Bar Region

Not to be confused with Bagar tract, another region of Punjab that sometimes goes by the same name.

The Bar Region (Punjabi: بار علاقہ, romanized: Bār Ilāqa) is an upland plain region historically uncultivated tracts between rivers located between the Jhelum and the Sutlej in the Punjab region of Pakistan.^[1][2] It includes several subregions such as Kirana Bar, Sandal Bar, Ganji Bar, and Neeli Bar.^[3][4][5]

A detailed physical map of the Punjab region, highlighting the Bar subregions between the Jhelum and Sutlej rivers.

Etymology

The term Bar in Punjabi refers to land beyond settled areas, typically describing wilderness or uncultivated plains.^[6] Some suggest it may derive from the Arabic word barr, meaning barren land, though this origin is considered doubtful.^[7]

History

Scene on the River Sutlej near Pakpattan in the Punjab.

The Bar region was historically a sparsely populated tract of land between Punjab's rivers. Due to low rainfall, pastoral nomadism was supported by herding goats and camels. Communities moved seasonally between riverine areas in the dry months and the Bar and Thal lands after the rains, remaining within the Punjab plains year-round—unlike the nomads of Balochistan and Afghanistan.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Many tribes of the region embraced Islam during the medieval period. According to the Jawahir-i-Faridi, Jat clans such as the Khokhars, Bhattis, Dhudhis, Hans, Johiyas, and Wattus converted during the time of Baba Farid.^[12][13]

Over time, some of these tribes established their Muslim-ruled polities, including the Sial dynasty, the Pakpattan State, and the Johiyas, who ruled parts of the Jangladesh region.^{[14][15][16][17]}

During the 18th century, the Bar region witnessed upheaval during the Nader Shah invasion of 1739. The Gondal chiefs resisted his forces and helped prevent the devastation of Gondal Bar. In both Gondal and Sandal Bars, his army encountered small but organized local resistance.^[18][19]

Tomb of Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal in Jhamra

In the colonial period, the Bar region remained a center of resistance to British authority. Rai Ahmad Khan Kharal, a prominent chieftain of the Kharal tribe from Jhamra in Sandal Bar, led a major rebellion during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Several Bar tribes, including the Watto, Fatyana, Baghela, Kathia, and Johiya supported him.^[20][21]

Map of canals in the western part of Punjab Province, British India, published in 'The Panjab, North-West Frontier Province and Kashmir' (1916)

The British established a network of canal colonies across the Bar region. These projects transformed the landscape and attracted settlers from other parts of Punjab, turning the area into a fertile and agriculturally productive zone.^[22][23]

Demography

Punjabis are native people of the region and speak Jatki dialect, along with closely related subdialects such as Jhangvi and Shahpuri. ^[24][25][26]

The major tribes of the region include: Bhattis, Bullas, Chadhars, Chaughtas, Gondals, Johiyas, Kathias, Khokhars, Kharals, Ranjhas, Sials, Tarars,Wattus and Thaeems. ^{[27][28][29][30]}

See also

• Punjab region
• Punjabi tribes
• Kirana Bar
• Sandal Bar
• Ganji Bar
• Neeli Bar