Post by admin on Feb 3, 2004 12:57:21 GMT -5
SOME PROMINANT GURJAR TRIBES:
Awan:
In West Punjab most of the Awans claim to be syeds (Alvi). They say that Qutab Shah their ancestor came from Arabis, so they call themselves Qutab Shahi Awan. But the syeds or Alvi do not marry with them. I had a hot discussion with their educated persons because in the book Shahan-i-Gujar page 129 and 137 Awan tribe is mentioned as a sub-caste of the Gujars. To find the origin of the Muslims in the Sub-Continent two points are sufficient to be taken into consideration.
(a) Names of men and women in the past:
All the foreign Muslims had their names in Arabic, Persian or Turkish languages whereas the names of the converted Muslims remained the same in Punjabi or Hindi for generations. Names of ancestors of the Awans were in Punjabi or Hindi. It is a modern practice that when non-Muslim embraces Islam, he is allotted an Arabic name.
(b) Status:
All the foreign Muslims in the Sub-Continent became Mansabdar, officers and jagirdars or big landlords. Most suitable example is that of Ghyas Irani. The foreign
Muslims did not plough the fields, did not dig the drains and did not live in villages in huts, they were not cattle lifters as Awans have been doing since centuries in the
north-western districts of the Punjab.
As a matter of fact, Qutab Shah was a Maulvi of their ancestors. Similar practice has started among the Gujars. Gujar Maulvis in Bharat have added the word Qasimi in their names. Maulvi Qasim was the founder of Devband Maktab, But in Pakistan Maulana Abdul Hakim Bagri and Maulana Muhammad Ishaque Khatana have added the name of the sub-caste in their names.
There is a village Fatepur in district Gujrat which is wholly owned by Awan Gujars. In Nawan Shahr, Tehsil Abbotabad, district Hazara, there are Awan Gujars among them Maulana Mehruddin Qamar Awan is a prominent figure. There is also a Hindu Awan family of Gujars in Alwar where they have a big shop of Electronics. Once the headman whose name is forgotten, wrote me a letter. I was surprised to see that in Urdu, he wrote the word Awan in Arabic form, Surely, Awan is a Sanskrit word. By giving it an Arabic
form the family cannot be considered foreigner. Sri Yatindra Kumar Verma says that before Christian Era Malva was named Awanti after the name of this Gujar Gotra.
Batar:
The sub-caste holds 52 villages with their head-quarters at Gangoh in district Saharanpur (UP) India. They rightly claim that their ancestors came from Multan. Sir Denzil Ibbetson in his Tribes and Castes of the Punjab has stated that there are Butar people in a great number in Multan Division (Pakistan). In UP (India) the word is Batar, some call it Butar, but in Punjab the sub-caste is called Buttar. In West Punjab (Pak) it has been a tradition that any villager who holds some land is called Jat. I am sure Batar and Buttar have the same meaning.
Bhati:
The ancestor of this gorta was Bhati Rao Yadava, the Ruler of Sialkot in the Ist Century A.D. In 2nd Century A.D. the Bhatis are found quarreling with Johiyas (Yaudheyas) and Lingah (Lahing) in Lower Sutlej Valley. There they founded three cities. Bhati (as written by Alberuni) or Bhatiya (as written by Farishta). (2) Bhatner and (3) Bhatinda. There is a Bhati Gate in Lahore. Bhati city was 15 Darsakh from Multan to the west and was destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazna in 1026 (Farishta). Bhatner was levelled to the ground by Tamer Lang in 1398. Only Bhatinda exists today. There is a 600 years old village Bhatti Gujran in district Jhelum. Bhatti Gurjars live in 360 villages in Bulandshahr and Meerut districts, where their title of Honour had always been Rao upto 1857.
Johiya:
The ancient Yaudheyas are now called Johiya in the village. But the educated persons have their separate entity and they are not called either Gujar or Jat or Rajput. Before the arrival of the Britishers, the family was known as Gujar but when the Gujar tribe was not taken into government services, due to their participation in 1857 struggle against the Britishes, the Johiyas ceased to be called Gujars. In the time of Farrukh Siyar, the King of Delhi 1713 and 1719 Shah Afrin (Poetic name) was a famous poet in Persian language at Lahore. Allama Ghulam Ali Azad who had met him, wrote in his book “Khazan-i-Amrah”: Shah Afrin. Naam-i-o-Faqirullah Asst. Molid-w-Mansha Mansha-i-o Lahore. Asilshaz Qabilah-i-Joyah Keh Shobha Ast az
qaume-Gujar. (Translation: Shah Afrin’s name is Faquirllah. The place of his birth and education is Lahore. His ethnic is Johiya which is a branch of Gujar race).There is a village namely Tirth Taki in district Dadu in Sindh where all Johiyas call themselves Gujar, Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim Joyah who has been Secretary, Board of Sindhi Culture Sindhi Adabi Board belongs to this village. He is prominent figure in Sindhi literacy circle.
Awan:
In West Punjab most of the Awans claim to be syeds (Alvi). They say that Qutab Shah their ancestor came from Arabis, so they call themselves Qutab Shahi Awan. But the syeds or Alvi do not marry with them. I had a hot discussion with their educated persons because in the book Shahan-i-Gujar page 129 and 137 Awan tribe is mentioned as a sub-caste of the Gujars. To find the origin of the Muslims in the Sub-Continent two points are sufficient to be taken into consideration.
(a) Names of men and women in the past:
All the foreign Muslims had their names in Arabic, Persian or Turkish languages whereas the names of the converted Muslims remained the same in Punjabi or Hindi for generations. Names of ancestors of the Awans were in Punjabi or Hindi. It is a modern practice that when non-Muslim embraces Islam, he is allotted an Arabic name.
(b) Status:
All the foreign Muslims in the Sub-Continent became Mansabdar, officers and jagirdars or big landlords. Most suitable example is that of Ghyas Irani. The foreign
Muslims did not plough the fields, did not dig the drains and did not live in villages in huts, they were not cattle lifters as Awans have been doing since centuries in the
north-western districts of the Punjab.
As a matter of fact, Qutab Shah was a Maulvi of their ancestors. Similar practice has started among the Gujars. Gujar Maulvis in Bharat have added the word Qasimi in their names. Maulvi Qasim was the founder of Devband Maktab, But in Pakistan Maulana Abdul Hakim Bagri and Maulana Muhammad Ishaque Khatana have added the name of the sub-caste in their names.
There is a village Fatepur in district Gujrat which is wholly owned by Awan Gujars. In Nawan Shahr, Tehsil Abbotabad, district Hazara, there are Awan Gujars among them Maulana Mehruddin Qamar Awan is a prominent figure. There is also a Hindu Awan family of Gujars in Alwar where they have a big shop of Electronics. Once the headman whose name is forgotten, wrote me a letter. I was surprised to see that in Urdu, he wrote the word Awan in Arabic form, Surely, Awan is a Sanskrit word. By giving it an Arabic
form the family cannot be considered foreigner. Sri Yatindra Kumar Verma says that before Christian Era Malva was named Awanti after the name of this Gujar Gotra.
Batar:
The sub-caste holds 52 villages with their head-quarters at Gangoh in district Saharanpur (UP) India. They rightly claim that their ancestors came from Multan. Sir Denzil Ibbetson in his Tribes and Castes of the Punjab has stated that there are Butar people in a great number in Multan Division (Pakistan). In UP (India) the word is Batar, some call it Butar, but in Punjab the sub-caste is called Buttar. In West Punjab (Pak) it has been a tradition that any villager who holds some land is called Jat. I am sure Batar and Buttar have the same meaning.
Bhati:
The ancestor of this gorta was Bhati Rao Yadava, the Ruler of Sialkot in the Ist Century A.D. In 2nd Century A.D. the Bhatis are found quarreling with Johiyas (Yaudheyas) and Lingah (Lahing) in Lower Sutlej Valley. There they founded three cities. Bhati (as written by Alberuni) or Bhatiya (as written by Farishta). (2) Bhatner and (3) Bhatinda. There is a Bhati Gate in Lahore. Bhati city was 15 Darsakh from Multan to the west and was destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazna in 1026 (Farishta). Bhatner was levelled to the ground by Tamer Lang in 1398. Only Bhatinda exists today. There is a 600 years old village Bhatti Gujran in district Jhelum. Bhatti Gurjars live in 360 villages in Bulandshahr and Meerut districts, where their title of Honour had always been Rao upto 1857.
Johiya:
The ancient Yaudheyas are now called Johiya in the village. But the educated persons have their separate entity and they are not called either Gujar or Jat or Rajput. Before the arrival of the Britishers, the family was known as Gujar but when the Gujar tribe was not taken into government services, due to their participation in 1857 struggle against the Britishes, the Johiyas ceased to be called Gujars. In the time of Farrukh Siyar, the King of Delhi 1713 and 1719 Shah Afrin (Poetic name) was a famous poet in Persian language at Lahore. Allama Ghulam Ali Azad who had met him, wrote in his book “Khazan-i-Amrah”: Shah Afrin. Naam-i-o-Faqirullah Asst. Molid-w-Mansha Mansha-i-o Lahore. Asilshaz Qabilah-i-Joyah Keh Shobha Ast az
qaume-Gujar. (Translation: Shah Afrin’s name is Faquirllah. The place of his birth and education is Lahore. His ethnic is Johiya which is a branch of Gujar race).There is a village namely Tirth Taki in district Dadu in Sindh where all Johiyas call themselves Gujar, Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim Joyah who has been Secretary, Board of Sindhi Culture Sindhi Adabi Board belongs to this village. He is prominent figure in Sindhi literacy circle.