Daha clan

Daha is a Muslim Jat tribe, commonly known as "Daha Jat", mainly found in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The Daha Jats mostly live in Khanewal And MuzaffarGarh district in the Punjab province of Pakistan and also are the earliest settlers of Khanewal. Therefore, the name of "Khanewal" is due to Daha Jat family because this caste was called as "Khans". This is how the city got its name, ‘Khan-e-wal’.^[1][2]

History and origin of Daha Jat family

The tribe claims descent from Daha, who was said to be a Muslim holy man, who married the daughter of Parihar Rajput. They claim kinship with the Bohar and Parhar Jats, who are also of Parihar Rajput ancestry. While other tribal traditions claim the tribe originated in Dharwar in central India, from where they migrated to Pakpattan. The tribe then spread to Khanewal and Multan.^[3]

Distribution of family in Pakistan

They are found mainly in Vehari, Khanewal, D G Khan, D I Khan, Faisalabad, Multan and its surrounding villages and tehsil which are lar and shujabaad and Rajanpur districts. In Vehari District,their main villages are 32/Wb, 34/Wb, 36/Wb, 40/Wb, 42/Wb , 24/Wb and 81/Wb.These villages are situated on main Khanewal Road. In Rajanpur District, their main village is Kotla Daha. In Muzaffargarh District, their main villages are Mahiwal Daha, Sardar Mohammed Daha, Mohammed Daha, Chak Ali Wala Yara Daha(Roy Pur) and Ali Daha & Head Bakainy. According to 1911 census,^[4] the population of this caste was as under:

• Muzaffargarh District was 1,453,
• Bahawalpur State 3,571
• Dera Ghazi Khan District was 1,016.
• Vehari District was 1516.
• Multan city and district was 1000.
• Laar state was 1600.
• Shujabaad tehsil was 1300 .

Notable people of the family

• Haji Irfan Ahmad Khan Daha - Ex. Provincial Minister of Transport of Punjab^[5]
• Nishat Khan Daha - Ex Parliamentary Secretary (Mines & Minerals) 31-01-09 to 26-02-11,

Ex Tehsil Nazim 2001-2005

Current Official Positions

1. MPA PP214 Khanewal Party affiliation PML-N
2. Member Health Punjab (Chairperson)

• Major Aftab Ahmad Khan Daha - A four-time (consecutive) M.N.A from District Khanewal^[6]

Khanewal and Daha Jat family

The Daha Jat family is the earliest settlers of Khanewal, therefore the name of Khanewal is due to "Daha Jat" family because they used 'Khan' in their names. Khanewal is named after the earliest settlers here who belonged to the caste "Daha Jat" caste and used 'Khan' in their names. That is how the city came to be known as Khanewal. But in a new research about khanewal is that pattahan were lived in sarahay sahdu (near kabirwala) in eighteen century and they were sardar (head) of this area and the last area of there government was ended in khanay-e-alla (old khanewal). That time the title of the patthan of sarhay sadhu was KHAN therefor this last area of his govt were called khanay-e-alla. But in 1917 khanay-e-alla was became tehsil then head of the daha, Haibat Daha adopted title of khan with his name, (Like Haibat Khan Daha). On that time Haibat Daha was Zaildar and in his Zaildar Ship he change the name of Khanay-e-alla with the name of Khanewal with the upgradition of tehsil in 1917.

References