Takhar

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Takhar (ताखर) Takar (ताकर) Tokhar (तोखर) Takhar (ताखड़) Takar (ताकड़) Tashar (ताषर) Thakad (थाकड़) is gotra of Jats. This gotra originated from Taxak. Due to language difference they are called Takhar. Takha is their village in Bharatpur district. ^[1]

Takhar Jats are found in Districts Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Jaipur in Rajasthan. They are also in Bhopal and Mandsaur districts in Madhya Pradesh & Narnaul and Mahendergarh in Haryana. Takhar is also a province in Afghanistan.

History

They have been mentioned in Mahabharata Bhisma Parva shloka 66 as under:

शूद्राभीराद दरदाः काश्मीराः पशुभिः सह

खशिकाश च तुखाराश च पल्लवा गिरिगह्वराः ।। 66 ।।

Bhim Singh Dahiya^[2] mentions about this clan. In ancient past they were also known as Tokhar or Tusar. Markandeya Purana mentions them with Kambojas, Barbaras and Chinas and are called Vahyāto Narāh, i.e. "outside people".^[3] This shows that they were not still considered Indian at the time of Markandeya Purana. Mahabharata mentions Tukhāras as well as Tusaras. Tuśārs are mentioned by the Vāyu Purāna. ^[4] There it is clear that Tukhars and Tuśārs were different. That is why we have Takhars as well as Tusar clans among the Jats. Mahabharata places them beyond the Himalayas and correctly so. Takhara has been mentioned in Salya Parva of Mahabharata as one of the names of those combatants armed with diverse weapons and clad in diverse kinds of robes and ornaments, that Skanda or Kartikeya procured at his ceremony of investiture. ^[5]Harivansha mentions them with Sakas, Pahlavas, and others and they are branded as Mlecchas - another proof of their Centra Asian origin and conquering nature. But the Greek writer Strabo has only praise them, in spite of the fact that they had destroyed the Greek kingdoms of Bactria. Says he:

"The best known as the nomad tribes are those who drove away the Greeks out of Bactria, the Asi, the Pasiani, the Tochri and Śacarauli, who came from the country on the other side of Jaxartes...^[6], ^[7]

Here Asi are another name of the Sakas (Asiagh Jats, Asik, Arsika); the Pasiani has been rightly corrected as Kusiani (the Kushanas), and Tochri are the Takhar, and Sacarauli are the Sakaravakas of Puranas. Lassen, identifies Tochares with the Tukhars and locates them in north Hindukush. ^[8], ^[9]

Their role in the history of Kashmir in 9/10th century is important. The Tokhars are an important clan with a brilliant past. Their clan gave their name to a language (Tokhari), to a country (Tokharistan). They seem to have come to India in the second century BC to second century AD.^[10]

Bhim Singh Dahiya mentions about Takhar Jats in Sindh at the time of attack in 712 AD. They have been mentioned as Buddhist rulers of Siwistan. They made peace with Mohmad bin Qasim. Their ruler at that time was Kaka, son of Kotal and the grandson of Bhandargu Bhangu, a Jat of Bhangu clan. Qasim then asked Kaka, "Oh, Chief of Hind, what is your mode of bestowing honour?" Kaka replied, "Granting a seat, and investing with a garment of silk, and tying a turban round the head. It is the custom of our ancestors, the Jat Samanis". (Here the word Samani stands for the Buddhists, showing thereby that the Jats were Buddhist at that time). Another Jat, Banana son of Hanzala also came to the side of Qasim and Takhar Jats under Moka, son of Bisaya were brought before Qasim, who treated them with kindness and respect. A grand umbrella surmounted by a peacock, a chair and a robe of honour were bestowed upon him. All his Takhars were favoured with robes and saddled horses. Historians relate that the first umbrella of Rāṇagi, or chiefship, which he gave, was this to Moka.^[11] Here it should be noted that like the Rai, Rana is also a title meaning chief. It should also be noted that these Takhar Jats were honourably given saddled horses by Mohmad bin Qasim.^[12]

Distribution in Rajasthan

Locations in Jaipur district

Khatipura, Kisangarh Renwal, Chomu, Badhal,

Villages in Sikar district

Balu Baba Ki Dhani, Maganpura (Dantaramgarh), Moondwara,

Villages in Jhunjhunu district

Narhar,

Villages in Sri Ganganagar district

Suratgarh, Takhravali

Distribution in Haryana

Locations in Mahendergarh district

Narnaul,

Distribution in Madhya Pradesh

Found in Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal, Mandsaur districts.

Villages in Mandsaur district

Betikheri, Bugalia (Gujarda), Kacharia Jat, Laduna (Sitamau), Malhargarh, Mandsaur, Mandsaur, Nataram (Sitamau), Pipalkhuta, Ralayta (Multanpura), Ranayra (Sitamau),

Villages in Nimach district

Takar Jats found in villages: Roop Pura (1), Khadawda (1),

Takhar Jats found in villages: Bagpipalya (1), Fatehnagar (1),

Notable persons from this gotra

• Bajrang Lal Takhar
• Dharmpal Takhar
• Karan S. Takhar
• Lieutenant-General B S Takhar

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. 252
2. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya, Jats the Ancient Rulers, p. 272-273
3. ↑ LVII, 39
4. ↑ XIV, 118
5. ↑ [http://www.jatland.com/home/Shalya_Parva_in_English Shalya Parva in English on Jatlan Wiki
6. ↑ Strabo, XI, 151
7. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya, Jats the Ancient Rulers, p. 273
8. ↑ B C Law, op. cit., p. 396
9. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya, Jats the Ancient Rulers, p. 273
10. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya, Jats the Ancient Rulers, p. 273
11. ↑ Elliot and Dowson: History of India as told by its Own Historians, Vol. I, p. 165
12. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya, Jats the Ancient Rulers, p. 215

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