Nambal

'Nambal also known as Nambel, Nambal Shareef is a village located on the outskirts of the small town Doberan Kalan in the Kallar Syedan Tehsil of Rawalpindi district of Pakistan.

Nambal is the central hub of a variety of villages around a mountainous region. Nambal village was part of Tehsil Kahuta until recently when it became part of Kallar Seydan due to Kallar recently becoming Pakistan's seventh tehsil. Many of the citizens from these villages have settled around the Midlands area of the United Kingdom. Nambal has a mixture of Ranial Rajputs, Hayal and Bangial Rajputs.

The Ranials of this village can trace there ancestry back to the Muslim Janjua Rajpoot's who were a war-like clan and till this day hold high office and are addressed as raja.

During the nineteenth century, the British rulers of India, quickly realised the martial potential of the Janjua Rajput, and designated them as a Martial Race. The Janjua were heavily recruited into the British Imperial Army.

The Janjua also took part in the Allied Forces, during both World War I and World War II, with very high numbers. The tribes of Jhelum and Rawalpindi particularly supplying the largest numbers.[89

Nambal in line with Rajput tradition and being part of Rawalpindi District has provided many brave soldiers for the British army namely: JAHAN DAD of nambel Sepoy,19007. 1st Bn. 8th Punjab Regiment. 15 November 1945. Son of Muhammad Husain, of Nambel, Rawalpindi, Pakistan; husband of Channo Bi, of Nambel. Column 205, MUHAMMAD KHAN, Naik, 13856. 4th Bn. 12th. Frontier Force Regiment. 10 April 1945. Son of Fateh Muhammad and Ahmada Bibi, of Nambal, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Face 42. (as listed on the Roll of Honour Britain at war) but to mention a few. There are also many young men serving in the Pakistani army from Nambal today. Subedar Raja Zaman Ali of Nambal was a well known local personality. - His sons Raja Mushtaq Hussain and Raja Ali Asghar have settled in the UK whereas his other son Doctor Raja Liaquat Ali has settled in Canada. His youngest son Master Raja Akhtar Ali is still settled in Nambal. - - Raja Rabnawaz well known personality of Maniyanda is the first cousin of Raja Mushtaq Hussain and Raja Ali Asghar. - - Raja Mohammad Irshad of Islamabad who is also related to this family is the owner of Nambal Poultry farms. - - Raja Ibrahim the famous poet of potowahar is related to this family.- - Raja Irshad Hussain who is a famous poet in the UK is the son in law of Raja Ali Asghar. - - Some of the third generation of the UK-migrated Ranial Rajas have achieved high levels of education and become Barristers, Doctors, Pharmacists, Chemical Engineers, Lecturers & Technology Consultants.

Ranial Rajputs

The Ranial Muslim Rajputs of the Punjab region are branches of the famed Janjua Rajput clan. The Janjua is a dominant warlike clan of the Punjab and has played a key role throughout Punjabi history - from becoming one of the first Rajput clans to convert to Islam to being the first to begin salt mining in the Salt Range of Western Punjab plains. They aided the Mughal conqueror Babur conquest of India, as well today providing many soldiers and highly decorated generals to the Pakistani Army.

The Gazetteer of the Rawalpindi District records, "They (Janjua) are very proud of their ancestry, make good soldiers...they are usually addressed as "Rája", and stand very high in social rank." (Sang-e-Meel, 2001, Lahore, p105). Panjab Castes also confirms, "Dominant tribe of proud position, such as the Janjúa, have retained their pride of lineage and their Rájpút title...and always addressed as Rája." (Denzil Ibbetson, Delhi, 2002, p132, p149, p154).

The Punjab in the pre-Mughal era was one of much civil wars between many kingdoms and new dynasties began to spread their dominions over other crumbling dynastic houses.

In the early thirteenth century, the Janjua chieftain, Raja Mal Khan rose to prominence. He increased his dominion over southern Hazara (later renamed Amb) through his son Raja Tanoli, Jhelum through his son Raja Jodh, parts of Kashmir through Raja Khakha, Rajghar (later renamed Malot) Chakwal through his eldest Raja Bhir and what is today known as the Kahuta district through Raja Kala Khan. Tarikh-e-Alfi of the Ghorids makes a mention of the rise to power of Raja Mal.

According to Lepel H. Griffin (Chiefs and Families of note in the Punjab (Lahore, 1910, ii, p254):

"On the death of their father, they determined to divide the country called, from Raja Mal, the Maloki Dhan between them. Jodh took the Salt Range near about the Makrach, and captured the town of Makshala from a colony of Brahmins (Mohyals)...He changed its name to Makhiala and built a fort there and two tanks for rain water..... Wir Khan (also spelt Bhir), took the possession of Khura (also spelt Khewra) near modern Pind Dadan Khan."

The descendants of Raja Jodh continued to rule this region through various interruptions until the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Raja Bhir meanwhile took over the Malot (Rajghar) state from his father.

It was in this tradition that Raja Bhir's later descendant, Raja Malu Khan, allying his cousin Raja Mubarak Khan who was the descendant of Raja Jodh Khan, gained control of the region of Dhamial and Ranial.

The Conquest of the Ranial and Dhamial Regions by the Janjuas

According to the Tehreek-e-Janjua (Sahiwal Press, v1, p224), these two Rajas employed a sudden military onslaught to conquer the areas of Ranial and Dhamial. Through the repute of their military success, they were able to win the neighbouring gentry over to their own side and established good relations with them. Raja Malu took the area of Ranial whilst Raja Mubarak took the Dhamial plain. Interestingly, Raja Malu's offspring were known as the Rajas of Ranial and Raja Mubarak's offspring likewise, were known as the Rajas of Dhamial. This later culminated in the recognition of these two branches as simply Ranial Rajas and Dhamial Rajas.

Being neighbours, they taxed their subjects separately, but followed common and shared policies on other matters such as the supply of soldiers to the Mughal emperors, cultivation and trade. A tradition which is maintained to this day in modern day Pakistan. However Dhamial in itself gained greater prominence but through the shared input of both branches. Today, there is an established military base in Dhamial.

The Ranial Rajput family tree

The Ranial Rajputs are linked ancestrally to the Janjuas through Raja Malu Khan, who was a descendant of Raja Bhir as illustrated below:

                   Raja Mal Khan, the Janjua king
                                  |
                   Raja Bhir, the elder son of Raja Mal Khan
                                  |
                   Raja Acharpal (later converted to Islam and was renamed Raja Ahmed Khan)
                                  |
                            Raja Sunpal
                                  |
                            Raja Islam-ud-din
                                  |
                            Raja Noor-ud-din
                                  |
                            Raja Daulat Khan
                                  |
                            Raja Hans Khan
                                  |
                            Raja Malu Khan (during Jehangir’s reign [1605-28])

Some of Raja Malu Khan's descendants have also spread to Nambal, Chand Tehsil and Malot, Chakwal (the ancestral kingdom of Raja Bhir who inherited it from his father, Raja Mal Khan.)