Tarkhan (Punjab)
 |
- This article is about Tarkhan, a Northern Indian tribe. For other uses, see Tarkan (disambiguation)
 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Punjab | |
| Languages | |
| Punjabi, Hindi, English | |
| Religion | |
| Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Indo-Aryans |
The Tarkhan (Template:Lang-pa (Shahmukhi), तरख़ान (Devanagari) tarkhān) are considered a Punjabi tribe. They are carpenters by occupation.[1]
H.A. Rose[1] supposed that they are descended from the Saka tribes, and originally settled in Taxila. Scholars such as Khalsa have analysed the work of ethnographers such as Ibbetson, Cunningham, and Elliot, and have concluded that agrarian and artisan communities in Punjab such as Tarkhans may be of Scythian origin.[2]
Further analysis has suggested that Tarkhans may be descended from Scythic tribes who settled in north-western India in successive waves between 500 B.C. too 500 AD.[3]
History
Sikh Tarkhans are more commonly referred to as Ramgarhias because of their reverence for the famous Misl leader, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (1723-1803), who was a Tarkhan. A very proud and fiercely independent people, they are amongst the wealthiest and most educated clans of India. Historically, the Sikh tarkhans' occupation was Carpentry. Tarkhans have served couragously in crack Commando units of the Punjab and Sikh Regiments of the Indian Army, as brave fighter pilots and in the Navy. They were made famous on the silver screen in the Bollywood film, “Border” , which depicted their brave actions in the Battle of Longowal, a battle fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. [4]
Tarkhan clans
According to Sir Denzil Ibbetson[2], the major Twelve Tarkhan clans (Based on 1881 census) of the Punjab and the Northwest Frontier Province in the order as they occur from east to west are:
- Jhangra - found in Delhi and Hissar
- Dhaman/Dhiman - found in Karnal, Ambala, Jalandahar, Sialkot, Patiala, Nabha, Faridhkot and Firozpur.
- Khatti - found in Karnal, Ambala, Jalandahar, Sialkot, Patiala, Nabha, Faridhkot and Firozpur.
- Siawan - Jallandhar and Sialkot
- Gade - Amritsar
- Matharu - Ludhiana, Amritsar and Lahore.
- Netal - Hoshiarpur
- Janjua - Rawalpindi
- Tharu - Gurdaspur and Sialkot
- Khokar - Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan
- Bhatti - Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan
- Begi Khel - Hazara.
Ibbetson notes further that:
- "The carpenters of Sirsa are divided into two great sections: the Dhaman/Dhiman and Khatti proper, and the two will not intermarry. These are two great tribes of the Lohars (q.v.). The Dhamans again include a tribe of Hindu Tarkhans called Suthar, who are almost entirely agricultural, seldom working in wood, and who look down upon the artisan sections of their caste. They say they came from Jodhpur, and that their tribe still holds villages and revenue free grants in Bikaner."
Tarkhans and Lohars
Historically,the Sikh tarkhan's occupation was carpentry as well as being blacksmiths.Many administrators of the British Raj period who also wrote books - such as H. A. Rose[5] and Denzil Ibbetson[6] - referred to the blacksmith communities as Lohars, although in fact that term refers to a specific group of people sikligar and is not the synonym that they supposed.[7]
Tarkhan culture and society
Military
A large number of the Tarkhans fought courageously in World War 1 and World War 2. Currently there are many Tarkhans who serve in the Indian Army, including in the Sikh Regiment, Rajputana Rifles. Historically, the Sikh Tarkhans fought in the Sikh Wars, Battle of Longowal, and were members of Dal Khalsa. They were seen as a Martial Race during the British Raj, and were recognized as highly decorated soldiers and warriors.
Rulers and Warriors
- Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia - Maharaja of Punjab and member of the Dal Khalsa[8]
- Maharaja Jodh Singh Ramgarhia - Heir to the land and states of his father Maharaja Jassa Singh
- Bhagwan Singh Bambra - Sikh warrior, father of Jassa Singh and son of Hardas Singh
- Hardas Singh Ramgarhia - Sikh warrior, father of Bhagwan Singh, and grandfather of Jassa Singh
- Tara Singh Ramgarhia - Brother of Jassa Singh
- Jai Singh - Brother of Jassa Singh, Sikh warrior
- Khushal Singh
- Mali Singh
- Maharaja Mangal Singh Ramgarhia - Maharaja of Amritsar, keys to the Golden temple
Diet
The Tarkhans were well known to be fierce, intimidating and independent people. Recent sources indicate that they were known to be the heaviest consumers of alcohol. By and large they were said to be non-vegetarians, this was due to the vast amounts of meat available in the Tarkhan regions of Punjab. The main courses of meat were usually; chicken; pork; lamb; deer. This was due to the fact that the Tarkhans themselves would go out to hunt their own food, using the weapon known as the Gandasa
See also
References
- ^ W. H. McLeod, Exploring sikhism: aspects of Sikh identity, culture and thought, Oxford University Press, 2000 ISBN 978-0-19-564902-4, p. 214.
- ^ http://rajputana.htmlplanet.com/scy_raj/scy_raj1.html
- ^ www.worldmultimedia.biz/Culture/yuechih%20sakas%20kushans.pdf
- ^ http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Tarkhan
- ^ ^ see H.A. Rose. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province 1919
- ^ Ibbetson, Denzil (1916). "Workers in wood,iron,stone and Clay". Panjab Castes (reprint ed.). Lahore: Low Price Publications, 1916. pp. 309–314. ISBN 8185557551, 9788185557557. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: invalid character (help) - ^ Judge, Paramjit S.; Bal, Gurpreet (1996). Strategies of social change in India. M.D. Publications. p. 54. ISBN 978-81-7533-006-1. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
- ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal_Khalsa_(Sikh_Empire)
- ^ see H.A. Rose. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province 1919
- ^ Sir Denzil Ibbetson. Panjab Castes - page 312f. [year needed]