The Basra are a clan of Jats and Kamboj

Kamboj

The Kambojs , also Kamboh, are an ethnic community of the Punjab region. They may relate to the Kambojas, an Iranian tribe known to the people of Iron Age India and mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts and epigraphy. Kamboj is frequently used as a surname in lieu of the sub-caste or the gotra name...

s, found in both Punjab, Pakistan and Punjab, India.

History and origin

According to their traditions, the tribe is descended from Basrai, a Saroha Rajput

Rajput

A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...

.
Most of the popular personalities of Basra's include:

Riaz Basra (1967 – 14 May 2002) was a Pakistani militant involved in sectarian fighting with Shia elements in Pakistan. Basra founded the militant organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in 1996

Geeta Basra (born on 13 March 1984) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. So far she has starred in two films

Distribution

Basra Jats are found mainly near Gharial Kalan, Kharial Khurd,Bule Chak, Akbarian-Bhagian, Hamidpur and Gundowal in the district Sheikhupura, Kali Subha (District Gujranwala) and Raya

Raya

Rayas Group of Hotels may refer to:Places:*Raya, Nepal, village in NW Nepal*Raya, Simalungun, town in Indonesia*Raya, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaHistory:*Raya , administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire...

 tehsil of Sialkot District

Sialkot District

Sialkot District or the District of Sialkot , is one of the districts of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located in the north-east of the province...

, Punjab, Pakistan.

They claim Phagwara

Phagwara

Phagwara is a city and a municipal council in Kapurthala district in North India, in the central part of the Punjab.-Location:Phagwara lies on the Delhi–Amritsar national highway No.01 and is also served by the rail link between Delhi and Amritsar. It is located between the two big cities of...

 in the Kapurthala District

Kapurthala District

Kapurthala district is a district of Punjab state in northern Republic of India. The city of Kapurthala is the district headquarters....

, Punjab, India as their home. Famine drove them with their herds to the jungles of Sialkot

Sialkot

Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...

 and they settled at Kali and in the neighborhood.

In India, Phagwara remains a stronghold of this tribe. They are also found at Bangala and Umarpur in Phillaur

Phillaur

Phillaur is a town and a municipal council in Jalandhar district in the Indian state of Punjab.- Overview :Phillaur is the railway junction on the border line of Ludhiana and Jalandhar Cantonment. It was a junction for Lohian and Ferozepur. In pre-partition days, it was the main timber market of...

 Tehsil of Jalandhar District

Jalandhar District

Jalandhar district , Jalandhar Zilā) is one of the 22 districts in the state of Punjab in North-West Republic of India. The capital is Jalandhar City...

.