Jat Clan: Samra
Distribution	Punjab (Pakistan) 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...  and Punjab (India) Punjab (India) Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
Descended from:	Shakas
Branches:
Religion:	Sikhism Sikhism Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...  and Islam Islam Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
Languages	Punjabi Punjabi language Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
Surnames:	Samra

Samra (समरा), classically called the Samarabriëans , or the Sumrahs is the surname of a clan gotra

Gotra

In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...

 of Jats found in Punjab

Punjab (India)

Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...

, 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...

. At one time they were settled in the UpperIndus.

History and origin

Megasthenes divides them into three clans, the Samarabriëans , the Sambrucenes , and the Bisambriteans ". They are mentioned by Farishta, who says on ancient authority, that the Samras had a kingdom in Sindh and were in fact one of the two main Zamindars (landlords) of Sindh, up to 1380 AD when many of them embraced Islam, while the others adopted Hinduism. During the advent of Sikhism the Hindu Samras became followers of Sikhism. The Samra name is believed to be one of the original 10 Jatt Surnames from Punjab.

The Samra clan of the Jats established their kingdoms in 1054. According to Ain-i-Akbari, 36 kings of Sumra clan ruled for 500 years when they were superseded by another Jat clan, the Sammas. One of their famous Samra kings was Dalu Rai or Deva Rai. It has been recorded that according to the Muntakhib Tawáríkh it was in 1053 AD, that in the reign of Abdurrashíd son of Sultán Mahmúd of Ghazní, who was a weak prince, that the Súmrahs secured their independence and elected Súmrah as their chief. He was succeeded by a line of chiefs that are given below:—

• 1. Súmrah died 1054 AD
• 2. Bhúngar bin Súmrah died 1068 (After a reign of 15 years)
• 3. Dódá bin Bhúngar died 1092 (24 years.)
• 4. Sanghár died 1106 (15 years.)
• 5. Khafíf died 1141 (36 years.)
• 6. Umar died 1180 (40 years.)
• 7. Dódá died 1193 (14 years.)
• 8. Punhún died 1226 (33 years.)
• 9. Khinrah died 1241 (16 years.)
• 10. Muhammad Túr died 1256 (15 years.)
• 11. Khinrah died 1259 (4 years.)
• 12. Táí died 1283 (24 years.)
• 13. Chanesar died 1300 (18 years.)
• 14. Bhúngar died 1315 (15 years.)
• 15. Khafíf died 1332 (18 years.)
• 16. Dódá died 1356 (25 years.)
• 17. Umar died 1390 (35 years.)
• 18. Bhúngar died 1400 (10 years.)
• 19. Hamír (dethroned by Sammahs.)

Colonel James Tod refers to them as Sumras Rajputs & as a subclan of the branch of Parmar Rajputs. Frequently combining with their brethren the Umars, gave name to a large tract of country, which is even still recognized as Umra-Sumra, and within which Alor is situated.

Distribution In India

'Samra' is a common surname of Jat Sikhs from the Indian Punjab. There are villages almost entirely inhabited by Samra clan in the Jallandhar District and in Ludhiana district of Indian Punjab. Villages with significant population of Samra clan are listed as below:

• District Amritsar - Akalgadh, Pakhoke, Nona
• District Gurdaspur - Samra, Chakawali (Near Dera Baba Nanak)
• District Jullunder - Samrai (Samrama) - a village well known for growing fruits and vegetables
• District Ludhiana - Pohir (Near Ahmedgarh Mandi), Gorsian Makhan (Near Jagraon)
• District Moga - Lohgarh, Daulat Pura Ucha

Prominent Samra Personalities

• Lieut. Shamsher Singh Samra: Winner of Gallantry Award - Mahavir Chakra in 1971 Indo Pak War.
• Rajvinder Singh Samra: A Jatt warrior who fought the Mogul empire and is prominent in Punjabi History.
• Amarjeet Singh Samra : Former D.G.P of Maharastra The face that calmed Mumbai after the 13 serial blasts that killed over 250 people in 1991 "

• Jaskarenjit Samra : Famous Labour leader, UK
• Amarjeet Singh Samra : Former cabinet minister of Punjab & M.L.A from Nakodar(Jullunder)
• Gurmit Samra: British feature film, writer and Director and formally Asiana bachelor of the 2007

Sumras (Soomras) of Pakistan

Some influential members of the Sumra clans had accepted Islam soon after the Arab conquest of Sindh. Even after conversion they retained their old Hindu names and customs. They had intermarried with local Arab landowners and thus had acquired great influence and power. Sumra, also known as the Soomro

Soomro

Soomro or Soomra is a Sindhi tribe in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, Pakistan.- History and origin :The Soomra Dynasty was established by the Soomro tribe of Sindh. The Soomra ruled Sindh from 750-1351. Following the 985 CE expulsion of the Qarmatian Muslim sect from Iraq and Egypt, the...

clan of Pakistan traces its lineage to the Sumrah dynasty of Sind