Gakhar Hindus
Encyclopedia
Gakhars are a Punjabi
community living in India with an ancient recorded history, originally belonging to the areas of West Punjab
which now fall in the territory of Pakistan. Gakhars are found among Hindus and Sikhs in India and also among Muslims, and a large section of Muslim Gakhars are settled in Pakistan.
The Gakhars are an ancient tribe settled in Rawalpindi
, Islamabad
, Jhelum, Kashmir
, Gilgit
, Baltistan
(Tibet
), Chitral
, and Khanpur
regions in modern day Pakistan and India.
Before the independence of Pakistan, the Gakhar Hindus shared their ancestral homes with the rest of the tribe. After independence the Gakhar Hindus moved to India and they now live in various parts of north India.
Ferishta records the conversion of the Gakhars to Islam by Muhammad of Ghor
:
Ferishta goes on to record about the conversion of the Gakhars and other local people at the hands of Ghor -
Hindu Marriage customs are recorded prevalent among Muslim Gakhars as late as the 18th century in the district gazetteer of Rawalpindi
According to S A A Rizvi
While a significantly large majority of Gakkhars did convert to Islam from Hinduism, during the medieval period many Gakhar Hindus did not convert and continued to live in their traditional homelands of Jhelum, Kashmir, and West Punjab (which now falls in the Pakistan Punjab).
Hasan Nizami and Ferishta record the killing of Ghor at the hands of the Gakhars. However, Ferishta is known to have often confused them with the Khokhars, other historians have alluded the killing to a band of Hindu Khokhars.
Some Muslim historians record the encounter of Ghor with the Gakkhurs and him being killed by the Hindu Gakhars. Some other sources attribute his killing to the Khokhar
s, another ancient clan. Hasan Nizami in his book the Taju-L-A'Sir has recorded the Kokars killing Ghori in the chapter The Return of Muhammad Ghori from Khwarzim and his war against the Gakkhurs and the Death of the Sultan of Sultans, Muhammad Sam
near Kurukshetra
and Kankhal
near Haridwar
, both places in India, which are visited for spiritual reasons as well as to complete religious ceremonies after death. These are primary sources for the clan histories of the Gakhars. Often these Pandas are able to shed considerable light on Muslim clans as well converted from Hindus.
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
community living in India with an ancient recorded history, originally belonging to the areas of West Punjab
West Punjab
West Punjab was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. The province covered an area of 160,622 km², including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory, but excluding the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The capital was the city of Lahore and the province...
which now fall in the territory of Pakistan. Gakhars are found among Hindus and Sikhs in India and also among Muslims, and a large section of Muslim Gakhars are settled in Pakistan.
The Gakhars are an ancient tribe settled in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
, Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
, Jhelum, Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
, Baltistan
Baltistan
Baltistan , also known as بلتیول བལིུལ་ in the Balti language, is a region in northern Pakistan which forms Gilgit-Baltistan, bordering the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. In addition, a part of Baltistan also falls into Jammu and Kashmir of India. It is situated in the Karakoram mountains...
(Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
), Chitral
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
, and Khanpur
Khanpur
Khanpur is a city and Tehsil of the Rahim Yar Khan District of Bahawalpur Division, in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. According to the census of 1998, the city population was 117,764 with an annual growth rate of 2.6%. As of in 2009, it is around 156,152....
regions in modern day Pakistan and India.
Before the independence of Pakistan, the Gakhar Hindus shared their ancestral homes with the rest of the tribe. After independence the Gakhar Hindus moved to India and they now live in various parts of north India.
Conversion to Islam
After the arrival of Islam into the South Asia a predominant section of Gakhars converted to Islam. The Muslim Gakhars in Pakistan are a prominent community in that country.Ferishta records the conversion of the Gakhars to Islam by Muhammad of Ghor
Muhammad of Ghor
Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori , originally called Mu'izzuddīn Muḥammad Bin Sām , was a ruler of the Ghurid dynasty who reigned over a territory spanning present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.Shahabuddin Ghori reconquered the city of Ghazna Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori...
:
Ferishta goes on to record about the conversion of the Gakhars and other local people at the hands of Ghor -
Hindu Marriage customs are recorded prevalent among Muslim Gakhars as late as the 18th century in the district gazetteer of Rawalpindi
According to S A A Rizvi
While a significantly large majority of Gakkhars did convert to Islam from Hinduism, during the medieval period many Gakhar Hindus did not convert and continued to live in their traditional homelands of Jhelum, Kashmir, and West Punjab (which now falls in the Pakistan Punjab).
Hasan Nizami and Ferishta record the killing of Ghor at the hands of the Gakhars. However, Ferishta is known to have often confused them with the Khokhars, other historians have alluded the killing to a band of Hindu Khokhars.
Some Muslim historians record the encounter of Ghor with the Gakkhurs and him being killed by the Hindu Gakhars. Some other sources attribute his killing to the Khokhar
Khokhar
The Khokhar or Khokar are a people of Punjab region of Pakistan and north-western India. According to H. A. Rose they are the gotra of Rajput, Jat, Arain, Nai, and Churah. According to Denzil Ibbetson, they are also a gotra of the Tarkhan and Khatri tribes. The Khokhars were designated as an...
s, another ancient clan. Hasan Nizami in his book the Taju-L-A'Sir has recorded the Kokars killing Ghori in the chapter The Return of Muhammad Ghori from Khwarzim and his war against the Gakkhurs and the Death of the Sultan of Sultans, Muhammad Sam
Genealogical records and clan histories of the Gakhars at Pehowa and Kankhal
The pandas or record keeping pandits of the Gakhars are located in PehowaPehowa
Pehowa is a city and a municipal committee in Kurukshetra district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Pehowa is located at . It has an average elevation of 224 metres .-Mythic History:...
near Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is a land of historical and religious importance. Historically the land belonged to Punjab now a district in Haryana state of India. It is a holy place and is also known as Dharmakshetra . According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and...
and Kankhal
Kankhal
Kankhal is a small colony in Haridwar in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand state in India.Mentioned in the Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata as Kanakhala , Kankhal is one of 'Panch Tirth' within Haridwar, with other spots being Gangadwara , Kushwart , Bilwa Teerth and Neel Parvat...
near Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
, both places in India, which are visited for spiritual reasons as well as to complete religious ceremonies after death. These are primary sources for the clan histories of the Gakhars. Often these Pandas are able to shed considerable light on Muslim clans as well converted from Hindus.