Karlal

The Karlal (also known as Kard'al, Karaal, Karhral, or Kiraal) are a tribe found in the Abbottabad and Haripur districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The tribe trace their descent from Kallar Singh, who was of indigenous Hindu origins; and they are closely allied by blood to the Dhund Abbasi tribe. In Haripur and Abbottabad, they are known as Sardars because according to some claims, during the time of the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1296) they became the Sardars (meaning leaders) of this area. The majority of the people of the Karlal tribe are Sunni Muslims today, and they mostly converted around the 17th or 18th centuries AD. Although the Sardari-system is now obsolete, the name prevails due to extensive usage by local peoples, including other tribes who prefer to refer Karlals as Sardars. The various purported origins of the Karlal are mentioned both in the census reports of Ibbetson and Roseas well as in the district Gazetteer - compiled during British rule. They are extensively distributed in hilly areas of Abbottabad District known as Gallies or Galyat.They are a Hindko speaking tribe.