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{{short description|Punjabi chieftain who led rebellion in Punjab against British in 1857}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal
| image = Modern digital painting depicting Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal by Arsalan Khan.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Modern digital painting depicting Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal by Arsalan Khan
| native_name = {{Uninastaliq|رائے احمد خاں کھرل}}
| native_name_lang = Punjabi
| other_names = Nawab of Jhamra
| birth_date = 1776
| birth_place = [[Jhamra]], [[Sandal Bar]], [[Punjab]]<br /> {{small|(present-day [[Punjab, Pakistan]])}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1857|09|21|1776}}
| death_place = [[Gogera]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[Company Raj|Company India]]<br /> {{small|(present-day Punjab, Pakistan)}}
| death_cause = Killed in battle
| monuments = Tomb of Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal
| known = [[Resistance movement#Freedom fighter|Freedom fighter]]
| mother = Fateh Bibi Kamoka <ref>{{cite book |last=Bhutta |first=Saeed |date=January 1, 2010 |title=Nabar Kahani |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/nabar-kahani-saeed-bhatta-ebooks/ }}</ref>
| father = Rai Nathu Khan Kharal
}}

'''Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal''' ({{lang-pa|{{Nastaliq|رائے احمد خان کھرَل}}}}; {{circa|1776}} – 21 September 1857),<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Ahmed Khan Kharal and the Raj|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/157720-Ahmed-Khan-Kharal-and-the-Raj|access-date=2021-09-20|website=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-06-25|title=Past in Perspective|url=https://nation.com.pk/26-Jun-2019/past-in-perspective|access-date=2021-09-20|website=The Nation|language=en}}</ref> widely known as Nawab of [[Jhamra]],<ref name=":0" /><ref name="dawn" /> was a [[Punjabi Muslim]] chieftain of the [[Kharal]] tribe. He led rebellion in the [[Bar Region|Bar region]] of Punjab against the [[British East India Company]] in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|War of Independence of 1857]] and died fighting against it on 21 September 1857, at the age of 81. <ref name="thenews">{{cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/157720-Ahmed-Khan-Kharal-and-the-Raj|website=thenews.com.pk|title=Ahmed Khan Kharal and the Raj|accessdate=2020-05-07}}</ref><ref name="dawn">{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/793732/kharal-and-berkley-ii|title=Kharal and Berkley II|website=DAWN.COM|date=22 April 2013|accessdate=2020-05-07}}</ref><ref name="nation">{{cite web|url=https://nation.com.pk/26-Jun-2019/past-in-perspective|website=nation.com.pk|title=Past in Perspective|date=25 June 2019 |accessdate=2020-05-07}}</ref> He is today considered a [[folk hero]] in Punjab.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/HistoryPStudies/PDF-FILES/13-Saeed_V28_no2.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjt5aynxsH7AhX7ppUCHcYfBi8QFnoECE0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw3ZbzevCPRNLl63BsJSMgUf|access-date=2022-11-22 |title=Punjab University: Rai Ahmad Khan Kharral (Myth or Reality)}}</ref>

==Biography==
Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal was born into a rich landowning family of the [[Kharal]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/793732/kharal-and-berkley-ii|title=Kharal and Berkley II|date=22 April 2013}}</ref> tribe in the [[Sandal Bar]] region of Punjab, in [[Chak 434 Gb Jhamra]] village 23 km from [[Tandlianwala]] [[Faisalabad District]] and 57 km from Faisalabad city.

He was the nawab of [[Jhamra]], he possessed large sum of land and cattle. He was respected by all [[Kharal|Kharals]] as well as other tribes such as [[Kathia]], [[Wattoo]], Fatayana and others. Rai Kharal had influence over all of Sandal Bar.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Saranga |first=Turab ul Hasan |title=Punjab and the War of Independence 1857-1858 from Collaboration to Resistance |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2020 |isbn=9780190701840 |edition=1st |location=Oxford, England |language=en}}</ref>

Leopold Oliver Fitzhardinge Berkeley, or better known as Lord Berkley, was the extra Assistant Commissioner of [[Gogera]] in 1857. He held a meeting with important personalities of the Gogera including Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal. Berkley demanded all the leaders to supply the British with men (soldiers) and horses to crush the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|ongoing revolt]]. On this, Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal said "Kharals do not share wife, horse and land with anyone" and left.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miraj |first=Muhammad Hassan |date=2013-04-15 |title=Kharal and Berkley |url=https://www.dawn.com/2013/04/15/kharal-and-berkley/ |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref>

===Role in War of Independence (1857)===
On July 8, 1857 British arrested a large number of Joiya tribe's men, women and children after they refused to pay the heavy taxes (Lagan).<ref name=":1" /> When Rai Kharal received this news he planned to break into the Gogera jail and rescue the innocent people imprisoned there. With help of his Fatayana, Wattoo and Kathia friends Rai Ahmad attacked the Gogera Jail on July 26. According to British records 17 prisoners were killed, 33 were injured and 18 fled.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LZ8IAAAAQAAJ |title=General Report on the Administration of the Punjab Territories, from 1856-57 to 1857-58 Inclusive: Together with a Brief Account of the Administration of the Delhi Territory, from the Re-occupation of Delhi Up to May 1858 |date=1854 |publisher=Printed at the Chronicle Press, by Mahomed Azeem |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Punjab |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1SQeAQAAIAAJ |title=Government Records: Mutiny records. Correspondence and reports |date=1911 |publisher=Punjab Government Press |language=en}}</ref> But native accounts disagree suggesting that 145 prisoners died and 100+ EIC troops were also killed.<ref name="dawn2">{{cite web |date=8 July 2019 |title=Tributes to A.D. Aijaz, the oral historian of Kharal's resistance - Newspaper |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1492795 |accessdate=2020-05-07 |website=DAWN.COM}}</ref> British arrested Rai Ahmad but released him due to pressure from local tribes and as no proper evidence was available against him.<ref name=":1" /> Rai Ahmed Khan Kharal did not stop and continued rebellion against British.

In order to arrest Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal, Berkley attacked Jhamra but was unable to arrest Rai Kharal although he imprisoned 20 civilians including Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal's youngest son Bala Khan Kharal, British also took with them a large sum of cattle.<ref name=":1" /> Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal with help of Kathia, Wattoo, Fatayana and Joiya tribe started a guerilla campaign against British. According to Punjab government records the rebels numbered 20,000 to 30,000 men.<ref name=":2" /> John Cave-Browne writes that these rebels took refuge in thick jungles and grass and attacked with groups of 3000-5000 guerillas, the sound of drum beating was the sign that they would attack.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Cave-Browne |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZD4NAAAAYAAJ&q=the+Punjab+and+delhi+in+1857+book |title=The Punjab and Delhi in 1857: Being a Narrative of the Measures by which the Punjab was Saved and Delhi Recovered During the Indian Mutiny |date=1861 |publisher=William Blackwood and Sons |language=en}}</ref> The connection of Jhang to Lahore was completely cut. Rai Ahmed Khan Kharal planned a major assult on Gogera with other tribal leaders in a secret meeting but the information was leaked by Sarfraz Kharal of [[Kamalia]] to British. British prepared themselves to face the upcoming assult and when the rebels attacked they were repulsed with heavy losses.<ref name=":1" />

Rai Ahmad with his companions fled to Jungles of Gashkori and continued the struggle. British received news about Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal's presence in the Jungles of Gashkori and a force under Captain Black was sent there, this force succeeded in killing Ahmad Khan while he was offering afternoon prayers.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> Many of his close companions such as his deputy Sarang Khan Kharal of Begeke Kharals was also killed in this engagement.<ref name=":3" />

A trusted partner of Rai Ahmed Khan Kharal, Murad Fatayana took revenge of Ahmad Khan's killing and eliminated Lord Berkley alongside 50 british and native troops in a successful attack. The rebellion continued until it ended in mid 1858 as local tribes lost.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name="pu">{{cite journal |author=Saeed Ahmed Butt |year=2015 |title=Rai Ahmad Khan Kharral (Myth or Reality) |url=http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/HistoryPStudies/PDF-FILES/13-Saeed_V28_no2.pdf |journal=Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=173–191 |accessdate=2020-05-07}}</ref><ref name="dawn2" />

===Death===
[[File:Ahmad Khan Kharral Tomb.jpg|thumb|274x274px|left|Tomb of Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal in [[Jhamra]]]]
Rai Ahmed Khan Kharal was killed by a force led by Captain Black on September 21 while he was offering afternoon prayers.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="pu" /><ref name="dawn2" /><ref name=":1" /> His body was decapitated and his head was put on display at Gregora Jail which was an insult to injury to his supporters.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Mirzā |first=Shafqat Tanvīr |url=http://archive.org/details/resistancethemes0000mirz |title=Resistance themes in Punjabi literature |date=1992 |publisher=Lahore, Pakistan : Sang-e-Meel Publications |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-969-35-0101-8 |pages=111-112}}</ref> A few days later one of his supporters stole the head and buried it in his ancestral graveyard in [[Jhamra]].<ref name=":4" /> The local ''dhola'' poems recited after his death describe Ahmad Khan's martyrdom as [[British Raj|Britain]] lowering the head of [[Punjab]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sargana |first=Turab ul Hassan |url=https://books.google.com.pk/books/about/Punjab_and_the_War_of_Independence_1857.html?id=ERW4zQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y |title=Punjab and the War of Independence 1857-1858 from Collaboration to Resistance |date=2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-070184-0 |pages=136 |language=en}}</ref> Below is a line from one of the poems.<ref name=":4" />

'''احمَد خان شہید ہویا تاں سِر پَنجاب دے نوُں جا گھَتیا اے ہَتھ'''

''With Ahmad Khan's martyrdom, Britain has lowered the head of Punjab.''

==See also==
*[[Murree rebellion of 1857]]
* [[Mai Bakhtawar]]
* [[Nizam Lohar]]
*[[Hemu Kalani]]
*[[Kadu Makrani]]
*[[Ajab Khan Afridi]]
*[[Bhagat Singh]]
*[[Udham Singh]]
*[[Kartar Singh Sarabha]]
*[[Chandrasekhar Azad]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kharal, Ahmad Khan}}
[[Category:1770s births]]
[[Category:1857 deaths]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:Folklore]]
[[Category:History of Pakistan]]
[[Category:People from Faisalabad]]
[[Category:Faisalabad]]
[[Category:Faisalabad-related lists]]
[[Category:Indian people of the Indian Rebellion of 1857|*]]
[[Category:British East India Company]]
[[Category:Military of British India]]
[[Category:Mutinies]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1857]]
[[Category:Rebellions in India|1857 Indian Rebellion]]
[[Category:1857 in India]]
[[Category:Resistance to the British Empire]]
[[Category:Indian rebels]]

Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article