Brotherhood, mutual cooperation, established norms of local customs, religious and cultural heritage, well knit social structure, day-to-day behavioral and attitudinal approach among the people are some of the factors which are directly or indirectly influenced by geographical situation and immediate topographical realities of a particular place and Ladori is not an exception.
Rajput dominated Ladori village is situated in a hilly terrain locked up by deep down Jabbar Khad ridge on its western and by Choti Dhar from its north and northeastern side. It is well known fact that group of Pathania Rajputs, descendants of Rana Jhetpal Tomar, the founder of the Pathania House, was a younger brother of Rana Anang Pal Tomar of Delhi. Tomars are said to be the descendants of Pandavas and Arjuna in particular, who rehabilitated Inderprastha in 8th Centuary AD. Prithvi Raj Chouhan who ruled Delhi in 12th Century, was the grandson (Dohitr) of Rana Anang Pal Tomar.
While in exile, Rana Jhet Pal Tomar, with the help of a Kuthialu Brahmin of Kuthiali village in Pathankot, who was an adviser of Kajbak Khan, the then Hakim of Paithan, and who later developed friendship with Rana Jhet Pal Tomar, who happened to be camping in the jungles of Baranda Village along some of his close confidants. The Kuthialu Brahmin used to go to Baranda village to visit his in-laws there. Rana Jhet Pal Tomar and the Kuthialu Brahmin together hatched a conspiracy against the Hakim of Paithan and conquered Paithan.
Rana Jhet Pal Tomar constructed a fort at Paithan at a place which is presently known as Shimla Pahari in the heart of the Pathankot town. On being constructing fort at Paithan, Rana Jhet Pal Tomar became Raja Jhet Pal Paithania which later became Raja Jhet Pal Pathania and Paithan became Pathankot.
Raja Jhet Pal Pathania appointed the Kuthialu Brahminn as their Purohit. A branch of kuthialu brahmins of Pathankot crossed over to Village Suliali and then to Ladori. Present Manjhol Kutumb of Ladori belongs to kuthialu brahmin clan and since then they are the purohits of Pathania Rajputs of Ladori. Descendants of these Pathania rulers of Pathankot spread out in tehsil Pathankot, Nurpur and other adjoining areas between 1773 and 1803 AD. Some of them crossed over to Village Ladori, descendants of which later came to be known as Khandaan No. 4.
This group of Pathania rajputs chose Ladori for their permanent settlement being its peaceful and tranquil environs and well suited safe heaven after having led a cumbersome and unsettled gipsy way of life for years, in other parts of the country and beyond.
After having found the place suitable for settling down at Ladori for quite some time, slowly and slowly pathanias acquired ownership rights of almost all the barren/agricultural land falling within the zail including other parts and far flung areas as well.
In due course of time, when necessity of other castes was felt, brahmin, jheer, nai, dhobi, teli, julaha, sunar, lohar, balmiki, jogi, baadi, batwal, etc. were either brought by pathanias or they came to this village of their own at different periods of times. All these castes are located in general area Hattian adjoining Upla Maira, Chikla Maira, Baadian-da-Naal, Jharnuie and Darkali whereas pathanias live exclusively in Mandi and Kyara.
From times immemorial, pathanias had always upper hand over others living in the village because of their superiority, better financial position and social status as compared to other communities in the village. Other castes being poor and landless were at the mercy and depended heavily on pathanias and looked at them for whatever little they needed for their survival in the initial stages. However, their contribution, though small, in the development of village and society as a whole, cannot be denied as no single race or community can prevail, survive or prosper in the absence of any of the vital organs of the caste dominated Hindu society.
Mandi being locked up by a deep Jabbar Khad ridge on one side and Choti Dhar on the other,
the only way out from Mandi to the outside world remains through Hattian and Upla Maira. Due to such a typical ground situation of Ladori, free flow of traffic from Mandi on the main street towards Hattian is always open, whereas, on the other hand, entry into Mandi from Hattian side is generally open for Mandi residents only. Roaming aimlessly in mandi area by an outsider is notable in itself. Hence unwanted movement of people from outside is not welcome. May be due to purda system (Satr) that prevailed in rajput society since times immemorial, free movements of rajput women in the village was not expected. In this context, mention of certain regular visitors to Mandi from Hattian and outside worlds would be interesting, as depicted in Chapter 'Mian-di-Mandi'.
After having found the place suitable for settling down at Ladori for quite some time, slowly and slowly pathanias acquired ownership rights of almost all the barren/agricultural land falling within the zail including other parts and far flung areas as well.
In due course of time, when necessity of other castes was felt, brahmin, jheer, nai, dhobi, teli, julaha, sunar, lohar, balmiki, jogi, baadi, batwal, etc. were either brought by pathanias or they came to this village of their own at different periods of times. All these castes are located in general area Hattian adjoining Upla Maira, Chikla Maira, Baadian-da-Naal, Jharnuie and Darkali whereas pathanias live exclusively in Mandi and Kyara.
From times immemorial, pathanias had always upper hand over others living in the village because of their superiority, better financial position and social status as compared to other communities in the village. Other castes being poor and landless were at the mercy and depended heavily on pathanias and looked at them for whatever little they needed for their survival in the initial stages. However, their contribution, though small, in the development of village and society as a whole, cannot be denied as no single race or community can prevail, survive or prosper in the absence of any of the vital organs of the caste dominated Hindu society.
Mandi being locked up by a deep Jabbar Khad ridge on one side and Choti Dhar on the other,
the only way out from Mandi to the outside world remains through Hattian and Upla Maira. Due to such a typical ground situation of Ladori, free flow of traffic from Mandi on the main street towards Hattian is always open, whereas, on the other hand, entry into Mandi from Hattian side is generally open for Mandi residents only. Roaming aimlessly in mandi area by an outsider is notable in itself. Hence unwanted movement of people from outside is not welcome. May be due to purda system (Satr) that prevailed in rajput society since times immemorial, free movements of rajput women in the village was not expected. In this context, mention of certain regular visitors to Mandi from Hattian and outside worlds would be interesting, as depicted in Chapter 'Mian-di-Mandi'.
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