In this post, I am listing the villages in Chakwal Tehsil of Chakwal District, with information on the major clans that inhabit the villages. This is a list of mauzas, and each mauza may contain more than one village, and the information is incomplete. Chakwal Tehsil (Urdu: تحصِيل چکوال), is an administrative subdivision (tehsil) of Chakwal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The tehsil is subdivided into 30 Union Councils – five of which form the capital Chakwal. I would also ask the reader to look at my post on the Villages of Mandi Bahauddin District with information on major clans, which has similar information on that district.
In this post, I show the number of Muslim castes counted for the Punjab by the four censuses of India, namely the 1901, 1911, 1921 and 1931. The census of Punjab in 1901 listed 153 castes that were wholly or partially Muslims with population over a 100 persons; the lists of 1911 only showed 133, and 1921, it was reduced to 109, and further reduced to 37 for the 1931 Census. This reduction was partly due to a process called as Ashrafization, a term coined by Imtiaz Ahmad, a sociologist at the JNU in Delhi. This process includes groups lower in the caste hierarchy adopting upper-caste Muslim practices to achieve social climbing as well as changing their names. The 1931 census was the last to count to caste on territory that became Pakistan.
The largest caste per percentage and population among the Punjab Muslims were the Jats, and in 1901 made 16% of the total. In every census up to 1931, the Jats remained the largest caste, accounting to 20% in 1931. The top five castes in terms of percentages remained fairly constant over the three decades, with the Rajputs (11% in 1901, 10% in 1911, 10.5% in 1921 and 12% in 1931) forming the next largest group. Among three other castes, Arains remained in third place (8% in 1901, 8% in 1911, 8.5% in 1921 and 9% in 1931), while the Julaha (Ansari) or weavers were in fourth place up to 1921 (5% in 1901, 5% in 1911, 4.5% in 1921 and 4% in 1931). In 1931, the Julaha had fallen to fifth place. The Baluch, who were settled mainly in south-west Punjab were the fifth largest caste up to 1921 (4% in 1901, 4% in 1911, 4% in 1921 and 4% in 1931), then moved up to fourth place in 1931. The next five castes also roughly remained the same. The Gujjars were the sixth largest caste in 1901, 1911 and 1921, and seventh largest group in 1931 (4% in 1901, 4% in 1911, 4% in 1921 and 4% in 1931). While the Awan were the seventh largest group in 1901, 1911 and 1921, and switched places with the Gujjars to become the sixth largest group in 1931 (3.5% in 1901, 3.5% in 1911, 3% in 1921 and 4% in 1931). In eight place were the Mochi (cobblers / leather workers), who kept that position throughout the four censuses (3% in 1901, 3.4% in 1911, 3% in 1921 and 3% in 1931). The ninth largest in 1901 were the Kumhars (potters), who were tenth largest in 1911, 1921 and 1931 (3% in 1901, 3% in 1911, 3% in 1921 and 3% in 1931). In 1901, the Shaikh were the tenth largest caste, but slipped to 11 in 1911, 15 in 1921, and back to 11 in 1931 (3% in 1901, 3% in 1911, 2% in 1921 and 3% in 1931). In ninth place for the rest of the three census years were the Mussali (Muslim Shaikh), who in 1901 stood at 34 (0.5% in 1901, 3% in 1911, 2% in 1921 and 3% in 1931). This drastic change was likely as the results of both conversion by the Hindu Chuhra caste to Islam in the western districts and re designation by the Census of certain castes as Mussali such as the Kutana.
Just a brief note on groups are known as “peripatetic nomads“. These are various itinerant populations who move among densely populated areas to offer specialized services (crafts or trades) to their residents—external consultants, for example. There were several groups among Punjabi Muslims who fell within this category such as the Abdal, Aheri (Thori), Changar, Kangar and Kanjar. None of these were counted in the 1931 Census. There is an excellent account of these communities in Punjab by late American anthropologist Joseph C. Berland, in his book No Five Fingers Are Alike: Cognitive Amplifiers in Social Context.
1901 Census
In 1901, the total population in Punjab was 24,754,737, of which Muslims were 12,183,345 (49%). The Muslim castes with population over 100 were:
[3] Included within the Lilari in subsequent census
[4] Not counted in any subsequent census. The Sudhan were very likely included within the Rajput category. They were found mainly in Rawalpindi District.
[10] Not counted in any subsequent census. The Muslim Kayasth of the Ambala Division were slowly being absorbed in the Shaikh caste, and were probably included in that caste
According to the 1911, the total population in Punjab was 24,187,750, of which Muslims were 12,215,477 (50.5%). The Muslim castes with population over 100 were:
[18] Not counted in subsequent census. Most Muslim Arora were likely included among the Khoja, a Muslim caste which was partly Khatri and partly Arora.
[1] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Please read my post on the Khoja.
[2] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Please read my post on the Dogar.
[3] Not counted in the 1931 Census. The Khokhars claimed to be Rajputs, so were likely included in that category for the 1931 census.
[4] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Please read my post on the Bharai.
[5] Not counted in the 1931 Census. This is the caste from which village watchmen were recruited.
[6] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Another group of peripatetic nomads.
[7] Not in the 1931 Census. The Lilari were dyers of clothes and claimed to be Shaikhs. Very likely included in the Shaikh category in the 1931 Census.
[8] Not in the 1931 Census. The Dhund were found in Rawalpindi District and claimed to be Abbasi.
[9] Not in the 1931 Census. Traditionally labourers, and claimed a connection with Hindu Jogi orders.
[11] Not counted in the 1931 Census. See my note on the Kalwar.
[12] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Please read my post on the Khatiks.
[13] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Very likely included in the Qureshi caste in the 1931 census. The rulers of Bahawalpur State belonged to this caste.
[20] Not counted in the 1931 Census. All Pacchada claim to be Rajputs, and were found in Hissar District.
[21] Not counted in the 1931 Census. The Kakkezai name was being slowly adopted by the Kalwar, those who called themselves Kalwars in 1921 were likely to be living in the rural areas.
[22] Not in the 1931 Census. Most Makhdum families claimed to be Qureshi, so likely included in the Qureshi category in the 1931.
[23] Not in the 1931 Census. Claimed to be Alavi, so likely included in the Shaikh category in the 1931 census.
[24] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Another group of peripatetic nomads
[25] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Another group of peripatetic nomads.
[26] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Another Muslim group that claimed Brahmin ancestry.
[27] Not counted in the 1931 Census. A caste involved in the sale of vegetables, so may have been included within the Arain.
[28] Only counted in the 1911 and 1921 census. Claimed to be Farooqi Qureshi, so likely included in the Qureshi category.
[30] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Found mainly in Hissar and Rohtak districts. Their place in the Haryanvi speaking districts was taken by the Banjara. Traditionally associated with the salt trade, but most Labana were farmers.
[31] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Mainly found in Haryana. The much larger community is found in western Uttar Pradesh
[32] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Claimed to be Shaikh Siddiqui, and were probably included in the Qureshi category
[33] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Another group of peripatetic nomads.
[34] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Traditional manufacturers of salt, as opposed to the Banjara and Labana who were salt traders.
[35] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Found mainly in Hissar and Rohtak districts. Their place in the Punjabi speaking districts was taken by the Labana. Traditionally associated with the salt trade.
[36] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Found mainly in Gurgaon District and claimed to be Rajput.
[37] Only counted in the 1911 and 1921. Claimed to be Qureshi, were likely counted as Qureshi in 1931
[38] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Found mainly in the North-West of mixed Arora and Khatri ancestry. Probably included among the Shaikhs.
[39] Not counted in the 1931 Census. A caste found in the Baluch inhabited south-west of Punjab, likely absorbed into the Baluch. Generally descended from prisoners of war.
[40] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Another group of peripatetic nomads.
[41] Not counted in the 1931 Census. Another group of peripatetic nomads.
[42] Not counted in the 1931 census. A sub-group with the Lohars, some claimed an Afghan origin.
[43] Only counted for the 1911 and 1921 Census. Were masons and brick makers, and claimed to be Rajputs
[44] Not counted in the 1931 Census. The Kharrals claim to be Panwar Rajputs, and wereprobably added within the Rajputs for the 1931 Census
[62] Only counted for the 1911 and 1921 Census. They are found in much larger numbers in Uttar Pradesh and claim to be Gaur Brahmins. In Punjab, they were found mainly in what is now Haryana.
[64] Only counted in the 1911 and 1921 Census. They were a community of peripatetic nomads
[65] Only counted in the 1901 and 1921 census. They were a sub-group within the Mirasi caste
[66] Only counted for 1901 and 1921 Census. They were peripatetic nomads and have no connection with Bengal. They claimed to be Pathans, and maybe connected with the Afghan Powinda.
[67] Not counted in the 1931 Census. The Saiqalgar were a sub-group of Lohars, and claimed to be Mughals
[69] Only counted for 1901 and 1921 Census. They were found mainly in Karnal and eastern Ambala, and closely connected to much larger Jhojha caste of western Uttar Pradesh
[70] Only counted for the 1911 and 1921 censuses. A sub-group of Muslim Brahmins, likely absorbed into the Shaikh caste
[72] Only counted for 1901 and 1921 Census. The Bohra are a community of Muslims from Gujarat, those listed here were likely immigrants
1931 Census
The number of castes for this Table has been reduced to fifty-six from 109.
According to the 1931, the total population in Punjab was 28,490,857, of which Muslims were 14,929,896 (52%). The Muslim castes with population over 1,500 were:
In this post, I am listing the villages in the district of Mandi Bahauddin with information on the major clans that inhabit the villages. This is a list of mauzas, and may contain more then one village, and the information is incomplete. Mandi Bahauddin, also spelled Mandi Baha ud Din, (Punjabi and Urdu: ضلع منڈی بہاوالدین) is a district in the Punjabprovince of Pakistan. The district is in the north-central region of the province and is bordered on the northwest by the Jhelum River, on the southeast by the Chenab River (which separates it from Gujranwala District and Gujrat District), and on the southwest by the Sargodha District. The district has an area of 2,673 square kilometres (1,032 sq mi). Mandi district currently has 1.5 million population.
In this post I will look at the Phaphra clan of Mughals, found mainly in Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil of Jhelum. Like all post, I start off with British sources, and then move on tribal and oral sources.
British Sources
H. A Rose, an early 20th Century British colonial official who co-authored A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province, which is one of the most comprehensive glossaries on the tribes of Punjab, and a good source on many Punjabi tribes. He writes the following in his first entry:
A small tribe of Jat status, occupying a compact area of about 25 square miles at the foot of the Salt Range, east of Pind Dadan Khan in Jhelum ; and to this small block of 10 or 11 villages they are almost entirely confined. They were described by Mr. R. G. Thomson as a “semi-Jat tribe,” but have long claimed to be of Mughal descent, and of course have no difficulty in producing a pedigree showing their descent from Taimur : the only other evidence adduced forward is a sanad of a kardar of Mughal times, conferring an assignment on the headmen of Mauza Dhudhi, still one of their principal villages, in which the grantees are referred to as ” Mughal zamindar ” : but examination shows the word Mughal to be a clumsy interpolation : and the interpolator has also thought fit to alter the year from 1133 to 1033 H., overlooking the fact that the document bears a seal with the date 1133. The sanad thus proves no more than that the tribe was well established in its present location in 1133 H, or 1720 A.D., and tends to prove that in Mughal times they were considered to be zamindars not Mughal. For the rest, their Mughal origin is not admitted by the surrounding tribes : and they intermarry with such tribes as the Lillas, Gondals, Waraich, etc., who are almost certainly Jats. Their claim must therefore be rejected, and they must be regarded as probably of Jat origin, though it should be added that in popular estimation they rank somewhet above those who are admittedly Jats. They state that they came to Jhelum from the direction of Faridkot and settled in that District as traders and agriculturists: the name of their leader at that time is said by some to have been Phaphra, from whom the tribe derived its name, but by others Nittharan, some fifteen generations back according to the pedigree-table, while Phaphra is shown nine generations earlier. In character, customs and physique they do not seem to differ from the other minor agricultural tribes of Jhelum, they are good farmers. The earlier part of the pedigree table now
In a second entry, he adds the following about the tribe:
A Musalman Jat tribe, found in Gujrtit. It claim’s a Chaughatai Mughal origin, and says that its eponym came from the south to settle in Jhelum.
The second reference really refers to a the Phaphra settled in three villages in Mandi Bahauddin District. Rose is harsh on the Phaphra, who generally maintain a claim to Mughal origin, as can be seen in both accounts. Anjum Sultan Shahbaz, author of Aqwam-e-Pakistan ka encyclopaedia however claims that the Phaphra are a branch of the Warraich Jats, who get their name from their ancestor Phaphra. This goes against the Phaphra’s own tribal traditions, which connect the tribe with the Barlas Mughals.
Tribal Origins
The tribe itself claims to be Barlas Mughals, and get its name from an ancestor named Phaphra, who settled in the district in the 15th Century. So who exactly are the Barlas, and I shall briefly look at this group of medieval Mongols. According to the Secret History of the Mongols, written during the reign of Ögedei Khan [r. 1229-1241], the Barlas shared ancestry with the Borjigin, the imperial clan of Genghis Khan and his successors, and other Mongol clans. The leading clan of the Barlas traced its origin to Qarchar Barlas, head of one of Chagatai’s regiments. Qarchar Barlas was a descendant of the legendary Mongol warlord Bodonchir (Bodon Achir; Bodon’ar Mungqaq), who was also considered a direct ancestor of Genghis Khan. Due to extensive contacts with the native population of Central Asia, the tribe had adopted the religion of Islam, and the Chagatai language, a Turkic language of the Qarluq branch, which was heavily influenced by Arabic and Persian. Timur, the ancestor of the Mughal dynasty belonged to the Barlas clan, and therefore that would connect the Paphra with the Mughals.
According to Phaphra traditions, they came to this district from the direction of Faridkot, in what is now in East Punjab India. They settled in India around 15th Century, slightly earlier then the Mughal takeover of the Punjab. The Phaphra settled here as agriculturists, getting their name from their leader at that time Phaphra. However some other traditions claim he was called Nittharan. According to a family tree kept by Chaudharies of Gharibwal, the largest landowners among the tribe, gives their genealogy as follows:
Harbans or Shah Ibrahim (a descendent of Timur), Tilochar, Shah, Mal, Phaphra, Pheru, Vatra, Jatri, Harsh or Arif, Tulla, Nado, Hardev, Mahpal, and finally Nittharan.
Nittharan is said to have five sons namely; Gharib, (descendants in Gharibwal), Samman (Sammanwal), Ichhin (son’s name Sau, descendants in Sauwal), Rao (Rawal), and Dhudhi (Dhudhi, and Qadarpur). Some of the earlier names are clearly Hindu, although this does not itself preclude their claim to Barlas ancestry. But there position in Jhelum society was more akin that of the Jats then the Mughals. Their headmen use the title Chaudhary, and their customs are very similar to the Gondals, the largest Jat tribe in their vicinity. The Phaphra are now divided into two rival clans, the Dhudhial, from the village of Dhudhi Paphra and Sadowalia from those who belong to the village of Sadowal.
As their little historic evidence to connect the Phaphra with the Mughals, there is some scepticism as to their claim of Mughal ancestry. British authors such as Rose already mentioned, and Arthur Brandreth author of the second settlement report for Jhelum, refer to them as a “semi-Jat tribe”. As I have already mentioned elsewhere, the word Jat in the Jhelum region often means a cultivator. The fact that the Phaphra often intermarry with neighbouring tribes such as the Lilla and Gondal, who are considered as Jat often reinforces the perception that the Phaphra are Jat.
Distribution
The Paphra occupy a compact area of about 25 square miles at the foot of the Salt Range, east of Pind Dadan Khan in Jhelum District .The main Mughals Phaphra villages are Chak Danial, Chak Shadi, Chakri Karam Khan, Dewanpur, Dhudi Paphra, Ghareebwal, Fattehabad, Jutana, Karimpur, Kaslian, Kot Phaphra, Kot Shumali, Rawal, Sidhandi, Sammanwal, Sadowal, Saowall, Shah Kamir, Qadirpur, Thil, Warnali, and Warra Phaphra, all in Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil of Jhelum District. In Chakwal District they are found in Dhok Virk and Jotana. Mohra Phaphra is a lone Phaphra village in Rawalpindi District. Across the Jhelum, in Mandi Bahauddin District the Paphra are also found in villages of Phaphra, Chak No 29 and Nurpur Piran.
In this post, I will look at the Bhinder, sometimes pronounced as Bhindar, tribe of Jats, who are concentrated in Sialkot District, with villages also found in Gujranwala districts. Like all post, I start off with British sources, and then move on tribal and oral sources.
British Sources
There three separate entries on the Bhinder by H. A Rose, an early 20th Century British colonial official who co-authored A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province, which is one of the most comprehensive glossaries on the tribes of Punjab, and a good source on many Punjabi tribes. This may be on account of the different pronunciations of Bhindar. He writes the following in his first entry:
a Jat clan (agricultural) found in Amritsar.
In his second entry, he gives a bit more detail:
a tribe of Jats claiming Solar Raput origin through eponym, whose descendant Badar embraced Islam. It holds five villages in Sialkot
Finally, in his third entry he contradicts himself by calling the tribe Lunar as opposed to Solar Rajputs.
a tribe of Jats of the Lunar branch of the Lunar Rajputs, through its eponym, who settled in Punjab under Rai Tanar. Found in Sialkot.
I believe the only thing ascertained from these three accounts is that the Bhinder are found between Sialkot and Amritsar and are Jats and get their name from Bhinder, there ancestor. The various tribal genealogies of the Punjabi tribes are based on bardic traditions of the Punjab, which classifies every Jat clan within the three sub-divisions of the Rajputs, the Suryavansh, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi. Rose seems to be confused as which branch the Bhinder fall under, calling them both Solar (Suryavansh) and Lunar (Chandravanshi). This confusion also occurs in the other sources on the tribe.
Other Written Sources
Anjum Sultan Shahbaz, author of Aqwam-e-Pakistan ka encyclopaedia reinforces the account that connects them with the Tanar or Toor Rajputs. He writes that the tribe gets its name from Bhinder, who was a Tanor or Toor Rajput. In my article on the Ghag, I go into some detail about this lineage. Makhia Rai, a descendent of Rai Bhinder is said to have settled in Sialkot. All the other Bhinder families trace their origin to the Sialkot Bhinders. A branch then migrated to Gurdaspur, settling in Talwandi Bhinder, and from their they expanded to other regions of Punjab.
Baba Bajwa of the YouTube channel Baba Bajwa, whose sources seem to be the tribal mirasi (genealogist) however gives a different genealogy. He gives the following genealogy.
Mul Raj (ancestor of the Surayvanshi tribes)
↓
Saroya
↓
Mal Rai
↓
Ghatwal Rai
↓
Pillar Rai
↓
Maan (ancestor of the Maan tribe)
↓
Bhinder Rai
↓
Pannar + Waand + Charar + Gabla
This makes Bhinder of Saroya and not Toor ancestry, thus a Suryavanshi (Solar Rajput) branch. However, most Bhinder connect themselves with the Toor Rajputs.
Distribution
Muslim Bhinder Jats are found mainly in Narowal and Gujranwala, with smaller numbers in Sheikhupura. Rose refers to five villages in Sialkot, these are now all in Narowal District, with exception of Bhorekay and Fattnaywali. In Narowal district, they are found in Bhattawala, Gaggeywala, Halowaal, Talwandi Bhinder and Joon Bhinder, In Gujranwala, they are found in Aroop, Ballowali, Dattawali, Lohiwala, Mari Bhindran, Said Naggar and Uggo Bhinder.
In this post, I will look at the Nonari, sometimes written as Nunari, tribe of Jats, who are found mainly in South Punjab and Sindh. Although found mainly in what is now Sahiwal, Okara and Khanewal districts, Nonari settlements also exist in the Kirana Bar in what is now Sargodha District, as well as in Sindh. I will start off by looking at references made by British sources, followed by the account of the tribe in other written sources and finally tribal traditions.
British Sources
British sources say very little on the Nunari. We have a brief mention of them by H. A Rose in his Glossary of Punjab tribes. He writes the following:
a tribe of Muhammadans found in Montgomery; (2) a Jat clan (agricultural) found in Multan
While Shaikh Sadiq Ali Ansari author of the A short sketch, historical and traditional, of the. Musalman races found in Sind, Baluchistan and. Afghanistan, places the Nonari as a branch of the Samma tribe.
All we ascertain by these two sources is that the Nunari are of Jat status in South Punjab, and Samma status in Sindh.
Other Sources and Tribal Traditions
The Nunari were subject of research by an American anthropologist by the name of Richard Kurin. He was given the following account, that they are descendant of a Rajah Karan, ruler of Anhilvara Pattan in what is now Gujerat in India, who was defeated by the Khilji Ala-ud-Din in 1297 and again in 1307. This Rajah Karan and his kinsmen are said to have fled to the Neeli Bar, where they accepted Islam at the hands of the Sufi saint, Mukhdum-i-Jehaniyan. This would make the Nonari a branch of the Solanki or Chalukya tribe of Rajputs. However, Anjum Sultan Shahbaz, author of Aqwam-e-Pakistan ka encyclopaedia gives a different account. Here Rajah Karan is said to have settled in the Salt Range, not far from the Ketas temples. His descendents became involved in the salt trade and became known as Nonari, i.e. traders of salt. They resisted the armies of Mahmud of Ghazni and suffered defeat at his hands. The tribe then migrated towards southern Punjab and Sindh, where they are now found.
Tribal traditions then say that tribe became local rulers in the Neeli Bar. Over the centuries Nonari power declined as the Kharal and Joiyas reduced their area of influence. As the Nonari contracted marriages with other tribes of Jat status, they became absorbed into the Jat community. So, this is what the Nonari say of their origin. However, the Nonari does sound a lot like Nona or salt, and there is caste of workers that produce salt called the Nungar. There may be some connection, but the Nonari are seen as by most of their neighbours as of Jat status and were recognized as such by the British colonial authorities. Like the Naul, the coming of the British meant they could not practice nomadic pastoralism, and were forced to settle.
Baba Bajwa of the YouTube channel Baba Bajwa, whose sources seem to be the tribal mirasi (genealogist) however gives a different genealogy. According to him, the Nonari are Panwar, and not Solanki. He gives the following genealogy.
Wacha (ancestor of the Surayvanshi tribes)
↓
Bhoj Raj (20th in descent from Wacha, and ancestor of most the Punjab Suryavanshi)
↓
Mulraj (10th in descent from Bhoj Raj, ancestor of the several tribes such as Dhudhi, Lak and Waseer)
The different branches of the Nonari trace descent from these four brothers. The various tribal genealogies of the Punjabi tribes are based on bardic traditions of the Punjab, which classifies every Jat clan within the three sub-divisions of the Rajputs, the Suryavansh, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi. In this case of the Nonari, according to this tradition puts them in the Suryavanshi category. However, according to this family tree, the Nonari are Agnivanshi.
Nonari Population according to the 1911 Census
District/ State
Population
Montgomery
2,448
Bahawalpur
1,560
Muzaffargarh
1,453
Multan
934
Lyallpur
858
Total
7,253
Distribution
In 1911, most of the Nonari were found in Depalpur, Pakpattan (both in Montgomery district) and accross the Sutlej in Bahawalnagar (in Bahawalpur state). Currently, in terms of distribution, they are found in Faisalabad, Jhang, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Sahiwal, Multan, Lodhran and Khanewal. Starting with Jhang, they are found in Chak 7 Gagh and Chak 230 JB.
In terms of distribution, they are found in Jacobabad, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Sanghar Hyderabad districts of Sindh.
In this post I shall look at the Mangral (Urdu: مہنگرال، منگرال) tribe of Rajputs, sometimes also pronounced as Mahngral, Mangarpal, which is found mainly within the boundaries of Pakistani and Indian administered Kashmir. In particular they are found in what was once the Kotli Tehsil of Mirpur District, now a separate district, and parts of northern Punjab. Indeed, the tribe are closely associated with the history of the town of the Kotli, which was said to be founded by their ancestor Raja Mangar Pal. The Mangrals ruled the Kotli State in what is now Azad Kashmir until 1815, when it was incorporated into the State of Jammu by the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh. They are in essence a Chibhali tribe and have much in common with both the Domaal and Kamlak clans.I will start off by looking at references made by British sources, followed by the account of the tribe in Mohamad Din Fauq‘s Tareekh Aqwam Poonch and finally tribal traditions.
British Sources
British sources say very little on the Mangral. We have a brief mention of them by J. M Wikely, author of a military recruitment manual, the Punjabi Musalmans. He writes the following:
Male population.About 4,500.
Mangrals are of good social position and are found chiefly in the Kotli tahsil of the Mirpur district in Jammu. There are a few serving in the Indian Army and some pensioned Indian Officers of the tribe have been in the Frontier Force. They are sometimes known as Mangral Gakkhars but appear to have no real connection with the Gakkhars except that they will not give their daughters to any other tribe.
Wikely simply confirms that the tribe is found in Kotli, and may be possibly connected with the Gakhars. Although the tribe has no connection with the Gakhars. A more detailed account of the tribe is giving in the book Tareekh Aqwan Poonch by Mohammad Din Fauq.
The Mangral origin account in the Tareekh Aqwam Poonch
Fauq was a historian of Kashmir, and adjacent regions such as Poonch, and wrote extensively on history, folklore and geography of the old Jammu and Kashmir State. According to Fauq, the tribe gets its name from a Mangar Pal. Third in descent from Mangar Pal was Sahns Pal, who converted to Islam. Sahns Pal is said have founded the town of Kotli, which the seat of their principality. Sahns Pal had four sons, three of whom remained in Kotli, while the eldest Daan Khan’s descendants moved to Poonch. Third in descent from Daan Khan was Gaggar Khan, after whom the village of Gagnara in Kotli is named. Gaggar Khan had three sons, Zar Bux Kha and Lakh Baras Khan who descendants are settled in Kotli, while Fateh Khan’s descendants include many families settled in Bagh District.
According to Fauq, when the Kotli principality was annexed by Ranjit Singh, the Sikh ruler in 1815, Kotli together with Poonch were given as a jagir to Dhiyan Singh, one of the two Dogra brothers. His brother Gulab Singh became the founder of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. As the Mangral lost power, many moved to the Pothohar region.
Tribal History
Like many tribal groupings in Azad Kashmir, nothing definite is known about their origins. But all their traditions refer to Mangar Pal as the ancestor, as already referenced by Fauq, and their founding of Kotli. However, Hutchinson and Vogel, authors of the Punjab Hill States contradict this:
Kotli was founded about the fifteenth century by a branch of the royal family of Kashmir. Kotli and Punch remained independent until subdued by Ranjit Singh in 1815 and 1819 respectively.
History of the Punjab Hill States by J. Hutchison & Jean Philippe Vogel ; Publisher, Superintendent Government Print., Punjab, 1933
However in local tradition, the city of Kotli is connected with the Mangral. The Mangral tribal traditions make them Chandravanshi Rajputs, descended from the ancient race of the Yadavas or Yaduvanshi, the clan of Krishna. Raja Mangar Pal, was the son of Hani Dev who migrated to present day Sialkot from the Jangladesh region of northern Rajasthan in the Twelfth century A.D. Prior to the mid-15th Century Jangladesh was a wild barren area. It was subsequently conquered by Rao Bika a Rathore Rajput and since then has been known as Bikaner. Hani Dev settled at the royal court of Kashmir in Sialkot, whilst his brother Nirmal Dev continued to live in Jangladesh. Following the death of his father, Raja Mangarpal moved to Kashmir where he ruled the states of Kotli and Poonch (now divided between Pakistan and India). Raja Hani Dev was the son of Raja Aori Pal, who was the son of Raja Cchatar Pal, who was the son of Raja Burj Pal. The ancestral line of the Mangral Rajputs goes back in time through the Yaduvanshi lineage of Chandravanshi Rajput. .
Rajah Sarfraz Mangral, who wrote his tribal traditions in a book A New History of Mangral Rajputs, gives the list of the five sons of Raja Sehns Pal as follows:
1. Raja Tatar Khan
2. Raja Daan Khan
3. Raja Janib Khan
4. Raja Murtatab Khan
5. Raja Qandahar Khan (died without issue)
All the Mangral families trace their descent from these five. Daan Khan also appears in the account giving by Fauq. Below is family tree taken from Sarfraz Mangral’s book:
By Raja Sarfraz A Mangral (USA) Raja Burj Pal
|
Raja Chhatar Pal
|
Raja Aori Pal
__________|_________
| |
Raja Hani Dev Raja Nirmal Dev
|
* Raja Mangar Pal( The ancestor Of Mangral Rajputs)
|
Raja Hindu Dev
|
*Raja Sehns Pal( Converted To Islam)
____________________________|_________________________________
| | | | |
Raja Daan Khan Raja Tatar Khan Raja Qandhar Khan Raja Janib Khan Raja Muratab Khan
| |
Raja pareetam Khan
|
Raja Sara Khan
|
Raja Musahb Khan
_____|___________________________________________
| | |
Rai Gagar Khan Raja Sawa Khan Raja Autam Khan
Raja Sehns Pal Khan is to have established the city of Sehnsa which is now one of the larger towns in the Pakistan administered Kashmir. According Sarfraz Mangral, the tribe was invited to settle in Kotli by the Gakhar rulers of the region around the early 11th Century. They first established residence in Malot (near to modern day Mirpur) and then at Kobara. They had also established the first Mangral village called in the region called Nikka Tranna. On hearing of the arrival of Raja Sehns Pal in the area and because of the noble lineage of the Mangrals, the local Hindu tribes united and rallied around Raja Sehns Pal and swore allegiance to him. This led to the foundation of the Kotli State.
Raja Sehns Pal fought a battle alongside the Turkic-Muslim conquerors of India, Mu’izz ad-Din Muhammad ibn Sam and his General Qutb-ud-din Aybak (who went on to become the first Sultan of Delhi) in which they defeated the Gakkhar king Mang Khan Ghakhar. Raja Sehns Pal then gained control over a very large area which became the states of Kotli and Poonch. The first capital of the Mangral’s was then established at a place called Saila, the ruins of which remain to this day. In honour of his grandfather, Raja Sehns Pal then built a residence on the banks of the river Poonch which he called Kotli Mangrallan (Kotli meaning fort and therefore Kotli Mangrallan meaning the fort of the Mangrals). Raja Sehns Pal embraced Islam under the guidance of the Sufi Saint Hazrat Mastan Wali Shah Ullah.
Mangral rule over Kotli lasted for approximately four centuries until they were defeated by the army of the Sikh leader Ranjit Singh. The Mangrals led by Raja Shah Sawar Khan initially defeated the Sikh forces in two battles (1812 and 1814), though at very high cost in loss of life. However, the Sikh army returned in 1815 with 30,000 soldiers and a final battle ensued. Having lost many fighters, the Mangrals agreed to a compromise, giving up control of their city (then based in Baraali near modern Kotli) to Ranjit Singh. The rural areas remained under the control of various Mangral families as jagirs from the Jammu Raj, and they continued to be the landowners and collectors of tax revenues.
Mangral Rajput population of Jammu and Kashmir according to the 1911 Census of India
District
Population
Mirpur
5,937
Poonch
539
Reeasi
429
Other Districts
122
Total
7,027
In 1911, almost all the Mangral were found in the Kotli Tehsil of Mirpur District, with the remaining in Poonch and Reasi, in the later mainly in Rajouri tehsil. The last official count of Indian castes was conducted by the British in their census of India of 1931. At the time they recorded 4,500 adult-male Mangrals. While according 1911 Census, there were 2,309 Mangral in Rawalpindi District.
Distribution
In Kotli District, Mangral are found in Anohi, Barala, Baratla, Chak Toor, Chouki, Dannah, Fatehpur Dhiari, Galohatian, Garhoota, Gagnara, Kathar, Khuiratta, Sarsawa, Sehnsa, and Ser Mandi. And in Bagh District, they are found in the Azad Pattan area, which is a historic crossing on the Jhelum, Bhantani and Dhara Bhanakha.
Mangral’s in Rawalpindi are found in the village of Kamalpur in Gujarkhan Tehsil. There are also three Mangral villages in Kahuta Tehsil, namely Band, Galli and Jewra. In Kallar Syedan, the Mangral are found in Marigala Mangral, Nandna Mangral and Sihali Umar Khan,
In this post, I will look at Mekan, a tribe of Rajput status, found mainly in Sargodha, but also in Chakwal, Jhelum and Mandi Bahauddin districts. The Mekan claim descent from the Panwar Rajputs, and I will ask the reader to look at my post on the Hon tribe, which gives some background to the Panwar. Like all post, I start off with British sources, and then move on tribal and oral sources.
British Sources
The earliest reference to the Mekan comes from the Revised Settlement Report of Shahpur (modern Sargodha) District 1866 co-authored by G. Ouseley and W.G. Davies. They write the following about them:
Although the authors are not explicit in the Panwar ancestry, they connect the Mekan with the Dhudhi, Hurgan and Jhammat, all well known tribes of Panwar ancestry. The first British writer to make explicit reference to Panwar ancestry of the Mekan was H. A Rose, author of an encyclopaedia on tribes and castes of the Punjab. He wrote the following about them:
A small tribe classed as Jat (agricultural) and said to be of Panwar origin, and sprung from the same ancestor as the Dhudhi. They occupy the Shahpur bar lying to the west of the Gondal territory and are also found in smaller numbers in Jhelum and Gujrat. They are a pastoral and somewhat turbulent tribe.
Like Ouseley and Davies, Rose connects them with the Dhudhi tribe, who are well known tribe of Panwar Rajput. M. S Leigh author of the 1917 Shahpur Gazetteer, gives the following description:
Generally, the British authors emphasized the tribe as pastoral, but also large landowners. Bhai Khan, the Mekan chief at the time of the settlement report of 1861, founded the village of Kot Bhai Khan, where the family of the Mekan chiefs still resides. I shall now look at their tribal traditions.
Oral Traditions
They claim descent from the Panwar (Parmar) Rajputs, and spring from the same ancestor as the Dhudhi tribe, Mekan being one of the sons of Dhudhi. The tribe claims to have settled in the Thal, after the end of Arab rule in Sindh (in the 11th Century), when the Hindu king of Kanauj, a Parmar Rajput took possession of the Thal region, and settled his kinsmen, the Mekan. They then established a state based in the town of Mankera, now in Bhakkar District, which covered much of the Thal, and lasted for five hundred years, until the state was destroyed by invading Baloch. According to one of their traditions, the Mankera state was founded by a Raja Singh, who belonged to the royal house of Kannauj, and said to have accepted Islam during the time of the Sultan of Delhi, Ghias-ud-din Balban, courtesy of Baba Farid Ganj Shakr. Towards the end of the fifteenth century, the Baloch from Makran flocked into the country in and around Mankera, and subsequently ruled this state for the next three hundred years. The Mekans that settled in the Kirana Bar, and became pastoralist, like the other tribes of the Bar. They, occupied a compact territory in the Kirana Bar, lying to the west of Gondal territory, although a smaller number are also in Jhelum and Gujrat districts..
Mekan population according to the 1911 Census
District
Population
Shahpur
5,435
Jhelum
1,229
Total Punjab
6,664
Most of the Jhelum District Mekan were split between what is now Chakwal district and Jhelum district.
Distribution
There present territory now forms part of Sargodha, Khushab,and Mianwali districts, although as already mentioned, there are smaller broken settlements in Jhelum, Gujrat, and Mandi Bahauddin districts. In Pothohar, in Jhelum / Chakwal region, the Mekan form an important tribal community. The Mekans form the majority of the population in Kot Bhai.Khan union council of Sargodha. Their villages in Sargodha District include Behak Maken, said to have been first village founded by the Mekans when they moved to the Bar, Abu Wala, Chakrala, Deowal, Gondal (Shahpur Tehsil), Mochiwal, Okhli Mohla, Sultanpur Meknawala, Jalpana, Dera Karam Ali Wala, Chak No 88 N.B,Chak No 142 N.B, Nihang Chak 71 NB Chak 74 NB, Chak 10 N.B, Chabba Purana, Faiz Sultan Colony in Shahpur Tehsil, Kot Bhai Khan, Kot Pehlwan, Aqal Shah, Kot Kamboh, Wadhi, Kot Shada, Gul Muhammad Wala and Verowal in Bhera Tehsil and Sher Muhamadwala in Bhalwal Tehsil. Across the Jhelum, Mekan are also found in Mohibpur village in Khushab District.
Outside this core areas, in Jhelum District, there most important villages are Chautala (Jhelum Tehsil) , Ranial Phulan (Sohawa), Chak Mujahid (Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil) and Tobah (Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil), while in Chakwal District, important Mekan villages include Mangwal, Vero, Lakhwal, Thanil Kamal, Dingi Zer, Dhoke Dhabri (almost evenly divided between Gondal and Mekan), Chak Bhoun, Dhoke Maykan near Thoa Bahdur and Ghugh (which largely a Ghugh Jat villages, but home to several Mekan families). The Mekan Jats in terms of population form the most important Jat clan in Chakwal.
While in Gujrat District, they are found in village Mekan in Kharian Tehsil, and in neighbouring Mandi Bahaudin District, there main villages are Kot Baloch, Kakka, Lassouri Kalan, Lassouri Khurd, Mekan, Pandowal Bala, Thathi Mureed and Thatti Bawa.
In this post, I will look at the Sahi tribe of Jats, who are concentrated in Mandi Bahauddin and Sialkot districts, with their villages also found in Gujrat and Jhelum districts. Like all post, I start off with British sources, and then move on to tribal and oral sources.
Written Sources
The most detailed account on the Sahi was written by H. A Rose, an early 20th Century British colonial official who co-authored A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province, which is one of the most comprehensive glossaries on the tribes of Punjab, and a good source on many Punjabi tribes. He writes the following:
sometime pronounced Chhahi in Ludhiana. A Jat tribe which, like the Sindhu, claims descent from a Solar Rajput who went to Ghazna with Mahmud, and returned to found the tribe, settling on the Ravi near Lahore. They are found in any numbers only in Gujrat and Sialkot and in the latter district have two septs, Mutren descended from Golai and Dehru from Asi, the two sons of Bhan, son of Sahi. Hindu Sahi are said to avoid marriage with the Jajja and Sindhi, and Musalman Sahis to avoid it with the latter tribe only.
The Sahi are also found as a Jat clan (agricultural) in Multan, Shahpur and Amritsar, and in Montgomery they are described as a clan of the Kharrals, to which Mirza, the hero of the legend of Mirza, snd Sahiban, belonged.
I believe Rose is wrong about the Mirza Sahiban legend, as the legend is connected with the Sahi Kharals, who have no connection with the Jat Sahi tribe. According to Rose, the Sahi are Suryavanshi Jats and have a common ancestor by the name of Daggu with the Sandhu tribe. He gives the following family tree:
While Rose makes Sahi and Sandu have a common ancestor, Ghulam Akbar Malik in Tareekh Jat says that Sahi was a son of Sindhu, hence they are a branch of the Sandhu tribe.
Tribal Sources
I will now look at the oral sources on tribal origin. Baba Bajwa, relying mainly on Mirasi records gives the following genealogy:
Mul Raj (ancestor of the Agnivanshi tribes)
↓
Chau Maan (ancestor of the Chauhan tribes)
↓
Sahi
↓
Gorad + Sahuwal + Sehole + Raan + Thind
According to this genealogy, Sandhu was tenth in descent from Garod, and not Sahi’s brother. However, most traditions make Sahi and Sandhu brothers. The Mandi Bahauddin Sahi have a tradition that a Sultan of Delhi settled them between Gujjar and Warraich Jats in the district to act as a buffer between the two warring tribes. There are now 14 villages of the Sahi in the region.
Muslim Sahi population According to the 1911 Census of India
District
Population
Gujrat
3,736
Sialkot
1,786
Gujranwala
1,050
Lyallpur
805
Total
7,377
About the half the Sahi population was found in Gujrat District, according to the 1911 Census. Most of these Sahi villages are now located in Mandi Bahauddin district, although there are still seven villages in Gujrat. The Sahi in Lyallpur were all settlers from Gujrat and Sialkot.
Distribution
Sahi Jats are found mainly in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahaudin, Gujrat and Jhelum districts. The city of Daska in Sialkot was founded by the Sahi Jats, and there are thirteen Sahi Jats villages located close to Daska including Jandu Sahi, Jassarwal, Kotli Chambwali, Kulla Nikka, Mandranwala, Peroke, Rajoke, Satheke, Sohawa, Tittowali. The other area with large Sahi presence is in Mandi Bahauddin district, where the Sahi are found in Ainowal, Bhikki, Bumbli, Dhok Daud, Dhok Murad, Dhok Nawan Loke, Dhok Saharan, Dhudrai, Ghanian, Haria, Kot Hamid Shah, Lasuri Khurd, Kanianwala, Shumari, Suleman, Tibbi Malowal, Thathi Mureed, Wara Chamian. In Gujrat, they are found in Kot Shamas and in Jhelum, Sahi are found in the villages of Taur, Sahi and Wagh.
In this post, I will look at the Hafyal tribe of the Potohar region of Pakistan. The Hafyal claim ancestry from the Panwar Rajputs, and I will start off with a brief note of the Panwar, or sometimes pronounced as Parmar or Puar. In the Pothohar region, however the correct pronunciation is Panwar. The Hafyal claim descent from the semi-mythical Raja Jagdev, who is also the claimed ancestor of the Bangyal and Hon tribes.
Rajah Jagdev and the Panwar Rajputs
The Panwar were dynasty that in early medieval India ruled over the Malwa region in central India. Like the Chauhans, the Panwar are from the fire born or Agnivansh branch of the Rajputs. Quite a number of tribes in Pothohar and neighbouring Chibhal region claim descent from the Panwars, all having some tradition of migration from central India, followed by conversion to Islam at the hands of a particular Sufi saint. Many of these tribes also have traditions of initially settling in the region known as Chibhal. The key figure that appears in the origin story of Chibhali Panwar is Raja Jagdev Panwar, who has an almost semi-mythical status. According to tribal myths of, he became the ruler of Malwa after death of his father Udayaditya, but he handed over the throne to his brother owing to family-dispute and settled at Jarg, somewhere in present day Okara District. He is said to have slain a demon who used to eat a human-being daily in a fort near Dipalpur, also in Okara. The local king Raja Kankhar bestowed upon him half his kingdom and gave his daughter in marriage. He is said to have struck off his own head on the demand of a witch-wife of the court-bard of Raja Jai Chand of Lambargaon but this was miraculously restored. Jagdev then migrated to the Chibhal territory, where he founded Akhnoor State, ruled by Panwar Dynasty of his descendants for over six centuries. Many of the local Dogra clans claim descent from the Raja such as the Ambarai.
Akhnoor lies in the heart of Chibhal located on the banks of the Chenab River. The territory of Chibhal lies between Tawi River and Jhelum rivers, with the Pir Panjal Mountains forming its northern boundary and gets its name from the Chib tribe. Presently, Chibhal is divided by the line of control, with Mirpur and Bhimber districts within Pakistani Kashmir, and districts of Rajauri, Reasi, and parts of Jammu (including Akhnur) west of the Manawar Tawi in Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir. The Bangial, who the Hafyal connect themselves with, have traditions of leaving the region and settling in plains territory of northern Punjab in Gujarkhan, Jhelum, and Kharian. Rajah Jagdev Panwar is also seen as a common ancester of the Panwars of this region, such as the Hon and Sahnsral.
Tribal History
The only mention of the Hafyal in British sources is by Frederick Robertson in the Customary Law of Rawalpindi District, where he lists them as one of the Rajput tribes of the district. While the 1901 Census listed 197 Hafyal, all in Rawalpindi District.
The family tree below is that of the Hafyal of the village of Mohra Hafyal.
Raja Jagdev Panwar or Parmar
↓
Haafi
↓
Mahlu
↓
Gohar
↓
Bahu
↓
Kokla
↓
Lodhi
↓
Abdullah (the Mohra Hafyal ancestor) + Neematullah
Rajah Jagdev appears both in the family trees of the Bangyal and Hon, and generally all the clans that connect themselves to Panwar claim him as their ancestor. The Hafyal tribe gets its name from their ancestor Hafi. In the Pothohar region, the various tribes in the region get their name from an ancestor, with the names often ending in al. This is patronymic, for example, the sons of Kals, are the Kalyal and so on, very similar to the Arabic bin or Slavic ovich or ov. The aals start off as clans of a larger tribe, so as Hafyal are an aal of the Panwar tribe.
Distribution
The Hafyal are found mainly in the Gujarkhan Tehsil of Rawalpindi, in the villages of Bhagpur, Dhok Mohammad Hafyal near the town of Bewal, Gura Hafyal, Kauntrilla and Mohra Hafyal
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