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Rohilla

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For the steamship, see SS Rohilla.

The Rohilla (Urdu: روہِلا, Hindi: रोहिला) are a community of Urdu speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Many are now also found in Pakistan. They form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community in India, and have given their name to the Rohilkhand region. [1] Many members of Rohilla community have migrated to Pakistan after independence have settled in Karachi, Sindh.

Origin

The Rohilla are descended from a number of Pashtun tribes that settled in the Rohilkhand region the 17th and 18th Centuries.They Rohillas belonged mainly to Yousafzai tribe of Pashtuns, of Mandanh sub-section but other Pashtuns also became part of the community. Rohilla's Sardar like Daud Khan, Ali Muhammad Khan, and legend Hafiz Rehmat Khan were from renowned Afghan Tribe Barech, originally from Kandahar Province. The term Rohilla was used for all Pashtuns, except for the Shia Bangashes who settled in the Rohilkhand region, or men serving under Rohilla chiefs . They were awarded the Katehr region in the then northern India by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir (ruled 1658-1707) to suppress Rajput uprisings. Originally, some 20,000 Soldiers from Pashtun Tribes ( Yusafzais, Ghoris, Lodis, Ghilzai, Barech, Marwat, Durrani, Tanoli, Tarin, Kakar, Khattak, Afridi and Baqarzai ) were hired by Mughals to provide pleasure women to the Mughal armies and this was appreciated by Aurangzeb Alamgir, an additional force of 25,000 men was given respected positions in Mughal Army. However most of them settled in the Katehar region during Nadir Shah's invasion of northern India in 1739 increasing their population up to 100,0000. Due to the large settlement of Rohilla Afghans, the Katehar region gained fame as Rohilkhand. Bareilly was made the capital of the Rohilkhand state. Other important cities were Moradabad, Rampur, Shahjahanpur, Badaun, and others.[2] According to 1901 census of India, the total Pathan population in Bareilly District was 40,779, out of a total population of 1,090,117.[3] Their principal clans were the Yusafzais, Ghoris, Lodis, Ghilzai, Barech, Marwat, Durrani, Tanoli, Tarin, Kakar, Khattak, Afridi and Baqarzai.

This region is nowadays located in modern Uttar Pradesh state of India, and still home to a significant Rohilla population, although many Rohillas did emigrate to Pakistan, after the independence in 1947.

Rohillas were distinguished by their separate language and culture. They spoke Pashto among each other but gradually lost their language over time and now converse in Urdu. After independence of Pakistan in 1947, most Rohillas moved to Karachi in Pakistan with smaller scattered populations still to be found in Burma, Suriname and Guyana[4].

A significant number of Urdu Speakers (Muhajir) in Pakistan are of Pashtun heritage.

History

The founders of the Pashtun state of Rohilkhand were Daud Khan and his adopted son Ali Mohammed Khan. Daud Khan arrived in 1705 in South Asia along with a band of his tribe namely Barech a Pushtoon tribe. He was succeeded in 1721 by Ali Mohammed Khan, who became so powerful that he refused to send tax revenues to the central governament. Safdar Jang, the Nawab of Oudh[5], warned Mughal emperor Mohammed Shah[6] of the growing power of the Rohillas. This caused Mohammed Shah to send an expedition against him as a result of which he surrendered to imperial forces. He was taken to Delhi as a prisoner, but was later pardoned and appointed governor of Sirhind. In 1748, he returned to Rohilkhand and recovered his lost possessions. Later that year Ali Mohammed Ali Khan died, leaving six sons. However, two of his elder sons were in Afghanistan at the time of his death while the other four were too young to assume the leadership of Rohilkhand. As a result, power transferred to other Rohilla Sardars, the most important being Hafiz Rahmat Khan and Dundi Khan.

Following the Battle of Panipat in 1761

In the third battle of Panipat (1761) one of the Rohilla Sardars, Najib-ul-Daula, allied himself with Ahmad Shah Abdali[7] against the Marathas. He not only provided 40,000 Rohilla troops but also 70 guns to combined forces. He also convinced Shuja-ul-Daula, the Nawab of Oudh, to join Ahmad Shah Abdali's forces against the Marathas. In this battle, the Maratha's were defeated and as a consequence Rohilla increased in power.

Rohilkhand was invaded by the Marathas to retaliate against the Rohillas' participation in the Panipat war. The Marathas entered the jagir (land) of the late Sardar Najib-ud-Daula which was now held by his son Zabita Khan. Zabita Khan gave tough resistance but was defeated and forced to flee to the camp of Shuja-ud-Daula; and his country was ravaged by Marathas. The principal remaining Rohilla Sardar was Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech and through him an agreement was formed with the Nawab of Oudh, Shuja-ud-Daula, by which they had to pay 4 million rupees in return to their military help against the Marathas. However after the war, the Rohillas refused to pay.

Subsequently the Rohillas were attacked by Oudh with help from British East India Company forces under Colonel Alexander Champion. When Hafiz Rahmat Khan was killed, in April 1774, they were defeated, and Rohilkhand was plundered.

Rohillas fled to jungles across the Ganges, and later began a guerilla war against the occupation. In response, the Rohillas were hunted down by the British and were subsequently scattered in the countryside, and settled in many small towns. Later charges of destroying a nation (ethnic cleansing or genocide) were brought against Warren Hastings of the East India Company, by Edmund Burke, later taken up by Thomas Babington Macaulay.

The Rohillas took an active part in War of Independence in 1857 against British imperial forces (referred to as the Mutiny by the British historians, or the War of Independence). The revolt was bitterly suppressed, and in its wake the British dramatically reorganized the government of South Asia, bringing an end to the British East India Company's regime and leading to almost a century of direct rule of the South Asia by Britain under the British Raj. A significant groups of Rohillas sought refuge in state of Tonk in Rajasthan, which was ruled by Pathan nawabs, and now form the core of the Tonkia Pathans.[8]

Rulers of Rohilkhand

Name Reign Began Reign Ended
1 Ali Muhammad Khan 1719 15 September 1748
2 Faizullah Khan 15 September 1748 24 July 1793
3 Hafiz Rahmat Khan - Regent 15 September 1748 23 April 1774
4 Muhammad Ali Khan Bahadur 24 July 1793 11 August 1793
5 Ghulam Muhammad Khan Bahadur 11 August 1793 24 October 1794
6 Ahmad Ali Khan Bahadur 24 October 1794 5 July 1840
7 Nasrullah Khan - Regent 24 October 1794 1811
8 Muhammad Said Khan Bahadur 5 July 1840 1 April 1855
9 Yusef Ali Khan Bahadur 1 April 1855 21 April 1865
10 Kalb Ali Khan Bahadur 21 April 1865 23 March 1887
11 Muhammad Mushtaq Ali Khan Bahadur 23 March 1887 25 February 1889
12 Hamid Ali Khan Bahadur 25 February 1889 20 June 1930
14 Regent 25 February 1889 4 April 1894
15 Raza Ali Khan Bahadur 20 June 1930 6 March 1966
16 Murtaza Ali Khan Bahadur - Nawabat abolished in 1971 6 March 1966 8 February 1982
17 Zulfikar Ali Khan Bahadur 8 February 1982 5 April 1992
18 Muhammad Kazim Ali Khan Bahadur 5 April 1992 Incumbent

Other Rohilla notables

Present circumstances

The independence of Pakistan and India in 1947 had a profound effect on the Rohilla community. A good number of them emigrated to Pakistan. Those left in India, were profoundly effected by the abolishment of the zamindari system in 1949, as well as the ascension of the State of Rampur to India. The two Rohilla groupings, the Pakistani and Indian now form distinct communities, with their own identities.

In India

The Rohilla now form of the larger Pathan community of Uttar Pradesh (UP). They now speak chaste Urdu in the towns, and speak Khari boli in their rural settlements. They are found through out Uttar Pradesh, with settlements in Farrukhabad, Malihabad, and Rohilkhand being the densest.

The Pathan of UP have sixteen sub- groups, the Afridi,Tanoli, Bakarzai, Barech, Daudzai, Marwat, Durrani, Ghorghushti, Ghori, Kakar, Khalil, Lohi, Mohmand, Mohammadzai, Orakzai, Rohilla and Yousafzai, all of which are well know Pashtun tribes. In older parts of the Muslim areas of the towns in UP, the Pathan have maintained their own residential neighbourhoods. The Pathan are not an edogamous group, and arranged marriages do occur with other Sunni Muslim communities of similar social status, such as the Mughal, Muslim Rajput and Shaikh Siddiqui although there is still a preference of marriage with in the community. In Rohilkhand, they are still a community associated with agriculture, having historically been a community of land owners. They have also been prominent in the Muslim religious sphere in UP, having produced many Alims and Huffaz and have built and financed many Mosques and Madrassahs. In terms of formal education, they are seen as a Muslim community that has a favourable attitude towards education, and many are now in professional occupations, such as medicine and the law.[9]. However , the traditional occupation of the Rohilla Pathans was soldiering , and many served in the Mughal, British and Pakistani armies. Many Rohilla officers who worked in the British Army in the 1940s shifted to Pakistan , famous among them are General Rahimuddin Khan and General Akhtar Abdur Rahman.

In Pakistan

In Pakistan, the Rohilla and other Urdu speaking Pathans now form part of the larger Muhajir community. A sense of corporate identity is much weaker than in India, and degree of intermarriage with other communities with in the Muhajir umbrella is high. They are found mainly in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur, and other urban areas of Sindh.[10]. Many have attained high positions in the government, noted Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, A rohilla migrant himself, was Pakistan's foreign minister during the cold war.

The Pathans population of Rohilkhand

Regions of Uttar Pradesh

Rohilkhand, which literally means the land of the Rohila, comprises the modern districts of Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Badaun, Shahjahanpur and Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. The Rohila Pathans are found all over the region, but are concentrated in Shahjahanpur, Bareilly and Rampur.

Western Rohilkhand

Starting from the west, the Pathan population of Bijnor District, in 1901 was 11,606. They were concentrated in Najibabad tehsil, particularly in and around Nagina. Many different Pathan tribes are found in the district, and according 1901 census of India the largest clans were the Yousafzai, who numbered 3,160, Kakars, chiefly in Najibabad, numbered 548, Lodis numbered 414, Mohammadzai, Ghori and Bangash each numbered more than 200. The other clans were the Sherwani and Barukhel.[11]

In Moradabad District, the Pathan population was 23,026 in 1901, and who for the most part represented descendents of the various Pashtun settlers who arrived at the height of the Rohila state. This district was home to the jagirdar families of Hasanpur and Bachhroan, while the Pathan population is concentrated in Bilari and Sambhal. The chief Pathan clans, according to the 1901 census, were the Yousafzais (5,851), Ghori (4,043) and Lodis (2,289) all found through out the district, the Dilazak (1,036) who are found in Sambhal, Bilari and Hasanpur, and Mohammadzai (1,029) in Thakurdwara. Other clans include the Bangash,Tareen, Khattak and Ghilzais are found in Sambhal, and the Farzandkhel, Bunerwal, Barech and Tareen in Bilari and Amroha. This district is also home to a small number of Pathan Khanzada, who are Rajput converts to Islam.[12]

In Badaun District, the total Pathan population according to the 1901 Census of India was 29,023. They are strongest in Bisauli and Sahaswan tehsils. There main sub-divisions are the Ghoris, who numbered 6,848 in 1901, and are found mainly in Bisauli, the Yousafzai, who numbered 2,547, are found mainly in Badaun. Others, whose numbers exceeded 500, are the Bangash, Mohammadzai, Dilazak and Khattak, the last of whom numbered 752. The Khatak are found mainly in Dataganj, as are the Bangash, while the Dilazak are almost confined to Sahaswan. The district was home to the Pathan jagirdars of Shabazpur, who were one of the largest landowners in the district.[13]

Eastern Rohilkhand

The Pathans, according to the 1901 Census of India, numbered 49,280. They are for the most part descended from the Pashtun adventurers that settled in Rampur during the period of the Nawabs of Rampur. The most numerous clans are the Yousafzai and Barakzai-Durani. There are also a large number of Khattak, Mohammadzai, Bunerwal, Afridi, Shinwari, Bangash and Barech. A small number of the Rampur Pathan were Athna ashri Shia, as distinct from the great majority, who follow the Sunni Hanafi Barelvi sect. [14]

The district of Bareilly in home the greatest number of Pathans in Rohilkhand. This district contains the two capitals of the old Rohilla kingdom, and many Pasthun were settled in the region by both Ali Mohammed Khan and Hafiz Rahmat Khan. In 1901, the total Pathan population was 40,779, almost 10% of the total population of the district. Nearly half the population reside in Bareilly tehsil, while the rest are found mainly in Baheri, Aonla and Nawabganj. There main clans are the Yousafzai (6,578), Ghori (3,285), Lodis (1,520), found throughout the district, the Mohammadzai (1,576) and Bangash (1,287) found mainly in Nawabganj and Aonla, while the Barech, the tribe of Hafiz Rahmat Khan make a significant part of the city of Bareilly’s Pathan population. The other clans in the district include the Afridi, Baqarzai, Ghilzai, Dilazak, Kakar, Khattak and Tareen.[15]

In Pilibhit District, the Pathan population numbered 13,165 in 1901. They are found throughout the district, with Puranpur, being a stronghold of the community. The larger clans are the Yousafzai (2,013) and Ghori (1,242) found mainly in Pilibhit, Lodis and Mohammadzai in Puranpur, and Khattaks in Bisalpur. Other clans include the Barakzai-Durani, Ghilzai, Afridis and Baqarzai-Durani. In Puranpur, there are a fair number of Gawal Pathans, who are not found in any other district.[16]

In Shahjahanpur District, the total population according to the 1901 Census of India was 41,137. More than half of the Pathans reside in Shahjahanpur tehsil. The Ghori are strongest in Shahjahanpur and Pawayan, while the Yousafzai were represented in Tilhar. Next came the Dilazak in Tilhar and Shahjahanpur, Bangash in Jalalabad, the Mohammadzais in Shahjahanpur, the Tareen also in Shahjahanpur and finally the Barakzai-Durani in Shahjahanpur. Shahjahanpur District is also the principal settlement of the Mohmand tribe in Uttar Pradesh, and 1901 there numbered 1,891. Other clans in the district included the Amazai-Jadoon, Khalil, Daudzai, Marwat and Baqarzai-Durani. The city of Shajahanpur is also home to a large community of Pathan-Khanzada, who are basically descendents of Rajputs of various clans, who accepted Islam. [17]

See also

References

  1. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII edited by A Hasan & J C Das Manohar Publications
  2. ^ An Eighteenth Century History Of North India: An Account Of The Rise And Fall Of The Rohilla Chiefs In Janbhasha By Rustam Ali Bijnori by Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui Manohar Publications
  3. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India by W M Hunter
  4. ^ The Afghan Muslims of Guyana and Suriname
  5. ^ Nawab was the title of notables during the Mughal era in India, who helped the central authority govern different statelets within the South Asia. During the British period, new nawabs were created because of the allocation of arable land to the pro-British elite
  6. ^ Mohammad Shah (1702 – 1748) was a Mughal emperor of Mughal empire between 1719 and 1748
  7. ^ Ahmad Shah Abdali (d.1772) adopted the title of Durr-i Dowran (pearl of pearls), which gave the name to the dynasty he established, the Durrani, which lasted in Afghanistan until 1973
  8. ^ People of India Rajasthan Volume XXXVIII Part Two edited by B.K Lavania, D. K Samanta, S K Mandal & N.N Vyas pages 747 to 749 Popular Prakashan
  9. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Three Amir Hasaan, B R Rizvi and J C Das editors pages 1138-1141 Manohar publications
  10. ^ A People of Migrants: Ethnicity, State and Religion in Karachi by Oskar Verkaik
  11. ^ A Gazetteer of Bijnor District by H Neville page 104
  12. ^ A Gazetteer of Moradabad District by H Neville page 78
  13. ^ A Gazetteer of Badaun District by H Neville page 79
  14. ^ A Gazetteer of Rampur State edited by H. R Neville page 48 Government Press United Provinces
  15. ^ A Gazetteer of Bareilly District by H Neville page 92
  16. ^ A Gazetteer of Pilibhit District by H Neville page 95
  17. ^ Shahjahanpur District: A Gazetteer Volume XVII edited by H. R Neville United Provinces District Gazetteers page 81 Government Press United Provinces

Further reading

  • GULISTÁN-I RAHMAT OF NAWÁB MUSTAJÁB KHÁN.
  • Hastings and the Rohilla War by John Strachey Author(s) of Review: Sidney James Owen The English Historical Review, Vol. 8, No. 30 (Apr., 1893), pp. 373-380
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