Rez Abbasi

Abbasi (Arabic:عباسی) is a prominent Muslim family name.

Origin

The extent of Abbasid rule

The name denotes descent from Abbas ibn Abd-al-Muttalib, the paternal uncle of Prophet Muhammad. The Abbasid caliphate was established by the Abbasi clan and ruled the Middle East during 750–1258 CE.

Geographical distribution

The members of the Abbasi family can be found in: Pakistan, Yemen, Iran, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada , United States, India, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Abbasies and Dhond Abbasies in Pakistan

In Pakistan, this family is predominantly found in two different regions. One branch known as the Dhond Abbasi are found in northern Pakistan in the following areas.

1. Circle Bakote (Abbottabad District of NWFP.)
2. Murree
3. Kahuta
4. The Dobaran Abbasian Hills (Rawalpindi District of Punjab).

Before independence in 1947, this tribe were often called Qureshi ^[1]. The second branch of this family is found in the area of Bahawalpur, in the southern part of the Punjab province.

Family Tree of Akbar Ghai Khan/Gahi Khan Tribe

Ghae is an Arabic Name that was quite popular in Iraq. Ghai Khan's family had ruled over Khurasan during the Abbasid caliphate (which ruled from Baghdad) until 1258 when Hulagu Khan invaded Baghdad and overthrew the Abbasid dynasty. Under pressure from the west, migration to Northern India (Pothohar) was an ideal place for the Abbasi tribe to resettle. Ghai Khan’s father was General Zurab Khan who was head of the military forces in Khurasan before the collapse of the Caliphate. They lived in Kahuta near Rawalpindi, where they are buried and their graves are marked.

All Abbasi Tribes in Pothohar, Hazara and Kashmir (including the Dhond) claim descent from General Zurab Khan. Sardar Mohammad Abdul Qayyum Khan a prominent Kashmiri leader, Mr Shahid Khaqan Abbasi owner and CEO of Air Blue, Maj General(Ret) Zahir Ul Islam Abbasi (chiarman of Misha'al-e-Abbasia), Senator Mehtab Ahmed Khan former Chief Minster of NWFP, Mohammad Hanif Abbasi (MNA), Sardar Atiq Ahemd Khan Prime Minister of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, are known figures of Abbasi family. The descendants of General Zurab Khan are scattered in Regions of Pothohar, Hazara and Kashmir.

Family is scattered around the world in many different countries and areas, some still in Iraq in Sunni areas.

After the demise and fall of Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad, some of the family in India was reduced to farming in the Northern parts of Pakistan and Kashmir. On the other hand with their full genealogy intact another branch of the same family can also be found in Bawalpur, towards the south of Pakistan. In this particular area the family has been part of ruling elite and until recently had their own state as well as coins. Some of their palaces and mosques in this particular region can still be searched on Google and they are indeed amazing sites of significant historical value. This particular branch of the family has been ruling elite of Pakistan side of former sub-continent for over two centuries.

In the North and Kashmiri parts the story was different. Although this particular segment of the family lived in one of the most fertile and beautiful places on earth but economically they were left behind. Recently parts of the family have shined through; as you can see in this article some have climbed through to ruling circles of Pakistani elite. Tribe in this particular part is not as united as they are in Bawalpur and often the elite try to replicate the ancient cast system of Punjab in this particular region, which often fails because most despite their economical differences do share common family gene; whereas Punjabi’s have long established genealogy and cast system derived from their Hindu origins and they find it easy to practice what has been around for centuries- despite the fact that Islam does not allow ones superiority over another through this route. Within Islam it has been made clear and agreed that genealogy is not the decider of who is better over another but the Taqwah, the belief in god.

Jabraal Clan

The Jabreal is a sub-clan of the Dhond Abbasi tribe of Circle Bakote. The name Jabreal is derived from the name of Sardar Jabro Khan the forefather of the Jabraals. This clan are very well known in the Union Council of Malkot. Lala Gul Khitab Abbasi, and Haji Abdul Razaq Abbasi (Nazim of UC Malkot, are notable members of this clan.

Sararra Abbasi

Another clan is the Sararra Abbasi, they mainly inhabit Pattan Kalan and some areas of Kukmang. Sarra Abbasi was one of twelve sons of Akber Gai Khan and the grandson of Zarab Khan ancestor of Abbasi who came to area of Kahuta and settled there. One of the twelve sons is predecessor of Dhond Abbasis named as Kahonder Khan, one of the other son is Tanoli Khan whose successors are settled in area of Tanawal and Darbund.

The Plight of the Abbasis

The Abbasis are an example of the rise and demise of royal families and their members. Not all but a vast majority of this tribe are scattered around the world without any real political power and indeed in most cases, are not even being able to go back to their homeland, Saudi Arabia.^{[citation needed]} The Late King Abdul Aziz Al Saud (1946) issued a decree requiring proof of the blood relationship or documentary evidences for being Abbasi.

See also

• Al-Abbasi Nobel Family (official web site)
• Alavi
• Farooqi
• Gardezi
• Gilani
• Hashemi
• Osmani
• Quraishi
• Sayyid
• Shaikh
• Shaikh Siddiqui
• Siddiqui
• Hira Abbasi

References

1. ^ AINA-E-QURESH, author Justice Akram Khan (of Chameati, Bagh Azad Kashmir).

Donate to Wikimedia