Kharal

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The Kharal (Urdu: کھرل ) is a Muslim Rajput tribe living in Sandal Bar in the Punjab, Pakistan. Kharals are called Jats by some historians. The hero of romantic poem Mirza Sahiban, Mirza was a Kharal and is known as Mirza Jat all over the Punjab region. Even the Kharal tribes came from East Punjab in 1947 still identify themselves with Jats. Three gotras Ghik, Kakar and Dhaula, of Kharal Jats are very known.

[edit] Origin and History

Kharals claim descent from the legendary Karna of the Mahabharata, whose descendant, Bhupa came to Uch Sharif in the 13th century, where he along with his son Kharral were converted to Islam by Makhdoom Jahanian Shah. From Uch, the Kharrals spread over the country around the Ravi. Like the Sials, they were at first mainly a pastoral tribe but in 14th century, Kamal Khan refounded an old town which has been identified by General James Cunningham as one of the strongholds of Malli captured by Alexander The Great. It was named Kot Kamalia in honour of Kamal Khan and since then, has been the head quarters of the Lakhera clan of Kharrals.

[edit] The Lakhera Kharrals

The Lakhera clan was never numerically strong but it attained certain amount of importance during the reign of Aurangzeb, when Saadat Yar Khan, the then chief of Kamalia, obtained a jagir from the Emperor. It was however, at this time, that Walidad Sial overran Kamalia, and settled the Mardana and Tarhana Sials on the Ravi. Some of the Kharals even moved towards Multan Faisalabad and Hafizabad then further south to Sindh.in all these areas kharals are politically well extablished and Mostly landlords.