Khetran

The Khetran (Balochi: کھیتران) is a Baloch tribe mostly in Balochistan, Pakistan. Their language is the Khetrani language which is spoken only by their tribe.

They are concentrated in Barkhan District and Kohlu District of Balochistan and, Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab,

History

Early history of District Barkhan is obscure, however, it is said that this area remained under Muslim Rulers and conquerors of Kandahar and India. The Khetrans country was one of the sub-districts of Sewistan and of the Hind Province of Tatta. In Akbar's time it was called Janjah. This area was inhabited by a jat community of balochs, who, apparently, had mixed with a small Pathan tribe which had migrated from Vihowa (Dera Ghazi Khan district) under Muhammad Khan, who assumed the title of the Khetrans.According to oral history among Khetrans they took a guest in from the east during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar, later it transpired that their guest was a convicted man in the Mughal Court. The Mughals asked for the man (known as Ram Sunara, Sunara means goldsmith) to be returned but the Khetrans refused as he was their guest and they had to provide him with protection. As a result Akbar sent an army to Vehowa to deal with the Khetrans. Khetrans lost thousands of lives in the conflict. Some of them fled to present day Barkhan District where they still live. The remains of some castles and a place known as "Ram Sunara Da Thala" still exists 10 km from Vehowa in another village known as Litra. This is the place where Ram Sunara was provided sanctuary.

When the Lath-Afghans were ousted from Barkhan, it is said the descendants of Isa ruled, but they were not good administrators and after a good deal of fighting among the Khetrans for many years, at last Mir Girazo Khan Mazarani was made Sardar of the Khetrans. He was succeeded by his son Mir Bakhtiar Khan and Mir Bakhtiar Khan was succeeded by Mir Haji Khan, whose rule is memorable among the Khetrans for a defeat which he inflicted on the Zhob Kakars. Mir Haji Khan was succeeded by a few nominal chiefs. Mir Haji Khan was a strong man and the Khetrans prospered under him. He also took revenge on the defeat of the Khetrans from Marris by destroying. The fort at Mawand of Karam Khan Mir Bijrani Marri. Mir Haji Khan died leaving three sons: Mir Umar Khan, Nawab Mir Khan and Mir Balu Khan. Yet he was succeeded by his brother Sayed Khan, who was elected by the Khetrans. He too died, leaving three sons: Mir Dost Muhammad, Mir Sorni Khan and Mir Kadir Bakhsh. Mir Syed Khan was succeeded by his brother Mir Balul Khan. Mir Babul Khan was however opposed by Nawab Khan and Mir Kadir Bakhsh. Mir Kadir Bakhsh went to the Marris and gave his stepmother in marriage to Gazan, the Marri Chief and led Marris Lashkar against the Khetrans, who lost a lot of lives and property during the fights.

Sir Rober Sandeman (then Deputy Commissioner, D.G. Khan), however, intervened and made peace between Mir Kadir Bakhsh and Mir Babul Khan. Babul Khan was a weak Sardar. He was succeeded by his son Mir Baluch Khan. The two cousins: Nawab Khan and Mir Kadir Bakhsh also remained hostile at Mir Baluch Khan and led a Marri Lashkar against the Khetrans and this fighting lasted for several months. Baluch Khan, however, made peace with Nawab Khan by marrying his mother, but he was still weakened by the hostile attitude of Kadir Bakhsh and many lives were lost on both sides. In 1880, the Khetrans submitted a petition to the British authorities at D.G Khan, offering to pay revenue and to be taken under British protection. The Khetrans country remained under the political control of the British authorities of D.G Khan from 1878 to 1883. In 1883, Mir Sardar Baluch Khan met Mr. Bruce, the Political Agent of Thaal Chotiali, with a Jirga of his tribesmen and the dispute between the Khetrans, Luni and Marris was settled.

In 1884, the Khetrans came under the authority of the Agent to the Governor General in Balochistan. The Leghari Burkhan circle, comprising two valleys Barkhan and Vitakari, was transferred from Punjab control to Balochistan control in 1884. This district was brought under the direct administration of Balochistan in 1887, when work on the construction of D.G Khan - Pishin Road was started and a Tehsildar was posted at Barkhan. In 1889, Barkhan tehsil was transferred to the Zhob Agency with headquarters at Loralai. This tehsil however was transferred again to Thal Chotaili Agency in 1892. In October, 1903, the Thal Chotaili and Zhob Agencies were remodelled and three new agencies; Sibi, Loralai and Zhob were created and the Barkhan Tehsil was transferred to the Loralai Agency.

In 1887, Sardar Mir Mehrab Khan (born about 1853) succeeded his father Sardar Mir Baluch Khan as Chief of the Khetrans. Owing to grave misconduct he was suspended as Sardari for two years and in the meantime his brother Mir Barkhtiar Khan acted as Sardar. He was however restored to his former position after the two years had passed. Mir Mehrab Khan was succeeded by his son Mir Shah Ghazi Khan. Mir Shah Ghazi Khan was a strong man. He used force in taking possession of agricultural lands belonging to other Khetrans. As a result, many leading Khetrans, including some Mazaranis, left Barkhan area as protest and went to D.G. Khan district in 1892. They however came back in 1933. Shah Ghazi Khan died in 1942 and his elder son Mir Muhammad Anwar Jan was made Sardar (Tumandar) of the Khetrans. He was elected member of the Provincial Assembly in 1970.

Sardar Mir Anwar Jan died in 1982. He was succeeded by his only son Mir Akbar Jan, but as he was a teenager so the brother of Sardar Mir Anwar jan, Mir Ahmed Shah was appointed as a temporary sardar of the tribe. In 1991 Akbar Jan was killed by his own tribesmen over a conflict of land by zakriani khetran. So In 1991 Ahmed Shah was appointed as the chief of khetran tribe. In 1993 Sardar Mir Ahmed Shah Khetran died due to heart attack leaving behind 3 sons named Mir Abdul Rehamn, Mir Abdul Karim and Mir Abdul Rahim. His eldest son Mir Abdul Rehman Khetran was appointed as the next chief of the khetran tribe according to the customs of the tribe. In 1995 the ruling tribe MAZRANI's were further disintegerated when the younger brother of Sardar Mir Abdul Rehamn Khetran was killed in the clashes between the Mazrani's over a certain dispute. So the bloodshed started once again in the district. In 1997 Sardar Mir Abdul Rehman Khetran was elected as Member of Provincial Assembly, and was appointed as the provincial minister for Industries. After serving as a minister of industries for a year he was appointed as a minister of Education. in 1999 after the coup of Gen.Pervaiz Musharraf Sardar Mir Abdul Rehman Khetran was banned from politics for a certain period due to his affiliation with PML-N. In 2002 His wife Mrs. Mir Nasreen Rehman Khetran was elected as the first Women from Baluchistan as an MPA. She was appointed as a minister of population and Zakat. In 2007 she once again got elected as an MPA and Minister. Till now she is serving as a minister of Balochistan

Area and population statistics

The total Khetran population is estimated to be between 125,000 to 150,000 individuals. Almost 80,000 individuals are situated in Barkhan District and 70,000 individuals are situated in Dera Ghazi Khan District. Many of them have migrated towards cities. The last confirmed statistics available of Khetran population are of 1998 census which records its population as 110,000 individuals. According to census of 1981–82 population of Khetrans in Dera Ghazi Khan District was 31897 individuals.

Detailed population and area statistics of major Khetran towns in Dera Ghazi Khan District around Vehowa are as follows according to 1981–82 census.

Serial Number	Town/Village	Area (acres)	Poulation (individuals)
1.	Vehowa	45359	12501
2.	Qaisrani Wala	1201	Not Determined
3.	Mathay Wali	9794	3280
4.	Litra	20696	4662
5.	Kuhar	8742	3868
6.	Jallu Wali	7343	2133
7.	Kutani	12844	3942
8.	Chatri	10980	1511

Kamalia

  1000
  5898

The population and area of Barkhan city and Barkhan District is not included here.

Clans

Khetrans are usually divided into two types of clans. First is the cast due to their geographical region and second clans is based on ancestral lineage.

The Khetrans situated in Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab are known as Dhara while the Khetrans situated in Barkhan District of Balochistan are known as Ispani'.

Clans divided on ancestral lineage are as follows:

1. Akwani / Akyani
2. Atlani
3. Bigrani / Bigra
4. Chacha
5. Chambarani / Macharani
6. Dehmani
7. Gigarani / Gigyani
8. Hakimani

1. Jankiani
2. Jamani / Jamalani
3. Kalkani
4. Lohme
5. Mahma
6. Mamani
7. Mazrani
8. Mubarak Walay
9. Mutakhal

1. Qasmani
2. Rotar
3. Salarani
4. Sueman
5. Umarani / Mehmodani
6. Wagga
7. Zakriani

 Chuta Khel
 Shino khel
 Bakhai

In case of two first is the Derajati or the pronunciation in Dera Ghazi Khan District while second in the pronunciation of Barkhan or the Balochi pronunciation. Famous khetran people

There are some famous khetran people who became famous in different fields of life.

3 Sardar Mir Abdurrehman khetran (ex member provincial assemble of Balochistan) 4 mir rasool baksh khetran zakriani (candidate of pml-n)

Khetran-Bugti relationships

In 1845 under the command of Sir Charles James Napier 7,000 men attacked the Bugtis, killing many of them. Khetrans provided sanctuary to hundreds of Bugtis who took refuge in their lands.^[1]

In 1847 Sir William attacked the Bugtis with full strength; this time the Bugtis lost 500 fighting men and 120 got arrested. Marris took the opportunity and also attacked the Bugtis, seizing much of their area. The Bugtis went to the Khetran Sardar and asked for his help; that same year a combined attack of Khetrans and Bugtis drove the Marris off, killing more than 70 of their men and taking possession of their cattle.^[2]

Struggle against British

Both war parties of Khetrans and the Marris attacked Kohlu police station. After looting and then burning it down they attacked a post of Gumband Lavy and also raised it do the ground. All entry points towards the city of Kohlu were sealed off by these war parties.^[3]

February 1918, Dera Ghazi Khan District was facing a threat of Khetran and Marri army. On 1 March Khar was attacked. Post office and a rest house was burned down. They also cleaned their hands on some weapons stored in post office. On 5 March they looted the city of Barkhan where government treasury was kept. Khetran army gathered in Rakni and Bawoata and then attacked Border Military burning down three of their posts. On 15 March Khetrans were seen along with Marris inside Fort Minro. That night government buildings and Bungalows were burnt down.^[4]

Khetrans, Marris and Bugtis yearly did damage of 25,000 Rupees and of 25 lives.^[5]

Khetrans did not surrender easily to the Britishers, Sir Denzel Ibbetson acknowledges it in these words:

"Khetran is an independent Baloch tribe which is situated behind Leghari, Lund and Khosas. Their original homeland is Vehowa"^[6]

Khetrani language

“	The Khetrans .It is certain that the whole of the triangular block of hill now occupied by the Marris was in the possession of Indian tribes before the Baloch invasion .They were gradually destroyed or absorbed by the Baloch from the south and the Afghans from the north and such names as Shahdedja among the Marris and Haripal among the Afghans to the north indicate that fragments of these tribes remain among the Baloch and the Afghans .The Khetrans however between the Afghan and the Baloch have preserved their identity and their peculiar Indian dialect (of the Sindhi type) to the present day .[7]	”

KHETRAN(KHATIAN)almost using Sindhi language in many Districts of Sindh.

References