Khattar (surname)

Khattar
Distribution	India: Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh Pakistan: Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Descended from:	Rai Shiv Diyal, Chauhan
Branches:	Kala and Chitta sections
Religion	Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam
Languages	Punjabi and Haryanvi
Surnames:	Khattar

Khattar (Punjabi-Gurmukhi: ਖਟ੍ਟਰ, Urdu: کھتر) is an upper caste tribe in India (Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh) and Pakistan (Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and is variously classified as Rajput and Jatt in Pakistan and as a Jatt and Khatri caste in India.

Religion

They follow Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. Most Khattars are Sunni Muslims often devout to their faith. The Hindu, Muslim and Sikh Khattars are found among the prominent and big families and castes of the South Asian region. Khattars have been traditionally regarded as upper caste and aristocrats and historically been in good positions including generals ministers and rulers in every reign.

Khattars in Pakistan

In Pakistan, today,they are mostly present in Attock, Chakwal, Kahuta, Islamabad/Rawalpindi regions in Pakistan. Most of the Khattars are well settled taking part in politics. Of course, the most prominent Khattar in pre-partition times, was Sardar Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan (1892–1942), Premier of the Punjab and former Governor, who needs no introduction. His revered father, Nawab Muhammad Hayat Khan, CSI,was also a noted Punjabi figure in British times and a close associate of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in the famous Aligarh Movement for the 'renaissance' of Muslim youth and education. Sir Sikandar's eldest son, Maj (r) Shaukat Hayat Khan (1915–1998), remained very active during the Pakistan Movement and later made a good name for himself as a politician of principle in Pakistani politics and was instrumental in the Opposition negotiations with Mr Bhutto's PPP, which eventually resulted in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. His son, Mr Sikandar Hayat Jr, also remained an MP from the Attock area; but later, by the late 1990s, the Dhrek-Bahtar family of Khattars (actually the titular chiefs of all the Khattars) have supreceded the Wah Hyats in Pakistani politics.

Sir Sikandar's younger son, Brig (r) Azmat Hayat Khan also made a fine name for himself as one of the early officers of the Pakistan Army and his son, Yawar Hayat Khan, is today noted as one of the founding members and pioneers of the Pakistan Television Corporation; a producer-director of great aesthetic worth. In addition, the late Mazhar Ali Khan, Editor of the 'Pakistan Times' and 'Viewpoint', was another prominent Khattar intellectual—his son, Tariq Ali, settled in the UK, still carries on this intellectual tradition today and has won global fame by his writings, activism and lectures.

Late Begum Mahmooda Salim Khan, w/o Khan sb A. Salim Khan, Tarin, of Talokar, in Hazara, NWFP (now KP), who was Pakistan's first lady minister during the Ayub Khan regime, was the eldest daughter of Sir Sikandar and also worth a mention here. The family of late Nawab Sir Liaquat Hayat, who remained Prime Minister in Patiala state, prior to 1947 partition, is also noteworthy. A grand-daughter of his, Mrs Tehmina Durrani, became an author and is now married to Punjab CM Mr Shahbaz Sharif. Other prominent Khattars in Pakistan today, include Lt Gen Ehsan Hayat, an upstanding soldier of Pak Army;Mr Ghulam Farid Khan, a well-known gentleman, presently settled in Khanpur, but born in Farooqia, Tehsil Taxila, District Rawalpindi.

Khattars in India

There is a sizeable population of Khattars in India, too, chiefly in the Indian Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Some of these have migrated from Pakistani Punjab at Partition/Independence in 1947. They are largely Hindus and Sikhs. A fair number of them are quite active in business and various professions.

See also

• Jagdish Khattar
• Rajesh Khattar
• Ankur Khattar
• Ishaan Khattar
• Rohit Khattar

References

Ghulam Farid Khan 00923215575111

External links

• Khattar from Google Images
• uqconnect.net/-zzhsoszy/ips/w/wah.html
• en.wikipedia/wiki/wah

Additional References

1. Col. C. Gracroft. "Report on the Races and Tribes of the Attock and Rawalpindi Districts", 1868

2. D. Turner "The Attock District: A Detailed and Comprehensive Survey Updating Col Gracroft's Report", 1891

3. L G Trotter "John Nicholson: A Life". 1897

4. Griffin and Massey "Chiefs and Families of Note of the Punjab" 2 vols. Orig 1900; Reprint 1910.

5. Several early District Gazetteers of the Attock and Rawalpindi Districts of Punjab, c 1884- 1911.