Kang (Punjabi)
Encyclopedia
Kang is among one of the most ancient and oldest tribe of the Jatt
s dating back to thousands of years with rich history and past.
via Balkh
from the areas of River Sayer and Aral Ocean in Middle Asia. Kangs had arrived here at the time of Mahabharat. Kang, Malhi, Birak and Daha Jatt tribes were settled in Punjab at the time of Panani also. The chieftains of these tribes had confronted Alexander. Kang are historically referred to as "Kank" or "Kanka" in ancient scriptures.
Kangs are also considered from the lineage of Saka. Kangs are referred to as Kank in Sanskrit scriptures. At one time, they had Gujarat Kathiawar
, Southern Maharashtra and Ujjain
under their control. From Ujjain, they came towards Ayodhya and Delhi. The founding father of this Clan was a Kang. Kangs captured Bathinda and made Kangar their capital. It is also called Kathgarh. Huns destructed this village. Kangs left this area to reach Moga and Ferozepur. In Ferozepur, Kangs have many villages in the area of Makhu and Dharamkot. Some of the Kangs went towards Ludhiana. Bondli, Samrala, Barwali, Rahon, Majra, etc. are many villages of Kangs in Ludhiana.
Many historians believe that Jatts are assumed to be the product of admixture of Indo-Scythian elements to local Indo-Aryan
groups. If this believe is true then certain European last names like Kangas, Kahn etc. may have links to Kang as well only the name has changed spellings over thousands of years of separation.
and Islam
to Sikhism
during the times of Guru Nanak. Today Kangs can be found all over Punjab both in India and Pakistan and many have migrated to other countries. There is a large population of Kangs in England, United States, Canada and Australia. Some Kang in Harayana are believers of Hinduism but majority of Kangs are Sikh.
on their way back from Delhi
. Muslim soldiers feared Gheba so much that they kept full guard at night and started using "sardaron ke Barah Baj Jayee" as a term since he used to attack only at night. Hence the term and fear of Tara Singh Gheba spread throughout and later the same term is used to taunt Sikhs and used in Sikh related jokes. So this 12 o'clock issue was unfortunately taken in wrong terms. Tara Singh Gheba later conquered the forts of Rahon, Ghungrana, Dalla and Dharmkot and handed these over to his four sons. During his tenure, Kang chieftains were controlling 18 villages in the area of Nakodar-Doaba. He was also a very close friend and ally of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Jat people
The Jat people are a community of traditionally non-elite tillers and herders in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and subsequently into the Delhi Territory,...
s dating back to thousands of years with rich history and past.
History
They came to PunjabPunjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
via Balkh
Balkh
Balkh , was an ancient city and centre of Zoroastrianism in what is now northern Afghanistan. Today it is a small town in the province of Balkh, about 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, and some south of the Amu Darya. It was one of the major cities of Khorasan...
from the areas of River Sayer and Aral Ocean in Middle Asia. Kangs had arrived here at the time of Mahabharat. Kang, Malhi, Birak and Daha Jatt tribes were settled in Punjab at the time of Panani also. The chieftains of these tribes had confronted Alexander. Kang are historically referred to as "Kank" or "Kanka" in ancient scriptures.
Kangs are also considered from the lineage of Saka. Kangs are referred to as Kank in Sanskrit scriptures. At one time, they had Gujarat Kathiawar
Kathiawar
Kathiawar or Kathiawad is a peninsula in western India, which is part of the Saurashtra region on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It is bounded on the north by the great wetland of the Rann of Kutch, on the northwest by the Gulf of Kutch, on the west and south by the Arabian Sea, and on...
, Southern Maharashtra and Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
under their control. From Ujjain, they came towards Ayodhya and Delhi. The founding father of this Clan was a Kang. Kangs captured Bathinda and made Kangar their capital. It is also called Kathgarh. Huns destructed this village. Kangs left this area to reach Moga and Ferozepur. In Ferozepur, Kangs have many villages in the area of Makhu and Dharamkot. Some of the Kangs went towards Ludhiana. Bondli, Samrala, Barwali, Rahon, Majra, etc. are many villages of Kangs in Ludhiana.
Many historians believe that Jatts are assumed to be the product of admixture of Indo-Scythian elements to local Indo-Aryan
Indo-Aryans
Indo-Aryan is an ethno-linguistic term referring to the wide collection of peoples united as native speakers of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranian family of Indo-European languages...
groups. If this believe is true then certain European last names like Kangas, Kahn etc. may have links to Kang as well only the name has changed spellings over thousands of years of separation.
Distribution of Kangs
Kangs mainly dwelled in the areas of Sutlej and Beas. In Doaba, Kang, Mubarakpur, Lallian, and Khamano, Kotla Shamspur in Malwa etc. are among the villages belonging to Kang Jatts. Some of Kang Jatts of Doaba also went towards Patiala, Ambala and Rohtak. Kangs are also found in large numbers in Majha. There is village named Kang in the area of Tarn Taran. Kangs are also found in Khadoor Sahib. From Majha, Kangs went further towards Chichawatni, Multan, Muzzafargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Hazara in West Punjab. Some of the Kang Jatts also embraced Islam and live in Pakistan. It is said that Kangs converted from HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
during the times of Guru Nanak. Today Kangs can be found all over Punjab both in India and Pakistan and many have migrated to other countries. There is a large population of Kangs in England, United States, Canada and Australia. Some Kang in Harayana are believers of Hinduism but majority of Kangs are Sikh.
Famous Kang
Tara Singh Kang, Dalewalia Misl was headed by Tara Singh Kang who was popularly known as Tara Singh Gheba. He had single-handedly assaulted Ahmed Shah Abdali’s army during night and then disappeared. He looted them of weapons and treasures and freed the Hindu women that were abducted by his forces for slaverySlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
on their way back from Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Muslim soldiers feared Gheba so much that they kept full guard at night and started using "sardaron ke Barah Baj Jayee" as a term since he used to attack only at night. Hence the term and fear of Tara Singh Gheba spread throughout and later the same term is used to taunt Sikhs and used in Sikh related jokes. So this 12 o'clock issue was unfortunately taken in wrong terms. Tara Singh Gheba later conquered the forts of Rahon, Ghungrana, Dalla and Dharmkot and handed these over to his four sons. During his tenure, Kang chieftains were controlling 18 villages in the area of Nakodar-Doaba. He was also a very close friend and ally of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Sources
kang- Book "Jattan da Ithihaas" by HS Duleh translated to English by Gurjant Singh as "History of the Jatt Clans"
- http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/warriors/tghaiba.html
- http://www.sikhnet.com/news/karambir-kang-person-who-does-brave-deeds
- Dr Mahendra Singh Arya, Dharmpal Singh Dudee, Kishan Singh Faujdar & Vijendra Singh Narwar: Ādhunik Jat Itihasa (The modern history of Jats), Agra 1998, p. 228
- Dilip Singh Ahlawat: Jat viron ka Itihasa