Majoka

Majoka Or Manjotha (Ur:مجوکہ) is the name of a tribe originating from the Indian Subcontinent. in the Rajasthan, India and Punjab, Pakistan. The main concentration of the tribe is in the village of Haveli Majoka on the river Jehlum in Pakistan and Khatlabana, District Sri Ganganagar Rajasthan, India. The 'Majoka' tribe is considered to have originated in Rajputana and then moved to the Sindh province of Pakistan, near the towns of Larkana and Ratodero. From where they traveled north along the rivers to the present location.

History

Origin and migration

According to the traditions of the Majoka tribe, their roots can be followed back to a certain "Qutb Shah Awan" who is considered the ancestor of the famous Awan tribe which claims decent from the family of the Prophet Muhammad and came from arab(sudi arabia). Qutub Shah Awan is said to have married a Khokhar-Rajput princess and begot a son named "Muazam". His offspring were named "Muazam kay" (those of Muazam) accordingly. The name "Muazam" was mis-pronounced among the rajputs as "Muajam" so that his children were called "Muajam kay". Over the time this evolved to "Maujju Kay" and later to "Majoka".

Some of the descendants of Muazam left the Rajputana area for unknown reasons and moved westwards to the banks of the river Sindh. From there they turned north along the eastern banks of this river up to the area of Panjnad. Leaving Sindh, they moved further north until they reached the present area of residence on the western bank of the river Jehlum. It is said that this settlement happened around 400 years ago.

At that time, it is claimed, this area was under the sway of the Baluch tribesmen. The local Baluch chief resided at the town of 'Khawaja AbrooN' (خواجہ آبرءوں). He is said to have had a castle and an elephant. The chief asked the Majokas to come to his town and settle there under his rule. However, the Majoka tribe chose to remain at their place. Upon this the Baluch chief decided to attack them with his army of locals.

A fight ensued in which one Baluch was killed. The place at which the Baluch fell was called "Killi paT" (کلی پٹ) and considered the southern limit of the area of the Majoka tribe. This place is still known. The Majokas were led in the fight by a "Pir" (holy person) from the tribe of "Kanju", who are also settled in this area.

Sikh period

During the Sikh rule in Punjab, an internal fight broke out among the Majokas. Two chiefs, Fateh Muhammad and Ghazi from the Sub-division of Tajay (see below) collaborated with the governmental administrator of the area named "Mahram Bhatti" and expelled an opponent Ahmad son of Khan and his family. After some time, Ahmad was able to win some Majokas to his side. A first attempt at the life of Mahram Bhati with the help of a barber failed, but the second one was successful during which a fight took place and the Bhatti fell in a dried well. Ahmad returned to the village and gained power after the death of Fateh Muhammad and Ghazi, becoming the chief of Majokas.

British period

After the conquest of Punjab by the British, land was demarked. For this purpose Ahmad son of Khan, then the chief of the tribe, went with the British officials. He showed them the following limits:

From Killi Pat to JahaniaN Shah in south. From JahaniaN Shah to Nihang the eastern boundary. From Nihang to Thathi Bakh Shah the northern and from there to Killi Pat the western limits.

It is said that Ahmad took bribe from a woman named Bhag Bhai to avoid her area to be included in Majoka territory. She is said to have presented him a jar of Milk, which was full of money and some milk at the top so the British would not see it. Ahmad felt the weight of the jar and gave in to her request. Similarly he is said to have given up another chunk of land for personal gains.

Sub-divisions

After the successful fight against the baluch, the Majoka tribe was divided into six families, each was alloted a portion of the land for settlement. These families were also encouraged to invite other Majokas, who had not yet joined this group at that time, to increase in number and gain power. The sub-divisions and their sub-families are as follows:

Subdivision	Families
Tajay Kay تاجے کے	Lal لعل, Khuda Yar خدا یار, Khizr خضر, Yar یار, Ghazi غازی, Vero (1) ویرو
Nibal Kay نبال کے	Mohammad Yar محمد یار, Sher شیر, Gamay گامے, Khan خان, Barkhurdar برخردار, Haider حیدر
Umrany عمرانے	Umar عمر, Dilawar دلاور, Kheway کھیوے, Vero (2) ویرو
Ghuswal گھسوال	Khizar خضر, Jamal جمال, Sahib Khan صاحب خان
Rapokay رپوکے	Massan مسن, Lal لعل, Musa موسی, Sohara سوہارا, PahaRi پہاڑی
Ikial اکیال	Noor نور, Rangha رانجھا ,Kamal کمال, Massu مسو, Sultan سلطان, Hayat حیات, Budhay بڈھے, Rohalay روہیلے
Langri لانگری	Sultan سلطان, Langr لنگر, Samand سمند, Bakhay بکھے

From among these families the Vero (both factions), Haider, PahaRi, Rohalay are considered to have been invited to join them. The whole subdivision of Langri is said to have been originally non-Majoka which was assimilated into the Majokas with time.

Majoka in literature

The Gazetteer of the Jhang District mentions Majoka as a village in 1883.^[1]

HA Rose says in 1919 that Majoka are an agricultural clan present in the Shahpur area.^[2]

JM Wikeley counts Majoka in tehsil Shahpur in 1968.^[3]

G Tucker mentions a Majoka in Dera Ismael Khan district of the NWF Province of Pakistan in 1879.^[4] This might be some offshoot of the same tribe.

Present

The Majokas are now spread in many countries around the globe, including, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Middle East, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UK, USA to mention a few.

Alternative theories

1. Some people assume that the Rajput clan divided into many sub-tribes of which one is Oad. This sub-tribe was further divided into different groups one of them being 'Majoka',^[5][6] This theory does not negate the native tradition of the Majokas, as they claim their mother was a Rajput princess.
2. According to one opinion the Majoka are a subcaste of the Chadhar clan, which is also said to have migrated from Rajputana.
3. Another theory about the Majoka tribe states that the Majokas are descendents of Spinard Arabs. It has been culturally and geographically interpreted that the physical make up and agricultural lifestyle of Majokas evident in Pakistan is a strong reflection of a Spinard Arab lifestyle. Systems of land division and familial hierarchies further prove the reflection of the Arabic way of life.

See also

• Awan
• Rajput
• Oad
• Haveli Majoka

References

1. ^ Gazetteer of the Jhang District , 1883. Page 81.
2. ^ Horace Arthur Rose, A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North-West frontier province in three volumes, Vol 3, Page 56, 1919 republished in 1990, Delhi, India.
3. ^ J. M. Wikeley, Rana Rehman Zafar. Punjabi Musalmans, Pakistan National Publishers, 1968. Page 117.
4. ^ H. St. George Tucker, Report of the land revenue settlement of the Dera Ismail Khan District of the Punjab, 1872-79. Page cxii. Punjab Settlement Commissioner's Office, Printed by W. Ball, 1879.
5. ^ KS Singh, People of India, Rajasthan, Part 2, Anthropological survey of India, 1998, Mumbai, India, Vol 38, Page 716.
6. ^ KS Singh, People of India, Gujrat, Part 3, Anthropological Survey of India, 2002, Mumbai, India, Vol 22, Page 1039.