Kundwana
Kunduana, or Kundwana is a clan of the Punjabi Gujjars found in Pakistan and India.
Spelling variations
Kunduana has the following spelling variations: Kanduana, Kundwana, Kunduana and Kundoana. Keeping in view the name of Kandu, their ancestor, spelling Kanduana seem to be more correct but odd to pronounce hence Kundwana, Kunduana or Kundoana.Definition
The Kunduana are descendants of Kandu, a leading Gujjar belonging to early modern period of Gujrat, Pakistan around the time when Akbar founded the Gujrat City in 1580 CE.Lineage
The ancestor of Kunduanas was Kandu, a resident of Makiana village in Gujrat district, Punjab, Pakistan. His tomb is also situated in the same village. His grave has withstood the revolution of time despite that the area of Gujrat fell pray to anarchy during the years between Mughal Empire and Sikh Empire. "Situated as it is with the Imperial Road, the whole tract was sacked and ravaged again and again, the towns and villages burnt and pillaged, taken and retaken by the various armies passing and repassing," writes Captain A Elliott, former deputy commissioner of Gujrat.Early modern period
Mughal Empire
During the reign of Mughal emperors, when the modern day Gujrat District was part of Subah of Lahore, the Ilaqa of Gujrat had three Parganas. Out of these, the Pargana of Gujrat had eight Tappas. One of these Tappas was named after the ancestor of Kunduanas and called Tappa of Kandu. This Tappa had six Topes and 320 villages out of which 209 were Uslee and 111 Dakhlee. Alamgir II was the last Mughal emperor having sway over Gujrat District. The following were the district administration subdivisions under the Mughal emperors:- Ilaqa -- headed by Fauzdar, Amalguzar and Kotwal.
- Pargana or Taraf -- headed by Shiqdar and Amin.
- Tappa -- manned by Tapedar, Qanungo and Bitikchis. Its head might have the same powers as the modern day Tapedar in Sindh. A Tappa during the Mughal rule corresponded to a Zail under the Sikh Empire and British Raj.
- Tope -- headed by a Chaudhry.
- Mauza -- manned by Muqaddam, Patwari and Chowkidar.
| Tope | Existing name | Villages in the Tope | Existing name |
| Aminpur Ibrahim alias Soi Paswal | ? | Chak Sikandar Kotla Chaudhari Feroz Khan | ? ? |
| Udho Korsi alias Dhauria Sardar Qamar Singhwala | Dhoria | Bhago Wadala Barnali Bhai Majja Singhwali | Bhago Barnali |
| Randhir | Randhir | Chillianwali | Chillianwala |
| Khwaspur | Khawaspur | Nandowal | Nindowal |
| Daulatanagar | Daulat Nagar | Alamgirpur Khaman Fatehpur | ? Fatehpur |
| Murida Makyana | Makiana | Devana Sadhri | Deona Saidhry |
Sikh Empire
During the Sikh Empire, administrative unit Pargana was replaced with Ilaqa while Tappa was renamed as Zail and number of Ilaqas and Zails was increased as compared to their previous counterparts. The Zails were made when Ranjit Singh assumed direct government, by his astute ministers Fakir Nuruddin and Fakir Azizuddin. The name of Kandu was not carried forward in the newly formed Zails. The only available list of the Zails during the Sikh Empire is the one which stood immediately before the advent of the British Raj. This list does not show any Zail with the name of Kandu. However, many Kunduanas were appointed as Zaildars during the Sikh Empire. The district administration units under the Sikh Empire were as follows:- Pargana -- was under an official known as Kardar.
- Taluka
- Ilaqa
- Zail, was headed by a Zaildar.
- Mauza, was headed by a Chaudhry or Muqaddam.
Modern period