Ratta, Azad Kashmir
Ratta is a village in Dadyal in the Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir. It is located east of Islamabad, Pakistan. Residents of Ratta sometimes add the word Ratvi to their surname. Ratta is one of the most prosperous villages in Azad Kashmir, with an overwhelming Raja population. Notable historic people who originate from here are Ch Simon Mohammed BSc, Raja Kala Khan, Ayoub Khan MP, Choudhary Yousaf & Raja Mohammed Younas Ali.
In the 1400s, Dadyal did not exist as a town or a "tehsil" in the way we know it today. Instead, this century was the era of the Great Settlement, when the Chib Rajputs first arrived and established their rule over the region.
If you could travel back to the Dadyal hills in the year 1450, here is what the world would have looked like:
1. The Arrival of the Chib Dynasty
Historical records suggest that the Chib dynasty was founded right at the start of the 1400s.
* The Migration: Raja Chib Chand migrated to the Bhimber hills.
* The Conquest: The area around Dadyal and Bhimber was then ruled by the Thakyal Rajputs. Chib Chand married the daughter of the Thakyal King, Raja Sripat, and eventually inherited or conquered the territory.
* The Naming of Chibhal: Because of this conquest in the 1400s, the entire region—from the Jhelum river to the Chenab—began to be called Chibhal.
2. Dadyal: A Collection of Tribal Hamlets
In the 1400s, "Dadyal" was likely a series of scattered hamlets belonging to different clans.
* The Landscape: It was a wild, heavily forested region. Agriculture was minimal, and the economy was based on cattle-rearing and small-scale farming in the Kandi areas.
* Fortified Settlements: Villages were built on higher ground for defense against rival tribes. The "Dadyal" we know today grew out of these smaller 15th-century settlements as clans like the Rachyals, Kalyals, and Chibs began to clear the forests for land.
3. Political Status: The Khari Khariyali State
During the 1400s, the Dadyal region fell under the jurisdiction of the Khari Khariyali state.
* Capital: The seat of power was at Mangla Fort.
* Independence: While the Delhi Sultanate ruled the plains of India, the Chibhal hills remained largely independent. The local Rajas paid little to no tax to Delhi, living as sovereign warrior-kings in their mountain strongholds.
4. Religion: The Hindu Era
It is important to remember that in the 1400s, the people of Dadyal—including the Chib Rajputs and the local Jats—were still Hindu.
* Faith: They worshipped ancestral deities and followed the customs of the Kangra hills.
* The Transition: The mass conversion to Islam did not happen until the late 1400s and early 1500s, starting with the conversion of Raja Bhoop Chand at the invitation of the Delhi Sultans or early Mughals.
5. Interaction with Neighbors
* The Jhelum River: The river was the lifeblood and the boundary. Across the river, the Gakhars were the dominant power. The 1400s were marked by constant small-scale wars between the Chib Rajputs of Dadyal and the Gakhars for control of the river crossings.
Summary of the 1400s
The Era of the "Chibhal" Governors
The 1600s saw the Chibs of Ratta and Bhimber firmly established as the Governors of the Chibhal territory.
• Imperial Favour: Because Raja Shadi Khan had proven his loyalty, the Mughal court granted the Chib Rajas the right to collect revenue and maintain a standing army in the hills.
• The "Ratta" Connection: Ratta served as a key residential and defensive pocket. While the main political capital was Bhimber, Ratta was where the "clansmen" lived—the warriors who would be called upon whenever the Mughal Emperor went on a campaign to Kabul or Kandahar.
2. The Golden Road
The 1600s were the years of the great Mughal processions to Kashmir.
• The Route: Emperors like Jahangir and Shah Jahan traveled through the Bhimber-Rajouri axis.
• Local Impact: While Ratta was slightly off the main "Imperial Road," the wealth from these royal processions trickled down. The Rajputs of Ratta provided security for the supply lines and horses for the royal stables. This brought significant gold and influence into the village.
3. Martial Culture: The Rise of the Cavalry
In the 1600s, the Rajputs of Ratta were famous for their Cavalry.
• Mansabdari System: The head of the Chib clan was often a "Mansabdar" of 1,000 or 1,500 horses.
• The Warrior Life: A young man from Ratta in the 1600s would spend his winters in the village and his summers serving in the Mughal armies in distant lands like the Deccan or the Northwest Frontier. They were known for their skill with the Tegh and the Spear.
4. Religious and Social Life
This was the century when the Islamic identity of Ratta began to take deep root, but it was a very "Rajput" version of Islam.
• Sufi Centers: This is the era when local Pirs began establishing small mosques and Madrasas in the Dadyal hills.
• Tribal Law: Despite being Muslim, the Rajputs of Ratta still followed the "Reet". Disputes were settled by the elders based on Rajput honor codes rather than strict administrative law.
5. Conflict with the Gakhars
The 1600s were not entirely peaceful. A massive rivalry existed between the Chib Rajputs and the Gakhars of Pothohar.
• Border Skirmishes: The Jhelum River was the border. Gakhar raiders often crossed over to raid the Dadyal subdivision.
• Ratta as a Shield: Ratta, being one of the more populated and fortified villages near the river, acted as the "Shield of the Chibs." The warriors of Ratta were responsible for patrolling the riverbanks to prevent Gakhar incursions.
the Chib Rajas were so respected by the Mughals that they were allowed to use the "Nalki" ? This was a privilege usually reserved only for princes of the blood
While Ratta is a "Raja" village, many Jatt families from the neighboring areas have moved into Ratta over the last 50 years to be part of its commercial growth