Waiha
Encyclopedia
The Waiha or sometimes pronounced Veha are a Seraiki
speaking rajput
tribe, found in the province of Punjab
. .
. According to their traditions, in the 11th Century, thre Raja of Jaisalmir gave the town of Hurar, now known as Tajgarh, in dower to his daughter, Huran. Her descendant, a Raja Bhunak Bhati is said to have converted to Islam
, at the hands of a local Sufi, Sayyid Ahmed Bilauri. There are two traditions as to the origin of the word Waiha. The word waiha is said to derive from the Seraiki
word vih, which means twenty, as twenty leading members of the tribe converted to Islam
. Another name derives the word from wahi, which means cultivation in the Seraiki
language, because the Raja of Jaisalmeer confiscated their lands on their conversion to Islam
, and the Sayyid
told them to take cultivation.
, Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur
. They occupy several villages near the town of Sadiqabad
.
Saraiki language
Saraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...
speaking 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...
tribe, found in the province of 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...
. .
History and origin
The veha trace their origin back to the city of Jaisalmeer in RajasthanRajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. According to their traditions, in the 11th Century, thre Raja of Jaisalmir gave the town of Hurar, now known as Tajgarh, in dower to his daughter, Huran. Her descendant, a Raja Bhunak Bhati is said to have converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, at the hands of a local Sufi, Sayyid Ahmed Bilauri. There are two traditions as to the origin of the word Waiha. The word waiha is said to derive from the Seraiki
Saraiki language
Saraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...
word vih, which means twenty, as twenty leading members of the tribe converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Another name derives the word from wahi, which means cultivation in the Seraiki
Saraiki language
Saraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...
language, because the Raja of Jaisalmeer confiscated their lands on their conversion to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and the Sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
told them to take cultivation.
Distribution
They are found mainly in the districts of Muzaffargarh, MultanMultan District
Multan District is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 3,116,851 of which 41.64% were urban. Its capital is the city of Multan....
, Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur
Rajanpur District
Rajanpur District is a district of Punjab province in Pakistan. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 1,103,618 of which 14.27% were urban. Its administrative centre is the town of Rajanpur.-History & geography:...
. They occupy several villages near the town of Sadiqabad
Sadiqabad
Sadiqabad or Sadiq Abad or Sadik Abad or Sadikabad is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Sadiqabad is also the administrative centre of Sadiqabad Tehsil, which is a sub-division of Rahim Yar Khan District....
.