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Kholian Bala
—  Union council  —
Kholian Bala is located in Haripur District
Country	Pakistan
Province	Hazara
District	Haripur
Tehsil	Haripur
Population
• Total	25,000

Kholian Bala is a village and union council of Haripur District in the Hazara region of Pakistan.^[1] Kholian Bala is one of villages in constituency for provincial assembly seat PF-49 in Haripur ^[2]

Location [edit]

Kholian Bala is located on either side of Karakuram Highway (KKH), 12 km from Haripur city towards Abbottabad in Sind Sagar Doaba. The Village proper stands on an edge of a hill in Koh-e-Bagra range, touching Sub-Himalayan ranges with pine's forest on its south eastern corner. The village is 750 m above than sea level with deep ravines on either side with a rainy waterfall called Batak Naala. Union Council Kholian Bala touches U/Cs Majhuan,Bandi Atai Khan, Jahangra,in District Abbottad and Pind Hashim Khan, Shah Maqsood and Bagra in Haripur. This location is in a tract where Maidan Hazara comes to an ending point on left bank of Dor stream with rich soil for cultivation of all kind of crops. Last ending point of Hazara plain at Havelian is 4 km from here and Abbottabad City is at the distance of 18 km from Kholian Bala. Shahrah-e-Hazara or KKH passes through Kholian Bala and Badshaia Rah (Grand Trunk Road of medieval times) also crosses the village with artificial mounds, once used as milestones. It is not less interesting to explore regional history that every mound is attached to a pond which must have used for cattle drinking water for caravans during their journey to Kashmir. There are three such mounds with ponds in Kholian Bala and here valley of Maidan-e-Hazara becomes narrow as an ending strip at Havelian. One may visualises snowy ranges of Galiyat during winter having air distance not more than 8 to 10 km. from here. Galiyat Ranges are like a barrier between the tract and Jammu Kashmir State. The village is in a beautiful location surrounded by green hills and Dor stream in the west which is a source of water for irrigation and the grinding mills in Kholian Bala. Here at Chamba Pull, Jahangra Soka (dry stream) separates the district Haripur and district Abbottabad. One may visualises the whole Dor valley in district Abbottabad and Haripur from here on any hill top point. There are more than four Chashmas (fresh water springs) in the village used for drinking water. These chashmas flow in the foot of hills at the distance of 200 to 300 meter from village proper. These four chashmas are called Batangiyan, Bada Nara, Dhobyan di Dahand and Boorian da Khola. Beside this there are wells in Dahaya area where under ground water level is not more 25 feet. For centuries people in Kholian Bala have used water for their daily needs from these sources and now in addition there are two tubewells for domestic water supply. Both the tubewells are bored by Distt. Health Department in the centre of village along railway track. There is a common bath room (called Bada Nara) in foot of pine hills Jee de Deheri used by men only. Although Kholian does not locate in the heart of Gandharian chain of cities but shadows of Gandharian colours are stretched up to Kashmir through Kholian Bala. The tract including this village has been favourite resting place for Raja Rasalua Hindu Hero of second century AD. Once the village has been part of Taxilian Empire and legendary Indus (lion river) is flowing through Hazara mountains at the air distance of 6 km from here. Indus river receives waters from Dor stream in Tarbela Reservoir near the village of Padhana at the distance of 10 kilomer below Kholian Bala. People in the region say that the inhabitants of Kholian are much proud of their habitation, question arose that why should not be they proud being inhabitants of such a piece of land like heaven? Here from any hill top in Kholian Bala one may see Koh-e-Gandhar, Koh-e-Sribang, Koh-e-Galiyat, Koh-e-Sarban, Koh-e-Bazmar and Thandiani peaks as well as Muree Hills.

History [edit]

History of early human settlement in Kholian Bala goes to prehistoric age of civilization in Dor valley. There is no such archeological research of any importance in this regard after remains traced in Manikrai on right bank of Dor. In Kholian Bala there are ruins in Choi area where the villagers dig to lay foundations for a new building they find earthen wares and scarcely ornaments or broken pieces of domestic goods. This connects the tract with Dor valley civilization of prehistoric ages. There is no valuable archeological research throughout Hazara after Sir John Marshall and his team in 1925. Everyone knows in Haripur that at many occasions there were golden and silver coins found in Manikrai and smuggled to black markets. No doubt this is great loss for nation, and no one is responsible for this in Pakistan. Traces of village sites, historical research as well as geographical aspects uniform it to Gandahara age of second century BC to 5th century AD. Prior to this, Ashoka the Great, during the kingship of his father has been governor in this region. Rock edicts by Ashoka in Mansehra are at the distance of 45 km from here and the (then) provincial capital city of Taxila is also at the distance of about 45 km Villagers tell stories about Raja Rasalu, a legendary Hero of second century AD. They also tell stories about his beloved wife Rani Konklan and a Rakshis defeated by the Raja. Folk legends say that there is Raja Rasalu da ranjata (stone used as an arrow)in the mid of River Dor. The region including Kholian entered in medieval ages of Hindu supremacy and Hiuen Tsang crosses Dor valley through village carvanserai. It was the time of Harasha's empire in Kashmir and Kholian seems a carvanserai on left bank of Dor. Hiuen Tsang hosted by King Harsha describes the Kingdom of Woo-la-she (Urasha) near Mangal stream at the distance of about 30 km from here. It is remarkable that Mangal is place with ruins and a graveyard of later ages, similar to Kholian Bala and this leads to trace connection or similarity among both the locations on Grand Trunk Road to Kashmir. Being a nearest place, village has been under influence of Taxilian empires more than Kashmir and Swat states. Although the village has been part of Gandhara civilization but there are no traces of any importance found in the tract connecting it with Buddhism or Gandhara civilization but it does not mean that the village or location has been much away fron shadows of Buddhism once a great religion of the region which lasted its supermacy up to the end of 5th century A.D. It is said that it was the time of Hunas invasion to Northern India after which the region became under influence of Hinduism. In the fourth decade of seventh century A.D Chines pilgrim Hiuen Tsang crossed village on his way to King Harsha's court in Srinagar. People inhabiting in the region are called learned by Hiuen Tsang. It was the time of Hindu supermacy in the region also described by Kalhana in Rajatarangini, according to his chronicles this lasts up to his time in mid of twelfth century A.D. It is remarkable that the region including village has been intact by Mehmood of Ghazni during his invasions to India but as per latter cronicles the region is not spared by Taimoor's army from central Asia. It is considered that Taimoor on his way back to Central Asia settled his tribesmen in Hazara specially in Pakhli (Mansehra) tract of Hazara. There is a tribe claiming to be of Turk origin in Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra districts which is a dying race in hazara throughout and not a single family of such a tribe inhabits here in Kholian Bala. This is the time of pre-Muhgal era the history turns to modern ages. In the very first beginning of this era anarcy spread in Hazara and Moughals lost their rule and Afghans rose with swords in their hands. When lower(Chach Hazara)and upper Hazara (Pakhli) as well as Kashmir became under their sway. The Abdalis used to collect every kind of wealth on their way to Qandhar and Kabul.

References [edit]

v t e Administrative divisions of Haripur District Capital Haripur Union councils Ali Khan Bagra Bakka Bandi Sher Khan Barkot Beer Bherrary Breela Darwesh Dheendah Dingi Haripur Central Haripur North Haripur South Hattar Jabri Jatti Pind Kalinjar Khalabat Khanpur Kholian Bala Kot Najeebullah Landarmang Mankrai Maqsood Najifpur Pandak Panian Pind Hasham Khan Pind Kamal Khan Rehana Serai Niamat Khan Serai Saleh Sawabi Maira Sikandarpur Sirya Tarbela Tofkian Baitgali Ghazi Kotehrra Kundi Nara Amaz Qazipur Sirikot