Khokhar

Khokhar or Khokar is a gotra of Rajputs , Khatris, Jats and Tarkhans found in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in India. In Pakistan, Khokhar (Urdu: کھو کھر ) are considered as a Punjabi tribe. Khokhars are found among Hindu , Sikh and Muslim. There are Khokhars in Punjab , Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat . After the partition of India in 1947 the Hindu and Sikh Khokhars moved to India . Muslim Khokhars are predominantly found in Pakistan .

Hindu and Sikh Khokhar trace their ancestry to Kshatriya origins. The common surname between Hindu and Muslim Khokhar is indicative also of a common north Indian Aryan ancestory.

Etymology

Khokhar is a derivative of Kukar.

History

Some says,Khokhars are meant to be descended from Qutub Shah in the same way Awan are. Qutub Shah is said to be a descendant of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib from his son Abbas ibn Ali. Qutub Shah was a general in the army of Mahmud of Ghazna and had six sons.

While it is said that Khokhar was an elder son of Qutub shah, Khokher is not a Muslim name or title. In 1001, Mahmud launched 17 major expeditions into the subcontinent. An army of 20,000 khokhers gave him a tough time.

Hindu and Sikh Khokhar do not trace any lineage from any Arab or Persian ancestor . There is also other strong evidence that the Khokhars were a Hindu tribe S A A Rizvi in his book THE WONDER THAT WAS INDIA 11 published by Picador .. provides proof at various pages for example the following two instances .

"Muizzuddin whose capital was in Ghazni, followed Mahmud s tradition of Invading India . His army consisted mainly of Turkic and Taji(Persian -speaking Turks )Finding the Ismailis a threat to his power in the east , Muizzuddin seized Multan in 1175 , then he conquered Uch .In 1178 he invaded Anhilvara or Patan , the capital of the Vaghela raja of Gujarat , Mulraja 11 . A battle was fought near Mount Abu , the Rajas army , which outnumbered the Turks , won the day . The invaders fled through the inhospitable deserts in a miserable condition and endured considerable hardship. Muizzuddin thereupon decided to give up Mahmud s plan of invasion through Sind and Multan . The Punjab offered better prospects . In 1179 he seized Peshwar . Two years later he invaded Lahore . The Ghaznavid ruler , Khusraw Malik made peace . In 1182 Muizzuddin conquered Debal and made the Sumra ruler s of lower Sind his vassals . After a three year lull Muizzuddin invaded Lahore again and after ravaging the surrounding countryside occupied the strategic fort of Sialkot . The deposed Khusraw Malik made an alliance with the Khokkhars a hindu tribe from the Salt Range but was unable to capture Sialkot ". (Source S A A Rizvi THE WONDER THAT WAS INDIA 11 PAGE 19 ). Descendents of a Hindu tribe known as the the Khokhran and belonging to this region , now live in India .

"In 1246-47 Balban mounted an expedition as far as the Salt Range to chastise the Khokhars..who acted as guides to the Mongols " (Source S A A Rizvi THE WONDER THAT WAS INDIA 11 PAGE 30 )

Then again Amir Khusrau (1253-1325 AD), refers to Khokhars as a non-Muslim tribe (Tughlaq Namah, Aurangabad, 1933, p.128), and the way they were constantly attacked and killed by sultans like Iltutmish and Balban confirms Khusrau’s contention .

From the 1882 census

A quote from Page 97 In the Book "A Glossary of the Tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West Frontier Province compiled by AH ROSE and based on the Census Report for the Punjab 1883 , by Sir Denzil Ibbetson and the census report for the Punjab 1892 by Sir Edward Maclagan . Published By the Asian Educational Services .
"On the other hand in Shahpur the Bhat are divided into Bunjahis and Khokhars, the latter suggesting the Khokhrain group of the Khatris thus

Section of Khokhars - Gotra
Sigarre ------------ Kushab
Nadhipotre ---------- Bhardwaj
Apat -------------- Balash
Jain --------------- Vashisht
"

Khokhar Khokhran and Ala-ud-din Khilji

"The Khokhran section is said to consist of the descendents of certain Khatris who joined the Khokhars in rebellion (against Ala-ud-din Khilji who ascended the throne of the Delhi Sultanate in AD 1296.);and with whom other Khatri families were afraid to intermarry ". ref- A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose , vol II Page 513 The Khokhran were concentrated in the areas of the salt range and particularly Bhera

Geographical distribution

Khokhars are mainly found in the Punjab region.In West Punjab areas that now fall in Pakistan Khokars belonged to regions of Shahpur , Rawalpindi ,Sargodha ,Bhera, Gujarat,Gujar Khan, and adjoining areas similar to areas where an ancient Hindu tribe , the Khokhran belonged .
Also Khokhar are based in dhok golra khokharah, in techil Gujar Khan and are based in uk town call Accrington Lancashire, The most popular person named as Haji Mohmmed Khan Khokhar came to England in 1962, an worked as Drafts Man and know is retired and also his elder Haji Mohammed Safdar Khokhar is also well known in the town of Hyndburn. Also they have family business of MK Builders, which is managed by the youngest son Mohmmed Saghir Khan Khokhar.

Lineage

Khokhars are related to Awan.

Prominent Khokhars

• Riaz Khokhar
• Haji M. Nawaz Khokhar - Former Deputy Speaker Pakistan National Assembly, Former Minister of science & Technology and Ex-Member National Assembly Pakistan).
• Bhai Roop Chand Khokhar - Sikh Warrior

• Dr. Umer Sohail Khokhar (Sialkot, Pakistan)
• Saleem Khokhar from Bukharian Chiniot Distt.Jhang Pakistan +
• Capt. Sunil Khokhar - Vir Chakra Awardee Of Indian Army.
• Muhammad Akram Khokhar (M.A Economics, LLB, ACMA Canada)from Lahore Pakistan, Managing Director Argos Sports Ltd Harrogate UK www.argos-sports.co.uk
• Ashish Khokar - Journalist The Times of India
• Dr. Nandan Khokar - Inventor of 3D-Weaving and Tape Weaving Processes

• Dr. Abdul Quddus Khokher Topper

References