Bajwa (Punjabi: ਬਾਜਵਾ) (Hindi: बाजवा) (Urdu: باجوہ) is a Jat gotra or clan. They originally belonged to the region known as 'Bajwath' situated on the border of Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab. They are now spread across the Punjab region divided between Northern India and Pakistan
Bajwa in Persian means "those who levied tax" [i.e. the ruling class]. Bajwas living in the Bajwat area comprising of 65 villages (the Sialkot and Narowal districts in Punjab) were known to be the bravest and used to fight against the invading armies who attacked India from the North-West, e.g. Timur, Ahmed Shah Abdali and others. Since they used to keep a hawk's eye on such invaders, they were named after the warrior-bird "baaz" [hawk, eagle, falcon (a bird that symbolises 'Gruda' of Ramayana -- a Hindu Epic & Scripture)]. The last ruler/owner/administrator of the 'Riyasat' called 'Bajwat' was Sharam Singh (or Sharam Kumar) who was also a Saint whose 'samadhi' ['mazaar'] is situated in Sialkot and is known as the samadhi of Kali baba. His brother's son was a Zaildar [owner of a 'zail' (sub-district), 'zilla' means a district] whose son was Wing Commander Bajwa [whose role in the Khemkaran Battle is played by Jackie Shroff in the popular movie 'Border'], and Sharam Singh's grandson became an IPS Officer who stood 4th in the IPS Exams in the year 1961.
