CAPÍTULO XVIII

2. Locality. — The Kharrals are common in the Sahiwal district and are also found in Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan and Bahawalpur. The valley of the Ravi, from the junction with the Chenab to the boundary between Lahore and Sahiwal is the chief habitat of this tribe.

3. Chief families. — The best known and one of most importance is the Kamalia talukdar family which is mentioned in “Punjab Chiefs”.

4. History and particulars. —The Kharrah appear to be a true Rajput tribe, though a considerable portion of them are styled Jat. They trace their origin from one Bhupa, a descendant of Raja Karan who settled at Uchh and was there converted to Islam. From Uchh they moved to their present territory. They are

Punjabi Musalmans; Copyright © www.panhwar.com 82 now divided into two main factions, the upper Ravi and the lower Ravi, the headquarters of the latter being at Ket Kamalia.

The Kamalia Kharrals rose to some prominace in the time of Alamgir, but the upper Kharrals are now the more powerful. They stoutly resisted the English Army in 1857.

Their phjisique is above the average, and their activity and endurance is remarkable. The tribe has been chiefly a pastoral one.

Many of them served in Ranjit Singh’s army. 57. Khattar. 1. Male population.—7, 730. (Census 193l)

2. The Khattar country is the Kala Chitta range of the Attock district and extends from Hassan Abdal and Jani-ki-Sang to the Indus. There are also a few villages near Shah-ki-Dehri in the Rawalpindi district.

3. — Chief families. — The best known families are those of Wah and Dhreik both of which are mentioned in Sir Lepel Griffin’s “Punjab Chiefs.” The Dhreik family has suffered much from internal feuds, ruinous litigation and bad conduct. The Bahtar branch of this family is of considerable importance.

4. History and particulars.— Socially the Khattars hold an intermediate place, ranking below the Awans, Ghebas, Jodhras and other high class Rajputs.

The Khattars themselves are divided in belief as to their descent, while some claim Indian origin; others deny it and allege that they are closely allied to the Awans, having come from Arabia. The Awans do not always admit this relationship.

The Khattars were some time divided into two main branches, though they themselves rarely speak of it. These are the Kala Khattars and Chitta Khattars. To the former belongs the Dhriek family, to the latter the Wah family. The Kala branch, who are darkish in colour, are converted Hindus, and the Chitta of true Musalman descent overpowering and observing their predecessors.

Sir Lepel Griffin makes them originally inhabitants of Khorasan, who come to India with the early Musalman invaders.

Punjabi Musalmans; Copyright © www.panhwar.com 83 They used to have a name for keeping horses and hawks, but their circumstances in the present day do not appear to permit of much expenditure in this direction. There are numerous sects though they are not often mentioned. The chief being:—

Firozal, Sarhal, Isal, Garhal, Balwal, Mitha, Kharial, Jandal, and Ranial.

They give their daughters, to Gikkhars, Awans, Pathans, and Sayads, but receive them only from Awans.

58. Khokhar

1. Male population— 32,6,00, (Of which 12,000 are Jats). (Census 1931).

Locality. —The Khokhars are found throughout the Punjab, but chiefly in the Shahpur, Jhang, Multan districts and in the Chenab Colony and Bahawalpur State.

3. Chief families. — The Khokhars, are well presented by families of good standing, some of the best known are :—

In Shahpur, the Malakwal family in the Bhera, tahsil, others in Majoka Jaura, and Bandiol in the Khushab tahsil, and also the Barath family near Miani Gondal. In the Jhelum district are the Pind-Dadan-Khan and Ahmedabad families and of Badshah Khan in the Chakwal tahsil.

In the Gujrat district the Garhi Gauhar Khan family of the Phalian tahsil.

5. History and particulars. — Rajputs, Awans, Jats, and Arains, have all Khokhars branch and the Khokhars themselves vary in status.

The origin of the Khokhars is as obscure as that of any Punjab tribe. Tradition invariably connects them with the Awans, making Khokhar one of Qutab Shah’s sons and Khokhar Qutb Shahis his descendants, who would thus be akin to the Juhans, an Awan tribe in the Sialkot. But this pedigree probably mainly records the fact that the Awans and Khokhars owe their conversion to Islam to Saints Qutbshah or his disciples, or that they both accepted his teachings.

In Sialkot Khokhars inter-marry with other tribes which the Awans will not do. In Gujrat, where they hold a compact block of village about Mung on the Jhelum,

Punjabi Musalmans; Copyright © www.panhwar.com 84 the leading Khokhars are called Raja, as being of Rajput decent. Yet they claim kinship with the Awans and inter- marry with them and the Bhattis, giving wives to Chibs but not getting brides in return.

About Pind-Dadan-Khan the Rajput Khokhars are said to be entirely distinct from the Jat Khokhars, though elsewhere in the Jhelum district the tribe has become merged with the Jat cultivators. Those of Rajputs status marry into some of the best Janjua families.

The Khokhars have at times been confused with the Gakhars, who state that the historian Ferishta has him- self made this mistake. The Khokhars were well settled in the Punjab centuries before the Gakkhars, and were early spread all over the central districts of the province before the Gakkhars acquired their seats in the Salt Range and in the hilly country extending from the Jhelum to the Khanpur “ilaqa” in Hazara, to which they have always been confined.

The earliest distinct mention of the Khokhars occurs in the “Taj-ul-Ma’asir.” a History written in A. D. 1905, which describes a revolt of the tribe against Sultan Muhammad of Ghor in the country between the Jhelum and the Chenab, when they were defeated by Qutb-ud- Din Aibak. After this the tribe is repeatedly mentioned in Islamic historical records as breaking out into rebellion and giving trouble generally. The localities with which they are identified were Lahore, the Salt Range, Multan, between the Indus and the Chenab and also east of the Beas river. They appear to have played an important part in the resistance offered to the invading armies of Timur. Sheikh Kukari, one of their leaders, submitted to Timur and was employed by him in his advance on Delhi. After Shaika, Jasrath makes his appearance, in A. D. 1420 he attacked the King of Kashmir who was marching into Sindh, captured him and took all his “material”. Jasrath appears to have harried the country with varying success (attacking Lahore itself on two occasions until 1432, when he disappears. In the time of Akbar the Khokhars held portions of the Bari Doab, the Jullunder and Rachna Doabs, Multan and portions of Jammu and Sialkot, with a population estimated at 200,000 souls. Prior to the historical records of the tribe a traditional history of the Khokhars commences their record from about 1500 B. C. and makes them Descendants of Bustam Raja surnamed Kokra, who was governor of the Punjab. Driven thence by Faridur who had acquired the Persian throne, Bustan sought refuge in the hill of Ghor, West of Kandahar, where his people ruled for generations, being called Ghori of Ghoria. Later the Khokhars reentered the Punjab under chiefs such as Jot, Sirkap, Vikram and many others, and thenceforth held the Punjab.

Punjabi Musalmans; Copyright © www.panhwar.com 85 59. Kichi and Khilchi.

1. Population— 5,000. (Census 1931)

2. Locality.— The Kichi are found almost exclusively round Mailsi in the Multan district, and in the Gugera tahsil of Montgomery.

3. History and particulars. — The Kichi is a tribe of Jat status which claims Chauhan (Rajput) origin and descent, from one Kichi, a ruler in Ajmer. Driven out of Delhi by the Muhammadans his descendants migrated to Multan. The tribe fought with the Joiyas, then paramount in those parts, and they say also that they were sent against the rebellious Baluch of Khai by the Moghals, in Multan. In Montgomery they state that they were converted to Islam by Bahawal Haqq.

There is a Jat tribe in Shahpur named Khilchi who have probably originated from the Khilji, a Moghal sub- tribe.

60. Kizilbash.