Maral / Marral Jats

In this post, I will look at the Maral, or sometimes spelt Marral tribe of Jats, who are found mainly is South Punjab, and are Seraiki speaking. They should not be confused by the Marhal, who were historically found in eastern Punjab. Like most posts, I will first look at the British sources, then look at tribal traditions.

British Sources

The earliest reference to the Marral comes from E. B Steedman’s Report of the Revised Settlement of Jhang District 1874-80. He writes the following about them:

The Marrals at present time do not own a single village, yet in the past times they must have been an important tribe, for we constantly hear of them in local lore. They claim to be Rajputs, Chauhan of the Surajbansi race, and to have settled at Thatha Wara beyond Khiva in the Chiniot tehsil during the reign of Akbar. The Shah Jiwana legend makes them proprietors of the land where Shah Jiwana now stands. Probably they occupied the land between the Khiva Sials and Chadhars on the left bank, and also some lands on the right bank of the Chenab. A few families still live in Marralwala, but as hereditary tenants only.

Report of the Revised Settlement of Jhang District 1874-80 Civil and Military Press Lahore

E.B. Steedman was an Indian Civil Service officer who had spent his career based in Gujrat, Jhang, and Dera Ismail Khan in the last half of the 19^th Century and built extensive knowledge of this region of South Punjab. His account, that the Marral were Chauhan Rajput was followed up by a number of other sources. For example, Malik Muhammad Din author of the 1904 Bahawalpur State Gazetteer reinforced the Chauhan ancestry.

Malik was the first to refer to Marral being the nickname of the tribal ancestor, from the Seraiki marhna, to muffle. A very similar account was given by H. A Rose. Rose was 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 has two entries on the Marral, one relating to the clan in Bahawalpur, where a section was settled, and other in Jhang.

Marral a, tribe found in Bahawalpur. Maral, its eponym, was a Chauhan who migrated from Delhi and settled in Sindh. He had three sons, but all their descendants are called Marals. Their mirasi give the following folk-etymology : A certain Chauhan was told by his astrologers that a boy would be born in a Chauhan family who would destroy his kingdom, so he ordered that all the children born to the Chauhan  should be killed, but Maral’s mother concealed him in a drum, and so he was named Maral (from marhna, ‘ to muffle,’) while the family fled to Sindh.

Rose, Horace Arthur; MacLagan, Edward Douglas. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. Volume 2, Lahore: Samuel T. Weston at the Civil and Military Gazette Press.

He repeats Malik’s account of the Marral. He then has an entry on the Marral of Jhang:

The Marrral seemto have been once of far greater importance than now in the Jhang District, which is their home. They claim to be Chauhan Rajputs by origin, tind to have come to the Upper Chenab in the time of Akbar. They are a fine bold looking set of men, but with a bad reputation for cattle-lifting and are poor cultivators.

Rose, Horace Arthur; MacLagan, Edward Douglas. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. Volume 2, Lahore: Samuel T. Weston at the Civil and Military Gazette Press.

Here he repeats Steedman’s account. But both accounts refer to two things, the Marral are Chauhan, and there ancestor had to leave Delhi, which was one of the capitals of the ancient Chauhan state.

Tribal Traditions

Like many Punjab tribes, there are a number of traditions. However, most Marral claim a Chauhan Rajput ancestry. Like Steedman, they name their ancestor Marral, whose family left Delhi as consequence of a threat and settled in Sindh and refer to the threat by the Chauhan Raja. In Jhang, the Marrals claim that they were a local power, whose independence was ended by Walidad Sial, who founded the Sial state in Jhang. According another traditions, they are a group of Chauhans that migrated from Panipat, in what is now Haryana in India to the banks of the Jhelum. But both traditions seem to suggest that there first place of settlement was Jhang, where after their overthrow, led to groups migrating to further south to Multan and Muzaffargarh.

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 Marral are Panwar, and not Chauhan.

Wacha (ancestor of the Surayvanshi tribes)

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Bhoj Raj (20^th in descent from Wacha, and ancestor of most the Punjab Suryavanshi)

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Mulraj (10^th in descent from Bhoj Raj, ancestor of the several tribes such as Dhudhi, Lak and Waseer)

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Chaluk Raj

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Sotrakh Raj

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Ra Sangli

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Ra Kathi

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Ra Sial, also known as Ra Shankar (ancestor of the Sial tribe)

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Hiraj

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Marral

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Moma + Mami + Nankota + Pira

This genealogy connects the tribe with the Sial, and make the Marral Panwar Rajputs. However, most Marral traditions make the tribe a branch of the Chauhan Rajputs, and not Panwar, with Marral’s three sons being Bhara, Jot and Sawand.

Marral Population According to the 1911 Census of Punjab

District / State	Population
Bahawalpur	880
Jhang	826
Total	1,706

Distribution

The Marral are found in south Punjab, mainly in Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Muzaffargarh and Jhang districts. Their villages in Rajanpur District include Jindo Marral and Phagan Marral. In Chiniot District, Marralwala, and Multan District, Khanpur Marral, Inyatpur Marral and Qasba Maral.

In Sindh, they are found in Kashmore and Ghotki districts. Rais Ahmed Bux Maral, Gaji Maral, Haji Alim Maral and Nihal Maral are important Marral villages in Sindh.

Maitla / Metla Jats

In this post, I will look at the Maitla or Metlo, somtime spelt Metla, who are a tribe of Jats status. They are found mainly in South Punjab and Sindh.

Like many Punjab tribes, the Metla have several origin stories. So, who exactly are the Metla. Horace Arthur Rose was 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 glossary on the tribes of Punjab, and a good source on many Punjabi tribes. On the Maitla, he writes the following lines:

A tribe of Jats descended from its eponym, of Rajput extraction, and settled in Sialkot since the time of Firoz Shah. It is also found in Multan tahsil, where it, settled from the north in the time of Shah Jahan, and in Montgomery where it is classed as Jat (agricultura1). Some of the Metla or Methla in the lower Derajat, affect the title of Shaikh.

While the Multan District Gazetteer of 1923 briefly refers them as follows:

They are referred to in the Customary Law of Multan authored by Charles Roe as one of Jat tribes of the Multan region.

The limited British information connects the tribe to Sialkot. The sources also show that they have a major presence now in Multan.

Tribal Traditions in Punjab

According to tribal traditions, they descend from Maitla, a Dogra Rajput, who converted to Islam during the rule of Firuz Shah Tughlaq and settled in Sialkot. Like the Lodhra looked at in a different post, the Maitla then migrated to the Neeli Bar, settling in an area that now forms the boundary between Khanewal and Multan district, practising pastoralism. With the rise of the Multan nawabs and their allies the Dahas, groups of Metla began to migrate westward into the Derajat and southward into Sindh. Baba Bajwa of the YouTube Baba Bajwa channel however gives the following genealogy:

Wacha (ancestor of the Surayvanshi tribes)

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Bhoj Raj (20^th in descent from Wacha, and ancestor of most the Punjab Suryavanshi)

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Mulraj (10^th in descent from Bhoj Raj, ancestor of the several tribes such as Dhudhi, Lak and Waseer)

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Sotrakh Rai

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Saroya (ancestor of the Basra, Dhul and Sara Jats)

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Sairo Raj

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Metla

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Sabila + Maharaja + Thaheeb + Chadkar + Manjootha + Maara + Mahi + Sehra + Saddle + Traggar

The various branches of the Punjab Metla all claim descent from these sons of Metla. However, many Metla connect themselves with Minhas of Jammu, and not the Saroya. The various tribal genealogies of 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 Metla, according to this tradition puts them in the Suryavanshi category. The Maitla tribe has also produced a number of important Sufis, such as Dada Gajjun Darvesh Maitla, whose shrine is located near the city of Khanpur in Rahim Yar Khan district, and Karim Bakhsh Maitla alias Baba Haq Ali who is buried in historical at Pattan Munara near Rahim Yar Khan. Most of the Rahim Yar Khan Metla refer to themselves as Shaikhs, on account of their connection with the various Sufis.

Metla in Sindh

In Sindh, the Maitla, or Maitlo as they are known are settled in Larkana District. They are one of a number of tribes, collectively known as Serai or those from the north found in Sindh. Other important Serai tribes include the Joiya, Kharal and Sial. These Serais were invited to settle in Sindh during the period of Kalhora rule (18th Century), and the Maitlo still speak the Seraiki language.

According to Shaikh Sadik Ali Sher Ali Ansari, author of A short sketch, historical and traditional, of the Musalman races found in Sind, Baluchistan and Afghanistan, describes the Sarai as follows:

Shaikh Sadiq Ali lists the Matla in his list of Sarai tribes:

Distribution

Despite the 18^th Century dispersion, most Maitla are still found in Jahanian Mandi Tehsil of Khanewal district, in particular the village of Kotwala. Outside this core area, Maitla are in the districts of Jhang, Sargodha, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bhakkar, Vehari, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Gujranwala, Sheikhpura, Faisalabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Jhelum, Narowal, Sialkot, Okara, Sahiwal, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan in the Punjab and Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Sanghar, Larkana, Dadu and Badin in Sindh. In Sargodha District, important Maitla villages include Chack 53 SB (Rajewala) and Chak 87. While in Multan District, they are found in Miranpur, Qadirpur, Jakharpur and Taraf Ismail. In Layyah District, they are found in the village of Chak 117/Ghullam Haider, while in Dera Ghazi Khan, they are found in Rakh Bhatti Maitla. In Khanewal District, they are found in the villages of Chak 115, Darkhanwala, Kootwala, Mianpur, Nelote, and Trimmu.

Hattar Jats

The Hattar are a tribe of Jat status, found mainly in Jhelum and Sargodha District. The Hattar were pastoralist, and their customs are very similar to their Kalyar neighbours in the Kirana Bar, with whom they claim a common ancestry. Before I start, as far as I know the Hattar have no connection with the Khattar tribe

British Sources

Like many Punjab tribes, the Hattar have several origin stories. So, who exactly are the Hattar. The earliest reference to the Hattar 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:

From the earliest British sources, we can see the Hattar (written as Hutar) claimed a connection with the Bhatti Rajputs. Horace Arthur Rose was 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 Glossary on the tribes of Punjab, and a good source on many Punjabi tribes. On the Hattar he wrote the following lines:

an agricultural clan found in Shahpur.

Under the heading Hathar, he adds:

a Jat clan (agricultural) found in Multan.

It is very likely, he is referring to the same tribe, as the Hattar are found in both regions, Shahpur now part of the modern district of Sargodha. The information given is very sparse. However, in his section on the Bhattis, he gives a lot more information:

From what we can conclude from the British accounts, is that the Hattar claim to be Bhatti Rajputs, whose ancestors arrived from Bhatner, a town in Rajasthan, now known as Hanumangarh, which once capital of a Bhatti ruled state called Bhattiana. It also establishes a connection between the Hattar and the Kalyar, Kanju, Noon and Uttra tribes.

Tribal Traditions

Their tribal traditions generally repeat Rose’s account. The tribe claims descent from a Bhatti Rajput nobleman named Rana Rajwadhan, who lived in Ghazni, in what is now Afghanistan and then moved to Delhi in India. After some time, he moved to Bhatner (now known as Hanumangarh) in what is now northern Rajasthan. In the 13th Century, the Rana and his family are said to have moved to Chanb Kalyar, in what is now the Lodhran District, in Punjab. The ruler of the area was a Raja Bhutta. The Raja wanted to marry the daughter of Rajwadhan, who refused. As a result of a battle took place, and the Raja was slain. The tract was then divided between Rajwadhan, and his five sons, Kalyar, Utera, Kanju, Noon and Hattar. All these are names of fairly well-known tribes of south Punjab and have much in common with tribes referred to my earlier posts, such as the Kharral, being largely nomadic and pastoral.

Coming now back to the Hattars, the descendants of Hattar are said to have converted to Islam and left the Multan region, and moved to northwest Punjab, where they are a now found as a Jat tribe. Baba Bajwa, of the YouTube Baba Bajwa channel gives the following genealogy:

Chandar Mal (ancestor of the Chandravanshi tribes)

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Krishna the Hindu deity 4th in descent from Chandar Mal

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Bhati (10th in descent from Krishna, ancestor of all the Bhati or Bhatti Rajputs)

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Bhupat

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Baijal

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Bhatti + Puran (ancestor of the Rajah Salvahan)

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Jaisal + Dosal (ancestor of the Sidhu Jats and Wattu Rajputs)

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Paranhat + Sorai + Sodai + Nijru Pal + Tragar Pal + Bhawani Pal + Samrana Pal + Nathu Pal + Kabir Pal + Dhamra Pal + Gujral Pal + Kawara Pal

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Abhi Pal

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Pauru Pal

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Ajay Pal

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Karu Pal

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Baru Pal

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Bijli Pal

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Raj Wadhan (4th in descent from Bijli Pal)

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Hattar (ancestor of the Hattar) + Kaylar (ancestor of the tribe) + Kanju (ancestor of the Kanju) + Noon (ancestor of the Noon) + Uttra (ancestor of the Uttra)

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Bhaddar Pal + Hatagarh Pal + Tanugarh Pal + Hathari Pal + Hira Pal + Uttari Pal

The different branches of the Hattar trace descent from these six brothers. The Hattar traditions all generally connect them to Bhatti Rajputs, and Jaisal, the founder the Jaisalmer State in Rajasthan. 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 Hattar, according to this tradition puts them in the Chandravanshi category.

Distribution

The Hattar are now found in the districts of Sargodha, Khushab, Jhelum, Gujrat, Chakwal, and Attock. Starting off with Attock, the Hattar are found in a single village by the name of Hattar., while in neighbouring Chakwal, their villages include Hattar, Dhudial, Fim Kasar, Jhallay, Jethal and Assami Hattar, while in Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil, their main villages are Dhok Hattar and Hattar. And finally in Gujrat District, Hattar is their main village. It is however Sargodha District and in particular in Bhalwal Tehsil, that the bulk of the Hattars are found. Important villages in that tehsil include Chak numbers 15 and 16NB, Jalpana and Pindi Hattar, while in Shahpur Tehsil of Sargodha, their villages are Deowal, Ghanwal, Ghurtala, Kakewala, Khurshid and Rawal. Across the Jhelum in Khushab, they are found in Pillow Waince.

Kalyar Jats

The Kalyar are a tribe of Jat status, found mainly in the Sargodha District. Just as a point of clarification, my understanding is that Kalyar have no connection whatsoever with the Kalyals, who have been referred in my earlier post. However, like the Kalyal, the Kalyar claim to be connected with the Bhatti Rajputs. The Kalyar were pastoralist, and their customs are very similar to their Gondal and Lak neighbours in the Kirana Bar.

British Sources

Like many Punjab tribes, the Kalyar have several origin stories. So, who exactly are the Kalyar. Horace Arthur Rose was 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 Glossary on the tribes of Punjab, and a good source on many Punjabi tribes. On the Kalyar he wrote the following lines:

Kalyar, (1) a Rajput clan (agricultural) found in Shahpur: (2) a Jat clan (agricultural] found in Multan.

The information is sparse. However, in his section on the Bhattis, he gives a more information:

While the author of the 1923 Multan Gazetteer also makes a brief reference to the tribe, simply stating that they are found in then Lodhran Tehsil.

M. S Leigh author of the 1917 Shahpur Gazetteer, gives the following description:

The British sources are sketchy, but make reference to their Bhatti origin, and describe the two regions where the tribe is dominant, namely Sargodha and Lodhran. It also establishes a connection between the Kalyar and the Hattar, Kanju, Noon tribes.

Tribal Traditions

According to their traditions, the tribe claims descent from a Bhatti Rajput nobleman, a Rana Rajwadhan, who appears in the Rose account. The Rana is said to have lived in Ghazni, and then moved to Delhi in India. After some time, he moved to Bhatner (now Hanumangarh). In the 13th Century, the Rana moved to Chanb Kalyar, in what is now the Lodhran District, in Sindh, Pakistan. 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. Baba Bajwa, of the YouTube Baba Bajwa channel gives the following genealogy:

Chandar Mal (ancestor of the Chandravanshi tribes)

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Krishna the Hindu deity 4^th in descent from Chandar Mal

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Bhati (10^th in descent from Krishna, ancestor of all the Bhati or Bhatti Rajputs)

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Bhupat

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Baijal

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Bhatti + Puran

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Jaisal + Dosal (ancestor of the Sidhu Jats and Wattu Rajputs)

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Paranhat

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Abhi Pal

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Pauru Pal

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Ajay Pal

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Karu Pal

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Baru Pal

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Bijli Pal

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Raj Wardhan (4th in descent from Bijli Pal)

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Kaylar (ancestor of the tribe) + Kanju (ancestor of the Kanju) + Noon (ancestor of the Noon) + Hattar (ancestor of the Hattar) + Uttra (ancestor of the Uttra)

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Rai Kalya Pal + Rai Kalyan Pal + Rai Kalpar Pal + Rai Kalwar Pal

The different branches of the Kalyar trace descent from these four brothers. The Kalyar traditions all generally connect them to Bhatti Rajputs, and Jaisal, the founder the Jaisalmer State in Rajasthan. 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 Kalyar, according to this tradition puts them in the Chandravanshi category.

Distribution

Kalyar initially settled in Chamb Kalyar in Lodhran District. His descendants then migrated to the Kirana Bar and became graziers. The Bar was opened up for settlement in the 19th Century, and many Kalyar now reside in colony Chaks (villages built by the British Imperial authorities) in what is now Sargodha District. For example the villages of Chak 104 A, 123 , 128, 147/148 (Lakhoana)151 , 174 NB all in Sillanwali Tehsil of Sargodha District are examples of such settlements.

As mentioned, the Kalyar are still found mainly in the Kirana Bar region of Sargodha District. Important villages in the Kirana Bar include Chokera (also known as Chak 79), Tangowali, Saidooaana, Samooranwali (in Tehsil Sargodha) and Mouza Kalyar. In Shahpur Tehsil, their villages include Feroze Makki, Salehabad, Kot Gul, and Mir Ahmed Sher Garh. Other important Kalyar settlements include Kalyar, Chak 205, Chak. 206, Chak 207 in Jhang District, Mouzza Dera near the town of Rodu Sultan, Jhok Kalyar in Faisalabad District, Kalyar in Mianwali district and Bhatikay near the town of Wazirabad. The town Chamb Kalyar remains the centre of the tribe. Although most Kalyar migrated northwards towards the Kirana Bar, there still a few villages in Bahawalpur District such as Channi.

Langrial tribe

In this post, I will look at the Langrial, one of the most widely distributed in Punjab. The Langrial are a tribe of both Jat and Rajput status. They have several and often conflicting theories about their origin. Although mainly a Bar tribe like the Naul and Nonari, the Langrial are fairly widespread, stretching from Vehari in south Punjab to Attock. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Langrial have several different traditions as to their origin, depending on the region it inhabits.

Origins

So, who exactly are the Langrial. Horace Arthur Rose was 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 describes the Langrial as follows:

tribe (agricultural) classed as Rajput which inhabits the whole of the eastern bar in Multan. Comparatively recent immigrants, their mirasi claims for them descent from a Brahman of Bikaner but they themselves say they art: Quraishi from Arabia, and that they held sway for some time at Thatha in Sindh under one Ghiyas-ud-Din who from the lavishness of his public kitchen (langar) obtained the title of Langrial. Ghiyas-ud-bin is said to have been a contemporary of Muhammad of Ghor and to have gone with him to Kashmir. There it is described as wondering via Kashmir to Shahpur and thence to Gariala in Jhang. From there they went to the Kamalia in Montgomery but migrated in Shuja Khan’s time to Kamand in the country formerly held by the Hans

While the author of the Multan District Gazetteer adds:

Their two chiefs were Waga and Rahman. Machhia, the descendant of Waga, lived at Kamand and Bakir, the descendant of Rahman, at Sharaf. Both held jagirs in return for services in 1857 against the Kathias and the mutinous Multan regiments. The Langrials were by nature nomads, and by habit cattle lifters; but they are by degrees settling down to more stable and reputable means of living. Some of them have become very wealthy men since the Lower Bari Doab Canal came to their lands and others will be much benefited by the Sutlej Valley Project.

Rose picks up from Hukam Chand, who in his book ‘Tareekh-e-Multan (History of Multan) printed in 1869, wrote that the ancestor of the Langrials was one Charan, a Brahman by caste, and his son adopted Islam during the times of Shah Sultan Somro in Bikaner State, India and his Islamic name was Abdullah. Later on, according to the tareekh, one of the Langrials, named Shah Jam Meer, son of Sultan Ghias-ud-Din became king of Kashmir, and his descendants still reside there.

Tribal Genealogies

The various Langrial lineages have different origin stories. Let’s start off with the Multan Langrial, who claim descent from a Brahmin of Bikaner, by name of Charan, who was converted by to Islam by a Sultan Soomra, and adopted the name Abdullah. His descendent Ghias-ud-Din settled in the Pothohar region, from where, one of the Langrials, named Shah Jam Meer son of Sultan Ghias-ud-Din became king of Kashmir, and his descendants still reside there. However, there is no record in history of Langrial rule over Kashmir, there are however settlement of Langrial in Bhimber district situated on the foothills of the Pir Panjal Mountains, so it perfectly possible the tribe began in this region. Groups of Langrial are then said to have moved to Jhang and took some country from the Sial, who eventually expelled the Langrial, forcing them to settle in Multan.

According to another tradition, also prevalent in Multan, they are Quraishi Arab, who held sway over Thatta in Sindh under one Ghiasudin, who from the lavishness of his public kitchen (langar in Sindhi and Seraiki) acquired the nickname Langrial. Ghiasudin was said to be a contemporary of Mohammed of Ghor, the 12th Century Muslim conqueror of North India. Ghiasudin accompanied the Sultan to Delhi with him. The Langrial are then said to have travelled to Kashmir, then to Shahpur in Punjab, and eventually Goryala, near Jhang. From there they went to Kamalia, but were forced to migrate to Kamannd, and ousted the Hans tribe who held this country. Interestingly, before traditions refer to a Ghiasudin, and also reference to the originally settlement being Rawalpindi.

While in Sialkot, the Langrial claim descent through Rai Daram, a Dogra from the Chibhal country. Jasu, 15th in descent from the Rai Daram converted to Islam, and left the Chibhal region and settled in Sialkot in the time of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. His descendants than contracted marriages with neighbouring Jat tribes, and as such became Jats. A final tradition gives the Langrial Mughal ancestry, who acquired the name Langrial from their ancestor the Barlas warlord Tamerlane, who is known in Farsi as Taimur-e- Lang. When a descendant of Tamerlane, Babar conquered India, a good many Barlas (see my note of the Phaphras) settled in India. After the collapse of Mughal authority in Punjab, and the rise of the Sikhs in the 18th, some Barlas families tried to conceal their identity by calling themselves themselves as Lang-Ayal (meaning “the family of Ameer Taimur Lang”), the word Lang-Ayal later evolved into Langrial with the passage of time. However, this last traditions seems to be least convincing, as we find little evidence of the prosecution of the Mughals in the 18th Century. A final tradition, restricted to the Langrial of Attock District makes them a clan of the Jodhra tribe.

To conclude, as I have already mentioned in earlier posts, the word aal is common patronymic in the Pothohar region, therefore it is like that Langrial are of Chibhali origin, having left their home in Rawalpindi sometime in the 15th Century, eventually settling along the Sutlej in what is now Vehari, Khanewal and Multan districts. Interestingly, there are still a good many Langrial villages in North-West Punjab. Although many of Rawalpindi Langrial claim to have come from Multan.

Langrial Population According to the 1901 Census of India

District	Population
Gujrat	4,063
Multan	3,174
Sialkot	595
Other Districts	761
Total Population	8,593

Distribution

The majority of the Langrial are still found in Gujrat and Sialkot. In Gujrat district, the Langrial are a Jat clan, and are found in village Langrial, and other villages nearby such as Kakrali. That village was site of an important zail during the period of British rule. In total there are 13 Langrial villages in Gujrat District. In neighbouring Bhimber district of Azad Kashmir, they are found mainly in the village of Pindi Jhunjah and consider themselves to be Jat. In Rawalpindi District, located north of Gujrat, the Langrial consider themselves Rajputs. They occupy several villages near the town in Kallar Syedan Tehsil including Daryal, Phalina, Choa Saidan, Mohra Bani Wala and Mohra Hiran, and near the town of Mandrah (Gujarkhan Tehsil), such as Makh, Bagh Faqiran, and Darkali Kalan. In Attock District, the village of Langrial, and hamlets nearby are held by the Langrial. While in Khushab District they are found in Kaluwala.

In south Punjab, they are found in Vehari, Khanewal, Multan and Muzaffargarh districts. In Muzaffargarh, they are find in two villages Mauza Langrial and Mauza Langarwah and its vicinity there are also Langrials. In Mianwali District, they are found in Pacca Sandanwala.

Tribes of the Thal: Bhon / Bhoon, Ghanjera and Jaura/Jora Jats

This is my 216th post, and it has been eight years since I began this blog to give much needed information on the internet on the lesser known tribes of the Punjab. My very first post looked at a region in western Punjab, known as the Thal, and in particular some of the tribes that inhabit it. In this post, I return to the same region, looking at three tribes, namely the Bhon/ Bhaun, sometimes written as Bhoon, Ghanjera, and finaly the Jaura/Jora.

To give some background, the Thal is a large desert situated between the Jhelum and Sindh rivers just south of the Pothohar Plateau. Its total length from north to south is a 190 miles, and its widest is 70 miles (110 km) and narrowest is 20 miles. The Thal is all that remains of the semi-arid uplands that existed between rivers of western Punjab prior to the 19th Century constructions of canals by the British colonial authorities that led to the creation of what is now a largely irrigated region. This process also involved settlement of peasant colonists from what is now Indian Punjab.

This region was also home to a number of tribes that can be loosely grouped under the name Jat. In the Thal, the term refers to any tribal grouping that practiced pastoral nomadism. Each tribe historically occupied distinct areas where they enjoyed prerogatives to grazing, and often claimed descent from a common ancestor. So far in several blogs, I have already looked at the Aheer, Bhachar, Dhudhi, Jhammat, Mekan, Talokar, Tiwana, Uttra and Wahla tribes. Many of the tribes claim Khokhar ancestry, and I have explored this further in my post on the Bhachar.

Most of the tribes in the region also speak the distinctive Thalochi dialect of Punjabi.

Bhon / Bhoon

I shall start off by looking at the Bhaun tribe, sometimes written as Bhon or even Bhoon. H. A Rose has very little to say about except the single line below:

Jat clan (agricultural) found in Shahpur.

Rose is correct, the Bhon are found mainly Shahpur, as Sargodha district was known as. The Bhon claimed descent from Ram Chanderer. The various tribal genealogies 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 Bhon, they fall within the Suryavanshi category. According to tribal traditions, they get their name from Bhon Seen, a son of the legendary Raja Karan of the Mahabharat. However, like many Jats tribes of Punjab, there is another traditions that connects the tribe with Ram Chander, and makes them of Suryavanshi tribe.

Ram Chander

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Hamsa Chaluk (tenth in descent from Ram)

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Amar Mal (tenth in descent from Hamsa Chaluk)

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Karan (fifth in descent from Amar Mal)

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Bhon Seen

↓

Buka Seen + Bopat Seen + Bambore Seen

The first two sons settled in the Thal desert, from which the Sargodha and Khushab Bhon trace their ancestry. According to the 1911 Census, there were 7,010 Bhon Jats and 133 Rajput Bhons. They are found mainly in Sargodha District, with a few villages in Khushab and Bhakkar districts.

Ghanjera

The Ghanjera are said to be the earliest settlers in the region located between Wan Bachran and Bandial. Like their neighbours in the Thal, the Bhachars and Bandial, the Ghanjera are Khokhars. Also like the Bhachar and Bandial, they are said to have arrived from the Chaj (Chenab Jhelum) Doab, in their case from the town of Shahpur in Sargodha District. Incidently, there is a large Ghanjera village near Shahpur called Tankiwala. They originally settled in Wan Bhachran, but when the town was occupied by the Bhachars, and the Ghanjera re-located to the village of Pakka Ghanjera. They are now found in nine villages, such Shikhali, Muzzafarpur, Pakka Ghanjera and Watto, which surround the town of Wan Bhachran. In neighbouring Khushab District, there most important village is Thathi Ghanjera.  The tribe has also produced the famous Sufi saint Khawaj Noor Muhammad Ghanjera.

Perhaps Ghanjera are really known for the legend of Aali Ghanjera, which is perhaps to the Thal what the legend of Heer Ranjha is to Bar. Aali was a cowherd from the village of Vijhara, along the banks of the Jhelum. Salman Rashid’s blog  gives a really good account of the legend. It also harks back to the time when the population was entirely pastoral in Thal Desert.

Jaura / Jora

The Jaura are a Jat clan found mainly in Sargodha, Khushab and Bhakkar districts. A few are also found in Sahiwal and Khanwal districts. Like most Jat tribes, there are a number of traditions as to their ancestry. In Punjab, the various tribal genealogies are based on bardic traditions, which classifies every Jat clan within the three sub-divisions of the Rajputs, the Suryavansh, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi. In this case of the Jaura, some tradition put them in the Suryavanshi category, while others in the Chandravanshi category. n this case of the Jaura, some tradition put them in the Suryavanshi category, while others in the Chandravanshi category. H.A Rose, the early 20^th Century British colonial ethnographer described them as follows:

a Khokhar clan (agricultural) found in Shahpur.

However, although Rose initially connects the tribe with the Khokhars, in the following genealogy he connects the Jaura with the Chhina tribe:

This tradition connects the Jaura with the region of Bhatner (modern Hanumangarh), and the Bhatti tribes of the region. Their ancestor was the Krishna, and it makes them a Chandravashi lineage. The Chhina, Traggar, Uttra and Wattu tribes all connect themselves with this region, and claim to have come from Bhatner.

However, there is another tradition that makes them a Suryavanshi lineage. In this tradition, the tribe is connected with the Saroya tribe of Rajputs, from whom the Basra and Sara Jats also claim descent. Below is the genealogy:

Saroya

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Malhi (ancestor of the Malhi Jats)

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Naich

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Toor or Tomra (ancestor of the Tomar Rajputs)

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Dharpat

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Mal Pal

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Khakh Pal (ancestor of the Khakh Jats)

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Janjua (ancestor of the Janjua)

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Sapra (ancestor of the Sapra)

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Lali Pal (ancestor of the Lali Jats)

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Jara Pal

↓

Jaram + Jarham + Jairsi + Jarkam + Jaar

These brothers were the ancestors of the four clans of the tribe. In the Thal, they are said to have followed the Chhina, and settled in the vicinity of that tribe. In 1911, total Jora population was 10,166, most of whom were found in Shahpur, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Multan and Montgomery districts.

Waseer Jats

In this post I will look at the Waseer or Vaseer or Wasir (Shahmukhi: وسیر ), a Punjabi tribe and Jat gotra, found in Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan.They are closely related to the Wagah tribe. The Waseer were a nomadic tribe found in the Sandal Bar region of Punjab, and according to their traditions, are of Panwar Rajput ancestry. Essentially pastoralist, they occupied territory that now forms part of Faisalabad city. They claim descent from Wasir, who was converted to Islam at the hands of the Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Chawali Mashaikh. My article on the Wagha also gives some more background information on the Panwar Rajputs.

Tribal Origins

The Waseer give the following as their genealogy:-

In almost all the family trees of the Panwar of the Bar, we start with the Mulraj. Waseer is fourth in descent from Dhudhi, who is also the ancestor of the Dhudhi Panwar. Kallu founder of the Waseers of Punjab was 9^th in descent from Waseer, and said to have accepted Islam. He is said to be the first of the tribe to settle in the Sandal Bar. There is another genealogy which defers slightly.

Bhoj Raj Panwar

↓

Makhi Raj

↓

Kam Dev

↓

Dhudhi (also ancestor of the Dhudhi and Rath tribes)

↓

Mahlun

↓

Waseer

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Dhodha + Khushal + Mirzada + Shakakar + Thora

According to this tradition, it was Waseer, and not Kallu who accepted Islam. Both family trees makes the Waseer Panwar, and connect them with the Panwar dynasty. Indeed the second tree makes Bhoj Raj, a famous Panwar ruler their ancestor. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located.

Asad Salim Shaikh in his book Duleh ki Bar adds that the Waseer are a branch of the Panwar Rajput, and are connected to the Dhudhi Rajputs. There ancestor Kallu is said to have left Delhi and settled near the town of Kot Kabula, in Pakpattan District. Dhudhi traditions also refers to their ancestor Mahipal leaving Delhi, so it is likely the Waseer are a branch of the Dhudhi. While H. A Rose described them as follows:

A Jat clan (agricultural) found in Mailsi tehsil, Multan district, and as a small tribe in the Sandal Bar (Lyallpur district), where they wore dependent of the Waghas, though of superior origin to them, and had a similar history. They now occupy a number of villages jointly with the Waghas.

Mailsi Tehsil now forms part of Vehari District, which home to several Waseer villages. Further information is provided by the British colonial author Sir Edward Maclagen, who wrote the following about them: –

The Waseers are Panwars. They are said to have come into the Sandal Bar from Kot Kabula beyond Pakpattan. Their arrival was fairly recent, as it dates from Kallu who fled from Farrukhsiyar, the Mughal emperor, some 12 generations ago; Kallu advanced to the Ravi, and his successor Sama was the first to enter the Bar, 8 generations ago. The Waseers had to fight the Bhagsinke Bhattis on the west and the Baluch and Sipra on the east during Ranjit Singh’s time. They are called Waseers after the first of the race who was converted to Islam by Hazrat Shah Chawali Mashaikh

Maclagen’s account matches that of the Waseer themselves, that they are a clan of Panwar Rajputs, whose ancestor arrived from India, and settled in the Bar.

History of the Waseer

The author of Chenab District Gazetteer describes the rise of the Waseer as follows:

The Waghas and the Wasirs, two small tribes of Bar-nomads, who used to graze their cattle in the Central Bar under the protection of the Kharrals, had a. dispute with their over-lords about the payment of the grazing tax. The Sikh Government had demanded a very heavy sum from the Kharals payment for the grazing in their share of the Bar; and the Kharrals had to recover it from their dependents, the Waghas and Wasirs amongst others. The season being a bad one the Waghas and Wasirs were unable or unwilling to pay the large demand which the Kharrals made against them. They accordingly left the Central Bar and established themselves in the country occupied by the Virks who offered no opposition. Fortunately for the newcomers, Amar Singh of Bhikki, the last of the great Virak leaders, had recently died, and the Virks were· in a state of temporary depression. They would however in all probability have ousted the Waghas before long, were they not at the same time beginning to turn from pastoral life to agriculture as their means of livelihood. Whatever the cause, Massan, the Wagha leader was left undisturbed by the Virks and he soon began to cast covetous eyes on the domain of the Bhattis whose cattle he raided. Successful in two forays, he advanced as far as Kot Nakiwala, but was, there defeated and killed about 1825.

He is describing the period between the collapse of the Mughal authority in Punjab, around 1720, and the rise of Ranjeet Singh in the 1790. In the Sandal Bar, there was a three way struggle between the Virk, Kharal and Sial tribes. Smaller clans like the Waseer used this period to enjoy a period of independence, which ended with the rise of Ranjeet Singh.

Distribution

They are now found mainly in Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Okara, Multan and Vehari districts.

Waseer Villages:

Faisalabad District

Arkana Waseeraan,

Ameen Ke Waseer,

Chak 374 G.B

Chamyana Waseeran

Gujranwala District

Hardo Saharan

Gondalwala,

Nankana Sahib District

Waseer Pur

Pakka Dalla Waseeran, ,

Malianwali Waseeraan, Chak No 537 G.B

Kheppan Wala,

Kalliber,

Sheikhupura District

Chak No 538 G.B,

Jatri Waseer,

Okara District

Moza Qila Dewa Singh,

Moza Mancherian,

Moza Dharma Wala,

Moza Bhai Rao Khan

Moza Chorasta Mian Khan,

Moza Pasail,

Havaili Lakha,

Mouza Waseero Wala,

Toba Tek Singh District

Chak 442 JB Waryamwala

Chak Number: 715 G.B

Vehari District

Basti Chaker Waseer,

Basti Wali Khan Waseer,

Chak Number 96

Moza Mari Waseeran,

Karampur Waseeran,

Malpur Waseeran.

Sharaf Waseeran,

Channar Jats

In this post, I will look at the Channar tribe of Jats.  They are found mainly Lodhran District and Bahawalpur District, and what makes their history interesting is their connection with the Pir Channan, a famous Sufi saint of Cholistan. Like most Punjab tribes, there are several traditions as their origin. I shall first look at the British colonial sources, then examine the tribal traditions.

British Sources

Like most tribes in Punjab, there are several origin stories, although most contain a reference to the Channan Pir. H. A. Rose, the early 20^th Century British colonial official, and ethnographer wrote the following about them:

a Jat clan (agricultural) found in Lodhran tehsil, Multan District.

They are said, to be connected with the Jhakkars and other tribes in the couplet: —

Jhakhar, Channar, Kanjun, Nun, Teatera

Hin Rane Shaitan de panje bujh bhara

All these five clans assume the title of Rana, in Bahawalpur they are also called Chunnun-di and are found chiefly in the kardari of Bahawalpur and Ahmadpur East, as cultivators, and in the Kohl, as landowners and cattle-breeders. Their septs are: Admani, Ram, Wisal, Bhojar, and Bharpal, said by some of the tribe to be descended from Pir Channar, but the more general belief is that the Pir never married and that the Channar are descended from his seven brothers, sons of Rai Sandhilla.

The couplet referred by Rose is in Seraiki, and roughly translates as Channar, the ancestor of the tribe, being one of five brothers, all of whom are ancestors of major tribes in southern Punjab. Rose then adds:

The Channars are, however, believed to be an offshoot of the Mahars.

Channan Pir: Four miles from Derawar, on a hillock, is the tomb of Pir Channan, or Chanan Pir, son of Rai Sandhila. Sayyid Jalal visited the city of the Rai, now in ruins some three miles off, and asked if there was any Musalman in the city, male or female. He was told that there was none and he then asked if any woman was pregnant, the Rai Said his wife was, and the Sayyid then, ordered him to employ a Muhammadan midwife for the child would be a saint. When the child was born the Rai exposed him on the hillock, but a cradle of santal wood descended from heaven for the child. Seeing this Rai Sandhila endeavoured to take the child out of the cradle, but failed, as, whenever he approached, the cradle rose in the air. When the child grew up, he accepted Makhdum Jahanian as his Pir, and as he was brought up in poverty, so his tomb is especially efficacious for the rearing of children. The Channar tribe is descended from the seven brothers of the Pir. Both Hindus and Musalmans frequent the shrine, rot or thick bread and meat being eaten by both as brethren. Hindus are not polluted by contact with Musalmans at the shrine.

In most accounts, Rai Sandhila is a Bhatti Rajput, and ruler of Derawar or in some accounts Jaisalmer. Cholistan, locally also known as Rohi (روہی) is a large desert in the southern part of Punjab, Pakistan that forms part of the Greater Thar Desert, which extends to Sindh province and the Indian state of Rajasthan. This region in the middle ages was ruled by the Bhatti Rajputs, especially around the 1290s, when Sayyad Jalal was alive. This would make the Channar Bhatti and not Mahar. Rose’s account is backed up by Malik Muhammad Din author of the Bahawalpur Gazetteer who wrote:

he Channars, or Channun-de are found chiefly in the Kardaris of Bahawalpur and Ahmadpur East, where they are cultivators, and in the Rohi, where they are landowners and cattle-breeders. The Channar septs are: – (i) Admani, (ii) Raam, (iii) Wisal, (iv) Bhojar, and (v) Bharpal.

The Channars are said by some of the tribe to be descended from Pir Channar, but the more general belief is that the Pir never married and that the Channars are descended from his seven brothers, sons of Rai Sandhila. The Channars are, however believed to be an offshoot of the Mahars.

According to both accounts, the Channar are connected with the mysterious Pir Channar. While Rose is also suggesting a connection with both the Bhatti and Mahar, Malik Muhammad Din is connecting them with the Mahar tribe of Sindh. I will now explore the various traditions held by the Channar themselves, by looking first at the character of the Channan Pir.

Channan Pir and the Channar tribe

The Pir Channar legend starts with the arrival of the Sufi saint Jalaluddin Surkhposh. After arriving in Cholistan, the saint is believed to have stayed in a place now known as Channan Pir. At that time, this area was ruled by a king named Sadharan, who was a Bhatti Rajput by caste. Other traditions call the king Rai Sandhila. The Cholistan region at that time was attached to the Bhatti ruled of Jaisalmer. Since the king was childless, the royal couple approached the saint who foretold the birth of their son. When the prince was born, his beauty won him the name of Channan, meaning moon in the local language. In a twist of fate, while still a child, Channan started reciting the Kalma. As word spread about the crown prince’s different faith, his political reputation was brought to abrupt end. The King immediately ordered the execution of his son but on the Queen’s intervention the sentence was softened to exile.

Young Channar was left over a mound to fend for himself. A few days later a group of travellers saw him being fed by a deer. On hearing of her son’s fate, the Queen rushed to the desert and started staying with her son. Her defiance enraged the king who renewed his son’s death sentence. From this point the story deviates into many conclusions. Some say when the assassins reached the mound, Channan Pir had disappeared while others believe he grew up to become a saint, enlightening the life of many faithful. Another version, in which the king and saint’s names vary, claims that on witnessing his son’s divine arrangement, the King accepted Channan who made the mound his permanent abode. Regardless of the version’s initial narration, they all conclude with Channan Pir either disappearing, dying and getting buried on the mound, making it a relic of faith for centuries to come. His legacy has survived, with an annual fair held which is a gathering of all the Cholistan tribes. In Bahawalpur, the Channar are often referred to as the Channun-di, or sons of Channar. However, there other strong traditions that the Pir never married and that the Channars are descended from his seven brothers, sons of Rai Sandhila. Their main clans in Bahawalpur are the Admani, Ram, Bhojar, Bharpal and Wisal, said by some of the tribe to be the five sons of Channar.

In all the accounts stated, the Channar are said to Bhatti by origin. However, there are also other traditions that make them a branch of the Samma Rajputs. Following is another genealogy of the tribe:

Samma (ancestor of all the Samma)

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Unnar

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Theba

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Haabu

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Samma

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Jogah

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Brandh

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Bain Sin

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Buttar

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Sehar

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Punnar

↓

Channar

↓

Adam (ancestor of the Admani Channars found in Lodhran and Bahawalpur) + Buchar (ancestor of the Ram, Bhojar, and Bharpal Channar of Punjab) + Hamza (Hamzani Channar found in Sindh) + Rais (Raisani Channars, found in Sindh) + Wisal (ancestor of the Ahmedpur East Channar)

The various tribal genealogies 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. This bardic traditions can be contradictory. But what is interesting is both the Samma and Bhatti are from the Chandravanshi. In terms of the Channar, they are more likely to be Bhatti then Samma. The greatest concentration of the Channar is in Lodhran District, where there first settlement in the village of Bhuchar, named after their ancestor Bhuchar.

Distribution

Channar Population according to the 1901 Census

District	Population
Multan	1,696
Dera Ghazi Khan	263
Total	1,959

Although the majority of the Channar in 1901 were found in Multan District in what was then Lodhran Tehsil, now district, what seems to be missing is a large Channar population in Ahmedpur East tehsil of Bahawalpur District. Channar villages are located close to the river Sutlej. The author of the Multan Gazetteer refers to this point:

The Ghallus and Channars were in much the same area as they now occupy in the south-west corner of the district

In Lodhan District, important Channar villages includes Bhuchar, Bulakiwali, Chah Anganwala, Basti Chanar, Jāvirewāla, Khanwali and Kikerwala. Most these villages are located in Qureshiwala and Chamb Kalyar Union Council area.

Uttra Jats

In this post, I will look at a tribe of Jats found mainly in the Thal Desert, the Uttra, sometimes spelt Utra, and occasionally Atra. They are a Jat clan, found mainly in villages near the towns of Quaidabad and Noorpur Thal. They are sometimes confused with the Uttera, but the two tribes are distinct, but have common ancestry.  The Uttra tribe is said to be the earliest inhabitants of the portion of the Thal near the town of Kallur Kot, and the word uttra means a northerner.

Tribal Origin

According to their own traditions, the tribe claims descent from a Bhatti Rajput nobleman named Rana Rajwadhan. H. A Rose, the early 20^th Century British colonial ethnographer describes their background as such:

Kulyar was a son of Rana Raj Wadhan, who had four other sons:

(1) Uttera, (2) Nun, (3) Kanju, (4) Hatar. The tradition is that the ancestors of Rajah Rajwadhan lived in ancient times near Ghajni, whence they migrated to Delhi, which after a time they left for Bhatner.

All these four are well known tribes, please read my articles on them.

In the 7th century of the Hijra Raj Wadhan together with his tribe left Bhatner and settled near Chhanb Kulyar (now in the Lodhran tehsil of Multan), which in those days lay on the southern bank of the Sutlej and formed part of the dominions of Rai Bhutta, the ruler of a city, the greater part of which was destroyed by the Sutlej flowing over it ; but parts of its ruins are still to be seen on the right bank of the Ghara (in tehsil Lodhran), Rana Raj Wadhan had a beautiful daughter whom Rai Bhutta desired to marry. The request was refused by Kalyar, the eldest son of Raj Wadhan ; and the result was that a sanguinary battle took place in which Rai Bhutta was slain. The tract of the country thus conquered by the Kulyars became known as Chhamb Kalyar, which name it still retains. At this time Sher Shah Sayyid Jalal was living in Uch, where Rana Raj Wadhan and his sons went to see him and embraced Islam. Raj Wadhan remained at Uch, Uttera occupied the ‘Viah’ (the Beas), Nun began to live on the Ravi, (and that, tribe is now dominant in Shujabad tehsil), Kanju at the Donari Mari (place unknown), and Kalyar made Chhamb Kalyar his residence. Hatar was deprived of his share of the inheritance.

Rose further adds:

UTTRA an agricultural clan found in Shahpur and in the Lower Derajat where it affects the title of Rana.

Baba Bajwa, of the YouTube Baba Bajwa channel gives the following genealogy:

Chandar Mal (ancestor of the Chandravanshi tribes)

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Krishna the Hindu deity 4^th in descent from Chandar Mal

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Bhati (10^th in descent from Krishna, ancestor of all the Bhati or Bhatti Rajputs)

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Bhupat

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Baijal

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Bhatti + Puran

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Jaisal + Dosal (ancestor of the Sidhu Jats and Wattu Rajputs)

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Paranhat

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Abhi Pal

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Pauru Pal

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Ajay Pal

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Karu Pal

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Baru Pal

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Bijli Pal

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Raj Wardhan (4rth in descent from Bijli Pal)

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Kaylar (ancestor of the tribe) + Kanju (ancestor of the Kanju) + Noon (ancestor of the Noon) + Hattar (ancestor of the Hattar) + Uttra (ancestor of the Uttra)

Thiss geneology directly connects the Uttra with the Bhatti Rajput rulers of Jaisalmer. Most Uttra traditions connects the tribe with the Bhattis, and they belong to the Chandravanshi division. The various tribal genealogies 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

According to Uttra tribal traditions, Rana Raj Wadhan lived in Ghazni, in what is now Afghanistan and then moved to Delhi in India. After some time, he moved to Bhatner (now known as Hanumangarh) in what is now northern Rajasthan. The town of Bhatner was an important centre of the Bhatti tribe. In the 13th Century, the Rana and his family are said to have moved to Chamb Kalyar, in what is now the Lodhran District, in Punjab. As described by Rose, they then had their confrontation with Rai Bhutta, the then ruler of Multan. Where there tradition differs from Rose, is that according to the Uttra, Rana Raj Wadhan had two wives, one of which was a Bhatti Rajput, from whom he had the four sons, while Uttra was born from a second wife. They and Uttera tribe have a common ancestry, the Uttera remaining in Lodhran, while Uttra moved north settling in the Thal desert.

The Uttra are a tribe found almost entirely in the Sindh Sagar Doab. They are said to left the valley of the Sutlej, and accompanied the Kalhora chief Mian Adam Shah in his conquest of the Sindh Sagar Doab. This was a period when Mughal authority had collapsed in Punjab, and the Kalhora rulers of Sindh were in conflict with the Pathan rulers of Multan, over the Sindh Sagar Doab. The Uttra chief, Rana Bhakku is said to have founded the town of Bhakkar.

Distribution

Map of Bhakkar District source Election Commission of Pakistan

Uttra villages are found in Bhakkar, Khushab Layyah and Mianwali districts. Important Uttra villages in Mianwali include Rustamwala, Uttra kalan and Uttra khurd. While in Bhakkar, Basti Dhudianwala and Chak 43/ML (near Kallurkot) are important villages. There are several Uttra villages near the town of Chaubara in Bhakkar District. In Dera Ghazi Khan District they are found in the villages of Haji Kamand, Jhok Uttra and Uttra near Taunsa. And finally, in Khushab District, they are found in Utra and Mitha Kooh. Like other Thal tribes, they were formerly pastoral, but are now entirely settled.

Ghallu Jats

In this post, I will look at the Ghallu tribe of the Jats. They are found mainly in south Punjab and speak the Seraiki language.

Origin

The Ghallu are another tribe of Jat status, and claim descent from Ghallu, a Hindu Rajput, who was converted to Islam, by the famous Sufi saint Makhdum Jahanian of Uch. The Ghallus are described by H. A Rose as follows:

a tribe found in the south-west corner of the Multan district since the Ain-i-Akbari was compiled. It is also numerous in the kardari (district) of Bahawalpur and Ahmadpur of Bahawalpur State, as especially in the peshkari of Uch. Its eponym was a Hindu Rath (Rajput), converted to Islam by Makhdum Jahanian. From his seven sons sprang as many septs, viz., the Hanbirpotre, Ghanunpotre, Dipal, Jhanbu, Kurpal, Kanji and Gujj. The Ghallu in Bahawalpur are both land- owners and cultivators and their tenants and servants are the Ghulams, once their slaves, a small tribe of unknown origin.

While the author of the Bahawalpur Gazetteer adds the following:

Thatta Ghalluan, a village in the tehsil of Shujabad, where many Ghallus live, was founded by this tribe. The following villages in the State belong to the Ghallus:- Bahawalpur Ghalluan, Ali Wahan, Sari Wasti, Bakhkhapur, all in Kardari Ahmadpur, Makhwara, near Uch, Kot Dada Ghalla and Kurpalan, both in Kardari Bahawalpur. The Ghallus are both landowners and agriculturists

According to the author of the Multan Gazetteer, they are the earliest settlers in Lodhran District:

The Ghallus and Channars were in much the same area as they now occupy in the south-west corner of the district.

The Ghallu were largely pastoralist, settled in the villages along the Sutlej river. Thatta Ghaluan is often referred as their first settlement in the region.

Tribal Geneology

Like most Jat tribes of this region, they have a number of traditions as to their origin. For example, there is another tradition where that Ghallu was in fact a nickname of Hari Singh, a Panwar Rajput. However, the most widespread tradition makes their ancestor Ghallu the son of Sansi, the ancestor of the Sansi Jats. Mahrajah Ranjit of Punjab came from the tribe of the Sansi Jats.

According to this tradition, Kahlu, a Warriach Jat, settled in Pindi Bhattian. A descendent of Kahlu left Pindi Bhattian settled among the Sansi of Amritsar. The Sansi are a nomadic tribe, who were sometimes involed in dacoities. Their ancestor married a Sansi, and his son Kaleb became known as a famous dacoit. Kaleb was also known as Sansi, after the Sansi tribe of his mother. According to the Ghallu, Kalu had another son by the name of Ghallu, from whom they descend. They give the following genealogy:

Saroya → Sansi Rai

Sansi Rai → Kallu + Kohawar (ancestor of the Kohawar tribe) + Chutta + Kuwaj

Kallu → Kalwan + Ghaluja + Galwa + Gisra + Gahel + Galwan + Ghallu

Ghallu and is his family settled first in Thatta Ghaluan, near the Chenab river, in what is now Shujabad tehsil. Groups of Ghallu with their cattle moved in the region that this now Lodhran District, living the life of the pastoralist, independent until the rise of the Pathan nawabs of Multan, who ended their independence.

Ghallu Population according to the 1901 Census of India

District	Population
Multan	2,761
Muzaffargarh	1,327
Mianwali	818
Total	4,906

In 1901, almost half the tribe lived in the Lodhran Tehsil of Multan, the remaining in the Alipur Tehsil of Muzaffargarh and Bhakkar tehsil of Mianwali. The Bhakkar Ghallu are migrants from Alipur.

Ghallu Population according to the 1911 Census of India

District / State	Population
Bahawalpur	2,508
Mianwali	1,478
Muzaffargarh	1,327
Multan	1,030
Total	6,343

The 1911 shows the highest concentrations of Ghallu in Bahawalpur state, while they are not counted at all in 1901 census. These contradictory figures do show case the problem with the early British census.

Distribution

The Ghallu are found in the southwest corner of Multan District, extending into Lodhran District, across the river Indus in Muzaffargarh District, and near the town of Ahmadpur East in Rahim Yar Khan District. In addition, a few Ghallu villages are also found in Layyah and Bhakkar districts.

Starting with Muzaffargarh, they are found in Alipur Ghalwan Pani Wala, Sanu Wala, Kaurey Wala Nirali Wala and Bambherwala. In Lodhran District, there villages include Basti Athwal, Kabula, Goth Alamkhanke, Kanuwala, Jandwala, Basti Shakir Khan, Jumma Ghallu, Lal Jabbal, Sharifwali, Kot Dadu Ghallu, Ghallu, Pipli Kanjanke, Aliwahan, Phagwara, Malikpur, Qureshiwala, Suiwala, Pacca Munna, Saadullahpur, Yousufwala, Sabra, Bahadarpur, Thath Ghallwan, Khanwah Ghalwaan, and Tibi Ghalwaan. While in Bhakkar District, there most important village is Mouza Dhingana in Tehsil Mankera. Further south in Layyah District, they are found in Chah Ghilay Wala Mouza Gat Nashaib.

In Bahawalpur District, their villages include Ghallwan, Ismailpur Ghallwan and Baqarpur Ghallwan. In Multan District, Thatta Ghaluan remains a centre of the tribe. Ghallu are also found in Kot Sattar Gharbi in Mandi Bahauddin District.