رچیال
Rachial, Richyal, Harchial, Harchahal
- Pronunciation: /rət͡ʃ(ɪ)jaːl/
- Status: Jat
- Religion: Islam, Hinduism
The Rachyal or Harchahal are a Jat clan found primarily across Mirpur Division and adjacent Gujrat.
Origins
The Rachyal are generally believed to originate from the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh. From Chamba, they moved gradually through Jammu and Gujrat before entering and spreading across Bhimber and Mirpur.
According to the Hindu Jat Rachyal of Nowshera, the Rachyal belong to the Chandan gotra and are connected to Raja Mandlik, a mythical folk deity associated with the Naga cult and revered in the foothills of the Western Himalayas, from Jammu to Sirmaur in Himachal. Raja Mandlik, also known as Gugga Ji among many other epithets, was a Chohan and a legendary prince of Dadrewa, Rajasthan.[1] They also revere Mangla Devi.
An alternative tradition from the Mirasis points to a certain Rachan Dev as the eponymous ancestor of the Rachyal. Rachan Dev was perhaps a Katoch or Dogar from Chamba. His descendants left Chamba, migrating to Jammu, then to Gujrat, before eventually settling in southern Mirpur. One family tree suggests the first to convert to Islam was Behram or Bikram Chand and he adopted the name Allah Bakhsh. His lineage is as follows: Bikram Chand, son of Baad Chand, son of Ram Chand, son of Rachan Dev.
Distribution
The Rachyal are found in several villages of District Gujrat such as Sardhoke, Harchahal, Chak Mehmand, Larr, Sheikhpur, and Hazara near Gulbahara.
The Rachyal are one of the largest Jat clans across Bhimber and they are believed to originate from Hazara. Their villages in Bhimber include Kas Khadora, Maira Ghazi, Mokeriala, Cha Mochian, Islamnagar, Jhillah, Gora Nakka, Kas Gopal, Kund near Panjeri, Jabbi, Fakhroat, Daura, as well as Samahni.
The Rachyal are also present across District Mirpur. It is said that there were once over six hundred ‘chulley’ (hearths) belonging to Rachyal, referring to six hundred households, in the Laddar-Panyam region. Their villages include Rachyal in Chakswari, Rachyal near Phurnal, Shamdian-na-Mohra, Hatti-na-Mohra, Loharan-na-Mohra, Baavayan-ni-Moohri, Gorsian, Laddar, and Chhappran. In Tehsil Mirpur, they are also found in Balah (upper and lower Balah), Mohra Dolu, Sangot, Pothi, Bhalyala, Chamba, Mohri, Chhappran (Gurra Domal), Mawa Kaneli, Pind Khurd (Gurra) and Harchial (near Pulmanda).
In Tehsil Kotli, the Rachyal are predominantly in the Rajdhani area, in Mohra Peeran, Mochha, Ditwal, Karmal, Bindi, Lamman, Nakka, Mohalla Kanjal, Mohra Moqadam, rarla and parla Andraal, Thangri. They are also in Talaara, Naar, and areas of Khuiratta (Seri Chattar).
In Tehsil Dadyal, the Rachyal reside in Kandore (Dhok Rachyal and Khadda), Samlotha, Sandal, Bloh, and Bihari. Some from Kandore settled in Moohri Palahan near Jabbar (Islampura), in Tehsil Gujarkhan.
There are Hindu Jat Rachyal across Tehsil Nowshera, in Bhowani, Chowki, Kalsian, Kalal, Manpur, Dhanaka, Ser Makri. There are also Rachyal in Jammu City and R.S. Pura.
[1] Reference: Naga Cults and Traditions in the Western Himalaya, Omacanda Hāṇḍā Indus Publishing, 2004.