Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
History of Lohana
History of Lohana
Lohanas (Persian: ???????????, Gujarati: ?????? Sindhi: ???? ?? Hindi: ??????) or ‘Master of Swords’ are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group and are a suryavanshi Kshatriya[citation needed] community of India that originated in Iran and Afghanistan. In India, they mainly reside in Gujarat, Mumbai and other parts of the country. They have also spread to all parts of the world.Contents [hide]
1 Overview
2 History
2.1 Early History
2.2 Recent history
2.3 Lohanas today
2.4 Notable Lohanas
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
Originally Lohanas were a prominent community of the Kshatriya caste (Sanskrit ???????? Kshatriya) that originated in Iran and Afghanistan[citation needed], then in the region of Punjab and later on migrated to Sindh and present day Gujarat state in India around 800 years ago[citation needed]. As administrators and rulers, Kshatriya Lohanas were assigned with protecting the people, and serving humanity. Over time, however, as a result of economic and political exigencies, the majority of Lohanas are now mainly engaged in mercantile occupations.
Some of the Lohanas converted to Sunni Islam, they are called Memon (Gujarati: ????).
Ismaili Dai’ Pir Sadardin converted many of them to the Ismaili sect of Islam. They are known as “Khoja” (ethno Khawaja).
[edit]History
[edit]Early History
The Lohanas, also known as Thakkar (and hence often holding surnames including Thakkar, Thakrar and Thacker), trace their roots in history right up to the emergence of Aryans[citation needed], a linguistic of Indo-Iranians in the Indian sub-continent (which then included today’s Afghanistan). It is believed by Legend that the Lohanas are descendants of the mythical hero Rama (Raghuvanshi, descendant of King Raghu), who bore two sons: Luv and Kush. From the elder son Luv, the Lohanas are supposed to be originated along with Kurmi (later settled in North-East and some Western part i.e. UP, Undivided Bihar, MP, Gujrat, Maharashtra of India.)
Descendants of Kush are known as Kushwaha. His younger son Luv was given the North (uttar Kaushala) of his kingdom (Refer :Valmk Ramayan Uttar Kand sarg 107), which came to be, called Luvalka or Luv’s land consisting of present day Lahore (Pakistan) as it’s Capital.
Luv is portrayed in the Ramayana as a great warrior. In one of the episodes of the Ramayana even though he is a mere boy in the hermitage, he brings the entire army of his father Lord Rama (under the command of his uncle Laxman) to a standstill by the prowess at archery (of course along with his older brother Kush). His descendants too were cast in the same mould, but they were not satisfied with Luvalka and pushed to the west and annexed today’s Afghanistan and adjoining areas.
Around 580 BC., when king Bimbisara ruled over Bharat (India), the society came to be divided into different communities based on their occupation. One of their communities was called Kshatriyas and King Luv’s descendants were classed with them and came to be known as Luvanam, which was also referred to as Luvana. The Luvanas from Loharghat became known as Loharana (masters of swords; or iron (“Loha”) chiefs (“Rana”)), which later became Lohana.
Chinese traveller Fa-hien, who visited India between 414 and 399 B.C., calls Lohanas a brave community ruling the northwest territory of India,[1] in his diary. Another Chinese traveler, Kurmang who came in the eleventh century A.D. speaks of a Lohana kingdom as a mighty power. Historian Burton writes Lohanas were brave people and says they were spread over today’s Baluchistan (Pakistan), Afghanistan and eastern fringes of Central Asia. Col. Todd, who delved into history of Rajasthan, describes Lohanas as one of the oldest Kshatriya community.
The likely reason for this title of bravery is that they were the first line of defense for the Indian subcontinent in the direct path of invaders from northwest like Persians, Macedonians, Huns, Mughals, etc. Meanwhile, Muhammad established Islam. His followers spread out in different directions to establish his religion world-wide and in due course they turned East towards India.
Between the 7th and 11th century the Lohanas held their grounds in Afghanistan, blocking the advent of Islam eastwards. In the 11th century, they finally had to fall back and moved initially to the Sindh province of today’s Pakistan, where again for over two centuries they provided the frontline of defense against the invading hordes. Finally, at the turn of the 13th century, the Loharana king, Chahir Ray, was betrayed by his confidant Kualnger, who turned traitor for a large fortune in gold and gems. The Lohana kingdom disintegrated into smaller segments. After the community split, a new leader emerged who again unified the Lohanas. Veer Jashraj, who is revered as Veer Dada Jashraj, was born in the city of Lohar (today’s Lahore in Pakistan), which was the capital of Lohargadh. His domain extended from Lahore to Multan (also in Pakistan today).
As the folklore goes, Mongol invader Changez Khan, attacked Multan and was killed by Dada Jashraj, Rana of Lohargadh.
This finds mention in Mongol folklore, which say, “King of Mongols was killed by Mirana, the tiger of Multan fort”. His descendants who proudly carry the surname of ‘Mirana’ preserve the memory of this great warrior king. Dada Jashraj was also treacherously killed when only 28 – a life so short but full of heroic deeds.
After the death of Dada Jashraj, the decline of Lohana kingdom began and their reign at Lohargadh ended. King Dahir ruled for a while from Narayankot (today’s Hyderabad, Sindh). After his demise in a war against Muslims, Narayankot and Sindh fell to Muslims. It was around this time that some Lohanas converted to Islam. Many migrated to far-off regions like Kutchchh, Saurashtra and Gujarat and gradually became a trader community like Agarwals and Baranwals.
[edit]Recent history
In 1422 AD, 700 Lohana families comprising of some 6178 converted to Islam at the hands of one Yusuffuddin Qadri in Thatta Sindh — these are now known as Memons.
It was around this time, that Uderolal who is revered as Jhulelal (by Sindhis) or Dariyalal (by Gujaratis), son of Ratanchand Thakur and Mata Devki of Nasarpur, about 90 miles from Narayankot (now Hyderabad, Sindh) took on the mantle of Lohana leadership. Uderolal fought with Muslim chief Mirkshah, and initiated him into the true meaning of religion. Uderolal won the freedom of religion for Hindus from the Muslim rulers and devoted the rest of his life to spiritual and community service. Today Uderolal is revered as Jhulelal, the patron saint of Sindhis, both Hindus and Muslims visit the site of his samadhi.
The Lohanas felt their identity was increasingly threatened in Sindh and they began to migrate towards Kutchchh, Saurashtra, Gujarat and even as far as Thailand.[2] In Gujarati, Lohanas performing the puja (ritual worship) of Dariyalal are known as Pujaras and Dariyalal’s descendants as Ratnani.
Famous warriors once, Majority of Gujarati Lohanas took to trade and business. However, their mettle as warriors past was again tested in 1764, when Gulam Shah Kora attacked Kutchchh and they had to account for themselves in the battle of Zora. Lohana women fought alongside their men in this battle and the land of Kutchchh is strewn with memorial stones marking the deaths of Lohanas. A saying in Gujarati eulogies Lohana women thus: Only Rajputani, Loharani and Miyanai bring forth gem of children.
[edit]Lohanas today
Lohana culture has diverged over the centuries between different regions. Thus there are significant differences between the culture, professions and societies of Sindhi Lohanas, Kutchi Lohanas and those of Gujarati Lohanas.
Gujarati Lohanas gravitated towards trading since the eighteenth century. A large number of Hindu Lohana from Gujurat migrated to the British colonies of East Africa during the early part of the 20th century. Gujarati Lohanas in East Africa were great entrepreneurs. The Ruparelia, Madhvani, Mehta and Jobanputra families being the prominent industrialists in Uganda. The descendants of these East African settlers have moved to either Kenya and Tanzania or Great Britain in recent decades. Many of them can be found in North West London and Leicester.
Today, a good number of Gujarati Lohanas reside in Gujarat and in other parts of India. In Gujarat, many of them are in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat. Outside Gujarat, they can be found in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Bangalore, Mangalore, Kolkata, Varanasi, New Delhi. and other major Indian cities. Also, Gujarati Lohanas own the majority of food businesses, especially “farsan marts,” in Ahmedabad and Vadodara. They also have a noticeable share in other businesses. A significant number of Gujarati Lohanas also reside outside India.
Sindhi Lohanas, including the Bhaiband community, were primarily engaged in Agriculture, Industries and Professional Services before the Partition of India. However, after the partition, Sindhi Lohanas dispersed throughout the world, and having lost their agricultural property, have focused on Industry, Trading and Professional Services. The Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar (Sonara) community, also affiliated with the Sindhi Lohana faction of the warrior Kshatriya caste of Hindu society, were mostly in the jewellery business. In fact, the 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica stated in the article about Sindh that:
“ More than half of the Hindus are Lohanas, originally traders, who have almost monopolised government service and the professions.[3][4] ”
Lohanas are still to be found in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which are now Islamic states. In Afghanistan, they still maintain their Hindu religious identity and are known as Lokhathra. The Lohanas who keep their Hindu identity in Sindh are known as Sindhi Lohana.
Those Lohanas who converted to Sunni Islam are known as Memons. Those who converted to Shia Ismaili Nizari Islam or became Ismaili Nizari Muslims are known as Khojas. Many of them retain their Hindu surnames from which many are ancient Persian surnames. Among them was the creator of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, whose father’s name was Jinabhai Poonja and grandfather was Poonja Gokuldas Meghji, a Hindu Bhatia from Paneli village in Gondal state in Kathiawar.[5]
Not only Khoja Ismaili Muslims but Memon Sunni Muslims also retain their Hindu and Persian surnames, among the most famous of these is Lakhani.Some of the major groups derived from the principal professions they follow or the crafts they practice, for example, the cattle-breeding group takes the significant name of Gawli, derived from a Sanskrit word for cow. The names of the shepherd castes seem to be derived from words meaning sheep. Such is at least the case with Gadaria from ‘gadar’, on old Hindi word for sheep. Many others of these major groups called castes bear merely tribal or ethic names. Such are for example: Arora, Gujjar, Lohana, Bhatia, Meena, Bhil, Dom, Oraon, Munda, Santal, Koch, Ahir, Mahar, Nayar, Maratha, Gond, Khond, etc.[6]
Fact has always been stranger than fiction.
The history of human civilization is a silent witness to the above statement.
There
have been hundreds of thousands of unsung heroes in the pages of
history the pages that today’s generation doesn’t bother to flip
through.This is a humble effort to highlight the page of the history of ‘the Lohanas‘, the clan that prevented Muslim barbarians from entering our motherland via the Hindukush mountain range.We humbly believe from the core of our hearts that the life stories of super heroes of our motherland must be narrated and taught to the modern generation instead of glorifying invaders like Alexander, Napoleon and Caesar.
This page in the history of daredevil Lohanas is written in the blood of DADA JASRAJ, who sacrificed his life at the tender age of 24, that too, at the time of his marriage ceremony.
The Lohanas (Originally LOH-RANAS) are the direct descendants of Lord Raam; they are ‘the Kshatriyas’ OR ‘the Rajputs’. The Kshatriyas in our history are either ‘Suryavanshi’, meaning the worshippers of the Sun OR ‘Chandravanshi’, meaning the worshippers of the Moon. The Lohanas are Suryavanshi Kshatriyas.
The Lohanas have played an important role in the freedom of the motherland when Islamic invaders were constantly threatening the country. In the tenth and eleventh century, there were 24 estates of the Loh-ranas: Thakral, Kotecha, Tanna, Somaiya, etc are the few of the titles that even today, the Lohanas take pride in mentioning. DADA JASRAJ was the most popular, most daring, the most adventurous and strong among all 24 estate chiefs. He is believed to be from the sect that held the family title of “Unadkat”.
Even today, the ab-original Sikhs in Kabul and Kandhaar remember DADA JASRAJ fondly and there are many folk tales and folk songs based on the valour displayed by this super human being. The Lohanas were to be found in Gizni, Kandhaar, Baluchistaan, Jalaalaabad, and Lohgarh the Lohanas in Afghanistan call themselves ‘Miranas’. And DADA JASRAJ had earned the title of ‘Mirana Pushtu’ meaning the tiger among the Lohanas. The descendants of DADA JASRAJ are called ‘Miranas’.
Certain engravings found on ancient stones from China, Tibet and Siam support these facts. ‘Jalaal-e-Jungnaamaa’, an Islamic book from ancient Persia (today’s Iran) also has a mention that Changez khan invaded Multan and died at the hands of DADA JASRAJ.
DADA JASRAJ never knew what fear meant he disguised himself as the trader of horses and went right inside the enemy camp to create chaos and finish the enemy. ‘The Somaiyas’ were by his side and thus won a special mention by his side.
The Cow has always been considered holy in our culture and always addressed as ‘mother’. Cattle, especially cows were considered a treasure in those days the enemy always tried to take away the cows. On one such occasion, DADA JASRAJ displayed courage beyond the expression in words and saved the holy cows from being taken away he lost his life in the sword-fight that followed.
But the tale is not so simple, because DADA JASRAJ was about to get married when the news came that the enemy is trying to take away the holy cows. The entire clan was celebrating… the women were singing the marriage songs loud music was being played and during this celebration, the news was broken that commander Sindhu Sharma had died at the hands of the enemy chief Shams-Ud-Din. Sindhu Sharma didn’t want to disturb DADA JASRAJ as DADA was getting married. But the enemy chief cut off Sindhu Sharma’s head and his horse came back with the headless body of Sindhu Sharma this is when DADA JASRAJ immediately decided to ride his horse for saving the holy cows… he fought brilliantly and saved the cow herd but alas! The enemy cheated on him. They disguised themselves as Hindus and while pretending to touch DADA’S feet for his blessings, they severed his head mercilessly.
DADA JASRAJ had 80 wounds on his body, his intestines were ripped off and he was almost unconscious but his face had the smile of victory. Also, he was holding his sword in one hand and the head of the enemy chief in the other. But, he was also very sad because he had lost his dear friends, his loyal soldiers in the battle a total of almost eight thousand people sacrificed their lives under the command of DADA JASRAJ. For them, the honour of the clan was most important… so much so that even after DADA’s death, they continued fighting. Even the last of the last soldier killed a dozen of the enemies before breathing his last.
And it was not the end of the war: The women also fought bravely. They had the option of offering themselves to the holy fire but they decided to reduce the enemy in numbers and DADA’s real sister Harkor was the leading lady, she sacrificed her life along with thousands of other women.
Harkor is respected and taken as ‘Kuldevi’ or the mother of the clan by the POBARU KHATRIS.
This is no ordinary tale but a saga of valour that every Lohana must know including the children of today’s generation.
Long live DADA JASRAJ!
Lohanas or ‘Master of Swords’ are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group and are a suryavanshi Kshatriya community of India that originated in Iran and Afghanistan. In India, they mainly reside in Gujarat, Mumbai and other parts of the country. They have also spread to all parts of the world. It is a Pashtun subtribe of Ghilzai tribe.
Originally Lohanas were a prominent community of the Kshatriya Rajput caste (Sanskrit Kshatriya) that originated in Iran and Afghanistan, then in the region of Punjab and later on migrated to Sindh and present day Gujarat state in India around 800 years ago. As administrators and rulers, Kshatriya Lohanas were assigned with protecting the people, and serving humanity. Over time, however, as a result of economic and political exigencies, the majority of Lohanas are now mainly engaged in mercantile occupations.
Some of the Lohanas converted to Sunni Islam, they are called Memon.
Ismaili Dai’ Pir Sadardin converted many of them to the Ismaili sect of Islam. They are known as “Khoja” (ethno Khawaja).
The Lohanas, also known as Thakkar, trace their roots in history right up to the emergence of Aryans, a linguistic of Indo-Iranians in the Indian sub-continent (which then included today’s Afghanistan) making theirs the oldest surviving community in the world. According to Puranic (ancient Indian texts of lore and legends) sources the Aryan civilization was established by king Ishaku (Ikshvaku) some two or three millennia before Christ (BC). His 22nd descendant (Ref: Valmiki Ramayan; Balkand Sarg 70 shlok 38 to 43;) was the great king Raghu, a great conqueror, who established the Rahguvansh Dynasty.
It is believed by Legend that the Lohanas are descendants of the mythical hero Rama (Son of King Raghu), who bore two sons: Luv and Kush.
Descendants of Kush are known as Kushwaha. His younger son Luv was given the North (uttar Kaushala) of his kingdom (Refer :Valmk Ramayan Uttar Kand sarg 107], which came to be, called Luvalka or Luv’s land consisting of present day Lahore (Pakistan) as it’s Capital.
Luv is portrayed in the Ramayana as a great warrior. In one of the episodes of the Ramayana even though he is a mere boy in the hermitage, he brings the entire army of his father Lord Rama (under the command of his uncle Laxman) to a standstill by the prowess at archery (of course along with his older brother Kush). His descendants too were cast in the same mould, but they were not satisfied with Luvalka and pushed to the west and annexed today’s Afghanistan and adjoining areas.
Around 580 BC., when king Bimbisara ruled over Bharat (India), the society came to be divided into different communities based on their occupation. One of their communities was called Kshatriyas and King Luv’s descendants were classed with them and came to be known as Luvanam, which was also referred to as Luvana. The Luvanas from Loharghat became known as Loharana (masters of swords; or iron (”Loha”) chiefs (”Rana”)), which later became Lohana.
Chinese traveller Fa-hien, who visited India between 414 and 399 B.C., calls Lohanas a brave community ruling the northwest territory of India, in his diary. Another Chinese traveler, Kurmang who came in the eleventh century A.D. speaks of a Lohana kingdom as a mighty power. Historian Burton writes Lohanas were brave people and says they were spread over today’s Baluchistan (Pakistan), Afghanistan and eastern fringes of Central Asia. Col. Todd, who delved into history of Rajasthan, describes Lohanas as the oldest Kshatriya community.
The likely reason for this title of bravery is that they were the first line of defense for the Indian subcontinent in the direct path of invaders from northwest like Persians, Macedonians, Huns, Mughals, etc. Meanwhile, Muhammad established Islam. His followers spread out in different directions to preach his religion and in due course they turned East towards India.
Between the 7th and 11th century the Lohanas held their grounds in Afghanistan, blocking the advent of Islam eastwards. In the 11th century, they finally had to fall back and moved initially to the Sindh province of today’s Pakistan, where again for over two centuries they provided the frontline of defense against the invading hordes. Finally, at the turn of the 13th century, the Loharana king, Chahir Ray, was betrayed by his confidant Kualnger of the Brahmin Narsvat community, who turned traitor for a large fortune in gold and gems. The Lohana kingdom disintegrated into smaller segments. After the community split, a new leader emerged who again unified the Lohanas. Veer Jashraj, who is revered as Veer Dada Jashraj, was born in the city of Lohar (today’s Lahore in Pakistan), which was the capital of Lohargadh. His domain extended from Lahore to Multan (also in Pakistan today).
As the folklore goes, Mongol invader Changez Khan, attacked Multan and was killed by Dada Jashraj, Rana of Lohargadh.
This finds mention in Mongol folklore, which say, “King of Mongols was killed by Mirana, the tiger of Multan fort”. His descendants who proudly carry the surname of ‘Mirana’ preserve the memory of this great warrior king. Dada Jashraj was also treacherously killed when only 28 – a life so short but full of heroic deeds.
After the death of Dada Jashraj, the decline of Lohana kingdom began and their reign at Lohargadh ended. King Dahir ruled for a while from Narayankot (today’s Hyderabad, Sindh). After his demise in a war against Muslims, Narayankot and Sindh fell to Muslims. It was around this time that some Lohanas converted to Islam.
Recent history
In 1422 AD, 700 Lohana families comprising of some 6178 converted to Islam at the hands of one Saiyed Yusuffuddin Qadri in Thatta Sindh — these are now known as Memons.
It was around this time, that Uderolal who is revered as Jhulelal (by Sindhis) or Dariyalal (by Gujaratis), son of Ratanchand Thakur and Mata Devki of Nasarpur, about 90 miles from Narayankot (now Hyderabad, Sindh) took on the mantle of Lohana leadership. Uderolal fought with Muslim chief Mirkshah, and initiated him into the true meaning of religion. Uderolal won the freedom of religion for Hindus from the Muslim rulers and devoted the rest of his life to spiritual and community service. Today Uderolal is revered as Jhulelal, the patron saint of Sindhis, both Hindus and Muslims who visit the site of his samadhi.
The Lohanas felt their identity was increasingly threatened in Sindh and they began to migrate towards Kutchchh, Saurashtra, Gujarat and even as far as Thailand. In Gujarati, Lohanas performing the puja (ritual worship) of Dariyalal are known as Pujaras and Dariyalal’s descendants as Ratnani.
Famous warriors once, Majority of Gujarati Lohanas took to trade and business. However, their mettle as warriors past was again tested in 1764, when Gulam Shah Kora attacked Kutchchh and they had to account for themselves in the battle of Zora. Lohana women fought alongside their men in this battle and the land of Kutchchh is strewn with memorial stones marking the deaths of Lohanas. A saying in Gujarati eulogies Lohana women thus: Only Rajputani, Loharani and Miyanai bring forth gem of children.
Lohanas today
Lohana culture has diverged over the centuries between different regions. Thus there are significant differences between the culture, professions and societies of Sindhi Lohanas, Kutchi Lohanas and those of Gujarati Lohanas.
Gujarati Lohanas gravitated towards trading since the eighteenth century. A large number of Hindu Lohana from Gujurat migrated to the British colonies of East Africa during the early part of the 20th century. Gujarati Lohanas in East Africa were great entrepreneurs. The Madhvani and Mehta families being the prominent industrialists in Uganda. Today in East Africa, post the Idi Amin period, new prominent Lohana families have also experienced similar success like the, Ruparelia family. The descendants of these East African settlers have moved to either Kenya and Tanzania or Great Britain in recent decades. Many of them can be found in North West London and Leicester.
Sindhi Lohanas, including the Bhaiband community, were primarily engaged in Agriculture, Industries and Professional Services before the Partition of India. However, after the partition, Sindhi Lohanas dispersed throughout the world, and having lost their agricultural property, have focused on Industry, Trading and Professional Services. The Khudabadi Sindhi Swarankar (Sonara) community, also affiliated with the Sindhi Lohana faction of the warrior Kshatriya caste of Hindu society, were mostly in the jewellery business.
Lohanas are still to be found in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which are now Islamic states. In Afghanistan, they still maintain their Hindu religious identity and are known as Lokhathra. The Lohanas who keep their Hindu identity in Sindh are known as Sindhi Lohana.
Those Lohanas who converted to Sunni Islam are known as Memons. Those who converted to Shia Ismaili Nizari Islam or became Ismaili Nizari Muslims are known as Khojas. Many of them retain their Hindu surnames from which many are ancient Persian surnames. Among them was the creator of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, whose father’s name was Jinabhai Poonja and grandfather was Poonja Gokuldas Meghji, a Hindu Bhatia from Paneli village in Gondal state in Kathiawar.
Not only Khoja Ismaili Muslims but Memon Sunni Muslims also retain their Hindu and Persian surnames, among the most famous of these is Lakhani.Some of the major groups derived from the principal professions they follow or the crafts they practice, for example, the cattle-breeding group takes the significant name of Gawli, derived from a Sanskrit word for cow. The names of the shepherd castes seem to be derived from words meaning sheep. Such is at least the case with Gadaria from ‘gadar’, on old Hindi word for sheep. Many others of these major groups called castes bear merely tribal or ethic names. Such are for example: Arora, Gujjar, Lohana, Bhatia, Meena, Bhil, Dom, Oraon,Munda, Santal, Koch, Ahir, Mahar, Nayar, Maratha,Gond, Khond, etc.
List of Notable Lohanas
Kal Penn (Kalpesh Modi)
Yogiji Maharaj: 4th spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan
Shree Jalaram Bapa
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Rao Bahadur Sheth Curumsey Damjee
Lekhraj Kripalani founder of the BKWSU
Nanjibhai Kalidas (Badiyani) Mehta 20th century business tycoon and founder of The Mehta Group
Gunvantrai Radia grandfather of Dipesh Radia (South Africa) – K K Radia & Sons
Gopaldas Kotecha- Gopaldas Madhawji Empire in Pemba, Tanzania (1938-1974)
Manubhai Madhvani
Shriti Vadera- Baroness and UK Government Minister.
Vinesh Panditpotra – Indian Glamour Model and Writer
Uday Kotak
Karishma Kotak
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