History of Mughals in Pakistan: Cast History In Pakistan

In Pakistan, Mughal communities are found in Sindh and Punjab provinces.


In Punjab

The Mughal (Mistry) are considered directly descended from theMughal dynasty that ruled India. During the fall of the Mughalempire most of the Mughals that survived were forced to flee, leaving their land and wealth behind. They escaped into the mountains of Kashmir and gradually settled in (Azaad Kashmir - Pakistan). With their love for Architecture, they took to work as builders (Mistry). Others took to metal work (Lohar) and Carpentry (Tarkhan)Tarkhan Dynasty.They are known to have replaced the tribal tradition and opted for the Indian caste system similar to tribal law. Mughals in Mirpur are skilled builders, skilled carpenters (Tarkhan)Tarkhan and skilled black smiths (Lohars)but are not confined to this. Mughals have superb artistic and creative skills and are regarded as the highest caste in the artisan classes. Their skills can be seen in the mosques and buildings that have been built by them. The region of Punjab is also home to a large number of Mughal communities. Historically, they were found in the largest numbers in and around the city of Delhi, and the Rawalpindi Division. The Mughalof the Rawalpindi Division belong to local agricultural tribes locally known by their tribal names, such as the Satti, Gheba, Phaphra and kassar tribes of the Barlas Mughals and Chughtai are also found in the Punjab  In addition to these agriculture tribes, members of the Lohar community found in the Punjab also claimMughal ancestry.A brief description of the major tribal groupings in Punjab that claim Mughalancestry follows.

 Phaphra

Several tribal groupings in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan claim Mughal ancestry. One such tribe are the Phaphra. They occupy a compact area of about 25 square miles (65 km2) at the foot of the Salt Range, east of Pind Dadan Khan in Jhelum District in Pakistan.

The tribe claims to be Mughals, but British ethnographers writing at the beginning of the 20th century expressed doubts.  According to their tradition, the tribe came from the direction of Faridkot in Punjab, and settled in the district as traders and agriculturists. The tribe claims descent from a Phaphra who settled in the district in the 15th century.

 Gheba

The Gheba are another tribe from the Pothohar region, being one of the principal tribes of the Attock District. They are found mainly in Fateh Jang Tehsil of Attock and claim descent from Gheba khan, who was said to be a Barlas Mughal.

 Khamb

The Khamb is another tribe claiming to be Mughal, and found mainly in the Pothohar region of northern Punjab. According to their traditions, the ancestors of the Khamb arrived from Kathiawar, in what is now the modern state of Gujerat in India.

The Khamb were settled in their present abode by a Hashmat Khan, a chief of the Thathal tribe, who are natives of the Pothohar region. This Hashmat Khan was appointed as a garrison commander of Khambhat in Kathiawar by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. When Hashmat returned to the Pothohar region of Pakistan, he was accompanied by members of the garrison at Khambait. These troops were of a mixed origin and included troopers of Mongol and Afghan origin from Badakshan. He ordered that a village be built and named it Khanpur, and the Khamb tribe was granted land in and around the new town.

The Khamb, being of at least partly Turkic extraction are now considered to be a clan of theMughal tribe. Local tradition makes the Moghul tribe to be called Barlas. At present they live in Khambi Kaleechpur and Khanpur in the Gujrat district of Punjab.

 Kassar

The Kassar are a Mughal tribe and one of the three major land-owning tribes in the Dhani country of Chakwal District in Punjab province, Pakistan. They occupy the northern part of Dhani, called Babial and Chaupeda. According to the Jhelum District settlement report of 1862, they are mentioned as having come from Jammu along with the Mair-Minhas tribe and been settled in this area by the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudin Babur. According to their traditions, they claim descent from a kinsmen of the Emperor Babur, Kassar. He was said to be a distant cousin of Babur. In addition to Chakwal, they are also found in Sargodha, Jhelum, Attock, Khoshab, Rawalpindi, Tehsil Sohawa, Badin (Sindh), Larkana (Sindh), Muzafar Abad (Kashmir), Ponch (Kashmir), Cakothi(Kashmir).

 Jandran

The Jandran are a tribe of Mughal status, found mainly Jhang, Khanewal, Vehari, Lodhran and Sargodha districts of Punjab.

Turk Mughal

In Punjab, the term Turk refers to any inhabitant of Central Asia, or Turkestan, as the region was historically known. The Turks of the Punjab region include the Karlugh Turks of the Hazara Division, who were settled in the region by Timur. These Karlugh Turks resumed the title of "Raja" by which locals used to call them during their rule of Pakhli state, while some Turk clans use "Usmani" as their surname, probably due to their Turkish origin. In addition to these Turks, there was also a colony of Turks settled in Gurdaspur District who were once said to be ropemakers. They claim descent from Turk soldiers settled in Gurdaspur District by the Khilji sultans. These Turks are now settled in and around the city of Faisalabad.

 Other clans

* Baig Mughal

* Mirza Mughal

* Ginhal Mughal

* Bandey Mughal

* Mir Mughal

* Mangval Mughal

* Langryal Mughal

* Bich Mughal

* Gani Mughal

* Ashaie Mughal

* Bub Mughal

* Ganju Gharhi Mughal

* Batlla Mughal

* Babri Mughal

* Salour Mughal

* Pathan Mughal

* Numbeli Mughal (tribe of murree)

* Manjotha Mughal

* Marrar Mughal Barlas

* Mughalzai

* Mughal khel

* Mangal

* orya khel

* Mughal Lal Khail

* Tanoli [Tanoli consider themselves to descend from one Amir Khan, a Barlas Mughal]

 In Sindh

In Sindh, two Mughal dynasties, the Arghun and Tarkhan, held power for a short periods in the 16th Century. Most of the Sindhi Mughals are descended from Central Asian immigrants who settled in the province during the rule of these two dynasties, these two dynasties were later subdued by Babur. Many Sindhi Mughal's also claim to have arrived in the region during the rebellion of Sher Shah Suri against the Mughal heir-apparent Humayun, in fact many Mughal's settled in Umarkot, and young Akbar was born there. in Sindh the Mughals ruled with the assistance of the Kalhora tribe. Among the famous Mughal administrators of Sindh was Mirza Ghazi Beg, during his rule many Sindhi's entered the service of the Mughal Emperors.

A small number of Qazilbash tribesmen settled in Sindh in the 18th Century. A small number ofMughal families are descended from Georgian immigrants, such as the family of Mirza Qilich Beg, the famous Sindhi, who came to during the invasion of Nadir Shah and flourished during the rule of Talpurs. The Sindh Mughals are Sunni, and now entirely speak Sindhi.  Manzoor Mughal(D.I.G)Deputy inspector general of police investigations Karachi.Now present Director Intelligence Karachi.Ghulam Nabi Mughal,an eminent writer of sindhi language and retired Regional Director Food Deppt.(Govt.Sindh) ,belongs to Hyderabad since 1915-20.His family lineage revealed that they were first came into Nasrpur(Sindh,period approximately in the end of 17th century) from the region of kashmir.

 In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Hazara

In Hazara, the Mughals are found in all the Division, especially Haripur,Abbottabad,and Mansrhra.Tehsil Ghazi also have Mughals.First Settler was Ghazi Baig.

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History of Baig (بیگ) :Cast History In Pakistan

Beg or Baig (also Begg) (Turkic: Beg Persian: بیک , بیگ) is a Turkic family name.


History and Origins

The name "Baig" is derived from the Turkic word Beg, or Bey, which means chief or lord (i.e. leader/commander). Baig was a title given to honorary members of the Barlas clan, and was used as the family name for their children. The Barlas clan was the main clan of the Timurids. The Timurids belonged to the Islamic faith and were descendants of Timur, the grandson, through several generations, of the notorious warlord Gengis Khan. They were seen as a hybrid Turkic-Persian ethnic group, as they were initially influenced by both Persian and Turkic cultures. The chief clan of the Timurids, the Barlas clan, eventually formed the Mughal Empire of Central Asia and Indian Subcontinent during the Middle Ages. The members of the Mughal Dynasty belonged to the Barlas clan and "Begs" were the highest ranking military leaders and advisors to the Royal Aristocrats.

Beg was also subsequently used as a military rank in the Ottoman Empire. (See: Bey). It was also used during the Qing Dynasty in China. When the Qing Dynasty ruled Xinjiang, Begsadministered the province as officials. High ranking Begs were allowed to wear the Queue.

Today, although large amounts of Begs remain in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, the majority of Begs/Baigs are found in South Asia. This is due part to the the expansion of the Mughal Empire and the migration of Turko-Persian Mughal's, which caused the Barlasi 'Beg' population to shift mainly to the Indian Subcontinent (Mostly the Punjab, Delhi & Sindh regions). Begsoccupied the upper echelons of society in the conquered parts of South Asian.

Variant spellings

Although 'Bey' was the original Turkic word and 'Beg' was the naming form used by the Mughal Empire, many different spellings can be found today, when the name is converted into English from the native Turkic language.

Baig is seen as the most common spelling among the Begs who settled in the Indian Subcontinent. The spelling 'Baig' was most probably popularized, for ease of pronunciation, during the British colonial rule of the Indian Subcontinent, when the use of the English language became more common. Most use 'Beg' interchangeably with the spelling 'Baig'.

The spelling Bey is rarely seen as a name, but if so, is found mostly in Turkish language. The spelling Beg is still common among the Barlas in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. There are also several other alternate forms of spelling found in South/Central Asia and Eastern Europe, when 'Beg' is transliterated. For example: Begg, Beyg, Beigh, Bick. These transliterations can sometimes be found with the Persian suffix of 'zadeh' or 'zada' or Slavic suffix of 'ov' or 'ovic' i.e.: Begzadeh or Begović. Both the Persian and Slavic suffix mean "son of". The latter was most probably popularized during the Soviet rule of Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Today

The diaspora of Begs/Baigs can be found in India/Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan/Turkmenistan etc, Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Balkans. With sizable immigrant populations in Canada, US, UK, and Europe. Further, the surname Baig/Begcontinues to be used by the descendants of the Barlas (under the various spellings and naming styles shown above). For Example: Alija Izet-begović or Asmir Begović or Mirza Asadullah BaigKhan.

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History of Gujjar Cast : Cast History In Pakistan

The Gurjars (Sanskrit:  Gurjars a,, Gujar i: , گُرجر) or Gujjar ( Prakrit: , گجر) are an ethnic group in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjars a, Gujar and Gujur.

While the origin of the Gujjars is uncertain, the Gurjars clan appeared in ancient northern India about the time of the Huna invasions of the region. In the 6th to 12th Century, they were primarily classed as Kshatriya and Brahmin, and many of them later converted to Islam during the Muslim rule in South Asia. Today, the Gujjars are classified under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in some states in India. The HinduGujjars today are assimilated into several varnas of Hinduism.

History

The origin of the Gujjars is uncertain. There are various references talking about their origin. Most of the Gurjars s claim descent from Suryavanshi Kshatriyas (Sun Dynasty) and connect themselves with Shri Ram Chandra. Historically, the Gurjars s were Sun-worshipers and are described as devoted to the feet of the Sun-god (God Surya).Their copper-plate grants bear an emblem of the Sun and on their seals too, this symbol is depicted. Also the Gurjars title of honor is Mihir which means Sun. Ancient Sanskrit Poet Rajasekhara in his plays styled Gurjarsrulers as Raghu-kula-tilaka (Ornament of the race of Raghu), Raghu-gramani (the leader of the Raghus)and so forth.

In Ramayana, it is described that a war was fought among demons and gods.Gurjars s fought against demons under the leadership of King Dasharatha. There is also references of Gurjarswidows in Yoga Vasistha, whose husbands laid down their lives in the battlefield, having their heads tonsured as a mark of their bravement. In Mahabharata war also Gurjars s fought and later on along with lord Krishna migrated from Mathura to Dwarka, Gujar at.

The Gurjars clan appeared in northern India about the time of the Huna invasions of northern India. Some scholars, such as V. A. Smith, believed that the Gurjars s were foreign immigrants, possibly a branch of Hephthalites ("White Huns"). Mr. Devadatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar (D. B. Bhandarkar) (1875–1950) believed that Gurjars s came into India with the Hunas, and the name was sanskritized to "Gurjars a". He also believed that several places in Central Asia, such as "Gurjistan", are named after the Gujar s and that the reminiscences of Gujar migration is preserved in these names. General Cunningham identified the Gurjars s with Yuezhi or Tocharians.

General Cunningham and A. H. Bingley consider the Gurjars s as descendants of Kushan/Yueh-chi or Tocharians of Indo-Scythian stock. In the past, Gurjars s have also been hypothesized to be descended from the nomadic Khazar tribes, although the history of Khazars shows an entirely different politico-cultural ethos In Gazetteer of Bombay Presidency, the British civil servant James M. Campbell identified Gujar s with Khazars. Scott Cameron Levi, in his The Indian Diaspora in Central Asia and its Trade, 1550-1900, mentions Kazar (Khazar, could also refer to Kassar) and Kujar (Gujar ) as two different tribes with links to Central Asia.

Some others claim that the Gurjars caste is related to the Chechens and the Georgians, and argue that Georgia was traditionally called "Gujar istan" (actually Gorjestan). However, there is little evidence for such claims. The word "Georgia" derived from the Arabic and Persian word Gurj, and not Gujjar or Gurjars .

A 2009 study conducted by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, under the supervision ofGurjars scholar Dr.Javaid Rahi, claimed that the word "Gujar " has a Central Asian Turkic origin, written in romanized Turkish as Göçer. Study claimed that according to the new research, theGurjars race "remained one of the most vibrant identity of Central Asia in BC era and later ruled over many princely states in northern India for hundred of years".

According to Scholars such as Baijnath puri, Mount Abu (ancient Arbuda Mountain) region of present day Rajasthan had been abode of the Gurjars s during medieval period. The association of the Gurjars s with the mountain is noticed in many inscriptions and epigraphs including Tilakamanjari of Dhanpala. These Gurjars s migrated from Arbuda mountain region and as eatly as sixth century A.D, they set up one or more principalities in Rajasthan and Gujarat.Whole or a larger part of Rajasthan and Gujar at had been long known as Gurjars atra (country ruled or protected by the Gurjars s) or Gurjars abhumi (land of the Gurjars s) for centuries prior to Mughal period.

The sociologist G. S. Ghurye believes that the name Gujjar is derived from the principal profession followed by the tribe: cattle-breeding (the Sanskrit word for cow is gau and the old Hindi word for sheep is gadar).,[33] though "Gujjar" has come from "Gurjars " which is a sanskrit word which according to Sanskrit Dictionary (Shakabada1181), has been explained thus: Gur+jar; 'Gur' means 'enemy' and 'jar' means 'destroyer'. The word means "Destroyer of the enemy" . The word "Gurjars " predicts the qualities of a warrior community.

Gurjars rulers

According to some historical accounts, the kingdom with capital at Bhinmal (or Srimal) was established by the Gurjars s. A minor kingdom of Bharuch was the offshoot of this Kingdom. In 640-41 CE, the Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Hieun Tsang) described the kingdoms of Su-la-cha (identified with Saurashtra) and Kiu-che-lo (identified with Gurjars a) in his writings. He stated that the Gurjars as ruled a rich and populous kingdom with capital at Bhinmal (Pilo-mo-lo). According to his expositor, M. Vivien de St. Martin, Su-la-cha represents the modern Gujar at, and Kiu-che-lo (Gurjjara), "the country of the Gujar s", represents the region between Anhilwara and the Indus River, i.e. Sindh region.

Vincent Smith believed that the Pratihara dynasty, which ruled a large kingdom in northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries, and has been mentioned as "Gurjars a-Pratiharas" in an inscription, was certainly of Gurjars a origin. Smith also stated that there is possibility of other Agnikula Kshatriya clans being of same origin. Dr. K. Jamanadas also states that the Pratihara clan descended from the Gurjars s, and this "raises a strong presumption that the other Rajput clans also are the descendants from the Gurjars as or the allied foreign immigrants". D. B. Bhandarkar also believed that Pratiharas were a clan of Gurjars s. In his book The Glory that was Gujar desh (1943), Gurjars writer K. M. Munshi stated that the Pratiharas, the Paramaras and the Solankis were imperial Gujjars .

According a number of scholars Chauhan was a prominent clan of Gurjars s.

H. A. Rose and Denzil Ibbetson stated that there is no conclusive proof that the Agnikula Rajput clans are of Gurjars a origin; they believed that there is possibility of the indigenous tribes adopting Gurjars a names, when their founders were enfiefed by Gurjars a rulers. Some other historians believe that although some sections of the Pratiharas (e.g. the one to which Mathanadeva belonged) were Gurjars s by caste, the Pratiharas of Kannauj were not Gurjars s and there was no Gurjars a empire in Northern India in 8th and 9th century., though from the work of other historians it has been known that Kannauj was capital of Gurjars a-Pratihara.

Historian Sir Jervoise Athelstane Baines also stated Gurjars s as forefathers of Sisodiyas, chauhan, Parmar, Parihar and Chalukya.

Chavdas, also known as Gurjars Chapas was also one of the ruling clans of Gurjars s, who extended the power of the race in the south.

The pratiharas belonged to the same clan that of Gurjars as was proved by the "Rajor inscription".From the phrase "Gurjars a Pratiharanvayah" inscribed in the "Rajor inscription".It is known that the Pratiharas belonged to the Gurjars a clan.The Rashtrakuta records and the Arabian chronicles also identify the Pariharas with Gurjars as.

Over the years, the Gurjars s were assimilated mainly into the castes of Kshatriya varna, although some Gurjars groups (such as Gaur Gurjars s of central India) are classified as Brahmins.During the Muslim rule, many of the Gurjars s converted to Islam. With the rise of Islam, Muslim Gujjars no longer adhered to their Kshatriya or Brahmin classification but retained clan names as a form of tribal recognition.Places such as Gujranwala, Gujar Khan, Gujar Kot, Gujrat in Pakistan and the state of Gujar at in India are a testament to the Gurjars influence in the past.

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History Of Sheikh Cast : History In Pakistan

Sheikh (Arabic and Punjabi: شيخ ), is an Arabic word meaning elder of a tribe, lord, Honorable revered old man, or Islamic scholar. In South Asia it is used as an ethnic title generally attributed to Muslim trading families.Punjabi sheiukh are multi races,Mostly came from persia (Iran),Central asia Turkic tribes and Arabs.

From the beginning of Muslim rule in South Asia in 713 AD, the Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and sufis traveled from the rest of the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate in South Asia and settled permanently.

In South Asia, after the advent of Islam, some high caste (Brahmins, Rajputs and Khatris) converted to Islam in the Punjab region and adopted this title. They are known as Punjabi Shaikh (Punjabi) پنجابی شيخ. Punjabi Shaikhs are mostly urban and non agriculturist but a few families also cultivate their own land in the western districts. Their main professions are business and public service. In Punjab, they stereotypically have a reputation for business acumen. The Khawaja Shaikh, with their sub-division the Chiniotis and the Qanungoh Shaikh are two such communities.

Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Khatris were living in all the districts of Punjab. Most of them were concentrated in the western districts. People from all classes; Khatris, Rajputs, Gujjars, Gakhars, etc; had converted to Islam. The Siddiqui Shaikhs and Quraishi Shaikhs are communities that are the descendeds from these converted classes. They are found in Punjab as Punjabi speaking Shaikhs and also found in Sindh as Sindhi speaking Shaikhs.

Many Rajput clans had converted to Islam during the early 12th century and were also given the honorary title of Sheikh (elder of the tribe) by their Arab rulers.Sheiukh rajputs were the earliest in Rajputs to embrace Islam. Similarly some of the Saraswat Brahmins including Mohyals also adopted Sheikh as their title upon high cast conversion to Islam.

Muslim Khatris

The Muslim Khatri (Urdu: کهتری ) are the Khatri converts to Islam. With the advent of Islam following invasions by Turkic tribes from Afghanistan and the North West Frontier Province from the 11th century onwards, there were conversions of Hindus to the faith from among various Punjabi communities, including Khatris.Generally they retained their tribal, clan or caste affiliations as has been the norm in the region. Similarly, the Khatris who converted to Islam, continue to retain a strong social identity and are known as Punjabi Shaikhs.

Pakistan continues to have a prominent community of Khatris known as Punjabi Shaikhs as well as Khawaja Shaikhs. Some Muslim Khatris like the Sahgal family, Aftab Ahmed Vohra, Najam Sethi,etc of Pakistan are examples of well-known and successful Muslim Khatris. They are also known as Khoja and Chiniotis.

In addition the Punjabi Saudagaran-e-Delhi community are also of Khatri ancestry. Historically, this community lived in Delhi, and other north Indian towns, but after the partition of India, they have all moved to Pakistan.In Pakistan also the Muslim Khatris are expanded to various occupations.

Khawaja Shaikh

Members of the Khatris caste, after converting to Islam adopted the title Khawaja Shaikh (Arabic: خواجہ شيخ‎) and to this community belong many prominent Muslim trading families of South Asia.

When Khatri traders from the western districts of the Punjab like Sargodha, Jhang, Jehlum, Chakwal, Faisalabad accepted Islam called themselves Khawaja and adopted Shaikh as title. They are thus called Khawaja Sheikh. Some of them have also adopted Mian as title. In recent years traders from a small town of Chiniot,in the Chiniot District, became prominent due to their contribution in the industries of Pakistan. These traders are known as Chiniotis or Chinioti Shaikhs. The famous trading family of Sahgals, Sahgal Khatris of Chakwal, are known simply as Punjabi Shaikh instead of Khawaja Shaikh. They use Mian as title.

The first censuses of the Punjab were conducted by Denzil Ibbetson and Edward Maclagan in 1883 and 1892. According to their reports, the Khawajas of Bhera in Shahpur, Sargodha District were converted from Khatris, and those from Jhang were said to be converted from Arora. At Chiniot in Jhang District, Majority of the Khawajas are Khatris, while some are Arora. They reported the following sections (gotras) of Khatris from Chiniot:

Adal, Behrara, Churra, Maggun (or Maghoon), Sahgal, Wadhaun (or Vadhavan), Wihara, Talwar, Puri, Topra.

Only one section of Arora is reported from Chiniot:

Goruwala.

The sections of Khawajas from Bhera were reported as follows:

Vohra, Sahgal, Kapur, Sethi, Duggal, Nanda, Magun, Mehndru, Motali. These are all Khatri sections.

The sections of Khawajas from Pindi Bhattian were reported as follows: Sahgal and Wadhaun. These are all Khatri sections.

And one section of Phaphra Sheikh's is reported from there:

Phaphra.

The Khawajas of Layyah, Punjab have following Khatri sections:

Kapur, Puri and Tandan .

Kakkezai Shaikhs

people that are of Abrahamic descend can only be called Khawaja or Sheikh etc, because this is a very old Hebrew title Meaning Lord/Master over gentiles.

The Kakkezai are an important clans of Shaikhs. According to some traditions, they are converts of the Hindu Kalwar castes, while other claims to be descended from a tribe of Afghans originally from Siestan. They use Shaikh as a surname.

Qanungoh Shaikh

Main article: Qanungoh Shaikh

Qanungoh Shaikhs: (Persian: قانونگوہ شيخ) belonged to all the districts of the Punjab. They have different lineages and represent families who were holding hereditary office of ‘’Qanungoh’’ (‘’Law readers’’) during the Muslim period.

This designation was used in the Punjab and other provinces of India and Pakistan for hereditary registrar of landed property in a subdivision of a district.

Siddiqui and Quraishi Shaikhs

The Siddiqui and Quraishi are also clans of Shaikh found in the Punjab.

Kashmiri Shaikhs

Muhammad Iqbal, the national poet of Pakistan

Kashmiri Shaikh are another community living in different districts of the Punjab. They emigrated from Kashmir during 19th & 20th century. Allama Shaikh Muhammad Iqbal belonged to this group. Muhammad Iqbal grandfather Shaikh Rafiq migrated to Sialkot in early 19th century. It has been suggested that Kashmiri Shaikhs are descendants of Kashmiri Pandits who converted to Islam and adopted this title. Shaikh are descended from the Brahmin tribes.

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History Of Rajputs Cast: Cast History In Pakistan

The Rajputs (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a king"), are a ruling class of Indian subcontinent and south east Asia. In the Hindustani language, those belonging to the Kshatriya/Chattari Varna of Hindus are generally referred to as "Rajputs ". They rule in Indian sub-continent from 6th century to 20th century and south east Asia from 9th to 15th centuries. Nepal was the last empire of Rajputs which ended in 1950. At the time of India's independence in 1947,Rajputs ruled in the "overwhelming majority" of the princely states of Rajasthan and Saurashtra, where the largest number of princely states were found. Many Rajputs claim descent from Rama and Krishna.

Chattis Rajkul

Today with the aid of inscriptions and copper plates discovered, it is possible to trace the history of the royal clans with considerable certainty. However they were not available in 17-18th century when a number of chronicles (khyats) were compiled, often based on oral tradition. By this time, the Agni-kunda myth had been expanded to explain the origin of four of the major clan. James Tod wrote his influential book The Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan in 1829 and 1832 on the basis of these chronicles. Other authors have used some of his hypotheses, even though the texts discovered and read during the 20th century show that Todd's hypotheses are sometimes inaccurate.

The Chattis Rajkul are list of kings of the 36 different states of India. During the time of Alexander the Great's invasion in 3rd century BC, there were 16 great kingdoms in India called Mahajanpadas. Each Mahajanapada had several janapadas and their number was about 36. Chattis Rajkul or 36 royal clans include clans from Suryavansha, Chandravansha, Agnivansha, and Nagvansha. Suryavanshi's are descendants of Surya (sun god) and one of them was Rama, an incarnation of Hindu trinity Vishnu.Krishna was Chandravanshi Ahir. Even today SuryavanshiRajputs pray to Rama and Chandravanshis pray to Krishna. The Agnivanshi's pray to various deities including Rama and Krishna.

36 royal clans of India

In the 1820s, Colonel Todd published a list of the 36 royal races of India.

Early dynasties

Rajputras were ruling families of various states from ancient times. Most of them belonged to either Surya or Chandra lineages, such as the Kosalia, Kuru, Panchal, Magadh, Kalinga, Anga, Bang, Madra etc. are mentioned in Mahabharata. These families continued to rule till they were annexed by others. In modern times, of which written history is available in terms of stone inscriptions and other sources, the first Rajput kingdoms are attested to in the 6th century and these Rajputs rose to prominence in the 5th and 6th centuries after the collapse of Gupta empire.

The Rajput empire spread in many countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Southeast Asia and some parts of Tibet. The clans that descended from the solar and lunar lineage rose to prominence first, followed by the four Agnivanshi clans, the Gurjar Pratiharas (Parihars), Chauhans (Chamahanas), Solankis (Chaulukyas),and the Paramaras.

Rajput resistance to Muslim invasions

Fall of Gupta Empire

Rajput kingdoms contended with the rising and expansionist empires of Central Asia, be they Arabs, Moghuls, Mongols, Afghans, or other Turkic peoples. They earned their reputation by fighting these battles with a code of chivalrous conduct rooted in their strong adherence to tradition and Hindu dharma. The Rajput Kingdoms held out against the Arab Caliphates and other Central Asian Empires for several centuries. A few Rajput Kings did convert to Islam, and eventually an alliance formed with the Mughals, which laid the foundations for the creation of the largest pre-colonial era empire in South Asia.

Gaznavid invasions

In the early 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni conquered the Hindu-Shahi kingdom in the Punjab, and his raids into northern India weakened the Gurjar Pratihara kingdom, which was drastically reduced in size and came under the control of the Chandelas. Mahmud sacked some temples across northern India to stop idol worship, including the temple at Somnath in Gujarat, but his permanent conquests were limited to the Punjab. The early 11th century also saw the reign of the polymath king Raja Bhoj, the Paramara ruler of Malwa.

Spread of the Gahadvalas, Chandels, Tomars and Chauhans

The Rathores, as the Gahadvala dynasty, reestablished the kingdom of Kannauj, capturing it from Tomar rulers ruling the Ganges plain. The Rahevars, as the Rever dynasty, established the kingdom of Tarangadh in 11th through the 12th century, and conquering Marwar in the 13th. Chandela's established Jejakbhukti and ruled from Mahoba.

The Rajputs did unite once in a while against foreign invaders - once under Bappa Rawal, then under Shakti Kumar of Mewar/Maiwar. A few times under Jaypal Tomar but once the foreign invasions stopped, the Rajputs fought each other in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Major wars broke out between Tomars of Delhi and Gahadavalas of Kannauj. The Kalinadi being the witness of many such wars, as it was the line of control between those kingdoms.

Muhammad Ghori's Invasion

Prithiviraj II, ruler of Delhi, crushed Muhammad of Ghor in 1191 with the help of his Bargujar allies and relatives at the First Battle of Tarain and Ghori was captured. After Ghori sued for his life he was let go despite strong resistance by Prithviraj's generals. Ghori managed to defeat Prithviraj the following year at the Second Battle of Tarain, and the attacks of Muhammad's armies brought down the Gahadvala kingdom of Kannauj in 1194.

Slave Dynasty and Rajputs

The Delhi Sultanate was founded by Qutb ud din Aybak, Muhammad of Ghor's successor, in first decade of the 13th century. The Chauhans reestablished themselves at Ranthambore, led by Govinda Chauhan, grandson of Prithviraj III. Jalore was ruled by another branch of Chauhans, the Songaras. Another branch of the Chauhans, the Hadas, established a kingdom in Hadoti in the mid-13th century.

Fight against Khiljis

Sultan Ala ud din Khilji (1296–1316) conquered Gujarat (1297) and Malwa (1305),captured fort of mandu and handed over to the Songara Chouhans, and captured the fortresses of Ranthambore (1301), Mewar's capital Chittorgarh (1303) and Jalor (1311) after long sieges with fierce resistance from their Rajput defenders. Ala ud Khilji also fought with Bhatti Rajputs of Jaisalmer and occupied the Golden Fort.

Fight against Tuglaqs

Mewar reestablished their supremacy within 50 years of the sack of Chittor under Maharana Hammir. Hammir defeated Muhammad Tughlaq with Bargujars as main allies and captured him. Tughlaq had to pay huge ransom and relinquish all of Mewar's lands. After this the Delhi Sultanate did not attack Chittor for a few hundred years. The Rajputs reestablished their independence, and Rajput states were established as far east as Bengal and north into the Punjab. The Tomaras established themselves at Gwalior, and the ruler Man Singh Tomar built the fortress which still stands there. Mewar emerged as the leading Rajput state, and Rana Kumbha expanded his kingdom at the expense of the sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat.

Lodis and Mughals

The Delhi Sultanate recovered somewhat under the Lodi dynasty, and Rana Sanga of Mewar convinced Babur to challenge Ibrahim Lodi for control of the Delhi Sultanate, hoping that the struggle between Muslim rivals would allow the Rajputs to reclaim Delhi. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat on April 21, 1526, and the Rana Sanga rallied a Rajput army to challenge Babur. Babur barely managed to defeat the Rajputs at the Battle of Khanua on March 16, 1527. The Rajput rulers agreed to pay tribute to Babur, but most retained control of their states, and struggles between Babur's successor Humayun and the Suri Dynasty for control of the Sultanate preoccupied the Muslims for several decades.

Rajputs at the rise of the Mughals

Soon after his defeat in 1527 at The Battle of Khanwa, Rana Sanga died in 1528. Bahadur Shah of Gujrat became a powerful Sultan. He captured Raiseen in 1532 and defeated Mewar/maiwar in 1533. He helped Tatar Khan to capture Bayana which was under Mughal occupation. Humayun sent Hindal and Askari to fight Tatar Khan. At the battle of Mandrail in 1534 Tatar Khan was defeated and killed. Raja of Amber Puranmal helped Mughals in this battle. He himself was killed in this battle. Now it became necessary for Humayun to crush the rising power of Bahadur Shah. When Bahadur Shah was engaged in besieging the fort of Chittor, Humayun started against him. Hearing the news Rani "Karmawati" widow of Rana Sanga sent Rakhi to Hymayun. Humayun is considered to have accepted the Rakhi but stopped at Sarang Pur in January 1535. Mewar/Maiwar was weakened due to constant struggles. After a long wait Rajputs had a last fight on March 8, 1535 and Rani Karmawati together with other women committed Jauhar the same day. Humayun now pursued Bahadur Shah. Later Bahadur Shah and Sher Shah Suri created many problems for Humayun and he lost the empire. Fortunately he regained the empire in July 1555. Soon after he died in January 1556. Akbar[which?] the son of Humayun tried to persuade Mewar to accept Mughal sovereignty like other Rajputs . But Rana Udai Singh did not accept it. Ultimately Akbar besieged the fort of Chittor in 1567. This time Rana Udai Singh acted tactfully and left the fort with his family. Jaimal Rathore of Merta and Fatah Singh of Kelwa were left to take care of the fort. On 23 February 1568, Akbar hit Jaimal Rathore, who was looking after the repair work, with his gun. In the same night Rajput women committed jauhar (ritual suicide) and Rajput men, led by the wounded Jaimal and Fatah Singh, fought their last battle. Akbar entered the fort and at least 30,000 people were killed. Later Akbar placed a statue of these two Rajput warriors on the gates of Agra Fort.

Akbar and Rajputs

Akbar won the fort of Chittor but Rana Udai Singh was ruling Mewar from other places.[where?] On March 3, 1572 Udai Singh died and his son Rana Pratap sat on throne at Gogunda. He vowed that he will liberate Mewar from Mughals and till then will not sleep on a bed, will not live in a palace, and will not have food in a plate (thali). Akbar tried that Rana Pratap should have a treaty with him, but he did not succeed. Finally he sent an army under Raja Man Singh in 1576. Rana Pratap was defeated at the Battle of Haldighati in June 1576. Rana Pratap escaped from the battle and started guerrilla warfare with Mughals ultimately he was successful in liberating most of the Mewar except the fort of Chittor. The Bargujars were main allies of Ranas of Mewar. Rana Pratap died on January 19, 1597 and Rana Amar Singh succeeded him. Akbar sent Salim in October 1603 to attack Mewar but he stopped at Fatehpur Sikri and sought permission from emperor to go to Allahabad and went there. In 1605 Salim sat on the throne and took the name of Jahangir.

Jehangir and Rajputs

Jahangir sent an army to attack Mewar in 1605 under his son Parvez. A battle was fought at Debari but was not decisive. Again in 1608 the Mughal emperor sent Mahabat Khan. In 1609 he was called back and Abdulla Khan was sent. Then Raja Basu was sent and then Mirza Ajij Koka was sent. But no conclusive victory could be achieved. Ultimately Jahangir himself arrived at Ajmer in 1613 and he appointed Shazada Khurram to fight against Mewar. Khurram devastated the areas of Mewar and cut the supplies to Rana. With the advice of the nobles and his crown prince Karna Rana sent a peace delegation to Khurram under Shubhkaran and Haridas. Khurram sought an approval of treaty from his father Jahangir at Ajmer. Jahangir issued a farman (Order) to authorize the Khurram to agree a treaty with Rana Amar Singh. The treaty was agreed between Rana Amar Singh and prince "Khurram" in 1615 CE.

* Rana of Mewar accepted Mughal sovereignty.

* Mewar and the fort of Chittor was returned to Rana.

* The fort of Chittor could not be repaired or renovated by Rana.

* Rana of Mewar would not attend personally the Mughal court. Crown prince of Mewar will attend the court and give himself and his army for the Mughals.

* It was not necessary for Rana to establish marriage alliance with Mughals.

This treaty was respectable for both parties and ended the 88-year long enmity between Mewar and the Mughals.

Aurangzeb and Rajput rebellion

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who was far less tolerant of Hinduism than his predecessors, placed a Muslim on the throne of Marwar when the childless Maharaja Jaswant Singh died. This enraged the Rathores, and when Ajit Singh, Jaswant Singh's son was born after his death Marwar nobles asked Aurangzeb to place Ajit on the throne. Aurangzeb refused and instead tried to have Ajit assassinated. Durgadas Rathore and the dhaa maa (wet nurse) of Ajit Singh of Marwar, Goora Dhaa (The Sainik Kshatriyas Gehlot Rajput of Mandore) and others smuggled Ajit out of Delhi to Jaipur, thus starting the thirty year Rajput rebellion against Aurangzeb. This rebellion united the Rajput clans, and a triple-pronged alliance was formed by the states of Marwar, Mewar, and Jaipur. One of the conditions of this alliance was that the rulers of Jodhpur and Jaipur should regain the privilege of marriage with the ruling Sesodia dynasty of Mewar, on the understanding that the offspring of Sesodia princesses should succeed to the throne over any other offspring. This stipulation would lend itself to many future conflicts.

Maratha Domination and British Rule

The quarrels among the Rajputs led to their inviting the Marathas for help in their power struggles; this resulted in the subjection of all the Rajput states to the Marathas. Jodhpur was conquered by Sindhia, who levied a tribute of 60,000 rupees, and took from it the fort and town of Ajmer. Internecine disputes and succession wars disturbed the peace of the early years of the century, and the Rajput princes asked for British protection from the Marathas during the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-1818. At the conclusion of this war in 1818, 18 states in the Rajputana region, of which 15 were ruled by Rajputs , became princely states of the British Raj, while the British took direct control of Ajmer, which became the province of Ajmer-Merwara. A number of other Rajput states in central India, including Rewa, Ajaigarh, Barwani, Chhatarpur, Datia, Orchha, Samthar and Ratlam, became princely states as well, and were placed under the authority of the Central India Agency.

Independent India

On India's independence in 1947, the princely states, including those of the Rajput, were given three choices: join one of the two states Indian or Pakistan, or remain independent. Rajput rulers acceded to newly independent India; Rajputana was renamed Rajasthan and became an Indian state in 1950. The Maharajas were given special recognitions and an annual amount termed privy-purse was endowed them. Many of the Rajput Maharajas entered politics and served India as elected representatives. In 1971, Indira Gandhi "de-recognized" the Maharajas and abolished the privy-purses. As a result, the Maharajas had to transform some of their palaces into hotels and tourist destinations. Today, the Maharajas still fulfill some of the ceremonial duties as recognized elders and private citizens in India.

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History Of Chaudhary Cast : Cast History In Pakistan

Chaudhary (Hindi: चौधरी , Urdu: چودهری, Bengali: চৌধুরী) is a term in Indo-Aryan languages, literally meaning "holder of four". Traditionally, the term is used as a title indicating the ownership of ancestral land, but in contemporary usage it is often taken as a surname or title. The spelling of the word varies in different areas. In some cases it may also mean "power".

The Gujjars (or Gurjars) of Northern India, such as in the NCR region and Haryana, useChaudhary as a surname.

In Andhra Pradesh, the title is used by the Kamma caste. It is typically spelt as Chowdary to differentiate from other users of the title in other parts of India.

In Bihar, the Choudhary s are known for owning large ancestral lands. In the north and eastern Indian states of Bihar and Bengal, the title is used by Kulin Brahmins and certain Muslim Taluqdar families.Kamboja caste groups with Kayastha connections in Nizami times also used this title.[citation needed]

In northern Indian states such as Haryana, the title is used by landowning ethnic groups and tribes, mainly by Jats. However, it is also used by the Ojnaas, Yadavs, Rajputs, Kambohs, Minhas, Sulehria, Ghore Waha and Sainis.

In Pakistan, the title is given to members of landowning tribes such as the Gujjars and Jatts.

[edit] History

The earliest written references are from the 15th century, when this title was conferred by the Sultans of the Delhi Sultanate upon its military nobles of Indian origins.

The title became significant during the Mughal era as the Mughal Emperors conferred it upon some privileged Taluqdars (area administrators), initially in the Punjab region, and then throughout most of North India. A taluqa or district usually consisted of 84 villages and a central town during this era. The Taluqdar was required to collect taxes, maintain law and order, and provide military supplies and manpower to the provincial government. In most cases the Taluqdars were entitled to retain a tenth of the collected revenue. However, some privileged Taluqdars were entitled to a quarter and hence were called Chowdhury , which also literally means "owner of the fourth part".

The Mughal Emperor Zaheerudin Babur mentions the Chowdhury s of Bhera in his book, Tuzk-e-Babri; they were appointed by the Turk King Alauddin Khilji. According to the Glossary of Punjab Castes, the Talukdars belonging to Mair-Minhas and Mughal Kassar مغل کسر/ مغل قصر tribes of the Dhani country (present-day Chakwal District) in the northwest of Punjab were among the first few to receive this honourific title from the Mughal Emperor Zaheerudin Babur, for their services to his army during a later expedition in that region.

During the Sikh rule in Punjab, the title became very common and quite a few village headmen or "Lumberdars" were given "Chowdhury " as a title by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Ever since, theChowdhury s of Chakwal style themselves as "Chowdhurial" to distinguish themselves from the newly appointed men.

The Tyagi community (a division of the Bhumihaar community), which is a landlord community in west Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Hariyana, uses "Chaudhary " as a title. e.g., ChaudharyKalicharan Tyagi.

Chaudhary as a surname is also used by the Kammas of coastal Andhra Pradesh. During the 16th century, the Golkonda Nawab Ibrahim Qutb Shah captured the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh. Rayarao, his Maratha commander, appointed Kammas as Deshmukhs and Choudhary s in 497 villages, beginning the use of the title "Choudhary " for Kammas in coastal Andhra Pradesh.

[edit] Current usage

Although the title has lost its original exclusivity, in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab regions aChowdhury is still considered a leader of a tribe in some villages and small towns. Male members of Chowdhury families are entitled to use the prefix "CH.", an abbreviation forChowdhury that acts as a courtesy title before their first name.

In the northern and eastern Indian states of Bihar and Bengal, this title is still used by Brahmins and certain Muslim Taluqdar families. Roy or Chowdhury is used by Zamindars of Bengal (Bangladesh).

The Kammas of coastal Andhra Pradesh, use Chowdary (mainly spelt as such) as a title and as a symbol of honour.

Since the partition of British India, people from many tribes have retained this title in Pakistan as well, including the Gujjars, Jats, Tyagis, Muslim Janjua, Minhas, and Sulehria tribes.

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History Of Pathan Cast : Pashtuns : Cast History In Pakistan

Pashtuns (Pashto: پښتون Paṣ̌tun, Pax̌tun, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns), also called Pathans (in Urdu: پٹھان and Hindi: पठान Paṭhān)  or (ethnic) Afghans (in Persian: افغان; see also origin and History of the term),  are an Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, which includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan. ThePashtuns are typically characterized by their usage of the Pashto language and practice of Pashtunwali, a traditional set of ethics guiding individual and communal conduct.  Their origin is unclear but historians have come across references to a people called Paktha (Pactyans) between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BC, which is speculated to be the ancestors of today's Pashtuns. Since the 3rd century AD and onward, they are mostly referred to by the name "Afghan" ("Abgan", "Avgan" or "Awgan").

During the Delhi Sultanate era, a number of Pashtun Emperors (Sultans) have ruled the Indian subcontinent. Other Pashtunsfought the Safavids and the Mughal Empire before obtaining an independent state in the early-18th century, which began with a successful revolution by the Hotaki dynasty followed by military conquests by the Durrani Empire.  Pashtuns played a vital role during the Great Game from the 19th century to the 20th century as they were caught between the imperialist designs of the British and Russian empires. For over 300 years, they reigned as the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan with nearly all rulers being Pashtun. More recently, the Pashtuns gained global attention during the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan and with the rise of the Taliban, since they are the main ethnic contingent in the movement. Pashtuns are also an important community in Pakistan, where they have attained the presidency and high positions in the military, and are the second-largest ethnic group in that country.

The Pashtuns are the world's largest (patriarchal) segmentary lineage ethnic group. The total population of the group is estimated to be as high 49 million  according to Ethnologue, but an accurate count remains elusive due to the lack of an official census in Afghanistan since 1979. There are an estimated 350 to over 400 Pashtun tribes and clans.

Demographics

The vast majority of Pashtuns are found in an area stretching from southeastern Afghanistan to northwestern Pakistan. Additional Pashtun communities are found in the Gilgit-Baltistan territory, the Mianwali and Attock districts of Punjab province in Pakistan, as well as in the Khorasan province of Iran. There is also a sizeable community in India, which is of largely putative ancestry. Smaller Pashtun communities are located in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Europe and the Americas, particularly in North America.

Important metropolitan centers of Pashtun culture include Kandahar, Quetta, Peshawar, Jalalabad, Kunduz and Swat. Kabul and Ghazni are home to around 25% Pashtun population while Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif has at least 10%. With as high as 7 million by some estimates, the city of Karachi in Pakistan has one of the largest Pashtun populations in the world. In addition, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Lahore also have sizable Pashtun populations.

Pashtuns comprise roughly 15.42% of Pakistan's 174 million population. In Afghanistan, they make up an estimated 42% of the 29 million population according to the CIA World Factbook. Some sources give 50-60% because the exact figure remains uncertain in Afghanistan, and are affected by the 1.7 million Afghan refugees that remain in Pakistan a majority of which are Pashtuns. Another 937,600 Afghans live in Iran according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). A cumulative population assessment suggests a total of around 49 million individuals all across the world.

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