Tarkhan (ਤਰਖਾਣ)
"These are the famous Nezak Tarkhans who claimed descent from the Alkhon king Khingila (Grenet 2002: 218). We know that these Tarkhans controlled the passes across the Hindukush both to Bamiyan and also to Kabul, via the Panjshir Valley (Baker and Allchin 1991). Based on the pattern of the earlier Hephthalites, they established and controlled formidable castles on both sides of the Surkhab River in southern Tokharistan, controlling the trade and military route from Bactria to Bamiyan (Grenet 2002: 218-20)."
𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Tarkhan is a north Indian tribe that has been historically present in Punjab and its nearby areas. Tarkhans are an ethnic minority and most of Tarkhans are followers of Sikhism and a small number is a follower of Hinduism. A very small number of ethnic Tarkhans are found in Pakistan, these Tarkhans are followers of Islam. Tarkhans are subdivided into various clans (ਗੋਤ).
Tarkhan Occupations
Tarkhan occupations are carpentry, blacksmithing, masonry, and farming. The Lohar's (blacksmiths) of Punjab are Tarkhans who work with metals and the term Tarkhan-Lohar is also used. This diversity in Tarkhan occupations is very clear from Sikh history, where different Tarkhan-Sikhs had different occupations. For example Baba Lalo Ghattaura, one of the first Sikhs of Guru Nanak was a carpenter, the family of Baba BHAI Roop Chand has always been farmers, Baba Hardas Singh Bamrah made the famous nagni used to kill the drunken elephant, he was also a scholar, and close associate of 10th Sikh Guru and Mistry Des Raj Kalsi of Sur Singh played an important role in re-construction of Akal Takht after it was destroyed by Ahmed Shah Abdali. In modern-day Punjab, every house, every building is made by Tarkhans, all machinery such as combines, plows and harvesters are made by Tarkhans including manufacturing of tractors, also welding and repairing despite being a small minority. Tarkhans are the only people in the Indian sub-continent to be masters of more than occupations.
Ancient History of Tarkhans
Kasgarli Mahmut was an 11th-century scholar from Kashgar. He explained the word Tarkhan in the following way: "It is a name given before the Islamic religion. It means prince (Bey, Umar) in Arghu language." It is clear the word Tarkhan was not pure Turkish and that it was adopted into Turkish from the old language of Sogdiana. This was proved in the Turkish dictionary Divan u Lugat it-Turk written by Kasgarli Mahmut. Sogd was the name of a nation that settled in Balasagun. These were of the Sogd race. Sogd lay between Bukhara and Samarqand. Sogdia (/ˈsɒɡdiə/) or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian civilization.
Historian H. Beveridge in his paper titled Tarkhan and Tarquinius points out that the antiquity of Tarkhan is evidenced by the fact its etymology is lost. He also states that Tarkhan was both a personal title and the name of a tribe. Bipin Shah in his paper titled Patali of Alexander, Sack of Nagar Thatta and Arghoon rule of Sindh talks about a pre-historic central Asian tribe named Tarkhan. Beveridge, Isaac Taylor, C. R. Condor, and J. G. R. Furlong in their writings all agree that Tarkhan, Tarkan and Tarquin are the same. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, or Tarquin the Elder, was the legendary fifth king of Rome from 616 to 579 BC. Tarkhan was used among the Hittites (1700BCE- 1200BCE) to refer to the tribal Chiefs. Also, the Kassites (1531BCE-1155 BCE) had a god called Tartakhan.
Khodadad Rezakhani of Freie Universität (Berlin) in the paper titled Continuity and Change in Late Antique Irān: An Economic View of the Sasanians writes (the year is 560 AD):
In Eras of Humanity by Genealogy, Brian Starr writes about Kama Tarkhan of Huns. Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese traveler of 7th century AD also mentions various Tarkhans in the Indian subcontinent such as Tarkhan of Samarkand, a meeting between king and 200 Tarkhans. Across the Hindukush of the First Millennium, a collection of the papers by S. Kuwayama makes the mention of Chebishi Tarkhan who along with Tafu Tegin was sent to court of Tang Dynasty by King of Gandhara in 753 AD. Tarkhan Dynasty ruled over Gilgit in 7th and 8th centuries and was founded by a prince from Badakhshan. There are various places named after Tarkhan clans such as Rupal, Kalsi, and Chana in the region. Further, founders of Maglot dynasty of Nagar and Ayash dynasty of Hunza were both Tarkhan princes. Tradition traces the origin of these Tarkhans to an imaginary Kayāni prince of Persia, by name Azur Jamshid, who is said to have fled here after the Arab conquest of Persia.
The town named Tarkhan in Egypt has been a site of various archeological diggings, some of which were as old as 4000 BCE and the oldest woven piece of cloth called Tarkhan Dress. In the town of Chal Tarkhan (Iran) many artifacts were found belonging to the Sassanian Period (224 to 651 AD). Tarkhankut is name of the peninsula in Ukraine and there are various places named Tarkhan in Russia. Tarkhans have been present in Indian subcontinent at least since 6th century AD.
The ancient history of Tarkhans is also evidenced from the origin of various Tarkhan clans, such as Ubbi was a Germanic tribe, and Bahra an Arabic tribe. There are places named after various Tarkhan clans in Iran (Panesar E-Takshan, Hunejan, etc) and Tarkhan clans such as Siyan and Salh are also found among Kurds. Padam and Rattan being of native Indian origin. Menander 1 an Indo-Greek king was born in place named Kalasi (Alexandria of the Caucasus) around 165 BCE. More than 90% of Tarkhans have Tarkhan exclusive clans, only a very little overlap with others.
Some Tarkhan Personalities
• Jugde Dalip Singh Saund: First Asian to become Judge in US and get elected in US Congress, also successfully fought for South Asian people's right of US Citizenship. His son Dalip Saund Jr. served in US Army as a Lieutenant during Korean war.
• Satnam Singh Bamrah: First N.B.A player from India.
• Martyr Nand Singh (Bharaj): Babbar Akali.
• Bardish Chaggar: First female Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in the history of Canada.
• Baba Sukha Singh Kalsi: There are 7 episodes dedicated to his bravery in Prachin Panth Prakash.
• Sir Mota Singh Matharu, QC: First Asian to become judge in United Kingdom.
• Lt-Colonel Kamal Kalsi (US Army).
According to 1881 census of British India there were 263,479 Tarkhan Sikhs. In the book The Crucial Decade by S.C. Sharma writes that Tarkhans too are found in all the three religious groups in this province, on 1921 their numerical strength in the (United) Punjab was 684,000. The small population of Tarkhans is also evidenced from the fact most of villages in Punjab used to have only three to four houses of Tarkhan families.
List of Tarkhan Villages (Incomplete):
• Bhai Rupa (ਭਾਈ ਰੂਪਾ), Thathi (ਠੱਠੀ), Siriyewala (ਸਿਰੀਏਵਾਲਾ), Nehianwala (ਨੇਹੀਆਵਾਲਾ), Dialpura Bhaika (ਦਿਆਲਪੁਰਾ ਭਾਈ ਕਾ), Towala (ਟੋਵਾਲਾ), Samadh Bhai Ki (ਸਮਾਧ ਭਾਈ ਕੀ), Ravleri (ਰਾਵਲੇਰੀ), Lakhnor (ਲਖਨੌਰ)
• Sikhwala (ਸਿੱਖਵਾਲਾ) Kotha Rajasthan (ਕੋਠਾ ਰਾਜਸਥਾਨ), Kabool Shah Khubban (ਕਬੂਲ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਖੁੱਬਣ)
• Muktsar (ਮੁਕਤਸਰ): Tarkhan Wala (ਤਰਖਾਣ ਵਾਲਾ), Akalgarh (ਅਕਾਲਗੜ੍ਹ)
• Tarkhan Majra (ਤਰਖਾਣ ਮਾਜਰਾ) (Amloh ਅਮਲੋਹ)
• Garhi Tarkhana (Macchiwara) ਗੱੜੀ ਤਰਖਾਣਾਂ (ਮਾਛੀਵਾੜਾ)
• Channian (ਚਾਨੀਆਂ) (Nakodar ਨਕੋਦਰ)
• Jallandhar (ਜਲੰਧਰ): Tarkhan Majra (ਤਰਖਾਣ ਮਾਜਰਾ), Mothanwala (ਮੋਠਾਂਵਾਲਾ)
• Hoshiarpur (ਹੁਸ਼ਿਆਰਪੁਰ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ):Bhattian (ਭੱਟੀਆਂ), Chatowal (ਚੱਤੋਵਲ), Halerh Ghogra (ਹਾਲੇੜ ਘੋਗ ਰਾ), Choka (ਚੋਕਾ)
• Gurdaspur (ਗੁਰਦਾਸਪੁਰ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ): Rangilpur (ਰੰਗੀਲਪੁਰ), Dhadiyala (ਢਡਿਆਲਾ), Sada Rang (ਸਦਾ ਰੰਗ)
• Kapurthala (ਕਪੂਰਥਲਾ): Ahmedpur (ਅਹਿਮਦਪੁਰ), Tarkhanawali (ਤਰਖਾਣਾਵਾਲੀ)
• Phagwara (ਫਗਵਾੜਾ): Lohara (ਲੋਹਾਰਾ), Ramgarh (ਰਾਮਗੜ)
• Tarkhan Majra (ਤਰਖਾਣ ਮਾਜਰਾ) (Samana ਸਮਾਣਾ)
• Tarkhan Majra (ਤਰਖਾਣ ਮਾਜਰਾ) (Sirhind ਸਰਹਿੰਦ)
• Bagrian (ਬਾਗੜੀਆਂ)
• Vakilanwala ਵਕੀਲਾਂਵਾਲਾ (Ferozpur ਫਿਰੋਜ਼ਪੁਰ)
Tarkhan Traditons
Tarkhans engage in ancestor worship in the form of Jathere (ਜਠੇਰੇ) and Matti (ਮੱਟੀ), different Tarkhan clans have different jathere However, this practice is now dying. Members within a same clan (ਗੋਤ) are related by blood. For marriages, Tarkhan practice class endogamy but clan exogamy i.e. they marry with Tarkhans only, however outside their maternal (ਨਾਨਕੇ) and paternal (ਦਾਦਕੇ) clans.
Ramgarhia
Some Tarkhan Sikhs identify with Ramgarhia as Ramgarhia Misl (Ramgarhia Confedration) was the one of most powerful Sikh Misl out of 12 misls. The founder and leader of Ramgarhia Misl was Baba Jassa Singh Bamrah (grandson Shaheed Baba Hardas Singh Bamrah, son of Shaheed Gyani Bhagwan Singh Bamrah) who was an ethnic Tarkhan himself and most of soldiers in Misl were from Tarkhan tribe. Strength of Misl is evidenced from fact that Ramgarhia Misl along with other sikh generals won Delhi and it was Jassa Singh Ramgarhia who dragged the Mughal throne from Delhi to Akal Takht, where it lies even today in Ramgarhia Bungas. In the Tawarikh Darbar Sahib by Udham Singh, it is written that Maharaja Jassa Singh of Ramgarhia Misl and his son Sardar Jodh Singh together contributed Rs 5 Lakh for construction of Ramgarhia Bungas.
References:
1. Tarkhan and Tarquinius by H. Beveridge of The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
2. Anatolian Iron Ages: The Proceedings of the Second Anatolian Iron Ages Colloquium held at İzmir, 4-8 May 1987
Edited by A. Çilingiroğlu and D. H. French, Page 115.
3. Era's of Humanity by Genealogy written by Brian Starr, Page 204
4. A Socio-Political Study of Gilgit Baltistan Province by Omar Farooq Zain.
5. THE WESTERN HIMALAYAN STATES by A. H. Dani.
6. A SHORT HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN By Professor Abdul Hai Habibi, President, Historical Society of Afghanistan.
7. Across the Hindukush of the First Millennium: a collection of the papers by S. Kuwayama.
8. Continuity and Change in Late Antique Iran: An Economic View of the Sasanians by Khodadad Rezakhani of Freie Universität, Berlin.
9. FAITHS OF MAN: A CYCLOPÆDIA OF RELIGIONS BY MAJOR-GENERAL J. G. R. FORLONG, M.R.A.S., F.R.G.S., F.R.S.E., M.A.1, A.I.C.E., F.R.H.S.
10. THE HITTITES AND THEIR LANGUAGE BY C. R. CONDER, LT.-COL. R.E.
11. Patali of Alexander, Sack of Nagar Thatta and Arghoon rule of Sindh by Bipin Shah
12. PERSPECTIVES ON THE SIKH TRADITION, Edited by GURDEV SINCH, Foreword by KHUSHWANT SINGH
13. Tarkhan Nīzak or Tarkhan Tirek? An Enquiry concerning the Prince of Badhghīs Who in A. H. 91/A. D. 709-710 Opposed the 'Omayyad Conquest of Central Asia.
14. RAJ KHALSA PART - Iwritten by Giani Gian Singh.
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