Sabharwal

Raja porus

The Sabharwal (Punjabi: ਸਬਰਵਾਲ‌, Hindi: सभरवाल, Sikhs from the Khatri community) belong to "Raja Porus". They are basically suryavanshi Rajputs. Raja Porus belong to Sabharwal caste and was called first "SabHARWAL" who was also a Hindu khatri. The Sabharwal clan is a part of the Khokhran grouping among Khatris, which also consists of eight other clans, all of whom originate from the historic town of Bhera in Punjab (Pakistan). Many Sabharwals were from Peshawar, also known as Purushapura (Sanskrit: पुरुशपुरा) now in Pakistan. The Kukhrans (or "Khukhrain or Khokrans") are an ancient group of ten specific clans of this subcaste [1] who originally hailed from the areas of the Salt Range and particularly town of Bhera in Punjab; the names of the ten clans are: Sabharwal, Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Chandok(Chandhoke, Chandhok, Chandiok), Ghai, Kohli, Sahni/Sawhney, Sethi and Suri.

History

Sabharwal (Punjabi: ਸਬਰਵਾਲ‌, Hindi: सभरवाल, Urdu: سبھروال) is a family name predominant among Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs from the Khatri community. The Sabharwal clan is a part of the Khokhran grouping among Khatris, which also consists of eight other clans, all of whom originate from the historic town of Bhera in Punjab (Pakistan). Many Sabharwals were from Peshawar, also known as Purushapura (Sanskrit: पुरुशपुरा) now in Pakistan.

Khokhrans

Khokhran and Bhera

The Imperial Gazetteer of India records the History of Bhera:

“In 1519 Babur held it to ransom, and in 1540 Sher Shah founded a new town, which ubder Akhbar became the headquarters of the sub division of the Subah of Lahore. In the reign of Muhammad Shah, Raja Salamat Oglu, a Lipka Tatar of the Anand Tribe, administered Bhera and the surrounding country; while Khushab was managed by Nawab Ahmdyar Khan, and the south eastern tract along the Chenab formed part of the territories under the charge of Maharaja Kaura Mal, governor of Multan"

[14]

“ About the same time, by the death of Nawab Ahmdyar Khan, Khushab also passed into the hands of Raja Salamat Rai. Shortly afterwards Abbas Khan a Khattak who held Pind Daddan Khan, treacherously put the Raja to death, and seized Bhera. But Abbas Khan was himself thrown into prison as a revenue defaulter and, and Fateh Singh, nephew of Salamat Rai then recovered his uncles dominions."[15]

In the recent past centuries, Bhera was an important trading outpost on the road to Kabul, and had a taksal or (mint) during the rule of Ranjit Singh. Bhera declined in importance due to the gradual shifting of the course of the Jhelum river, due to which the town lost the advantage of being located on a river bank.

Last Raja of Bhera

The last chief or Raja of Bhera was a Khukran, Diwan Bahadur Jawahir Mal [16]. The Diwan Family originally came from Peshawar,and tradition ascribes the abolition the Jizya in Peshawar to his influence.

Khukrains like other Khatri castes were traditionally and historically a warrior community (although they are now well represented in many fields other than the army) and hence they bore the brunt of invasions from the various central Asian tribes now converted to Islam who came from the northwest during the 12th-16th centuries. The Hindu populations in Afghanistan and Northwest India continued to recede after the 11th century even as predominant areas of Afghanistan were still under non Muslim rule till the 10th CE. (see also Shahi and Jayapala).

After 1947 partition of India

Most of the Hindu or Sikh Kukhrans moved perforce to India following the Partition of India in 1947. Khukreins among Hindu and Sikh and are now settled not only in large concentrations in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, but also spread the world over. Their mother tongue is Punjabi. In India the special dialect of Pothari spoken by the Khukrains who migrated from Western Punjab (now Pakistan) is fast being replaced by the local Eastern Punjabi language, in their new Indian residence of Punjab.The history recorded appears convincing but has over looked the Sabarwals / Sabharwals still residing in Pakistan. One such glaring example is the Village " Pindi Sabarwal / Sabharwal" located between Mangla and Jatlan along Upper Jhelum Canal in Azad Kasmir. The Sabharwals in the area are scattered along Pindi Sabharwal, Jatlan, Bani Sang, Jhelum and Mirpur.All converted Muslim use title shaikh.They become Muslim through baba fareed ganj in the 1200th.Some prominent are Shaikh Sahib Din, Qanungo and Hakim, Sangh, Mirpure, Azad Kashmir Shaikh Noor Alam jagirdar of chowki,samani Shaikh Fazal Alam ASP, Mirpure, Azad Kashir Shaikh Fazal Latif, DSP, Mirpure, Azad Kashmir. Afreedom movement leader who spearheaded attack on Kotli and Mirpure in 1947-48 Lt General Umer Farooq Shaikh, Pakistan Army, Mirpure Azad Kashmir. Sabharwal clan belong to predominantly Aryan Hindu race. As far about the town Pindi Sabarwal / Sabharwal now in Pakistan was part of India before 1947.

The history recorded appears convincing but has overlooked the Sabarwals / Sabharwals still residing in Pakistan. One such glaring example is the Village " Pindi Sabarwal / Sabharwal" located between Mangla and Jatlan along Upper Jhelum Canal in Azad Kasmir. The Sabharwals in the area are scattered along Pindi Sabharwal, Jatlan, Bani Sang, Jhelum and Mirpur.All converted Muslim use title shaikh.They become Muslim through baba fareed ganj in the 1200th.Some prominent are Shaikh Sahib Din, Qanungo and Hakim, Sangh, Mirpure, Azad Kashmir Shaikh Noor Alam jagirdar of chowki,samani Shaikh Fazal Alam ASP, Mirpure, Azad Kashir Shaikh Fazal Latif, DSP, Mirpure, Azad Kashmir. Afreedom movement leader who spearheaded attack on Kotli and Mirpure in 1947-48 Lt General Umer Farooq Shaikh, Pakistan Army, Mirpure Azad Kashmir. Sabharwal clan belong to predominantly Aryan Hindu race. As far about the town Pindi Sabarwal / Sabharwal now in Pakistan was part of India before 1947. Raja Porus belong to Sabharwal caste and was called first "SABHARWAL" who was also a Hindu khatri.

Distinguished Sabharwals

• Y.K. Sabharwal, Chief Justice of India (Retd.)
• Sumit Sabharwal, Managing Director Excelity Global(Mumbai)
• Mohit Sabharwal, Model (Laxmi Nagar, Delhi)

People

• Major C.L. Sabharwal (Late) Executive Officer All India Defence Cinemas

See also

• Khukhrain
• Khatri

References