Summary
Grewal/Garewal is a surname of Jats found in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Pakistan’s Punjab. They claim descent from the Chandel Rajputs of Northern India who originated in Chanderi. Grewals are both Sikh and Hindu by faith and there are some muslims in Pakistan as well. Grewals primarily reside in large numbers in the Ludhiana district and have many villages in Haryana. Today, many Grewals have moved out to many other countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Grewals are known to be one of the superior (Sahu) class of Jats.
History
The Grewals/Garewals are a tribe of the Jat clan predominantly found in Northern India. The Grewals/ Garewals are descendants of Chandel Rajputs. Chandels are one of the 36 royal castes of Rajputs. At one time, Chandels ruled over Bundelkhand. The state of Bundelkhand was located in between rivers Yamuna and Narmada with a garrison at Kalinjar. This has been stated by Jat historian H.S. Duleh who says Grewals of Punjab are a branch of Chandels of Lalitpur (Bundelkhand) who, after their defeat at muslim hands in 1206 A.D., shifted to Haryana and Punjab.
However, per the Grewal Itihas Committee, the Grewals originated from the Chandel Rajputs of Chendeli whose Raja Hari Chand in 697 A.D. following a dream of the goddess came to Jawalamukhi in Kangra with his four sons and succeeded in establishing a kingdom. One of his descendants, Bairsi, was the first ancestor of the Grewals/Garewals. He was a prince of Bilaspur state and had married a beautiful Jat girl named Roop Kaur and fell out of favour with his Rajput brothers and became a Jat. He then shifted to Naiebad Theh, located south of Ludhiana. Chaudhary Gujjar sixteenth in lineage of prince Vedsi established the Grewal estate at Gujjarwal (Ludhiana) in 1469 A.D. occupying 52,000 bighas of land.
The Grewal/ Garewal villages being south of the Sutlej River, came under British rule early even as Maharaja Ranjit Singh consolidated the Sikh Empire all the way to Kabul. Due to this, Grewals took to education. As a result, the Grewal/Garewal villages established and sustained a high middle class which prospered. They also joined the British-Indian mercenary army and fought in wars from Mesopotamia to Germany.
One of the very first Sikh Regiments in the British army that was created after the mutiny, bore the name “Ludhiana Sikhs”, there was another one with the name “Ferozepur Sikhs”. Grewals/Garewal also contributed to the fight for freedom of India. Kartar Singh Sarabha from Sarabha village lead the fight and was accepted as a guru by the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
Grewal Villages
| Country | State | Village / Town / Locale |
|---|---|---|
| India | Punjab | Aandlu, Aasi, Alamgir, Assi Kalan, Baddowal, Ballowal, Bamla, Bandi, Barewal, Bhootgarh, Bihla, Bila, Buraj Pakka, Burj Rahi Singh, Butahri, Chaminda, Chandeni, Chubki, Chupki, Daad, Dehlon, Dhaipai, Dhandra, Dolon Kalan, Dolon Khurd, Dulay, Grewal, Gujjarwal, Hamaopur, Harnampura, Hawas, Humanyunpura, Jassowal Sudhan, Jhameri, Jhande, Jodha Mansura, Jodhan, Kadian, Khanjarwal, Khawajke, Khedi Jhamedi, Kheri, Kila Raipur, Koga, Ladha Heri, Lalton Kalan, Lalton Khurd, Lalton Misra, Lohgarh, Majri, Malakpur Bet, Mansuran, Mehma Singh Wala, Mehmoodpur, Misra Singh Wala, Narangwal, Noorwal, Phallewal, Qila Raipur, Rajgarh, Ratan, Sahauli, Sahouli, Sarabha, Sirha (Chude Kuku Wala), Sukhana, Sural Kalan, Thakkerwal, Thrike |
| India | Haryana | Bhiwani, Hisar, Jind, Narwana |
| India | Uttar Pradesh | Dalampur, Dharaur, Kalyanpur, Lohdda, Meerut |
| India | Rajasthan | Sriganganagar |
| India | Union Territory | Chandigarh, New Delhi |
| U.S. | California | (Various) |
| U.S. | New Jersey | (Various) |
| U.S. | New York | (Various) |
| U.K. | (Various) | (Various) |
According to Pandits
The Purohits in Haridwar have been keeping records of Grewals. According to these pandits, Grewals have been recorded as living in the following locations.
| Pandit | Recorded Locations |
|---|---|
| Sita Ram Gita Ram Kusha Ghat | Chubki, Dharaur, Hamaopur, Jassowal, Jhameri, Khanjarwal, Kheri, Kila Raipur, Mandian, Rajgarh, Sahauli, Sarabha |
| Ram Singh (Sant Anant Ram Kusha Ghat) | Aasi, Ballowal, Bila, Burj Rahi Singh, Gujjarwal, Harnampura, Katari, Ladha Heri, Lohgarh, Mehmasinghwala, Misrasinghwala, Narangwal, Phallewal |
| Punj Lal Kusha Ghat | Bhootgarh, Dhae Pai |
| Ram Saran Shiv Prasad Kusha Ghat | Dehlon |
| Rodha Ram Bazaar Har Ki Pauri | Lalton Misra |
| Rup Lal | Jodha Mansura |
| Jagdish Prasad | Baddowal |