Janjua
The
Janjua Rajput (
Urdu: جنجوا ) are one of the most dominant warrior
clans of
Punjab. They were the last
Punjabi Emperors of Punjab before the conquests of
Sultan Mahmud Ghazni. They have produced many decorated
Generals and high ranking Military Officers to the
Pakistan Army as well as fine sportsmen from
Amir Khan to
Sajid Mahmood.
They have a recorded history that spans centuries through famous
Emperors,
Sultans,
Nawabs,
Maharajas and
Maliks since the time of the
Mahabharat to the present age. They were among the earliest Rajput converts to
Islam.
Janjuas
rebelled against the
Delhi Sultanate in the early 13th century and later aided the
Mughal conqueror Babur's route into
India with other allied mountain
tribes and served as Chief Officers in the Mughal armies conquests of
India. They have played a major part in
Punjabi history through their alliances and rebellions with invaders and other mountainous
warrior tribes.
The Janjua Rajput are a branch of the ancient
Pandava Dynasty through
Arjuna, who is the
ancestor of the Janjua Rajput. He is widely believed by
Hindus to have been the ideal Kshatriya/
Warrior and according to Hindu legends was also believed to have been the spiritual son of
Indra as well as the physical son of
Pandu.
The
Pandavas were a
Chandravanshi Kuru branch of the ancient
Vedic Aryans of India descending from the legendary vedic emperor
Pururava (also known as Puru) and lived in about the 14th century BC. General
Alexander Cunningham of India also researched and concluded the Janjua to be
Aryans. (
Panjab Castes D.Ibbetson, Delhi 2002, p153)
|
Fought for 18 days, the Battle of Kurukshetra was one of the great battles fought in ancient India. Shown here is Arjun, the father of the Janjua dynasty and his charioteer Krishna between the two warring armies. |
Arjuna was himself first cousin to the famed Lord
Krishna (believed by the
Hindus to be an incarnate of
Vishnu). Arjun married Krishna's sister
Subhadra to extend his dynasty. It is also mentioned in the
Mahabharata text, that at one point
Parikshit, the
posthumous still born son of
Abhimanyu (who was the lone son of
Arjuna) was saved and revived by Krishna himself thus saving the sole survivor of this dynasty. Parikshit was the father of the famous
emperor of
Hastinapur, Maharaja
Janamejaya.
Maharaja Janamejaya who is the
apical ancestor of the Janjuas was also known as the
Serpent Killer after the famous mass revenge killing of all snakes and the
Nagas people - a large community of snake worshippers who were rulers of a nearby state responsible for the assassination of his father
Parikshit[
1] His descendants were also known historically as the
Pandava Dynasty and the
Pauravas being patriarchal names of the same dynasty.
Regarding the Janjuas descent from the
Pandavas dynasty, the Bali and Bhimwal generals of Raja Dhrupet Dev of Mathura, recorded that the Janjua Raja Dhrupet Dev was the descendant of
Janamejaya. This reference was recorded in 1195AD. Sir Lepel H Griffin K.C.S.I. had also recorded in the early 1900's that the Janjua were
"Pandus" in origin. ('Punjab Chiefs', L.H.Griffin, 1909 Lahore, p213).
India's other name
Bharat or
Bharat-Varsh is actually named after a
forefather of the
Puru dynasty,
Bharat. Bharat-Varsh means "Kingdom of Bharat".[
2]The
Mahabharata epic is a narration which records a war between Bharat's later descendants the
Pandavas and their cousins the
Kauravas for the throne of
Hastinapur. Arjuna was the
hero of the
war. This also believed to be the world's longest
poem and
Janamejaya was responsible for the retelling of this
epic.
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Alexander and the wounded King of the Pauravas |
The Purus also ruled Kekaya which was widely known as the Kingdom of the Puru/
Pauravas Clan and it was Raja
Purushottama (a title meaning
best of the Purus) or more popularly known in the west as
King Porus who fought
Alexander the Great in
326 BC (in what is now
Jhelum,
Pakistan) in the famed
Battle of the Hydaspes. In 'The Horse in the Ancient World' (Ann Hyland, 2002 Sutton Publ.,p161) it is mentioned that
"Unlike Darius, Porus fought aboard his elephant until the end..In victory Alexander treated Porus with the dignity reserved for a great warrior reinstating him a vassal king and sealing the bond of friendship." According to
Arian,
Alexander is said to have asked King Porus
"How would you like me to treat you?" to which Porus famously replied
"As a Raja (king)". The answer touched Alexander, who in return allowed the
Raja of the
Pauravas to retain his Kingdom and more. (ref;'The Horse in the Ancient World' Ann Hyland, 2002 Sutton Publ.,p159, 'Empire of Ashes' Nicholas Nicastro, Signet 2005, p257,258, 260, 263, 'Alexander the Great' Nick McCarty, Carlton Books, 2004, p111, 'To the Frontier' Geoffrey Moorhouse, Phoenix Press, 1998, p190, 'Hannibal's War' John Peddie, Sutton Publ. 2005, p261)
The page
List of Indian monarchs gives an account of the period of rule of the Bharata-Puru-Pandava-Pauravas-Janjua Shahi phase which began from approx 1600BC to 1026AD.
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Coin of the Shahi king Spalapati Deva, circa 750-900 |
From about 964AD, the Janjua chief
Parambhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Paramesvara Sri Jayapaladeva (Epithets known from the Bari Kot inscriptions) succeeded the Brahmin Hindu
Shahi Emperor Bhimdev. The Janjua Shahiya emperors now ruled from Ghandar (
Kandahar of
Afghanistan) to the whole of
Punjab in what was known as the second phase of the Hindu
Shahiya, the Janjua Shahi Dynasty.
Famed ethnologists and Indo researchers Sir
Alexander Cunningham (
Coins of Medieval India Reprint. Varanasi:1967 p.56,62), Elliot and Dowson (
The History of India Indian repr.1962.vol.i, p.22,425-26) and Sachau (
Alberuni's India London 1914, vol.ii, p393-94) led research into the origins of the 'Pala' Hindu Shahiya, the second dynasty that succeeded the initial Brahmin 'Dev' Shahiyas. Through independent research they concluded that the origins of Emperor
Jayapala Shah was in fact in the Janjua Rajput. In 1973's
Al-Biruni International Congress in Pakistan, Dr Hussain Khan presented a paper in called
"An Interpretation of Al-Biruni's Account of the Hindu Shahiyas of Kabul" which also confirmed the same findings. Finally, the Janjuas own genealogy records the names of the Janjua Shahi Jayapala as well as the continued descendants of his House.
Jayapala was challenged by the armies of Sabuktigin and his son
Sultan Mahmud towards the end of his reign as emperor. According to the
Minháj ad-Dīn in his chronicle
Tabaqát-i Násiri(Raverty's trans., Vol.1, p.82), writes a testament to the political and powerful stature of Emperor Jayapala Shah,
"Jayapála, who is the greatest of all the ráis (kings) of Hind..." Upon being captured after a fierce battle with Sultan Mahmud, Jayapala was ransomed and upon his release,
"he ordered the construction of a funeral pyre. Mounting and setting it alight, he nobly perished in the flames" (
The Last 2 Dynasties of the Sáhis Dr Abdur Rehman, Delhi Rennaisance publishing house. p147) Misra wrote:
"Jaypala was perhaps the last Indian ruler to show such spirit of aggression, so sadly lacking in later Rajput kings." (R.G.Misra,
Indian Resistance to Early Muslim Invaders Up to 1206 AD, Anu Books, repr.1992)
Anandpal Shah
His son prince Anandapala who ascended the throne (in about March/April 1002AD) already proved an able
warrior and
General in leading many battles prior to his ascension. According to
Adáb al-Harb (pp.307-10) in about 990,
"the arrogant but ambitious Raja of Lahore Bharat, having put his father in confinement, marched on the country of Jayapála with the intention of conquering the districts of Nandana, Jailum (Jhelum) and Tákeshar." Jayapala instructed prince Anandapala to repel the opportunist
Raja Bharat. Anandapala defeated Bharat and took him prisoner in the battle of
Takeshar and marched on
Lahore and captured the city and extended his father's kingdom yet further. However, during his reign many losses were incurred on his kingdom by the Ghaznavids. During the battle of
Chach between
Sultan Mahmud and Anandapala, it is stated that
"a body of 30,000 Gakhars fought alongside as soldiers for the Shahi Emperor and incurred huge losses for the Ghaznavids." (
The Last 2 Dynasties of the Sahisp.152) It is also mentioned in the same text that
"the Gakhars (or Khokhars) formed a very significant force in the armies of the Sáhis" (
The Last 2 Dynasties of the Sahis p.31). However, despite the heavy losses of the enemy, he lost the battle and suffered much financial and territorial loss. This was Anandapala's last stand against Sultan Mahmud.He eventually signed a
treaty with the Ghaznavid empire in 1010AD and shortly a year later died a peaceful death.
R.C Majumdar (D.V.
Potdar Commemoration Volume, Poona 1950, p.351) compared him ironically to his dynasty's ancient famous ancestor
"Porus, who bravely opposed Alexander but later submitted and helped in subduing other Indian rulers." And
Tahqíq Má li'l-Hind (p.351) finally revered Anandapala in his legacy as noble and
courageous.
Tirlochanpal Shah
Tirlochanpála, the son of Anandapala, ascended the throne in about 1011AD. Inheriting a reduced kingdom, he immediately set about expanding his kingdom into the
Siwalik Hills, the region of the
Rai of Sharwa. His kingdom now extended from the River
Indus to the upper Ganges valley. According to
Al-Biruni,
Tirlochanpála "was well inclined towards the Muslims" and was
honourable in his loyalty to his father's
peace treaty to the Ghaznavids. He later rebelled against
Sultan Mahmud and was eventually assassinated by some of his own mutinous troops in 1021-22AD, an assassination which was believed to have been instigated by the
Rai of Sharwa who became his arch-enemy due to
Tirlochanpala's expansion into the Siwalik ranges. (
The 2 Dynasties of the Sáhis p.166). He was romanticised in Punjabi
folklore as the
Last Punjabi ruler of Punjab. Bhimpala Shah
Bhímapála, son of Tirlochanpala, succeeded his father in 1021-22AD. He was referred to by Utbí as
"Bhīm, the Fearless" due to his courage and valour" (
The Last 2 Dynasties of the Sahis, p.166). Considering his kingdom was at its lowest point, possibly only the control of
Nandana, he admirably earned the title of
fearless from his enemy's own chronicle writer. He is known to have led the battle of
Nandana personally and seriously wounding the Commander of the Ghaznavid army
Muhammad bin Ibrahim at-Tāī (
Utbi, vil.ii, p.151.) He ruled only five years after his father before meeting his death in 1026AD.
His remaining descendant,
Rudrapal and his brothers
Diddápála and
Anangapāla had settled in
Kashmir and played a major role in the court of Kashmirian king
Ananta (1028-63AD). According to the
Rājtarahginī (vii, p.145),
Rudrapal proved himself extravagant in personal
valour by crushing the rebels of the king, as
commander in chief of the Kashmiri royal army.
Al-Biruni, despite living under
Sultan Mahmud's grace, praises the house of Jayapala:
"We must say that in all their grandeur, they never slackened in the ardent desire of doing that which is good and right, that they were men of noble sentiment and noble bearing." Kalhana writes of the Shahis:
"Where is the Shahi dynasty with its ministers, its kings, and its great grandeur? ... The very name of the splendor of Shahi kings has vanished. What is not seen in dream, what even our imagination cannot conceive, that dynasty accomplished with ease" The later descendant of Rudrapala, Dhrupet Dev gained the rule of
Mathura state in about 1150AD through intermarriage with the daughter of the
Raja Hukum Ram, King of
Mathura, who had no male issue to extend his dynasty. Dhrupet Dev was also the ruler of the Mandu fort of the Siwalik hills. His rule of
Mathura was ended in 1195AD when
Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the general of the Ghorid army, attacked Mathura and ousted the ruling royal family. According to Mohyal historians (Gulshan-e-Mohyali) Raja Dhrupet's younger brother Raja Shripat Dev, accompanied the exile back to the
Siwalik hills. Shripat Dev later,
"established his dominion at Katasraj (old name Namaksar) in Tehsil Pind Dadan Khan, Distt. Jhelum." The Mohyal commanders in chief of the Janjua army at this point were Rai Tirlok Nath Bali and Bam Dev Bhimwal.
(Mohyal reference)Raja Dhrupet Dev was the father of a famous Janjua
Sardar Raja Ajmal Dev Janjua who embraced
Islam in the 12th century and rose to become the next rising force of the Janjua Rajput. He followed the
Islamic tradition of change of name after conversion and was then known as
Raja Mal Khan. He was among the first
Muslim Rajputs recorded in Indian history. This conversion was done before the armies of
Shahabudin Ghauri entered into the Indian Plateau to conquer whilst he was very young in his teens and inclined towards Islamic philosophy of the
Sufis brought by the Dervishes of the Chistiya order.
Raja Mal
Khan migrated from
Mandu fort in the
Siwalik Hills to the
Koh-i-Jud and settled at
Rajgarh which he later renamed
Malot. He re-conquered the Salt Ranges of Punjab to establish the dominion which his forefathers lost almost two centuries earlier to the Ghaznavids. (
Journal of Central Asia Vol. XIII. No.1, 1990,p.78 &
The last 2 Dynasties of the Sahis by Abdur Rehman p.270) (Malot was originally called Shahghar or Rajghar - meaning home of the Shahis/Kings but was later changed to
Malot in recognition of its famous King Raja Mal.)
The
Tarikh-e-Alfi of the Ghorids mentions the rebellious behaviour of
Raja Mal Khan towards the
Delhi Sultanate. It records that a
"Rai Mal" of the mountains between
Lahore and
Kabul excited a rebellion against them and intercepted communications between
Lahore and
Ghazni.
There is still today remnants of an ancient
fort in Malot,
Chakwal which was initially built by the
Shahis and later rebuilt by
Raja Mal Khan. It is also inscribed that the last
Hindu Shahi prince Raja Mal embraced
Islam at this place.
Chakwal reference Raja Mal Khan was also the first ruler to begin the mining of salt in the
Salt Ranges of
Kallar Kahar and in the
Khewra Salt Mines of
Punjab which is currently the world's second largest salt mine. [
3] [
4] [
5] [
6].
Many prominent Muslim tribes trace their lineage back to the Janjua through the five princes of the House of Raja Mal Khan Janjua. The five princes were Raja Bhir Khan, Raja Jodh Khan, Raja Kala Khan, Raja
Tanoli Khan and Raja
Khakha Khan. Jodh and Bhir were born of a
Gakhar Rani while Kala,
Khakha and
Tanoli were born of another Rajput
Rani. (
Journal of Central Asia, Vol. XIII, no.1, 1990 p79)
Raja Khakha Khan's three sons,
Faggal Khan,
Aliya Khan,
Sangi Khan took over from him on his death. Raja Khakhas descendants,
the Khakha Chiefs of Kashmir and Pakhli became a renowned tribe of the Kashmiri region. Sir Lepel H.Griffin writes of them in
Chiefs and Families of note in the Punjab(1909 Lahore, p214)
"Raja Khaka's offspring inhabit Muzaffarabad, Kot Khaka (named after them) and other villages near the Jammu frontier." Through their history they have retained strong alliances with the
Bamba/Bumba tribe of Kashmir. A famed Khakha chief was
Raja Ghashu Khakha Khan. The Khakha feudal lords had also allied with
Yusuf Shah against the Mughal army of
Akbar at Bulyasa and were victorious. The Khakhas use the title of
Raja and proudly proclaim their Janjua origin.[
7]
Raja Jodh and Raja Bhir
According to Lepel H. Griffin, in his famous book
Chiefs and Families of note in the Punjab (Lahore, 1910, ii, p254) he writes
"On the death of their father they determined to divide the country called, from Raja Mal, the Maloki Dhan between them. Jodh took the Salt Range near about the Makrach, and captured the town of Makshala from a colony of Brahmans (mohyals)...He changed its name to Makhiala and built there a fort and two tanks for rain water..... Wir Khan (also spelt Bhir), took the possession of Khura (also spelt Khewra) near modern Pind Dadan Khan. He had one son, Raja Ahmad Khan, from whom have descended the families of Malot, Badshapur, and Dalwal" The descendants of Raja Jodh had continued to rule this region through various interruptions until the age of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Raja Bhir meanwhile took over Malot (Rajghar) state in
Chakwal from his father. Raja Bhir's son,
Raja Acharpal became a famous
chief after his father's death. The above mentioned
Ahmed Khan was infact
Acharpal, who later changed his name after converting to Islam.
=Raja Darwesh Khan
=
Raja Darwesh Khan of
Garjaak/Girjakh Jehlum (son of
Raja Sangur Khan mentioned above and descendant of
Raja Jodh) had fought
Sultan Hathi Khan Gakhar in
Punjab (a valiant Gakhar chief).
Darwesh Khan defeated Hathi Khan famously in a decisive and courageous battle causing him to flee defeated to
Basal, while Hathi's cousins
Adam Khan and
Sarang Khan escaped to Dangalli. Raja Darwesh Khan recovered the territory that was taken from his tribe by Hathi
Gakhar. (
Gazetteer of the Rawalpindi District 1893-94, Punjab Government, 2001 Sang-e-Meel Publ., Lahore).
Punjab Chiefs also makes mention of Darwesh Khan as
"...founder of Darapur
, a fighting chief, who avenged many of the injuries his tribe had received from the Gakhars." Raja Darwesh Khan's later descendant
Malik Zaman Mahdi Khan of
Darapur, was distinguished by Sir Lepel H Griffin as a true noble,
"he acted up to the traditions of his tribe in honesty of character, loyalty to the authorities, and in unstinted hospitality to the strangers within his gates." In 1891 he was already a Provincial Darbari and was granted the title of
Khan Bahadur by the British Raj. (
Punjab Chiefs, Lahore 1909, p216)
Raja Darwesh Khan's great-grandson,
Raja Shabat Khan had fought under
Sardar Mahan Singh Sukarchakia (father of
Maharaja Ranjit Singh) in many campaigns in the late 18th century. But upon Raja Shabat Khan's death his death, the Sikh chief
Sardar Atar Singh Dhari assassinated his son and successor,
Raja Ghulam Muhi-ud-din Khan. The Janjua didn't appear to trust the Sikhs thereafter and rebelled valiantly against their rule.
=The Janjua Sultans
=The Janjua
Sultan of Watli,
Sultan Fateh Muhammad Khan (descendant of Jodh Khan through Raja Sun Paal) valiantly opposed them, holding them off for over 6 months in Kusuk Fort, Watli.
The Janjua
Sultan of Makhiala,
Sultan Firoz Ali Khan was a famous warrior king of his time and from
Raja Jodh's line through
Raja Rai Pal. He opposed
Maharaja Ranjit Singh during his conquest of Punjab. After his death his son
Ali Haider Khan was crowned
Sultan. But he ruled for a very short period before his own untimely death. His son
Ashgar Ali Khan was then crowned the next
Sultan of Makhiala. (
Punjabi Chiefs L.H.Griffin, Lahore 1909 p217)
=Ranial and Dhamial Rajputs
=
Ranial Rajputs and Dhamial Rajputs are a branch of the Janjua through Raja Bhir and Raja Jodh respectively. According to
Tehreek-e-Janjua (Sahiwal Press, v1, p224) these two
Rajas employed a sudden military onslaught to conquer the areas of Ranial and Dhamial. The repute of their military success spread far and wide amongst other dominant clans of the day.
Raja Malu took the area Ranial whilst
Raja Mubarak took the Dhamial plain. Interestingly, Raja Malu's offspring were known as the
Rajas of Ranial and Raja Mubarak's offspring likewise known as the
Rajas of Dhamial. This later culminated in the recognition of these two branches as simply Ranial Rajas and Dhamial Rajas. Their influence today is recognised in key roles of administration and as members of local government.
Tanolis are now a pashtunised tribe and reside mainly in
Hazara. Their ancestor,
Raja Tanoli (also spelt
Tanawali/Tanauli) the younger son of
Raja Mal Khan founded the
Tanawal state in the
North-West Frontier Province corner of
Hazara district.
The Gazetteer of North-West Frontier Province (p138) records that
"Tanawal state also known as Amb-Darband after its twin capitals, under its founder Raja Tanawali extended its tentacles across the Indus to Buner in Swat and Bajaur in Dir.....Its real rulers (Tanolis) are divided into two steps, the Pul-al and Hando-al or Hind-wal. The former held the tract of the Siran, its chief founded Bir when the Mughal empire was decaying, but internal dissensions led to intervention of Kashmir. Meanwhile the Hind-wal spet had gained power and its chief Nawab Khan defied the Durranis, but met his death at the hands of Sardar Azim Khan in 1818. His son Painda Khan, played a considerable part in the history of his time and vigorously opposed the Sikhs, but lost his territory except the tract around Amb. On his death in 1840 his son Jahandad Khan recovered part of it through favour of Gulab Singh of Kashmir and the British Govt. Thus the present semi-independent estate comprises the territory formerly held by the Hind-wal Tanawalis. It has an area of 204 square miles, with population of (1901) of 31,622.....on the east by the Mansehra tehsil of Hazara District." The Hindwal Tanolis were conferred the title of
Nawab during the British Raj era and were famous for their rebellious and warlike behaviour in the history of
Hazara Tanawal until the 19th century through staunch rebellions with the
Sikhss.
The Tanoli
Khan's initially allied with the
Abdali army in
The Third Battle of Panipat which took place on January 14, 1761 at Panipat (Haryana State,
India) where they famously defeated 250,000 strong army of Marathas with an army of only 60,000 soldiers, from allied tribes.
Sardaar Mir Zabardast Khan Tanoli was granted allied Chiefship of Hazara together with other Chiefs of repute and was conferred the title of
Suba Khan for his bravery against the
Marathas. But when the
Durrani empire began to crumble, the Tanolis successfully broke free of the Durrani control and again became independent.
Sardaar Azim Khan killed the Tanoli Chief
Nawab Khan Tanoli in this struggle.
=Mir Jehandad Khan
=Charles Allen in his book
Men who made the North-West Frontier (p138-139) referred to them as
"the extremely hostile and powerful Tanolis of the Tanawal Moutains.....who were brave and hardy and accounted for the best swordsmen in Hazara...Of all the tribal chiefs of Hazara, the most powerful was said to be Jehandad Khan (son of the famed Painda Khan) of the Tanoli...a good looking young man of 26 years, tall and slender, with a remarkably large and fine eyes - surrounded by an escort of horsemen clad in shirts of mail and steel skull-caps, handsomely mounted and equipped, who made a most picturesque display...the bystanders who regarded the chief with great awe..." proving both the awe inspiring look and reputation of the Tanoli.
The same chief
Mir Jehandad Khan is said to have famously said to have replied to the
President of the Board of Administration's threat to
"...burn your villages and give your country to another" with the heroic reply
"We should consider your presence (in our Kingdom) an honour, but our country is rather difficult one for your army." (
Men who made the North-West Frontier Charles Allen, p204)The control of
Amb by the Tanolis finally ended in 1973 with the last
Nawab of
Amb Nawab Salahuddin Khan, the present day descendant
of Mir Jehandad Khan.Raja Kala Khan
Raja Kala Khan became the ruler of
Kahuta district in present day
Rawalpindi,
Pakistan. He became Muslim early on his rule and following tradition, changed his name to
Sultan Ahmed Sani. His two sons,
Juss Rai and
Patt Rai were united in their control of Kahuta. It comprises of over 60 villages of various clans including
Gakhars,
Minhas Rajputs and
Awan Rajputs. Raja Kala Khan's descendants are in abundance in
Kahuta Rawalpindi. Most of his descendants work in the Pakistan Army and sports. A Mazhar (Large
Tomb) was erected on his death and his descendants congregate every year at this Mazhar to commemorate his life. He is referred to by his descendants as
Dada Pir Kala.During
Ahmed Shah Abdali's conquest of Northern India, he was allied by
Sardar Ameer Khan of
Kahuta, the chief of the Kahuta Janjua Rajas.
Sardar Bahadur Noor Khan was a prominent personality of the Matore Janjua branch of Raja Kala Khan, and was conferred the title of Sardar Bahadur by the British Raj. He was elected as the MLC and Vice Chairman of the District Board
Rawalpindi. After his death, his son,
Khan Bahadur Sardar Feteh Khan was elected as MLA from Kahuta and Murree Tehsils in 1937.
=Kharwal Rajputs of Kahuta
=The
Kharwal or
Garwal Rajputs of Kahuta (not to be confused with
Garewal Rajputs which are a distinctly different tribe and settled in India) are a branch of Janjua through
Raja Kala Khan. They reside only in the hills of the eastern half of the Kahuta region called the
Kahuru ilaka. They have been recorded by Sir Denzil Ibbetson (
Panjab Castes Delhi 2002, p153) as
"...a fine strong race, decidedly superior to the ordinary (non Janjua) Rájpúts, and socially much the same position as other Janjúas." The
Rawalpindi Gazetteer records the
Kharwal Rajput chiefs in the early 1884 as
Raja Ali Mardán Khan and
Raja Burhán Ali Khan(The pillars of their branch) who were counted in the census as
Janjua Rajputs. (F.Robertson, Lahore 2001,p111)
There is a handwritten
Parwana (letter of gratitude) by the great
Tamerlane (Amir Timur) himself to the Janjua
Sultan family of Watli,
Northwest Frontier Province,
Pakistan for their service to his
entourage, which is still held by them to this day. The Janjua were honoured by Amir
Timur for their joining him in his conquest of India throughout his campaign (
The Punjab Chiefs Sir Lepel. H.Griffin, 1909 Lahore) This formed the foundation for the later loyal alliance between
Tamerlanes future descendants, the
Mughal Emperors and the Janjua.
The
Mughal conqueror
Babur recorded in his famous
Baburnama that the Koh-i-Jud region was divided into two halves. One half belonged to the Janjua, who were the traditional rulers of the peoples and tribes (also consisting of
Jatts and
Gujars) between
Nilab and
Bhera. He stated
"Their rule, however, is benevolent and brotherly, they do not take whatever they want....The people (subjects) also serve in their army....the chief is called Rai and his younger brothers and sons are known as Malik" indicating their subjects support of their just administration and the organisation of titles amongst the Janjua rulers. An important allied Afghan
Niazi chief of
Babur's campaign of Punjab,
Langar Khan Niazi was also stated by Babur to be a maternal nephew of the Janjua,
"Langar Khan was sent to Malik Hast (Asad). He hastened there, convinced him of our good intentions and favour and brought him back that night." (
The Baburnama, 2002, W.M Thackston p271 ,276)
The Janjua
chief Malik Hast (Asad) was recorded by Babur as,
"the lone ruler of the tribes and clans in the Sohan River area." He was invited by Babur to unite with him through Malik Hast's nephew Langar Khan
Niazi (
The Baburnama, 2002, W.M Thackston p271). The hand written record of Amir Timur was brought to
Babur by Raja Sangur Khan and Malik Hast (Asad).
Babur honoured this record. The Janjua
Rajas were now allies to the
House of Babur. Babur allowed the Janjua to continue their rule in their respective Kingdoms as before. (
Chronicles of Early Janjuas by Dr H.Khan, iUniverse 2003, p.22)
The
Baburnama also mentions Malik Hast (Asad) and Raja Sangur Khan as able warriors and assigned important roles as reinforcements to important strongholds. Malik hast himself being only 23yrs old according to Babur's estimation and yet trusted staunchly with this responsibility. (
The Baburnama, 2002, W.M Thackston, p278)
The Janjua Rajputs also took part in the battles against Rana Sangha in 1527AD in which the Mughals famously defeated the Sesodia Rajputs who had allied with the Afghans against him.
Raja Sangur Khan Janjua is stated to have been involved in charging the army of Sangha when they came out of the fortress and after overwhelming them, the Mughal allies put them to flight. (
The Baburnama, 2002, W.M Thackston, p377)
Many
forts within Punjab are still remnant of their royal past, such as the Kusak fort, Sohava fort, Khushab fort, Garjaak fort in Makhiala
Jhelum, Malot fort in
Chakwal District, Nagi fort, Dalowal fort, Dhandot fort, Kath Saghral and Masral fort, Dhak Janjua fort, Akrand fort, Anderana fort,
Sialkot fort (which was given to the Janjua by
Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq who accepted their suzerainty in that region in about late 14th century (
Tarikh-i-Janjua, p71) and many more. Some of these forts were lost, other's gained as the changing climate of rulers endured.
However, the Kusak Fort is still in control of the Janjua
Sultan of Watli who was mentioned in
Punjab Chiefs (L.H.Griffin Lahore 1909, p217)
"The Watli family noted for its heroic defence of the fort of Kusak against the Sikhs...Sultan Lal Khan was held in much esteem. The title Sultan is allegedly to have been bestowed upon the representatives of these two branches by the Emperor Babur. It is much prized in the family, being only used by the head." The Watli Sultans were the descendants of Raja Jodh Khan through his second son Raja Sunpaal.
It has been recorded how the Janjua Sultan Alim Khan constructed the fort and how the Sultan Fateh Muhammad Khan of Watli, valiantly opposed
Maharaja Ranjit Singh himself who in
"...about 1810 besieged it (in person) ineffectually for six months until the want for water by his subjects compelled the Sultan to surrender." (
Archaeological reconnaissances in north-western India and south-eastern Iran by M.A.Stein, London 1936, p46) The fort was immediately reinstated to the Sultan.
Sir Denzil Ibbetson, in
"Panjab Castes" describes the Janjua Rajput as,
"The great Janjua tribe...have retained their pride of lineage and their Rájput title....who can be ranked as Míán Sáhu or first class Rájpúts...physically well-looking, with fine hands and feet; much given to military service, especially in the cavalry;...poor agriculturists, and with great pride of race." (Delhi 2002, p149, p154)
The Janjua, throughout history have been recognised as a
"dominant warlike clan of proud position" as well as
"Lords of the Salt-range" The British Raj also distinguished them as so, stating,
"...other tribes in no way superior to them in courage or military skill...the Janjuahs furnish excellent cavalry recruits." (
Punjab Chiefs L.H.Griffin, 1909 Lahore, p215-7} (
Panjab Castes, D.Ibbetson, p102, p132)
The Janjua Rajputs would not serve in any
regiment that was not commanded by either a
Gakhar, a
Janjua or any other tribe of equal social standing. The Janjua Rajas of
Punjab rank highly in social hierarchy and objected to serving any officer of lower social standing. (
The Garrison State, Tan Tai Yong, Sage Pub.Inc, p75)
Regarding their recruitment into the
British Army, they are further distinguished,
"The Janjúas of the Salt Range are considered second to none in Martial spirit and tradition...they make good (horse) riders and good horse masters.... (another tribe) not so intelligent as the Janjúas" (
The Jhelum Gazetteer 1907, Lahore Press, p254)
General Asif Nawaz Janjua of the
Darapur Janjua Branch was mentioned in
Pakistan's Drift into Extremism as,
"August 18 1991, General Asif Nawaz Janjua took over as Chief of army staff. He was cast in a mold entirely dissimilar to any of his predecessors. A tall, handsome, Sandhurst-trained officer, he was straight enough to be brusque. He was easily slighted and would go into a paroxysm of nervous energy at the mere hint of being challenged. With all of this, he had no time for fools and had an enormously long memory. In short, he was not someone that a Pakistani politician would like to see as an army chief." (by Hassan Abbas, ME SHARPE, p144)
Amir Timur the world conqueror, recognised their military qualities and loyalty and wrote a handwritten letter of gratitude to them in recognition of this.
Babur's mention of the Janjua rule as brotherly and benevolent to their subjects also shows an apparent chivalry that this clan has continued since the
Mahabharata.
In
Soldier Sahibs by Charles Allen, (p122-123) it mentioned of the Hindwal Tanoli Janjuas as
"Extremely hostile and powerful...Of all the tribal chiefs of Hazara, the most powerful was said to be Jehandad Khan of the Tanoli, whose fellow-tribesmen were brave and hardy and accounted for the best swordsmen in Hazara." The ancestors of the Janjua, The last dynasty of the Janjua
Shahis were mentioned by
Al-Beruni.. "as noble men of noble bearings...who always did what they said."
The King of the Pauravas, King Porus, an ancient patri-arch member of the same dynasty was a well known and respected warrior king gaining respect from no less than Alexander the Great himself.
Prince Arjuna of the Mahabharata himself gained the stage of Atirathi'' or out standing warrior in his time and his heroic chivalry was well documented.
Janjuas are spread throughout Punjab both in India and Pakistan. There are
Sikh,
Muslim and
Hindu Janjuas, the majority of Muslim Janjuas are in Pakistan and serve in the
Military of Pakistan in large numbers. They have spread into
Potwar region of Northern Punjab in Pakistan (due to displacement during the Sikh conquests),
Mansehra,
Hazara and also
Rawalpindi with
Jhelum holding primarily the largest numbers. They hold influential positions in both the Pakistani Govt, Police and army as evidenced below.
The
Sikh Janjua Rajputs are in abundance in Hoshiarpur, Faridkot, Kapurthalla and Fatehghar Sahib of Indian states of
Haryana and Punjab.
Many Janjua Rajputs have different suffixes/titles with their name depending on their descendency. The stronger more dominant branches will hold the mentioned some highly recognised prestigious titles whilst others will retain ancestral titles.
Hindu Janjuas use the title of "Kuwar" with their names. Whereas Muslim Janjuas use the title
Rai,
Raja and
Malik with their names in recognition of their royal lineage and is mainly used by
Jodh,
Bhir,
Khakha and
Kala descendants.
Today, the majority of Bhir, Kala, Jodh and
Khakha descendants use the title of
Raja.
Uniquely, the Tanoli dynasty which ruled the State of
Amb/Tanawal for almost 8 centuries used the royal titles of
Nawab and Mir. Very few Tanolis who have settled in
Potohar use the
Raja title, however the majority of Tanolis reside in Hazara use title of
Khan.
The title of
Malik is used by the descendants of
Raja Darwesh Khan, the warrior king of the Janjuas of
Darapur,
Jehlum as well as some Janjuas of Malot
Chakwal.
Sikh Janjuas use the surname Janjua and also use titles of Kuwar or Rai/Raja. However there are exceptions to this.
The
tribal chief of the Janjuas of Watli, who also retains control of the Fort of Kusak uses the centuries revered title of
Sultan which was conferred by
Mughal emperor
Babur. The name of the
Watli Sultans was held in greater esteem after their successful resistance against the
Sikhs.
A well known Janjua chief of
Ratala tehsil
Gujar Khan,
Rawalpindi,
Mirza Atta Mohammad Khan was known by the title of
Mirza (Persian title of
Prince of the blood) and was a renowned
tribal chief of
Ratala during the early to mid 20th century. His great grandfather
Raja Abdullah Khan (descendant of
Raja Darwesh Khan), being displaced by the upheaval of the Sikh conquest of
Garjaak and
Darapur ('Punjab Chiefs' L.H.Griffin KCSI, 1909 Lahore, p216) took his remaining army and conquered the region of
Ratyal from a Ratyal chief who was loyal to the Sikhs. His domain was over seven large villages consisting of
Mughal Kayanis',
Jatts and
Gakhars. He defeated the Ratyal Chief and renamed it
Ratala.Army
*
Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain
Shaheed (1949"December 10, 1971) - Awarded
Nishan-e-Haider, The highest Military Gallantry award given by the Pakistan Army. Only 10 have been awarded since the creation of Pakistan. He was a brave soldier and a National hero of Pakistan.
*
General Asif Nawaz Janjua-
Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army.
*
General Tikka Khan -
Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army.
*
Major General Iftikhar Janjua - the hero of Runn Kutch who is known as the only general to have died on the front line. Iftikhar Khan Janjua Road of Rawalpindi is named after his nationally honoured bravery.
* Sardar
Bahadur Captn. Hussain Bux Khan Janjua - served as a Captain during the British Raj era.
*
Brigadier (retired) Amir Gulistan Janjua - His excellency, who was the
Governor of the
North West Frontier Province and also Pakistan's
ambassador to the UAE,
Nepal and
Saudi Arabia is a famous and very influential Janjua with a strong back ground in the Pakistani armed forces. [
8][
9]
*
General (retired) MK Janjua - of Matore, Kahuta District
*
Lieutenant General (retd) Afzal Janjua - Pakistan Army
*
Lieutenant General Afzal Muzzaffar - Pakistan Army
*
Lieutenant General (retd) Ahmed Jamal Janjua - Pakistan Army, from Matore, Kahuta.
*
Lieutenant General Hamid Rabnawaz
*
Major General Muhammad Akram (retd) - is a Janjua of Chakwal. He has served in the Pakistan Army as well as Semi Government Organizations of Pakistan. He is also a very popular welfare worker of Choa Saidan Shah of Chakwal.
*
Lieutenant General Ahmed Kamal - Served under Zia ul Haq of Pakistan Army, of Matore, Kahuta.
*
General (retd) Saeed-u-Zaman Janjua - General of Pakistan Army
*
Major General (retd) - Saleem Arshad of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Major General Khalid Nawaz of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Major General Zaheer-ul-Islam of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Brigadier Akhter Abbas Janjua - of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Brigadier Raja Muhammad Afzal Khan - of Chakri,
Jhelum.
*
Brigadier Shahid Hamid - of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Brigadier Ejaz Mehdi - Pakistan Army
*
Brigadier Ghafoor - of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Brigadier Asif Nawaz - of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Brigadier Pervaiz Akber (Retd) of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Brigadier Khalid Mehmood (Retd) of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Brigadier Rab Nawaz (Retd) Of Matore, Kahuta.
*
Brigadier Raja Fiaz Ahmad Janjua (late).
*
Major (retd) Shaukat Nawaz Khan -
Joint Secretary of Defence, of Matore, Kahuta.
* Muhammad Fazal Janjua - Air Marshal of
Pakistan Army.
*
Colonel Obaidullah (late) -
Director National Accountability Bureau, of, Kahuta.
Police
*
Khan sahib Sardar Muhammad Khan -
District Superintendent of Police (retd) of Dheer Kot, conferred title of
Khan Sahib during British Raj.
* Raja Nusrat Khan -
District Superintendent of Rawalpindi Police (retd)
* Raja Zar Khan -
District Superintendent of Police (retd) - was a DSP of
Faisalabad and later of
Jehlum* Raja Afzal Khan -
Chief Inspector of Jhelum District Police and younger brother of Raja Zar Khan (above).
* Raja Nasirullah Khan -
Commissioner of Torach (retd)
* Raja Muhammad Sarwar Khan (late)( -
Superintendent Police of Matore.
* Raja Fazal Dad (late) -
District Superintendent of Matore.
* Raja Taifoor Akhtar
District Superintendent Police Gujar Khan, of Matore, Kahuta. Raja Taifoor has also recently been nominated for
Pakistan Police Medal by The Govt of Pakistan.
* Raja Shahid Nazir
District Superintendent Police Multan, of Matore, Kahuta.
* Raja Hamid Nawaz -
Superintendent Punjab Police of Chakri Rajgan, District Jhelum
Sport
*
Amir Khan (boxer) - Pro boxing lightweight sensation Amir Khan of the UK is a Janjua Rajput of Raja Kala Khan, Matore. He is also the
2004 Olympic silver medalist as well as 2003 Gold medalist in the Junior Olympics. Role model to thousands of youth.
*
Sajid Mahmood - The England Cricket Team's rising star Sajid Mahmood is also a Janjua from Raja Kala Khan's line of Kahuta.
* Pasha Sheeraz - played for Gloucester country cricket in the 90's and was also a Janjua from Raja Kala Khan of Kahuta.
* Capt (R) Gull Muhammad - Pro basketball for Pakistan Army Team.
Politics
*
Nawab Salahuddin Khan
Tanoli -
Nawab of the Princely State of
Amb.
* Ms Tehmina Janjua -
Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations* Raja Zafar-ul-haq -
Chairman of Pakistan Muslim League Party is a Janjua from Raja Kala Khan.
*Raja Mumtaz Ahmed Khan Advocate - (Late) of Chakri Rajgan. President of Pakistan Peoples Party District Jhelum
*
Sultan Azmat Hayyat Khan (late) - The late
Sultan of Watli and
Member of Punjab Assembly.* Muhammad Tariq Janjua -
Federal Secretary for Minorities, Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs in Pakistan.
* Muhammad Basharat Raja -
Provincial Minister for Law and Local Bodies* Nawabada Raja Afzaal Mehdi Khan - (ex)
Member of National Assembly, of Darapur
* Raja Muhammad Ali -
Member of Provincial Assembly, from Matore Kahuta.
* Muhammad Nasir Raja -
Advisor to Chief Minister of Punjab* Raja Lal Khan -
Federal Minister of Pakistan Government* Raja Iqbal Mehdi Khan - (ex)
Member of National Assembly & Former Provincial Minister, of Darapur.
* Raja Lehrasab Khan -
Federal Minister of Pakistan Government*
Khan sahib Basheer Ahmed Khan - of Gujranwala, conferred the title of
Khan Sahib during the British Raj.
*
Khan Sahib Mahmood Ahmed Khan - of Sodara Gujrat, conferred title of
Khan Sahib during the British Raj.
* Raja Tariq Khan -
District Nazim (Mayor) of Qadian, Tehsil
Gujar Khan, of Ratala.
* Hamid Nawaz Raja -
District Nazim Tehsil Rawalpindi.
* Muzaffer Ali Khan Janjua -
District Nazim (Mayor) of Union Council, Dist. Sanghar (retd)
* Haji Bawa G.Farid(late)twice
Member District Council Rawalpindi.
* Sardar Hassan Akhter Khan - Ex
District Nazim and Chairman of Union Council Matore, Kahuta.
* Sardar Ilyas Akhtar Janjua -
District Nazim of Matore, Kahuta.
* Nadar Ali Khan Janjua -
Tehsildaar (retd) of Malowal Gujrat* L.D. Janjua -
Additional Joint Secretary, Establishment Division of the Government of Pakistan. He was later fictionalised as the main character (Munir) in Chaman Nahal's book Azadi (published 1979).
* Raja Shahid Hussain of Ratocha - (near Choa Saiden Shah, Chakwal) prominent Politician of the Raja Bhir Line of
Chakwal.
* Ron (Imron) Janjua B.A(hons)MSc - Born in Toronto Canada, Graduated from York University, Canada with a Specialized Honors Degree in Global Political Studies, with a concentration on Peace and Security, Continued to the London School of Economics, London England, where he undertook a Masters of Science in International Relations, writing his masters dissertation on assymetrical warfare, as well as serving on the LSE Student Executive as Mature and Part Time Students Officer, and interning for a British Labour Party Minister at the Houses of Parliament. He is continuing to study Law and gain his Juris Doctor and practice International Law, as well as a career in politics once completed.
Social Sciences
* Dr. Pervez Zamurrad Janjua -
Foreign Professor at International Institute of Islamic Economics,
Principal Investigator at Centre of Research for Development and Policy Studies, International Islamic University Islamabad, Approved HEC PhD Scholar, Member National Curriculum Committee Pakistan (Economics)
Medical Sciences
* Dr. Anwar Sadiq Janjua, BSc,MD,DPH, -
Medical Doctor Born in Rawal Pindi Pakistan, Graduated from University of Aberdeen Scotland in Medicine, Specialized in Public Health at University of Edinborough Scotland, Emigrated to Canada in the 1960s and served in several public health positions including Associate Medical Officer of Health for Sudbury Ontario, as well as Associate Medical Officer of Health for Peel Region in Ontario. He has served his community medically at several local Toronto hospitals and continues to serve the community as a General Practitioner in Toronto.
Media and IT
* Kiran Tanoli - daughter of Pakistans Provincial Minister and famous lawyer of
Hazara Ayub Tanoli. She is a rising
starlette on TV, and gained a Gold Medal from Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz for her Youth work. She is now the Youth Co-ordinator of North-west Frontier Province.
* Labh Janjua - famous and successful Punjabi singer hailing from Khanian, Fatehgarh Sahib India. He sang the huge international hit 'Mundian Tho Bachke' in 2003 and was also featured in American Desi movie soundtrack.
* Raja Mohammad Ibrahim - The famous poet from Village Nambal in Kahuta district of
Rawalpindi is a Janjua from Raja Bhir Khan.
* Nadia Janjua - Of USA, a well known architect and engaged in relief work for the Pakistani Earthquake of 2005.
*
Yasin Janjua - rising Pakistani economist contributed a background paper and chapter to 2002 report on Human Development in South Asia: Agriculture and Human development produced by Human Development Centre (HDC) Islamabad, Pakistan and Published by Oxford University Press.
* Raja Shahzad Khan - Famous for his webdesigning worldwide, Creativity with passion. Also famous for his website on rajputs and on Jhelum Apnajhelum, Belongs to
Jhelum City of Pakistan.
*
Muslim Rajputs*
List of Indian monarchs*
Shahi*
Ranial Rajputs*
Khakha*
Tanoli*
Sikh Rajputs*
Muhammad Hussain Janjua*
Shahi reference
