Randhawa

Randhawa( Hindi:रंधावा Punjabi:ਰੰਧਾਵਾ ), (pronounced: rann-dhaa-waa and anglicised to "ran-dhwa") is a Jat gotra or clan.

History

The word "Randhawa" is derived from two terms ie. "Rann" which means war and "dhawa" which means to attack. Randhawa means a battle leader/battle warrior who attacks (धावा) with a great courage in the war (रण).

The founding father of this clan was Randhawa, a Jadu/Jadaun/Jadon Rajput warrior who was famous for his martial prowess.According to Sir Lepel Griffin, Randhawa tribe is of Rajput origin and its founder was resident in Bikaner seven hundred years ago. From him descended seven families ie. Dharmkot, Ghanianki, Chamiari, Doda, Dorangah or Talwandi, Kathu-Nangal and Khunda. It is known that Kajal, the fifth descendant of Randhawa emigrated to Punjab and settled in Batala.Further Kajal Randhawa's descendants founded the village of Pakhoke ie. Pakho-Ke-Randhawa.Dera Baba Nanak has villages of Randhawas around it.Randhawa's were one of the richest persons in history.

Geographical distribution

In India, Randhawas are found in the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.

There are about 95,000 Jats in Himachal Pradesh, they are mostly hindu Jats. They are about 1%(approx) of the whole population of the state.

Randhawas are settled in large numbers in Gurdaspur,Delhi,Chandigarh Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Fatehgarh, Patiala, Sangrur, Nabha, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Moga, Ferozepur, Bathinda, ((Sirsa)) and Ropar areas in Malwa,Majha and Doaba in Punjab (India) Dhapai (Punjab India). Outside of Punjab they are settled in Jabalpur, MP. Some muslim members of this clan migrated to various places of the Punjab province of Pakistan after religious riots broke out on the bordering districts of Pakistan and India. Small concentrations of Randhawas are located in Faisalabad, Jahanian, Burewala and Gojra,Gujrat(chak kamala).

Randhawa are Jats. The Jat a people (IAST: Jāṭ, Hindi: जाट, Punjabi: ਜੱਟ جاٹ, Urdu: جاٹ‎) of Northern India and Pakistan, are a ethnic group descendants of Indo-Scythian tribes. There are 31 million Jatts in South Asia.

The original home of the Jats was in Central Asia near the country we now call Kazakstan. During the early part of the Christian era, most of the Jats were uprooted by the Mongol people from their homeland in Central Asia, after ruling there for over one thousand years. In turn Jats split into 2 groups one invaded India to the South and other invaded the Roman Empire in the West. Thus, they established themselves as the Alans in France, Spain, Portugal and so on, in the fifth century A.D.

The Jat people ethnic group which live in Northern India and Pakistan regions, have many different types of religions, professions and languages. They have a distinct cultural history that can be historically traced back to ancient times. Some have moved to Western countries for business and commercial reasons. There some have become prominent sections of the immigrant peoples in the West.

The Jats were designated in a British report as a Martial Race. 'Martial Race' was a designation created by officials of British India to describe "races" (peoples) that were thought to possess qualities such as courage, loyalty, self sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness, hard working, fighting tenacity and military tactics. The British recruited heavily from these so-called 'Martial Races' for service in the colonial army.

In Sindh (Pakistan), Randhawa migrated from Gurdaspur (Dharamkote Randhawa) much much before partition of Indo-Pak from 1892 to 1920.

Religion

In India the majority of people in this clan are Sikhs living in punjab and; Hindu in states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana; while in Pakistan they are Muslims and few have adopted Christianity.

Famous Randhawas

[Note : This list is restricted to only those prominent people belonging to Randhawa clan who have earned national or international level accomplishments]

• Abdul Ahad Randhawa, Electronic Engineer, Renowned Student Leader, Karachi.
• Baba Buddha Sahib, one of the most sacred and revered saints in Sikhism.
• Jyoti Randhawa, Indian golfer.
• Nikki Randhawa Haley, first Indian American Republican state legislator in the United States.
• Dara Singh, Indian wrestler and actor.
• Kulraj Randhawa, Indian television and film actress.
• Sharin Randhawa, Canadian television host
• Dr MS Randhawa, played major roles in the Green Revolution in India.

Shamsherਰੰਧਾਵਾ ਦਿਆਲਪੁਰ](now in) ਅੰਮਿ੍ਤਸਰ |

• Saadhika Randhawa, Film actress.
• Abdul Aziz Randhawa, Former Director of Accountant General Office (A.G. Office), Lahore, Pakistan.
• Harbans Randhawa, Medical mycologist, pioneered studies on the epidemiology of fungal infections in India.
• Haji Sharif Randhawa, Have great reputation in punjab province of Pakistan in the cities of Faisalabad,Lahore,kasur.Owner of Randhawa's property's at pattoki district kasur, Punjab, Pakistan.
• Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa, Former Chief Secretary of Punjab province.
• Arfa Karim Randhawa, became one of the youngest Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs) in the world.
• Choudhary Ehsanullah Randhawa, EX Director General NADRA, Deh 151, Taluka Digri, Distt; Mirpurkhas.
• Captain Liaqat Ali Randhawa, CSP, MD Sindh Seed Corporation (Mirpurkhas)

== *Muhammd Saad Bin Ilyas Randhawa ==Gujrat

• Ghulam Qadir Randhawa(Baba Jama'daar, late), Ex-army man well known as a pious ,honest,disciplined and social personality,also was a primary Schoolteacher at Govt. Boys School Chak Kamala District Gujrat(Pakistan).

Brig Dr A. Hadi Randawha served 30 years in Pak army, fought 2 wars against India

-- Bahdur Singh Randhawa -- University Controller in PAU -- Harjit Randhawa---Politician

Ch Aslam Randhawa former member provicial assemly died as a member
CH khalid iqbal randhawa former mpa and dviser to chief minister of punjab

jagdeep pal singh randhawa student of law at guru nanak dev university .an agriculturist and property advisor ludhiana ,punjab india.

References

• The Panjab chiefs: historical and biographical notices of the principal families in the territories under the Panjab government by Lepel Henry Griffin, Sir.; Charles Francis Massy.

• The Panjab chiefs : historical and biographical notices of the principal families in the Lahore and Rawalpindi divisions of the Panjab by Lepel Henry Griffin, Sir; Charles Francis Massy.

• A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North-West frontier province. Vol. 1 by H A Rose; Denzil Ibbetson, Sir; Edward Douglas Maclagan, Sir.

• Origins and History of Jats and Other Allied Nomadic Tribes of India by B.S. Nijjar.

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18610687?ordnialpos=1&tool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultR