Kathwal of Birote

The Kathwals of Birote are an ancient tribe, who were once feudal lords of Circle Bakote, that dominated in the area for two and a half millennia. They are a branch of the Kethwal tribe of Muree Tehsil of Punjab, Pakistan.

History and origin

Originally Kehan, a province of ancient Persia, they went on to occupy the route of ancient Taxila Kingdom during Greece dynasty and into the Sub-Continent. They are believed to descendants of Barhama a Hindu Rajput Raja. They embraced Islam in 1402, when great the Sufi from Kashmir Syed Ali Hamdan arrived in the Murree Hills and preached Islamic teachings.

• Mian Qadir Bakhsh son of Raja Chandu of Murree Hills was the first Muslim of Kathwal tribe who embraced Islam in 1402 at Patan of Kohala.
• The word Kathwal derived from the name of a tribe chief Mian Katho Khan. He was born in 1560 and ruled over area till half century.
• Kathwal families were intermarried in the age of 15 to 18 till 1950.
• There are many sub-tribes of Kathwal as Badwal, Jogeal and Janjual.
• All Kathwal living in UC Birote belonged to Jogi Khan, Jhandu Khan, Acha Khan and Sharbat Khan. Current Kathwals are the 22nd offspring of Mian Katho Khan.
• Mohammed Hafeez is a very atheistic and active political worker of Pakistan People Party Hazara Division since 1971.

References