Kanera Khel

The Kanera is a Baloch tribe, clan of Azam clan, which is a main clan of Lashari tribe. Azam and Kundo had migrated to Mianwali District after the Baloch civil war in Balochistan. They are a branch from the main Baluchi tribe of Lashari.

The grandfather of Kanera tribe had got married from Jat tribe and his family refused to accept this marriage. So Kanera went to Jat tribe and take shelter there and used to live with them. The Kanera tribes were Jatt by profession (Jatt are the one who keep camels and goats), so these are the two reasons that some people considered Kanera from Jat tribe. The Kanera tribe living in Punjab, Dera Ismail Khan speak Siraiki as their first language.

The Kanera tribe had sub clans like Buqa, Dilay, Jamaal, Kalu, Belay, Sidiqu Saleh, Golay, Rehman and Hazoor. They are a part from the Azam Tribe of Lashari main Baloch tribe. Kanera tribe was using trade of camels for the source of income in the early days. They were purchasing camels from Baluchistan and were selling in KPK & Punjab.

Distribution

Kanera tribe is settled in the Punjab, and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. They mostly found in Western Punjab particularly in Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhaker, Mianwali and Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtun khwa.

A typical Kanera Tribesman in 1928

People

Mir Aaza Khan Kanera belonged to district Dera Ismail Khan. He was born in the 18th century, and was a great fighter and social person. He fought for the sake of poor people and defended their rights; that is why he had lots of enemies. One morning while he was on his way to the mosque he was killed by unknown assailants.

References

• The Baloch race. A historical and ethnological sketch. M. Longworth Dames. The Royal Asiatic Society, London, 1902.