Hi everyone! Firstly, I am new to this forum but I think it is probably the ideal place to find out about my heritage.
Okay, I’m wanting to find out about the Arain caste of Punjab. My family originates from the Sahiwal (or Montgomery for some of you!) region of Punjab, Pakistan and have surnames such as Iqbal, Arshad, Tauqeer and Chaudhry, Hassan, Saleem etc.
We are, according to my father, of the Arain caste which is Middle-Eastern in origin. However, my father and paternal grandparents originate from Jalandhar, India pre-Partition and I allegedly have Iranian heritage on my mother’s side.
We appear to be “typical” (or not!) Arains with very fair to fair skin; long elegant noses; large eyes ranging from grey-blue to hazel, to golden to deepest brown; longer than usual face shapes with prominent cheekbones; hair colour ranging between golden/coppery brown to jet black!
What Iwant to know is…going by the information above, what could I be and where could my family have originated and how?
Secondly, more generally, can someone tell me what the Punjabi castes are (both India and Pakistan Punjabi) in order from highest to lowest. Please include, if you can Jatts, Rajputs, Arains, Brahmins etc. Perhaps it would help to arrange them in three sets depending on whether they are Hindu, Sikh or Muslim castes.
Any information relating to this would be gratefully received.
NOTE: I have no hidden agenda in finding out this information as the caste system is largely obsolete in the larger cities and towns of the Asian sub-continent. It is something I personally do not believe should apply to anyone as a form of judgement of status/rank in the contemporary world. This is simply a means of finding out more about my heritage, origins and family - many thanks!