Majoka
Encyclopedia
Majoka Or Manjotha is the name of a tribe originating from the Indian Subcontinent. in the Rajasthan
, India
and Punjab
, Pakistan
. The main concentration of the tribe is in the village of Haveli Majoka
on the river Jehlum in Pakistan and Khatlabana, District Sri Ganganagar Rajasthan, India. The 'Majoka' tribe is considered to have originated in Rajputana
and then moved to the Sindh
province of Pakistan, near the towns of Larkana
and Ratodero
. From where they traveled north along the rivers to the present location.
Awan" who is considered the ancestor of the famous Awan
tribe which claims decent from the family of the Prophet Muhammad
. Qutub Shah Awan is said to have married a Khokhar
-Rajput
princess and begot a son named "Muazam". His offspring were named "Muazam kay" (those of Muazam) accordingly. The name "Muazam" was mis-pronounced among the rajputs as "Muajam" so that his children were called "Muajam kay". Over the time this evolved to "Maujju Kay" and later to "Majoka".
Some of the descendants of Muazam left the Rajputana
area for unknown reasons and moved westwards to the banks of the river Sindh
. From there they turned north along the eastern banks of this river up to the area of Panjnad
. Leaving Sindh, they moved further north until they reached the present area of residence on the western bank of the river Jehlum. It is said that this settlement happened around 400 years ago.
At that time, it is claimed, this area was under the sway of the Baluch tribesmen. The local Baluch chief resided at the town of 'Khawaja AbrooN' (خواجہ آبرءوں). He is said to have had a castle and an elephant. The chief asked the Majokas to come to his town and settle there under his rule. However, the Majoka tribe chose to remain at their place. Upon this the Baluch chief decided to attack them with his army of locals.
A fight ensued in which one Baluch was killed. The place at which the Baluch fell was called "Killi paT" (کلی پٹ) and considered the southern limit of the area of the Majoka tribe. This place is still known. The Majokas were led in the fight by a "Pir" (holy person) from the tribe of "Kanju", who are also settled in this area.
From Killi Pat to JahaniaN Shah in south. From JahaniaN Shah to Nihang the eastern boundary. From Nihang to Thathi Bakh Shah the northern and from there to Killi Pat the western limits.
It is said that Ahmad took bribe from a woman named Bhag Bhai to avoid her area to be included in Majoka territory. She is said to have presented him a jar of Milk, which was full of money and some milk at the top so the British would not see it. Ahmad felt the weight of the jar and gave in to her request. Similarly he is said to have given up another chunk of land for personal gains.
From among these families the Vero (both factions), Haider, PahaRi, Rohalay are considered to have been invited to join them. The whole subdivision of Langri is said to have been originally non-Majoka which was assimilated into the Majokas with time.
HA Rose says in 1919 that Majoka are an agricultural clan present in the Shahpur area.
JM Wikeley counts Majoka in tehsil Shahpur in 1968.
G Tucker mentions a Majoka in Dera Ismael Khan district of the NWF Province of Pakistan in 1879. This might be some offshoot of the same tribe.
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The main concentration of the tribe is in the village of Haveli Majoka
Haveli Majoka
Haveli Majoka is a small village located at the Jhelum River in Pakistan. The geographical coordinates are 31° 49' 37" North, 72° 15' 39" East. The village comprises almost only a single tribe, the Majoka. That is also the reason for the name, Haveli being the word of for a large house with courtyard...
on the river Jehlum in Pakistan and Khatlabana, District Sri Ganganagar Rajasthan, India. The 'Majoka' tribe is considered to have originated in Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
and then moved to the Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
province of Pakistan, near the towns of Larkana
Larkana
Larkana or Larkano is the fourth largest city in the north-western part of Sindh Province, Pakistan, and is located within Larkana District.The old name of larkano is chandka which was changed in 1901. In August 2000 Larkana celebrated its hundred years of existence...
and Ratodero
Ratodero
Ratodero is the capital of Ratodero Taluka a sub-division of Larkana District in the Sindh province of Pakistan, it is located some 30 km away from the district capital Larkana .Indo-Pak partition, the city has a special reputation for its sweet products. The most special is known as Mawa and...
. From where they traveled north along the rivers to the present location.
Origin and migration
According to the traditions of the Majoka tribe, their roots can be followed back to a certain "Qutb ShahQutb Shah
Qutb Shah was the ruler of Herat and a general in the army of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. Qutub Shah was a Hashemite descendant of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, son of Hazart Ali, and Imam of the Kaysanites Shia , who was the son of Ali, who in turn was the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet...
Awan" who is considered the ancestor of the famous Awan
Awan (Pakistan)
Awan , is a South Asian Zamindar tribe, putatively of Arab origin, living predominantly in northern, central, and western parts of Punjab, Pakistan...
tribe which claims decent from the family of the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. Qutub Shah Awan is said to have married a 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...
-Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
princess and begot a son named "Muazam". His offspring were named "Muazam kay" (those of Muazam) accordingly. The name "Muazam" was mis-pronounced among the rajputs as "Muajam" so that his children were called "Muajam kay". Over the time this evolved to "Maujju Kay" and later to "Majoka".
Some of the descendants of Muazam left the Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
area for unknown reasons and moved westwards to the banks of the river Sindh
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
. From there they turned north along the eastern banks of this river up to the area of Panjnad
Panjnad
Panjnad is located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is an agriculture area and it is where all the five rivers of Punjab merge together.- See also :* Panjnad River...
. Leaving Sindh, they moved further north until they reached the present area of residence on the western bank of the river Jehlum. It is said that this settlement happened around 400 years ago.
At that time, it is claimed, this area was under the sway of the Baluch tribesmen. The local Baluch chief resided at the town of 'Khawaja AbrooN' (خواجہ آبرءوں). He is said to have had a castle and an elephant. The chief asked the Majokas to come to his town and settle there under his rule. However, the Majoka tribe chose to remain at their place. Upon this the Baluch chief decided to attack them with his army of locals.
A fight ensued in which one Baluch was killed. The place at which the Baluch fell was called "Killi paT" (کلی پٹ) and considered the southern limit of the area of the Majoka tribe. This place is still known. The Majokas were led in the fight by a "Pir" (holy person) from the tribe of "Kanju", who are also settled in this area.
Sikh period
During the Sikh rule in Punjab, an internal fight broke out among the Majokas. Two chiefs, Fateh Muhammad and Ghazi from the Sub-division of Tajay (see below) collaborated with the governmental administrator of the area named "Mahram Bhatti" and expelled an opponent Ahmad son of Khan and his family. After some time, Ahmad was able to win some Majokas to his side. A first attempt at the life of Mahram Bhati with the help of a barber failed, but the second one was successful during which a fight took place and the Bhatti fell in a dried well. Ahmad returned to the village and gained power after the death of Fateh Muhammad and Ghazi, becoming the chief of Majokas.British period
After the conquest of Punjab by the British, land was demarked. For this purpose Ahmad son of Khan, then the chief of the tribe, went with the British officials. He showed them the following limits:From Killi Pat to JahaniaN Shah in south. From JahaniaN Shah to Nihang the eastern boundary. From Nihang to Thathi Bakh Shah the northern and from there to Killi Pat the western limits.
It is said that Ahmad took bribe from a woman named Bhag Bhai to avoid her area to be included in Majoka territory. She is said to have presented him a jar of Milk, which was full of money and some milk at the top so the British would not see it. Ahmad felt the weight of the jar and gave in to her request. Similarly he is said to have given up another chunk of land for personal gains.
Sub-divisions
After the successful fight against the baluch, the Majoka tribe was divided into six families, each was alloted a portion of the land for settlement. These families were also encouraged to invite other Majokas, who had not yet joined this group at that time, to increase in number and gain power. The sub-divisions and their sub-families are as follows:| Subdivision | Families |
|---|---|
| Tajay Kay تاجے کے | Lal لعل, Khuda Yar خدا یار, Khizr خضر, Yar یار, Ghazi غازی, Vero (1) ویرو |
| Nibal Kay نبال کے | Mohammad Yar محمد یار, Sher شیر, Gamay گامے, Khan خان, Barkhurdar برخردار, Haider حیدر |
| Umrany عمرانے | Umar عمر, Dilawar دلاور, Kheway کھیوے, Vero (2) ویرو |
| Ghuswal گھسوال | Khizar خضر, Jamal جمال, Sahib Khan صاحب خان |
| Rapokay رپوکے | Massan مسن, Lal لعل, Musa موسی, Sohara سوہارا, PahaRi پہاڑی |
| Ikial اکیال | Noor نور, Rangha رانجھا ,Kamal کمال, Massu مسو, Sultan سلطان, Hayat حیات, Budhay بڈھے, Rohalay روہیلے |
| Langri لانگری | Sultan سلطان, Langr لنگر, Samand سمند, Bakhay بکھے |
From among these families the Vero (both factions), Haider, PahaRi, Rohalay are considered to have been invited to join them. The whole subdivision of Langri is said to have been originally non-Majoka which was assimilated into the Majokas with time.
Majoka in literature
The Gazetteer of the Jhang District mentions Majoka as a village in 1883.HA Rose says in 1919 that Majoka are an agricultural clan present in the Shahpur area.
JM Wikeley counts Majoka in tehsil Shahpur in 1968.
G Tucker mentions a Majoka in Dera Ismael Khan district of the NWF Province of Pakistan in 1879. This might be some offshoot of the same tribe.
Present
The Majokas are now spread in many countries around the globe, including, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Middle East, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UK, USA to mention a few.Alternative theories
- Some people assume that the RajputRajputA Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
clan divided into many sub-tribes of which one is OadOadOdh are a Muslim Rajput community and a tribe with origins in Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan and Rajasthan in India. The tribe has a distinct and unique history dating back thousands of years. They are considered to be of Muslim Rajput origin. However, not much is documented about this tribe...
. This sub-tribe was further divided into different groups one of them being 'Majoka', This theory does not negate the native tradition of the Majokas, as they claim their mother was a Rajput princess. - According to one opinion the Majoka are a subcaste of the ChadharChadharChadhar is a Punjabi tribe in India and Pakistan. They are both Rajputs and Jats, and are Aryan.This caste should not be confused with another Indian caste spelled similarly, which is found in Madhya Pardesh India and is amongst one of the Indian Scheduled Caste...
clan, which is also said to have migrated from RajputanaRajputanaRājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
. - Another theory about the Majoka tribe states that the Majokas are descendents of Spinard Arabs. It has been culturally and geographically interpreted that the physical make up and agricultural lifestyle of Majokas evident in Pakistan is a strong reflection of a Spinard Arab lifestyle. Systems of land division and familial hierarchies further prove the reflection of the Arabic way of life.