Khawaja Shaikh
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Khawaja Shaikh (Arabic: خواجہ شيخ ) are a community of traders in Punjab, Pakistan.
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[edit] Conversion to Islam
The Khawaja originally from the western districts of the Punjab. They converted from Hinduism to Islam and belong to the Khatri and Arora classes. Khawaja is a term derived from the (Arabic and (Persian meaning "a wealthy, respectable person".
Although conversions to Islam in the Punjab started in the 11th century, it is uncertain when the Khatri and Arora traders embraced Islam. The earliest reference to Khawajas in the Punjab literature is in the Heer Ranjha of Waris Shah (1735-1790):
- The beauty of her [Heer's] red lips slays rich Khawajas and Khatris in bazaar, like Qizilbash [Afghan soldiers] troopers riding out of the royal camp into bazaar with a sword.
These verses of Heer Ranjha, written by Waris Shah in 1766, describe the conditions of the post-Mughal Punjab. Khatris and Khawajas occupied an important place in the economy of the Punjabi towns. This was probably the earliest reference to the emerging role of Hindu and Muslim Khatris as rich traders, instead of performing their Vedic functions as fighters and governors. Some of the Khatris and Aroras converted as late as 1947 [1]
[edit] Khawajas in the census
The first census of the Punjab was conducted by Ibbetson and MacLagan in 1883 and 1892. According to their reports, the Khawajas of Bhera in Shahpur, Sargodha District were converted from Khatris, and those from Jhang were said to be converted from Arora. At Chiniot in Jhang District, the Khawajas are mainly Khatris, though some are Arora. They reported the following sections (gotras) of Khatris from Chiniot:
Adal, Behrara, Churra, Maggun (or Maghoon), Sahgal, Wadhaun (or Vadhavan), Wihara, Talwar, Puri, Topra.
The following Arora sections were reported from Chiniot:
Tarneja, Goruwala, Khurana, Dhingra, Chawala.
The sections of Khawajas from Bhera were reported as follows:
Vohra, Sahgal, Kapur, Sethi, Duggal, Rawar (or Ror), Gorwala, Magun, Mehndru, Motali. These are all Khatri sections.
The Khawajas of Layyah, Punjab have following Khatri sections:
Kapur, Puri, Tandan and Gambhir.[2]
[edit] Chiniotis and Saigols
Khawaja Shaikhs of Chiniot, a town of Jhang District, known as Chiniotis, are some of the leading industrialists of Pakistan. Most of these families started in the leather and hide trade in undivided India. Due to religious reasons, Hindus never ventured into this field. The Khawajas migrated as far as Kolkata in the late 19th or early 20th century and started business. After independence in 1947, they diversified into other industries such as textiles, ginning, chemicals, shipping, engineering, etc. As per a survey in 1970,[3] there were five Chinioti groups—Colony, Crescent, Nishat, Mannos and Maulabakhash—in the top 42 groups registered on the Karachi Stock Exchange. In 1997 this number increased to 14 out of 45 groups.
The Sahgals (or Saigals) from Chakwal are another leading business family of Pakistan. They are related to the Chinioti families through marriage. The Saigols are known as Punjabi Shaikh instead of Khawaja Shaikh. See also Punjabi Khatri and Punjabi Shaikh.
[edit] Distinguished Khawaja Shaikhs
- Aftab Ahmed Vohra, Chief Executive of Vohra Group of Industries
- Mian Mohammad Mansha, Chairman of Nishat Group of Industries
[edit] References
- ^ Bridging a Great Divide, India Today, August 18, 1997.
- ^ Ibbetson, Denzil; Edward MacLagan and H.A. Rose. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province, vol. II, 1911, pp. 537-538.
- ^ Shahid-ur-Rehman, "Who Owns Pakistan?", online publication
