# Awan (tribe)

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Pakistani community and surname

Awan اعوان Watercolour of an Awan sepoy, named Hakim Khan, painted by Major A.C. Lovett, circa 1908.[1] The painting is included in the book, The Armies of India (published in 1911). Location Punjab, Hazara, Azad Kashmir and Sindh Language Hindko, Punjabi, Urdu Religion Islam

**Awan** ([Urdu](/source/Urdu_language): اعوان) is a tribe and ethnic community centred in the [Northern](/source/Northern_Pakistan) and [Punjab](/source/Punjab%2C_Pakistan) regions of [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan), the name Awan is used as a surname for this tribe.[2][3] Awans are predominantly present in the northern, central, and western parts of Punjab, with significant population also present in [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa](/source/Khyber_Pakhtunkhwa), [Azad Kashmir](/source/Azad_Kashmir), and to a lesser extent, in [Sindh](/source/Sindh) and [Balochistan](/source/Balochistan%2C_Pakistan). The tribe claim [Arab](/source/Arabs), particularly [Alid](/source/Alids), origin[4] through its primary ancestor [Qutub Shah](/source/Qutb_Shah), who is said to have came to modern-day Pakistan with [Mahmud of Ghazni](/source/Mahmud_of_Ghazni).[5]

## History

The Awan Palace was the residence of the [Nawab](/source/Nawab) of [Kalabagh](/source/Kalabagh) on the bank of the [Indus](/source/Indus_River)

[Jamal J. Elias](/source/Jamal_J._Elias) notes that the Awans believe themselves to be of [Arab](/source/Arabs) origin, descended from [Ali ibn Abu Talib](/source/Ali) and that the claim of Arab descent gives them "high status in the Indian Muslim environment".[6]

[Christophe Jaffrelot](/source/Christophe_Jaffrelot) says:

The Awan deserve close attention, because of their historical importance and, above all, because they settled in the west, right up to the edge of [Baluchi](/source/Baloch_people) and [Pashtun](/source/Pashtuns) territory. Legend has it that their origins go back to Imam Ali and his second wife, Hanafiya. Historians describe them as valiant warriors and farmers who imposed their supremacy on the [Janjua](/source/Janjua) in part of the [Salt Range](/source/Salt_Range) and established large colonies all along the [Indus](/source/Indus_River) to [Sind](/source/Sindh), and a densely populated center not far from [Lahore](/source/Lahore).[7]

People of the Awan community have a strong presence in the [Pakistan Army](/source/Pakistan_Army)[8] and a notable martial tradition.[9] They were listed as an "agricultural tribe" by the British Raj in 1925, a term that was then synonymous with classification as a "[martial race](/source/Martial_race)".[10]

## Notable people

[Amir Mohammad Khan](/source/Nawab_Malik_Amir_Mohammad_Khan), former [Nawab](/source/Nawab) of Kalabagh, Chief of the Awan tribe, [Governor](/source/Governor) of [West Pakistan](/source/West_Pakistan) from 1960 to 1966

Air Marshal [Nur Khan](/source/Nur_Khan), Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70

- [Nawab Malik Amir Mohammad Khan](/source/Nawab_Malik_Amir_Mohammad_Khan) – Former [Nawab](/source/Nawab) of [Kalabagh](/source/Kalabagh), Chief of the Awan tribe and Governor of [West Pakistan](/source/West_Pakistan) from 1960 to 1966.[11]

- [Nur Khan](/source/Nur_Khan) – Commander-in-chief of the [Pakistan Air Force](/source/Pakistan_Air_Force), 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70, and recipient of the [Hilal-i-Jurat](/source/Hilal-i-Jurat), the second-highest military award of [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan).[12]

- [Tajammul Hussain Malik](/source/Tajammul_Hussain_Malik), veteran of the [Indo-Pakistani War of 1965](/source/Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1965), held the defence in the [Battle of Hilli](/source/Battle_of_Hilli) against a larger force, refused to surrender and attempted coup against the [military dictatorship](/source/Muhammad_Zia-ul-Haq) of the 1980s

- [Mir Sultan Khan](/source/Mir_Sultan_Khan) – chess master[13]

- [Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi](/source/Ahmad_Nadeem_Qasmi) – [Urdu](/source/Urdu) poet, journalist, literary critic, dramatist, short story author, recipient of the [Pride of Performance](/source/Pride_of_Performance) and [Sitara-e-Imtiaz](/source/Sitara-e-Imtiaz), the third-highest civil award of Pakistan.[14]

- [Sultan Bahu](/source/Sultan_Bahu) – A [Sufi](/source/Sufi) mystic, poet, and founder of [Sarwari Qadiri](/source/Sarwari_Qadiri).[15]

- [Khadim Hussain Rizvi](/source/Khadim_Hussain_Rizvi) – A Pakistani Islamic scholar and the founder of [Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan](/source/Tehreek-e-Labbaik_Pakistan).[16]

- [Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan](/source/Ameer_Muhammad_Akram_Awan) – Islamic scholar and spiritual leader of [Naqshbandia Owaisiah](/source/Naqshbandia_Owaisiah).[17]

- [Saad Hussain Rizvi](/source/Saad_Hussain_Rizvi), Pakistani far-right politician

- [Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi](/source/Abdul_Mannan_Wazirabadi) – Islamic scholar, [faqīh](/source/Faq%C4%ABh) and [muhaddith](/source/Hadith_studies).[18][*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Questionable_sources)*]

- [Dilip Kumar](/source/Dilip_Kumar) –Actor in Hindi cinema.[19]

- [Babar Awan](/source/Babar_Awan) – Pakistani politician and lawyer

- [Malik Munawar Khan Awan](/source/Malik_Munawar_Khan_Awan) – Pakistan army officer who fought for independence of [Azad Hind](/source/Azad_Hind) against the [British Raj](/source/British_Raj) and a decorated soldier awarded for gallantry for conquering areas of the Kashmir Valley in the [Indo-Pakistani war of 1965](/source/Indo-Pakistani_war_of_1965)

- [Muhammad Akram](/source/Muhammad_Akram) [NH](/source/Nishan-e-Haider) – Pakistani martyr soldier who commanded a regiment at Hilli, [East Pakistan](/source/East_Pakistan) and was post-humously awarded the highest military honour of the country

## See also

- [Tribes and clans of the Pothohar Plateau](/source/Tribes_and_clans_of_the_Pothohar_Plateau)

- [Awan Patti](/source/Awan_Patti)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [82nd Punjabis, Awan (Punjabi Musalman), 1908 (c)](https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1953-02-50-1)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hanks, Patrick; Lenarčič, Simon; McClure, Peter (30 November 2022), ["Awan"](https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780190245115.001.0001/acref-9780190245115-e-3095), *Dictionary of American Family Names*, Oxford University Press, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/acref/9780190245115.001.0001](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Facref%2F9780190245115.001.0001), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-024511-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-024511-5){{[citation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Citation)}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_work_parameter_with_ISBN))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Tan, Tai Yong (2005). [*The Garrison State: The Military, Government and Society in Colonial Punjab 1849–1947*](https://books.google.com/books?id=d5ZiMV7rqWUC). Sage. pp. 61–62. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7619-3336-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7619-3336-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Shaw, Alison (2000). *Kinship and Continuity: Pakistani Families in Britain*. London: Routledge. p. 116. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.4324/9781315080062](https://doi.org/10.4324%2F9781315080062). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9058230759](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9058230759).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:1_5-0)** Sarwar, Malik Muhammad (1996). ["Archaeological Remains in Son Sakesar (Salt Range)"](https://books.google.com/books?id=nOtwAAAAMAAJ). *Journal of Central Asia*. **XIX**. Centre for the Study of the Civilizations of Central Asia, [Quaid-i-Azam University](/source/Quaid-i-Azam_University): 150–169. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1016-0701](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1016-0701). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [655897382](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/655897382). Before the arrival of Awan tribes, the valley was a part of the state under the rule of [Janjua](/source/Janjua) [Rajputs](/source/Rajputs). They were forcibly ousted by the Awans. The Awans claim that their ancestor, Qutb Shah came along with the army of Sultan Mahmood of Ghazna in the 10th century. He headed some troops of Alavids who had been given the title of Awans by the Sultan.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [J. Elias, Jamal](/source/Jamal_J._Elias) (1998). *Death Before Dying: The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu*. University of California Press. p. 12. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-52021-242-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-52021-242-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Jaffrelot, Christophe](/source/Christophe_Jaffrelot) (2004). [*A History of Pakistan and Its Origins*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Q9sI_Y2CKAcC) (Reprinted ed.). Anthem Press. p. 205. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-84331-149-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84331-149-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Jones, Philip Edward (2003). [*The Pakistan People's Party: Rise to Power*](https://books.google.com/books?id=xliNAAAAMAAJ). Oxford University Press. p. 61. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0195799666](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0195799666). This [Awan] tribe is perhaps the most heavily recruited tribe in the [Pakistan] Army.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Ali, Imran (1998). [*Punjab under Imperialism, 1885–1947*](https://books.google.com/books?id=MgUABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA114). Princeton University Press. p. 114. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1400859581](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1400859581).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Mazumder, Rajit K. (2003). [*The Indian Army and the Making of Punjab*](https://books.google.com/books?id=O4Wop9vwS9sC). Orient Longman. p. 105. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788178240596](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788178240596).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Khan, Jahan Dad (2001). [*Pakistan Leadership Challenges*](https://books.google.com/books?id=MjZuAAAAMAAJ). Oxford University Press. p. 72. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0195795873](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0195795873).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Khan, Roedad (1999). [*The American Papers: Secret and Confidential India-Pakistan-Bangladesh Documents, 1965-1973*](https://books.google.com/books?id=sxpuAAAAMAAJ). Oxford University Press. p. 265. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0195791908](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0195791908).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Sultan, Ather; Sultan, Atiyab (17 May 2020). ["CHESS:The Wrath of Khan"](https://www.dawn.com/news/1557393). *Dawn*. Retrieved 12 June 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Kamal, Daud (2008). [*Flower on a Grave: Poems from Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi*](http://global.oup.com/academic/product/flower-on-a-grave-9780195474978). Oxford University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780195474978](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780195474978).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Frembgen, Jürgen Wasim (2006). [*The Friends of God: Sufi Saints in Islam, Popular Poster Art from Pakistan*](https://books.google.com/books?id=wzzYAAAAMAAJ). Oxford University Press. p. 103. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0195470060](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0195470060). ... Sultan Bahu (d. 1691) whose real name was Sultan Muhammad. Born into an Awan Family in Shorkot (District Jhang), ...

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Warraich, Suhail (10 December 2017). ["A Barelvi revival?"](https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/564518-barelvi-revival). *The News International*. Islamabad. Retrieved 24 January 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Hazrat Ameer Muhammad Akram (RA)"](https://www.naqshbandiaowaisiah.org/hazrat-ameer-muhammad-akram-awan-ra.html). *Silsala Naqshbandia Owaisia*. Retrieved 3 January 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Ustad-e-Punjab (teacher of Punjab), in [Urdu Language](/source/Urdu), by Maulana Majeed Sohadravi, Darussalam Pakistan/Muslim Publication, [Lahore](/source/Lahore). page 41

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Web Team, WION (8 July 2021). ["Pakistan mourns the loss of legendary Indian star Dilip Kumar, prayers offered outside ancestral home"](https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/pakistan-mourns-the-loss-of-legendary-indian-star-dilip-kumar-prayers-offered-outside-ancestral-home-396784). *WION*. New Delhi, India. Retrieved 13 July 2021.

## Further reading

- Qadeer, Mohammad (22 November 2006). *Pakistan - Social and Cultural Transformations in a Muslim Nation*. Taylor & Francis. p. 71. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1134186177](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1134186177).

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