Khawaja Shaikh

Khawaja Shaikh ( _ar. خواجہ شيخ) are a community in Punjab, Pakistan.

Conversion to Islam

The Khawaja originally from the western districts of the Punjab. They converted from Hinduism to Islam and belong to the Khatri and Arora classes. "Khawaja" is a term derived from the Arabic and Persian meaning "a wealthy, respectable person"Fact|date=August 2008.

Although conversions to Islam in the Punjab started in the 11th century, it is uncertain when the Khatri and Arora traders took up Islam. The earliest reference to Khawajas in the Punjab literature is in the "Heer Ranjha" of Waris Shah (1735-1790):

:"The beauty of her [Heer's] red lips slays rich Khawajas and Khatris in bazaar, like Qizilbash [Afghan soldiers] troopers riding out of the royal camp into bazaar with a sword."

These verses of "Heer Ranjha", written by Waris Shah in 1766, describe the conditions of the post-Mughal Punjab. Khatris and Khawajas occupied an important place in the economy of the Punjabi towns. This was probably the earliest reference to the emerging role of Hindu and Muslim Khatris as rich traders, instead of performing their Vedic functions as fighters and governors. Some of the Khatris and Aroras converted as late as 1947 due to partition of India ["Bridging a Great Divide", India Today, August 18, 1997.]

Khawajas in the census

The first censuses of the Punjab were conducted by Denzil Ibbetson and Edward Maclagan in 1883 and 1892. According to their reports, the Khawajas of Bhera in Shahpur, Sargodha District were converted from Khatris, and those from Jhang were said to be converted from Arora. At Chiniot in Jhang District, the Khawajas are mainly Khatris, though some are Arora. They reported the following sections (gotras) of Khatris from Chiniot:

"Adal, Behrara, Churra, Maggun (or Maghoon), Sahgal, Wadhaun (or Vadhavan), Wihara, Talwar, Puri, Topra".

The following Arora sections were reported from Chiniot:

"Tarneja, Goruwala, Khurana, Dhingra, Chawala".

The sections of Khawajas from Bhera were reported as follows:

"Vohra, Sahgal, Kapur, Sethi, Duggal, Rawar (or Ror), Gorwala, Magun, Mehndru, Motali." These are all Khatri sections.

The Khawajas of Layyah, Punjab have following Khatri sections:

"Kapur, Puri, Tandan and Gambhir". [Ibbetson, Denzil; Edward MacLagan and H.A. Rose. "A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province", vol. II, 1911, pp. 537-538.]

Chiniotis and Saigols

Khawaja Shaikhs of Chiniot, a town of Jhang District, known as Chiniotis and Chinioti Shaikhs, are some of the leading industrialists of Pakistan. Most of these families started in the leather and hide trade before independence. Due to religious reasons, Hindus never ventured into this field. The Khawajas migrated as far as Kolkata in the late 19th or early 20th century and started business. After independence in 1947, they diversified into other industries such as textiles, ginning, chemicals, shipping, engineering, etc. As per a survey in 1970, [Shahid-ur-Rehman, "Who Owns Pakistan?"," online publication] there were five Chinioti groups—Colony, Crescent, Nishat, Shafi Group, Sapphire, Mannos and Maulabakhash—in the top 42 groups registered on the Karachi Stock Exchange. In 1997, this number increased to 14 out of 45 groups.

The Sahgals (or Saigals) from Chakwal are another leading business family of Pakistan. They are related to the Chinioti families through marriage. The Saigols are known as Punjabi Shaikh instead of Khawaja Shaikh. See also Punjabi Khatri and Punjabi Shaikh.

Distinguished Khawaja Shaikhs

* Khawaja Abdul Majeed Duggal, Khan Bahadur - an Indian Civil Servant worked in senior administrative positions in Karnal, Jhang and other districts of Punjab in British India and retired as a Deputy Commissioner in 1942-43
*Aftab Ahmed Vohra, Chief Executive of Vohra Group of Industries
*Mian Mohammad Mansha, Chairman of Nishat Group of Industries

See also

* Shaikh
* Shaikhs in South Asia
* Punjabi Shaikh
* Kashmiri Shaikh
* Qanungoh Shaikh
* Siddiqui
* Chinioti Shaikh
* Khatri
* Kukhran

External links

* [http://www.shaikhsiddiqui.com/ Shaikh Siddiqui]

References