Region Punjab Historic seat Bhera | Ethnicity Punjabi | |
The Khukhrain or Khokhrain is a clan composed of eight septs of the Khatri caste that originally hailed from the areas of the Salt Range and particularly the town of Bhera in Punjab. The clan is descended from the 12th century Hindu ruler of Lahore, Khokhar Anand. The clan is noted for assassinating Mohammad Ghauri.
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Battle of Bhera
The Khukhrains spread over Khushab, Dhune Kheb, Chakwal, Pind Dadan Khan, Peshawar, Nowshera and Lahore. They were a powerful tribe during the attacks of Mahmud of Ghazni and resisted him during his third invasion after the defeat of Jayapala at the Battle of Bhera in 1004-5. Bhera was the Khukhrain capital.
When Bhera was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni, the Khukhrain king, Biji Rai preferred to commit suicide using his dagger rather than submit to Ghazni. Jaipal's son, Anandapala, received support of the Khukhrains against Ghazni in 1008-9 at Wahind.
Religious beliefs
The Khukhrain clan was originally Hindu. Later clan members embraced Sikhism and Islam. Khukhrains of all these faiths collectively form one kinship. In Pakistan there continues to be a large number of Muslim Khukhrains living specially in the Pakistani Punjab.. Some scholars such as Muhammad Ikrām Chutai believe that a number of Khukhrains were converted to Islam by the Sufi Baba Farid
Khokran and Khokhars
Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that: "The Khokharain sub group of the 52 claims descent from a son of Manu but it is possibly named from the Khokhar Rajputs and several clan names are traced to military."