Pothohar Sultanate
Pothohar Sultanate | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1405–1818 | |||||||||
 Pothohar Plateau was the stronghold of the Sultanate | |||||||||
| Status | Sultanate | ||||||||
| Capital | Sialkot (1405 – late 15th-century) Pharwala (late 15th-century– 1493, 1810 – 1818) Rawalpindi (1493 – 1767) Jhelum (1767 – 1810) | ||||||||
| Official languages | Pothwari Punjabi Persian | ||||||||
| Common languages | Pahari Hindavi Saraiki Hindko | ||||||||
| Religion | State religion Sunni Islam Others Hinduism Buddhism | ||||||||
| Government | Tribal Monarchy | ||||||||
| Sultan | |||||||||
• 1405–1445 | Jasrat Khokhar | ||||||||
• 1520–1546 | Sarang Gakhar | ||||||||
• 1555–1566 | Kamal Gakhar | ||||||||
• 1705–1769 | Muqarrab Gakhar | ||||||||
| Historical era | Late medieval Early modern | ||||||||
• Established | 1405 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1818 | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• Total | 12,000 sq mi (31,000 km2) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Pakistan | ||||||||
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The Pothohar Sultanate (Pothwari: پوٹھوار سلطنت Pothavār Saltanat, Persian: سلطنت پوتوهر Saltanat-i-Potohar) was an early modern sultanate based in the Pothohar region between the 15th and 19th centuries. It was the dominant power of the Indus Sagar and Chaj Doab, with Rawalpindi and Jhelum as its main municipalities. The Pothohar Sultanate, for the majority of its time, served as a vassal state for Mughals and Afghans.
History
Gakhars grew powerful under their Sultan, Muqarrab Khan (r.1738–1769), who participated in the battle of Karnal (1739) alongside Nader Shah against the Mughals and received the title of Nawab.[citation needed] They controlled major regions of Potohar between Jhelum and Indus, including Rawalpindi, Pharwala, Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Fatehjang and Rohtas.[citation needed] He later also conquered cities of Gujrat and Jhelum in 1740 and issued his own coins, in which he declared himself to be ruler of the tract between Attock and Chenab. He defeated the Yusafzai Pashtuns and Jang Kuli Khan of Khattak and overran as far north as Bhimber. However, the Bhangi Misl under Sardar Milka Singh forced him to give up control of Gujarat in 1765 and he returned to Jehlum. In 1769 he was treacherously captured and put to death by a rival chief, Himmat Khan of the Bugial clan. Ultimately, Sikhs conquered Rawalpindi too in 1767 and Gakhars were left with only Phurwala and Jhelum under their control. Muqarrab's son succeeded to his dominions, until Jhelum (1810) and Pharwala (1818) fell to the Ranjit Singh's invasions, and their rule ended.
References
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