Gangas

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Gangas (गंगस) Ganghas (गंघस) Ghoghas (घोघस) Ghangas (घनगस) Ghangus (घंगस) Ghanghas (घंघस) Ghungesh (घंगस) Khangas (खंगस) Gangridi (गंगरिदी) Gangaridi (गंगरिदी) is gotra of Jats. This gotra originated from place named Garhmukteshwar (गढ़मुक्तेश्वर) on the banks of Ganga River. Being on the banks of Ganga they were called Gangas. ^[1] Megasthenes has described about this clan in his Indica as Gangarides. (See - Jat clans as described by Megasthenes)

History

According to Bhim Singh Dahiya^[2] this is a rare name but fortunately, Priscus mentioned a king of white Hunas, as Kong Khas, who made himself lord of Sogdiana in 356 AD and whose brother clans, crossed the Don River in 374/375 AD, as per Franz Altheim, the German Scholar. ^[3] This king Kangkhas, certainly was a Khangas Jat. Kung-Kas was a son of Kidara, which is improvable - the clan of son can not be different from the clan of the, father, unless, both father and son, founders of new clans. The Sassanid emperor of Iran, Piroz, promised to marry his sister to Kung-Khas.^[4] But he broke the promise and the result was in which the Persians were summarily defeated. Piroz was taken prisoner and was released only after pledging his son Kawadh, as hostage and paying a large sum of gold coins as tribute. Kung-Khas restruck the tribute coins with his own name, and it is these coins, inter alia, which through light on the Khangas emperor in 4th century AD. Tribes and Castes names them as Khung as.^[5]

The word Ghangas is derived from Ghan (hammer - sledge hammer) Ghas (to break or destroy). As per the folk legend, a holy man was imprisoned by a powerful but evil person of the area. Locals were fearful of supporting the holy man. Baba Handal took a blacksmith's hammer (Ghan) and broke open the lock (on the door) where the holy man was imprisoned. The holy man was helped by Baba Handal in defiance to the powerful evil person. Thus the descendants of Baba Handal were known as Ghanghas or Ghangas (both spellings are in use). There is a popular Gurudwara to honor Baba Handal.

Distribution

Jats of this gotra are found in found inUttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Dilip Singh Ahlawat has mention it as one of the ruling Jat clans in Central Asia. ^[6]

Distribution in Haryana

These Jats arefound in District Bhiwani, Panipat and Jind of Haryana

Villages in Panipat district

Bandh,

Distribution in Punjab

Jandiala Guru, a town on Amritsar - Jalandhar GT Road (Grand Trunk Road) is populated with Ghangas Sikh Jats. Jandiala Guru (also known as Guru ka Jandiala) was founded by Ghangas Jats. It is part of District Amritsar, Punjab, India and is 16 Kilometers (10 miles) South of Amritsar. Ganghas Jat population in Patiala is 1,860. 810 were recorded as Khangas. ^[7] Khangas are also found in Hoshiarpur district.

Distribution in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal,

References

1. ↑ Dr Mahendra Singh Arya, Dharmpal Singh Dudee, Kishan Singh Faujdar & Vijendra Singh Narwar: Ādhunik Jat Itihasa (The modern history of Jats), Agra 1998 p. 236
2. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya, Jats the Ancient Rulers, p. 255
3. ↑ Geschite der Hunnen
4. ↑ ibid
5. ↑ Vol. II, p. 377
6. ↑ Dilip Singh Ahlawat: Jat viron ka Itihasa
7. ↑ History and study of the Jats. By Professor B.S Dhillon. ISBN-10: 1895603021 or ISBN-13: 978-1895603026. p.126

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