The Tiwana family of Shahpur is a prominent Punjabi Muslim feudal family of Parmar Rajput decent.[1] It is among the largest landowning families in Punjab, and its members have held significant influence in Punjabi politics politics since the 17th century.
Malik Ghulam Muhammad Tiwana and Malik Ehsan Ullah Tiwana, both former Members of the National Assembly (MNAs);
Ms. Sidra Tiwana, a federal bureaucrat of Pakistan.
Other notable members of the Tiwana clan from Shahpur include:
Khaliq Yar Tiwana, a deceased officer who served in both the Army and Police;
Asim Yar Tiwana, a fashion designer;
Shoukat Tiwana, a retired senior officer from the Prisons Department;
Shahzadi Umerzadi Tiwana, a former minister and the daughter of Sir Khizar Hayat Tiwana and granddaughter of General Omar Hayat Tiwana;
Major Islam Tiwana, a former officer in the Pakistan Army infantry.
Background
Origins
Genealogical pedigree (family-tree) of the Tiwana family of Mitha Tiwana, Punjab, revised pedigree-table (1940)
Mir Ali Khan, the founder of the Tiwana family, settled in Okhali Mohallah, located in the present-day Khushab District, during the mid-17th century.[2] Around 1680, his son Mir Ahmad Khan established the town of Mitha Tiwana.[2]
18th century
Mir Ahmad Khan's successors, Dadu Khan and Sher Khan, continued the development of Mitha Tiwana, transforming it into a flourishing town in the region. Sher Khan significantly expanded his territory at the expense of neighbouring Awan tribes and refused to pay tribute to the provincial governors at Dera Ismail Khan.[2] In 1745, he founded the village of Nurpur Tirwana.[2]
Sher Khan later rebelled against Inayat Khan of the JhangSials, who had earlier appointed him as administrator of the village of Mari. He expelled the Sials from Khai and laid siege to Kot Langar Khan.[2] However, Inayat Khan dispatched an army to lift the siege and defeated Sher Khan. Sher Khan died in 1757, leaving behind two sons: Khan Muhammad Khan and Khan Beg Khan.
Khan Beg Khan usurped his elder brother Khan Muhammad Khan as chief while the latter was away in Jhang visiting relatives. Upon his return, Khan Muhammad raised an army from Nurpur Tirwana, defeated Khan Beg, and imprisoned him.[3]
Khan Muhammad Khan was frequently engaged in conflicts with neighbouring chiefs. He launched an attack on Lal Khan, the Chief of Khushab, bombarded the town, and reportedly tied prisoners to cannons to divert enemy fire.[3] Lal Khan sought help from Mahan Singh Sukharchakia, an old friend of Khan Muhammad, who arrived with a large force, compelling Khan Muhammad to retreat.
Sikh Empire
Towards the end of his reign, Khan Beg once again took up arms against his brother Khan Muhammad. In 1803, Khan Muhammad agreed to pay a subsidy of one lakh rupees to Maharajah Ranjit Singh in exchange for support in defeating Khan Beg.[3] Although this led to a victory over his brother, Khan Muhammad was compelled by his son, Ahmad Yar Khan, to relinquish the chiefship in 1804.[3]
In 1817, Maharaja Ranjit Singh dispatched a force under Misr Diwan Chand against Ahmad Yar Khan. Ahmad Yar Khan submitted to the Maharaja's authority and was granted the jagir of Jhawrian, valued at approximately ten thousand rupees.[4] In 1819, Hari Singh Nalwa was granted the jagir of Mitha Tiwana.[4]
In 1821, Ahmad Yar Khan joined the Maharaja in a campaign against his old adversary, the Nawab of Mankera. Impressed by the performance of the Tiwana Horse, the Maharaja insisted that a troop of fifty horsemen accompany him back to Lahore.[4] Ahmad Yar Khan's brother, Khuda Yar Khan, was appointed rough rider to the Maharaja and oversaw his hunting expeditions until his death in 1837.[4]
Khuda Yar Khan's son, Fateh Khan, rose to prominence initially under Hari Singh Nalwa, and later through the patronage of Raja Dhyan Singh. He played a role in the assassination of Pashaura Singh, alongside Chattar Singh Attariwalla.[4] Fateh Khan was killed at the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Sikh War by mutineers at his fort in Dalipnagar, located in Bannu.
The Nawabs of Shahpur were hereditary rulers traditionally assisted by a council of local elders. While the records of early rulers remain uncertain, verifiable details are available from approximately 1650 onwards.
Ghulam Jillani Tiwana – Officer in the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP); served as District Police Officer (DPO) in Punjab.
Usman Tiwana – Scientific Officer, Government of Pakistan.
Amjad Zubir Tiwana – Former Chairman, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Muhammad Zafar Tiwana – Retired Deputy Director, FESCO (WAPDA), as of October 2023.
References
↑ Talbot, I. (2013). "The Tiwanas of Shahpur". Khizr Tiwana, the Punjab Unionist Party and the Partition of India. Taylor & Francis. p.19. ISBN978-1-136-79029-4. Retrieved 16 January 2025. The Tiwanas were not originally Punjabis, or Muslims. According to bardic traditions, they were descended from the Parmaras Rajputs who ruled in the Dhar, Mandu and Ujjain areas of central India (present day Madhya Pradesh) in the ninth and tenth centuries A.D.
1 2 3 4 5 Singh, Rishi (2015). State formation and the establishment of non-Muslim hegemony: post-Mughal 19th-century Punjab (1780–1839). Los Angeles, London, New Delhi: SAGE Publications. p.232. ISBN9789351500759.
1 2 3 4 5 Griffin, Lepel H. (1865). The Punjab chiefs historical and biographical notices of the principal families in the territories under the Punjab government. Lahore: Chronicle press.
1 2 3 Talbot, Ian (16 December 2013). Khizr Tiwana, the Punjab Unionist Party and the Partition of India. Routledge. p.1136790292.
↑ "Profile". www.pap.gov.pk. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
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