| Jatt Clan: Nagyal | |
| Distribution | Punjab (Pakistan), Azad Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab (India) |
| Descended from: | Kushans Jats |
| Branches: | None |
| Religion | Islam, Hindusim and Sikhism |
| Languages | Punjabi and Pothohari |
| Titles: | Chaudhary, Raja, Sardar |
Nagyal, sometimes pronounced as Nangyal and also written as Nagial are a Rajput-Jat tribe found mainly in Rawalpindi District, Gujar Khan, Daultala, Jhelum and Gujrat Districts of Punjab, Mirpur District of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. They are also as Hindu Nagyal Jatt tribes in Jammu in Indian-administered Kashmir.
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HISTORY AS PRESUMED AMONGST PAKISTANI NAGYALS
The tribe originates from Manhas Rajputs.[1] Nagyals are originally Suryavanshi Rajput clan from the Punjab region and Jammu and Kashmir in India and Pakistan. It is an off-shoot of Jamwal-Dogra Rajputs, the founders of the city and state of Jammu and its rulers from ancient times to 1948. Both Nagyal Rajputs and Manhas or Minhas Rajputs are from the same bloodline. The word "Nagyal" originated from 'Nag' (Urdu translation for cobra – also a well known word in Dravidian/Tamil. Naga pambu is a hooded snake, meaning cobra), backed by a shockingly interesting event quite a while back. One day, a mother left her son asleep in a jungle and went to collect wood, on her return she was amazed to see her infant playing with cobra. The little boy was kissing the big snake, and in return, it was rendering protection for the boy. The rest of the family members witnessed the event. Everyone of that clan vowed not to kill a snake ever in the future. Since then, there are rare reports (if any) of this clan's members to have been bitten by a snake. Hence they are referred to as "Nagyals" (those Rajputs and Jatts who do not kill snakes). Today, the majority of this tribe is serving in the Pakistan army especially in the Pakistan air force.
HISTORY OF NAGYALS AS PRESERVED BY THE CLAN THAT MIGRATED INTO INDIA
The term Nagyal is derived from Nag-wale meaning “From/of Nag”. Nag itself is pronounced as Nug (rhyming with jug or mug). Consequently, the attempts by some to take out a link with the Nag (cobra) snake and build a legend around it is incorrect. Nagyals as a community are spread over a vast region – from Pakistan (Jhelum Valley - Chhamb ) to India (Naushera – Akhnoor, Vijaypur – Kathua, all in J&K state). Nagyals who stayed on in Pakistan on partition have converted to Islam due to various reasons while those who migrated to India remain Hindus / Sikhs. Historical records of 2 Century AD indicate the area around Jelalabad (Afghanistan) being known as Nagarhar (pronounced Nugur-arh) under the famed Ashoka Empire. Originally settled here, once the clans started migrating outwards, they began to be called as Nag-wale, which later changed into Nagyal. While most of the current concentration is seen in the Jhelum-Jammu belt, migrations also seem to have progressed along the Himalayas – note Namgyals of Leh, Tibet & Bhutan. Located at the center of historical confluences, Nagyals have Yavana, Hun & Kushan roots – all clans that migrated from Central Asia except for Yavanas (who have indo-Macedonian ancestry linked to Alexander of Greece). Consequently, there is a prominently Caucasian ethnicity with light traces of Mongloid features. But the mixed fair and dark complexion indicates an interaction with tribes / clans from Rajasthan / Chandravanshi tribes (As per James Todd, around the same period, a total of 36 royal tribes moved in from central Asia to settle in NW India – of these, 35 were Rajputs & one Jats; the latter were the biggest group and most diverse). Typically families have shades of all builds indicating that the clan has migrated over some distance and extensively intermingled with others. Nagyals have two sub-castes based on their origin – Saamkariyé Nagyals, and Rubaiyé Nagyals. The former have a darker complexion as compared to the latter. It is generally presumed that Saamkariyé Nagyals may have originated from Samarkand, just North of Jelalabad while the latter from somewhere further West (Afghanistan). All Nagyals are considered as blood relatives and treated as brothers / sisters. Even the children of a Nagyal mother (married to any other caste) are considered as brothers/sisters. The caste is now spread across the three major religions in Pakistan & Northern India i.e. Hindus, Muslims & Sikhs. The traditions of Kul-Devta and Kul-Guru indicate an original Hindu link. In fact, until early 20th century, Nagyals were Hindus; conversion to Sikhism was linked to the British Army’s policy of enrolling Jat Sikhs in Punjab and Jats in Haryana. Since the Jhelum Valley – Chhamb belt was located on the Northern edge of Punjab but fell under the jurisdiction of J&K, the British had no formal record of Jats in the region. As a result, a significant section of the community converted to Sikhism and enrolled in the British Army. It became a common practice for one son to convert to Sikhism later. Military service is a tradition which continues today– both for Indian and Pakistani Armies. Later, on partition, the segment of the clan which stayed back in Pakistan converted to Islam while the Indian segment remains a mix of Hindus and Sikhs – the identity of the Jat caste uniting them. At present, there are three kul-devta temples in India where Nagyals collect on a half yearly basis – Naushera (North of Akhnoor), Sai (South of Bishnah in Jammu) and Rajpura (near Kathua).
Nagyal Dogra Rajputs are mostly found in the Jammu & Mirpur area and in the Potohar Plateau region right through Daultala, Gujar Khan and Jhelum uptil Gujarat.
Here are the names of some villages Mohra Nagyal in Islamabad Capital Territory Rawalpindi District, except the mountainous tehsil of Murree.
Nagyal (named purely after the clan), District Mirpur AJK. Mandi Majuwa, District Gujarat.
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