The Jarral Rajputs (Urdu: جـرال راجپوت, also spelled Jaral. Jarral, Jerral) are a Muslim Rajput tribe of Azad Kashmir and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. They are well known for being the last longest ruling royal dynasty of Rajouri in Kashmir which only ended in the mid 19th century with the advent of the British Raj.
They hold the title of Raja, which is their ancestral royal title since the times of the Mahabharata as well as the title of Mirza, which was conferred upon them by the Mughal emperor of India, Shah Jahan.
They ruled Rajouri through various successive rulers and also played a major part in the development of the region of Rajouri, until the modern day.
The Jarrals are descendants of the ancient Pandavas through prince Arjuna, who was the valiant and brave hero of the Mahabharata. His grandson, Maharaja Parikshit, the Emperor of Hastinapur, was assassinated by the Naga (serpent) people. Upon his death, his eldest son, Janamejaya was made the Emperor of Hastinapur.
Emperor Janamejaya's younger brother, Prince Kakshasena established a separate independent kingdom at Indraprastha, which later rose to become a dominant force in its own right.[1]
With the passage of time, the Bactrian and Scythian invasions of northern India, this Pandava branch established a kingdom at Kalanaur in what is now the modern-day district of Gurdaspur in Punjab (India) establishing the first capital of the Jarral Dynasty.
Jarral Rajputs are known as the descendants of the Pandavas and their branch was named after their apical ancestor, Raja Jir Rao, a Rajput descendant of the Pandavas of the Mahabharata. The Jarrals are therefore a brother tribe to the illustrious Janjua Rajputs of Punjab.[2]
Kalanaur was later captured in the 12th century by the armies of the Ghorid Empire after a battle with the Jarral Rajas. Jarral Rule over Rajouri was the longest in history-almost 647 years. this is the longest any dynasty rules in united India or in its Princely states.
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Raja Nooruddin Khan attacked the kingdom of Rajouri in Kashmir and captured it in the year 1194 AD. The Jarrals established the 1st Muslim rule over Rajouri, which lasted for six hundred and fifty years.
After the death of Raja Sher Afgan Khan, Noor-Ud-Din Khan became the Raja. Since the family had lost its relationship with other Rajput Rajas and Hindu Jarrals, they became weakened and decided to move to Kashmir. In 1194 AD, they under the garb of traders and hunters came to a beautiful place called Rajouri also known as Rajaur. They loved the mountains and miles and miles of flower beds in the area. They made up their mind to settle here. In the course of time, through their sources observed the administration of Raja Amna Paul of Rajaur for sometime and then carried out a night attack on the city of Rajouri. The Jarrals ruled Rajouri for over 670 years and extended their area through many expeditions against the neighboring mouzaz. The State of Rajouri had its borders up to Munawar in the South where River Chenab and River Tawi meet near Marala, Poonch on the North-West and the State of Jammu border on the East. Many battles were fought against the ruler of Jammu before the Treaty of Amritsar in 1846. The Jarrals were exiled as they kept fighting the Dogras and Maharaja was under the constant fear of losing Kashmir if other Muslim Rajput clans in Kashmir decided to join in with the fearsome Jarrals resulting in a deadly combination that would have had ripped apart the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the British came to their rescue and defeated the Jarral aspirations. Since the Jarrals kept fighting the Dogras and did not accept the dogra rule, the British decided to move the Jarrals to Rehlu in district Kangra in the Punjab. To compensate the lost Rajouri State, the Jarrals were awarded the territory of Rehlu. Emperor Jehangir had died at Rajouri and his vital organs are buried there.
During this period, the Jarral Dynasty enjoyed a revenue of Rs 300,000 per annum. They were also recorded as being fair to all their subjects irrespective of caste or creed. In fact, many Hindus were employed in senior positions of government and received rewards for their services to the Jarral rulers.
In 1349, Shah Mir became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir and inaugurated the Salatin-i-Kashmir or Swati dynasty. For the next five centuries, Muslim monarchs ruled Kashmir, including the Mughals, who ruled from 1526 until 1751, then the Afghan Durrani Empire that ruled from 1747 until 1820. Jarral Dynasty in Rajouri was never challeneged by any outside force or different rulers up to 1820. No taxation/ changes were imposed on Jarral rule by any Hindu or Muslim ruler over Kashmir. Jarrals lived in harmony with other castes and religions. That year, the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh, annexed Kashmir and the struggle between the Sikhs and Jarrals began.
The Jarral Rajas of Rajouri accepted Mughal rule and even helped the Mughals in their conquests of the country.During this time the title 'Mirza' was conferred to Jarrals for bravery and assistace in the Mughal's conquests. Raja Mast Khan, a Jarral ruler received lands yielding revenues of Rs. 50,000 from the Mughal Emperor Akbar for his services rendered in conquests and campaigns.
A few inter-marriages took place between Royal Jarrals and Royal Mughals during this era.This was due to both clans understanding the need to remain and share of power hence allowing both sides men to marry opposite clans women. It brought them power, respect and stability. Although many Jarrals were married to Mughal women but they were not highly ranked Moghals while Shah Jahan requested the Jarral King, Raja Tajuddin Khan for the hand of his daughter, princess Nawab Bai Begum (also known as Raj Mahal Begum) for the Mughal prince, Muhiuddin Muhammed (who later became Emperor Aurangzeb). Nawab Bai was the only lady of Jarrals with status to marry into the Moghals. She was the second wife of Emperor Aurangzeb and bore two sons and a daughter namely Muhammad Sultan and Moazzam Shah a.k.a. Shah Alam Bahadur Shah-1. He became the Emperor of Mughal Empire after the death of Aurangzeb. The name of the daughter was Badarunnisa who died at the age of 19 years in 1673 and was a very pious princess. Prince Mohammad Sultan who was the eldest son died in 1676 in a supervised detention as he had revolted against his father Emperor Aurangzeb.
Majority of Muslim Rajputs use their ancient hereditary title of Raja. Although some tribes such as the Varya Rajputs (also known as Rana Rajputs) use the title Rana; other tribes also use Kunwar and Rai. These titles all originated from the ancient word Rajanya.
Many Muslim Rajputs were also conferred titles by the Delhi Sultans and the Mughal Emperors such as Malik (Royal King), Sheikh (elder) Nawab (Governor), Sardar, Khan, Chaudhry and Mirza i.e. Prince of the blood.
It was not uncommon for such titles to continue down the line of descent. Although the majority of Muslim Rajputs use Raja as their ancestral title, some also adopted the Persian title of Mirza instead of Rajput to distinguish their Muslim identity from their previous Hindu one as it is a Persian word meaning prince of the blood. Although the Rajputs of the Jarral dynasty were ordained as Mirza's after they rendered their services and acts of bravery during the Moghal conquests.
The period of the rise of the Sikhs to prominence and the Jarrals' relationship with them was one of turbulence, resistance, support and eventually rebellion.
In 1813, Raja Aghar Khan, came into conflict with Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He resisted, but was defeated, captured and later died in prison. His brother, Raja Rahimullah Khan was allowed a Jagir (estate) of 12,000 rupees.
In 1839-40, Raja Rahim Ullah Khan, Raja of Rajaur deputed his son Mirza Yahya Khan to lead a force of 500 men from Rajauri to accompany the Khalsa Force and the British Army to Peshawar and Kabul to suppress the uprising of the Afghans. Rajauri Force under his command successfully accomplished tasks of maintaining peace in the area of Ali Masjid where it stayed for about six months.
In 1845, on the request of Lahore Darbar, Mirza Yahya Khan led Rajauri Force of 1000 men placed under Sheikh Imam-Ud-Din's brigade to assist two armies of Prime Minister Raja Lal Singh and Sardar Tej Singh poised for the battles at Moodkee and Ferozshah against the British. The battle of Moodkee was fought on December 18, 1845, between the British, 12,000 strong, with 42 guns, under Sir Hugh Gough, and the Sikhs joined by their allies 30,000 strong, with 40 guns, under Sardar Tej Singh. The British loss was 872 killed and wounded, among the former being Generals M'Caskill and Sir Robert Sale. Mirza Yahya Khan was wounded during the battle at Moodkee.
On December 20, 1845, after the battle of Moodkee, Rajauri Force was quickly moved to join Lal Singh's army near Ferozshah. The combined forces of Sikhs and their allies fought with valor and determination. British Forces were contemplating laying down their arms and victory was a step away when Raja Lal Singh, the Prime Minister of the Punjab rode away from his Sikh and Allied Forces an act abhor by the Punjabis and the historians even today.
Excerpts from the book "The Last Sunset" Battle of Ferozshah
Governor General Sir Henry Hardinge and C-in-C General Sir Hugh Gough were quite aware that army's morale was low and would not stand another attack by the Sikh army.
Assuming the worst, Governor General Sir Hardinge sent instructions to his political Secretary Robert Cust and Frederick Currie to destroy all papers of the state.
While jubilant war cries of the Sikhs 'Jaikaras' and Muslims 'Allah Ho Akbar' intermingled with the blowing of the bugles and beating of the drums rang out above the sounds of the battle indicated victory over the British.
Brig Asburnham recorded later, 'I paced up and down and thought how the very fate of the British Empire seemed hanging on a thread'
At that moment of victory on the night of 21/22 December, Lal Singh abandoned his army and left Ferozshah along with Ghorcharras. The Sikh army still fought bravely expecting Sardar Tej Singh to join the battle with his army which he never did. Both had already connived with the British that they will abort from the battle field if assured protection.
Commander-in-Chief General Sir Hugh Gough writes:
"Policy, however, precluded me publicly recording my sentiments on the splendid gallantry of our fallen foe, or to record the acts of heroism displayed not only individually, but almost collectively by the Sikh Sardars and army; I declare, were it not from a deep conviction that my country's good required the sacrifice, I would have wept to have witnessed the fearful slaughter of so devoted body of men".
Punjab would have had remained independent and out of the clutches of the British, had it not been the treacherous acts of Raja Lal Singh (Prime Minister of Punjab) and General Sardar Tej Singh commanding combined forces of Sikhs and its allies. One rode away and the former ordered retreat converting Victory into Defeat.
Raja Rahimullah Khan made friends with the Maharaja and was employed in many military expeditions, including one against Kashmir which proved successful, and for which he received a jagir worth Rs 50,000. This was held by him until his expatriation in 1841, when he made an assassination attempt on the life of the Dogra chieftain, Maharaja Gulab Singh
—Punjab Chiefs[3]
In March 1846 AD, after the defeat of the Sikhs in the First Anglo-Sikh War, under the terms of "The Treaty of Amritsar", Maharaja Gulab Singh bought the whole of Kashmir from the British, which included the Rajouri Kingdom.Two Muslims rulers (Jarrals from Rajouri and Chibbs from Bimber) fought with the Dogra Rulers and were defeated. Other Muslim rulers of other estates neither aided other independent rulers nor rebelled against the Dogras. This defeat resulted in Jarral Royal family being relocated to punjab away from Rajouri.
The outgoing Royal Jarrals negotiated special concession with the Dogras and British Raj in which all Jarrals would remain in Rajouri except immediate ruling family who would move to new land provided in Punjab. The Jarrals who stayed in Rajouri would carried on their normal ranks in administration (Zaildari Nazam)under this agreement.
Raja Faqirullah bought Musaman Burj from the British Government at a price of Rs 5000 the same year. Musaman Burj is located on the northern end of the city of Wazirabad. It consisted of approximately 15 acres (61,000 m2). There were 6 acres (24,000 m2) of gardens in the center with walkways to reach the residence. On the northern end of Musaman Burj, a tributary of the Chenab known as the Pulkhu flowed. As per history, Musaman Burj was built before the time of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Raja Faqirullah further constructed a rest house for his stay while travelling to Kashmir with his wife, Queen Noorjehan. Sir Lepel H. Griffin said he owned 432 acres (1.75 km2) acres in the Mitranwali and Nika Khel villages, Tahsil Daska, Sialkot, and about 100 acres (0.40 km2) in Radal, Tahsil Wazirabad, Gujranwala.[4]
He was also an Honorary Magistrate at Wazirabad and a Provincial Darbari of Gujranwala. In 1877, he was conferred with the title of Khan Bahadur. He died in 1889.
It was said of Raja Faqirullah Khan:
A friend, once foe, Raja Faqirullah Khan is a well-behaved and respectable man, the third-born son of the Raja of Rajouri in Kashmir, opposed us in the field four years ago like a man and has since conducted himself in his fallen condition like a gentleman.
— Sir H.M. Lawrence, Lahore, February 21, 1850
His full rank of distinction was H.E. Sardar Bahadur Lieutenant Colonel Raja Ataullah Khan. He was the elder son of Raja Faqirullah Khan and was born in 1836 in the city of Rajouri. An excellent horseman with a strong personality, he had joined the British Army with his Jarral Horsemen and became part of the Hodson's Horse. He was a tall, brave and a handsome man. He served in the Hodson's Horse and 9/10 Bengal Lancers. Wounded many a times, he was a much decorated soldier of his time. His awards included Order of British India (OBI) and Order of Merit (OM) for valour and bravery. After his death in 1903 when East India Company was Chartered by the Queen and India became part of the British Empire, Order of Merit was converted into Victoria Cross. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and in the year 1885, became the British envoy (Ambassador) to Afghanistan. He was also conferred the title of Sardar Bahadur by the British.
He took part in the Second Afghan War, receiving the Orders of Merit and Order of British India. In special acknowledgement of his services, a grant of six hundred acres in Rukhanwala, Tahsil Kasur, Lahore, was to him and his heirs in perpetuity. He was subsequently promoted to the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in his Regiment, the 10th Bengal Lancers...for his services at Kabul, he received the personal title of 'Raja' (though he never inherited the title)
—Punjab Chiefs[5]
He was the first Muslim ever to be designated as a British Ambassador. He married the daughter of the Nawab of Farakhabad and sister of Nawab Muhammad Nyaz Khan Bangash located in UP,India. Nawab Mohammad Nyaz Khan Bangash was exiled to Makkah for strongly supporting his people against the Britishers in 1857. Sardar Bahadur Raja Ataullah Khan encouraged his clansmen to join the Civil Service and the Armed Forces. He played a major part in bringing the Jarrals together was able to unite many of the family members who had chosen to live in Rehlu, during the period of their exile. He died in 1903, a highly decorated officer of his time.
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