Khatana Explained

Khatana^{[1] [2] [3]} is a major and ancient clan of the Gurjar community of India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.^{[4] [5]} They follow several religions, including Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism.

They ruled in some princely states and independent estates in India and Pakistan, including the Samthar princely state^[6] and Swat princely state^[7] in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Origin

According to the record of the Khatana Gurjars of Samthar state (Shamshergarh), they are the descendants of the Raja Kedar Rai who ruled in Punjab in ancient times and later Khatana rulers were vessels of the Qanauj in 930 A.D^[8]

Khatana Gurjars claim being the descendants of Raja Jaipal of the Hindu Shahi Khatana dynasty, who encountered the Sebuktigin (also known as Sultan Mehmud Gaznavi) near the Jehlum river at Attock in Punjab.^[9] They claim their lineage back to the Pandavas of the Mahabharata. The Pandavas were a set of five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who were prominent characters in the Mahabharat.^[10]

Offshoots

Khatana Gujjars have many sub-branches/sub-sections including the:^[11]

• Awana
• Kunduana
• Amrana
• Bukkan
• Bhand
• Topa
• Gajgahi
• Debar
• Doi
• Thilas
• Jangal
• Lohsar

Distributions

They are found in all regions and provinces of Pakistan, including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Hazara, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad Capital Territory. In Pakistani Punjab's Gujarat district alone, there are 40 village with a Khatana Gujjar majority population.^[12]

Notable people

• Ghulam Ali Khatana is an Indian politician who is serving as Nominated Member of Rajya Sabha and Secretary and Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party Jammu & Kashmir unit.

Notes and References

1. Book: Pal, Vijay Kumar . Black Dots of Terrorism . Rudra Publications . 978-93-90835-65-2 . 92 . en . 3. Chauhan surname is very common in Hindu and Muslims. 4. Nirvan a clan in Gurjar community, both IN Hindus and Muslims both. 5. KHATANA clan of Gurjar is in both Hindus and Muslims..
2. Book: Manku, Darshan Singh . The Gujar Settlements: A Study in Ethnic Geography . 1986 . Inter-India Publications . 978-81-210-0072-7 . 117 . en . Paharpur village was settled by three Gujar clans namely, Bhoomla, Kalas, and Khatana, who came from different villages and areas. They divided the land of the mauza into three tarfs and established three hamlets in their respective tarfs..
3. Book: Rahi, Javaid . The Gujjars -Vol 04 (Gujjars History & Culture) by Dr. Javaid Rahi . Jammu and Kashmir Acacademy of Art, Culture, Languages, Jammu . 398 . en . The names of the gotras are common to Hindu Gujjars, Sikh Gujjars and Muslim Gujjars in the Indian sub- continent. Members of some gotras while claiming their ancestory to the legendary figures, philosophers and warriors also assert the superiority of their gotra over others. A few prominent gotras are Khatana, Hakla, Bajjar, Chechi, Rathore, Chauhan, Bhatti, Rana, Thekria, Noon, Bhadana, Gorsi, Bagri, Kasana, Bajran, Kohli, Khari and some others..
4. Book: Lidhoo, Moti Lal . Kashmir Tribals: Child Rearing and Psycho-social Development . 1988 . Minakshi Publishers . 54 . en.
5. Book: Contributions to Indian Sociology: Volume 23, Issue 2 . 1989 . Mouton . 2nd . 293 . en.
6. Book: Rahi, Javaid . The Gujjars Vol: 01 and 02 Edited by Dr. Javaid Rahi . 2012-01-01 . Jammu and Kashmir Acacademy of Art, Culture, Languages, Jammu . 594 . en . The name Samthar is a corruption of Shamsher Gadh by which the capital is still known."___ The rulers of Shamsher Gadh belonged to Khatana sub-caste of the Gurjar race..
7. Book: Rahi, Javaid . The Gujjars Vol: 01 and 02 Edited by Dr. Javaid Rahi . 2012-01-01 . Jammu and Kashmir Acacademy of Art, Culture, Languages, Jammu . 612 . en . Swat_____The originator of the present famous family of Swat was a Muslim saint Abdul Ghafoor a Khatana Gujjar of Hazara district from where he went to Buner territory. He was a pious man and the people respected him so greatly that they called him AKHUND SAHIB (S.C. page 398 and 399, T and C of N.W.F.P by Ibbetson page 11 etc.).
8. Book: Rahi, Javaid . The Gujjars Vol: 01 and 02 Edited by Dr. Javaid Rahi . 2012-01-01 . Jammu and Kashmir Acacademy of Art, Culture, Languages, Jammu . en . The Gurjar rulers of Kabul Som Pal, Jag Pal, Sat Pal and Jai Pal ruled there successively from the Punjab. They were in the genealogical line of Lakhan. However the record of Shamsher Gadh reveals that the Khatanas were the descendants of Kedar Rai who had fought against Alexander the Great and that the Khatana rulers were vassals of Qanauj upto 930 A.D. Khatana Anand Pal and Chandra Pal were brothers who fought against Mahmud (Sultan Mehmood Gaznavi)..
9. Book: Bharadwaj, A. N. . History and Culture of Himalayan Gujjars . 1994 . Jay Kay Book House . 74 . en . Another legend makes the Khatanas descendants of Raja Jaspal (Jaipal) and the Pandawas . Jaspal had extended his domination from Thanesar to Jehlam and when Sultan Mohd . Subuktagin was invited to Hindustan, Raja Jaspal met him at ....
10. Book: Bahadur, Krishna Prakash . Caste, Tribes & Culture of India (Page_21) . 1977 . Ess Ess Publications . 21 . en . Another legend makes the Khatanas descendants of Raja Jaspal and the Pandavas of Mahabharat. Jaspal had extended his dominions from Thanesar to Jhelum, and when Sultan Mahmud Sabuk tagin invaded Hindustan, Jaspal met him at Attock, but ....
11. Book: Bharadwaj, A. N. . History and Culture of Himalayan Gujjars . 1994 . Jay Kay Book House . 74 . en . These Khatanas are not only leading Gujjars clan but have many offshoots as the minor sections (sub - clans) such as Awana, Amrana, Bukkan, Bhand, Topa, Gajgahi....
12. Book: Rahi, Javaid . The Gujjars Vol: 01 and 02 Edited by Dr. Javaid Rahi . 2012-01-01 . Jammu and Kashmir Acacademy of Art, Culture, Languages, Jammu . 651 . en . In district Gujrat (West Punjab), there are forty villages of Khatana Gujars whose Headmen informed me in 1951 that by tradition they being mor Khatana are heirs of Jaipal who fought against Mahmud of Ghazni..