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Kukhran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Castes of India | |
| Kukhran | |
| Classification | Kshatriya |
| Subdivisions | Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Chandok (Chandhoke, Chandhok, Chandiok), Gandhoke (Gadhok, Gadhoke, Gadok), Ghai, Kohli ,Sabharwal, Sahni/Sawhney, Sethi, Suri and Chachi, a sub-clan of the Kohli tribe . |
| Significant populations in | Punjab |
| Languages | Punjabi |
| Religions | Hinduism and Sikhism and Islam |
The Kukhrans (or "Khukhrain or Khokrans") are an ancient group of eleven specific clans of a Khatri subcaste [1] who originally hailed from the areas of the Salt Range and particularly town of Bhera in Punjab. The names of the Eleven clans are: Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Chandok (Chandhoke, Chandhok, Chandiok), Gandhoke (Gadhok, Gadhoke, Gadok), Ghai, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni/Sawhney, Sethi and Suri. The surname Malik and Chaudhary and Kashyap is name used by many Kukhrans .
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This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies.(April 2007) |
The main place of their ancestral geographical location was the town of Bhera, situated in the Jech doab region (Jhelum-Chenab interfluve) of Punjab, which now lies in the Sargodha District of Pakistan. The history of the Khukran is inextricably intertwined with the ancient town of Bhera
Bhera is also the historical town to which Porus or Purushotthama of the Puru tribe belonged. Purushotthama (c.325 BC) was the king of Kekaya the land of the Puru tribe, one of the Janapadas (kingdoms). Its location was in what is now middle Punjab, the areas between the rivers Jhelum and Chenab and its extent varied from time to time. The word Purushotthama means "Supreme Being". Purushotthama was said to be a little over 7 feet tall.
The Kekaya are said to have occupied the land now comprised by three districts of Jhelum, Shahpur and Gujerat, now all in Pakistan.
The Purus are a tribe or a confederation of tribes mentioned in the Rigveda. The RV 7.96.2 locates them at the banks of the Sarasvati River. The Puru were ostensibly defeated by king Sudas at the Battle of the Ten Kings.
The Oral History of the Khukran claim Porus as an ancestor[citation needed], in fact in the Khukhran tradition Porus is supposed to have been a Sabharwal Khukrain[citation needed]. The palace of Sopeithes which the Greek historian Arrian mentions as the place on the Hydaspes is supposed to be at Bhera. The Greeks refer to the Jhelum river as the Hydaspes River where Alexander the Great fought Porus in Battle of the Hydaspes River in 326 BCE(also see sources below).
In the recent past centuries, Bhera was an important trading outpost on the road to Kabul, and had a taksal or (mint) during the rule of Ranjit Singh. Bhera declined in importance due to the gradual shifting of the course of the Jhelum river, due to which the town lost the advantage of being located on a river bank.
It is highly likely that several ethnic groups have intermingled with the original Indo-Iranian people including Greek within the Khukrein tribe.
Khukrains like other Khatri/khatri-style castes were traditionally and historically a warrior community (although they are now well represented in many fields other than the army) and hence they bore the brunt of invasions from the various central asian tribes now converted to Islam who came from the northwest during the 12th-16th centuries. The Hindu populations in Afghanistan and Northwest India continued to recede after the 11th century even as predominant areas of Afghanistan were still under non muslim rule till the 10th century also see the section on Hindu Shahi and Jayapala. The frequent reference to origins from Khorasan in the oral history of the Khukran could allude to migration from that area Khorasan durying this period as well .
please refer khukhrain website :- http://www.khukhrain.tk
Most of the Hindu or Sikh, Kukhrans moved perforce to India following the partition of India in 1947. Khukreins among Hindu/Sikh and are now settled not only in large concentrations in Delhi and Punjab, Haryana but also spread the world over. Their mother tongue is Punjabi. In India the special and beautiful dialect of west Punjabi (aasan -jaasan) is fast being replaced by the local East Punjabi.
Among the Khatri-style castes, the Khukrain or Kukhran were one of the foremost followers of the Sikh Gurus and traditionally brought up one son as a Keshdhari Sikh. This is evident from the large number of Kukhran surnames among Khatri-style Sikhs .
A predominant section of the Hindu Khukrain continue to follow dual religious traditions of both Sikh as well as Arya Samaj mores. This has been in spite of the religo-political competitive zeal of both the Arya Samaj and Tat Khalsa effort at creating purified identities.
Intermarriage between Khatri as well as Khukrain Sikhs and Hindus are common. The dual religious Hindu and Sikh identity and Kukhran biradri identity comfortably coexists.
A significant number Khukrein also converted to Islam from the 12th century onwards and therefore while Kukhran family names are found largely among the Hindus and Sikhs they are also found among Punjabi Muslim communities in Pakistan and worldwide. In Pakistan there continues to be a large number of Muslim Khukreins living specially in the Pakistani Punjab as is borne out by their Khukrain surnames such as Chadda, Chawla, Puri , Sethi, Sahni and Suri. The Pakistani Journalist Najam Sethi is one such example.
Muslim Khukrain and Khatris are called Punjabi Shaikh, Khawaja Shaikh and Khojas as is the name given to most Khatri Hindus who converted to Islam.
The Khatri gotras of these converts to Islam are: Adal, Behrara, Churra, Maggun (or Maghoon), Sahgal, Wadhaun (or Vadhavan), Vohra (Wihara), Talwar, Puri, Topra. Whereas Arora gotras are Tarneja, Goruwala, Khurana, Dhingra and Chawala.[2].
The book A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces records -
| “ | The Khokhran section is said to consist of the descendents of certain Khatris who joined the Khokhars in rebellion (against Ala-ud-din Khilji);and with whom other the other Khatri families were afraid to intermarry "[3] | ” |
| “ | It is also said that Khukran (Khokhran ) is derived from Karakhan descendants of Krukhak, one of the sons of Manu who setelled and reigned in the North West Punjab "[4] | ” |
Karakhan is in Uzbekistan .
The Karakhan also find mention among the The Karakhanids (Qarakhānid, also spelled Ilek Khanidis, 黑汗, 桃花石) were a Turkic dynasty that ruled Transoxania in Central Asia from 999 to 1211.[5] Their capitals included Kashgar, Balasagun, Uzgen and then again Kashgar.
Khukrein Hindu/Sikh or Muslim are by and large an urbanised highly educated and economically well off community. Khukreins in India and Pakistan have excelled in almost all spheres including business, politics, arts, military, and in the field of sciences as well as in the Judiciary and law.
Famous Khukrain personalities include:
- Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal, former Chief Justice of India
- Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, former Chief Justice of India
- Birbal Sahni, the founder of palaeobotanical research in India,
- Ruchi Ram Sahni, pioneer of science popularisation in Punjab
- Geet Sethi, six time World Billiards Champion;
- Mulk Raj Anand, English writer, most famous for the novels "Untouchable" and "Coolie");
- Narinder Kohli, Hindi writer famous for "Abhigyan" and "Krish.Katha;"
- Bhisham Sahni, writer, recipient of the Sahitya Academy Award and the Padmashri. His works include "Amritsar Aa Gaya" and "Tamas." Brother of Balraj Sahni.
- Balraj Sahni, stage and film actor, brother of Bhisham Sahni.
- Dev Anand, celebrated actor, producer and director of Bollywood films;
- Gurinder Chadha, UK-based film-maker whose oeuvre includes "Bend it like Beckham" and "Bride and Prejudice"
- Najam Sethi, eminent Pakistani Journalist
- Dayaram Sahni, ASI's first Indian Director-General who discovered Harappa
- Keshav Malik
- Dhanchand Kohli: architect who rebuilt eight Gates of the city of Bhera
- Sohan Lal Suri (Maharaja Ranjit Singhs Court Historian), 'Umdat ut-Twarikh
- Gaurav Bhasin: software Engineer by profession, President awarded in 1995 for Social Service
- Natasha Suri, Miss World 2006
- Indu Chandhok , Vicky Chandhok , Karun Chandhok , Suhail Chandhok all sport personalities too .
The Gotra and other details of the Khukrain clans are as follows:
Clan Vansh Gotra Purohit Kuldevta
Kohli : Suryavanshi Bharadwaj Kashyap Dutt Satyavati
Anand : Suryavanshi Kashyap Bijra Durga Mata
Bhasin : Suryavanshi Kashyap Bijra Durga Mata
Chadha : Veervansh Khukrain
Chandok : Suryavanshi Kaushal Durga Mata
Gandhok : Suryavanshi Kaushal Durga Mata
Sahni/Sawhney : Suryavanshi Vats Vasudev Bhadarkali Veer-Vansh
Suri : Suryavanshi
Sethi : suryavanshi
- Ref 1 from Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province By H.A. Rose
- Ref 2 from Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province By H.A. Rose
- Caste
- Suri (Pashtun)
- Forward Caste
- Hinduism in Punjab
- Khatri
- Arora
- Bhatia
- Sood
- List of Khatri last names
- List of Arora last names
- ^ M.A. Sherring, Hindu Castes and Tribes as represented in Banares, 1872.
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose , vol II Page 513
- ^ A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose , vol II Page 514
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica