History
Bajwa is a Jat gotra . They are spread across the Punjab region divided between Northern India and Pakistan.
Bajwa are believed to be the bravest clan of Jatt. Bajwa means the Clan of the Hawk, and is a common last name amongst Punjabis.The word itself “Bajwa” is derived from the word Baaz Wala (pronounced as Baaj in colloquial Punjabi),the Arabic word for hawk or falcon.
Bajwa in Persian also means “the people who levied Tax”.Bajwas living in the Bajwat area (the Sialkot and Narowal districts in Punjab (Pakistan) were known to harass the invading armies of Timur, Ahmed Shah Abdali and others, who invaded India from the northwest.
History–
Bajwa is a prominent Jat clan of the Punjab. They claim Suryavanshi Jats descent.
The ancestor of the Bajwas is Baba Manga. Their place of origin is Bajwat in the Sialkot and Narowal districts of Pakistan. This place is located in the Shiwalik foothills and is quite near the Indian border as well as the city of Jammu. At one time, Bajwa Jats had 84 villages in the Sialkot area. Baba Manga had seven sons. The eldest, Naro established a village, which was named as Narowal after him. Another son, Deepa founded Kotli Bajwa and a third one, Chandu founded Chanduwal.
Bajwa Jats and Bajju Rajputs –
Bajwa Jatts are closely linked to the Bajju Rajputs.
Lis migrated to Jammu. There, he married a Rajput girl. His descendants were called Bajju Rajputs. Kala, on the other hand, married a Jat girl and settled in the Pasrur area. Kala’s descendants came to be known as Bajwa Jats. Thus, both groups have common ancestries.
Customs –
Both Bajwa Jats and Bajju Rajputs are settled in the Bajwat region of Jammu-Sialkot-Narowal. Their customs are very similar. They take their newly wed brides to the Samadhi of their ancestor, Baba Manga to pay obeisance. Baba Manga is worshipped. Like other Jat clans, Bajwas give a cut to the tree of Jand.
Some famous Jat Estates –
- Kalaswala ( Joiner)
- Kalas Bajwa (Senior)
Distribution –
Bajwas are mostly Sikhs, while in Pakistan, they are mostly Muslims.Muslims 45%, Sikhs 40%, Ahmadies 10% &Hindus 5%
Distribution in Pakistan
Bajwas are found in all tehsils except
Daska. In the Sialkot tehsil they inhabit the Bhagowal zail only. In the Zafarwal tehsil they are grouped around Chawinda, in the Raya tehsil around Narowal, while in Pasrur they are found mainly in the northwest with headquarters at Kalaswala.