzada Bhuttas have entirely separated from the rest of the tribe, and there is no intermarriage between them and other Bhuttas. They are descended from Pirzada Murad Baksh Bhutta.
Distribution
The Bhutta are found mainly in southern Punjab, in the districts of Multan, Sahiwal, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Vehari, Sargodha, Bhakkar, Muzaffargarh and Layyah, although Jhelum and Chakwal districts also have several Bhutta settlements.
Villages in Northern Punjab
In terms of villages, I have already referred to Kotli Bhutta in Sialkot. Starting with Jhelum District, they are found in Chak Mujahid Janubi, Dewanpur and Jalalpur Sharif. Next door in Chakwal District, they are found in Kot Chaudharian, Khokhar Zer, Mureed, Roopwal and Thoha Bahadar villages. These are also large Jat villages, and also home to other Jat clans such as the Gondal. Moving south, in Sargodha they are found in Chak 114 NB and Jalpana. Further west in Khushab District, they are found in Chak 50 MB and Jaura Kalan.
In South Punjab
In Lodhran District, they are found in the villages of Basti Ameerwala, Basti Naseerabad, Bast Mochianwala, Basti Muhammadi Wala, Basti Khalisa, Basti Raitwala, Basti Mahtamwala and Tahir Bhutta near Dunyapur.
Langah
I shall next look at the Langah, a tribe that is extremely interesting as it provided a dynasty that ruled southern Punjab for almost a century.
The Langah claim to have been orignally an Pashtun tribe, who came to Multan from Sibi, in what is now the Balochistan province, for the purposes of trade and eventually settled at Rappri, near the city of Multan. In the confusion that followed the invasion of South Asia by Tamerlane, the city of Multan became independent of the Sultanate of Delhi. The inhabitants chose Shaikh Yousaf Qureshi, a descendent of the famous Sufi Baha-ud-din Zakariya, as governor. In 1445, Rai Sahra, chief of the Langah, whose daughter had been married to Shaikh Yousaf, introduced an armed band of his tribesman into the city by night, seized Shaikh Yousaf, and sent him Delhi, and proclaimed himself king, under the title Sultan Qutbudin. This a list of the Langah kings of Multan:
Sultan Qutbudin 1445–1460
Sultan Hussain 1460
Sultan Firuzshah dates unknown
Sultan Mahmud dates unknown
Sultan Hussain 1518–1526
Sultan Mahmood Langah 1526-1540
The Langahs lost the city of Multan to Jalal ud-din Akbar. After their overthrow, the Langah left the city, and settled mainly in Shujabad district, where there is a solid of Langah villages.
There are however other traditions as to the origin of the Langah. Among the people of the Multan region, Langah are perceived to be of Jat status, and certainly seem to have little in common with Durrani Pathans of Multan city. One theory, mainly referred to by early British colonial writers such Rose, makes the Langah out to be
Panwar Rajputs, and related to neighbouring Panwar tribes such as the Kharal, Harral and Lak. According to James Todd, an earlier British authority, the Langah are a clan ofSolanki Rajputs, who inhabitedMultan and Jaisalmer, and were driven out by the Bhattis. Although, we certainly find no reference of a tradition of Solanki descent among the Langah. It therefore likely, the Langah were migrants from Sibi, although whether they were Pashtun is detainable. It is quite possible, that they are Jats, originally from Sibi, who migrated to southern Punjab in the early Middle Ages.
Some modern Langah also claim Arab ancestry, having said to have come from Arabia some eight centuries ago. However, although the trend to claim Arab ancestry has become popular among many Punjabi Muslim tribes, most Langah still claim an Afghan origin.
Kanju
The Kanju are one five tribes, which include the Hattar, Noon and Uttera, that claim a common ancestry.
According to their traditions, the tribe claims descent from a BhattiRajput nobleman, a Rana Rajwadhan. The Rana lived in Ghazni, and then moved to Delhi in India. After some time, he moved to Bhatner. In the 13th Century, the Rana moved to Chanb Kalyar, in what is now the Lodhran District. The ruler of the area was a Raja Bhutta. The Raja wanted to marry the daughter of Rajwadhan, who refused. As a result a battle took place, and the Raja was slain. The tract was then divided by Rajwadhan, and his five sons, Kalyar, Uttera, Kanju, Noon and Hattar. Each son was given an area to occupy, the Kanju were given Lodhran, where the bulk of the tribe is still found. Here the Kanju lived the life of pastoral nomads, similar in customs and traditions to other Bar nomads until the region was invaded by Baloch tribes in the 15th Century. In the 19th Century, there land was seized for the purposes of colonization, and the nomadic Kanju were settled. The village of Alipur Kanju, near Kahror Pacca, is still a stronghold of the tribe, and Bohar Mailsi is also an important Kanju settlement.
Outside Lodhran District, Multan District, and Rahim Yar Khan districts in Punjab, Ghotki, Daherki and Nawab Shah districts in Sindh. The town ofMuqeem Shah in Dera Ismail KhanDistrict of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is large Kanju settlement.
Shajra
The Shajra, or sometimes spelt Shujra, are a tribe of Jat status, found both in SAindh and Punjab. To clarify, there is a Jat tribe called Chhajra, with whom the Shajra have no connection. Like other tribes already referred to in and other posts, the Shajra have several traditions. What is interesting is that older traditions of Hindu ancestry are being replaced by claims of Arab origins. British sources in the early part of the twentieth Century recorded the following origin; the Shajra claim descent from Mahli, who is said to be a Suryavanshi Rajput. This Mahli is said to have four sons, Shajra being one of them, the other three being Bhutta. Naich and Langah, from whom descend the Bhutta, Naich and Langah tribes. Interestingly, although the Bhutta and Naich claim Suryavanshi descent, they have no tradition connecting them with the Shajra.
However, more recently claims of Arab ancestry have been made. Their ancestor Shajra, now is a Yemeni Arab, who was a soldier in the army of Mohammad Bin Qasim, the Aran conqueror of Sindh. Interestingly, the word shajra in Arabic means a tree, and it could be possible that it was a nickname of an ancestor. The Shajra might be of Arab origin, however after centuries of intermarriage, they have merged with the other Jat clans of south Punjab. In Punjab, the tribe speaks Seraiki, while in Sindh it speaks Sindhi. The Shajra of Sindh also have a chief, who resides in Ghotki and the current one is Muzafar Ali Shujra.
In Punjab, they are found mainly in the districts Khanewal, Multan and Rajanpur districts.
Uttera
In this post I will finally look at theUttera. There origin myth is looked in some detail in the entry on the Kanju, with whom they share many customs and tradition. Just a point of clarification, the Uttera are distinct from the Uttra, who are discussed in my first post. The Uttera are Bar nomads, who traditional area was near Kahror Pacca, a region that they share with the Kanju. Like the Kanju, they lost a lot of their traditional grazing area when the Lodhran area saw the immigration of Baloch tribes. The Uttera were fully settled in the 19thCentury by the British.
They are now found mainly in Lodhran, Multan,and Bahawalpurdistricts.In Lodhran District, the village of Kotla Uttera is an important centre of the tribe. Other Uttera villages include Mouza Muhammad Saee ( near the town of Kahror Pacca), Rind Jada and Khubbriwala. There are also a cluster of Uttera villages near Dunyapur such asBankeywala, Maywala Gogran, Chah Dhoraywala, Chah Dahana, Tundianwala, Qasimwala, Talibwala, Arwarwala, Balochwala, and Basti Shareenwala Gogran.b
Friday, 21 July 2017
DEVA(ڈیوا/دیوا)
Deva (Hinduism)
This article is about Devas in Hindu mythology and culture. For other uses, see Deva (disambiguation).
Deva (Sanskrit: देव, Devá) means "heavenly, divine, anything of excellence", and is also one of the terms for a deity in Hinduism.[1] Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is devi (pronounced Devee).
In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called Asuras.[2][3] The concepts and legends evolve in ancient Indian literature, and by the late Vedic period, benevolent supernatural beings are referred to as Deva-Asuras. In post-Vedic texts, such as the Puranas and the Itihasas of Hinduism, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad.[4][5] In some medieval Indian literature, Devas are also referred to as Suras and contrasted with their equally powerful but malevolent half-brothers, referred to as the Asuras.[6]
Devas along with Asuras, Yakshas (nature spirits) and Rakshasas (ghosts, ogres) are part of Indian mythology, and Devas feature in one of many cosmological theories in Hinduism.[7][8]
EtymologyEdit
Deva is a Sanskrit word found in Vedic literature of 2nd millennium BCE. Monier Williams translates it as "heavenly, divine, terrestrial things of high excellence, exalted, shining ones".[1][9]The concept also is used to refer to deity or god.[1]
The Sanskrit deva- derives from Indo-Iranian *daiv- which in turn descends from the Proto-Indo-European word, *deiwo-, originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "shining", which is a (not synchronic Sanskrit) vrddhi derivative from the root *diw meaning "to shine", especially as the day-lit sky.[citation needed]The feminine form of *deiwos is *deiwih2, which descends into Indic languages as devi, in that context meaning "female deity". Also deriving from *deiwos, and thus cognates of deva, are Lithuanian Dievas (Latvian Dievs, Prussian Deiwas), Germanic Tiwaz (seen in English "Tuesday") and the related Old Norse Tivar (gods), and Latin deus "god" and divus "divine", from which the English words "divine", "deity", French "dieu", Portuguese "deus", Spanish "dios" and Italian "dio", also "Zeys/Ζεύς" - "Dias/Δίας", the Greek father of the gods, are derived.[citation needed] It is related to *Dyeus which while from the same root, may originally have referred to the "heavenly shining father", and hence to "Father Sky", the chief God of the Indo-European pantheon, continued in Sanskrit Dyaus. The bode of the Devas is Dyuloka.[citation needed]
According to Douglas Harper, the etymological roots of Deva mean "a shining one," from *div- "to shine," and it is a cognate with Greek dios "divine" and Zeus, and Latin deus "god" (Old Latin deivos).[10]
Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is devi.[11]Etymologically, the cognates of Devi are Latin dea and Greek thea.[12] When capitalized, Devi or Mata refers to goddess as divine mother in Hinduism.[13] Deva is also referred to as Devatā,[9] while Devi as Devika.[11]
The word Deva is also a proper name or part of name in Indian culture, where it refers to "one who wishes to excel, overcome" or the "seeker of, master of or a best among".[1]
Vedic literatureEdit
Main article: Rigvedic deities
Samhitas and BrahmanasEdit
The Samhitas, which are the oldest layer of text in Vedas enumerate 33 devas,[note 1] either 11 each for the three worlds, or as 12 Adityas, 11 Rudras, 8 Vasus and 2 Asvins in the Brahmanas layer of Vedic texts.[1][19] The Rigveda states in hymn 1.139.11,
ये देवासो दिव्येकादश स्थ पृथिव्यामध्येकादश स्थ ।
अप्सुक्षितो महिनैकादश स्थ ते देवासो यज्ञमिमं जुषध्वम् ॥११॥[20]
O ye eleven gods whose home is heaven, O ye eleven who make earth your dwelling,
Ye who with might, eleven, live in waters, accept this sacrifice, O gods, with pleasure.
– Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith[21]
Gods who are eleven in heaven; who are eleven on earth;
and who are eleven dwelling with glory in mid-air; may ye be pleased with this our sacrifice.
– Translated by HH Wilson[22]— Rigveda 1.139.11
Some devas represent the forces of nature and some represent moral values (such as the Adityas, Varuna, and Mitra), each symbolizing the epitome of a specialized knowledge, creative energy, exalted and magical powers (Siddhis).[23][24] The most referred to Devas in the Rig Veda are Indra, Agni (fire) and Soma, with "fire deity" called the friend of all humanity, it and Soma being the two celebrated in a yajna fire ritual that marks major Hindu ceremonies. Savitr, Vishnu, Rudra (later given the exclusive epithet of Shiva), and Prajapati (later Brahma) are gods and hence Devas. Saraswati (knowledge) and Ushas (dawn) are some Devis or goddesses. Many of the deities taken together are worshiped as the Vishvedevas.[citation needed]
HenotheismEdit
In Vedic literature, Deva is not a monotheistic God, rather a "supernatural, divine" concept manifesting in various ideas and knowledge, in a form that combine excellence in some aspects, wrestling with weakness and questions in other aspects, heroic in their outlook and actions, yet tied up with emotions and desires.[24][25]
Max Muller states that the Vedic hymns are remarkable in calling every single of different devas as "the only one, the supreme, the greatest".[9] Muller concluded that the Vedic ideas about devas is best understood neither as polytheism nor as monotheism, but as henotheism where gods are equivalent, different perspective, different aspects of reverence and spirituality, unified by principles of Ṛta and Dharma.[9][26]
Characteristics of Devas in the Vedic literatureEdit
Ananda Coomaraswamy states that Devas and Asuras in the Vedic lore are similar to Angels-Theoi-Gods and Titans of Greek mythology, both are powerful but have different orientations and inclinations, the Devas representing the powers of Light and the Asuras representing the powers of Darkness in Hindu mythology.[27][28] According to Coomaraswamy's interpretation of Devas and Asuras, both these natures exist in each human being, the tyrant and the angel is within each being, the best and the worst within each person struggles before choices and one's own nature, and the Hindu formulation of Devas and Asuras is an eternal dance between these within each person.[29][30]
The Devas and Asuras, Angels and Titans, powers of Light and powers of Darkness in Rigveda, although distinct and opposite in operation, are in essence consubstantial, their distinction being a matter not of essence but of orientation, revolution or transformation. In this case, the Titan is potentially an Angel, the Angel still by nature a Titan; the Darkness in actu is Light, the Light in potentia Darkness; whence the designations Asura and Deva may be applied to one and the same Person according to the mode of operation, as in Rigveda 1.163.3, "Trita art thou (Agni) by interior operation".— Ananda Coomaraswamy, Journal of the American Oriental Society[31]
All powerful beings, good or evil, are called Asuras in the oldest layer of Vedic texts. A much studied hymn of the Rigveda states Devav asura (Asuras who have become Devas), and contrasts it with Asura adevah (Asuras who are not Devas).[32][33] They are born from the same father, Prajapati, the primordial progenitor; the elder sons are envisioned as the Asuras, the younger as the Devas.[34] They all share the same residence (Loka), eat together the same food and drinks (Soma), and have innate potential, knowledge and special powers in Hindu mythology; the only thing that distinguishes "Asura who become Deva" from "Asura who remain Asura" is intent, action and choices they make in their mythic lives.[30][35]
UpanishadsEdit
The oldest Upanishads mention Devas, and their struggle with the Asuras. The Kaushitaki Upanishad, for example, in Book 4 states that "Indra was weaker than the Asuras when he did not know his own Atman (soul, self).[39] Once Indra had self-knowledge, he became independent, sovereign and victorious over the Asuras"; similarly, states Kaushitaki Upanishad, "the man who knows his inner self gains independence, sovereignty and is unaffected by all evil".[39]
Chandogya Upanishad, in chapter 1.2, describes the battle between Devas and Asuras on various sensory powers.[40]This battle between good and evil fails to produce a victor and simply manifests itself in the perceived universe, as good or evil sights witnessed by beings, as good or evil words shared between people, as good or evil smells of nature, as good or evil feelings experienced, as good or evil thoughts within each person. Finally, the Deva-Asura battle targets the soul, where Asuras fail and Devas succeed, because soul-force is serene and inherently good, asserts Chandogya Upanishad.[40]
Chapter 3.5.2 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad describes Devas, Men and Asuras as sons of Prajapati, the primordial father.[41] Each asks for a lesson on ethics. Prajapati tells the Devas to observe the virtue of temperance (self-restraint, Dama), the Men to observe the virtue of charity (Dana), and Asuras to observe the virtue of compassion (Daya). At the end of the chapter, the Upanishad declares that these are three cardinal virtues that should always be observed by all Devas, Men and Asuras.[41]
Medieval era Indian scholars, in their Bhasya (review and commentaries) on the Upanishads, stated that the discussion of Devas and Asuras in the Upanishads is symbolic, and it represents the good and evil that resides and struggles within each human being. Adi Shankara, for example, in his commentary on Brihadaranyaka Upanishad asserted that Devas represent the human seeking for the sacred and spiritual, while the Asuras represent the human seeking for the worldly excesses.[42] Edelmann and other modern era scholars also state that the Devas versus Asuras discussion in Upanishads is a form of symbolism.[43][44]
In the later primary Upanishadic texts, Devas and Asuras discuss and act to seek knowledge, for different purposes. In one case, for example, they go to Prajāpati, their father, to understand what is Self (Atman, soul) and how to realize it. The first answer that Prajāpati gives is simplistic, which the Asuras accept and leave with, but the Devas led by Indra do not accept and question because Indra finds that he hasn't grasped its full significance and the given answer has inconsistencies.[45]Edelmann states that this symbolism embedded in the Upanishads is a reminder that one must struggle with presented ideas, learning is a process, and Deva nature emerges with effort.[45]
Puranas and ItihasasEdit
In the Puranas and the Itihasas with the embedded Bhagavad Gita, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad.[4][5] According to the Bhagavad Gita (16.6-16.7), all beings in the universe have both the divine qualities (daivi sampad) and the demonic qualities (asuri sampad) within each.[5][46] The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita states that pure god-like saints are rare and pure demon-like evil are rare among human beings, and the bulk of humanity is multi-charactered with a few or many faults.[5] According to Jeaneane Fowler, the Gita states that desires, aversions, greed, needs, emotions in various forms "are facets of ordinary lives", and it is only when they turn to lust, hate, cravings, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, hypocrisy, violence, cruelty and such negativity- and destruction-inclined that natural human inclinations metamorphose into something demonic (Asura).[5][46]
Everyone starts as an Asura in Hindu mythology, born of the same father. "Asuras who remain Asura" share the character of powerful beings obsessed with their craving for more power, more wealth, ego, anger, unprincipled nature, force and violence.[47][48] The "Asuras who become Devas" in contrast are driven by an inner voice, seek understanding and meaning, prefer moderation, principled behavior, morals, knowledge and harmony.[47][48] The hostility between the two is the source of extensive legends and tales in the Puranic and the Epic literature of Hinduism; however, many texts discuss their hostility in neutral terms and without explicit condemnation.[35] Some of these tales are the basis for myths behind major Hindu festivals, such as the story of Asura Ravana and Deva Rama in the Ramayana and the legend of Asura Hiranyakashipu and Deva Vishnu as Narasimha,[35] the latter celebrated with the Hindu spring festival of Holika and Holi.[49]
Bhagavata PuranaEdit
In Bhagavata Purana, Brahma had ten sons: Marici, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasistha, Daksa, Narada.[50] Marici had a son called Kasyapa.[51] Kasyapa had thirteen wives: Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kadru etc.[52] The sons of Aditi are called Adityas,[53] the sons of Diti are called Daityas,[54] and the sons of Danu are called Danavas.[55]Bṛhaspati (Jupiter, son of Angiras) is a guru of devas (vedic gods). Shukracharya (Venus, son of Bhrigu) is a guru of asuras (vedic demons) or/and Danavas.
SymbolismEdit
Edelmann states that the dichotomies present in the Puranas literature of Hinduism are symbolism for spiritual concepts. For example, god Indra (a Deva) and the antigod Virocana (an Asura) question a sage for insights into the knowledge of the self.[45] Virocana leaves with the first given answer, believing now he can use the knowledge as a weapon. In contrast, Indra keeps pressing the sage, churning the ideas, and learning about means to inner happiness and power. Edelmann suggests that the Deva-Asura dichotomies in Hindu mythology may be seen as "narrative depictions of tendencies within our selves".[45]
The god (Deva) and antigod (Asura), states Edelmann, are also symbolically the contradictory forces that motivate each individual and people, and thus Deva-Asura dichotomy is a spiritual concept rather than mere genealogical category or species of being.[56] In the Bhāgavata Purana, saints and gods are born in families of Asuras, such as Mahabali and Prahlada, conveying the symbolism that motivations, beliefs and actions rather than one's birth and family circumstances define whether one is Deva-like or Asura-like.[56]
Classical HinduismEdit
Nature Devas are responsible for elements or objects such as fire, air, rain and trees – most of them assumed a minor role in the later religion. Certain other deities rose into prominence. These higher Devas control much more intricate tasks governing the functioning of the cosmos and the evolution of creation. The Trimurti is composed of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. (Note: Mahadeva generally refers to Shiva)
There are also many other lesser celestial beings in Hinduism, such as the Gandharvas (male celestial musicians) and the Apsaras (female celestial dancers). The musicians and dancers are married to each other.
Sangam literatureEdit
Sangam literature of Tamil (300BC-300CE) describes the offerings for devas. In Silapathikaram one of the five epics of Tamil by Ilango Adigal saying the offering for Four kind of devas.[57]
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