Rachyals
Encyclopedia
The Rachyal are a Jat tribe, found mainly in the Kotli
and Mirpur
districts of Azad Kashmir
.
in Mirpur District
, which has been home of the Rachyal clan for the last 500 years. The clan is of Dogra
descent, originally from Chamba
, in what is now Himachal Pradesh
, India
. The Rachyal clan has had particular influence over the shape of Mirpur, Azad Kashmir and has settled in the United Kingdom
over the last fifty years.
Rachyals were original Hindu Dogra Rajputs and enjoyed high positions vested by the Mahrajah. Once the Rachyals converted to Islam they were forced out of Chamba and its surroundings and we see them migrating to Sialkot, Shekupura, Jang Punjab area in Pakistan and they re-entered Jammu state via Dhuki village through Sarai-Alamgir (near Kharian, Punjab, Pakistan) which lies in district Mirpur
(the largest district of Jammu State) around 300 years ago. Then they moved to Mangla and then to a place called ladna near now Chakswari (chakswari then was a forest area and later became habitable and named after an elder called 'Swari'). The rachyal clan settled here forming the village of Rachyals. From here the Rachyals spread farther west and the estate of Panyam came into existence. Panyam belonged to Rachyals but later deceptively transfer of the vast estate took place in the name of a lower cast who claimed to be chaudhry (in fact, he was offspring of miracee (untouchables) clan). Some Rachyals travelled North farther towards Naar, Rajdhani, Poonch and Rajouri disticts. Today small pockets of Rachyals exist also in Pakistan punjab. There are Hindu Rachyals in Indian held Kashmir such as Jammu city and also in Chamba. The leader of Panther party in Jammu Bhim singh is also a Rachyal and many more clans are settled in kashmir valley.
Kotli
Kotli is the chief town of Kotli District, in the Pakistani-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Kotli is linked with Mirpur by two metalled roads, one via Rajdhani, and the other via Charhoi...
and Mirpur
Mirpur District
Mirpur District is a district in the disputed and divided state of [Jammu and Kashmir]. The district is named after the main city, Mirpur. The District of Mirpur has a population of 371,000 and covers an area of . The district is mainly mountainous with some plains...
districts of Azad Kashmir
Azad Kashmir
Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...
.
History and origin
People of Rachyal descent can be found in small pockets of Azad Kashmir. Their largest settlement is that of Panyam, near ChakswariChakswari
Chakswari is a Tehsil in the Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. It is composed of approximately 25 Union councils including the New Town of Islamgarh...
in Mirpur District
Mirpur District
Mirpur District is a district in the disputed and divided state of [Jammu and Kashmir]. The district is named after the main city, Mirpur. The District of Mirpur has a population of 371,000 and covers an area of . The district is mainly mountainous with some plains...
, which has been home of the Rachyal clan for the last 500 years. The clan is of Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
descent, originally from Chamba
Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
Chamba is an ancient town in the Chamba district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, in northern India. According to the 2001 Indian census, Chamba has a population of 20,312 people...
, in what is now Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, 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...
. The Rachyal clan has had particular influence over the shape of Mirpur, Azad Kashmir and has settled in the United Kingdom
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...
over the last fifty years.
Rachyals were original Hindu Dogra Rajputs and enjoyed high positions vested by the Mahrajah. Once the Rachyals converted to Islam they were forced out of Chamba and its surroundings and we see them migrating to Sialkot, Shekupura, Jang Punjab area in Pakistan and they re-entered Jammu state via Dhuki village through Sarai-Alamgir (near Kharian, Punjab, Pakistan) which lies in district Mirpur
Mirpur District
Mirpur District is a district in the disputed and divided state of [Jammu and Kashmir]. The district is named after the main city, Mirpur. The District of Mirpur has a population of 371,000 and covers an area of . The district is mainly mountainous with some plains...
(the largest district of Jammu State) around 300 years ago. Then they moved to Mangla and then to a place called ladna near now Chakswari (chakswari then was a forest area and later became habitable and named after an elder called 'Swari'). The rachyal clan settled here forming the village of Rachyals. From here the Rachyals spread farther west and the estate of Panyam came into existence. Panyam belonged to Rachyals but later deceptively transfer of the vast estate took place in the name of a lower cast who claimed to be chaudhry (in fact, he was offspring of miracee (untouchables) clan). Some Rachyals travelled North farther towards Naar, Rajdhani, Poonch and Rajouri disticts. Today small pockets of Rachyals exist also in Pakistan punjab. There are Hindu Rachyals in Indian held Kashmir such as Jammu city and also in Chamba. The leader of Panther party in Jammu Bhim singh is also a Rachyal and many more clans are settled in kashmir valley.