The Hal are a gotra

Gotra

In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...

 (clan) of Jats, found in Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...

, Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

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History and origin

The Hal were once the dominant Jat clan in Jhelum

Jhelum

Jhelum or Jehlum may refer to:* Jhelum, a city in Pakistan on the banks of the Jhelum River* Jhelum District, an administrative division in Punjab, Pakistan surrounding the city of Jhelum...

 river valley, in what is now Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil of Jhelum District

Jhelum District

Jhelum District is in the Punjab province of Pakistan. According the 1998 census the district had a population of 936,957, of which 31.48% were urban. Jhelum is known for providing a large number of soldiers to the British and later to the Pakistan armed forces due to which it is also known as...

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In the 16th century the Lilla, a clan of Qureshi Arab

Arab

Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...

s, invaded their lands, and exterminated the tribe, save a single pregnant woman. She gave birth to a boy, from whom the all the present tribe claims descent. Most reside in Lilla Bhera village in Pind Dadan Khan

Pind Dadan Khan

Pind Dadan Khan is a town in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, it is the capital of Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil, which is an administrative subdivision of the district...

. Like many others in region, a good many Hal have immigrated to Europe.