Bajwa

Jat Clan: Bajwa
Distribution	Punjab (Pakistan) and Punjab (India) Sialkot District
Descended from:	Bajju Rajputs
Branches:	None
Religion	Islam and Sikhism
Languages	Punjabi
Surnames:	Bajwa

Bajwa (Punjabi: ਬਾਜਵਾ) (Hindi: बाजवा) (Urdu: باجوہ) is a Jat gotra or clan. They originally belonged to the region known as 'Bajwat' situated on the border of Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab. They are now spread across the Punjab region divided between Northern India and Pakistan.

Etymology

Bajwa is a well-known last name amongst Punjabis.

A Jat clan (Agricultural) found in Sialkot, Amritsar, and Multan and as a Hindu Jat clan in Montgommery.

According to one theory, the word "Bajwa" is derived from the term Baaz Wala, which can be loosely translated to "Owner of Falcon or Person having Falcons". "Baaz or Baaj" (pronounced as Baaz in colloquial Punjabi) is the Arabic word for hawk or falcon, while "wala" is an Indian suffix indicating a person owning (a given thing) or living (in a given area).

Bajwa in Persian also means "those who levied tax". Bajwas living in the Bajwat area (the Sialkot and Narowal districts in Punjab (Pakistan)) were known to fight against the invading armies of Timur, Ahmed Shah Abdali and others, who invaded India from the northwest.

Origin

Bajwa is a prominent Jatt clan of the Punjab. They claim Suryavanshi descent. The place of Bajwas' origin is Bajwat in the Sialkot and Narowal districts of Pakistan. This place is located in the Shiwalik foothills and is quite near the Indian border as well as the city of Jammu. At one time, Bajwa Jats had eighty-four villages in the Sialkot area.

The founder of the Bajwa clan, Bajwat (or Wajab) used to live in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. From there, he migrated to Sialkot and Gujranwala. One of his descendants became the ruler of Multan. The Bajwa ruler Raja Shalip, who owned a large estate in Multan, was ousted from Multan at the time of Sikandar Lodhi by the local Governor with whom he had quarreled. Shalip had a number of sons who were killed fighting with him, but two sons named Kals and Yas managed to escape. Both used to rear hawks (baaz) and are reputed to have left their father's fort disguised as falconers, thereby providing the clan name. Bajwa today can come to mean "the bravest".

Another legend is that one of their ancestors, Rai Jaison, was forced to leave Delhi by Rai Pithora (Prithvi Raj Chauhan).

The Bajwa clan have given their name to the Bajwat area on the Sialkot/Kashmir border but are thought to have migrated from Multan and Uch in central Pakistan. As with all Jat clans, however, they are thought to have Scythian origins. The area of Bajwat is located in the Shiwalik foothills and is close to the Indian border and to the city of Jammu. Bajwa Jats have founded many villages and towns in the Sialkot area and the names of villages and towns of the area still reflect this.

A Bajwa by the name of Kholu settled in Panwana and had six sons; each of which founded a town. The eldest, Naru established the town of Narowal . The other towns founded are Bhagowal, Rurki, Khanowali, Chawinda (famous for the tank battle in the 1965 war with India), and Pasrur. Pasrur was founded by Mankah.

According to one legend, the ancestor of the Bajwas is Baba Manga. Baba Manga had seven sons. The eldest, Naro established a village, which was named as Narowal after him. Another son, Deepa founded Kotli Bajwa and a third one, Chandu founded Chanduwal.

There are reputed to be three main divisions of the Bajwa clan in Sialkot; with the descendants of Mankah settled around Pasrur, the descendants of Mangah clustering around Chawinda and Narowal is the headquarters for the children of Naru.

Customs

Both Bajwa Jatts and Bajju Rajputs are settled in the Bajwat region of Jammu-Sialkot-Narowal. Their customs were very similar to others who live in Punjab area. Some Bajwas (Sikhs) take their newly wed brides to the samādhi of their ancestor, Baba Manga to pay obeisance. Like other Jat clans, Bajwas (Sikhs) give a cut to the tree of Jand.

Religion

Bajwa: In India mostly Sikhs, In Pakistan Muslims.

Muslim 40%, Ahmadi Muslim 10%, Sikh 45%, Hindu 5%

Notable Bajwas

• Dr. Mohinder Singh Bajwa, retired as Director Research, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Dr. M.S. Bajwa also served a 3 year term as Member of the Board of Management of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Dr. Bajwa also held positions of Dean Post Graduate Studies, Director Students Welfare and Dean, College of Agriculture. Dr. Bajwa is a Soils Scientist by training and is a highly decorated academician and scientist of Punjab. He has published more than 200 articles and papers in Journals if repute national level and international level. Dr. M.S. Bajwa now resides in Mohali, Punjab but travels to North America for 6 months every year to visit his two sons.

• Mr Asif Nisar Bajwa , Vice President Commanderie de Cordon Bleu , Member Academie Culinarie De France , Executive commitee member Chaine De Rotisseurs ,Director of Food & Beverage in an international hotel
• Brig. Riaz Mahmood Bajwa is an accredited Army officer, who during his service earned the coveted Tamigha-e-Imtiaz (Military). Later owing to his commendable services was conferred with the Army’s Commendation Card. Beside his Army career he is an amateur golf player with many national titles to his recognition (4/16/2009).

• Maj. General Anis A. Bajwa, Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Timor-Leste and former head of the Pakistan Tourist Development Corporation.(6/30/2007)

• Dr. (PhD) Muqsat Farooq Bajwa, son of Farooq Ahmed Bajwa, nephew of Maj. General Anis A. Bajwa, (see above) presently Serving with Star Group TV Channels as Regional Director.

• Naseer A. Bajwa was Executive Vice President and Regional Chief Executive of National Bank of Pakistan.

• Ch. Mohammad Ibrahim Bajwa, an author of several books, journalist (Jang, Nawaiwaqt, Kohistan, etc.) and a retired Head of Agriculture Department, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.

• Mr. Atif Bajwa, President MCB Bank Limited, Pakistan. Leading banker in the region who is heading the top private bank in Pakistan. He was previously the regional head for central and eastern Europe for Citibank.

• Commodore Rehmatullah Bajwa, Pakistan Navy and Ambassador to SEATO

• Dr. Saeed I. Bajwa, USA. A notable physician in Long Island, New York who received several distinctions and awards during his education and professional careers in Pakistan and USA.

• Kanwar Idrees Bajwa, was provincial Minister and Chief Secretary Sind, Pakistan. He belongs to a village in Sialkot(Punjab) called Talwandi Inayat Khan (Bajwa).

• Colonel Gurjeet Singh Bajwa Vir Chakra, Shaurya Chakra - Indian Army - Credited with the capture of post BP 638 in the Longewala Sector during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

• Sardar Chet Singh Bajwa, a Deorhidar who served Ranjit Singh and Kharak Singh; killed by the Dogras in 1839 A.D.

• Sardar Jodh Singh Bajwa, ally of Maharajah Ranjit Singh and whose daughter married Prince Kharak Singh, son of Ranjit Singh.

• Wg. Cdr. Kuldeep Singh Bajwa. During the Indo-Pak War he was credited with checking the advance of Pakistan's tanks into the Rajasthan sector. In the movie 'Border' his role was played by Jackie Shroff. He was a cousin of Gulshan Bajwa.

• Prof. (Wg Cdr) Gulshan Bajwa, Advocate-on-Record (Supreme Court of India) and a 1971-War veteran; he won six Medals, assisted in the operationalisation of the Air Force Forward Base in Udhampur in a record time, and was Manager of Air Force Cross-country Team.

• Harneet Bajwa, created the Gay Punjabi Association (GPA) was born in Toronto, Ontario. He is the President of GPA and their number one leading activist and still resides in Toronto.

• Dr. Saeed A. Bajwa, U.S. neurosurgeon of Pakistani origin; honored with the Hilal-e-Imtiaz medal, Pakistan's highest civilian honor, for his role as the first doctor in the US to successfully perform a spinal-column replacement surgery.

• Sardar Swinderjeet Singh Bajwa (s/o of Late Sardar Sohan Singh Bajwa) a courageous, kind and honoured leader of the B.J.P. One of the most respected Deputy Mayors of Delhi.

• Rupa Bajwa, Amritsar-based author. Her book The Sari Shop (2004) won the 2004 Orange Prize for Fiction, the Best First Book award in the regional round (Eurasia) of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Sahitya Akademi Award. (6/29/2007)

• Waqar Ahmed Bajwa, Captain of the Pakistan Hockey Team in 1960 which won the Olympic Hockey Gold Medal for the first time, defeating India in the final.

• Waqar Ahmad Bajwa, CPA, born in Gujranwala, Pakistan and now works in the United States.

• Muhammad Asif Bajwa (born June 6, 1972) son of Chaudhry Asadullah Khan Bajwa, Advoacte. He was Pakistan's Hockey Team Manager and Chief coach field hockey. He was member of Pakistan's world cup winning Hockey team (1993).(6/29/2007)

• Dr. Farooq Naseem Bajwa has published two books “Pakistan & the West; The First Decade 1947-1957” and “Pakistan (A historical and contemporary look).(6/29/2007)

• Rafiq Ahmad Bajwa, Advocate, served as a Vice President of Jamiat Ullama-a-Pakistan (JUP) and Secretary-General of the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) movement against Zulfikar Bhutto. (6/29/2007)

• Mrs Sajeela Ansar Bajwa served as Member District Council, Sialkot; and has been elected as Member Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in General Elections 2002 against one of the seats reserved for women. (6/29/2007)

• Brigadier Asim Saleem Bajwa served as Musharraf’s Deputy Military Secretary and played an active role in the publication of the Urdu edition "Sub Sey Pehlay Pakistan".(6/29/2007)

• Lt. Colonel Hameed Bajwa, younger brother of Aslam Bajwa (see above), credited with many heroic acts while in service of the Pakistan Army. Credited with raising a unit in Lahore. Died in a car accident. His son Aamir Mustafa Bajwa is now a Brigadier in the Pakistan Army. He was killed in an automobile accident while on active duty.

• Akhtar Ahmad Bajwa served PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited) as a Chairman & CEO for three years (2001-04) plus 38 years service with the same company.(6/29/2007)

• Hasrat, Sukhpal Vir Singh Bajwa is a famous poet and was awarded by the “Sahitya Akademi” in the year 1980 for his book, “Suraj Te Kahkashan”. Two of his books “Shakti Naad” and “Suraj Da Kafla” were awarded prizes by the Punjab Govt. also as best collections for the years 1967-68 and 1971-72 respectively.(6/29/2007)

• Partap Singh Bajwa is a popular politician in East Punjab and Minister for PWD and B& R. (6/29/2007)

• Muhammad Ashraf Bajwa, (1922-1988) Founder and President of Kisan Board Pakistan. Was acting president of Pakistan National Alliance movement in 1977. He was the elder brother of Muhammad Aslam Bajwa and Abdul Hamid Bajwa (mentioned above).

• Farooq Yousaf Bajwa, CEO Bajwa Group of Companies. Suppliers of food to Pakistan armed forces since 1949.

• Dr. Fauja Singh Bajwa, (1918-1983), Historian, Head of Department(Sikh Studies), Punjabi University, Patiala wrote 28 books on Sikh History especially the Kuka Movement. He was briefly the Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University.

• Sardar Jaspal Singh Bajwa-Divisional President,Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. ADS Hyderabad. Reference:FORBES.com.

• Ch.Naveed Ahmad Bajwa MPA in future INSHALLAH (0321-7669162)

• Major Baldev Singh Bajwa, ADC to Mahajah Karan Singh of Kashmir

• Gurbachan Singh Bajwa (born c.1899) Congress Politician.He was the youngest so of L Col Ishar Singh Bajwa. He was one of the last of honest politicians of Punjab. He was put up as a candidate during elections before partition of India, by his elder brother S Thakar Singh Bajwa of Village Kotli Bajwa, now in Pakistan. His pillars of strength were his elder brother and his nefew S Shivdev Singh Bajwa. After partition his family settled in Qadian in district Gurdaspur.

• Tripat Singh Bajwa Punjab MLA. Son of S Gurbachan Singh Bajwa. Now settled in Qadian.

See also

• List of Jat Clans of West Punjab