BabulHossainjoy at 01:31, 15 April 2026

2026-04-15T01:31:16Z

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{{Short description|Muslim Punjabi clan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=March 2011}}
{{infobox caste
| caste_name = Gakhars
| caste_name_in_local =
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| abbreviation =
| varna =
| jati =
| gotra =
| religions = [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|18px]] [[Islam]]
| languages = [[Punjabi language|Pothwari]]
| country = {{Flag|Pakistan}}
| region = [[Punjab]]
| ethnicity = [[Punjabis|Punjabi]]
| India_migration =
| population =
| family_names =
| feudal_title =
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| lineage =
| subdivisions =
| related =
}}

The '''Gakhar''' ({{langx|pa|{{nq|گکھڑ}}|translit=Gakkhaṛ}}) is a historical [[List of Punjabi tribes|Punjabi tribe]], originating in the [[Pothohar Plateau]] of [[Punjab, Pakistan]]. They predominantly adhere to [[Islam]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zHxsWspxGIIC&pg=PA106 |page=106 |title=Islamic Desk Reference |editor-first=E. J. |editor-last=Van Donzel |publisher=BRILL |year=1994 |isbn=978-9-00409-738-4}}</ref><ref name="Gandhi">{{cite book |last1=Gandhi |first1=Surjit Singh |title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469-1606 C.E |date=2007 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers |isbn=978-81-269-0857-8 |page=3|quote=The story of most of the Gakhars is that they conquered Kashmir and ruled in that region for many generations but were eventually driven back to Kabul whence they entered the Punjab. They professed the Hindu faith and were converted to Islam, probably after the Ghori rule.}}</ref><ref name="Singha">{{cite book |last1=Singha |first1=Atara |title=Socio-cultural Impact of Islam on India |date=1976 |publisher=Panjab University |page=46 |quote=After this period, we do not hear of any Hindu Gakhars or Khokhars, for during the next two or three centuries they had all come to accept Islam.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Chandra|first=Satish|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Rm9MC4DDrcC&pg=PA45|title=Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals|publisher=Har-Anand Publications|year=2006|isbn=978-8-12411-066-9|edition=Revised, 2nd|volume=2|page=45}}</ref>

==History==
In the Muslim historiography, the Gakhars have been frequently confused with the [[Khokhar]]s, who inhabited the same region, and it has been challenging to separate the events of both tribes. Gakhars formed an important part of the army of [[Hindu Shahis|Shāhis]] of [[Gandhāra]]. Around 30,000 Gakhars fought against [[Mahmud Ghaznavi|Maḥmūd of Ghazna]] in 1008 CE near [[Peshawar]] but were defeated.{{sfn|Ansari|2012}} By the time of Sultan [[Muhammad Ghori|Muʿizz al-Dīn Muḥammad Ghūrī]] Gakhars had converted to Islam.{{sfn|Ansari|2012}}

In the following centuries, Gakhars engaged in a long-running struggle for sovereignty over the [[Salt Range]] with the neighbouring tribes:<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Pakistan Historical Society|Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society]], Volume 54, Issues 1–2|date=2006|publisher=Pakistan Historical Society}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|The history of this region (the Salt Range) from the thirteenth century onward had been a sickening record of wars between various dominant landowning and ruling clans of Punjabi Muslims including the [[Janjua]]s, Gakhars, Thathals and [[Bhatti]]s for political ascendancy.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LRg5NSW1BisC&pg=PA142 |page=142 |title=Advanced History of Medieval India |first=S. R. |last=Bakshi |publisher=Anmol Publications |year=1995 |isbn=978-8-17488-028-4 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>}}

For a period, Gakhars were superseded by the Khokhars who under their chieftain [[Jasrat]] gained control of most of upper Punjab in the 15th century. However, by the time of Mughal emperor [[Babur|Bābur]]'s invasion of subcontinent, Gakhars had regained power. Under their chief Hātī Khān, Gakhars attacked Babūr in 1525 when he marched against the Delhi Sultanate. Babūr seized Gakhar fortress of [[Pharwala Fort|Phaŕwāla]] and Hātī Khān fled, but when Hātī Khān offered his submission to Babūr and provided supplies for the Mughal army, he compensated Hātī Khān well and conferred on him the title of Sultan.{{sfn|Ansari|2012}}
[[File:Kamal Khan Ghakkar defeats Sultan Adam Ghakkar.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Kamāl Khān defeats Ādam Khān]]
During the reign of [[Humayun|Humāyūn]], [[Sultan Sarang Khan|Sulṭān Sārang Khān]] gained much prominence. He refused to acknowledge [[Sher Shah Suri|Shēr Shāh Sūr]] as new emperor when the latter defeated Humāyūn, as a result Shēr Shāh led an expedition against Sārang Khān who was defeated and executed. His tomb is in [[Rawat Fort|Rawāt]].{{sfn|Ansari|2012}}

Sārang Khān's brother, Ādam Khān succeeded him. In 1552, Humāyūn's rebel brother prince [[Kamran Mirza|Kamrān]] sought shelter with Ādam Khān but he was betrayed and given up to Humāyūn, who rewarded Ādam Khān with the insignia of nobility for the treachery.{{sfn|Ansari|2012}}

In 1555, Ādam Khān was defeated and killed by his nephew Kamāl Khān, a son of Sārang Khān, possibly on the instigation by emperor [[Akbar]] to strengthen his hold over the Gakhars. Further a daughter of Kamāl Khān's brother, Sayd Khān was married to prince [[Jahangir|Salim]].{{sfn|Ansari|2012}}

[[File:Punjab map (topographic) with cities.png|thumb|right|Topographical map of Punjab]]

In 1738 Nader Shah [[Nader Shah's invasion of India|invaded India]], during this invasion the city of [[Gujrat, Pakistan|Gujrat]] was sacked and after Shah returned to Persia, the city was then taken over by Gakhar chief Mukarrab Khan.<ref>[https://punjab.global.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/sitefiles/journals/volume20/12-Reeta%20Sharma%2020.pdf Urban Patterns in the Punjab Region
since Protohistoric Times]</ref>

==Kayani==
'''Kayani''' ({{Langx|fa|کیانی}}), also spelled '''Kiyani''' or '''Kiani''', is a title used by Gakhars, a northwestern [[Punjabis|Punjabi]] tribe based in the [[Pothohar Plateau|Pothohar]] region of [[Punjab, Pakistan]] originally from [[Iran]]. Ethnic present day Persians who have settled in Pakistan. Tied to the legendary [[Kayanian dynasty]]. The name means 'royal' or 'kingly',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kiyani Name Meaning - Kiyani Meaning & Definition|url=https://hamariweb.com/names/muslim/arabic/boy/kiyani-meaning_49290|access-date=2021-09-28|website=Hamariweb.com|language=en-us}}</ref> similar to the name ''[[Raja]]'' or ''Prince''.

==See also==
* [[Sarang Gakhar]], Chief of Gakhars
* [[List of Punjabi tribes]]
* [[Gakhar Mandi]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{EI2|last= Ansari|first=A.S. Bazmee |authorlink=|year=2012|title=Gakkhaŕ|doi=10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_2415|ISSN=1573-3912}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book|author=Khan, Chaudhary Muhammad Afzal (1357 [[Hijri year|H]])|url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/rajpoot-gotain-mohammad-afzal-khan-ebooks|via=Rekhta.org|title=Rajpūt Gotaīñ|language=Ur|date=}}

{{Ethnic groups, tribes and clans of the Punjab}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Punjabi tribes]]
[[Category:Social groups of Punjab, Pakistan]]

Gakhars - Revision history

BabulHossainjoy at 01:31, 15 April 2026