Pathans of Gujarat
Encyclopedia
Gujarati Pathans are a group of Pathans. At various times in history, large number of Pashtun
s have settled in the region of Gujarat in western India
. They now form a distinct community of Gujarati
speaking Muslim
s. They are distributed throughout the state, but live mainly in Ahmedabad
, Rajkot, Junagadh
, Surat
, Bhavnagar
, Panchamahal, Kotah, Kheda
, Banaskantha, Bharuch
, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Baroda and Mehsana
. They speak Gujarati
, with many Urdu
loanwords. Common last names include Khan
, Afridi, Durrani
, Vohra
, and Yousafzai
.
and Muslim
rulers of the region. Historical evidence suggests that the earliest settlement of the Pashtun
s was during the rule of Mohammad Tughlak in the 14th Century, when military colonies were established., it is also possible that many accompanied and formed part of the army of Mahmud of Ghazni
in his invasions of Gujarat in 1024AD. Quite a few arrived during the rule of Mahmud Begada
, and over the course of time spread over the entire the state of Gujarat. During the period of Mughal
rule over Gujarat, there was further settlement of Pashtun
s. With the breakup of the Mughal Empire
, the Babi and Lohani Pathans became rulers of the princely states of Junagadh
and Palanpur
. The 19th Century saw a further settlement of Pashtuns, mainly Ghilzais from Afghanistan
, with many settling in the cities of Ahmedabad
, Surat
and Khambhat
. They are divided into twelve lineages, the main ones being the Babi, Sama, Khanzada, Yousafzai
, Lohani
, Ghori, Suleiymani, Surat Turk, Miana
and Zadran
.The bulk of the Gujarat Pathans belong to the Lohani
tribe.
, Radhanpur
, Palanpur
and Junagadh
.
(also referred to as Vadasinor) is a town located in the Kheda district
, in Gujarat, India
. It was a princely state
of the Babi (Yusufzai Pathan) dynasty, it was created in 28 Sep 1758 out of the Junagadh Babis (famously related to Parveen Babi of Bollywood fame). The current nawab is HH Nawab Babi Shri Muhammed Salabat Khanji II.
Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I, who owed allegiance to the Sultan of Ahmedabad
, founded the state of Junagadh
by expelling the Mughal
governor and declaring independence in 1748. Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I, who assumed the name "Zaid Khan" when he came to power in Junagadh, was the founder of the Babi
dynasty. His descendants, the Babi Nawabs of Junagadh, conquered large territories in southern Saurashtra and ruled over the state for the next two centuries, first as tributaries of Baroda, and later under the suzerainty
of the British. Nawab
s of Babi dynasty:
The East India Company
took control of the state in 1818, but the Saurashtra area never came under the direct administration of British India. Instead, the British divided the territory into more than one hundred princely states, which remained in existence until 1947. The present old town, developed during the 19th and 20th centuries, is one of the former princely state
s which were outside but under the suzerainty of British India.
Palanpur was the seat of a princely state
ruled by the Lohani
clan of Afghan
s. While the earlier history of the family is obscure, the family has apparently lived in India since at least the 16th century; a forbear of the family is reputed to have wed the foster-sister of the Mughal emperor Akbar and received Palanpur and surrounding areas as dowry. However, the family comes into historical prominence during the period of instability that followed the demise of Aurangzeb
in the early 18th century. It was overrun soon afterwards by the Maratha
s; the Lohanis followed the trend of seeking recourse in the British East India Company
against them and finally entered the subsidiary alliance
system in 1817, along with all other neighbouring states.
The state encompassed an area of 1766 km² (682 mi²) and a population, in 1901, of 222,627. The town of Palanpur housed a population of only 8000 people that year. The state commanded a revenue of approximately Rs.50,000/- per year, and paid a tribute to the Gaekwad
, the Maratha
ruler of Baroda, of Rs.2,564/- per year. It was traversed by the main line of the Rajputana-Malwa railway, and contained the British cantonment of Deesa. Wheat, rice and sugar-cane were the chief products. Watered by the Sabarmati river, the state was heavily forested in its northern reached (the present-day Jessore sanctuary) but undulating and open in the south and east. The country was on the whole somewhat hilly, being at the edge of the Aravalli Range
.
of Junagadh
. Later, Radhanpur city became the capital of the princely state
of Radhanpur under Palanpur Agency
of Bombay Presidency
. It was a walled town, known for its export trade in rapeseed, grain and cotton.
Radhanpur
came under British control in 1813. Even so, the Nawabs minted their own coins until 1900, when the state adopted the Indian currency; a particularly forward-looking Nawab briefly introduced decimalization, with 100 fulus equaling one rupee. Still, India did not decimalize its currency until 1957.
Relations with 'Radhanpur date from 6 July 1820, when an agreement was signed under the terms of which the Nawab was bound to pay a yearly tribute to the British. The state has been held by the Babi family since 1693, when Jafar Khan obtained Radhanpur, Sami, Munjpur and Tervada with the title of Safdar Khan. They were related to the ruling houses of Junagadh and Balasinor, two other Gujarat states. After the death of Bismillah Khan in 1895, Radhanpur was put in the charge of British officers who took over the treasury and the administration until the nawab's successor, who was a minor, came of age. In 1907 Haji Muhammad Sher Khanji was invested with full powers, but he died in 1910, and was succeeded by his brother. The state covered 1150 square miles (2,978.5 km²), with a population (1901) of 61,403.
Both the Diwan of Palanpur and the Nawab
of Radhanpur
enjoyed a Salute of 11 guns.
s. The Pathans have seen a severe decline in their economic conditions. They were historically landowners or soldiers in the armies of the various rulers of the region. With the coming of independence from British
rule in 1947, the community has seen the disappearance of their traditional occupations. The greatest concentration of Pathans is in the city of Baroda, followed by Kaira, Mehsana and Banaskantha. They also have their own villages, and are mainly cultivators. Many are now employed by the State transport corporation as bus drivers, while others have opened garages. As a largely urban community, many are now employed in the textile industry. They are Sunni Muslim
s, and like other Gujarati Muslims, have their own caste association, the Gujarat Pathan Jamat.
s, who arrived in Gujarat during the rule of Mahmud Begada
. After the collapse of the Mughal Empire
, the Babi were involved in a struggle with the Maratha
Gaekwad
s for the control of Gujarat. While the Maratha
were successful in establishing over all control over Gujarat, the Babi remained masters of the princely states of Junagadh
, Radhanpur
, and Mangrol
. They are found throughout north Gujarat and Saurashtra. Most Babi, barring the princely lineages, are in modest circumstances. Many are petty landowners, but there is marked urbanization among the Babi. The Babi are endogamous, but there are cases of marriages with the Chauhan
and Behlim communities, and they accept daughters from the Shaikhs
and Sunni Bohra
s.
in Afghanistan
. In Gujarat, the term was applied to any Pashtun
who arrived in Gujarat in the 19th Century, the bulk of whom were Ghilzai
s Historically, the community were traders, buying horses from Kathiawar
and selling them in Rajputana
and Deccan. They are found mainly in Ahmedabad
, and speak Urdu
as well as Gujarati
. Some older members of the community can still speak Pashto. To a great extent they form a distinct community, marrying among themselves, little interacting with other Gujarat Pathans.
Pathans, who trace their ancestry to the village of Sama or Samra, near the city of Peshawar
. They came as soldiers in the armies of the Nawab
s of Khambhat
. From here, they went to Borsad
to afford protection to the local Muslim
s who were being harassed by the Maratha
s. The Pashtun
s were led by a Musa Khan, who was successful in expelling the Maratha
s. In gratitude, the local Malik chief gave his daughter in marriage, and the village of Raja Phalia. Musa Khan’s descendents are now known as the Sama Pathans. They are a localized community, only found in Borsad, and villages around the town. The community is also in the process of urbanizations, with many migrating to Ahmedabad
. They are strictly endogamous, practising both parallel and cross cousin marriages. On rear occasions, marriages do take place with the Babi Pathans and or rarer with the Malik communities.
tehsil
of Baroda District. They are said to have come from Kabul
, under the leadership Mahabat Khan Daulat Khanji Khanzada, who was granted the village of Pandu by Sultan
Mahmud Begada
. They were an influential local rulers until the rise of Gaikwad rulers of Baroda, who annexed their state and reduced to them to the position of jagirdars. They are distinct from other Gujarat Pathans in that they speak Gujarati
and not Urdu
. They are strictly endogamous, not marrying into other Pathan groups. The community practice both cross-cousin and parallel cousin marriages. They are still a landowning community, with many still being fairly large landowners. The Khanzada grow tobacco and sorghum, selling their crops to the traders of Kheda
. They have informal caste association, which maintains strict social control over the community.
tribe are one of the earliest Pashtun
settlers in Gujarat. They were originally settled in the town of Patan
by the early sultans of Gujarat on military tenures. They then spread to the districts of Palanpur
and Unjha
, and played key role in the history of the states of Palanpur
and Radhanpur
. Unlike other Gujarat Pathans, they speak Gujarati
. The community are still mainly landowners and cultivators, and are found mainly in Mehsana district
.
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s have settled in the region of Gujarat in western India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They now form a distinct community of Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
speaking Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. They are distributed throughout the state, but live mainly in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, Rajkot, Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
, Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
, Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar
-Topography:Bhavnagar is a coastal city in the eastern coast of Saurashtra, also known as Kathiawar, located at . It has an average elevation of 24 metres . It occupies area of 53.30 km². General slope dips in the northeasterly direction at the apex of Gulf of Khambhat...
, Panchamahal, Kotah, Kheda
Kheda
Kheda is a town and a municipality in Kheda district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Kheda, also known as Kaira, is 35 km from Ahmedabad. The National Highway no. 8 connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai passes through Kheda...
, Banaskantha, Bharuch
Bharuch
Bharuch , also known as Broach, is the oldest city in Gujarat, situated at the mouth of the holy river Narmada. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District and a municipality of more than 1,50,000 inhabitants. As Bharuch is a major seaport city, a number of trade activities have...
, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Baroda and Mehsana
Mehsana district
Mehsana district is one of the 26 districts of Gujarat state in western India. Mehsana city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district has a population of over 18 lakhs and an area of over 4,500 km². There are over 600 villages in this district...
. They speak Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, with many Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
loanwords. Common last names include Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
, Afridi, Durrani
Durrani
Durrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali later as Durrani they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16%...
, Vohra
Vohra
Vohra is a Punjabi tribe and a Khatri clan. The Vohra are settled in Punjab, Pakistan and Punjab, India.- Religion :The Vohras, Wouhras or Worah are Punjabis follow mainly Sikhism and Hinduism and Islam and they travel all around the world...
, and Yousafzai
Yousafzai
The Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
.
History and origin
The Pathans arrived in Gujarat from the Middle Ages onwards, as soldiers in the armies of the various HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
rulers of the region. Historical evidence suggests that the earliest settlement of the Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s was during the rule of Mohammad Tughlak in the 14th Century, when military colonies were established., it is also possible that many accompanied and formed part of the army of Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...
in his invasions of Gujarat in 1024AD. Quite a few arrived during the rule of Mahmud Begada
Mahmud Begada
Sultan Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, popularly known as Mahmud Begada was the most prominent sultan of Gujarat. He was the great-grandson of Ahmad Shah I, the founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty, and of the city of Ahmedabad in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. He was known to be...
, and over the course of time spread over the entire the state of Gujarat. During the period of Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
rule over Gujarat, there was further settlement of Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s. With the breakup of the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, the Babi and Lohani Pathans became rulers of the princely states of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
and Palanpur
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the largest city and the administrative headquarters of the district....
. The 19th Century saw a further settlement of Pashtuns, mainly Ghilzais from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, with many settling in the cities of Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
and Khambhat
Khambhat
Khambhat , formerly known as Cambay, is a city and a municipality in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was formerly an important trading center, although its harbour has gradually silted up, and the maritime trade has moved elsewhere...
. They are divided into twelve lineages, the main ones being the Babi, Sama, Khanzada, Yousafzai
Yousafzai
The Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
, Lohani
Lohani (Pashtun)
For the Hindu Lohani clan see LohaniLohani are a Pashtun tribe found in Afghanistan , Pakistan and call also be found in other parts of South Asia ....
, Ghori, Suleiymani, Surat Turk, Miana
Miana
Miana is a community in Pakistan. It is derived from Mian, which is a family name and a title of nobility and used by Muslims in the Punjab region of South Asia.-History and origin:...
and Zadran
Zadran tribe
The Zadran or Dzadranr is a tribe within the Pashtun ethnic group, originating in the "Dzadran arc" of Afghanistan, which includes the Wazi Zadran, Shwak and Gerda Serai districts of Paktia, Nika, Zaruk, Gayan and Urgun districts of Paktika, and parts of Qalandar, Nadar Shah Kot and Spira districts...
.The bulk of the Gujarat Pathans belong to the Lohani
Lohani (Pashtun)
For the Hindu Lohani clan see LohaniLohani are a Pashtun tribe found in Afghanistan , Pakistan and call also be found in other parts of South Asia ....
tribe.
Princely States
The Pathans of Gujarat were rulers of a number of princely states, the main ones being BalasinorBalasinor
Balasinor is a town located in the Kheda district, in Gujarat, India. Formerly a princely state of the Babi dynasty, it was created in 28 Sep 1758 out of the Junagadh Babis...
, Radhanpur
Radhanpur
Radhanpur is a city and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Origin of name:According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch...
, Palanpur
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the largest city and the administrative headquarters of the district....
and Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
.
Balasinor
BalasinorBalasinor
Balasinor is a town located in the Kheda district, in Gujarat, India. Formerly a princely state of the Babi dynasty, it was created in 28 Sep 1758 out of the Junagadh Babis...
(also referred to as Vadasinor) is a town located in the Kheda district
Kheda district
Kheda district is one of the 26 districts of Gujarat state in western India. Kheda city is the administrative headquarters of the district.-History:...
, in Gujarat, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was a princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of the Babi (Yusufzai Pathan) dynasty, it was created in 28 Sep 1758 out of the Junagadh Babis (famously related to Parveen Babi of Bollywood fame). The current nawab is HH Nawab Babi Shri Muhammed Salabat Khanji II.
Junagadh
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, founded the state of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
by expelling the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
governor and declaring independence in 1748. Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I, who assumed the name "Zaid Khan" when he came to power in Junagadh, was the founder of the Babi
Babi
Babi may refer to:* Babı, a municipality in Azerbaijan* Babi Dynasty, founded in 1735 by Muhammed Sher Khan Babi , Nawabs of this dynasty went on to rule over Junagadh in Gujarat, from the 18th to the 20th century....
dynasty. His descendants, the Babi Nawabs of Junagadh, conquered large territories in southern Saurashtra and ruled over the state for the next two centuries, first as tributaries of Baroda, and later under the suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
of the British. Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
s of Babi dynasty:
- 1735 - 1758 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I
- 1758 - 1775 : Mohammad Mahabat Khanji I
- 1775 - 1811 : Mohammad Hamid Khanji I
- 1811 - 1840 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji II
- 1840 - 1851 : Mohammad Hamid Khanji II
- 1851 - 1882 : Mohammad Mahabat Khanji II
- 1882 - 1892 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji III
- 1892 - 1911 : Mohammad Rasul Khanji
- 1911 - 1948 : Mohammad Mahabat Khanji IIIMuhammad Mahabat Khanji IIIMuhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji was the last ruling Nawab of the princely state of Junagadh in British India from 1911 to 1947...
The East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
took control of the state in 1818, but the Saurashtra area never came under the direct administration of British India. Instead, the British divided the territory into more than one hundred princely states, which remained in existence until 1947. The present old town, developed during the 19th and 20th centuries, is one of the former princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
s which were outside but under the suzerainty of British India.
Palanpur
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
ruled by the Lohani
Lohani (Pashtun)
For the Hindu Lohani clan see LohaniLohani are a Pashtun tribe found in Afghanistan , Pakistan and call also be found in other parts of South Asia ....
clan of Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
s. While the earlier history of the family is obscure, the family has apparently lived in India since at least the 16th century; a forbear of the family is reputed to have wed the foster-sister of the Mughal emperor Akbar and received Palanpur and surrounding areas as dowry. However, the family comes into historical prominence during the period of instability that followed the demise of Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
in the early 18th century. It was overrun soon afterwards by the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
s; the Lohanis followed the trend of seeking recourse in the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
against them and finally entered the subsidiary alliance
Subsidiary alliance
A subsidiary alliance is an alliance between a dominant nation and a nation that it dominates.-British policy in India:The doctrine of subsidiary alliance was introduced by Marquess Wellesley, British Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805...
system in 1817, along with all other neighbouring states.
The state encompassed an area of 1766 km² (682 mi²) and a population, in 1901, of 222,627. The town of Palanpur housed a population of only 8000 people that year. The state commanded a revenue of approximately Rs.50,000/- per year, and paid a tribute to the Gaekwad
Gaekwad
The Gaekwad or Gaikwad was a Maratha dynasty that ruled the princely state of Baroda in western India from the mid-18th century until 1947...
, the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
ruler of Baroda, of Rs.2,564/- per year. It was traversed by the main line of the Rajputana-Malwa railway, and contained the British cantonment of Deesa. Wheat, rice and sugar-cane were the chief products. Watered by the Sabarmati river, the state was heavily forested in its northern reached (the present-day Jessore sanctuary) but undulating and open in the south and east. The country was on the whole somewhat hilly, being at the edge of the Aravalli Range
Aravalli Range
The Aravalli Range literally meaning 'line of peaks', is a range of mountains in western India and eastern Pakistan running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat and Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh...
.
Radhanpur
The State of Radhanpur was established in 1693 by the founder of the Babi dynasty, Khan Jahan (Jawan Mard Khan I), son of Jafar Khan, the NawabNawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
. Later, Radhanpur city became the capital of the princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Radhanpur under Palanpur Agency
Palanpur Agency
Palanpur Agency was a former collection of native states in what is now northern Gujarat, India.Established in 1819, the Agency was under the political control of the Bombay Presidency until 10 October 1924, from which date it was merged into the Western India States Agency and placed under the...
of Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
. It was a walled town, known for its export trade in rapeseed, grain and cotton.
Radhanpur
Radhanpur
Radhanpur is a city and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Origin of name:According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch...
came under British control in 1813. Even so, the Nawabs minted their own coins until 1900, when the state adopted the Indian currency; a particularly forward-looking Nawab briefly introduced decimalization, with 100 fulus equaling one rupee. Still, India did not decimalize its currency until 1957.
Relations with 'Radhanpur date from 6 July 1820, when an agreement was signed under the terms of which the Nawab was bound to pay a yearly tribute to the British. The state has been held by the Babi family since 1693, when Jafar Khan obtained Radhanpur, Sami, Munjpur and Tervada with the title of Safdar Khan. They were related to the ruling houses of Junagadh and Balasinor, two other Gujarat states. After the death of Bismillah Khan in 1895, Radhanpur was put in the charge of British officers who took over the treasury and the administration until the nawab's successor, who was a minor, came of age. In 1907 Haji Muhammad Sher Khanji was invested with full powers, but he died in 1910, and was succeeded by his brother. The state covered 1150 square miles (2,978.5 km²), with a population (1901) of 61,403.
Both the Diwan of Palanpur and the Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Radhanpur
Radhanpur
Radhanpur is a city and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Origin of name:According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch...
enjoyed a Salute of 11 guns.
Present circumstances
A process of indigenization has occurred, and the Pathans are now indistinguishable from other Gujarati MuslimGujarati Muslim
The term Gujarati Muslims is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the State of Gujarat in west India, who speaks the Gujarati Language as a mother-tongue and follows certain customs different from the rest of Indian Muslims...
s. The Pathans have seen a severe decline in their economic conditions. They were historically landowners or soldiers in the armies of the various rulers of the region. With the coming of independence from British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rule in 1947, the community has seen the disappearance of their traditional occupations. The greatest concentration of Pathans is in the city of Baroda, followed by Kaira, Mehsana and Banaskantha. They also have their own villages, and are mainly cultivators. Many are now employed by the State transport corporation as bus drivers, while others have opened garages. As a largely urban community, many are now employed in the textile industry. They are Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, and like other Gujarati Muslims, have their own caste association, the Gujarat Pathan Jamat.
Sub-Divisions
The Pathans of Gujarat include three distinct endogamous communities, the Pathan Khanzada, the Babi and the Sama.Babi Pathans
The Babi Pathans claim to be YousafzaiYousafzai
The Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
s, who arrived in Gujarat during the rule of Mahmud Begada
Mahmud Begada
Sultan Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, popularly known as Mahmud Begada was the most prominent sultan of Gujarat. He was the great-grandson of Ahmad Shah I, the founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty, and of the city of Ahmedabad in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. He was known to be...
. After the collapse of the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, the Babi were involved in a struggle with the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
Gaekwad
Gaekwad
The Gaekwad or Gaikwad was a Maratha dynasty that ruled the princely state of Baroda in western India from the mid-18th century until 1947...
s for the control of Gujarat. While the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
were successful in establishing over all control over Gujarat, the Babi remained masters of the princely states of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
, Radhanpur
Radhanpur
Radhanpur is a city and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Origin of name:According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch...
, and Mangrol
Mangrol
Mangrol is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Mangrol is located at . It has an average elevation of 18 metres .-Demographics:...
. They are found throughout north Gujarat and Saurashtra. Most Babi, barring the princely lineages, are in modest circumstances. Many are petty landowners, but there is marked urbanization among the Babi. The Babi are endogamous, but there are cases of marriages with the Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
and Behlim communities, and they accept daughters from the Shaikhs
Gujarati Shaikh
The Shaikh are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are part of the larger Shaikh community of South Asia. Included within the Shaikh community are the Shaikhda of Bharuch district and the Sodagar of Patan.-History and origin:...
and Sunni Bohra
Sunni Bohra
Sunni Bohras or Sunni Vohras, are a Sunni Muslim community found in the province of Sindh in Pakistan and the state of Gujarat in India. Sharing a large number of cultural similarities with the Dawoodi Bohras, they are often confused with that community. However, they are different in the fact...
s.
Kabulis
The term Kabuli literally means any inhabitant to the city of KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. In Gujarat, the term was applied to any Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
who arrived in Gujarat in the 19th Century, the bulk of whom were Ghilzai
Ghilzai
Ghilzai are the largest Pashtun tribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are also known historically as Ghilji, Khilji, Ghalji, Ghilzye, and possibly Gharzai...
s Historically, the community were traders, buying horses from Kathiawar
Kathiawar
Kathiawar or Kathiawad is a peninsula in western India, which is part of the Saurashtra region on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It is bounded on the north by the great wetland of the Rann of Kutch, on the northwest by the Gulf of Kutch, on the west and south by the Arabian Sea, and on...
and selling them in Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
and Deccan. They are found mainly in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, and speak Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
as well as Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. Some older members of the community can still speak Pashto. To a great extent they form a distinct community, marrying among themselves, little interacting with other Gujarat Pathans.
Sama Pathans
The Sama, like the Babi are YousafzaiYousafzai
The Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
Pathans, who trace their ancestry to the village of Sama or Samra, near the city of Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
. They came as soldiers in the armies of the Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
s of Khambhat
Khambhat
Khambhat , formerly known as Cambay, is a city and a municipality in Anand district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was formerly an important trading center, although its harbour has gradually silted up, and the maritime trade has moved elsewhere...
. From here, they went to Borsad
Borsad
Borsad is a city and a municipality in Anand district in the state of Gujarat, India. It is located around 17 km from Anand. It is surrounded by the fertile Charotar region which largely produces tobacco, bananas, cotton, barley and other agricultural crops. Patel owns majority of business,...
to afford protection to the local Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s who were being harassed by the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
s. The Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s were led by a Musa Khan, who was successful in expelling the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
s. In gratitude, the local Malik chief gave his daughter in marriage, and the village of Raja Phalia. Musa Khan’s descendents are now known as the Sama Pathans. They are a localized community, only found in Borsad, and villages around the town. The community is also in the process of urbanizations, with many migrating to Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
. They are strictly endogamous, practising both parallel and cross cousin marriages. On rear occasions, marriages do take place with the Babi Pathans and or rarer with the Malik communities.
Pathan Khanzada
The Khanzada are found in the village of Pandu of SaloliSaloli
The Saloli area of the town of Vasai , part of Thane district of the state of Maharashtra, India comprises the following villages:**Devalbhat*Prathambahat*Dolbhat*Pholodi*Kaular Wadi*Tiwarbhat*Kharbhat*Sutarbhat*Dhupalwadi*Silshiwadi...
tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
of Baroda District. They are said to have come from Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, under the leadership Mahabat Khan Daulat Khanji Khanzada, who was granted the village of Pandu by Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Mahmud Begada
Mahmud Begada
Sultan Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, popularly known as Mahmud Begada was the most prominent sultan of Gujarat. He was the great-grandson of Ahmad Shah I, the founder of the Muzaffarid dynasty, and of the city of Ahmedabad in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. He was known to be...
. They were an influential local rulers until the rise of Gaikwad rulers of Baroda, who annexed their state and reduced to them to the position of jagirdars. They are distinct from other Gujarat Pathans in that they speak Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
and not Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
. They are strictly endogamous, not marrying into other Pathan groups. The community practice both cross-cousin and parallel cousin marriages. They are still a landowning community, with many still being fairly large landowners. The Khanzada grow tobacco and sorghum, selling their crops to the traders of Kheda
Kheda
Kheda is a town and a municipality in Kheda district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Kheda, also known as Kaira, is 35 km from Ahmedabad. The National Highway no. 8 connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai passes through Kheda...
. They have informal caste association, which maintains strict social control over the community.
The Zadran
Pathans of the ZadranZadran tribe
The Zadran or Dzadranr is a tribe within the Pashtun ethnic group, originating in the "Dzadran arc" of Afghanistan, which includes the Wazi Zadran, Shwak and Gerda Serai districts of Paktia, Nika, Zaruk, Gayan and Urgun districts of Paktika, and parts of Qalandar, Nadar Shah Kot and Spira districts...
tribe are one of the earliest Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
settlers in Gujarat. They were originally settled in the town of Patan
Patan, Gujarat
Patan was a capital of Gujarat in medieval times. It is the administrative seat of Patan District in the Indian state of Gujarat and administered by municipality. The city contains many Hindu and Jain temples as well as few mosques, dargahs and rojas...
by the early sultans of Gujarat on military tenures. They then spread to the districts of Palanpur
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the largest city and the administrative headquarters of the district....
and Unjha
Unjha
Unjha is a city and a municipality in Mehsana district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Geography:Unjha is located at . It has an average elevation of 111 metres .-Demographics:...
, and played key role in the history of the states of Palanpur
Palanpur
Palanpur is a city and a municipality of Banaskantha district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Palanpur is the largest city and the administrative headquarters of the district....
and Radhanpur
Radhanpur
Radhanpur is a city and a municipality in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat.-Origin of name:According to the tradition, the city is named after Radhan Khan, a descendant of Fateh Khan Baloch...
. Unlike other Gujarat Pathans, they speak Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. The community are still mainly landowners and cultivators, and are found mainly in Mehsana district
Mehsana district
Mehsana district is one of the 26 districts of Gujarat state in western India. Mehsana city is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district has a population of over 18 lakhs and an area of over 4,500 km². There are over 600 villages in this district...
.
See also
- PashtunPashtun peoplePashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
- Pashtun diasporaPashtun diasporaPashtuns , also called Pathans have many communities around the world. Pukhtuns have long history to conquer and colonizing several regions especially the ancient regions of Sub-continent in duration of past few centuries...
- Pathan of BiharPathan of BiharThe Pathans of Bihar , have a large community of Pashtuns in the state of Bihar in India, who are said to have settled in the region from the 13th Century onwards. These Pashtun are known as Pathan, which is the Hindi and Urdu term for a Pashtun. Another common name for the community is Khan, which...
- Pathans of Rajasthan
- RohillaRohillaThe Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...
- Pathans of Uttar PradeshPathans of Uttar PradeshThe Pathans of Uttar Pradesh , have a large community of Pashtuns in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, who form one of the largest Muslim communities in the state...
- Pathans of Punjab
- 30-35% of the Muhajir peopleMuhajir peopleMuhajir [literally – migrants] is a term commonly used especially by Pakistanis to describe the Muslim immigrants who chose to settle in Pakistan and shifted their domicile after partition of British India into Pakistan and India. Some had participated in the movement for creation of Pakistan in...