Sarhal Mundi
Encyclopedia
Sarhal Mundi is a village situated 5 miles south of Behram in Tehsil
Phillaur
, Jalandhar district
, Punjab
, also known as Sarhala, the village near Nawanshahr
.
According to ‘Census Report for Punjab 1883’ (Denzil Ibbetson) and ‘Census Report for Punjab 1892’ (E.D.Maclagan) and the book ‘A Glossary of the tribes and casts of Punjab and N.W.F’ written by H. A. Rose this village is populated by Chauhan
Rajputs. The common belief is that the foundation of this village was laid by Gopal Chauhan - 6th generation of Lav Dev. Some argue that Lav Dev was not Prithvi Raj's but Krishna Chauhan's son who was a General in Prithvi Raj's army and fell martyr in the second battle against Muhammad of Ghor commonly known in the history as Muhammad Gauri.
Rajputs. Elders of this village also talk of ‘Bundi
’ links which make them Hara (Hadha) Chauhan’s. Whatever may be the case Sarhal Mundi is one of the very few Rajput villages of Doaba besides Karnana
and Sahlon
which H. A. Rose’s book lists as Rajput. Other surrounding villages of Rajputs are listed as Mahton
Rajput (a distortion of Mehta name which is a respectable term in Pahari Rajputs of Kangra). The Rajputs of these villages objected to the word Mahton
being attached and in 1935 a convention held at Nadalon village passed the resolution to this effect and the word Mahton
was removed from official papers and only Rajput was left as a record of cast. The practice of census data recording cast ceased in 1947 when India gained independence.
Another famous son of this village was Wing Commander Late Thakur Kuldip Chauhan.
also suggest that these areas have always been the hub of civilizations just the old has been replaced by the new. Some historians believe that from time to time Rajputs of these villages found new lands rather than submitting to invaders who ruled Northern India from time to time. Genealogical and physical attributes such as tall stature, good martial skills, fair colour as compared to others, stubborn nature, sense of adventure and travel and a belly full of fire makes Doaba Bist inhabitants of these villages more akin to Rajput ancestry. Sardar Gurdial Singh as quoted by H. A. Rose believes them to be of “good Rajput blood”.
Although some historians tend to follow the thinking that Rajputs are descendants of Huns
but the controversial view that Rajputs are linked to Indus Aryans holds equally powerful logic, general sharp Grecian
/Mediterranean/Caucasian
features hint at an Aryan
/Scythic decent. No matter what the argument it has to be admitted that North India was the melting pot out of which Rajputs kept their traditions alive.
Present day Sarhal Mundi is only a shadow of its old self with many houses under lock and key and disrepair as inhabitants live abroad. The total adult population of voting age is just 1152 (M 569 F583). There is a Government Elementary School but no medical hospital. The Shrine of Baba Uttam Das and the pond are still there reviving the old nostalgia. This village is easily accessible by going to Phagwara
and travelling approximately 8 miles by the side of a canal, the route used by many buses and cars.
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
Phillaur
Phillaur
Phillaur is a town and a municipal council in Jalandhar district in the Indian state of Punjab.- Overview :Phillaur is the railway junction on the border line of Ludhiana and Jalandhar Cantonment. It was a junction for Lohian and Ferozepur. In pre-partition days, it was the main timber market of...
, Jalandhar district
Jalandhar District
Jalandhar district , Jalandhar Zilā) is one of the 22 districts in the state of Punjab in North-West Republic of India. The capital is Jalandhar City...
, Punjab
Punjab (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...
, also known as Sarhala, the village near Nawanshahr
Nawanshahr
Nawanshahr is a city and it became district in 1995. now it is a municipal council in Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar district in the Indian state of Punjab. It is the headquarters of Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar District....
.
According to ‘Census Report for Punjab 1883’ (Denzil Ibbetson) and ‘Census Report for Punjab 1892’ (E.D.Maclagan) and the book ‘A Glossary of the tribes and casts of Punjab and N.W.F’ written by H. A. Rose this village is populated by Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
Rajputs. The common belief is that the foundation of this village was laid by Gopal Chauhan - 6th generation of Lav Dev. Some argue that Lav Dev was not Prithvi Raj's but Krishna Chauhan's son who was a General in Prithvi Raj's army and fell martyr in the second battle against Muhammad of Ghor commonly known in the history as Muhammad Gauri.
History
A historic ‘Shiv Dawala’ and many old houses of small brick can roughly put the origin of this village back to as early as 16th century. It is quite probable that the ancestors of this village could be GhorewahaGhorewaha
Ghorewaha are a sub-clan of Rajputs in India and Pakistan who are descendants of Raja Hawaha , who became recognized for his equestrian prowess, hence the name "Ghorewaha" or "expert equestrian"....
Rajputs. Elders of this village also talk of ‘Bundi
Bundi
Bundi is a city and a municipality of approximately 88,000 inhabitants in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India. It is of particular architectural note for its ornate forts, palaces, and stepwell reservoirs known as baoris...
’ links which make them Hara (Hadha) Chauhan’s. Whatever may be the case Sarhal Mundi is one of the very few Rajput villages of Doaba besides Karnana
Karnana
Karnana is a village in Nawanshahr, Punjab, India.It is inhabited by Parhar Rajputs, who are followers of the Sikh religion. The most famous Parhar of Karnana is Dr. Sohan Singh Parihar, an internationally known agricultural scientist....
and Sahlon
Sahlon
Sahlon a beautiful village in the Nawanshahr district of Punjab. The main occupations represented in the village's population are agriculture and the transaportation business...
which H. A. Rose’s book lists as Rajput. Other surrounding villages of Rajputs are listed as Mahton
Mahton
Mahton or Mehton is a caste. They were enlisted as "Rajput Mahta Sikh" by the British in 1892. Mahtam is also another separate caste, the two castes are distinct...
Rajput (a distortion of Mehta name which is a respectable term in Pahari Rajputs of Kangra). The Rajputs of these villages objected to the word Mahton
Mahton
Mahton or Mehton is a caste. They were enlisted as "Rajput Mahta Sikh" by the British in 1892. Mahtam is also another separate caste, the two castes are distinct...
being attached and in 1935 a convention held at Nadalon village passed the resolution to this effect and the word Mahton
Mahton
Mahton or Mehton is a caste. They were enlisted as "Rajput Mahta Sikh" by the British in 1892. Mahtam is also another separate caste, the two castes are distinct...
was removed from official papers and only Rajput was left as a record of cast. The practice of census data recording cast ceased in 1947 when India gained independence.
Demographics
This village is a nice mix of Sikh and Hindu Rajput families and many of its old inhabitants migrated to UK & USA. Late Thakur Des Raj Singh ji was the first person from this village to gain a prosecuting police officer’s commission under the British and later retired as Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police. He also won President’s Gold Medal for his meritorious services. Thakur Kanwar Tek. C. Chauhan of this village was the first person to be selected as an I.A.S Officer.Another famous son of this village was Wing Commander Late Thakur Kuldip Chauhan.
Overview
Just like most villages of this area Sarhal Mundi may be much older in historic terms than most of us think it is as the words ‘Mundi’ and ‘Lundi’ are found in ancient ‘Takka’ language. Old excavations of ‘Harrapa’ found around these villages of PhillaurPhillaur
Phillaur is a town and a municipal council in Jalandhar district in the Indian state of Punjab.- Overview :Phillaur is the railway junction on the border line of Ludhiana and Jalandhar Cantonment. It was a junction for Lohian and Ferozepur. In pre-partition days, it was the main timber market of...
also suggest that these areas have always been the hub of civilizations just the old has been replaced by the new. Some historians believe that from time to time Rajputs of these villages found new lands rather than submitting to invaders who ruled Northern India from time to time. Genealogical and physical attributes such as tall stature, good martial skills, fair colour as compared to others, stubborn nature, sense of adventure and travel and a belly full of fire makes Doaba Bist inhabitants of these villages more akin to Rajput ancestry. Sardar Gurdial Singh as quoted by H. A. Rose believes them to be of “good Rajput blood”.
Although some historians tend to follow the thinking that Rajputs are descendants of Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
but the controversial view that Rajputs are linked to Indus Aryans holds equally powerful logic, general sharp Grecian
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
/Mediterranean/Caucasian
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
features hint at an Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
/Scythic decent. No matter what the argument it has to be admitted that North India was the melting pot out of which Rajputs kept their traditions alive.
Present day Sarhal Mundi is only a shadow of its old self with many houses under lock and key and disrepair as inhabitants live abroad. The total adult population of voting age is just 1152 (M 569 F583). There is a Government Elementary School but no medical hospital. The Shrine of Baba Uttam Das and the pond are still there reviving the old nostalgia. This village is easily accessible by going to Phagwara
Phagwara
Phagwara is a city and a municipal council in Kapurthala district in North India, in the central part of the Punjab.-Location:Phagwara lies on the Delhi–Amritsar national highway No.01 and is also served by the rail link between Delhi and Amritsar. It is located between the two big cities of...
and travelling approximately 8 miles by the side of a canal, the route used by many buses and cars.
External links
- Jalandhar district, Official website
- Sarhal Mundi at wikimapiaWikimapiaWikiMapia is a privately owned, online map and satellite imaging resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information, in the form of a note, to any location on Earth. Users may currently use this information for free...
- Sikh Rajput, Official website