Kharal

Punjabi tribe

‌Kharal‌

Religions| Islam
Languages| Punjabi
Country| ‌Pakistan
Region| ‌Punjab
Ethnicity| Punjabi
Feudal title| ‌Rai, ‌Raja

Kharal (Punjabi: کھرَل) is a Punjabi Muslim tribe predominantly found in northern Punjab and the Sandal Bar region.[citation needed]

## Origins

[edit]

The earliest mention of origins of Kharals was by Hazrat Pilu, a 16-17th century poet who wrote Mirza Kharal as a Jat in his Kissa Mirza Sahiba.[1][2]

The second earliest source being the 17th century Sufi Poet Hafiz Barkhurdar Ranjha who in his version of Qissa Mirza Sahiban also referred to Mirza Kharal as Jat multiple times.[3]

The earliest Bristish Raj sources recorded Kharals as Jats and observed Rajputisation of some of the population afterwards.[4][5][6][7]Additionally, Kharals were also designated as a Martial race being known for their bravery and fierceness.[8]

## History

[edit]

Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal is a historical personality, who was the chieftain of the Kharal tribe, who revolted against the British in the 1857 revolt, where he consequently took leadership of the many local tribes in the region. He was killed while offering afternoon prayers by the British on September 21, 1857.[9][10]

Tomb of Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal in Jhamra

The Kharals are also famous due to one of the greatest and tragic Punjabi romances called Mirza Sahiban. According to the story of Mirza Sahiban as narrated by the Punjabi writer Pilu, the story's protagonist is Mirza Jatt , son of the chief of the Kharal of Danabad, who falls in love with his cousin Sahiban, of the Sial tribe.[11][12][13] To date there have been many film adaptations in both Pakistan and India of the Story of Mirza and Sahiban.[14]

## Subclans

[edit]

The Kharals have numerous subclans, some of which include Basheraky, Mangera, Sherakhy, Gogairah, Lakherah, Uperah, Perokah, Begekeh,[15] Randhairah, Lalhairah, Ruberah, Sahi, Lodikeh, Dehar, Churiarah, Khar, Bhandrah, Daulkeh, Sherkeh, Baira and Gogerah,

* Khar (Punjabi: کھر) is a Jat clan found in Pakistan in districts of Multan and Montgomery[16] and is considered among the prominent tribes of Muzaffargarh District.[17] They are a branch of the larger Kharal tribe[18] and multiple legends exist as to why their name was shortened from Kharal to Khar.[19][20]

## Notable people

[edit]

* Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal, ruler (nawab) of Jhamra, chieftain of the Kharal tribe.
* Khalid Ahmed Kharal, Federal Minister of Information of Pakistan, Secretary General of Pakistan People's Party, Civil Services Officer.[21]
* Naseem Kharal, Sindhi landlord and short story writer.
* Rai Mansab Ali Khan, Provincial Minister for Social Welfare, former Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab.[22]
* Ghulam Mustafa Khar, feudal lord, Governor of Punjab, Chief Minister of Punjab.
* Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar, Member of National Assembly of Pakistan.
* Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Member of National Assembly of Pakistan.
* Malik Ghulam Raza Rabbani Khar, Member of National Assembly of Pakistan.
* Malik Ghulam Arbi Khar, Member of National Assembly of Pakistan
* Malik Ghulam Raza Rabbani Khar, Member of National Assembly of Pakistan.
* Rai Ghulam Mujtaba Kharal, Member of National Assembly of Pakistan.
* Rai Usman Khan Kharal, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.
* Rai Haider Ali Khan Kharal, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.
* Naeem Ahmed Kharal, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mirza Sahiba,ਮਿਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਂ,مرزا صاحبہ، Mirza SaahibaaN, پنجابی , شاہ مکھی". punjabiandpunjab.com. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
2. ^ Kissa Mirza Sahiba (in Punjabi). Punjab Digital Library.
3. ^ "Shahmukhi eBook : Qissa Mirza Sahiban". apnaorg.com. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
4. ^ Khurshaid Mohammad (1927). Final report of the fourth revised settlement (1923-1927) of the Gujranwala district. Lahore, Superintendent, Government Printing.
5. ^ Government Records Punjab--Mutiny Records Correspondence part 1. 1911.
6. ^ Government Records Punjab--Mutiny Records Correspondence part 2. 1911.
7. ^ Balfour, Edward Green (1885). The cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, commercial, industrial, and scientific; products of the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms, useful arts and manufactures. Robarts - University of Toronto. London B. Quaritch.
8. ^ Barua, Pradeep (1995). "Inventing Race: The British and India's Martial Races". The Historian. 58 (1): 107–116\. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6563.1995.tb00942.x. ISSN 0018-2370. JSTOR 24449614.
9. ^ Miraj, Muhammad Hassan (22 April 2013). "Kharal and Berkley II". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
10. ^ Sargana, Turab ul Hassan (2020). Punjab and the War of Independence 1857-1858 from Collaboration to Resistance. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-070184-0.
11. ^ Banga, Indu (2005). "Appendix - The Story of Mirza and Sahiban in Pilu's Narrative". In Grewal, Reeta; Pall, Sheena (eds.). Precolonial and Colonial Punjab: Society, Economy, Politics, and Culture: Essays for Indu Banga. Manohar. p. 171\. ISBN 9788173046544. "Mirza was the son of Banjal, a Kharal Rajput Chief of Danabad in the Montgomery district. Sahiban was the daughter of the Rajput Chief Khiva Khan belonging to the Syal clan ..."
12. ^ Muhammad Hassan Miraj (1 April 2013). "The ballad of Mirza Saheba'n". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 14 January 2021.
13. ^ Duggal, K.S. (1979). Folk Romances of Punjab. Marwah. p. 17. Retrieved 26 September 2022. "Mirza and Saheban were cousins. Saheban was the daughter of Mirza's maternal uncle. They were fellow pupils in a madrasa. Mirza, the son of Binjal, a Kharral Jat of Danabad on the bank of the river Ravi"
14. ^ Bali, Karan (13 September 2016). "Before 'Mirzya', Mirza and Sahiban have died over and over again for their love". Scroll.in. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
15. ^ Khan, Muhammad Sajid; Mohyuddin, Zafar; Naz, Humera (30 June 2019). "District of Montgomery (Sahiwal) in Nineteenth Century: A Historical Study". Journal of Languages. 1 (1): 48, 49. doi:10.47067/jlcc.v1i1.4 (inactive 2 June 2025). ISSN 2708-3748.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of June 2025 (link)
16. ^ Ibbetson, Sir Denzil; Maclagan (December 1996). Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-0505-3.
17. ^ Fiaz, Hafiz Muhammad; Akhtar, Sohail; Rind, Ayyaz Ahmad (31 December 2021). "Socio-cultural Condition of South Punjab: A Case of Muzaffargarh District". Research Journal of Education and Innovation (Pakistan). 2 (3): 21, 22.
18. ^ Haider, Karim (31 December 2017). "Impact of Politico-economic Changes on the Resettlement of Kharal Tribe in Punjab". Pakistan Social Sciences Review. 1 (II). Fatima Gohar Educational and Welfare Society: 179. doi:10.35484/pssr.2017(1-ii)15. ISSN 2664-0422.
19. ^ Durrani, T.; Hoffer, W.; Hoffer, M.M. (1995). My Feudal Lord. Corgi Books. Corgi. p. 22,23. ISBN 978-0-552-14239-7. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
20. ^ Kamran, Tahir (30 January 2022). "Rabbani Khar and the politics of altruism - Political Economy". thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
21. ^ "Former minister Khalid Kharal passes away". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
22. ^ "Punjab Assembly | Members - Members' Directory". www.pap.gov.pk. Retrieved 23 November 2023.

## External links‌

[edit]

* ‌Kharal and Berkley (19th century British ‌India) on Dawn (newspaper‌)

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Kharal.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

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