Jump to content

Lohar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 202.136.14.9 (talk) at 06:03, 19 July 2011 (→‎Lohara dynasty). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Lohar/लूहर
Regions with significant populations
•  India •    Nepal •  Pakistan
Languages
• Khari boli • Hindi • Punjabi • Urdu • Marathi
Religion
• Hinduism 30% • Sikhism 40% • Islam 30%
Related ethnic groups
• Saifi • Khati • Barhai

Lohar (Hindi लूहर) is an ethnic sub-caste of Khatri/Rajput tribe, found among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in Northern India and Northern Pakistan. Originally this community was a warrior tribe living in provinces of Kermanshah in Iran right up to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. In India the Lohars are also known as Vishwakarma, Sharma, Lohana or Panchals.[1] Muslim Lohar in North India are known as Saifi.

Etymology

The word Lohar originated from the Sanskrit word, loha (Iron). Lohar is also a common Muslim family name in Pakistan. The Pakistani city of Lahore was once called Loharpur, the city of the Lohar dynasty. See Loharpur. 'Lohar'[2] is also the name of a city in the Punjab region of Pakistan. The city Lohar Chak was named after the Lohar Dynasty in Kashmir. Lohar Chak is a city in the State of Jammu & Kashmir with a population of approximately 80,901.

According to the famous british colonial writer H. A. Rose and the Governor for central provinces in India Denzil Ibbetson, Lohars are descended from Rajputs and Jats. These Rajputs and Jats were actually Tarkhan tribals (Iranian warriors) who migrated to India. Most of the Lohars had their families in Peshawar in Pakistan, Lahore in Pakistan and Kermanshah in Iran. Lohars are the clans of Sassanid Persians who once ruled Iran. These warriors were the first civilisation of Zoroastrians or sun-worshipers. The belief in Ahura Mazda has not been confirmed although they differ to a great extent from the modern-day Persians. The Zoroastrianism that the Lohars followed was entirely different from the practices laid out in the Avesta, the holy books of Zoroastrianism. The clergy altered the religion to serve themselves, causing substantial religious uneasiness. Once they entered India the members of this group were classified as Kshatriyas or Brahmins or Blacksmiths (originally Kshatriyas who manufactured weapons).

The Lohars have been linked to the Scythian tribes (ancient Iranians) of central Asia. These tribes were aggressive and expansionist Iranian warriors who settled in western and north-western South Asia in successive waves between 5th century BC and 1st century AD. Their migration to Pakistan and India happened because of the Islamic Invasion of Iran (The expansion under the prophet Mohammad, 622-632, the Patriarchial Caliphate {Muslim conquest of Persia},[clarification needed] 632-661 and the expansion during the Umayyad Caliphate, 651-750). The Saka inscriptions found at Peshawar and Mathura state "Sarvasa Sakasthanasa puyae" which are directly linked to the Iranian Origin of Lohars.

Ethnological information collected in colonial censuses indicate that the majority of the population of the Vishwakarma clan in India including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh is of Saka (Iranian) origin.

Lohara dynasty

Main article: Lohara dynasty

The Lohara Dynasty was founded by a Nara of Darvabhisara (IV.712). He was a vyavahari (perhaps merchant) who along with others who owned villages like him had set up little kingdoms during the last days of Karkotas.[citation needed] The Lohara Dynasty is the only dynasty to rule Kashmir for several generations. Although the Lohara dynasty was not very successful in the last phase, they ruled for a remarkable period of time. The state kingdom of Lohara is now in Poonch district of the state Kashmir.

The Lohar dynasty ruled Kashmir for several centuries and throughout their time the area experienced much internal dissent, violence, attacks from the Moghuls, extremes of taxation and corruption in all its forms. Kalhana recorded the first 150 years or so of this, up to the middle of the 12th century. However it is commendable that this Dynasty was able to defend the Loha-Kot fort and thus the empire for several centuries.

Exogamous divisions

List of notable Lohars

Tarkhan Lohars

The Tarkhan Lohar community is well known for its skills and craftsmanship. These warriors used to possess as well as invent various powerful weapons.

The Tarkhan Lohars originate from Iran. These warriors who migrated to India and modern Pakistan when Iran was invaded originally had nothing to do with the profession of a blacksmith. They were forced by Akbar to work as blacksmiths to make weapons for the army.

In Gujranwala the same two castes exist; and they are the two great Tarkhan tribes also (see section 627). In Karnal a sort of connection seems to be admitted, but the castes are now distinct. In Sirsa the Lohars may be divided into three main sections; the first, men undoubted and recent Jat and even Rajput origin who have generally by reason of survival and war, taken to work as blacksmiths; secondly the Suthar Lohar or members of the Suthar tribe of carpenters who have similarly changed their original occupation; and thirdly, the Gadia Lohar native Indians, blacksmiths who are not uncommon throughout the east and south east of the Province. The Gadia Lohar are not related to the Lohars in any way.

The tradition runs that Suthar Lohars were originally Iranian Sassanids then Hindu Tarkhans of the Suthar tribe (see section 627); and that Akbar took 12,000 of them from Jodhpur to Delhi and forced them to work in iron instead of wood. The story is admitted by a section of the Lohars themselves, and probably has some substratum of truth. These men came to Sirsa from the direction of Sindh, where they say they formerly held land, and are commonly known as Multani Lohars.

-Ibbetson

This would explain why some Tarkhans/Lohars have similar surnames to Khatri, Gujjar, Jats and Rajputs. Many Tarkhan clans are also cross-listed as Khatri, Jat and Rajput, due to Tarkhans having the same lineage and type as these ones. It is not entirely clear in the case of many clans and surnames as to which subdivision of the Kshatriyas they belong to.

Eventually, Scythian, Parthian, Greek-Bactrian, and various other Central Asian tribal peoples (such as the Hephthalites, and the Tocharians or Yuezhi) were absorbed into the Kshatriya, given their warlike nature, and thus became one of the subgroups or in many cases, assimilated completely into older asian clans.

In many parts, it is largely due to familial tradition that some members of a certain clan dub themselves Rajput and others of the same clan are Gujjar, Jat, Khatri, Kamboj and Tarkhan. This is more often the case in the Punjab, where there was already a large indigenous Kshatriya population when the invading tribes arrived.

Lohars from Pakistan, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra belong to the Sassanid clan. In most part of India, Lohars belong to the larger Vishwakarma Brahmin caste of Iranian (Scythian) origin.

Brahmin Lohars

The Brahmin-Lohars belong to the Parusheya(vishwakarma)Brahmin community. These Persian migrants who settled in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra identify themselves as Maithil Brahmins, Lohars from Gujarat identify themselves as Panchal Brahmins and Lohars from Maharashtra identify themselves as Vishwa Brahmins of the Vishwakarma community. In most of these states, Lohars follow Brahmin rites and have Brahmin surnames. They perform Upanayanam (thread ceremony- initiation) for their children.

Lohara

Lohara (لوھراءجاٹ) or Lohroy in Urdu( لورائے جاٹ) is also gotra of Jats dwelling in Uttar Pradesh. The gotra started after Raja Kalash Loha (कलस लोह). [1]

Bhim Singh Dahiya has described the history of this clan, which gave to Kashmir the disastrous Lohara dynasty. Their settlement in India was Lohran, in the Pir Pantsal mountain range. The Lohara Kot-fort of Lohara's-is named after them. The famous queen Didda, married to Kshemagupta, was daughter of Emperor Simharaja Lohara, who himself was married to a daughter of Lalli (Jat Clan) Sahi king Bhima of Kabul and Udabhanda (Und, near modern Attock)

Thus Didda was a Lohara Jat scion, and a granddaughter of Bhima, one of the Kabul Shahi. The descendants of their ruling family are still called Sahi Jats. Queen Didda, made one Sangramraj, her successor. He was the son of her brother Udaya Raj and he died on 1028 AD. [2] Lohar itself remained with Vigrah Raj. [3]

Alberuni refers to their castle Lohar Kot-as Loha Kot. [4]

Lohara Jats are also now settled in about six villages near Mathura and Village LORAN Tehsil and District Gujrat Pakistan and other areas.[4]

Lohar of Uttar Pradesh

The Lohar are one of the most widespread communities in Uttar Pradesh. They are divided along religious lines, with the Hindu Lohar are known as Vishvakarmas, and Muslim Lohars are known as Saifis. The Lohar are further divided into a number of exogamous groupings, the main ones being the Kanaujiya, Purbia, Bahai, Moulia and Magajia. Most Lohar are still engaged in their traditional occupation of metal fabrication, but most the Lohar of western Uttar Pradesh are cultivators. The Lohar speak Hindi and its various dialects such as Awadhi.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Kumar Suresh Singh; Anthropological Survey of India (1998). India's communities. Anthropological Survey of India. ISBN 9780195633542. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  2. ^ http://www.fallingrain.com/world/PK/04/Lohar.html
  3. ^ India's communities, Volume 6-page-2017
  4. ^ History of the Panjab hill states, Volume 1 By John Hutchison, Jean Philippe Vogel
  5. ^ People of India Uttar Pradesh Volume XLII Part Two edited by A Hasan & J C Das pages 902 to 906 Manohar Publications
  • Dr Mahendra Singh Arya, Dharmpal Singh Dudee, Kishan Singh Faujdar & Vijendra Singh Narwar: Ādhunik Jat Itihasa (The modern history of Jats), Agra 1998, p. 280
  • Elliot, Early History of India (V A Smith), Vol I

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lohar&oldid=440258837"