1 880 Jhahel—Jhajhar.
2 Jhibel (or as they are called in the Ain-i-Akhari Chhabel), a fishing tribe
3 found in the Multan and Muzaffargarh districts, and in Jullundur,
4 Hoshid-rpur, Kapurthala and Gurd^spur, Closely resembling the
5 Kebals and Mors the Jhabels in Muzaffargarh once had the reputation
6 of being cannibals. They live mainly by fishing and gathering pabhans
7 (seeds of the water-lily), say they came from Sindh and of all the
8 tribes in the District alone speak Sindhi. I'hey also enjoy the title of
9 Jdm. Many have now taken to agriculture and all are reckoned good
10 Muhammadans. They are fond of growing samuka,* a grain sown in
11 the mud left by the rivers. In Gurddspur they say they came from
12 the south, and that their ancestors were sportsmen, a Bhatti, founder of
13 their Katre got, a Ndru, from whom sprang their Nareh and Bhugge
14 gots, and so on. They fell into poverty and took to selling game.
15 These Jhabels do not intermarry with those on the Indus and Sutlej,
16 but only with those on the north bank of the latter river. Some are
17 cultivators and even own land. Others are shikaris, but some are
18 boatmen and they look down on tho.se who are and refuse to marry
19 with them. The Jhabels of Jullundur have the same usages as the
20 Meuns and other fisher-folk of that District. Some of them, owing to
21 want of employment as boatmen have left their villages for the towns
22 and taken to* tailoring, weaving, well-sinking, chaiikiddri, and small
23 posts in Government service.
24 The Jhabels also preserve thejhulka custom. The large fire needed
25 for cooking the eatables required at a wedding must be lighted by a
26 son-in-law of the family, but when he attempts to bring a blazing
27 bundle (jhulka) of wood, etc., and put it under the furnace, he is met
28 by all the females of the family and has to run the gauntlet, as they
29 try to stop his progress with pitchers full of water, bricks, dust, and
30 sticks. This game is played so seriously that the women’s dresses
31 often catch fire and they, as well as the son-in-law, are seriously hurt.
32 When he finally succeeds in lighting the fire, the son-in-law gets a
33 turban and a rupee, or more if the family is well-to-do. This usage is
34 occasionally observed among Ardins, Dogars, and Gujars too, but it is
35 falling out of fashion.
36 Like the Meuns the Jhabels will not give the milk or curds of an
37 animal which has recently calved to any one, not even to a son-in-law,
38 outside the family. After 10 or 20 days rice is cooked in the milk and
39 it is given to maulavis or to beggars. It can then be given away to
40 anybody. The Jhabels arc good Muhammadans, but revere Khwdja Pir
41 or Khw^ja Khizr, the god of water, and offer porridge to him in lucky
42 quantities at least once a year. It is taken to the river or a well and
43 after some prayers distributed there or iu the village to all who are
44 present.
45 Jhad, a Jat clan (agricultural) found in Multan.
46 Jbaik, a sept of Kaneis which derives its name from Jh^lri iu R^win pcLrgcLncL
47 of Jubbal and supplies hereditary wazirs to that State. At one time
48 these ivazirs virtually ruled Jubbal.
49 Jhajhab, an Ardin clan (agricultural) found in Amritsar.
50 Of)hitm$i\u$ frum$ntoc9us.