Arain people
The
Arain (Urdu: آرائین) are descendants of Arab invaders to the Indian subcontinent. Akbar Shah Khan Najeebabadi, an Indian historian of Islam, wrote that they entered India thru Debal, Sindh with Muhammad Bin Qasim in 92 Hijri (711CE). He refered to them as Areehai from Arreha (Jericho) which was Punjabized with a nasal sound to
Arain. It is believed the word Arain is derived from the Arabic name Ar-Ra'i, "The shepherd", a title indigenous to Arabia.
Most
Arains are very fair, and many have coloured eyes, which means that they could not be of Indian ancestary. This is more true because of the fact that even today
Arains don't like to marry outside their clan. Even highly urbanised
Arains do not like to marry "outsiders", resulting in
Arains being the purest race in the subcontinent,
Arains claim Arab descent, based upon the fact that nearly all
Arains are Sunni Muslims as was Muhammad Bin Qasim. Large Number of
Arains can be also found in Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan and other Countries. Under the British Raj after the two Anglo-Sikh wars the
Arains who were classified by the British as a non-martial race (at that time they were an almost exclusive agricultural caste of Muslim farmers and small land holders.) were brought into the Punjab to replace the Sikhs, who classified as a martial race were sought by the British as new recruits. Unlike many of the Muslims from Afganistan, who were slow to accept the change to the British educational system and the change from Persian to English, the
Arains stressed the importance of education for their children, and with the wealth gained from their hard work they were soon dominating the legal profession in Punjab and as lawyers have found around the world, their move into politics was an easy one.
Arain is the Largest and most populated Muslim Tribe of Pakistan and Subcontinent with Population of over 70 Million People.
- Arains mostly use the family names (some former titles) of: Chaudhry, Mian, Mehar, Malik, Ramay, Bhutta, Ghurki, Ramday, Bhutto, Sardar, Kardar, Saleemi, Hijazi, Sheikh, Shah, Shami, Munda, Hansi, Gill, Daulay, Chachar, Gaellin, Mulanay, Qutab Shahi, Rattay, Goheer, Ghalar, Gahgeer, Gatku, Kavali, Basroo, Sappal, Jattalay, Bahalwan, Mudh, Teerandaz, Katarband, Bhaila, Rahi, Bhati, Multani, Sayal, Baga, Peer, Dhako and Alrai.