User:Nadeem Yaqub

Mathanachak

is a village situated in Union Council Charaiwala of Tehsil Kharian District Gujrat. It is located at a distance of 3 km approximately from Kotla Arab Ali Khan in the west. The village falls in between Sheikhpur and Sariaa on the South and the North respectively. In the west is Naala Bhimber which separates it from row of villages comprising Union Council Thoota Rai Bhadaur. The village is part of village Shaikhpur as per revenue records along with two other parts shaikhur and Raseetpur. These three parts together forms village Shaikhpur. The name of the village as per revenue records is "Mathanachak dakhali Shaikhpur"

Boundaries of the village from west to east are from to arsal and from north to south from

History

It is said there were four Hindu brothers,three real brothers and one step brother, living in village Shaikhpur. One of them died leaving a son and widow behind. The widow took her son to Deva Watala where they started living. When the son grew up he was used to graze cattle. He came to know of his village and deceased father. He returned to Shaikhpur where he was welcomed by his uncles.

As per "Chunda Wand" half share of land was divided among three real brothers and half share fell to son deceased step brother. The son is reported to be Raja Mithu Khan. The land of Mathanack village came in his share and he founded the village. The Hindu were used to cremate their dead bodies at the bank of Naala Bhimber so there had been no graves until someone died who embraced islam since then it is presumed that graveyard has existed. At present graves of five generations of Nambardar Bradri are found there.

It is believed the village has existed since 1834,if not earlier.There are no historical documents which may be used as to creation of the village abadi nor there is any proof of its founding families. The revenue records have been preared by the English in 1882 or 1892 for the first time. These documents must be relating to the persons and families living at that point of time.The year of establishment of "village abadi" has been worked out on the basis of minimum difference of age between two persons who claim themselves to be father and son inter se. The minimum difference is 12 years and to be on the safer side the difference has been taken to be sixteen years between two generations.Capt R Mula Dad,father of Raja Muhammad Yaqub, was born in year 1900 he was the fifth generation of his family and while taking sixteen years difference among each generation the period comes to 1834.

Abadi Deh (Village Population)

Originally when a village was founded,the founding families were used to select a piece of land for Abadi Deh to construct dwellings there. These dwellings are called Abadi Deh. After the uniform preparation of revenue records by the English the Abadi Deh is shown in a circle or red line or laal lakeer or karra. In most of cases the Abadi Deh is found in a circle and so is in matchanachak.

The only houses which were outside of the circle were those of Muslim sheikh families. The first family to move and settle out of circle was Raja Adalat Khan and Raja Walayat Khan whose houses were those of Chacha Fazil and AD Numberdar. Their children started building houses around those houses. The second family to move and settle out of circle was that of Raja Sarwar

The Abadi of Deh primarily consists of Namberdar Bradri and Dakhnia Bradri. The elder of two bradries had two wives. The progeny of one brother is called Dakhnia and that of other(s) is called Nambatdar Bradri. The Namberdar were in majority and to counter their influence the elder of Dakhnia Bradri brought Mamdaal Bradri from Bado Chak, a village in the west, Randiwian Bradri from village Randiam AJK, Sena Bradri from Pothi AJK,and gave them his land to settle down. They are called "Moroos". The workers or kamees or moeens were settled outside the red line on Shamlat Deh.

The population of village has increased over the years. The children of families living in the red line started constructing houses outside the laal lakeer. The Abadi of the village has expanded.

Village

Land

Economy

The people of village have been dependant on agriculture for their subsistence. The land holdings have been small in size. There has not been sufficient source of water for irrigation. The wells were built to irrigate surrounding land. The irrigation was insufficient. It could hardly satisfy the needs of the villagers. The other source has been rain. The crops were sowed while keeping in mind the necessaries of life of the family. This constraint with small holdings and absence of canal completely ruled out sowing of profitable crops so the villagers and their families had to lead a hard life. The rich was one who was sufficient in necessaries of life except that all were equal.

The other source of income was government job and preferably joining army but there were few to join. One or two families were in the occupation of being seamen. They are called "Sarang". They were the only who had hard cash. In the late fifties and sixeties some persons immigrated to England but they could not add something special to the well being of village community nor they have instrumental in community's socio economic development and perhaps it was due to its being beyond their resources. Now many persons of the village live in Europe and Middle East but there is no urge on their part for any individual or collective effort for socio economic development of the village.

There has never been industry in the area. Firstly it was an agrarian area and secondly it falls in a region which primarily joined the Indian Army under the British Raj and for a steady supply of soldiers the then government hardly encouraged even small industries in the region. Since then joining army has been main option for the parents for their children. In the back drop of poverty the facilities provided by army job like wazifa,medical,pension and job security were considered best by the parents. Being poor and uneducated there was no induction in any other government department in pre and post partition period. They have not been in trade, again due to poverty. After creation of Pakistan despite there were chances but they could hardly avail. They had to be satisfied with their meager resouses.

There have never been education and health facilities in the village

Education

The village has had no school of its own. There has been a primary school at "Daara",at least since 1970-71, with co education until 1985. Before that there was primary school at village Sarria bedides two middle school in village Sariaa for girls and boys each. High school for girls was in Kotla Arab Ali Khan. Due to financial and social constraints the education of girls had not been a something to be taken seriously. Education among girls was too low. The only girls who reached college were daughters of Raja Muhammad Yaqub and Raja Muhammad Yousaf. In 90s girls middle school in Saria was upgraded to High School.

The level of education among boys of the village was as low as that of girls. The first matriculate of the village was Raja Muhammad Yaqub who passed matriculation, around 1950, from the Punjab University Lahore then he joined Zamindara College Gujrat and passed his intetmediate and passed out with graduation therefrom.

Culture The culture of the village has been customary in essence. The population was not religious minded until late 1880s. The people were used to observe the culture passed to them through their forefathers and they taking it from their ancestors. The customs relating to marriage were simple. Some of the customs were dholak,mahndi,mayoon,mail,barrat,etc. The barrats outside from village uses to come to dara,which in modern sense could be called marriage hall,

People

Politics The politics of the village has been a low phemenon. The village was lucky enough to get first chairman of union council langrial form amongst its members.Capt R Mola Dad was elected so in 1960. The whole village took pride in his victory. A few from the village were against him but majority supported him. After him Haji Raja Muhammad Yousaf became chairman twice.Raja Habib Yousaf also was elected chairman before the system was changed. In nazim system Raja Ijaz Bashir became Niab Nazim of the union council.

Prominent Persons Nambardar Bradri Capt Raja Mola Dad Raja Muhammad Yaqub Raja Muhammad Yousaf Raja Haji Shahsawar Raja Sobadar Muhammad Taj Gen (R) Dr. Muhammad Samrez Salik Brig (R) Tahir Siddique Raja Basil Siddique Raja Tariq Siddique Maj Raja Jahanzeb Tariq Maj Raja Fasih Ur Rehman Maj Raja Fakhar Ur Rehman Raja Mohsan Javed Advocate Raja Ahsan Javed Wapda Officer

Daknia Bradri

Sena Bradri

Randiawan Bradri

Mamdaal Bradri

Jaat Bradri

Pedigree Table of Numberdar Bradri

Raja Tariq Nadeem alias Nadeem Yaqub is a practicising lawyer at Lahore and visiting Lecturer in Criminal Law at Punjab University Law College