Karlal

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Karlal (also known as Kard'al, Karaal, Karhral, or Kiraal) is a tribe found in the Abbottabad and Haripur districts of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan^{[citation needed]}. Karlal territory borders on both Kashmir and Punjab.

The tribe trace their descent from chief Sardar Kallar Shah^{[citation needed]}, who is believed to have come from southern Afghanistan, and from Alexander the Great^{[citation needed]}. The various names of the tribe, 'Karrlal', 'Karaal', etc., are derived from the name karal or karaak which means ``the strength`` or bitter or straightforward, signifying military character of a person. In Haripur and Abbottabad, they are known as Sardar because during the time of the Dehli Sultanate (1206 -1296 AD) they became the sardars (meaning "leaders") of this area^{[citation needed]}. Although the Sardari system is now obsolete^{[citation needed]}, the name prevails due to extensive usage by local peoples, including other tribes who prefer to refer Karlals as sardars. The majority of the people of the Karlal tribe are secular Sunni Muslim^{[citation needed]}. Karlals have a liberal social structure and have accepted cross marriages with other tribes, including Pashtuns and Punjabis^{[citation needed]}. This has led to an ethnic blend within the community, which now constitutes 30% of the population of the district of Abbottabad^{[citation needed]}. They are a Hindko speaking tribe.

[edit] Notable Karlals

Notable members of this tribe are Sardar Raza (Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan), Sardar Yakob Khan (Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament of Pakistan) Sardar Nasir Rehman (of bunj,berian galli and Sardar Hadiar Zaman Khan Nazim (Head of the district of Abbottabad).

[edit] References

• The Punjab Chiefs by Sir Lepel H. Griffin
• Tareekh-E-Frish
• Tareekh-E-Hazara by Badhar Khan
• Tareekh-E-Bani Aees by Sardar Iqbal Khan
• Tareekh-E-Karral by Nasir Khan Karral