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Khawaja or Khwaja (Arabic: خواجة khawājah, Persian: خواجه pronounced khâje) is a title used in Middle East and South Asia. It is also used as family name in South Asia.
Those who have had the surname within their family for generations are mostly of a higher class Kashmiri descent. This surname has served within the most popular and powerful political activities in South Asia.
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The Origin
Khawaja's belong to the Higher Kashmiri Decent and are mostly located or originated from the place called Kashmir (Balti: کشمیر; Poonchi/Chibhali: کشمیر; Dogri: कश्मीर; Kashmiri: कॅशीर, کٔشِیر; Shina: کشمیر; Uyghur: كھسىمڭر) is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" referred only to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range; since then, it has been used for a larger area that today includes the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh; the Pakistani-administered provinces of the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir, and the Chinese-administered region of Aksai Chin.
In the first half of the first millennium, Kashmir became an important centre of Hinduism and later of Buddhism; later still, in the ninth century, Kashmir Shaivism arose in the region.[1] In 1349, Shah Mirza became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir and inaugurated the line Salatin-i-Kashmir.[2] For the next five centuries Kashmir had Muslim monarchs, including the Mughals, who ruled until 1751, and thereafter, the Afghan Durranis, who ruled until 1820.[2] That year, the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh, annexed Kashmir.[2] In 1846, upon the purchase of the region from the British under the Treaty of Amritsar, the Dogras—under Gulab Singh—became the new rulers, where the power shared by the Gulab's was in equal existence of the Khawaja decent. Dograh Rule, under the paramountcy (or tutelage) of the British Crown, lasted until 1947, when the former princely state became a disputed territory, now administered by three countries: India, Pakistan, and the People's Republic of China.
Marriage customs
Khawaja's (Kashmiri's) usually marry within their own social affiliation (Class) (endogamy), depending on circumstances a group (Class) may be as small as few hundred families and as large as few thousand families. For example Butt's define their clan system to be entire group having very few sub-groups whereas khawaja's are branched into few dozens sub-groups. For Butt family (kashmiri) a group, by and large, usually shares their ancestor village in Kashmir as a reference point. Marriage between close relatives especially first cousins is discouraged but such reunion is possible where a group is too small. Marriage outside the social group (e.g. marrying outside such as Punjabi families) is now quite common and accepted by most Khawaja families, although some community elders may still discourage it.
[1] Tribes and Castes of Kashmir By Muhammad Din Folk
People using the name Khawaja
Significant figures with the name or using the title Khawaja:
- Pakistan’s second Governor General was Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin. Sir Khawaja resigned as Governor General to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
- Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty, also known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz was a Sunni Muslim and is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of South Asia. He was born in 536 A.H./1141 CE, in Sajistan, a famous city in Khorasan province (other accounts say Isfahan) in Persia. He is also known as "Sultan-e-Hind." Descendants of Sufi saints also use this as a prenomial, although some now use it as a surname.
- Khawaja Saad Rafique was born on November 4, 1962 at Lahore. He has been elected as MNA for his first term. He is politically affiliated with PML(N) and holds the office of General Secretary of the party for the Punjab province. He is the Current Federal Minister for Pakistan.
Ammar Khawaja was Born on May 8, 1993 in Kuwait. He is one of the Great Khawajas as he has great Leadership skills and is good at Football. Currently he has Scored 9 Goals in Soap Soccer and is the Best in the World. His Fake Identity is Sheep Taste Nice ©® and is the only Sheep Taste Nice ©®.
See also
External links
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