What is a Clan?

A clan can be defined as a group of families descending from a common ancestor.

The 1904 Gazetteer of Jhelum by W.S Talbot had some interesting observations:

“The population generally is, however, clearly sub-divided into tribes (qaum or zat), having a common name and generally supposed to be descended from a traditional common ancestor by agnatic descent, i.e., through males only. Some of these tribes are very homogeneous, as for instance the Awans, who number 16 per cent. of the total population. Others again, such as the Jats, who are returned as numbering 12 percent of the population, are rather a loose congeries of clans than a compact tribe. The tribal division is of some importance in questions of marriage and alienation of property; for although among Musalmans any marriage which is legal according to Muhammadan. Law is held valid, it is customary to marry only within the tribe, or with certain other tribes who are considered to be closely allied; and alienation to a non-agnate is more readily allowed if he be a member of the tribe than if he belongs to another tribe.” (page 87)

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