Labana Sikh

Lobanas, Labana, lubana and lohana are a tribe that live in punjab. Lubanas have their own language called "Lubanki" which is a dialect of Panjabi. However, this language is only spoken by Labanas outside Punjab, a northern state of India. The Labanas of Punjab and Haryana are mostly Sikhs and speak mainly Punjabi or Hindi. They are also called lohana (in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Lavana is another variation often heard. Khushwant Singh has called Lubana Sikhs: "The Salt of the earth".The Lobanas have played an important role in the history of the Panjab in general, and in that of the Sikhs in particular. Many Lobanas like Makhan Shah, Lakhi Shah and Sant Prem Singh have played important roles in the history of Sikhi. The social mobility among the Lobanas under British rule is also noteworthy. Originally involved mainly with trading they have overwhelmingly became agriculturists. The socio-religious resurgence in Panjab during the period of the British Raj and thereafter introduced many reforms in this community. So the study of the Lobana community helps us to understand the geveral process of socio-cultural change in the whole of Panjab.

The term Lobana appears to have been derived from he words Lun (salt) and the word Bana/Vana (trade). The Lobanas were the great salt-carrying and salt-trading community. They were occasionally called Banjaras. Locally, they were known by different names in parts of the Panjab. In Ambala district, for example, on account of their versatility in adopting different vocations, the lobanas were called "Bahrupias". It is said that the Lobanas are of Turkish origin. They travelled from Turkey toward India and that is why they are also called "Banjaras" ("travellers") because during travel they had to set up some businesses along their way. Different views are prevalent about the origin of the Lobanas. In Ludhiana and Jhang districts, the Lobanas claimed to be the descendants of Chauhan Rajputs of Jaipur and Jodhpur. In Gujarat district, they claimed to be Ragubansi Rajputs. The Lobanas of Kangra and Hoshiarpur districts claimed their origin from the Gaur Brahmins of Pilibhit. A good number of them traced their origin from Gaur Brahmins who came to the Panjab from Ranthambore in Aurangzeb's time. It appears to be more appropriate to regard the Lobanas as a sub-division of the great Banjara tribe, forming one of their principal sub-castes. According to Para Singh Tanda Of Laban Sewak Jan 2008, Labanas were once part of the Rajputs (a warrior caste), he attributes the name laban to use of iron (loh) in the armor they wore. Some people from among these warriors started trading to earn their livelyhood in times of peace with the result that the name altered to Vanzaras (trade/transport). They first traded in food grains. When the army was in action they would supply foodstuff to the front lines using mainly Oxen or Bulls (thagha) as pack animals or to pull their wagons laden with the supplies neccesary to keep an army on the move. Travernier in his book, "Travels of India" wrote that an ox or bull can carry weight of around 300 to 500 pounds. The kaafila was of 10,000 to 12,000 thagaas in which they took rice, wheat, salt, etc. Colonel Gulcharan singh said, "the lobanas took products from all over India to the harbours of Soorat to be sent to ports scattered around the world on ships that were often owned by Lobanas. Makhan Shah Labana was the maalik (owner/master) of many ships. Travernier also wrote that one Lobana owned at least 100 to 200 thagaas. The Sardar of a kaafila (caravan) was known as a Naik (also a modern term of rank in the Indian army). In the past the Naiks would wear a garland of diamonds and pearls around there neck.

Sikhi related History

Main article: Lobanas (During guru's period) Baba Makhan Shah, Lakhi Shah, Bhai Kuram & many more Lobanas name are include in sikh history. When Banda SIngh Bahadur needs money then a kaafila of labana helped them as in prachin panth parkash its written : Aayae Lubanae lag gayee laar, dayo daswandh uni kayi hazaar. When Banda SIngh need soldeirs then many lobana participated in his army. Kesar Singh Chibber in Banwalinama wrote, Saath Lubanya, behroopiya sikhan aad kharota, maal balad ladey hoyae, maarag chaley jaaya, chela bhej nayak sad mangaya.

After Guru's period

During the MISL period, the Lobanas joined the services of various MISLDARS. They mostly served in the Bhangi, Ramgarhia, Shaheed and Ahluwalia MISLS. Some of them were in the ruling class of the Ahluwalia Misl. During the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lobanas were recruited into the Khalsa Army. They proved to be good soldiers. Lobanas also joined in english forces, then there was a time when jameen kharidan shuru hoya the labanas purchases land in Ambala, Hoshiarpur, Jalnadhar, Ludhiana, ferozpur, ahore, Amritsar, gurdaspur so they have equal status as jatts.(By piara Singh Tanda) During the eighteenth century the Lobanas began to follow a settled way of life. There are many instances regarding their settlement as cultivators by the Sikh rulers to extend cultivation. The Lobanas of Lower Indus, Gujranwala and Jhang, for instance, settled as cultivators during the Sikh rule. In Kangra district, the Lobanas ascribed their settlement by Raja Dharam Chand and Langrapal. In the early nineteenth century, the Lobanas had established their own important villages. For instance in Gujrat district, they had three villages named Bazurgwal, Khori Dunna Singh and Tanda. Tanda was a well-known Lobana settlement. It was situated on the land of Moth-sa-duddin which was a part of chhachhan TAPPA. Wherever the Lobanas settled they mainly named their villages as Tandas. Tanda in Lobanki dialect means a travelling body or gang. In Kangra district the Lobanas had four hamlets each called Tanda. In this way the Lobanas replaced their nomadic and pastoral life by settled way of life. By the mid-nineteenth century, the Lobanas at some places owned not only parts of villages, but also entire villages and even groups of villages. They were chiefly found in the Panjab during the Sikh rule.