Karlal

The Karlal (also known as Kard'al, Karaal, Karhral, or Kiraal) are a tribe found in the Abbottabad and Haripur districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Karlal territory borders on both Azad Kashmir and Punjab.

The tribe trace their descent from Sardar Kallar Shah son of Sujann Shah who is believed to have come from southern Galliat, and is believed to have been a descendant of Alexander the Great.^{[citation needed]}. In Haripur and Abbottabad, they are known as Sardars because during the time of the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1296) they became the sardar (meaning leaders) of this area. The majority of the people of the Karlal tribe are Sunni Muslims. Although the Sardari-System is now obsolete, the name prevails due to extensive usage by local peoples, including other tribes who prefer to refer Karlals as Sardars. The origins of the Karlal are mentioned both in the census reports of Ibbetson and Rose as well as in the district Gazetteer - compiled during British rule. They are extensively distributed in hilly areas of Abbottabad District known as Gillies or Gilyat.

Karlals have a liberal social structure and have accepted inter-marriages with other people, including both Pashtuns and Punjabis. This has led to an ethnic blend within the community, which now constitutes 30% of the population of the district of Abbottabad. They are aHindko speaking tribe.

This is the only tribe which is given the title of both "Sardar" .These titles are still used with their names.Their ancestors also used Shah with their names because in Persian Shah means ruler however it is not used by karlals now because the word Shah is now only used with the names of Sayeds.

History

As per Wajab Ul Arz of 1874 compiled by British authorities this tribe through out history tried to retain their independence, during Mughal era when the Gakkars were trying to extend their authority in the entire lower Hazara the leader of Karlal tribe Morcha Kulli Khan at that time was able to murder the Ghakkar chief and retained his tribes independence. Turks were also never able to extend their authority over this tribe although enjoying suzerainty over large portion of Pakhal Sarkar at that time. In Durrani period no attempt was made by Afghan rulers to subdue their territory. However, when the Sikhs captured lower Hazara they tried to gain contol over entire lower Hazara including Karlal territory.

In 1822, Ranjit Singh sent a large force under famous General Amar Singh Majitta which was defeated by karlals with great slaughter. Amar Singh was also murdered by Karlal. Lepel Griffin writes in his book about this battle of Sumandar Khata. From 1822 to 1845 Karlal tribe fought many battles with Sikhs and was able to retain its independence throughout Sikh period. In 1844 once again Lahore Darbar sent a large force under Diwan Mulraj and Hari Singh to subdue Karlal country, again taking advantage of their difficult geographical terrain Karlals were able to defeat Sikh army at place called Nah and killed more than 150 Sikh soldiers.

During the British period at the time of mutiny in 1857 this tribe tried to revolt against the rule of East India company, however, Britishers were able to imprison Karlal chief Sardar Hassan Ali Khan and many mutineers of this tribe were hanged along with some Dund tribesmen (Mutiny Reports 1857 of Hazara District). According to the District Gazetteers of Rawalpindi and Hazara written jointly by the respective Deputy Commissioners of the above areas, the tribe Kharral of Gojra in Punjab, derive their ancestors from the Karlals in Abbottabad, Hazara. The account of the 1857 India's First War of Independence also known as the Indian Mutiny clearly establishes strong cooperation and connectivity between the two tribes linking them to the common ancestor with the assumption that the Kharrals of Gojra and Karlals of Abbottabad are actually the one and the same tribe. British has to establish five cantonments of Bara Gali, Nathia Gali, Dounga Gali, Changlagali in the small Karlal territory to keep this tribe subdued along with the construction of road which started immediately after war of independence of 1857.

During the time of Indian independence movement entire Karral tribe joined the flanks of Muslim League and strive hard for the creation of Pakistan. In the elections of 1946 fought on the single point of division of India, people of this tribe were forerunners in defeating congress candidates who had the backing of more populace tribes like Jadoons and Sawatis. In fact the representative and leader of this tribe at that time Captain Sardar Zain Muhammad Khan was not only able to defeat rival Indian National Congress candidate from Abbottabad's only constituency at that time but had the honor of representing entire District Hazara in the historic Delhi. Muslim League Parliamentarians Convention which under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam finally voted for division of India and creation of Pakistan.

Notable People

The notable people list for Karlal tribe is:-

• Sardar Hassan Ali khan (Leader of Diwal Manal and A strong opposition against Sikh Rule in Hazara who received heavy losses from Karlals, He was leader of the Karlal tribe against the British in The War of Independence 1857.)

• Sardar Muhammad Khan jagirdar (Leader of Darban and A strong opposition against Sikh Rule in Hazara who received heavy losses from Karlals)

• Captain Sardar Zain Muhammad Khan(First class OBI in first world war,Winning candidate of Pakistan Muslim League 1945,Khan of Abbottabad,Titled "Khan Bahadur")
  

• Sardar Muhmmad Aslam Khan Advocate(Twice member of upper house "senate",Thrice President District Bar Abbottabad,President PPP Hazara 1967-77)

• Sardar Mumtaz Alam (Advocate Peshawer High Court branch Abbottabad.)

• Dr Sardar Haider Zaman (Ph.D, Urban & Regional Planning, Awarded Personality of the year 2003, Social worker and Consultant for Asian Development Bank and other multi-lateral agencies. Author of hundreds of documents on planning and social welfare. Advised NWFP & FATA governors, currently heads a number of charities in NWFP and Kashmir.)

• Dr. Mohammad Irfan (Ph.D (Economics) Formerly Joint Director BPS 21. PIDE Islamabad.)

• Mr. Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan (Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan)

• Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Bagan (General Secretary Hazara Awami Ittehad Sindh)

• Sardar Ghulam Nabi (Thrice MPA, North-West Frontier Province Assembly and Provincial Minister for Industries and for Information,ex-Chairman of the District Development Advisory Committee)

• Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob (Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan)

• Sardar Muhammad Idrees (MPA, Minister for Local Government NWFP 2002-2007)

• Sardar Baba Haidar Zaman Khan (Nazim of Abbottabad District Council, Founder of Tehreek-e-Sooba-Hazara)

• Colonel Sardar Sultan Mohammad Khan (Chief Engineer Navy 1966)

• Brigadier Sardar Ghulam Arif

• Sardar Gul Zaman Khan (First Provincial Minister of Karlal tribe in 1974, MPA for the PF37 constituency (Samundar Katha), a place where according to Tareekh-E-Frishta, Sikhs commanded by Hari Singh were defeated by Karlals)

• Col. (retired) Sardar Gauhar Rahman (served Pakistan Army 1968-1997, joined State Life Insurance, Pakistan in 1997 as a Director, Officer Training Institute)

• Sardar Amir Ali Khan (Leader of Makool Payeen and A strong opposition against Sikh Rule in Hazara who received heavy losses from Karlals)

• Sardar Mohammad Saleem Jabbar (Nazim of union council Malik Akhter Mohammad Halqa #6 Quetta Balochistan).

• Sardar Muhammad Riaz, (Chairman (Monopoly control), Federal Secretary)

• Colonel (retd)Zia ur Rehman,(Director MT KRl Kahuta Rawalpindi.)

• XEN Abdul Waheed (Executive Engineer PESCO Hazara Pakistan)

• Sardar Anwar Baig (served more than 20 years in UAE army as Boiler Engineer and provided consultancy on various mechanical engineering issues.)

• Saeed ur Rehman (Deputy Director Hazara Phosphate Haripur.)

• Sardar Mohammad Nasir ((Chanjah) Educationalist,Financial Analysist,Writer. Academic Director of Castle College of Management Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne UK.)

• Sardar Eng Muhammad Farid (Civil Engineer , Gold Meadlist)

• Sardar Shahid Farid (Chartered Accountant , Chartered Secretary ,Chartered Taxation Manager, Chartered Manager, Public Finance Accountant, Certified Financial Consultant from USA. He is the first Chartered Accountant of Sardar Tribe . He is Senior Partner of Muniff Ziauddin and Co Chartered Accountant, Internationally representated by BKR International)

• Sardar Abdul Hameed (Director Indus Group Of Colleges,Principal Indus College Of Commerce G-10 Islamabad)

• Sardar Aurengzaib Nilotha (MPA of NWFP ASSEMBLY.)

• Sardar Muhammad ASLAM (Ex Principal Commerece College Abbottabad)

• Major General Sardar Anwar Ali Khan

• Sardar Gul Khatab Khan (Ex MNA PPP)

• Sardar Saqib Raza Aslam (Additinal Secretary)

• Sardar Haji Iqbal (GM(chemical engineer)Heavy Mechinacal Complex Taxila)

• Sardar Nasir Rehman of Bunj,Berin gali.

• Sajid Rehman ((Malik purra)Chartered Certified Accountant United Kingdom)

• Sardar Khalid Mehmood (Burmi Gali (Kari Raiki) Nathiagali NCHD)

• Sardar Abdul Hakeem (MBA( Finance)Junior Joint Director SBP.Bagan Distt.Abbottabad.)

• Sardar Khalil Ur Rahman (President Bagan Welfare Association Bagan.)

References

• Order of British India
• Tareekh-E-Frishta
• Tareekh-E-Hazara by Badhar Khan
• Tareekh-E-Bani Aees by Sardar Iqbal Khan
• Tareekh-E-Karlal by Nasir Rehman Karlal