Here is another article on an old 'haveli' (mansion) of Attock area of North Punjab. This was built in late 1880s by Heera Ram Khattar, a prominent Hindu merchant of the area of Bagh Nilab , close to the River Indus (Sindhu).
As already discussed in earlier articles, the Khattars are an ancient indigenous tribe of Pakistan and India, who are probably either of Rajput or Jatt origins, or even Khatris, according to some people. During the time of the invasion of the Muslim Sultan Mahmud Ghazni, a large section of this tribe, under their leader or chief Khattar Raja, embraced Islam and the same chief became 'Khattar Khan' after conversion. While majority of these Khattars became Muslims henceforth, some remained either Hindus or became Sikhs later on. At different times, many of the non -Muslim Khattars shifted to other areas e.g to India (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh) and Afghanistan (Kabul, Jalalabad) and set up businesses or agricultural activities etc. Today famous Indian Khattars include CM of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar, famous Indian actor Rajesh Khattar and others.
One family of such Hindu Khattars who migrated to India, were the family of late Heera Ram Khattar, who was during the late 19th century a prominent merchant of Attock district of North Punjab (then in British India). His family had lived for centuries close to Bagh Nilab on the Indus, one of the ancient homes of the Khattar tribe, even in pre-Islamic days. Later on, this place Bagh Nilab also became famous historically as in 1221 AD, the Muslim Sultan Jalaludin of Khwarezem (a kingdom in Central Asia) escaped from some place nearby, by crossing the river Indus. He was being chased by the armies of the Mongols, led by Chengiz Khan. It is said that some local Khattars helped Jalaludin with food, hospitality etc, after his bold escape.
Anyhow, some Hindu families of Khattars went on living in this area at that time and they had a good trade in grain and food stuffs, and also supplied the British Indian Army, during the 1840s till 1930s. Perhaps, the most well-known and prosperous of these Hindu Khattars, was late Lala Heera Ram Khattar, who died in 1902. Heera Ram developed his family business and expanded it in many fields and made a lot of wealth and , as still a middle-aged man, in late 1880s (probably between 1887 and 1890) made a small but beautiful typical style 'haveli' mansion close to his native village. From that time , till the 1930s, this 'haveli'; saw the hey-dey of this Khattar family.
Lala Heera Ram himself died in 1902 but his sons carried on the business, but in 1932, due to some reason, there was a family split and his two surviving sons, Kirpa Ram and Mangat Ram, went into litigation against each other--thus nearly bankrupting the family business. The decline began and , in 1947, when the partition of India and Pakistan occurred, the heirs of this family moved away to India. Nothing more is known about them.
Meanwhile, their fine 'haveli' was left to rack and ruin, and today, only some small features or portions of it still survive. A sad story indeed.
Heera Ram Khattar circa 1880s-90s
The fine surviving entrance to Heera Ram haveli, today
As already discussed in earlier articles, the Khattars are an ancient indigenous tribe of Pakistan and India, who are probably either of Rajput or Jatt origins, or even Khatris, according to some people. During the time of the invasion of the Muslim Sultan Mahmud Ghazni, a large section of this tribe, under their leader or chief Khattar Raja, embraced Islam and the same chief became 'Khattar Khan' after conversion. While majority of these Khattars became Muslims henceforth, some remained either Hindus or became Sikhs later on. At different times, many of the non -Muslim Khattars shifted to other areas e.g to India (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh) and Afghanistan (Kabul, Jalalabad) and set up businesses or agricultural activities etc. Today famous Indian Khattars include CM of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar, famous Indian actor Rajesh Khattar and others.
One family of such Hindu Khattars who migrated to India, were the family of late Heera Ram Khattar, who was during the late 19th century a prominent merchant of Attock district of North Punjab (then in British India). His family had lived for centuries close to Bagh Nilab on the Indus, one of the ancient homes of the Khattar tribe, even in pre-Islamic days. Later on, this place Bagh Nilab also became famous historically as in 1221 AD, the Muslim Sultan Jalaludin of Khwarezem (a kingdom in Central Asia) escaped from some place nearby, by crossing the river Indus. He was being chased by the armies of the Mongols, led by Chengiz Khan. It is said that some local Khattars helped Jalaludin with food, hospitality etc, after his bold escape.
Anyhow, some Hindu families of Khattars went on living in this area at that time and they had a good trade in grain and food stuffs, and also supplied the British Indian Army, during the 1840s till 1930s. Perhaps, the most well-known and prosperous of these Hindu Khattars, was late Lala Heera Ram Khattar, who died in 1902. Heera Ram developed his family business and expanded it in many fields and made a lot of wealth and , as still a middle-aged man, in late 1880s (probably between 1887 and 1890) made a small but beautiful typical style 'haveli' mansion close to his native village. From that time , till the 1930s, this 'haveli'; saw the hey-dey of this Khattar family.
Lala Heera Ram himself died in 1902 but his sons carried on the business, but in 1932, due to some reason, there was a family split and his two surviving sons, Kirpa Ram and Mangat Ram, went into litigation against each other--thus nearly bankrupting the family business. The decline began and , in 1947, when the partition of India and Pakistan occurred, the heirs of this family moved away to India. Nothing more is known about them.
Meanwhile, their fine 'haveli' was left to rack and ruin, and today, only some small features or portions of it still survive. A sad story indeed.
Heera Ram Khattar circa 1880s-90s
The fine surviving entrance to Heera Ram haveli, today
