1 208
2 PANJAB CASTES.
3 There is a Persian proverb : '' The first year I was a weaver (Julaha) ; the
4 "next- year a Shckh. This year if prices rise I shall be a Saiyad." Moreover
5 many of the inferior agricultural Miisalman tribes of Indian descent have,
6 especially in the west of the Province, set up a claim to Arab origin ; and
7 though they are still known by their tribal name, have ]irobably or almost
8 certainly returned themselves as Shekhs in the present Census. In these
9 last cases they will in all probabOity have often shown their tribal name as
10 the sub-division of the Shekhs to which they belong, and it is to be hoped
11 that the detailed clan tribes will, when published, throw much light upon
12 the tme composition of our figui-es for Shekhs. Meanwhile only a few of
13 the largest sub-divisions can be examined. In one respect I myself am res-
14 ponsible for the uncertainty of meaning which attaches to these figui'es.
15 There are certain agricultural tribes whose claims to Qureshi origin appear to
16 be valid, such as the Khagga and Hans of Montgomery ; and these men I
17 included under the bead Shekh. It was most certainly a mistake to do so,
18 and I shall give separate figures for them below. With them I shall discuss
19 some of the larger sub-divisions of Shekhs which have been retui-ned in our
20 papers. In many cases the titles here given are no less misleading than the
21 original title of Shekh. The Shekhs who have returned themselves as Jats
22 in the Multan and Dcrajat division are shown in Abstract No. 72, page 224.* *^
23 Shekhs do not bear the best of characters in some parts. In Rohtak
24 they are said to " supply recruits to our armies and jails with praiseworthy
25 indifference," and in Derah Ismail Khan the Naumuslim Shekhs are described
26 as " a lazy thriftless set of cultivators." The true Qureshis of the south-
27 western districts, however, are often possessed of great influence, and hold a
28 high character for sanctity. Such are the descendants of Baha-ul-haqq the
29 renowned saint of Multan, who are known as Hashmi Qureshis, and whose
30 family is described at pages 490^ of Griflin^s Pvnjub Chiefs. They are chiefly
31 found in the IVIultan, Jhang. and ]\Iuzaffargarh districts.
32 502 . Tribes and castes included under Shekh — Qureshi. — The figures be-
33 low show the number of people who have returned themselves as Qureshi : —
34 QUEESHI SHEKHS. ~
35 10
36 District »nd State.
37 Number.
38 DlGTBIOT AFD STATE.
39 Number.
40 DiSTEIOT AND STATE.
41 Number.
42 DeUi
43 19,356
44 Siilkot
45 2,103
46 Mnzaffargarh
47 3,265
48 Gaigaon
49 3,977
50 Lahore
51 13,330
52 Derah Ismail KMn ...
53 2,436
54 Eohtak
55 1,212
56 GujrSnwSla
57 2,343
58 Derah Ghazi Khdn .„
59 1,730
60 Sirea
61 1,701
62 Firozpur ...
63 3,461
64 Banna
65 8,666
66 AmbSla
67 16,629
68 Rdwalpindi
69 12,420
70 Peshawar ...
71 3.601
72 LndhiSna ...
73 1,076
74 Jablam
75 3,634
76 Hazira
77 2,433
78 Simla
79 1,322
80 Gnjrat
81 4,000
82 Kohat
83 2,342
84 Jalandhar ...
85 3,616
86 Shabpar ...
87 4,276
88 Patiila ...
89 6,874
90 Hnshydipnr..
91 1,977
92 Mnltdn ...
93 6,100
94 Babiwalpur
95 3,901
96 Amritsar ...
97 12,309
98 2,043
99 Jhang
100 Montgomery
101 3,987
102 2,199
103 other Districts and
104 States.
105 4,636
106 Gnrdaspnr ...
107 161,864
108 The Qureshi is the Arab tribe to which the Prophet belong-ed. Conse-
109 fjuentlv it is the favourite tribe from which to claim descent, and it is to be
110 feared that comparatively few of those who have retmned themselves as
111 \