Originally Posted by
vinodks
YESSSSS! Tank/Taank is Jat gotra... Am going to call BBC guys:-))
Tank people have been very prominant in history too. I typed the following article from B.S. Dahiya's book and added it to the list of gotras in wiki too.
Also interestingly, the word Taka for money (jasse bolte hein na, kitne Take mol hai?) origniated from Tank... Read on
-Vinod
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History of Tank/Tak
Tanks or Taks are mentioned as one of the 36 royal houses of Indian Ksatriyas, but, said Col. Tod in his "Annals", they have disappeared from history owing to conversion to Islam in the 13th CE. Not completely yet, a large number of Tanks are now followers of Islam, there are many Tanks still existing among the Hindu Jats.
A Tak kingdom is mentioned by Jiuen-Tsang (631-643-AD). It is mentioned as situated towards east of Gandhara. Hiuen-Tsang gives its name as Tekka, and the history of Singh, Chach-Nama, mentions it as Tak. Its capital was Shekilo (Sakala, modern Sialkot), and formerly, king Mihiragula was ruling from this place. In 7th CE, its people were not pre-eminently Buddhists, but worshiped the sun, too. “Abhidhana Chintamani” says that Takka is the name of Vahika country (Panjab). For what follows, we were indebted to Chandershekar Gupta for his article on Indian coins. The Tanks must have come to, prior to 4th CE, i.e., with Kusanas. And with the Kusanas, they must spread to Bengal and Orissa, like the Mans and Kangs who spread into southern Maharashtra and the Deccan. In Orissa, the Tanks had their rule in Orissa proper, Mayurbhanj, Singbhoom, Ganjam and Balasore districts. They are called by historians as “Puri Kushans” or Kushanas of Puri (Orissa). Their coins have been found at Bhanjakia and Balasore (Chhota Nagpur) and these coins have the legend Tanka written in Brahmi script of the 4th CE. Allan suggested the reading Tanka as the name of a tribe, and others generally accepted the reading Tanka as correct. Allan placed them in the third or forth CE, while V. A Smith placed them in the 4th or 5th CE; R.D. Bennerji called them “Puri Kushanas”,
As for the proof that they were Jats, we invite attention to the fact that they still exist as such. Their association with the Kusanas (Kasvan Jats) further supports it. Their central Asian origin is proved by the fact that Niya Kharosthi’s documents from central Asia, refer to coin denominated as Tangamule. Here the word Tanga is the same as Tanka, and Muli meant “price” in Central Asia.
Jain literature refer to the Tanks and the fact that they are termed “Mlechhas”, shows their foreign origin. The Jain works say that the Tanks were invincible (cf Chandragomin for Jats, and Thucydide’s remarks for Gatae). They were the inhabitants of Uttarapatha (N.W. India) and they traded with the Dakshinapatha (south Deccan) in the valuable commodities like gold and ivory.
To conclude, in the words of C. S. Gupta, “The legend Tanka has no other satisfactory explanation that this, viz., the these coins were struck by the tribe of Tankana (Takka) in the name of their community like those of the Yaudheya and Malava. It appears that the name inscribed by these people on their coins, gradually came to denote the name of the coin.
This is the origin of the Taka used even now for coins. The coins of Mahmud Ghazni, bears the Sanskrit legen: “Ayam Tank Mahmud Pure Ghatey”.
Allaudin Khilji, as well as Akbar, later issued Takkas. The Rewa Stone Inscription of Malaya Simha, of 1193AD, shows that Khilji spent 1500 Takkas for constructing a water tank, near Rewa. “Rajatarangini” says that king Ananta of Kashmir, issued Takkas. Tank coins are mentioned in the South also.
In popular parlance, the Tank Sarohas are mentioned together (like the Dahiya-Dabas; and Siddh-Brar combination). The cities of Tank, Sirohi are names after them. At one time, the entire Panjab was called Tank Desa. The report of the Chinese pilgrims confirm this fact. Originally they were worshippers of the Snake-garlanded form of Shiva. Hence they were called Nagas too.
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Originally Posted by anildabas1701