Rajput Tribes: Murree and Hazara Hills
This article is an extract from PANJAB CASTES SIR DENZIL CHARLES JELF IBBETSON, K.C. S.I. Being a reprint of the chapter on Lahore : Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Punjab, 1916. |
Rajput: Tribes Murree and Hazara Hills
The Dhund and Satti (Nos. 1, 2) The Dhundj Satti. and Kctwal occupy nearly the whole of the lower hills on the right bank of the
This Is not so, indeed, in the case of the Gakkhars, whose clan names all end in dl, and are pure patronymics.
Jahlam in the Hazara and Rawalpindi districts. Of the three the Dhund are the most northern, being found in the Abbottahad tahsil of Hazara and in the nothern tracts of Rawalpindi, while below them come the Satti. In Hazara 1 have classed as Dhund 2,776 persons who returned themselves as Andwal, which appears to he one of the Dhund clans. They claim to he descendants of Abbas, the paternal uncle of the Prophet ; while another tradition is that their ancestor Takht Khan came with Taimur to Dehli where he settled ; and that his descendant Zorah Khan went to Kahuta in the time of Shah .jahan, and begat the ancestors of the Jadwal, Dhund, Sarrara and Tanaoli tribes. His son Khalura or Kulu Bai was sent to Kashmir and married a Kashmiri woman from whom the Dhund are sprung, and a Ketwal woman. From another illegitimate son of his the Satti, who are the bitter enemies of the Dhund, are said to have sprung ; but this the Satti deny and claim descent from no less a person than Nausherwan.
These traditions are of Cource absurd. Kulu Rai is a Hindu name, and one tradition makes him brought up by a Brahman. Major Wace writes of the Dhund and Karral : Thirty years ago their acquaintance with the Muhammadan faith was still slight, and though they now know more of it, and are more careful to observe it, relics of their Hindu faith are still observable in their social habits.This much appears certain, that the Dhund, Satti, Bib, Chibh, and many others, are all of Hindu origin, all originally occupants of the hills on this part of the Jahlam, and all probably more or less con nected. I find among the Punwar clans mentioned by Tod, and supposed by him to be extinct, the Dhoonda, Soruteah, Bheeba, Dhund, Jeebra, and Dhoonta ; and it is not impossible that these tribes may be Punwar clans.
The history of these tribes is told at pages 592ff of Sir Lepel Griffin's Panjab Chiefs. They were almost exterminated by the Sikhs in 1837. Colonel Cracroft considers the Dhund and Satti of Rawalpindi a treacherous, feeble, and dangerous population,and rendered especially, dangerous by their close connection with the Karral and Dlund of Hazara. He says that the Satti are a finer and more vigorous race and less inconstant and volatile than the Dhund, whose traditional enemies they are. Sir Lepel Griffin remarks that the Dhund have ever been a law less untractable race, but their courage is not equal to their disposition to do evil.On the other hand Major wace describes both the Dhund and Karral as attached to their homes and fields, which they cultivate simply and industriously. For the rest their character is crafty and cowardly.Both tribes broke into open rebellion in 1857, and the Dlnind were severely chastised in Rawalpindi, but left unpunished in Hazara. Mr. Stcedman says :The hillmen of Rawalpindi are not of very tine physique. They have a good deal of pride of race, but are rather squalid in appearance. The rank and tile are poor, holding but little land and depending chiefly on their cattle for a livelihood. They have a great dislike to leaving the hills, especially in the hot weather, when they go up as high as they can, and descend into the valleys during the cold weather. They stand high in the social scale.
The Ketwal (No. 3) — The Ketwal belong to the same group of tribes as the Dhund and Satti, and hold the hills to the south of the Satti country. They claim descent from Alexander the Great (!) and say that they are far older inhabitants of these hills than either the Dhund or Satti ; but the tribe was apparently almost exterminated by the Dhund at some time of which the date is uncertain, and they are now few and unimportant.
The Dhanial (No. 4) — The Dhanial also appear to belong to the group of hill tribes of the Salt-range Tract and of probable Rajput blood which we are now discussing. It is from them that the Dhani country in the Chakwal tahsil of Jahlam takes its name ; and there appears still to be a colony of them in those parts, though they are now chiefly found in the lower western hills of the Murree range, being separated from the Satti by the Ketwal. They claim to be descended from All, son-in-law of the Prophet. They are a fine martial set of men and furnish many recruits for the army, but were always a turbulent set, and most of the serious crime of the surrounding country used to be ascribed to them. Most of them have been returned as Jats.
The Bhakral (No. 5) and Budhal.— These are two more members of the same group of tribes, who hold considerable areas in the south-cast portion of the Rawalpindi district. The Bhakral are also found in some numbers in Jahlam and Gujurat. I had not taken out separate figures for the Budhal. Of the Rawalpindi Bliakral 5,099 show themselves as Punwar also, and are included in both figures. The Budhal, like the Dhanial, claim descent from Ali. Both these tribes probably came from the Jammu territory across the Jahlam. They do not approve of widow-marrlagc. who the 3,000 odd Bhakral returned, for Bahawalpur may bo 1 do not know ; but it is improbabIe that they should be of the same tribe as those of the Salt-range Tract. Perhaps there has been some confusion of names.
The Alpial — Here again I did not take out separate figures. But I find that 8,085 of the Mawj Rujputs of Rawalpindi (see Abstract No. 82, page 25U*) are Alpial of the Fatah Jhang tahsil The Alpial hold the southern corner of the Fatah Jhang tahsil of Rawalpindi. They are admit- 59. tedly a Rajput tribe, and thelr marriage ceremonies still hear traces of their Hindu origin. They seem to have wandered through the Khushab and Talagang country before setthng in their present abodes, and if so, probably came up from the south. They are a bold lawless set of men of fine physique and much given to violent crime.
The Kharwal — The Kharwal, for whom I have no separate figures, claim to be a Janjua clan
and descendants of Raja Mal, and Mr. steedman sees no reason to doubt the tradition. They
occupy the hills of the eastern half of the Kahuta tahsil m Rawalpindi, and are a fine strong
race, decidedly superior to the ordinary Rajputs, and socially hold much the same position as
other Janjuas. They do not approve of widow-marriage.
The Kanial (No. 6) — The Kanial 1)elong, according to Mr. Steedman, to that miscellaneous body of men who call themselves Rajputs, and hold a largo portion of the south-eastern corner of the Rawalpindi district ; and are of much the same class as the Budhal and Rhakral. They also appear to stretch along the sub-montane as far east as Gujurat.
