What is the meaning of name rawal?

Answer 1

The tribe claims descent from Riyal, who was said to be in the service of the Prophet Mohammed. Once, when alms were being given by the Prophet, no one came forward to receive them, whereupon Ryal went ahead and received the charity. Since them members of the tribe have been subsiting on charity. The name Rawal is said to be an Indianised form of the word Ryal, the name of their ancestor. They are said to have to come from thePunjab, at the start of Muslim rule in the region.

The term Rawal was also seen as synonym for a jogi (a wondering Hindu holyman), and according to other traditions, they are descended from the Hindu jogis who accepted Islam.

The tribe was associated with the occupation of hikmat (the practice of traditional Muslim Unanimedicine), and Astrology. Many were also said to have a thorough knowledge of Hindu rituals and traditions, and joined various Hindu religious orders. The term Jogi-Rawal was often used in the past for this community.[1]

The displacement caused by the partition of India, has caused significant changes. The community are now fairly orthodox Sunni Muslim, following the Deobandi sub-sect, and almost all the Hindu rituals have been abandoned. Changes have also taken place, as regards to their occupations. While many are still engaged as hakims, other have taken to western education. Members of the community have also emigrated in numbers to the United Kingdom, and form large communities, particularly in the city ofManchester[2]