Sandhu

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Shaheed Bhagat Singh was born into the Sandhu family^[1]^[2]

Sandhu is one of the most well known Jatt clans, along with Narwal and Toor, originally from the Northern Indian state of Punjab. It is considered to be one of the bravest and oldest Jatt tribes. In the 1881 Census, Sandhus numbered at 135732 and today it is the largest Jatt tribe in the world.^[3]

1 Etymology
2 Origin
3 Geographical distribution
- 3.1 Pre-partition
- 3.2 Sandhus today
4 Religion
5 Famous Sandhus
6 References

[edit] Etymology

According to one theory, the word Sandhu could be a corruption of the word Sindhu, the Sanskrit name of the Indus river. In the Mahabharata, Jayadratha, known as Sindhu Naresh or "king of the Sindhus" ruled over Sindh and is believed to have been a Sandhu Jaat.

[edit] Origin

Sir Lepel Griffin's opinion is that the Sandhus came into the Punjab region from northwestern Rajputana (modern Rajasthan). The noted historian, K.C. Yadav says that most of the Jatt tribes came to the Punjab in eleventh century during the days of Mahmud of Ghazni. Sandhus too are believed to have migrated to the province at this time. The German Writer Maqsood Ahmad Naseem said that Sindhus migrated since Aariyaas migrated thousands of years ago from Middle Asia to the North-West of Indian Sub-Continent. H.A. Rose writes in his book that the Sandhus have eighty-four branches. According to the Sialkot Gazette of 1883-84, there were five main branches of Sandhus.

There are many theories about the origin of the Jats. Jats are sometimes considered to be of Scythian (Saka), Indo-European, Indo-Iranian or Indo-Aryan stock in view of the similar physical features and common practices with one or the other of these groups.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Geographical distribution

The Sandhu clan was the second-largest Jat clan during the 1881 census^[3] in Punjab after the Sidhu-Brars.

[edit] Pre-partition

In Punjab (British India), the Sandhus numbered at 135,732 in the census of 1881. The clan had twelve villages in the Lahore area of Majha among which, Raja Jang and Jodhu were prominent ones. The Sandhus of Lahore were notorious for being quarrelsome and tenacious fighters.

[edit] Sandhus today

Today, the Sandhus are found throughout Punjab (India), Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Uttranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, in Pakistan they are in the Gujrat and Sialkot areas, and in the eastern regions of Gujarat (although they are the descendants of Sandhus who migrated from Punjab and Haryana).

The Sandhus are found in twenty-two villages in the area of Sirhali. This area is also known as Bahia. They have seventeen villages in the area of Bhakna. The Narli family which is one of the most known and widespread families of Punjab also belongs to the Sandhu clan. It is seen that like the Narli Sandhu family many such Sandhus have moved travelled abroad, mostly to the UK, USA and Canada.

Sandhus are settled on both sides of the Satluj river in the Trans-Sutlej and the Cis-Sutlej areas.

In Malwa, along the Satluj and from Faridkot to Muktsar, the Sandhus have the prominent villages of Ramoowala Navan, Jhok Mohra, Jhoke Tehal Singh Wala, Saian Wala, Chughe Kalan, Kohar Singhwala (Near Guru Harsahai) Vire Wala, Bhag Singh Wala, Marh, Sakkawali, Kanianwali, Marar Kalan (Kotkapura-Muktsar Road, Muktsar District)", Koharwala (Kotkapura), Kammeana (Faridkot), Sukhanwala (Faridkot) and Khurhanj. The Sandhus of Rukhala came from Sirhali. The village of Sandhuan in Faridkot was also founded by Sandhus but later occupied by Brars. There are many villages of the Sandhus in Ludhiana.

Some Sandhus went further to Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur in Doaba. Some of the Majhail Sandhus migrated to the Bathinda and Mansa areas after repeated disturbances created by Muslim invaders.A town named valtoha near Amritsar is of Sandhus,many of them migrates to Amritsar and Gurdaspur,the sandhus migrate from valtoha settled in Shankerpur Gurdaspur) (one of the oldest village of Sandhu Jatts near Batala, in Gurdaspur) Other villages in gurdaspur are purian, DuniaSandhu, Sandhuaana, Misharpura. Presently, the Sandhus are spread all over Punjab.

In Haryana, Sandhus are found in large numbers in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Yamunanagar, Pehowa. In Rajashtan, sandhus are found in large numbers in Ganaganagar, Hanumangarh, and Karanapur districts. In Pakistan, they are spread up to Sialkot and the hill areas of Gujranwala.

[edit] Religion

The Sandhus of India generally follow Sikhism as their religion in Punjab, while Sandhus of Haryana generally follow Hinduism, whereas Sandhus of Pakistan are Muslims.

[edit] Famous Sandhus

Col. G.S.Sandhu (retired), Chairman Majha Ex-Serviceman Human Rights Commission and NGO [Aapna Punjab]^[4]
Bhai Bala, celebrated Sikh saint and disciple of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji.^[3]
Baba Deep Singh, celebrated Sikh saint and warrior leader.^[3]
Hira Singh Nakai Sandhu, was famous Jat Sikh Misl warriors leader in the 18th century in Punjab.
Bhagat Singh famous Punjabi freedom fighter.
Balwinder Sandhu famous Punjabi Indian cricketer.
Avtar Singh Sandhu internationally famous and award winning Punjabi Jat poet.
Fred Harinder Singh Sandhu, famous Manitoba judge.
Udae Sandhu World War I Veteran.
Daljit Singh Sandhu, Xen MC Amritsar Grand Son of Jathedar Akal Takhat Sardar Acher Singh Amritsar
Manjit Sandhu, first Indian Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer in British Columbia^[5]
Kuldeep Singh Sandhu- Sarpanch Ratian
Emanuel Sandhu - Canadian Figure Skater
Shamsher Singh Sandhu famous Punjabi lyricist.
Sunil Sandhu World War 2 Veteran.
Prof. Harkirat Singh Sandhu Prof. IIFT New Delhi India.
Cpt. H S Sandhu The Only Canadian Sikh to have been Chief Mate of world's largest tanker JAHRE VIKING
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Maharaja of Punjab
S.Rajinder Singh Sandhu
Mohinder Singh Sandhu (from Mehmadpura, Ajnala, Amritsar and the key to BSFs Anti Terror campaign in Mizoram & J & K)
Ravipaul Singh Sandhu (Six Sigma Master Black Belt and expert conceptualizer, Leading Management consultant)
Emanuel Sandhu Leading skater
Mandeep Sandhu - Member of the Canadian National Wrestling Team