Bajwa

Bajwa is a major land-owning clan of the Jatt community, native to the Punjab region of the Indian Subcontinent.

Punjabi:  ਬਾਜਵਾ 

(44% Sikh)

 Hindi:  बाजवा 

(4% Hindu)
 

Urdu:  باجوہ  

(52% Muslim)

The Bajwa clan is believed to be the bravest among the Jatt community. The word "Bajwa" means the 'Clan of the Hawks' and it is derived from the word "Baaj Wala" or "Baaz Wala", the Persian word meaning "the owner of hawk or falcon" or "A person having Hawk or falcon". Bajwa in Persian also means "the people who levied Tax".The Bajwas reside in the Bajwat, which means 'the land of Bajwas', and are the native inhabitants of Bajwat Areas of the Sialkot and Narowal districts in Punjab (Pakistan) and Gurdaspur District in India. Nowadays the Bajwat is known as Bajwat sector, which is the border area of Pakistan and India.

Members of Bajwa clan living in the Bajwat area were well known warriors. They fought against many invading armies that included Timur, Ahmed Shah Abdali, and others, who invaded India from the northwest.

History:

Bajwa is a prominent Jatt clan (tribe) of the Punjab. They belong to Suryavansh (Solar Dynasty) descent, which means the sons of Sun God, so they believe themselves as the family of superiors of the subcontinent. This is according to ancient Hindu Mythologies, which have been part of the belief structure of many people in India for thousands of years. Bajwa Jatt clan is an ancient and prominent tribe and are the inhabitants of Indian Punjab from ancient times which has now been divided into two countries, Pakistan and India.

The founder of the Bajwa clan, Bajwat (or Wajab) used to live in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. From there, he migrated to Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jammu, Gurdaspur and Northern Indian Punjab. One of his descendants became the ruler of Multan. Raja Shilp, a Bajwa ruler, was ousted from Multan by Sikandar Lodhi. Raja Shilp had two sons named Kala and Lis. Both used to rear hawks. 

The ancestor of the Bajwas is Baba Mehar Manga. He was a Jatt Saint/Fakir. Their place of origin is Bajwat in the Sialkot and Narowal districts of Pakistan. This place is located in the Shiwalik foothills and is quite near the Indian border as well as the city of Jammu. At one time, Bajwa Jats had eighty-four villages in the Sialkot area. The Grave of Baba Manga is situated in Pasur city in Sialkot District.

Baba Manga had seven sons. 

• The eldest, Naro established a village, which was named as Narowal after him.
• Another son, Deepa founded Kotli Bajwa. 
• The third one, Chandu founded Chanduwal.
• There is a small city in Pakistan named Chawinda at the Indian border in the Sailkot district was also established in the name of Chawinda Singh Bajwa.

Another legend is that one of their ancestors, Rai Jaison, was forced to leave Delhi by Rai Pithora (Prithvi Raj Chauhan).

Bajwas in India are mostly Sikhs and Bajwas in Pakistan are usually Muslims. Bajwas became Sikhs under the religious influence of Great Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh Religion (born at Nankana Sahib,Pakistan around Five hundred years ago) and were the companions of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the great Sikh ruler of Punjab in India.

Relation Between Bajwa Jatts and Bajju Rajputs:

Bajwa Jatts are closely linked to the Bajju Rajputs.

The son of Raja Shilp, Lis migrated to Jammu. There, he married a Rajput girl. His descendants were called Bajju Rajputs. Kala, on the other hand, married a Jatt girl and settled in the Pasrur area. Kala’s descendants came to be known as Bajwa Jatts. Thus, both groups have common ancestries.

Both Bajwa Jatts and Bajju Rajputs are settled in the Bajwat region of Jammu-Sialkot-Narowal. Their customs are very similar. They take their newly wed brides to the Samadhi of their ancestor, Baba Manga to pay obeisance. Baba Manga is worshipped and like other Jatt clans, Bajwas give a cut to the tree of Jand.