Kot, Fatehpur

History

The Khokhar Khanzada tribe, originally numbering almost 100,000, has lived in Kot, Fatehpur district, for nearly 800 years. As of 2011, the population of Khokkhars living in the Kot area is estimated at about 5,000; other Khokkars are scattered around many parts of India. Most of the original population emigrated to Pakistan. Many others moved to Jabalpur,Bhopal, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Bhubneshwar, Bilaspur, Itarsi, Banda, Charkhari (Bundelkhand) and other parts of India. Some emigrated to the Middle East, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, and other countries for economic gain. The worldwide Khokkhar population may be as high as 300,000.

Research indicates that the Kokkhars are the descendants of Uzbek Persians who, after their defeat by the Arabs in Persia, took refuge in Punjab; the army of King Babar (which was passing through the area) recruited them because of their ferocity in warfare.

Another reference indicates that the Kokkhars are a tribe of the Rajput clan (inferred due to their ruling status in the Kuh-i-Jud regions of Punjab), and have allied with other clans (such as the Janjua) in pushing back the Ghorid armies from the region.

"Ghakkar" and "Kakar" are other variations of Kokkhar. Although they are not of Chandra, Surya or Agnikula Vansh lineage, they were given the status of Rajput Pathan by the priests of their time; it was not a self-proclaimed title. This demonstrates that the Kokkhars are not Jatts, Thakurs or any other military tribe of India, and may not be an indigenous ethnic group. Many defeated royal figures with Uzbek, Persian and Pashtun origins became Lashkari (allies of passing warlords), the Kokkhars among them. They are mistakenly thought to have been in frequent conflict with the Indian Jatts, Thakurs and Rajputs; rather, they sided with the Jatts, Rajputs and Moguls against the Ghorides.

The term "Kokkhar" is equivalent to "barbarian" in Europe, since they originated in Central Asia. They were Huns, who rapidly attacked and influenced northern India. The Kokkhars played a similar role with respect to northern India's empires as the barbarians (or the Huns) did for the Roman Empire. More research is needed, since much Kokkhar history is currently unknown.

Ethnicity

Many Khokkhar elders living in Kot refer to their ancestors as Ajbuk, an Uzbek word meaning "wild warriors". Rivalries (sometimes escalating to armed hostility) have traditionally been frequent between – and within – various Khokkhar groups. Historical and geographic factors have spawned diversity within the Khokkhars. The relationship between tribe and ethnic group is complex, and all Khokkhars (including those in rural areas) consider themselves linked to the Pashtun people and the armies of the Moguls and Alauddin Khilji.

Despite a degree of social uniformity, many different phenotypes may be found in the Khokkhar population including blond-haired, blue-eyed Khokkhars. Those with darker features and epicanthic folds are considered to be descendants of Kokkhars and the Thakur and Rajput groups. Tall, olive-skinned, mustachioed tribesmen and those who combine these features are said to be descendants of the Jatt and Khokkhar dynasties. Although it may be tempting to associate certain physical features with a particular ethnic group, scholars recognize that (since all human populations are capable of intermingling, and do so) there are more physical differences found within ethnic groups than between them. In general, Khokkhars living in Kot have light skin (nearly Caucasian); they are tall, and resemble the Uzbeks.

Kot today

The Afghan and North Western Frontier's rugged environment isolated residential communities and created micro-environments with rigorous survival skills. Kot possesses a similar topography; it is located near the Yamuna River at high altitude, providing a spectacular scenery of ancient fortified fortresses. Members of the different Kokkhar groups and Khandans residing in different locations must adapt to their own micro-environments. Many Khokkhars use Khan as a surname, while others have adopted the surname Khokkhar. Many Khokkhars (in Kot, elsewhere in India and abroad) are involved in business; some are bureaucrats, or otherwise in public service (including members of the military and police forces). India's leading motivational speaker Naseer Khan belongs to Khokkhars from Kot, Fatehpur.More information about exact origin is awaited, Historian Late Mehmudul Hassan Khan from Barkheda Railway Station a place located in Madhya Pradesh state of India wrote detailed literature which is going to publish in coming days