Chieftaincy of Pothohar

The Pothohar Plateau and adjoining areas have been ruled by various tribal chiefs since the arrival of the Ghaznavids. The Khokhars and Gakhars were the dominant birādarīs, while other tribes governed major Jagirs throughout the chieftaincy. Gakhars held onto the territories until Gujrat (1765), Rawalpindi (1767), Jhelum (1810), and Pharwala (1818) fell to the Sikhs.