Raja Erij Zaman Khan

Raja Erij Zama Khan is the present chief of the Gakhars tribe. He is the great-grandson of Khan Bahadur Raja Jahandad Khan, a prominent chief during British India. Khan was made chief (title of Sultan) by President of Pakistan Field Marshal Ayub Khan in a ceremony also attended by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
Historical background and family
Raja is the heir of the former Khanpur Estate, which at the time of Raja Jahandad Khan comprised 84 villages and an area of 684 square miles. Khanpur Estate was founded by Fateh Khan, son of Said Khan, at the end of the 1537 Sultan Sarang gifted the estate to his grandson Fateh Khan. At that time, the estate comprised 225 villages including Dhund and Karral Hills (Murree). He took charge of the estate after his father's death Said Khan in 1597 and settled in Khanpur Hazara.
The Raja is a nephew of Raja Sikander Zaman, former Chief Minister of North West Frontier Province. He is the maternal nephew of Khan of Makhad, Sher Ahmad Khan. Raja Erij remained Member Majlis-e-Shoora during General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's military regime. He wase lected Member of Provincial Assembly from .
He was educated at Army Burn Hall College, Abbottabad. He is married and has three sons and a daughter.
In 1963, he succeeded his father, Raja Rukan Zaman, a Member of the West Pakistan Legislative Assembly and a recipient of the Pakistan Independence Medal. The Raja's grandfather was Captain Raja Haider Zaman, a recipient of the MBE in 1938, Chairman of the District Board Hazara, a recipient of Delhi Durbar Medal in 1911 and the King George Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935. He also graduated from the Royal Military Academy of Dheradun.
Previous titles
The Mughal Emperor Babur gave the courtesy title of "Sultan" to Raja Erij's direct ancestor, the Gakhar Chief Sultan Sarang, due to his influence and loyalty to the Emperor. This title was used at that time by the heads/chiefs of the tribe who held sway over a considerable area of (present) Northern Punjab and some part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. As part of Mughal policy, various Mughal princes and kings married the daughters of Gakhar Chiefs. Rawalpindi was also named by Gakhar chief Jhanda Khan. Sultan Muqarab Khan was an independent ruler from Attock to Jhelum. He struck his own currency and raised army of over 45,000 soldiers.

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