Samra

Samra (à¤¸à¤®à¤°à¤¾), or the Sumra, or Sumrah referred by Megasthenes in his book Indika as the Samarabriëans ()is a clan (tribe) found in Punjab, India and Punjab, Pakistan.
History and origin
There are various theories on the history and origin of this:
Colonel James Tod refers to them as a part of the twin clans of Umra and Sumra as one of the 35 branches of Pramaras Rajputs who in remote times held all the Rajputana desert. Frequently combining with their brethren the Umars, Sumras gave name to a large tract of country, which is even still recognized as Umra-Sumra and Umarkot.
H.A Rose, who made a comprehensive glossary of the Tribes of Punjab and North West Frontier, mentions Sumra as one of the Jat Tribes of the Western Plains and quotes from other writers like E.O'Brein and describes the Sumra as originally Rajputs. "In A.D.750 they expelled the first Arab invaders from Sindh and Multan, and furnished the country with a dynasty which ruled in Multan from 1445 to 1526 A.D., when it was expelled by the Samma".
Punjab District Gazetteer - District Muzzafarpur, published in 1929 by the Punjab Government records that "The first Arab conquerors held Sindh and Multan from A.D.711 to A.D. 750, when they were expelled by a Rajput tribe called Sumra, whose representatives are still found in the district. In A.D.1351, the Sumras were expelled by the Summas, another Rajput tribe...". The rise of this clan is well recorded, however, the exact period of the rise of this clan and it's decline, as mentioned by various historians, differs in various publications. According to Ain-i-Akbari, the Samra clan of the Jats established their kingdoms in 1054 and 36 kings of Sumra clan ruled for 500 years when they were superseded by another Jat clan, the Sammas. One of their famous Samra kings was Dalu Rai or Deva Rai. It has been recorded that according to the Muntakhib Tawáríkh it was in 1053 AD, that in the reign of Abdurrashíd son of Sultán Mahmúd of Ghazní, who was a weak prince, that the Súmrahs secured their independence and elected Súmrah as their chief. He was succeeded by a line of chiefs that are given below:—
*1. Súmrah died 1054 AD
*2. Bhúngar bin Súmrah died 1068 (After a reign of 15 years)
*3. Dódá bin Bhúngar died 1092 (24 years.)
*4. Sanghár died 1106 (15 years.)
*5. Khafíf died 1141 (36 years.)
*6. Umar died 1180 (40 years.)
*7. Dódá died 1193 (14 years.)
*8. Punhún died 1226 (33 years.)
*9. Khinrah died 1241 (16 years.)
*10. Muhammad Túr died 1256 (15 years.)
*11. Khinrah died 1259 (4 years.)
*12. Táí died 1283 (24 years.)
*13. Chanesar died 1300 (18 years.)
*14. Bhúngar died 1315 (15 years.)
*15. Khafíf died 1332 (18 years.)
*16. Dódá died 1356 (25 years.)
*17. Umar died 1390 (35 years.)
*18. Bhúngar died 1400 (10 years.)
*19. Hamír (dethroned by Sammahs.)
Distribution In India
'Samra' clan is spread as Jat Sikhs in the Indian Punjab. There are villages almost entirely inhabited by Samra clan in the Amritsar and Ludhiana districts of Indian Punjab. Villages with significant population of Samra clan are listed as below:
* District Amritsar - Akalgadh, Nona, Dinewal, Pakhoke, Fatahpur, Bharariwal, Thande, Kotla Sultan Singh, Maari
* District Gurdaspur - Samra, Chakawali (Near Dera Baba Nanak)
* District Jalandhar - Bhatija, Samrai
* District Ludhiana - Pohir, Gorsian Makhan, Akhara
* District Moga - Lohgarh, Daulat Pura Ucha,Jalalabad,
* District Bathinda - Rampura Phul
Prominent Samra Personalities
* Lieut. Shamsher Singh Samra: Winner of Gallantry Award - Mahavir Chakra in 1971 Indo Pak War "
* Amarjeet Singh Samra : Former D.G.P of Maharastra The face that calmed Mumbai after the 13 serial blasts that killed over 250 people in 1991 "

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