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The Janjua Rajputs are the descendants of [[Janamejaya|Maharaja Janamejaya]], Emperor of [[Hastinapur]] and great-grandson of the valiant warrior prince [[Arjuna|Arjun]] of the [[Mahabharata]], also known as the "Achilles of India". The Khakha Lords are essentially [[Pandavas]]. Today, they are entirely Muslim by faith.<ref>''Punjab Chiefs'' by Lepel H. Griffin, Lahore Press, 1909, p214</ref>
The Janjua Rajputs are the descendants of [[Janamejaya|Maharaja Janamejaya]], Emperor of [[Hastinapur]] and great-grandson of the valiant warrior prince [[Arjuna|Arjun]] of the [[Mahabharata]], also known as the "Achilles of India". The Khakha Lords are essentially [[Pandavas]]. Today, they are entirely Muslim by faith.<ref>''Punjab Chiefs'' by Lepel H. Griffin, Lahore Press, 1909, p214</ref>


==Origins==
==Khakha Muslim [[Khatri]]s==
Various sourses have recorded the Khatri and Brahmin ancestory of Khakhas and Bhambas .including the census reports of Ibbetson where the Khakhas are recorded as converted Khatris .
Various sourses have recorded the Khatri and Brahmin ancestory of Khakhas and Bhambas including the census reports of Ibbetson where a Khakha tribe are recorded as converted Khatris.


{{cquote|The Khakhas are in fact Khatris converted to Islam and are found in greatest numbers in the Kashmir hills , lying along the left bank of the Jhelum ;whence a few have made their way into Hazara and Rawalpindi . Sir John Campbell called them a curiously handsome people.<ref>Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose "A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province</ref>}}
{{cquote|The Khakhas are in fact Khatris converted to Islam and are found in greatest numbers in the Kashmir hills , lying along the left bank of the Jhelum ;whence a few have made their way into Hazara and Rawalpindi . Sir John Campbell called them a curiously handsome people.<ref>Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose "A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province</ref>}}
Line 26: Line 26:
By J. A. L. Montgomery Published by Calcutta Central Press Co., 1885 Original from Oxford University Page 207</ref>}}
By J. A. L. Montgomery Published by Calcutta Central Press Co., 1885 Original from Oxford University Page 207</ref>}}


{{cquote|Historian Pt Har Gopal Kaur feels that the word Brahman got corrupted to make Bamba and the word Khatri to yield Khakha (I have no opinion on what these clan names are a corruption of . However , knowing the languages of the area , I have no doubt that these are corruptions of words beginning with b and with K respectively <ref>Parvéz Dewân's Jammû, Kashmîr, and Ladâkh: Travel, Trekking, Culture, History, Wildlife, Almost Everything By Parvez Dewan Edition: illustrated Published by Manas Publications, 2004 Item notes: v. 1 Original from the University of Michigan Page 423 </ref>}}
{{cquote|Historian Pt Har Gopal Kaur feels that the word Brahman got corrupted to make Bamba and the word Khatri to yield Khakha (I have no opinion on what these clan names are a corruption of . However , knowing the languages of the area , I have no doubt that these are corruptions of words beginning with b and with K respectively<ref>Parvéz Dewân's Jammû, Kashmîr, and Ladâkh: Travel, Trekking, Culture, History, Wildlife, Almost Everything By Parvez Dewan Edition: illustrated Published by Manas Publications, 2004 Item notes: v. 1 Original from the University of Michigan Page 423 </ref>}}


However, interestingly the very same reference only 2 pages before this states;
{{cquote|''According to family trees of the clan, Mal was a descendant of Arjun,, the legendary Pandav....'' <ref>Parvéz Dewân's Jammû, Kashmîr, and Ladâkh: Travel, Trekking, Culture, History, Wildlife, Almost Everything By Parvez Dewan Edition: illustrated Published by Manas Publications, 2004 Item notes: v. 1 Original from the University of Michigan Page 421-422 </ref>}}


This negates the above Khatri theories as speculative pondering, as the Janjua clan, which is in a different region of Punjab to the Khakhas also corroborates their Chandravanshi Rajput lineage.
⚫
However this reference is not corrobrated by any other source and may refer to another tribe of a similar name. These particular mentioned Khatris were a mercantile people, unlike the warlike Marauding Khakha princes.

Furthermore these obscure Khatri references are not corrobrated by the tribe itself and neither by any neighbouring local sources. They may refer to another tribe of a similar name.
⚫
These particular mentioned Khatris were a mercantile people, unlike the warlike Marauding Khakha princes.

The best proof yet being that the Khakha Rajputs themselves claim [[Janjua]] Rajput ancestry, which is also corroborated by all the Houses of Janjua In Jhelum and Rawalpindi.


=== Raja Mal Khan ===
=== Raja Mal Khan ===

Revision as of 19:52, 12 April 2009

File:Bkh lasdana hajipir road.jpg

The Khakha Rajputs' (also spelt Khaka, Kakha, Khakeand Khakh) of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan are a powerful and highly renowned Royal Warrior Clan of Muslim Rajputs[1] who have inhabited the Kashmiri region since the 13th century after the conquer of Janjua warlord Raja Khakha of the region of Upper Jhelum Valley of Kashmir.

They are a branch of the powerful Janjua Rajput dynasty of Northern India and Pakistan[2]. Known for their fierce resistance against all invaders, from the Afghans, Mughals and the Sikhs, the Khakha Rajputs managed to retain their independence through their refractory policy and warlike exploits. They were so influential during their rule, that they aided Mughal Emperors first ever defeat in Kashmir in the Battle of Bulaysa, they defied the Afghan invaders and later terrorised the Sikh governors of Kashmir.

The highly warlike and fierce repute of the Royal Khakha Janjua Warlords earned them an undisputed position in the Jhelum Valley of Kashmir as the most powerful tribe in the region. Their tribal kings, princes and Rajas were renowned for their heroic rebellion against Afghans, Sikhs and British invaders.

Today they occupy major positions within the Azad Kashmir government and are a still a powerful tribe of respected position.

History

The Khakha Rajputs are a branch of the Janjua Rajputs. The famed dynasty that has ruled western Punjab since the 13th century in a powerful and warlike fashion.[3] Janjua Rajputs are known as the most valiant Kshatriyas (warriors) in Punjab.[4]

The Janjua Rajputs are the descendants of Maharaja Janamejaya, Emperor of Hastinapur and great-grandson of the valiant warrior prince Arjun of the Mahabharata, also known as the "Achilles of India". The Khakha Lords are essentially Pandavas. Today, they are entirely Muslim by faith.[5]

Origins

Various sourses have recorded the Khatri and Brahmin ancestory of Khakhas and Bhambas including the census reports of Ibbetson where a Khakha tribe are recorded as converted Khatris.

The Khakhas are in fact Khatris converted to Islam and are found in greatest numbers in the Kashmir hills , lying along the left bank of the Jhelum ;whence a few have made their way into Hazara and Rawalpindi . Sir John Campbell called them a curiously handsome people.[6]

These people had been converted to Islam from Khatris and Brahmins respectively and hence they kept these words as part of their names [7]

Je Khakha sir Khe pawe Ta bhe Khakha khat lawe If a khatri puts ashes on his head Even then the Khatri will make some profit [8]

Historian Pt Har Gopal Kaur feels that the word Brahman got corrupted to make Bamba and the word Khatri to yield Khakha (I have no opinion on what these clan names are a corruption of . However , knowing the languages of the area , I have no doubt that these are corruptions of words beginning with b and with K respectively[9]

However, interestingly the very same reference only 2 pages before this states;

According to family trees of the clan, Mal was a descendant of Arjun,, the legendary Pandav.... [10]

This negates the above Khatri theories as speculative pondering, as the Janjua clan, which is in a different region of Punjab to the Khakhas also corroborates their Chandravanshi Rajput lineage.

Furthermore these obscure Khatri references are not corrobrated by the tribe itself and neither by any neighbouring local sources. They may refer to another tribe of a similar name. These particular mentioned Khatris were a mercantile people, unlike the warlike Marauding Khakha princes.

The best proof yet being that the Khakha Rajputs themselves claim Janjua Rajput ancestry, which is also corroborated by all the Houses of Janjua In Jhelum and Rawalpindi.

Raja Mal Khan

Raja Dhrupet Dev, the King of Mathura, was exiled from his kingdom by the famed general Kutub-ud-Din Aibak in 1195 AD. The Raja and his brother Shripat Dev conquered Chakwal region of Rajghar and settled there.

But it was son illustrious son, Raja Mal who established the fortune of the royal house. He was the first Muslim convert from the Janjua Rajput dynasty. He conquered the entire region of Rajghar and renamed it Malluki ki Dhani with its capital at Malot, where he built a large famous fort.[11]

Raja Mal Khan's young son, Raja Khakha Khan is the apical ancestor of the Khakha Rajputs. His elder brothers included Raja Jodh Khan of Makhiala (Jhelum), Raja Bhir Khan of Malot (Chakwal), Raja Kala Khan of Kahuta and Raja Tanoli of Amb (Hazara).Bace of khakha is village kachili in muzffrabad ak most famous families of khakha is in this village.

Raja Mal left five sons...Wir (Bhir), Jodh, Kahla, Tanoli, and Khaka...Khaka's offspring inhabit Muzafferabad, Kot Khakha and other villages near the Jammu frontier

— 30px, 30px, From The Punjab Chiefs[12]

The Khakha Rajputs during the Mughal Period

The Khakha Rajputs have played an important part in the history of Kashmir by creating alliances with other Kashmiri tribes against many powerful rulers, such as the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The feudal Khakha lords had allied with Yakub Shah against the Mughal army of Akbar at the battle of Bulyasa and were victorious.[2]

Khakha Rajput Resistance to the Sikh Empire

During the Sikh Conquer of Kashmir, The Khakha Rajputs united with their age old allies, the Bhamba tribe and fought hard against the invading Sikhs.

The bold and warlike tribes of Bombas and Khakhas who now and then carried out looting incursions into the Valley, were a constant source of anxiety and danger to the Sikhs. In fact many times during their rule Bombas and Khakhas looted the valley as far up as Pattan

— 30px, 30px, From Culture and Political History of Kashmir by Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai[13]

It is recorded, that upon a British Officer's visit to Kashmir in 1822, he had to return from Uri as the Khakha chief would not allow him to pass.[14].

The fierce and warlike Khakhas began to intensify their raids in consequence to the weakening Sikh power. Eventually, when Maharaja Gulab Singh assumed rulership of Kashmir, he managed to drive back the Khakhas with great difficulty. But knowing the unrelenting fierce reputation of the rebellious Khakhas, he immediately installed strong garrisons in the forts guarding the passes.[15]

Despite facing the best of the Sikh power to subdue them, they still enjoyed a highly privileged position[16], paying little if any taxes, openly wearing arms and defying orders where possible.[17]

Ancestral Title and Reputation

The Imperial Gazetteer of Kashmir and Jammu records, "The Khakhás, who enjoy the proud title of Rájá, are Musalmán Rájputs, and trace their descent to Rájá Mal...They regard themselves as belonging to the Janjuah tribe."[18]

The Khakhas are renowned for being a powerful and fiercely warlike Musalman Rajput tribe.

During the period of the Afghan overlordship over the region of Kashmir it is recorded, "..paid little to their overlord and were practically independent." Even when the Sikh empire tightened their hold over the Jhelum Valley of Kashmir, the Khakhas retained a privileged position.[19] In fact, the privilege was such that they would openly wear their weapons and arms in defiance.[20]

Their power and dominance aided Yakub Shah in his defence of Kashmir, in what was the first defeat of Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1582 on his first incursion into the Kashmir valley. But Akbar eventually returned more powerful, and finally conquered the region in 1586.[21]

The Khakha Rajputs have also continued their ancestral tradition of recording of the family lineal tree. The above all indicate a strong a continuance of the Janjua traditions by the Khakha Rajas, making them a highly successful and powerful branch of the Janjua dynasty. They have always been a force to be reckoned with in the Jhelum Valley and their reputation as a fierce warlike tribe is well renowned. Though converted completely to Islam, they continued their traditional title of Rajput a many centuries on.[22]

A strange fact recorded about the tribe, is that their fierce, often predatorial raids during the Sikh age earned them a localised legend, that mothers would tell their children "..the Khakhas are coming..." to frighten them.[23]

Sir George Campbell of the British Raj referred to them as "...a curiously handsome people."

This was also corroborated by J.M. Wikely, a Recruiter for the British Indian Army, who called them a handsome race.

The Khakha and the Khasas

The Khakhas are sometimes confused with the ancient Khasas[24] of the Mahabharata, but this is purely theoretical and based simply on phronetic grounds.

There exists no record of the clan having made any reference to descendancy from the Khasas, although independent historians have made mention of Raja Mal Janjua's son Raja Khakha Khan's entry and conquer and residence of the Jhelum Valley region. This is also coroborated by the Khakhas own records.[25]

Famous Khakha Rajas

A famed Khakha chief of his time was Raja Ghashu Khan Khakha who is still remembered by the Kashmiri tribes as a fair and courageous ruler of his kingdom. Other present day Khakha Rajputs are highly influential in the region of Azad Kashmir and hold key positions in government. These include:

  • Raja Muhammad Haider Khan – (Former President AJK Muslim Conference Of AJK)
  • Raja Muhammad Niaz Khan – (Former Secretary to the Government Of AJK)
  • Raja Muhammad Latif Khan – (Former MLA, AJK assembly)
  • Raja Muhammad Farooq Niaz Khan – (Senior Member Board of Revenue and Secretary to Government Of AJK)
  • Raja Farooq Haider Khan – (Former Caretaker Prime Minister, Senior Minister, Advisor to Government Of AJK)
  • Raja Abrar Hussain Khan – (Former Advocate General, AJK)
  • Raja Qayum Khan – (Former Senior Minister, Government of AJK)
  • Raja Shoukat Iqbal Khan – (Convener, All Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Conference, Youth Wing)
  • Raja Rehan Ul Mustafa Khan (Director of Azmat-e-Mustafa Association Azad Kashmir)
  • Raja Abdul Qayum Khan Late – (Advocate and Founder of Rajput Foundation AJK & Pakistan)
  • Raja Muhammad Khalid Niaz Khan – (Director Auqaf, Government Of AJK)
  • Raja Muhammad Yaseen Khan – (Leislative Assembly Member, Government Of AJK)(Former Minister AJK)
  • Raja Mohammed Saddiq Khan – Late Ex Candidate AJK Assembly Dheerkot Bagh 1
  • Raja Mir Hussain Khan – Dpty Accountant General (Rtd)
  • Raja Atif Khan – (Ex Senior Vice-President of Bar Council Azad Kashmir)

See also

References

  1. ^ Culture and Political History of Kashmir by Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai, MD Publ. Ltd., 1994, p669
  2. ^ Tehreek-e-Janjua by Raja Muhammad Anwar Khan Janjua, Sahiwal Press 1982, v1, p67
  3. ^ The Imperial Gazetteer of Kashmir and Jammu Sang-e-Meel, 2002, p34
  4. ^ History of Mediaeval Hindu India by Chintaman Vinayak Vaidya, Cosmo Publ. 1979, p129
  5. ^ Punjab Chiefs by Lepel H. Griffin, Lahore Press, 1909, p214
  6. ^ Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose "A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province
  7. ^ Punjab Through the Ages By S.R. Kakshi, Rashmi Pathak, Rashmi Pathak Contributor S.R. Kakshi, Rashmi Pathak Published by Sarup & Sons, 2007 Page 207 ISBN 8176257389, 9788176257381
  8. ^ Final report of revised settlement, Hoshiarpur district, 1879-84 By J. A. L. Montgomery Published by Calcutta Central Press Co., 1885 Original from Oxford University Page 207
  9. ^ Parvéz Dewân's Jammû, Kashmîr, and Ladâkh: Travel, Trekking, Culture, History, Wildlife, Almost Everything By Parvez Dewan Edition: illustrated Published by Manas Publications, 2004 Item notes: v. 1 Original from the University of Michigan Page 423
  10. ^ Parvéz Dewân's Jammû, Kashmîr, and Ladâkh: Travel, Trekking, Culture, History, Wildlife, Almost Everything By Parvez Dewan Edition: illustrated Published by Manas Publications, 2004 Item notes: v. 1 Original from the University of Michigan Page 421-422
  11. ^ The History of the Muhiyals: The Militant Brahman Race of India By T P Russell Stracey, General Muhiyal Sabha, Lahore, p77
  12. ^ Punjab Chiefs by Lepel H. Griffin, Lahore Press, 1909, p214
  13. ^ Culture and Political History of Kashmir by Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai, MD Publ. Ltd., 1994, p637
  14. ^ Culture and Political History of Kashmir by Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai, MD Publ. Ltd., 1994, p637
  15. ^ Culture and Political History of Kashmir by Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai, MD Publ. Ltd., 1994, p637, p669, p670
  16. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of Kashmir and Jammu, Sang e Meel, 2002, p9, p34
  17. ^ History of Operations in Jammu & Kashmir, 1947-48 by Sri Nandan Prasad, Dharm Pal, Govt. of India 1987, p4
  18. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of Kashmir and Jammu, Sang-e-Meel, 2002, p34 [1]
  19. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of Kashmir and Jammu, Sang e Meel, 2002, p9, p34
  20. ^ History of Operations in Jammu & Kashmir, 1947-48 by Sri Nandan Prasad, Dharm Pal, Govt. of India 1987, p4
  21. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of Kashmir and Jammu, Sang e Meel, 2002, p25, p34
  22. ^ Kashmiris Fight for Freedom by Muhammad Yusuf Saraf, Ferozson 1977, p77
  23. ^ Kashmiris Fight for Freedom by Muhammad Yusuf Saraf, Ferozson 1977, p78
  24. ^ History of the Panjab Hill States by John Hutchison, J. PhVogel, Jean Philippe Vogel, Asian Educational Services 1994, p698
  25. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of Kashmir and Jammu Sang-e-Meel, 2002, p34
  • The Punjab Chiefs by Lepel H. Griffin (Lahore Press, 1909, p214).
  • Tehreek-e-Janjua by Raja Muhammad Anwar Khan Janjua (Sahiwal Press 1982, v1, p67)
  • Chronicles of Early Janjua by Dr. H Khan, (iUniverse 2003, p17,p26)


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