Awans
In the Cyclopaedia of India and of eastern and southern Asia in 1858, it is said of the Awans that:
“ ‘There is no better people in India „
-Quote reproduced in ‘The Encyclopaedia Asiatica
According to Sir Malcolm Darling, the Awans are the:
“ ‘Bravest of soldiers, toughest of cultivators and matchless as tent peggers „
-From ‘Wisdom and Waste in the Punjab Village
Christophe Jaffrelot states:
“ ‘The Awan deserve close attention, because of their historical importance… Historians describe them as valiant warriors… „
-From ‘A History of Pakistan and Its Origins
Many Awan families to this day live on and cultivate land, which their ancestors have held for centuries. They often carry titles typical to Punjabis who own tracts of ancestral land such as Malik, Chaudhry and Khan. The modern surname system often results in members of the same family with different surnames, some choosing their position as a surname i.e. Malik or Chaudhry, and some choosing their clan/tribe/family name of Awan. Though the origins of the Awans may be a matter of some debate, it has long been recognised that the composition of the tribe is wholly Muslim. The most extensive study of the tribe was conducted during the era of the British Raj, and as a result of census data collated during this period, the Awan tribe was invariably classified as being exclusively Muslim. In the opening to his account of the Awan tribe, H. A. Rose states:
“ ‘The Awans are an important tribe, exclusively Muhammadan „
-From “ A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province
Similarly, John Henry Hutton has said of the Awans:
“ ‘They are exclusively Muslim and probably the descendants of some of the earlier Muslim invaders of the tenth century or earlier „
-From “ Caste in India: Its Nature, Function and Origins
