|
Awan (Urdu: اعوان), a South Asian tribe of Arab or disputable origin, living predominantly in western and central parts of the Pakistani province of Punjab.
Awan is an Arabic word, which means "assistant" or "helper". Many Awans claim to be the descendants of the fourth Caliph, Hazrat
Ali (though the majority of Awans are not Shias).
ORIGIN:-
Awan's are the decendants of the Fourth Caliph, Ali.The decendants of Ali are more prominently thought to be Syed. Awan's are the decendants of Ali through his son popularly known as Imam Haneef who was absent on his brothers martydrom at Karbala. There is another school of thought, whereby the Awan's are the decendant of Hazrat UbaidUllah
s/o Hazrat Abbas (who embraced shahadat at Karbala) s/o Hazrat Ali R.A. and Ume Baneen (Hazrat Fatima binte Hazam). It is
believed that Hazrat Abbas had four sons, of whom three embraced shahadat with him at Karbala, while one i.e. Hazrat UbaidUllah
remained at Medina.
Following the tree Awan's of South Asia go down to be the decendants of an individual named Qutb Shah who assisted Mahmud of Ghazni in his early eleventh century-conquests in what today forms parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India. Qutb Shah and his sons were the leaders of the Army when they famously conquered and broke the Temple of Somnat in modern day India.It is claimed that Mahmud of Ghazni bestowed upon Qutb Shah and his sons, the title of Awan
in recognition of their services and bravery.
Although there are a significant number of historians (such as H.A. Rose and Sabiha Shaheen,
the latter whose thesis actually supports the claim made by the majority of Awans that they are the descendants of Qutb Shah)
who support the Awan claim to Arab origins, many (such as Arthur Brandreth) believe the Awans to be remnants of Bactrian Greeks. Those (such as Harikishan Kaul and Alexander Cunningham) that look upon the Awans as a Rajput clan point to the fact that in Sanskrit, the term Awan means "defender" or "protector" and maintain that the title was awarded
to them by surrounding tribes due to the successful defence of their strongholds against aggression
HISTORY:-
The Awans have a strong martial tradition and are renowned for their bravery. They were prominent
in the armies of the Slave Dynasty and the Khilji dynasty during the Delhi Sultanate period. Timur met great resistance from the Subedar (Governor) of Meerut, Qilladar ("fort commander") Ilyaas Awan Alvi during his invasion of South Asia in 1398. Timur eventually defeated Ilyaas Awan after nearly two months of fighting. Timur was
so impressed by the courage and bravery of Ilyaas Awan that he wrote about him in his memoirs.
Awans also held prominent military positions during the Mughal Era. In the early nineteenth century, one of the most powerful men in Delhi was Malik Ziyad Awan DTS and Malik Durrab Khan Awan
After the collapse of the Mughal empire, Sikh princes took control of many parts of the Punjab. Awans fiercely resisted the Sikhs and engaged in guerrilla warfare with them in their areas during
the whole of the Sikh period.
Awans also took a very active part in the War of Independence against the British Raj.
The Awans were amongst those the British considered to be "martial races" and as such, formed
an important part of the British Indian Army, serving with distinction during World Wars I and II. Along with Rajputs, Awans occupy the highest
ranks of the Pakistani Army.
Sir Campbell (founder of Campbellpore, modern day Attock), said of the Awans, "There are no better people in India."
|
