Mahil

During the 16th century Mahal clan comprising several close-knit distinct families lived in Sirsa district that comprised about 200 villages. Sirsa was one of the dasturs (from Persian word دستور meaning administrative unit) of Hisar-Feroza-Sarkar. It lies midway heavily traveled route between Delhi, the Mogul capital, and Lahore Punjab’s capital. It was home to a scattering of a few high ranking Mogul ‘darbaris’ (Urdu Word درباری meaning courtier) and administrators who had built elegant mahals (a word derived from Persian wordمح meaning palace).

Mahal families were engaged in agriculture with a retinue made up of a priest, tradesmen (e.g. carpenter) and marasi. The priest from Brahmin caste was a family retainer, who advised the Mahal elders on all kinds of auspicious or ominous events and performed the requisite rituals or ceremonies e.g. marriages, location and building of a new home, funeral and so on.

Sir Denzil Ibbetson describes Mahal or Mahil: "A small Jat tribe which appear to be chiefly found in JullundurandAmritsar, Their ancestor is said to have been a Rajput from Modi in the Malwa”.

Major-General A. E. Barstow claims: "Mahils -these trace their descent from the Tur Rajputs and came from Delhi. The clan holds Shahpuri Khurd and Kalan, also Namol in the Sunam tahsil and Khanpur in Dhuri.