View source for Kharal

{{short description|Punjabi tribe}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2018}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{infobox caste
| caste_name             = ‌Kharal‌
| caste_name_in_local    = 
| image                  =
| image_size             =
| alt                    =
| caption                = 
| abbreviation           =
| gotra                  =
| religions              = [[Islam]]
| languages              = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]

| country                = ‌[[Pakistan]]
| region                 = ‌[[Punjab]]
| ethnicity              =[[Punjabi Muslims|Punjabi]]
| India_migration        = 
| population             =
| family_names           = 
| feudal_title           =‌[[Rai (title)|Rai]] 
| heraldic_title         = 
| lineage                =
| subdivisions           =Khar 
| related                =[[Jats]]
|jati=[[Jat]]}}
'''Kharal''' ([[Punjabis|Punjabi]]: {{Uninastaliq|کھرَل}}) is a [[Punjabi Muslims|Punjabi]] [[Jat Muslim]] tribe predominantly found in the [[Punjab, Pakistan|Pakistani Punjab]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fiaz |first=Hafiz Muhammad |last2=Akhtar |first2=Dr Sohail |last3=Rind |first3=Ayaz Ahmad |date=2021-12-31 |title=Socio-cultural Condition of South Punjab: A Case of Muzaffargarh District |url=https://www.irjei.com/index.php/irjei/article/view/27 |journal=International Research Journal of Education and Innovation |language=en |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=15–34 |doi=10.53575/irjei.v2.03(21)2.15-34 |issn=2710-0448}}</ref>

== Origins ==
The earliest mention of origins of Kharals was by [[Pilu (poet)|Hazrat Pilu]], a 16-17th century poet who wrote Mirza Kharal as a [[Jat Muslim|Jat]] in his [[Mirza Sahiban|Kissa Mirza Sahiba]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mirza Sahiba,ਮਿਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਂ,مرزا صاحبہ، Mirza SaahibaaN, پنجابی , شاہ مکھی |url=https://punjabiandpunjab.com/Mirza-Sahiba-2.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=punjabiandpunjab.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_pn_15529/page/n3/mode/1up |title=Kissa Mirza Sahiba |publisher=Punjab Digital Library |language=pa}}</ref>

The second earliest source being the 17th century Sufi Poet [[Ranjha (clan)|Hafiz Barkhurdar Ranjha]] who in his version of Qissa Mirza Sahiban also referred to Mirza Kharal as [[Jat Muslim|Jat]] multiple times.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shahmukhi eBook : Qissa Mirza Sahiban |url=https://apnaorg.com/books/shahmukhi/qissa-mirza-sahiban/book.php?fldr=book |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=apnaorg.com}}</ref>

The earliest [[British Raj|Bristish Raj]] sources recorded Kharals as [[Jat Muslim|Jats]] and observed [[Rajputisation]] of some of the population afterwards.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Khurshaid Mohammad |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.12888/page/3/mode/1up |title=Final report of the fourth revised settlement (1923-1927) of the Gujranwala district |date=1927 |publisher=Lahore, Superintendent, Government Printing}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.1902/mode/1up |title=Government Records Punjab--Mutiny Records Correspondence part 1 |date=1911}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.pahar.1903/page/n3/mode/1up |title=Government Records Punjab--Mutiny Records Correspondence part 2 |date=1911}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Balfour |first=Edward Green |url=https://archive.org/details/cyclopaediaofind02balfuoft/page/552/mode/1up?q=Kharal |title=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 |date=1885 |publisher=London B. Quaritch |others=Robarts - University of Toronto}}</ref>Additionally, Kharals were also designated as a [[Martial race]] being known for their bravery and fierceness.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barua |first=Pradeep |date=1995 |title=Inventing Race: The British and India's Martial Races |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24449614 |journal=The Historian |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=107–116 |doi=10.1111/j.1540-6563.1995.tb00942.x |jstor=24449614 |issn=0018-2370|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== History ==
[[Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal]] is a historical personality, who was the chieftain of the Kharal tribe, who revolted against the British in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miraj |first=Muhammad Hassan |date=2013-04-22 |title=Kharal and Berkley II |url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/793732/kharal-and-berkley-ii |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sargana |first=Turab ul Hassan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ERW4zQEACAAJ&q=rai+ahmad+khan+kharal |title=Punjab and the War of Independence 1857-1858 from Collaboration to Resistance |date=2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-070184-0 |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Ahmad Khan Kharral Tomb.jpg|thumb|274x274px|left|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 Jutt|Mirza Jatt]] ,'' son of the chief of the Kharal of [[Danabad]], who falls in love with his cousin Sahiban, of the [[Sial tribe|Sial]] tribe.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Banga |first=Indu |title=Precolonial and Colonial Punjab: Society, Economy, Politics, and Culture: Essays for Indu Banga |publisher=Manohar |year=2005 |isbn=9788173046544 |editor-last=Grewal |editor-first=Reeta |pages=171 |chapter=Appendix - The Story of Mirza and Sahiban in Pilu's Narrative |quote=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 ... |editor-last2=Pall |editor-first2=Sheena}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Muhammad Hassan Miraj |title=The ballad of Mirza Saheba'n |date=1 April 2013 |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/799489/the-ballad-of-mirza-saheban |newspaper=Dawn (newspaper) |access-date=14 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="Duggal 1979 p.17">{{cite book |last=Duggal |first=K.S. |title=Folk Romances of Punjab |publisher=Marwah |year=1979 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D1JeAAAAIAAJ |access-date=2022-09-26 |page=17 |quote=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}}</ref> To date there have been many film adaptations in both [[Pakistan]] and [[India]] of the Story of Mirza and Sahiban.<ref name="Bali 2016">{{cite web |last=Bali |first=Karan |title=Before 'Mirzya', Mirza and Sahiban have died over and over again for their love |website=Scroll.in |date=2016-09-13 |url=https://scroll.in/reel/816380/before-mirzya-mirza-and-sahiban-have-died-over-and-over-again-for-their-love |access-date=2022-09-26}}</ref>

== Subclans ==
The Kharals have numerous subclans, some of which include Basheraky, Mangera, Sherakhy, Gogairah, Lakherah, Uperah, Perokah, Begekeh,<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=Muhammad Sajid |last2=Mohyuddin |first2=Zafar |last3=Naz |first3=Humera |date=30 June 2019 |title=District of Montgomery (Sahiwal) in Nineteenth Century: A Historical Study |url=http://jlcc.spcrd.org/index.php/jlcc/article/view/4 |journal=Journal of Languages |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=48, 49 |issn=2708-3748 |doi=10.47067/jlcc.v1i1.4|doi-broken-date=2 June 2025 }}</ref> Randhairah, Lalhairah, Ruberah, Sahi, Lodikeh, Dehar, Churiarah, [[Khar (tribe)|Khar]], Bhandrah, Daulkeh, Sherkeh, Baira and Gogerah,

*'''Khar''' ([[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]: کھر) is a [[Jat Muslim|Jat]] sub-clan of Kharals found in [[Pakistan]] in districts of Multan and Montgomery<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ibbetson |first1=Sir Denzil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1QmrSwFYe60C&dq=khar+jat&pg=PA494 |title=Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province |last2=Maclagan |date=December 1996 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0505-3 |language=en}}</ref> and is considered among the prominent tribes of [[Muzaffargarh District]].<ref>{{cite journal
| last1 =Fiaz | first1 =Hafiz Muhammad | last2 =Akhtar | first2 =Sohail | last3 =Rind | first3 =Ayyaz Ahmad | title =Socio-cultural Condition of South Punjab: A Case of Muzaffargarh District  | url =http://www.irjei.com/index.php/irjei/article/view/27 | journal =Research Journal of Education and Innovation (Pakistan) | date =31 December 2021 | volume =2 | issue =3 | pages = 21, 22 | issn =}}</ref> They are a branch of the larger Kharal tribe<ref name="Haider pp. 179">{{cite journal |last=Haider |first=Karim |date=2017-12-31 |title=Impact of Politico-economic Changes on the Resettlement of Kharal Tribe in Punjab |journal=Pakistan Social Sciences Review |publisher=Fatima Gohar Educational and Welfare Society |volume=1 |issue=II |pages=179 |doi=10.35484/pssr.2017(1-ii)15 |issn=2664-0422 |doi-access=free}}</ref> and multiple legends exist as to why their name was shortened from ''Kharal'' to ''Khar''.<ref name="Durrani Hoffer Hoffer 1995 p.22,23">{{cite book | last1=Durrani | first1=T. | last2=Hoffer | first2=W. | last3=Hoffer | first3=M.M. | title=My Feudal Lord | publisher=Corgi | series=Corgi Books | year=1995 | isbn=978-0-552-14239-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PsT8VpkAU1wC | language=en | access-date=2022-09-28 | page=22,23}}</ref><ref name="Kamran 2022">{{cite web | last=Kamran | first=Tahir | title=Rabbani Khar and the politics of altruism - Political Economy | website=thenews.com.pk | date=2022-01-30 | url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/929086-rabbani-khar-and-the-politics-of-altruism | access-date=2022-09-29}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
* [[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]], [[Central Superior Services|Civil Services]] Officer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Former minister Khalid Kharal passes away |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/226517-Former-minister-Khalid-Kharal-passes-away |access-date=2023-11-23 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Naseem Kharal]], Sindhi landlord and short story writer.
* [[Rai Mansab Ali Khan (politician, born 1948)|Rai Mansab Ali Khan]], Provincial Minister for Social Welfare, former Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Punjab Assembly {{!}} Members - Members' Directory |url=https://www.pap.gov.pk/members/profile/en/20/1048 |access-date=2023-11-23 |website=www.pap.gov.pk}}</ref>
* [[Ghulam Mustafa Khar]], feudal lord, [[Governor of Punjab, Pakistan|Governor of Punjab]], [[Chief Minister of Punjab (Pakistan)|Chief Minister of Punjab]].
* [[Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar]], Member of National Assembly of Pakistan.
* [[Hina Rabbani Khar]], [[Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Pakistan)|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 Mujtaba Kharal|Rai Ghulam Mujtaba Kharal]], Member of National Assembly of Pakistan.
* [[Rai Usman Khan|Rai Usman Khan Kharal]], Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.
* [[Rai Haider Ali Khan|Rai Haider Ali Khan Kharal]], Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.
* [[Naeem Ahmed Kharal]], Member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh.

== References==
{{reflist}}

==External links‌==
*‌[https://www.dawn.com/news/802754 Kharal and Berkley (19th century British ‌India) on Dawn (newspaper‌)]

{{Surname|Kharal}}
{{Rajput Groups}}
{{Gotras of Jats|state=collapsed}}
{{Ethnic groups, tribes and clans of the Punjab}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kharal (surname)}}
[[Category:Surnames]]
[[Category:Jat clans of Punjab]]
[[Category:Jat clans of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Rajput clans of Punjab]]
[[Category:Punjabi-language surnames]]