Bhangu

Bhangu, Bhangoo, or Bhango (pronounced P'ngoo) is an Indian caste mostly found in the Punjab state of North India, Sindh and Punjab province of Pakistan.

History

The name is translated to Sanskrit as Bhagala or Bhagoo.^[1]

The tribe is also mentioned during the Arab attack on Sindh in the 7th century A.D. The ruler of the lands at the time of Mohammad Bin Kasim’s invasion of Sindh was the chief of the Bhangu tribe, Kaka. The Bhangus were the lords of "Budhiya" around present day Sehwan, Sindh, Pakistan. Kaka was the son of Kotal, and the grandson of Bhandargu Bhangu, a Jat of the Bhangu tribe. The members of the Bhangu tribe were the follower of the Buddhist faith as most of the Jat tribes were around the 7th century AD.

The Bhangu tribe held the area around Shorkot. The Bhangus were later displaced by the migration of Sials into Jhang.

Old customs

The customs and traditions are not in practice now and were current until the 19th century. The Bhangu clan was amongst the many Jats who denied a widow’s right to adopt in the 19th century. In Ludhiana district the Bhangu clan used to follow the chhatra tradition in which the bridegroom's forehead was to be marked with blood, from a severed goat's ear.

Chiefs of Punjab

The descendants of Mahtab Singh and Rattan Singh Bhangu established an estate in Ludhiana. They formed a fort at Bhari and controlled surrounding villages. They were the part of Karor Singhia Sikh confederation, which defeated the Mughals at Sirhind in 1763 AD.

See also

• List of Jat Clans of West Punjab
• Shabeg Singh

References