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Revision as of 02:17, 2 October 2012
Gakhars (also Gakkhar or Ghakhar or Ghakkar) are a Punjabi community living in India with an ancient recorded history, originally belonging to the areas of West Punjab which now fall in the territory of Pakistan. Gakhars are found among Hindus and Sikhs in India and also among Muslims, and a large section of Muslim Gakhars are settled in Pakistan.
Conversion to Islam
Hindu marriage customs are recorded as prevalent among Muslim Gakhars as late as the 18th century in the district gazetteer of Rawalpindi
old religious customs, obviously of Hindu origin are still observed by the Gakhars, or were until within a very short period, such as customs at marriage of lawa-pherna and Khari par baithana, and the Kazi and the Brahman are both present on such occasions. The name Gakhar too , seems to partake more of a Hindu than of Persian or Arabic form".
According to S A A Rizvi
the motives of Muizzuudin's conquests were no different from those of Mahmud of Ghazni. Both were in need of plunder from India to maintain their slave armies and to attract the wandering bands of Islamicized mercenaries known as "ghazis" to their forces. The Islamicization of India was not their main objective, although some tribal leaders such as the Gakkhars were encountered on the way to raids for plunder and forced to convert by muslim armies.".
See also
References
- Gazetteer of the Rawalpindi District 1893-94, Punjab Government, 2001 Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore. Page 114
- The wonder that was India II on page 22. Picador