Genealogy of Khattars A respected contributor to your website Tawalat Bukhari, under the caption “ Who are Khattars’, has raised an interesting debate about the origin of Khattar tribe that is a predominant tribe in Attock District with strong bonds amongst its clans. According to him the tribe is residing in Attock only which is, probably, not based on facts. Khattars are residing in India as well. He thinks they are descendent of Greeks but no historical write up is available on that account. His argument, however, is attracting my interest as I have traveled intensively in an area in Dir district called Maidan area, from where Mullah Soofi Muhammad launched his Nifazi Sharia Movement. The people of that area are from Greek lineage with similar features and are very courageous and industrious people. They resemble Khattar in many ways and their clan’s names are similar to Khattars. Someone should undertake a research to find links, if any, between the people presently residing at different geographical locations. Mr. Bukhari refers to his contacts with Tariq Ali and his mother. That, according to my opinion, would be the best source of information on the subject. The scholarship, intellect and grasp of historical events of Tariq Ali are known the world over and he could provide authentic information on his family tree and its roots deep down. He has mentioned briefly about his family in his book titled “ The Clash of Fundamentalism” wherein he did not speak high of his great-grand father Hayat Khan. I read one of his books on Nehru and Gandhi Dynasties several years back. Three years back I read another book by him called “ Bush in Babylon” which is one of the best written manuscript about Mr. Bush’s misadventure of Iraq. The details he provides in these books about different people , their genesis etc are so minute and perfect that one is lead to believe that he can not miss to know the exact lineage of his own family. An equally interesting and informative piece was contributed by another respectable gentleman Khizar Hayat Khan, who projects himself as of Khattar lineage. He refers to Sardar Shaukat Hayat’s book wherein reflections on the subject are available. Sardar Shaukat was a knowledgeable person and must have dug deep in the matter before writing anything on the subject. But his mention of attributing the Khattar to Arabs does not qualify to gain currency with the objective realities. Neither Tariq bin Ziyad was ethnically Arab nor the people whom he commanded in Operation Gibraltar were Arabs. They were all Berbers with black complexions against the fair Arab skin. How could a white skinned Shaukat Hayat claim connection with a Berber pedigree of black complexion.? Of course, as we know there are two groups in Khattar, kala and chitta Khattar, the former can be related to Berbers. I have read some books on Moorish Empire in Andalusia but nowhere did I find any mention of a Khattar army fighting there. The Arab army of 12000 commanded by Musa bin Nasr and of 400 by Al-Hurr followed later on when Spain had already been brought under Islamic Khilafat. Sardar Shaukat’s reference to a Plate bearing Khattar distinction could be a sign of tribute to Abu- Al- Khattar who remained a very popular Governor in Moorish Andalusia. But he was not of Khattar descent but was of Kalbi Arab tribe. Khattar in his name resembles in syntax but not in pronouncement to Khattar tribe of Attock. But Sardar Shaukat could be right, though,at a different place. There are Khattars in Sudan and the recent incident of a Khattar lady Magboula Muhammad Khattar from Darfur proves their presence there. The British historians and researchers produced incredible work on people and places in the whole of sub-continent and their work is mostly an authentic image of the reality. Sir Olaf Caroe enlisted various Pathan tribes in his compilation known as The Pathan, that is still regarded perfect glossary of pukhtoon complex tributaries. Similarly H.A. Rose provides insight into the genealogy of tribes in his famous collection titled “ Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and NWFP”. Sir Lepel Henry Griffen also reflected on tribes in Punjab in his fantastic book called “ The Punjab Chiefs”. The readers will find some awesome facts in this book regarding some elite families of Attock district. They would be disgusted to know as to how these people with humble background rose to high places falling in machinations and espousing faux pas practices against their own people. How did they change loyalties from Mughal to Sikh and then on to British Raj intriguing against fellow muslims. It will be also of interest to Attock’s readers to reveal therein how the British Raj implanted a family from Delhi in their district to work as “eyes and ears of the Raj” and blessed them with their largesse in the shape of a Jagir. After reading Pervez Musharraf’s “In the line of Fire”, I have reasons to believe that the General shares common DNA with this family of respect and repute in Attock. Like Ziaul-Haq and his son who had to find roots in Shorekot, the General would be pleased to find some political legitimacy there in Attock. For the benefit of Mr. Bukhari and other readers, I undertake to reproduce some excerpts from the two relevant books referred to hereinabove but I want to make it clear that I relish no feelings of ill-will, prejudice or malaise towards any individual or the tribe collectively. Rather I am honored to have some good friends in the tribe. I am trying to avoid some adverse remarks in the reference but still there may be some mention of certain facts related therein which would not be too pleasing to the readers. I apologize in anticipation without accepting any blame for any personal opinion. Let me begin with quotes from Sir Lepel Henry Griffen book, The Punjab Chiefs. The reference to Khattars can be found on pages 561-565. According to Griffen, “ It is not easy to determine with certainty the origin of Khattars but it seems probable that they were originally natives of Khorasn and came to India with the first Muhammadan invaders. They trace their genealogy to Kutb Shah. The Awans, the Khokars and the Khattars seem to have had a common origin all tracing their pedigree back to Kutb Shah who may have lived about the beginning of the eleventh century coming to India with one of the invading armies of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. His nine sons were named, Torai, Haji, Afik, Dusah, Gulgan, Khandan, Khokar, Ghora and Chohan. The first two remained in Afghanistan and Afik and Dasah were killed in battle leaving no issue. From Khokar have descended the Khokars of Hafizabad in Gujranwala Distt., in no way connected to the Khokhars of Pind Dadan Khan who are of Rajput descent. The Khattars have descended from Chohan. To Ghora the Awans of Rawalpindi, Jhelam, Gujrat and Jalandhar trace their origin. Chohan, the ancestor of Khattar tribe who was in the service of Mahmud, marched against Nilab then a large town on the Indus and took it from Hindus and made it his head-quarters. For many years the descendents of Chohan held Nilab till the days of Khattar Khan in the sixth generation. The Hindus growing powerful drove the tribe out of Nilab and compelled it to leave India for Afghanistan where Khattar Khan, about the year 1175, entered the services of Muhammad Ghori who was preparing to attach India. With him Khattar Khan returned to the Punjab and recovered Nilab by a stratagem……..The tribe now took the name of its leader Khattar. It was subordinate to the Imperial Governor of Attock Langar Khan. About this time the Khattars are said to have abandoned Muhammadanism. The tradition is that a jogi or ascetic came to Nilab and by powerful enchantments induced the whole population to worship idols. Isa Abdul Wahab at Uchh sent his son Shah Nuri Abdul Rehman to recall the people to the true faith……This curious legend seems to have been invented by the Khattars and Awans to account for the rise of a general belief in their Hindu origin, which they repudiate, asserting that if they were ever idol worshipers it was but a temporary lapse from Islamism. Khattar Khan had six sons, Jand Khan, Isa Khan, Sarwar Khan, Firoz Khan, Sehra Khan and Pehru Khan. About three generations after his death, the tribe lost Nilab but they took possession of the open country between Rawalpindi and the Indus which became known by the name of Khattar. The descendents of Jand Khan took possession of the district called after them Jandal between Khushhalghar and Nara. From Feroz Khan has the Drek family descended. His great- grandson was Ratnah from whom have descended the clan known as Rattial. Two generations later were Balu Khan and Isa Khan from the former of whom have sprung the Balwans who inhibit Barotah. The offspring of the latter is the clan Isial whose location is in Choi, Gariala and Dher. Ghor Khan founded the Gharral clan who live at Akori. So for many generations the tribe grew and prospered. They were not without good qualities but were bad farmers, reckless and extravagant and never became rich or distinguished. The best of their chief was Ghairat Khan who left his home and went to seek his fortune at Delhi where he entered the services of an officer of the court and gradually rose in favor till he was able to return home with a portion of the Khattar country as an imperial grant in jagir…….. Like their neighbours the Ghebas and Awans, they resisted the Sikhs and like them resisted in vain….. When the Sikh Kardar Dewan Mulruj was besieged in Hazara by the insurgents, Malik Ghulam Khan and Fateh Khan came to his aid and rescued him. Fateh Khan possesses considerable influence in Rawalpindi district and his services have been always at the disposal of Government. In 1857 (Independence War) he furnished levies for guarding the ferries on the Indus and testified his loyalties in other ways. He holds the villages of Bahtur, Bhagowi, Kot Shadi etc. in Jagir from Raj. In his famous book mentioned hereinabove, H.A. Rose on Pages 532-533 provided some insight into the roots of Khattars. According to him , Khattars claim kinship with the Awans and to be like them and the western Khokhars, descended from one of the sons of Qutb Shah Qureshi of Ghazni. But the Awans do not always admit the relationship. E.B. Steedman, however, accepted their Awan origin and says that an Awan admits it but looks upon the Khattars as an inferior section of the tribe to whom he will not give his daughter in marriage. Col. Cracroft noted that the Khattars of Rawalpindi still retain marriage customs which point out to an Indian origin and they themselves have a tradition of having been driven out of their territory on the Indus near Attock into Afghanistan and returning thence with the armies of Muhammad Ghori. According to Mr. Steedman, socially Khattars hold an intermediate place ranking below Gakkhars, Awans, Ghebas and Jodras and other high ranking Rajputs. H.A. Rose goes on to add that Khattars are generally credited with a Hindu origin from Khatris but they are themselves divided in belief as to their descent. Some admit the Hindu origin while those who deny it claim an Arab descent, alleging they are closely connected with the Awans. They claim three founders, Hashim, Abdullah and Mustafa and say that in the time of Haroon-ur-Rashid they came to Baghdad and that in his Jihad they reached Hidustan via Balochistan where there are said to be 9000 Khattar Salona (Houses and Graves). They joined later in the raids of Mahmud Ghaznavi who settled them in Bagh Nilab whence they spread over the rocky barren country of Kala Chitta range in Attock, Pendigheb and Fatehjang tehsils. In order to meet the generally accepted belief that they were originally Hindus, even those who claim a Mussalman origin admit that while at Bagh Nilab they became Hindus and were reconverted. The Khattars are divided into two main branches namely Kala Khattars and Chitta Khattars. To the former belong the Dhrek family and to the later the Wah family, though they are closely connected through intermarriages……The origin of the name Khattar is ascribed by those who claim an Arab descent to a mythical Khattar Khan who is supposed to have had seven descendents. These were Firozal, Sirhal, Isal, Garhal, Balwal, Mittial and Kharial…….The Khattars have a tribal shrine that of Shah Abdul Wahab at Barot where both Khattars and Gakkhars used to send the bodies of their dead for interment. According to Rawalpindi Gazetteer of 1883-84, the Khattars claim descent from Chohan, the youngest son of Qutb Shah who established on the Indus where for many years the tribe maintained its position. It was driven out by a Hindu tribe under Raj Deo in 1176 but its chief, Khattar Khan, returning with Muhammad of Ghor, recaptured Nilab and taking its name from him, the tribe overran the open country between the Indus and the Rawalpindi dispossessing the Awans and Gujars. I have harnessed my humble efforts to enlighten Mr. Bukhari and other interested readers on the subject that propped up on your website. I hope they can pick up the pieces and form an opinion about “Who are Khattars”. They would appreciate that tribe’s origin and blood-line are so complex to verify that no clan or tribe has been, as of today, perfectly dissected and roots confirmed to any scientific principle. I wish Mr. Bukhari and others good luck in striving for their objective.Related Content:
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 08:41:15 +0000
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