Kharal

The Kharal (Urdu: کھرل ) is a Muslim Rajput tribe living in Sandal Bar in the Punjab, Pakistan. Kharals are called Jats by some historians. The hero of romantic poem Mirza Sahiban, Mirza was a Kharal and is known as Mirza Jat all over the Punjab region. Members of Kharal tribes who came from East Punjab in 1947 still identify themselves with Jats. Three gotras Ghik, Kakar and Dhaula, of Kharal Jats are very known.

Origin and History

Kharals claim descent from the legendary Karna of the Mahabharata, whose descendant, Bhupa came to Uch Sharif in the 13th century, where he along with his son Kharral were converted to Islam by Makhdoom Jahanian Shah. From Uch, the Kharrals spread over the country around the Ravi. Like the Sials, they were at first mainly a pastoral tribe but in 14th century, Kamal Khan refounded an old town which has been identified by General James Cunningham as one of the strongholds of Malli captured by Alexander The Great. It was named Kot Kamalia in honour of Kamal Khan and since then, has been the head quarters of the Lakhera clan of Kharrals.

The Lakhera Kharrals

The Lakhera clan was never numerically strong but it attained certain amount of importance during the reign of Aurangzeb, when Saadat Yar Khan, the then chief of Kamalia, obtained a jagir from the Emperor. It was however, at this time, that Walidad Sial overran Kamalia, and settled the Mardana and Tarhana Sials on the Ravi. Some of the Kharals even moved towards Multan Faisalabad and Hafizabad then further south to Sindh.in all these areas kharals are politically well established and Mostly landlords.Vast Majority of Kharals are settled on banks of River Ravi in Okara,Nankana Sahib,Faisalabad,Jaranwala,Sahiwal,Kamalia, Hafizabad,Sheikhupura and Toba Tek Sing & Jhang districts of Punjab

Clans of Kharrals

# RAI SANAULLAH KHARAL (Kharal rice mills mandi faiz abad)
# Gogera (CH.ASLAM KHAN S/O CH. AHMAD KHAN)
# Rabera (CH. NADEEM ABBASS, Shafqat Abbas Rabera Kharal MNA 1990)
# Musraray (CH. YAQOOB KHAN)
# Khar
# Churara
# Chaker Ke
# Nuweke(Rai Mansab Ali Kharal,MNA, Nankana Sahib)
# Sahi
# Rahim Kay ( Rai Rashid Mahmood Kharal , Syed Wala, Nankana Sahib)
# Kalay kay
# Jagmal kay (Rai Mushtaq Ahmed Kharal chak 283 GB Jaranwala)
# Bahadar kay (Rai Aslam Khan Kharal MNA-1993, Jaranwala)
# Baigay kay (Rai Aslam Khan Kharal MPA-2008 Syed Wala) Rai Arif Hussain MNA Jaranwala 1993
# Shair Kay (Rai Noor Khan Kharal MPA-Okara)
# Daulo kay
# Rai Ahmed Khan Kharal, Shaheed, Indian rebellion of 1857 commonly known War of Independence 1857
# Khan Khalid Ahmed Khan Kharal Former Federal Minister & General Secretary Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
# Capt.Rtrd Mujtaba Kharal MNA PPP-Okara Parliamentary Secretary 2008