Gakhars
The Gakhar are a Punjabi clan found predominantly in the Jhelum District and Gujranwala District in Punjab province of Pakistan.[1] The Gakhars now predominantly follow Islam after conversion from Hinduism during the Islamic rule of north India.[2][3][4]
Medieval history
The Gakhars had engaged in a long-running struggle for sovereignty over the Salt Range.[5] After the arrival of Muhammad of Ghor to medieval India, the Gakhars converted from Hinduism to Islam.[2]
The history of this region (the Salt Range) from the thirteenth century onward had been a sickening record of wars between various dominant landowning and ruling clans of Punjabi Muslims including the Janjuas, Gakhars, Thathals and Bhattis for political ascendancy.[6][7]
Mughal era
Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi passed through the Rawalpindi District after his defeat of Anand Pal. The first mention of the Gakhars occurs in the memoirs of Babar, who gives an interesting account of the capture of their capital, Paralah. It was strongly situated in the hills, and was defended with great bravery by its chief Hati Khan, who escaped from one gate as the Mughal army marched in at the other. Hati Khan died by poison in 1525; his cousin and murderer Sultan Sarang then submitted to Babar, who conferred on him the area of Potwar. From that time on the Gakhar chieftains remained firm allies of the Mughal dynasty, and provided significant aid to the Mughal in their struggle against the house of Sher Shah. Salim Shah attempted in vain to subdue their country.
In 1553 Adam Khan, Sarang's successor surrendered the rebel prince Kamran to Humayun. Adam Khan was subsequently deposed by Akbar, and his principality given over to his nephew Kamal Khan. During the height of the Mughal empire, the family of Sarang retained its territorial possessions. Its last and Gakhars chief, Mukarrab Khan, ruled over a kingdom that extended from the Chenab to the Indus
The first mention of the earliest settlements of Rawalpindi, named after Bappa Rawal, dates from when Mahmud of Ghazni destroyed Rawalpindi and the town was restored by the Gakhar chief Kai Gohar in the early 11th century. The town fell into decay again after Mongol invasions in the 14th century. Situated along an invasion route, the settlement did not prosper and remained deserted until 1493, when Jhanda Khan re-established the ruined town, and named it Rawal.
See also
- Sarang Gakhar, Chief of Gakhars
- List of Punjabi tribes
- Gakhar Mandi
References
- ^ Van Donzel, E. J., ed. (1994). Islamic Desk Reference. BRILL. p. 106. ISBN 978-9-00409-738-4.
- ^ a b Gandhi, Surjit Singh (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469-1606 C.E. Atlantic Publishers. p. 3. ISBN 978-81-269-0857-8.
The story of most of the Gakhars is that they conquered Kashmir and ruled in that region for many generations but were eventually driven back to Kabul whence they entered the Punjab. They professed the Hindu faith and were converted to Islam, probably after the Ghori rule.
- ^ Singha, Atara (1976). Socio-cultural Impact of Islam on India. Panjab University. p. 46.
After this period, we do not hear of any Hindu Gakhars or Khokhars, for during the next two or three centuries they had all come to accept Islam.
- ^ Chandra, Satish (2006). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals. Vol. 2 (Revised, 2nd ed.). Har-Anand Publications. p. 45. ISBN 978-8-12411-066-9.
- ^ Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society, Volume 54, Issues 1-2. Pakistan Historical Society. 2006.
- ^ Bakshi, S. R. (1995). Advanced History of Medieval India. Anmol Publ. p. 142. ISBN 9788174880284.
- ^ Rajput Gotain
Further reading
- Gakkhar, A. S Bazmee Ansari, in Encyclopedia of Islam, 2nd ed.,Edited by J.H.Kramers et al., E.J Brill, Leiden, pp. 972–74.
