Malik (clan)

Malik or Malak is a gotra of Jats found in Pakistan and India.^[1] The Malik Jats were originally called Ghatwal (or Gathwala); they later began calling themselves malik ("lord").^[2] They were zamindars (landowners) during the Mughal era.^[3] The Gathwala (गठवाला) Khap comprises 52 villages in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh.

History

Hansi Revolt

The Jats of Rohtak, Sonipat, Hansi (Hisar) rebelled against Qutubdin Aibak in the period of 1170-1200 AD. The main objective of the Jats was to remove the Tukish garrison from Hansi. Initially, they were successful as Nasratuddin the muslim chief of the garrison was defeated by the Jat army and fled towards jungle and the town was sacked by Jats.^[4] This was all done under the leadership of Raja Jaitra Singh Malik aka Jatwan Malik who was the raja of Hansi, Hisar. His ancestor, Raja Asiram Malik established the town of Hansi (Asi) and was earlier named Asigarh.^[5] Later, Qutubdin Aibak himself came to suppress the revolt led by Raja Jaitra Singh who was defeated after a fierce fight in the Bagar region. Later, Gathwala Malik Jats settled in Sonipat, leaving their stronghold of Hansi (Asigarh). They set up their independent principality in Sonipat named Ahulana (after Raja Huleram Malik, descendant of Raja Jatwan) and ruled on paraganas of Ahulana (Gohana) and Fugana (Shamli) till they rebelled against the British govt. in 1857.

Barla Jat State (Fugana State)

The Malik Jat principality was established in the 15th century during the reign of the Sayyid dynasty. Neya, the son of Ch. Pathu Malik, was married to the daughter of Rao Bohrang, a Bedha Jat of Kethra (near present-day Karaina). Rao Bohrang, having no son, transferred his property to his son-in-law. Envious Bhinders killed Neya. His wife sought help from the Maliks of Ahulana, and the Chaudhary of Ahulana ordered Malik horsemen to destroy Kethra. The town was razed, and the property of the Tomars was seized. Neya's infant son was given Kethra, which was renamed Lisad. Lisad became the headquarters of the Maliks in the Doab.^[6]

The Maliks expanded and gained control of 52 villages around Lisad. They founded Barla, Fugana, Kurava, Kharad, and other places. Fugana soon became the chief town of the territory, as confirmed by the Ain-e-Akbari, which listed Fugana as one of the parganas under the Delhi Sarkar. By the 18th century, the Malik rulers had become very powerful and remained semi-independent. The principality came to an end when the British occupied the Doab.^[7]

Notable figures

Rai Bahadur Ghasiram Gathwala (Malik) of Ahulana, a village in Gohana in Sonipat district of Haryana, was the head of the Gathwala Khap (Khap of the Gathwala clan). He was honoured with the title of 'Rai Bahadur' by the British.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Kumar, Dharma; Desai, Meghnad; Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi; Raychaudhuri, Tapan, eds. (2010). The Cambridge Economic History of India. Vol.2: C. 1757 - c. 2003 / ed. by Dharma Kumar with the editorial assistance of Meghnad Desai. Introduction by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya. Vol. 2 (1st impr ed.). New Delhi: Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-250-2731-7.
^ Stokes, Eric (1980). The Peasant and the Raj: Studies in Agrarian Society and Peasant Rebellion in Colonial India. Cambridge University Press. pp. 17, 293. ISBN 978-0-52129-770-7.
^ Raychaudhuri, Tapan; Habib, Irfan; Kumar, Dharma, eds. (1983). The Cambridge Economic History of India. Vol. 2 (Reprinted ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 37, 70. ISBN 978-0-52122-802-2.
^ Dwivedi, Girish Chandra; Prasad, Ishwari (1989). The Jats, Their Role in the Mughal Empire. Arnold Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7031-150-8.
^ Balfour, Edward (1885). Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia: Commercial, Industrial and Scientific, Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures. Bernard Quaritch.
^ Jarrett, H. S. (1949). Ain-i-Akbari of Abul Fazl-i-ʻAllami. Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta.
^ H R Nevill (1920). Muzaffarnagar A Gazetteer District Gazetteers Of The United Provinces Of Agra And Oudh Vol Iii.

[1] Kumar, Dharma; Desai, Meghnad; Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi; Raychaudhuri, Tapan, eds. (2010). The Cambridge Economic History of India. Vol.2: C. 1757 - c. 2003 / ed. by Dharma Kumar with the editorial assistance of Meghnad Desai. Introduction by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya. Vol. 2 (1st impr ed.). New Delhi: Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-250-2731-7.

[2] Stokes, Eric (1980). The Peasant and the Raj: Studies in Agrarian Society and Peasant Rebellion in Colonial India. Cambridge University Press. pp. 17, 293. ISBN 978-0-52129-770-7.

[3] Raychaudhuri, Tapan; Habib, Irfan; Kumar, Dharma, eds. (1983). The Cambridge Economic History of India. Vol. 2 (Reprinted ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 37, 70. ISBN 978-0-52122-802-2.

[4] Dwivedi, Girish Chandra; Prasad, Ishwari (1989). The Jats, Their Role in the Mughal Empire. Arnold Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7031-150-8.

[5] Balfour, Edward (1885). Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia: Commercial, Industrial and Scientific, Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures. Bernard Quaritch.

[6] Jarrett, H. S. (1949). Ain-i-Akbari of Abul Fazl-i-ʻAllami. Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta.

[7] H R Nevill (1920). Muzaffarnagar A Gazetteer District Gazetteers Of The United Provinces Of Agra And Oudh Vol Iii.

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