Khokhar
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The Khokhar or Khokar (Urdu: کھوکھر ) are a people of Pakistan and India. In India, where they are predominately Hindu or Sikh, they are considered to be a gotra of , Rajputs (tribe) and Jats and are mainly found in the Indian states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In Pakistan, the Khokhar (Urdu: کھو کھر ) are considered to be a Punjabi tribe, who were one of the tribes of central Asia, who migrated into India in the 9th or 10th century. They also served in the Mughal Army, their ancestors were Huns[1] Khokhars are found among Hindu, Sikh and Muslim. There are Khokhars in Punjab , Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat. After the independence in 1947 the Hindu and Sikh Khokhars moved to India. Muslim Khokhars are predominantly found in Pakistan.
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[edit] Origins
Hindu and Sikh Khokhar trace their ancestry to Kshatriya origins. The common surname between Hindu and Muslim Khokhar is indicative also of a common north Indian Aryan ancestry. The Khokhars are Chandrabansi[2]
| “ | ' The origins of the Khokhars are as obscure as those of any Punjab tribe. Tradition appears to invariably to connect them with the Awans , making Khokhar one of Qutb Shah s sons and the Khokhar Qutb Shahis his descendants , who would thus be akin to the Juhans also . But this pedigree probably merely records the fact that the Awans and Khokhars owe their conversion to Islam to the saint Qutb Shah or his desciples , or that they both accepted his teachings [3] | ” |
| “ | 'That the Khokhars were originally Hindus appears hardly open to question .The Khokhars in Jhelum say they used to keep up certain Hindu customs and had parohits who were Datts, until recent times , but that this is no longer the case .They do not know whether they are connected with other Khokhars of the Punjab .[4] | ” |
The Mohyal of whom the Datts are a sub clan were also purohits of the Khokhran in earlier times however
| “ | the Muhial having ceased to be Brahmans at all , no longer minister to the Khokharan-Khatris and so a special group of Khokharan-Brahmins has had to be formed . .[5] | ” |
The Mohyal Brahmins associated to the Khokhars and Khokhran have a long history of not following the priesthood occupation that was usually associated with Brahmins in the past .
A section of Muslim Khokhar trace their ancestry to Qutb Shahs eldest son, and are descendants of imam Ali.
It is also believed that the Muslim Khokhars came to India from Persia over 900 years ago and converted many Hindus to Islam. It is also believed that the reason for the abundance of individuals in other religions (i.e Sikhism, which is a new religion) or castes (masilli sheikh) keeping the surname Khokhar was due to them being converted by khokhars to Muslim or as a status due to their lower castes.
[edit] History
Some say, Khokhars are meant to be descended from Qutub Shah in the same way Awankalal bara malque
are.
Qutub Shah is said to be a descendant of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib from his son Abbas ibn Ali. Qutub Shah was a general in the army of Mahmud of Ghazna and had six sons.
While it is said that Khokhar was an elder son (muhammad shah) of Qutub shah, Khokher is not a Muslim name or title. In 1001, Mahmud launched 17 major expeditions into the subcontinent. An army of 20,000 Khokhars gave him a tough time.
Hindu and Sikh Khokhar do not trace any lineage from any Arab or Persian ancestor. There is also other strong evidence that the Khokhars were a Hindu tribe S A A Rizvi in his book THE WONDER THAT WAS INDIA 11 published by Picador .[6]. provides proof at various pages for example the following two instances.
| “ | Muizzuddin whose capital was in Ghazni, followed Mahmud s tradition of Invading India . His army consisted mainly of Turkic and Taji (Persian -speaking Turks ) Finding the Ismailis a threat to his power in the east, Muizzuddin seized Multan in 1175 , then he conquered Uch. In 1178 he invaded Anhilvara or Patan , the capital of the Vaghela raja of Gujarat , Mulraja 11 . A battle was fought near Mount Abu, the Rajas army, which outnumbered the Turks , won the day . The invaders fled through the inhospitable deserts in a miserable condition and endured considerable hardship. Muizzuddin thereupon decided to give up Mahmud's plan of invasion through Sindh and Multan . The Punjab offered better prospects . In 1179 he seized Peshwar. Two years later he invaded Lahore. The Ghaznavid ruler, Khusraw Malik made peace . In 1182 Muizzuddin conquered Debal and made the Sumra rulers of lower Sind his vassals. After a three year lull Muizzuddin invaded Lahore again and after ravaging the surrounding countryside occupied the strategic fort of Sialkot. The deposed Khusraw Malik made an alliance with the Khokhars, a Hindu tribe from the Salt Range but to the Mongols"[7] | ” |
Then again Amir Khusrau (1253-1325 AD), refers to Khokhars as a non-Muslim tribe [8], and the way they were constantly attacked and killed by sultans like Iltutmish and Balban supports Khusrau’s contention .
[edit] From the 1882 census
A quote from p. 97 in the Book A Glossary of the Tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West Frontier Province compiled by H. A. Rose and based on the Census Report for the Punjab 1883, by Sir Denzil Ibbetson, and the census report for the Punjab 1892 by Sir Edward Maclagan. Published By the Asian Educational Services .
| “ | :"On the other hand in Shahpur the Bhat are divided into Bunjahis and Khokhars, the latter suggesting the Khokhrain group of the Khatris thus
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[edit] Khokhars attacked by Balban
| “ | In 1246-7 Balban mounted an expedition as far as the Salt Range to chastise the Khokhars [10] | ” |
[edit] Khokhar Khokhran and Ala-ud-din Khilji
"The Khokhran section is said to consist of the descendants of certain Khatris who joined the Khokhars in rebellion (against Ala-ud-din Khilji who ascended the throne of the Delhi Sultanate in AD 1296.);and with whom other Khatri families were afraid to intermarry ". [11] The Khokhran were concentrated in the areas of the salt range and particularly Bhera
[edit] Khokhars attacked by Tamerlane
Apart from the recordings of Amir Khusrau (1253-1325),who refers to Khokhars as a non-Muslim tribe [12], and the way they were constantly attacked and killed by sultans like Iltutmish and Balban supports Khusrau’s contention that they were Hindus . Then again
| “ | 'In 1397 came Tamerlane himself , whose troops occupied Uch and Multan , sacked Tulamba , raided the Khokhars of the Ravi Valley and passed on across the Bias to Pakpattan and Delhi [13] | ” |
| “ | 'In Meantime Tamerlane marching from the north encamped outside Tulamba(October 13th , 1398).After chastising some zamindars in the neighourhood and seizing a large number of cattle he passed on leaving the fort uncaptured .He then halted at Jal (or may be at a 'chal'or lake on the Bias 'opposite Shahpur 'from which he marched out with a flying column to chastise Nusrat Khokhar who was encamped in swampy ground on the bank of the lake . The 'unsanctified Indians 'being defeated and the 'god forsaken being slain , the army moved to Shahnawaz ..[14] | ” |
[edit] Malik
Malik is a title found among Khokhars and Khokhran
| “ | There are Khatri families in Multan which are addressed as Malik or Raizada . Among Muhammadans the term Malik is applied to the chief men among the Khokhars . [15] |
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[edit] Geographical distribution
Khokhars are mainly found in the Punjab region. In West Punjab areas that now fall in Pakistan Khokars belonged to regions of Shahpur, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Bhera, Gujrat, Gujar Khan, and adjoining areas similar to areas where an ancient Hindu tribe, the Khokhran belonged.
khokhars are based also in Kashmir including mirpur. Khokhar were recruited by Mirs of Sind as soldiers for their army and were settled at various cantonment towns of Sind before the British invasion. In Sind they still speak Seraiki. Most Sindhi Khokhars live in the areas of Larkana, Nawab Shah and Hyder Abad. Khokhar are now based all around the world.
[edit] Lineage
True Khokhars are related to syeds, alwis, etc through Imam Ali.[citation needed] The khokhars are also found in Dera Ismail khan region. Note real ones come from Afganistan.
[edit] References
- ^ Brief Outline of The Indian History
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose , vol II Page 313
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose , vol II Page 539
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose , vol II Page 539
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose , vol II Page 123
- ^ S A A Rizvi in his book THE WONDER THAT WAS INDIA 11 published by Picador
- ^ S A A Rizvi The Wonder that was India 11 PAGE 30
- ^ Tughlaq Namah, Aurangabad, 1933, p.128
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose vol II Page 97
- ^ The wonder that was India by S A A Rizvi Picador Page 30
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose , vol II Page 513
- ^ Tughlaq Namah, Aurangabad, 1933, p.128
- ^ Gazetteer of the Multan District 1923-24 published by Sang-E-Meel Publications and Page 32
- ^ Gazetteer of the Multan District 1923-24 published by Sang-E-Meel Publications and Page 38
- ^ Gazetteer of the Multan District 1923-24 published by Sang-E-Meel Publications and Page 139
