Alpial

The Alpials Community of Rajputs tribe found in the Rawalpindi and Attock Districts of Pakistani Punjab.^[1]

Rajput Alpial of Pakistan Ethnic People Profile

Ethnic code: CNN25 Primary Language: Punjabi, Western Major Religion: Islam Population in country: 128,000 Locality: Along Soan River in Rawalpindi Tehsil Villages: Sihal, Chakri, Pind Malhu, Jhandhu, Dhalwali Mohra, Adwal, Chak Beli Khan, Dhullial, Sangral, Khiliri, Malkaal, Parial, Raika Maira, Hakimal, Kolian Goru, Dhok Gujri, Lamaran, Tatral, Jaswal, Dheri, Mohra, Gangainwala, Kolian Hameed, Chak Majeed, Gangal, Jada, Dhok Chach, Habtal,And in Dristrict Of Attock Tehsil Hasan Abdal. Shajra e Nasb: Click to see Shajra e Nasb

Origin and History

The Manj are a sub-clan of the Rajputs. Raja Salivahana had eighty-four sons. Among them were Tavesar, Ras Tavas, ancestor of the Taonis of Ambala, and Bisal, ancestor of the Bhattis. Rana Jundal, seventh in descent from Bisal, ruled Bhatner (present-day Hanumangarh in north Rajisthan). His son, Achhal founded the city of Jaisalmer, and his descendants are the Manj and Bhatti tribes. One of the descendant of Manj in the 9th generation from Achhal was Mokhal, who founded Athur.

Manj Rajputs held large swaths of territory in Patti area of Amritsar district north of the Sutlej river extending towards Kasur. They were displaced from this area during the conquest of Mohamed Ghauri. They then moved across the Beas east of Harike and held an extensive tract of territory in Nakodar and Nurmahal areas of Jalandhar district and also to the south of here across the Sutlej in what is now Ludhiana district.

The Ludhiana and Jalandhar traditions of the tribe state Tulsi Das (Tulsi Ram), a Manj Rajput, was converted to Islam by Pir Hazrat Makhdum Shah Jahaniya Jahangasht of Uch in 1323 AD. Tulsi Ram assumed the name of Shaikh Sirajuddin alias Shaikh Chachu. He established his independent state (District Ludhiana) given to him by emperor Allauddin Khilji and died in 1383 AD.

In The early fourteenth century, Shaikh Chachu and another Manj Rajput, Shaikh Kilchi, are said to have settled at Hatur in the Southwest of Ludhiana, from where their descendants spread into the surrounding areas. “Rai Kalha III, who appears to have been a ruler of very great ability, extended his power up to Ludhiana (1705 AD). He established independent power over the whole Jagraon (the place of the Rais) and the greater part of Ludhiana Tahsils, and also a large portion of the Ferozepur District.”Ref : Ludhiana District Gazetteers 1888 – 1904 , Rajas of Punjab 1870 by Sir Lepel Griffen, chiefs of Punjab 1890, 1909, 1940.

After the dissolution of the Mughal Empire, the Manj Rais of Talwandi and Raikot ruled over an extensive territory south of the Sutlej, till dispossessed of it by the Ahluwalia Sikhs and later by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

In the Kangri dialect of Punjabi, the word Manj is said to mean ‘In the middle’.

Religion

The Manj Rajputs are mostly Muslims though many remained Hindus after the time of Shaikh Chachu and few are of the Sikh faith in Indian Punjab; they still disallow Karewa.

An Extract From Punjabi Musalmans By Lt. Col J.M. Wikeley 7th CAV – 1927

The Alpials occupy a compact block of villages on both banks of the Sohan river, in the Sil Sohan circle of the Fatehjang tehsil, Attock district.

The Alpials have recorded themselves Manj Rajputs and their claim to Rajput origin is generally admitted. They appear to have settled in their present locality about the same time as the Jodhras and Gehbas, i.e. about the 15th Century having first wandered through the country now contained in the Khushab and Talagang tehsils before settling down in the southern corner of Fatehjang.

The Alpials are hard-working and excellent cultivators, generally tilling their own land and working laboriously on their own wells, Socially they rank high and they intermarry freely with the Ghebas.

They are reported to be a bold, lawless set of men, much given to violent crime. Sturdy, independent and wonderfully quarrelsome. Their physique is fair, the men being somewhat light and of medium stature.

They are now taking to military service in increasing numbers, but the capacity of the tribe is small.

Extract from Punjab Castes-1916 Being a Reprint of the Chapter on "THE RACES, CASTES AND TRIBES OF THE PEOPLE" in the report on the census of the Punjab published in 1883 by Late Sir Denzil Ibbetson K.C.S.I.

The Alpial hold the southern corner of the Fatehjang Tehsil of Rawalpindi. They are admittedly a Rajput tribe. They seem to have wandered through the Khushab and Talagang country before settling in their present abodes and if so probably came up from the south. They are a bold lawless set of men of fine physique and much given to violent crime.

Extract From Punjab Gazetteer Rawalpindi District

The Alpials inhabit the country on the banks of the Soan in the Southern portion of the Fatehjang tehsil. They came to this district about the same time as the other Rajput tribes and seem to have wandered through the country now contained in the Khushab and Talagang tehsils before finally settling down in their present home. They are a bold, lawless set of men, of fine physique and much given to violent crime and withal are good cultivators.

Extract from Gazetteer Attock District

Alpials are confined to the Sil Soan circle of the Fatehjang Tehsil and most of them hold land along the banks of the Soan.

By origin they are admittedly Rajputs and at the census of 1881 recorded themselves as Manj Rajputs. They appear to have come to the district about the same time as the Jodhras and Ghebas, having first wandered through the country now contained in the Khushab and Talagang Tehsil before settling down in the southern corner of Fatehjang.

They own 32 villages in Fatehjang. Holdings among them are small, averaging a little over five acres. Hard-working and excellent cultivators, generally tilling their own land and working laboriously on their own wells, they have taken only a small part in the more lurid history of the district. Socially they rank high, intermarrying freely with the Mughals. They are a bold, lawless set of men, of fine physique, much given to violent crime, sturdy, independent, and wonderfully quarrelsome. They are generally called litigious but are a thrifty folk and seldom carry their cases to a civil court while in a revenue court a great deal of trouble can be caused to neighbours and enemies and a great stir made with but little trouble and at small expense. They number a little over nine thousand. Of late years Alpials have begun^[2] to be enlisted in the army and the experiment deserves to succeed, for these men should make fine soldiers and in the wider atmosphere of the army may forget the petty quarrels of their valley.

References