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BAGHAL-THAKIAL RAJPUTS
Thakyal (Thakial) Rajput clan is of the Suryavanshi lineage. They are named after Raja Jothar Singh Thakyal who established Bhimber state in north-eastern Punjab at the foothills of the Himalayas. It remained an independent state for thousands of years under Thakyal rule until the first decade of 14th century A.D. In September 1306 Chib Chand Katoch, the crown prince and son of Maharaja Partap Chand Katoch of Kangra alighted from mountainous capital to try his luck in the lower reaches of his father's hilly state and adjoining plains of Punjab. During a night on eastern bank of river Ravi, a patrolling unit of Sultan Allauddin Khilji’s army noticed Chib Chand’s camping troops. The Pathans took them for an advance contingent of the consistently invading Chughtai Mongol army and chased them across Ravi. Fearing a longer pursuit northwards, Katoch took to the foothills of the Pir Panjal to reach the outskirts of Bhimber. He set up a camp on a hill top to be named as Kangra few miles from Thakyal Raja’s capital. Once camped in the hilly hide out, Chib Chand conceived an attack to capture Bhimber. He stayed there for days waiting for a suitable opportunity to execute his plans but shortly ran short of essential supplies. An elderly ruler with waning health Thakyal Raja Siripat had no male descendent. The news of Chib Chand’s presence so close to his neck and his designs muddled the aged Raja even more as a father of the only daughter Rani. He decided to avoid confrontation and struck a peace deal giving away his daughter in marriage to Chib Chand. From this union originated the Chib Rajputs. After the death of Raja Sripat in 1309, Chib Chand became the ruler of Bhimber and started giving a tough time to the Thakyal Rajput chieftains. Many were killed while others fled to areas now forming Thakyala and Prawah in the present day Kotli district of Azad Kashmir. Raja Dharm Chand Chib, ninth of the Chib lineage converted to Islam and renamed himself as Raja Shadab Khan. He was later killed by Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi in 1521 AD. His tomb known as Mazaar Baba Shaadi Shaheed located in the north-eastern hills of Bhimber still stands erect to bear testimony of many historic facts. Both Hindu and Muslim Chib rajputs from various parts of divided Jammu and Kashmir, neighboring Punjab and their diaspora visit the shrine of Shadab Khan every year as a token of respect and devotion. They ritualistically celebrate births by offering scalp-locks of male newborns. Among Thakyals was a man of great intellect, bravery and resolve named Rusmi Dev. He lived in Thakar Dhooli in Dhuruti, a village located near Ziarat Saen Kamla Badshah some 2 Km on Pakistan side of the Line of Control dividing Jammu and Kashmir State. Many accounts of bravery and wisdom are related to him; one being a description of his fight against an evil jinn. He is also reported to have met a saint named Zinda Pir while travelling through the Pir Panjal mountain range on his way to Kashmir. The saint foretold him defeating the Jayrahs to set up his rule and convert to Islam. On the advice of the Pir, Rusmi Dev suspended his journey to return home immediately.

Thakyals who had gradually established as a formidable force in the area, threw a challenge to the rule and authority of Jayrah clan. Led by Rusmi Dev, Thakyals defeated Jayrahs to establish their ruler in a tiny state comprising several villages. At that time Islam was fast spreading all over Hindustan. Under the growing influence of Islam in the land, Rusmi Dev also embraced Islam and changed his name to Rustam Khan. He ruled his territory till death and was laid to rest in Dhuruti. Every year members of Thakyal and other communities assemble at the tomb in huge numbers to pay homage to him.

Rustam Khan had four sons. His eldest son was named as Bagh Khan. Bagh Khan migrated to Mendhar area and founded a village known as Sangal, presently called Narol. The other three were Sangi Khan, Kangi Khan and Kaloo Khan. Sangi Khan's decedents live in Muzafarabad and Bagh districts of Azad Kashmir, Abbotabad in the North West Frontier Province and Gujarkhan, Muree and Rawalpindi in Punjab. Fatehpur Thakyala in Kotli has been named after Thakyal Rajputs. Earlier this area was known as Thakyala Prawah. A small number of Thakyals live in Charri Panchayat of Kangra District in Himachal Pradesh. Some members of the clan also live in and around Jammu.

Notably, anthropologists have recorded many castes and clans to bear more than one names and several groups of people of different origin bearing the same caste name. Similarly, the name Baghal has been used by more than one clan of different origins. Another Muslim Rajput clan is known as Baghal but they owe their lineage to the Keswal Gakhar clan and have nothing to do with the other groups.

Baghals Before and After Partition
Before partition the Jammu and Kashmir State, Baghal Rajputs resided only in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch principality except for those who temporarily settled in other parts of Hindustan in connection with their education, business or employment. They first settled in Sangal area now called Narol and later spread over to several villages like Kalaban, Salwah, Harni and Gursai. There are few Baghal families living in Sarhutti, Ari and Galhutta also. Despite their small statistical strength, they comprised the ruling class as Rajas, Lambardars and Zaildars. They were declared as a martial race by the Jammu and Lahore Durbar. Beisdes being combatants, they owned big jagirs and landholdings wherever they lived. Embedded with confidence of leadership they upheld individuality of disposition at all costs and under all circumstances. They are reported for intra-clan bloody bouts of extreme magnitude.

During the early nineteenth century Baghals of Sangal (Narol) engaged into a combat with their kin living in Kalaban. The conflict took a bloody turn so much so that latest available weaponry including Topidhar rifles and Tohdas resembling hand grenades was used by both sides causing heavy losses of lives. The Baghals of Sangal got almost disposed of at the hands of their adversaries in a fierce battle fought in paddy fields at Chontra, few hundred yards from Kote Kalaban. All male members of Baghals of Narol were killed except for 12 year old Kamal Khan who was saved by a Gujjar lady of Dhakki, Chak Banola hiding him in her house. The dead were buried in the battle field itself. Driven by quest of revenge, Kamal Khan moved to Nar Ferozalan to seek the help of Ferozal Raja. The Ferozal Raja, however, declined his request but offered him shelter and bringing up. After years of roaming a bewildered Kamal Khan came across a former soldier of Raja Bahadur Khan Rathore of Poonch. Through him, Kamal Khan came in contact with Mir Baz Sangoo of Poonch and sought his support. Sangoo too declined any support fearing annoyance of Baghals of Kalaban. Kamal Khan had by now raised and army of about 200 odd men. Assisted by few defiant neighbors a huge contingent of Kamal’s soldiers launched an attack on Kote Kalaban at night and liquidated everyone except for few children who hid themselves in the dark of night. Kamal Khan returned to Sangal. The present day Baghal Rajputs residing in Narol owe their lineage to Kamal Khan.

They also devoted to education and literature. Partition of India in 1947 affected them like many others. A vast majority of Baghal Rajputs migrated to Pakistan and settled in Kotli, Mirpur, Islamabad, Jehlum, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Lahore and other parts of Pakistan. Many of them further migrated to United States, Canada, Australia, England and other parts of Europe. Presently the numerical strength of Baghal Rajputs in Mendhar is around twelve hundred.

Prominent amongst them were, Zaildar Allahditta Khan Gursai, Sardar Sakhi Walayat Khan Narol, Sardar Ali Bhadur Khan Kalaban, Sardar Ghulam Mohammed Khan Sarhutti, Sardar Dost Mohammed Khan Harni, Sardar Ghulam Hyder Khan Salwah etc.

Sardar Mohammed Younis Khan, second of the three sons of Sardar Sakhi Walayat Khan of Narol, served as Thanedar of Mendhar for a brief stint from 1947 to 1948 when the territory also fell to Indian control. He migrated to Pakistan and later England where he settled in Birmingham till he died in 1981. His younger brother Sardar Mohammed Sher Khan was a highly educated person. He did his F. Sc. from Prince of Wales College, Jammu and Bachelor's Degree in Sciences from 'University of the Punjab, Lahore in 1935-36. He did his law degree from Aligarh Muslim University. He was closely associated with Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas, Allah Rakha Sagar, Abdullah Bulli, Kh. Ghulam Qadir Bandey of Poonch, Sardar Budh Singh and many others who spearheaded the movement for freedom from Dogra rule. Under a conspiracy, he was poisoned to death in an on campus hostel of AMU by a police sergeant named Gauri Dutt, a close aide and confide of the Dogra Raja of Poonch. He was married to a highly educated younger sister of a prominent congress leader and an active freedom fighter Sheikh Naseer Ahmed of Gujranwala. Out of this wedlock was born Sardar Mohammed Haras Khan. He had a very tough time to face as an orphan child. Very simple in his living he was a kind hearted person of deepest compassion and affection for the poor. His wit and humor would outclass one and all. His elder son Murtaza Khan, a distinguished foreign qualified lawyer and widely travelled person is a man with resolute bearing. A bold voice and an articulate par excellence, he served as a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council from 2007 thru 2013 and earned distinction of winning the ‘Best Legislator Award’ ever judged in favour of any legislator from Pir Pancjal region. Manzoor Khan is a pious man is a judicial officer of impeccable integrity. Others are Mujeeb and Javed.

Amongst Baghals of Harni, Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan, a law degree holder from Aligarh Muslim University successfully contested the J&K Legislative Assembly elections from Mendhar in 1977. He was reelected to the Assembly in 1983 and was appointed as a Minister of State in Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s Government. As Chief Whip of National Conference he switched over his loyalties to G. M. Shah who was sworn in as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after removal of elected Government of Dr. Abdullah following a split caused in the National Conference legislature party. He served in Gul Shah's cabinet till 1986. He also contested to lose the Assembly elections held in 1987, 1996 and 2002 but made it to the House in 2008 for the third time on a PDP ticket.

Partition of India forced a vast majority of Baghal Rajputs to migrate to Pakistan where they settled in Kotli, Mirpur, Islamabad, Jehlum, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Lahore etc. Many of them further migrated to the United States, Canada, Australia, England and other parts of Europe. Quite a few of them are prominently known.

BAGHAL DIASPORA
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