Sarang: History of Gakkhars
By Saheeb Ahmed Kayani
Emel Publications
ISBN: 978-9-69955-694-4
147pp.

The local tradition of writing history does not differ in any way from relating stories from legends and mythology. Indeed, this method is so prevalent that the common reader remains in darkness about ancient history. Such so-called historians are singularly incapable of analysing myths to bring them any closer to reality.

Whether it is Naimatullah Khan’s Makhzan-i-Afghani [Afghan Treasure House], written in the early 17th century, or Nur uz Zaman Auj’s books on Cholistan’s history, written about 30 years ago, to name only a few, there is no critical analysis of stories preserved in local lore. They are unthinkingly presented as real history. The view of such historians is myopic and parochial, which glamorises their own clan, tribe or area. And such was the case of a book titled Kaigoharnama.

Authored in Persian by Divan Dunichand (who died in 1743), a native of Gulyana near Gujar Khan in Rawalpindi district, this book purported to trace the origins of the Gakkhars of the Potohar and Jhelum regions. This knowledge that Divan obviously gleaned from the prevalent yarns, takes the family title of Kayani (or Kyani, Kiani) to link their descent from the near-mythological Keianian (as spelt by Percy Sykes in his History of Persia) Dynasty of the 7th century BCE.

Dunichand wrote that the progenitor of the Gakkhars was Sultan Kaigohar, or Sultan Gakkhar, of that dynasty. Even today, you will be told that the tribal name Gakkhar is a corruption of Kaigohar. Sadly for the ignorant Divan who relied only on fables, the Keianian king list does not include any Kaigohar or Gakkhar. As for the latter name, it could not have been a part of the Persian language because neither the ‘kh’ sound nor the palatal ‘r’ of Gakkhar exists in that language.

A well-researched, first-ever critical look at the origins of the Gakkhars of Potohar and Jhelum region demolishes some well-established myths about them

Sarang: History of Gakkhars, a recently published book, is the first-ever critical look at the origin of the Gakkhars. Being the work of Saheeb Ahmed Kayani, it is remarkable for its objectivity, as he refuses to go along with the version of the Kaigoharnama. This slim volume, divided into 20 short chapters, is very well-researched, bringing to light little-known facts on the history of Potohar and the Gakkhars. There are copious references at the end of chapters and a bibliography at the end of the book.

To start with, Kayani rejects outright the accepted history of his Persian origin, which will definitely not endear him with those of his clan who dub folklore as history. He is spot on when he writes, “repeated attempts to reconcile historical record with these oral traditions have been ineffectual.” And there have been countless such attempts, both written and oral.

Quoting Alexander Cunningham, the 19th century general-turned-historian, he tells the reader that the clan may be of Scythian origin. We know that this tribe migrated in vast numbers from Central Asia into the Subcontinent in the first century BCE, but we also know of earlier trickles of humanity from that far-off land.

Addressing the other assertion of the fictitious Kaigoharnama that this warlike tribe had come into this region with the armies of the robber-king Mahmud of Ghazni, he says that the localities named in that book — the Gakkhars’ first home under the Ghaznavid — lie in the belt between the Chenab and the Jhelum. Whereas, in reality, since early history, these people have lived west of the Jhelum River.

Of greater essence is Kayani’s clarification of the mix-up between Gakkhar and Khokhar. He rightly points out that this error arose from Aitzaz Ahsan’s The Indus Saga, published in 1996. We know of the two brothers, Sheikha and Jasrat Khokhar, who resisted the superior arms of Taimur the Lame when he attacked Lahore. Though Sheikha was restored to his seat, Jasrat was imprisoned and taken to Samarkand, from where he contrived to escape. He returned to Punjab and continued a colourful life of rebellion here. Since Ahsan labelled these brothers Gakkhar, Majid Sheikh, a regular contributor to this newspaper, also goes by this incorrect appellation.

As pointed above, the Persian language cannot correctly pronounce either Khokhar or Gakkhar, and the error began with the early 17th century history of India by Abu’l Qasim Farishta. He randomly referred to them either as Kakkar [] or Kokar []. Kayani tells us of the significant attempt by Henry George Raverty, major-turned-linguist, to correct this misunderstanding, which was missed by Ahsan and Sheikh. He rightly points out that anyone reading these works without referring to other sources of Indian history is very likely to mix up things.

Setting the record straight about the origin of the Gakkhars, that it is shrouded in complete mystery, Kayani enters the realm of known history and deals in great detail with Sarang Khan, the man who, having once sworn allegiance to Babur, did not waver under the immense pressure from Sher Shah Suri. He fought valiantly against the Pakhtun king, was captured and flayed alive. The banner was taken up by his brother, Adam Khan, who also remained loyal to the Mughal throne.

Thereafter is the recorded history of the clan, coming down to the Sikh period and later. However, even research scholars would perhaps not be aware of the fact that the Gakkhars were slave traders for Central Asian markets. For this little gem, Kayani relies on the work of the Jesuit missionary Antoni de Montserrat, who visited Akbar’s court.

For the researcher’s interest, Kayani tabulates the five known translations of the Kaigoharnama — one into English and four into Urdu. The book also contains a table listing the 20 existing manuscripts of the book, and also contains a tabulated list of 14 historical monuments from the Gakkhars’ heartland. We also learn that the manuscripts were continually updated by descendants of the original writer.

For anyone with any interest in real history, Kayani’s work is of paramount importance; it is essential reading. Because of its objectivity, it is a breath of fresh air.

The reviewer is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and author of several books on travel. X: @odysseuslahori

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, January 11th, 2026