Nathial / Nathyal tribe

In this post, I will look at are the Nathyals, sometimes spelt Nathial tribe found mainly in Gujrat and Jhelum districts. Like other tribes of the Pothohar region, the Nathyal have a good many traditions as to their origin, often these being quite contradictory. For this article, I rely on both British sources and tribal traditions.

British Sources

British sources are very scarce on the Nathial. H. A Rose, the early 20^th Century British ethnologist writes the following about them:

Bhakral; a tribe of Musalman Jats found in Gujrat. It claims descent from Ghalla, a Janjua Rajput who had three sons, Bhakari its eponym, Natha (founder of the Nathial) and Kunjah (founder of the Kanjial).

Rose connects the tribe with the Janjua Rajputs, as well as creating a common origin with the Bhakral and Kanjial. However neither of these two tribes claim any connection with the Janjua.

Tribal Traditions

According to tribal traditions, there ancestor was a Natha Khan, a Janjua Rajput, who is said to have taken a Jat wife. His was therefore made to leave the tribe, and descendants thus became Jats. These origin stories are common among many of the Jats of the Jhelum region and may suggest some connection with the Janjuas. So, who exactly are the Janjua. According to their tribal traditions, groups of Rathore Rajputs, emigrating from Jodhpur, occupied the uplands of the Salt Range, around a thousand years ago. The leader of this movement according to the common account, was Raja Mal. He appears in every family tree.

Many prominent Muslim tribes trace their lineage back to the Janjua through the five princes of the House of Raja Mal Khan Janjua. Indeed, the Nathial are not the only Jat tribe of Janjua descent, so do the Ghuman, Ganjial, Bhakral, Banth, and Basoya Jats. The five princes were Raja Bhir Khan, Raja Jodh Khan, Raja Kala Khan, Raja Tanoli Khan and Raja Khakha Khan. Jodh and Bhir were born of a Gakhar Rani while Kala, Khakha and Tanoli were born of another Rajput Rani.

Natha Khan came from the line of Raja Bhir. The lineage of Raja Bhir is described by Lepel H. Griffin, in his famous book Chiefs and Families of note in the Punjab (Lahore, 1910, ii, p254) as follows:

On the death of their father they determined to divide the country called, from Raja Mal, the Maloki Dhan between them. Jodh took the Salt Range near about the Makrach, and captured the town of Makshala from a colony of Brahmans (mohyals)…He changed its name to Makhiala and built there a fort and two tanks for rain water….. Wir Khan (also spelt Bhir), took the possession of Khura (also spelt Khewra) near modern Pind Dadan Khan. He had one son, Raja Ahmad Khan, from whom have descended the families of Malot, Badshapur, and Dalwal

The Panjab Chiefs. Vol. 1. Updated by Charles Francis Massy (New revised ed.). Lahore: Civil and Military Gazette Press. 1890.

Raja Bhir’s son, Raja Acharpal became a famous chief after his father’s death. The above mentioned Ahmed Khan was in fact Acharpal, who later changed his name after converting to Islam. Over time sections of the Janjua took to agriculture, and according to tribal traditions became Jats.

Baba Bajwa, relying mainly on Mirasi records gives a completely different genealogy.

Wacha (ancestor of the Surayvanshi tribes)

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

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Mulraj (10th 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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Saroya

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Naich

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Warcha

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Jograh (ancestor of the Kang, Natt and Wahla Jats)

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Natt (ancestor of the Natt tribe of Jats)

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Nathla

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Natha (ancestor of the Nathyal tribe)

This genealogy connects the Nathial with the Natt tribe of Jats. Jograh also appears in the genealogy of the Kang and Wahla Jats. According another tradition among the Natt, Jograh was sixth in descent from the god Ram, who was the ruler of Ayodhya. Jograh fell out with his brothers, and left Ayodhia, and settled in Sialkot, where he was welcomed by semi-mythical Raja Salvahan. According to other traditions, they came from Ghazni in Afghanistan. Claims to an origin from Afghanistan is fairly widespread among several Jat tribes, but unfortunately, they have never been investigated properly. Therefore, as things stands, this simply remains that, a claim. However, the claim to Janjua descent is far more common among the Nathial.

Distribution

The tribe is mainly located in Bhimber district of Azad Kashmir, and Attock, Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Chakwal districts of Pothohar. They are also found in the Jammu. The Nathyal in Jammu are predominantly Hindu, while in Pakistan are predominantly Muslim. After partition of the sub-continent in 1947, many of the Muslim Nathyals from the Jammu region migrated to Pakistan and settled mainly in Gujrat and Faisalabad districts. And the Hindu Nathyals from Bhimber regions migrated to India, and many of these are settled in Jammu, and some of them are also found in Delhi.

There is a village by the name of Dhoke Nathyal, which is located in Attock district. It is known as Nathyal Sharif, because of the presence of one of the Naqshbandi khankahs. Nathial in Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil of Jhelum District is another important Nathial settlement.

Matyal tribe

In this post I will look at tribe found entirely in Potohar and neighbouring Mirpur region. Like other tribes of the Pothohar region, the Matyal have a good many traditions as to their origin, often these being quite contradictory. For this article, I rely on both British sources and the books Tabqaat Farooqi, by Chaudary Muhammad Farooq and Tazkira Pothohar by Mohammad Artsab.

Written Sources

British sources are entirely silent on the Matyal, they are simply listed as a Jat clan in Jhelum District according to the 1911 Census of India. In the Tabqat, the tribe is simply described as being of Mughal ancestry, but currently of Jat status. While in the Tazkira, the tribe is said to be of Rajput origin, but now of Jat status. The tribe’s ancestor is said to be someone called Mattu, who grandson Bhago first settled in Pothohar.

Tribal Traditions

According to their traditions, the Matyal get their name from the Hindu goddess mata, the Matyal being the devotees of Mata. The goddess mata is popular incarnation of Devi and one of the main forms of the Goddess Shakti, a deity closely associated with kshatriya groups in North India. These devotees of mata were members of Thakhar caste, a group of quasi-Rajputs found in the Jammu hills. This would mean that like the Kanyal, and Nagyal, the Matyal are immigrants from the country known as the Chibhal. Among the Mirpur Matyals, there tradition is there ancestor Mattu Khan first settled in Kot Dhamiak in Jhelum, and then founded the village of Matyal in Jhelum. Most of the Mirpur Matyal claim to have arrived from Matyal in Jhelum.

However, another tradition makes the Matyal a clan of the Tanolis, a tribe of Barlas Mughal origin found in the hills of the Hazara division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This claim to Mughal ancestry has been picked up in the Tabqat Farooqi. The Tanolis have two divisions, the Hindwal and Pallal, of which the Pallal are further divided in twelve clans, these being Bhujal, Rains, Ansal, Tekral, Baigal, Judhal, Sadhal, Dairal, Bainkaryal, Matyal and Lanhya. According to this tradition, the Matyals left their Hazara home in the thirteenth century, and settled in Malot There is still a hamlet or dhoke near the town of Malot called Dhoke Matyal or hamlet of the Matyal. Most of the Jat Matyal add suffix Chaudhry to their names, but some Matyal in the Pothohar region ( Sohawa and Gujar Khan) prefer to add Raja to their names.

Distribution

In terms of distribution, the Matyal are found mainly in Chakwal, Jhelum and Rawalpindi districts of Punjab, as well as the adjoining Mirpur and Bhimber Districts of Azad Kashmir. They are also found in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad. According to the census of India 1911, they numbered 1,147 in Jhelum District.

Villages in Punjab

In Gujarkhan Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, important Matial villages include Ahir, Budhial, Dera Pothi ,Dhariala Khaki, Dhok Matyal near Sasral, Kaniat, Lilla, Mohra Kaley Khan, Malala, Matial, Mahuta, Nagial Umerkhan, Nata Gujarmal, Notheh Kalyal, Sasral, Sukho, Tarati, and Punjgran Kalan.

In Sohawa Tehsil of Jhelum District, important Matial villages include Barlas, Dhamak, Kharyot and Mohra Salhal.

In Jhelum and Dina tehsils of Jhelum District, they are found in Matial, Bhondna, Chak Balian, Pindori and Ranjha Matial (Ranjha Maira).

Other Matyal villages include Darkali Mamuri in Kallar Syedan Tehsil, Pinwal in Chakwal District and Matyal in Attock District.

Villages in Islamabad Territory

In the Islamabad Capital Territory, the center of Matyals is the village of Gagri situated on the Soan River.

Villages in Azad Kashmir

Their villages include Matyal near Gangesar, Matyal in Kotli District, Ghura Matyal and Nar Matyal in Bhimbar District andBabyam, Bandral, Barjun, Dab, Mohra Matyal and Seem in Mirpur District.

Thathaal / Thathal tribe

In this post, I will look at the Thathaal, sometimes spelt and pronounced referred to as Thothal and even Thathiyal. They are tribe of both Jat and Rajput status, found in the area between Salt Range, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Narowal , and in Azad Kashmir. There are also a community of Sikh Thathaals found in Hoshiarpur and Himachal Pradesh. Prior to partition, there were several Muslim Thathaal villages in Gurdaspur District, all of whom moved to Pakistan. For this article, I rely on both British sources and the book Tabqaat Farooqi, by Chaudary Muhammad Farooq. Due to the many dialects of the Punjabi language, the pronunciation of Thathal differs according to locality. In Potowar/Pahari it is pronounced Thothal. In Gujrat district it is written Thathal or Thathiyal. Other variations of the name in Pakistan and India include Thathar, Tharar and Thorar.

British Sources

Like other blogs, I will describe how the colonial British sources have described the Thathaals. 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 Thathaal as follows:

tribe of Muhammadan Jats found in Gujrat. It claims Surajbansi origin by descent from Thathu, son of Raja Karan, whose other son Naru, founded the Narma.

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

Rose connects the Thathaal with the Narma tribe of Rajputs, and in his article on the Narma gives the following genealogy:

While J. M Wikely, author of the military recruitment manual, the Punjabi Musalmans described them as such:

1. Population. 1,276.

2. Locality. The Shahpur and Jhelum districts.

3. Particulars. An obscure tribe of Jat status.

Punjabi Musalmans. by: Wikeley, J. M. Publisher: Lahore Book House.

The British account generally place the tribe in the Pothohar, and neighbouring areas of Kharian and Sargodha, and give the tribe a Suryavanshi ancestry. But there are differences, as in his description, he makes Thathu the tribal ancestor the brother of Naru, but in the family tree, Thathu is the brother of Sahal, from whom Naru descends from. Another issue with the connection with the Narma is that they claim to be Agnikul and not Suryavanshi. But the two tribes live in close proximity, so it is possible one group adopted the other traditions. According to some tribal traditions, Raja Thathu was the first member of the tribe to convert to Islam.

The Thathaal origin account in the Tabqat Farooqi

Chaudary Mohammad Farooq in Tabqaat Farooqi claims that the Thathaal are by origin Surajbansi Rajputs, although most consider themselves as Jats. In his account, the tribe is descended from the Raja Karan of the Mahabharat. This account is similar to that of Rose. Unlike the family tree giving by Rose, Chaudhary Farooq argues that Thathu was the brother of Naru, and both brothers accepted Islam together. Thathu settled in Darkala in Gujarkhan tehsil. A descendent of Raja Thathu, by the name of Dulla Khan, joined the army of Raja Hathi Khan, the Gakhar chieftain of Pothohar. After a victory against the Janjua, Dulla Khan was granted a jagir in Dolyal Miana in Gujarkhan Tehsil. A group of Thathaals then emigrated and settled in Tarlai Kalan, which in now part of Islamabad. All other Thathaals are said to claim descent from the Thathaal of Darkala.

Tribal Traditions

According to their own traditions they are said to be the descendants of a king named Raja Karan. The Rajah comes in tribal history of several Chibhal tribes such as the Narma, but whose identity is unclear. It could refer to Karan, the figure from the Mahabharat. The tribe claims to belong to the Suryavanshi branch of Rajput, claiming descent from Raja Karan through his son Raja Thathu whose other son Naru is said to have founded the Narma clan. Some of the Kharian Tehsil Thathaals have a family tree that show that the name of their ancestor as Thuthir. This sound more like an Indian name than “Thutho” or “Thotho” and is possibly a version of Sudhir. There is a strong possibility that “Thotho” or “Thutho” could be a shortened version of the original name. The next question is who was this, Rajah Karan. Rose connects him with the Raja Karan of the Mahabharat.

According to some other tribal traditions, reference is made to Karan as being the ruler of Kashmir. It could be that the reference could be to Karan of the Mahabharata, who gave away his kavacha ( chest shield) and kundala (ear rings) to Lord Indra, who was disguised as a beggar. This generosity is to have cost Karan very dearly and he was killed by his brother Arjuna in the battle of Kurukshetra. Or could it be that there was indeed a Karan that lived much latter. Thathaal tradition refers to Karan being a contemporary of the Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (lived between 1542–1605), and it was not Karan but his son Thatho who was first convert to Islam. This would tally with the fact that there are still Thathaals who follow the Hindu or Sikh faith in eastern Punjab.

Distribution

Thathaal villages in Gujrat District

In terms of villages, in Kharian Tehsil of Gujrat District, we have the villages of Chaphar, Khambi Kaleechpur, Sahan Kalan, Kotla Arab Ali Khan and Mehmand Chak.

Rawalpindi District

In Gujarkhan Tehsil, they are found in the towns of Bewal and Mandra and the villages of Bhair Kalyal, Chak Naban, Dolyal Miana, Khakri Murad, Khalabat, Jand Najjar, Jatli, Miani Borgi, Mohra Noori, Moori Bersal, Nagial Sohal, Pachgrano, and Ratri. Darkala however remains the most important Thathaal village.

In Kallar Syedan Tehsil they are found in the following villages: Chak Mirza, Jocha Mamdot, Looni Salyal, and Sohat Sadra

Jhelum District

In Dina tehsil they are found in Jand Mohri, Pindori, Potha, Ratli and Ratial and Matial in Jhelum Tehsil. In Pind DadanKhan Tehsil they are found in Sherpur. In Sohawa Tehsil, they are found in Chak Nulah, Dabbal, Dhamak, Ghura Mang, Gorsian, Hathia, Kharyot, Khorakha, Lehri, Mangot, Padhari, Pail Bogyal, Pail Handal, Pari Askandral, Pind Mateh Khan, Santhoi, Tandoi and Thapla.

Other District

In Attock District, they are found in Khabba Barala in Fatehjang Tehsil and in Chakwal District in Kolian in Chakwal Tehsil. The town of Tarlai Kalan in Islamabad is still an important centre of the tribe.

In Azad Kashmir

The Thathaal are found mainly in Mirpur District in the villages of Bathaar, Bhurke, Dab, Darruni, Dhangedev, Dheri Thotal, Khanpur, Onah, Panyam, Sangot,  Seem, Sochani, Thob Jagir and Thothal.

Writing a book on Clan and family histories of Northern Pakistan and Azad Kashmir

This post is different from all my previous posts, and incidently post number 230.

I wish to seek help from my readers and others who may find my blog on the internet. I started writing this blog in March 2014; my objective has been to fill a gap on the internet for those were interested in researching their family and clan histories and are from or originate in Pakistan. It seems there aren’t any readily available resources in English. The blog generated a whole host of questions from my audience and an array of positive feedback.

After some discussions with a colleague, we are now aiming to produce a family record book or encyclopaedia on the clans and families in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in areas of Northern Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, notably Gujar Khan, Jhelum, Gujrat, Chakwal, and Mirpur (including Kotli and Bhimber districts). Our purpose is to study and research the history, culture, origins and demographics of clan communities in this area and we chose this region in particular because a significant population in the Pakistani diaspora worldwide (e.g. in the UK, USA and Europe) originate from here. The book will hopefully include family trees, maps, stories and photos of the various villages, towns, as well as important sites such as ruined temples or forts. We have estimated that there are around 400 clans and families in the region, if not many more, and we hope to cover as many as we can. If we are succesful, we can look at other regions as well.

We now need your help. We want to connect with all of you who have a similar interest, and we want to get in touch with as many people who can support with this project. Essentially, we are looking to collect shajra-e-nasabs (family trees); origin stories and myths; maps; mirasi or raah records of genealogy; any family tree notes or records; DNA results; and any information in general about the villages, places and clans. There are always stories passed on from generation to generation and we are very keen to preserve these in a way which has rarely been done before.

We have set up a Facebook page, Clan Histories of Northern Punjab and Jammu, so please join. If you are interested or know who can help, please comment below or message and we’ll respond. I would be happy to respond to any questions, and I hope to write a blog focusing on researching family history in Pakistan. Also let us know if you have any ideas, suggestions, or are able to help. Many thanks.

Adrah Chauhan tribe

In this post, I will at the Adrah, who are found mainly in Gujarkhan, Chakwal and Sohawa tehsils and neighbouring Mirpur District. Like other Pothahar clans, the Adrah are split between Jat and Rajput sections, this especially the case among the Mirpur Adrah, who consider themselves as Jats. The information on this community comes largely from the Tazkira Potohar by Mohammad Artsab, Aqwam-e-Pakistan ka encyclopaedia by Anjum Sultan Shahbazand Tabqat-e-Faroqi by Chaudhary Mohammad Farooq.

Origins

The earliest reference to the Adrah is found in J. E. Cracroft’s Rawalpindi Settlement Report of 1865. He writes the following about them:

The Adrah are a family converted from Hinduism. They were formally a powerful clan, but were almost annihilated by the Gakhars. They inhabit villages chiefly in the tehsil of Gujarkhan

According to tribal myths, the Adrah are a branch of the Chauhan Rajputs, and Adrah is simply the Pothohari way to pronounce Hara, which is a major branch of the Chauhans. The Chauhan is perhaps the most famous of the Rajput clans, for Prithvi Raj, the last Hindu ruler of North India, belonged to this clan. According to their bardic traditions, the Chauhan are one of the four Agnivanshi or ‘fire sprung’ tribes who were created by the gods in the Agni kund or ‘fountain of fire’ on Mount Abu to fight against the Asuras or demons. Chauhan is also one of the thirty-six ruling races of the Rajputs. However, among the Adrah of Mirpur District, the Adrah are named after a Chauhan forefather whose name was either Adrah or Aadu Khan.

History of the Chauhan Rajput

In the early eleventh century, the Chauhans later asserted their independence from the Pratiharas, with the Sakhambari king Ajaya-Raja founded the city of Ajayameru (Ajmer) in the southern part of their kingdom, and in the mid twelfth century, his successor Vigraharaja enlarged the state, captured Dhilika (the ancient name of Delhi) from the Tomaras and annexed some of their territory along the Yamuna River, including Haryana and Delhi. In 12th century the Chauhans dominated Delhi, Ajmer and Ranthambhor. They were also prominent at Godwar in the southwest of Rajputana, and at Hadoti (Bundi and Kota) in the east.

The Chauhan kingdom became the leading state and a powerful kingdom in Northern India under King Prithviraj III (1165-1192), also known as Prithvi Raj Chauhan or Rai Pithora. Prithviraj III has become famous in folk tales and historical literature as the Chauhan king of Delhiwho resisted and repelled the invasion by Mohammed of Ghor at the first Battle of Tarain in 1191. Armies from other Rajput kingdoms, including Mewar, assisted him. The Chauhan kingdom collapsed after Prithviraj faced defeat in the war.[1][2] the battle ground against Mohammed of Ghor in 1192 at the Second Battle of Tarain. Prithviraj’s defeat and capture at Tarain ushered in Muslim rule in North India by the Delhi Sultanate. The Chauhans of Ajmer remained in exile due to Muhammad of Ghor and his successors, the Sultans of Delhi, and thus swelled the ranks of the armed forces of the Maharana of Mewar, until 1365, when Ajmer was captured by the Sisodias rulers of Mewar, and Ajmer was then returned to the Chauhans.

A branch of the Chauhans, led by Govinda, the grandson of Pritviraj III, established themselves as rulers of Ranthambore from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries, until Ranthambore was captured by Rana Kumbha of Mewar. The Haras dynasty of the Chauhans, moved into the Hadoti region in the twelfth century, capturing Bundi in 1241 and ruled there until the twentieth century. One sept of these Hada Rajputs won Kota.

Adrah Chauhan of the Pothohar

I now come specifically to the Adrah.  According to Chaudhary Mohammad Farooq in his book Tabqat-e-Faroqi, the Adrah are a Chauhan clan, while Major J.E Cracroft, author of the First Settlement Report of Rawalpindi District, the Adrah were ruler of the Gujarkhan district until their conquest by the Gakhars in Lodhi period. Under Baran Shah Adrah, the tribe tried the challenge the Gakhars, but were ultimately defeated. They remained as petty rajahs in the region until the British arrival in 1849.

According to the traditions of village of Usman Zada Adra, there ancestor Changa Khan left Delhi and founded the village. He had two sons Usmanzada and Adrah, from who descend the Adrah tribe. The village is still home to a large community of Adrah Chauhans. Anjum Shabaz gives a slightly different account of the tribe. According to him, the Gujar Khan Adrah descend from an individual named Baran Shah. He had four sons, Ahmed Mat, Usman, Lona and Kun. Ahmed is said to have founded the village of Matore in Kallar Syedan, Usman founded Usman Zada Adrah in Gujar Khan, Lona is said to have founded two villages, Luni and Luna in Rawalpindi and the fourth son founded Bajrana Kanyal in Gujar Khan and was the ancestor of the Kanyal Chauhan tribe. The Matore Adrah were later driven out of the village by the Janjua. Under Baran Shah Adrah, the tribe tried the challenge the Gakhars, but were ultimately defeated. They remained as petty rajahs in the region until the British arrival in 1849. Indeed, the title Raja was initially only held by them, but with time, almost every tribe of Rajput status uses it.  In 1864, the British confirmed ownership of seven villages outright, and in 29 they shared ownership with other tribes at the times of the British conquest.They are found mainly in Rawalpindi and Gujarkhan tehsils of Rawalpindi. A smaller number are also found in Mirpur region of Azad Kashmir. According to another tribal tradition, the Adrah are named after a Chauhan forefather whose name was either Adrah or Aadu Khan.

Distribution

In Rawalpindi District, the main Chauhan settlements are at Usman Zada Adra where the village is owned by the in Gujar Khan Tehsil. Starting with Rawalpindi Tehsil, there is a settlement in Sadar Rawalpindi at Adra, while others are smaller settlements at Panjgran, Sihala, Darkali, Kotlah, Jhatta Hathial and Sahib Dhamial, the last of which they share with the Dhamial Rajputs. In Kallar Syedan Tehsil, they are found in the village of Takal. While in Tehsil Gujar Khan, in addition to Usmanzada Adra, they are found in Borgi Karam Chand, Jatli, Jhanda, Dhoke Chauhan, Dora Budhal, Kauntrilla, Mankiala, Mandra, Nagial Pahalwan, Narali, Pindori, Ranjali and Ratala.

In the Sohawa Tehsil of Jhelum District, they are found in the villages of Bains Qasim, Bulbul Kalan, Bulbul Khurd, Diwan Hazoori-Bishandaur, Dheri Dhamial, Gurrah Matta and Rakha Dhamyal. In Chakwal Tehsil of Chakwal District, they are found in the villages of Dhuraggi, Ghazial, Kahalah, Sangwali and Zayal Raizada (a hamlet near Ghazial).

In Mirpur District, the Adrah are mainly found in Tehsil Dadyal and are closely connected in terms of kinship with the Adrah of Mohra Adrian, Samote, Rawalpindi, perhaps even originating from there. In Tehsil Dadyal, the Adrah have major centres in Sarthala and Gojrathala, Kandore, and Aadreya-na-Mohra, Samlotha. From Gojrathala, the clan spread to Mohra Dhall, Khadimabad (named after Molvi Khadam Hussain who belong to the Adrah family); Nakka, Ankar; and Kheri.

Khatreel tribe

In this post, I will look at the Khatril, sometime spelt Khatreel, a tribe found almost exclusively in Rawalpindi District, with a small number also found in Jhelum and Mirpur districts. The Khatrils claims descent from Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf, a great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad and the progenitor of the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraish tribe in Makkah, and in particular his grandson Abbas ibn Abul Mutalib. The information on this community comes largely from two books, the Tabqaat Farooqi, by Chaudary Muhammad Farooq and Tazkira Pothohar by Mohammad Artsab.

Origins

So, who exactly are the Khatreel. 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 Khatril as follows:

a tribe which is found in the Kahuta, Gujar Khan and Rawalpindi tehsils of Rawalpindi, and is connected by decent with the Dhunds and Jasgam of the Murree Hills

While J. M Wikely, author of military manual the Punjabi Musalmans describes them as such:

The Khatril, like the Dhunds and Jasgam, claim descent from Manaf, an ancestor of the Prophet, and they say that they got possession of the tract, they now occupy under Gakkhar rule when one Zuhair, a descendant of the Prophet, came from Arabia and settled near Kahuta.

In their own tribal tradition, the descendent of Al-Abass, was not called Zuhair, but Zarab Khan or Zurab Khan Al-Abbasi, who is said to have accompanied Mahmood of Ghazni to India, and settled initially in Kashmir, which would therefore be sometime in the late 10th Century. This Zarab Khan is also claimed to be an ancestor by many of the other tribes of the Pothohar plateau such as the Jasgam and the Dhund Abbasi of the Murree Hills and is quite likely to be a mythical figure.

Chaudary Mohammad Farooq in Tabqaat Farooqi claims that the Khatreel are Abbasi Arabs who came to South Asia in the armies of Mohammad Bin Qassim, when he conquered Sindh. In particular, he points to Tameem bin Zayd, who was the governor of Sindh as the tribal ancestor. Tameem is an historical figure, but the Chaudhary then claims he had a son by the name of Gai Khan. Gai Khan is said to have had 20 sons. Some of these sons included Sawar Khan, Chohar, Tanoli, Kalur Khan, Dhara Khan, Jasa Khan and Nawab Khan. Nawab Khan was also said to be known as Khatreel Khan. Khatreel Khan is said to have settled in Tangrot in present day Azad Kashmir. Nawab Khan is said to have a killed a tiger who was menacing the local population, as such was rewarded by the local rajah with lands. His descendants than spread across the Jhelum, with one branch becoming known as the Jasgam, which was a nickname of Dalo Khan, who settled in Mandrah. I will ask the reader to read my post on the Jasgam.

Mohammad Artsab, author of the Tazkira Pothohar gives a different account of the tribe. His gives Ghabi Khan as the tribe’s ancestor, but makes him a Jat of Jhelum, and denies that they are Abbasi. Once again we have Nawab Khan, who was the son of Ghabi, was the ancestor, who was nicknamed Khatreel, from whom the tribe gets its name. At the time of the Sikh conquest, Chaudhary Mahndar and Hakeem were chieftains of the tribe, who sustained the tribe’s independence. The most important Khatreel family was that of Takal, who were also known as Ghabyal Rajputs.

Tribal Traditions

The Khatril were initially settled in the Kahuta Hills, from where the Khatril were said to have been expelled by the Jasgam, and they ended up settling in Gujar Khan Tehsil, in villages near the town of Mandrah. In claiming an Arab ancestry, the Khatril are not unlike many other tribes in the Pothohar region, where claims to Arab ancestry have become increasingly frequent since the start of the last century. This change in identity is seen by the fact that they were classed as Jats in 1911 census of India but were included with the Dhund in the 1921 census.

Distribution

Overall, the Khatreel are found in 28 villages in Kallar Syedan and Gujar Khan tehsils. Traditionally, the Khatreel of the village of Takal were home to the chief of the tribe, although that chief’s authority is no longer that widely recognized. Gayal Khatril make up the bulk of the Khatril in Gujar Khan, who are descendants of Gai Khan. The Gaiyal, descendants of Gai Khan, whose tomb is near Duberan in the Kahuta tehsil. Currently, the Khatril are found mainly in Gujar Khan Tehsil, especially around the town of Mandrah, in the villages of Dhok Luss near Paleena, Dhok Maira near Paleena, Durab Jatal, Kahili Khinger, Sapiali Khinger,  Mardial, Mohri Khatril, Dhok Khatril, Dulmi Khatril, Jatal Surkhru, Miana Moda, Rumat and Roungtay. Another cluster of Khatril villages are found near the town of Dhamiak, such as Hathia Dhamial in Jhelum District, and south of the town of Sohawa, such as Arazi Hamid, Gagi Syedan, Jandot and Mohra Alya, also in Jhelum District.

In Mirpur District, the Khatreel are found in Kandore, Dhangri near Chakswari, and Kharak. In Bhimber District, they are found in Tangrot.

Several Khatreel are also settled in Vehari District in the following villages Chak 15 WB, Chak 89 WB, and 188 WB. These originate from Jhelum District.

Rachyal tribe

In this post, I will look at the Rachyal, sometimes spelt Richyal, who are a Jat tribe, found mainly in the Kotli and Mirpur districts of Azad Kashmir. Rachyal are by origin a clan of Dogras, whose roots like in the Chamba region of what is now Himachal Pradesh. Like many Jat clans, the Rachyal have a number of origin stories. I would also refer the reader to the Facebook page Mirpur and Dadyal Heritage Society (accessible through mirpurheritage.com), which has some excellent information on these tribes.

Tribal Origin

There ancestor was a Rachan Dev, a Hindu Rajput of the Kashyap gotra, from the region of Chamba, in modern day Himachal Pradesh. He is said to have converted to Islam in the 16th Century, and left Chamba eventually settling in Mirpur. Generally, among the Rajputs of the Himachal region, each clan was connected with a Hindu rishi, who was traditional spiritual ancestor. The rishi Kashyapa is one of Saptarishi, the seven famed rishis and considered to be author of many hymns and verses of the Rigveda (1500-1200 BCE). It is likely that the Rachyal are branch of the Katoch Rajputs, as they belonged to the Kashyap gotra. An interesting thing about the various tribes in the Pothahar and Chibhal region is that their name often ends in al, which is patronymic, therefore, the sons of Rachan, become the Rachyal and so on, very similar to the Arabic Bin or Slavic ovich or ov.

According to another tradition, the first member of the tribe to convert to Islam was Behram Chand, who was Ranchan Dev’s great grandson. After his conversion, Behram Chand took the name to Allah Bakhsh. Below is a tribal genealogy narrated by the raah, the traditional genealogists of the Mirpur region.

Rachan Dev

↓

Ram Chandar

↓

Bhao Chandar

↓

Bahram Chand also known as Allah Baksh, from whom the various Rachyal lineages trace their ancestry.

According to tribal folklore, once the Rachyals converted to Islam, they were forced out of Chamba and its surroundings and led by their Chaudhary, Allah Bakshs, we see them migrating through Sialkot, Sheikhupura, and Jhang areas of Punjab in Pakistan. The tribe then entered the Jammu state via Dhuki village through Sarai-Alamgir (near Kharian, Punjab, Pakistan) which lies in district of Gujrat, around three hundred years ago. They then moved to Mangla and eventually to a place called Ladna near now Chakswari. From here the Rachyals spread farther west and the estate of Panyam came into being. Below is a history of some of the larger Rachyal lineages.

The Panyam or Karam Deen Rachyal

The main Rachyal branch is found in Panyam, in the adjoining hamlets of Shahmdia-na-Mohra (named after ther ancestor Shahmad); Hatti-na-Mohra / Mohra Hatti; Moohri (on the boundaries of Panyam and Laddar); Baavaya-ni-Moohri, as well as the Mate family; some in Laddar; some in Rachyal, Chakswari (family of the well-known Ch Ghulam Nabi Rachyal); some in Gorsian Laddar; and in other areas of Panyam. A lot of this family descend from an elder called Karam Deen who had six sons.

The Baba Baala Rachyal

Another large Rachyal branch originally from Chamba descends from an elder called Baba Baala who settled in Mirpur. He had seven sons or seven brothers who migrated from Chamba to Mirpur. Two or three settled in the village Balah (named after him) and this covers the Upper and Lower Balah villages, Old Balah Gaala and Balah-na-Mera. A brother of the Baba came to Dolu-na-Mohra (named after their ancestor Baba Dowlu and from here some went to Chamba-Mohri, Mirpur); another went to Sangot (Rachyal, Sangot, Mirpur and from here some moved to Chhappran, Gurra Domal); and one founded Pothi, Mirpur (a prominent family, home village of the late Chaudary M Azam – Former Deputy Speaker AJK) and some moved to Chhappran, Panyam from these too. Another brother may have gone up to Rajdhani, in Kotli District.

Other Rachyal

In Rajdhani Union Council area, the Rachyal are also very large clan, and they are perhaps the majority in the region. They are spread over numerous villages such as Peeran-na-Mohra, Mocha, Ditwal, Karmal; Bindi, Lamman, Nakka, some in Mohalla Kanjal, Mohra Moqada, rarla and parla Andraal, and Thangri. Some from this branch have moved to Bihari (Tehsil Dadyal), and Naar.

In Tehsil Dadyal, there is another branch of Rachyal in the village of Kandore (such as in Dhok Khadda) but their origins are a bit dubious. There is another Rachyal family in Sandal near Thara, Dadyal.

Distribution

Most of the Rachyal are still found either in Chakswari or Panyam, where several of their villages are found such as Pothi,and Chamba, as well as several hamlets or mohri near Panyam. In Kotli District, they are are found in several hamlets near Rajdhani. Some Rachyals villages are found even further north in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Kanyal tribe

In this post, I will look at the Kanyal or sometimes spelt Kanial,a tribe of both Jats and Rajputs status. They are found mainly in Gujarkhan, Jhelum, Gujrat and Mirpur districts. An interesting thing about the various tribes in the Potohar region is that there name often ends in al, which 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 started off as clans of a larger tribe, so in the case of the Kanyal, according to some traditions, they are an aal of the Chauhan tribe, which overtime grew in numbers, leading separation from the parent stock. This article received considerable assistance from Awais from the Facebook page Mirpur and Dadyal Heritage Society (accessible through mirpurheritage.com), which has quite a lot of information on the Kanyal and other Jats of the Mirpur region.

Tribal Origin

Like most Pothohar tribes, very little has been written about them by the British. H. A Rose, the early 20^th Century wrote the following about them:

Kanial, a tribe which belongs, according to the late Mr. E. B. Steedman, to that miscellaneous body of men who call themselves Rajputs, hold a large portion of the south-eastern corner of the Rawalpindi district, and are of much the same class as the Budhal and Bhakral. They also appear to stretch along the sub-montane as far east as Gujrat.

The information is incredibly basic in the above paragraph, however Rose is right that the Kanyal have very similar customs as the Budhal and Bhakral. According to the traditions of the Gujarkhan Kanyal, they originate from the town of Jammu and trace their descent to Jambu Loachon, the founder of the city of Jammu. He had a son named Raja Puran Karan, from whom the tribe claims descent. They are thus descended from the Manhas Rajput tribe. Other traditions however make the Kanyal a clan of Chauhan Rajputs. There are various stories about the emergence of the Kanyal or Kanial tribes, in the Rawalpindi District and they have always been considered as a high ranking clan of the Rajput tribe. Like the Kalyal, the Kanyal started off as a tribe settled in the Chibhal region, making their way to the Pathohar plateu sometime in the Middle Ages. Groups of Kanyal have immigrated as far south as Darya Khan in the heart of the Thal desert, which makes them far more geographically widespread then the other tribes discussed.

In Mirpur, the Kanyal also claim Minhas Rajput ancestry, but with a slifghtly different genealogy. The Minhas belong to the Suryavanshi branch of the Rajput caste, and claim descent from Rama a legendary king of Ayodhya. According to Kanyal traditions, Rama is said to have visited the Jammu region, leaving behind several sons. His descendants in the Jammu region are said to have founded several small principalities, and were constantly involved in warfare. A descendent of Ram by the name of Diya Karan was invited by the various chiefs to rule over them in what became the Chibhal territory. Some traditions make Diya Karan the son of the same Jambu Loachon, referenced in the Gujarkhan Kanyal family tree. Diya Karan and his successors established their rule of a territory stretching from Gujarkhan to Jammu. There were then said to be 25 kings of the Jammu kingdom, before Rajah Karam Pal became king. It is Karam Pal from which the Kanyal trace their ancestory.

During the rule of Rajah Karam Pal, one of his sons Uday Pal converted to Islam. His Islamic name was Sultan Mohammed Aslam Khan who left the Jammu state after his conversion, and settled near the village of Onnah Rajgan. Seven generations after him, came Kanait Khan who was the forefather of the Kanyal according to this tradition. The word Kanyal is shortened version of Kanait aal, or the family of Kanait. Kanait is said to have first settled in Gujarkhan, and all the Mirpur Kanyal claim to have come from that region. They first settled in Mohra Kanyal and Mohra Malkan, and Onah (near Dadyal). Most Kanyal in Mirpur connect themselves with Onah. The following is a family tree of the Onah Rajgan Kanyals:

Jambu Loachan

↓

Daya Karan

↓

Dharam Karan

↓

Hari Pal

↓

Saisans Pal

↓

Haran Pal

↓

Karam Pal

↓

Vikram Pal

↓

Udai Pal known as Sultan Aslam Khan

↓

10^th in descent Kanait Khan, ancestor of the Kanyal tribe

There are now several Kanyal families in Mirpur District, each with their traditions and origin stories. The Kanyal family in Mohra Kanyal, Kheri Bala, near Khadimabad and Kandor, are descended from an elder called Baba Kagg. Baba Kagg had three sons from whom all the Kanyal of this region claim as their ancestors. It is uncertain where he came from but some say there is a connection to Kashmir. There is another Kanyal family in Palaak, which may have originated from the above Onah family given their proximity to Onah (the village being across the river). There are also a few households of Kanyal in Gindian-na-Mohra / Mohra Gindian in Pind Khurd, which comes between Palaak and Chakswari.

Distribution

Kanyal Population of Punjab According to the 1911 Census

District	Rajput	Jat	Total
Rawalpindi	2,317	149	2,466
Jhelum		2,603	2,603
Mianwali		785	785
Other Districts	403	335	738
Total	2,720	3,872	6,592

Kanyal in Punjab

Perhaps there densest settlement are in the Gujar Khan Tehsil, with important villages including Arazi Hasnal, Arif Kanial, Atit Kanial, Chak Bagwal, Dhera Kanial (especially Mohra Malkan), Dhok Kanyal, Dhaia Kanial, Dhok Manna, Ghik Budhal, Habib Kanial, Kanial, Mohra Kanial (near Bewal), Mohri Rajgan, Narali Mirzian, Ramial, Sahot Kanyal, Sui Chemian and Wasla Bangyal are all part of a cluster of Kanial villages. In neighbouring Rawalpindi Tehsil their villages include Dhera Kanial and Mohra Kanial, while in Kallar Syedan Tehsil they are found in the villages of Jocha Mamdot, Khambli Sadiq, Khoi Las, Par, Chakyal Hardo and Tirkhi. In Jhelum District, they are found in Dhok Kanial, Mohra Kanial and Rohtas and in Chakwal in Nachindi. Finally, in Attock District they are found in Kanial village. There are also Kanyal village in Bhakkar District, and in 1911 there were 785 Kanyal in the then Bhakkar Tehsil of Mianwali.

Kanyal in Azad Kashmir

There are still large communities of Kanyal in neighbouring Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir. Their villages in that district include Mohra Kanyal, Mohra Nangyal, Mohra Malkan, Mohra Sher Shah, Mohar, Nakota, Palaak and Onah Rajgan.

Kalyal Jats

In this post, I will look at a tribe of Jats called the Kalyal. They are one of the larger Jat clans of the Pothohar region, and neighbouring Mirpur Division of Pakistani Kashmir. This article received considerable assistance from Awais from the Facebook page Mirpur and Dadyal Heritage Society (accessible through mirpurheritage.com), which has quite a lot of information on the Kalyal and other Jats of the Mirpur region.

The Kalyal of Gujarkhan and Jhelum

Like most Jats of the Jhelum / Mirpur region, very little has been written about them. The early 20^th Century British ethnologist, H. A Rose has simply a line on them.

Sombanai descent and Rajput ancestry i.e., a last status as Rajput— are claimed by the Kalial,

Rose is correct, the tribe claims descent from Kala Khan or Mal Khan, a Chandravanshi Rajput, who settled in the Potohar region in the 15th Century. However, as I will explore, some Kalial lineages claim Suryavanshi ancestry.

There are also a widespread tradition that make Kal to be a Bhatti Rajput, which would make the Kalyal a clan of the Bhatti tribe. Therefore, the Kal aal are the descendants of Kals. The Kalyal are essentially a tribe of the Chibhal, a region between the Tawi and Jhelum rivers, now divided by the line of control, forming the districts of Mirpur and Bhimber in Azad Kashmir, and Rajouri, Reasi and parts of Jammu district west of the river Tawi in Indian administered Kashmir. From Chibhal, groups of Kalyal began immigrating to the Punjab plains, initially settling in around Dina, and Sahowa and then spreading to Gujar Khan, which is home to the greatest concentrations of Kalyal. Most of the Gujarkhan Kalyal claim to a be a clan of the Bhatti Rajputs. Other groups moved southeast, settling in Gujrat District, where they are still an important Jat clan. There is a single Kalyal village in Kharian Tehsil of Gujrat District.

Kalyal Jats in Mirpur District

The majority of the Kalyal population is found east and north of the Jhelum River in Mirpur District. Often, the various Kalyal families have contradictory origin stories. I will look at the origin stories of each branch of the Kalyal family. 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 Kalyal, some tradition put them in the Suryavanshi category, while others in the Chandravanshi category. The raah of The Kalyal, a group of hereditary genealogists similar to the mirasi in the Punjab plains, state that the Kalyal are Kalyal Rajput kasab Jatt and that they are from Suryavanshi branch of the Rajputs. Among their ancestors were 95 men, who were rulers in Delhi, India, the last of whom was called Sri Karpal who became Muslim, giving an azaan on the throne and then abdicating. He is said to have migrated to Bihar India, and after a while went to Sialkot and founded Dhok Kalyal and Dhok Jaal in Sialkot. He was known for giving to the poor and destitute there. After some time, some descendants came to Gujarkhan and Rawat. From there, they spread to the Mirpur region.

There is another tradition which says four brothers who were converted from Hinduism to Islam in India, and three of the brothers migrated to Gujrat and from there, one went to Bihar, one to Kotli Sarsawa (next to Palaak) and one settled in Baratt. According to another genealogy, given by the raah, is that before coming to Sialkot, they were Arabs, descended from Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl’s real name was Amr ibn Hishām al-Makhzumi, and he was pagan leaders from Quraysh known for his opposition towards the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the early Muslims in Mecca. This origin story is similar to the Ranjah Jats, and it’s interesting the same character also appears in the Kalyal story.  

In all the Kalyal origin stories in Mirpur, the original place of settlement seems to be Sialkot. The city is one of the ancient settlements in Punjab, and may therefore a possible origin point. Although the Gujarkhan Kalyal often point to the Chibhal, so its possible that groups of Kalyal left Sialkot first settling in the Mirpur region, then crossing the Jhelum river to settle in Jhelum and Gujarkhan.

The Baba Chanda Kalyal

One of the larger Kalyal lineage is that of the Baba Chanda Kalyal. This family is found in the villages of Bughoar, Mera Pind Kalan, Mohra Moqadam, Thothal Dheri Phalli, Thothal Pind Kalan, Mera Pind Kalan, and Theekrian Chakswari.  This branch gets its name from its common ancester Baba Chanda. He is said to have originated from Gujarkhan and came to Pind Kalan (near Chakswari). This region used to be known as Chanda-na-Mohra after him but now is known as Dheri Phalli after his grandson Chaudhary Phalli Zaildar who passed away around 150 years ago.

The Baba Rakha Kalyal

Another large branch of the Kalyal is found in Tehsil Dadyal, in the villages of Siakh, Potha Sher, Potha Bangash, and Chhatroh. They are said to originate from Sialkot in northern Punjab. After leaving Sialkot, they first settled in Saranda (Tehsil Kotli) and from there, an elder by the name of Rakha came to the Siakh region and married into a Nagyal family residing nearby in Battli. His descendants form the bulk of the Kalyal population in Potha Sher, Potha Bangash, Siakh (their various mohallas such as Mohalla Qazian, Bara Garaan, Ningrian etc etc) and some have also moved to Thaathi in the Pothohar.

Other Branches

There also a number of other branches of the Kalyal in Mirpur. One the lineage is said to have come from Kot Dhamiak in Jhelum District and settled in Muria-na-Mohra-na-Mohra / Mohra Mundian and Pind Kalan villages. Another branch of the Kalyal are found in the village of Kalyal, near Chakswari, a very influential family. They are also found in Add-ne-Plai, Laddar and Domal (now inundated by the Mangla Dam), and also Gaderi (now inundated by the Mangla Dam), while another branch is in Palaak, Tarnot, and Arnoh, near Panyam.

Yet another branch migrated from Sialkot to Gujrat Gorsian, from there to the Mirpur region and settleeage d in the villages of Panyam (Moohri Panyam / Baavaya-ni-Moohri – these have largely moved to New Abadi Kalyal Chakswari due to the Dam); Essar, Pind Kalan; Gowanda and Prahi (near Chok Sahiban); and Mera Kandi.

There is a Kalyal village near Panyam in Kalyal, Panyam, also known as Sarr-wala-Mohra, and they originate in Tope Mankiala near Rawalpindi. Finally, there is also a lineage found in the village of Kalyal Sheru.

Villages

Gujarkhan Tehsil

Map of Gujarkhan region

In Punjab, most Kalyal are still found in Gujarkhan, and following are there villages in the tehsil:

1) Alamabad,

2) Bewal

3) Bher Kalial,

4) Chak Bagwal

5) Dang Dav Syedan

6) Daryala Kalyal

7) Dhok Dheri near Paleena,

8) Dhok Kalial,

9) Guda Kalyal,

10) Kolian Hameed,

11) Harchiari Kalyal,

12) Manjotha

13) Mankiala Muslim

14) Teriala Kalyal

15) Sohawa

16) Notheh Kalial.

Rawalpindi Tehsil:

1) Kalial,

2) Mohra Kalyal

3) Top Kalyal

Kallar Syedan Tehsil:

Map of Kallar Syedan Tehsil: Source Wikipedia

1) Balimah

2) Choha Khalsa

3) Dhok Luss

4) Dhok Maira near Paleena

5) Khandot

6) Mohra Bakhtan

Kahuta Tehsil

Kalyal

Jhelum, Chakwal and Khushab

In Jhelum District, the Kalyal villages are still found near the towns of Dina and Sahowa, and important ones include Boharian,  Boura Pindi, Dalyal, Dandi, Dhok Rajju, Dhok Kalyal, Domeli, Hon Kalyal, Janjil, Johda, Kalyal, Mal, Mohra Kalyal (near Sohawa),  and Sidh Tajpur Alia. In neighbouring Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil, there main village is Kahana. While in Chakwal District they are found in Chak Kharak, Dhok Qutab Din, Dhoke Wadhan, Kalyal and Kotla Kalyal. The village of Katha Saghral (largely Janjua) in Khushab District is also home to several Kalyal families.

Azad Kashmir

Map of Mirpur District source Planing and Development Department Azad Jammu and Kashmir Government

In Azad Kashmir, important Kalyal villages in Mirpur District include Bughoar, Kas Kalyal also known as Kalyal Sherou, Mera Pind Kalan, Mohra Moqadam, Potha Sher, Potha Bangash, Siakh, Thothal Dheri Phalli, Thothal Pind Kalan, Mera Pind Kalan, and Theekrian Chakswari. Kalyal, Kotla Sehnsa, Sehnsa and Chhatrahn Sehnsa in Kotli District, and in Poonch, there main settlememt is Sehra in Tehsil Hajira.

Kalyal Population in Punjab According to the 1911 Census

District	Rajput	Jat	Total
Rawalpindi	3,198	129	3,327
Jhelum		3,039	3,039
Other Districts	1,886		1,886
Total	5,084	3,168	8,252

Bangial tribe

In this post, I will look at the Bangial, sometimes spelt Bangyal, tribe of the Potohar region of Pakistan. A few Bangyal are also found in the Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir. The Bangyal claim ancestry from the Panwar, and I will start off with a brief note of the Panwar, or sometimes pronounced as Parmar or Puar. In the Pothohar region, the correct pronunciation is Panwar. I would also refer the reader to the Facebook page Mirpur and Dadyal Heritage Society (accessible through mirpurheritage.com), which has some excellent information on these 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. 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 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.

Bangial

So who are the Bangial, sometimes written as Bangyal, and we have go back to my first post on the Pothohar tribes. The word al means son of in number of dialects that fall within Lahnda, such as Pothohari and Pahari. J. M Wikely, author of the army recruitment guide Punjab Musalmans describes them as such:

Male population: Approximately 2,000 (Census 1931).

Locality:  The tribe is found chiefly in the Rawalpindi district, where they occupy five villages in the Gujar Khan tehsil. There appear to be a few also in the Jhelum, Gujrat and Gujranwala districts

Particular: Bangial and Baghial appear to be the same tribe, those members of it which are in the Rawalpindi district are classed as Rajputs, while in Gujrat, Gujranwala and Jhelum they are Jats. They describe themselves as being Panwar Rajputs. The first ancestor of Musalman faith was Bangash Khan.

Other then this brief mention, British sources have been quite on the Bangial. According to the Bangials themselves, they are descended from a Rajah Bangash Khan, a Panwar Rajput, who arrived in the Pothohar region from central India, hence the name Bangash al, shortened to Bangyal. According to other traditions, the Raja came from Delhi. This Bangash Khan is also seen as ancestor by the closely related Baghial tribe. Changa Bangial in Gujarkhan Tehsil is said to be their first settlement in the region, and according to some traditions Changa was a son of Bangash Khan.

A bit more detail description of the comes largely from the book Tazkira Pothohar by Mohammad Artsab. Bangash Khan is said to come from the lineage of Raja Jagdev Panwar, who had three sons, Rokha Khan, Chhanga Khan and Sanbar Khan. The Bangial all claim decent from one of these three brothers, and generally consider the town of Changa Bangyal as there first settlement. The brothers were said to have come from Sialkot, during the period of Gakhar rule, which could be anything between the 14^th and 18^th Century. Most Bangial generally connect themselves with Changa Bangial as their ancestral village. In Mirpur, the Bangyal claim descent from two brothers, Raj Khan and Shahu Khan, who are said to have come from Changa Bangial.

Like many of their neighbours such as the Kalyal, some groups of Bangial consider themselves as Jats, while other see themselves as Rajputs. In Gujranwala, Gujrat and Jhelum districts of Punjab, and Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir, the Bangial strongly identify themselves as Jat, and intermarry with tribes of Jat status, such as the Warriach and Tarar. But as we move towards Dina and neighbouring Gujar Khan tehsils, almost all the Bangial claim Rajput ancestry, so briefly we can summarize, that the Jhelum River divides these two groups.

Bangial Population According 1911 Census

District	Population
Jhelum	1,869
Gujrat	1,679
Rawalpindi	1,204
Total	4,752

Looking at major Bangial villages in Rawalpindi District by tehsil:

Gujarkhan Tehsil

1) Changa Bangial (now actually a fair sized town)

2) Chehari Bangial

3) Dhok Bangial

4) Dhok Chaudrian

5) Khalabat 

6) Jhanji Gangaal

7) Kor Nasib

8) Narali Jabbar

9) Pharwal Bangial

10) Pandori Gakhran

11) Sandal Bangial

12) Sangni

13) Wasla Bangial

Rawalpindi Tehsil:

1) Bajnial

2) Bura Bangial

3) Darihala Bangial

4) Kala Bangial

5) Marri Bangial

6) Pind Dara

Kahuta Tehsil

1) Maira Khurd

2) Suhot Bangial

Kallar Syedan Tehsil

1) Choa Khalsa

2) Dhok Bangial

3) Nala Musalmanan,

4) Pehr Hali,

5) Sahib Dhamial

6) Sahote Bangyal

7) Tamhali

Outside Rawalpindi

In the neighbouring Islamabad Capital territory, they have two villages, namely Jhanga Bangial and Bora Bangial. Outside this core area, Bangial are found in several villages near the town of Sohawa in Jhelum District, such as Bains Qassim, Kandyari, Khorakha, Mohra Kanyal and Mohra Alya. They are also found in the village of Nambal near Kallar Kahar, Gora Bangial in Attock District, and Bangial in Gujrat District. In addition to Bangial, they occupy a further 11 villages in Gujrat District. A small cluster of Bangial villages, such Bangialabad are found near the town of Darya Khan in Bhakkar District.

Bangial Jatt in Mirpur District

There are a number of Bangial villages in Mirpur District, which borders Gujarkhan tehsil, the two divided by the river Jhelum.

In Tehsil Mirpur:

The Bangyal Jatts are found in Bangyal, Panyam (affected by the Mangla Dam), who descend from Baba Kallu who migrated from Changa Bangyal. There is also a Bangyal / Bangyalay in Mirpur near Nathia, and there are also a few households in Palaak.

In Tehsil Dadyal:

These Bangial also claim to have come from Changa Bangyal, with one branch migrated to Jawaya near Bal Peeran (went under the Mangla Dam) and from there to Kandore and Sehnsa, Kotli. The Bangyal in Kandore claim descent from the Panwar Rajputs. Another branch went to Thara (Thara Haji Bagh Ali) as well as Chanaar near Thub, and Sehnsa too.

The branch in Nakka, Ratta are descended from an elder called baba Manji who came from Changar in the Pothohar, and before that from old Hill/Baghaam (alsp now under the Mangla Dam).