Tarkhan (Punjab)

Tarkhan
	Tarkhan, carpenter caste of the Panjab - Tashrih al-aqvam (1825)
Regions with significant populations
	India and Pakistan
Languages
	Hindi • Punjabi
Religion
	Hinduism • Islam • Sikhism

The Tarkhan is a caste found in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. They are traditionally carpenters by occupation.^[1]

The Hindu members of this clan are generally identified as Khatis, Suthars or Lohars following the Vishwakarma community of India.^[2] Whereas, Tarkhan Sikhs are among those groups who are identified as Ramgarhias, after the Misl leader Jassa Singh Ramgarhia.^[3] Despite Sikhism generally rejecting the caste system, it does have its own very similar socio-economic hierarchy and in that the Ramgarhias, of which the Tarkhans are a part, now rank second only to the Jat Sikhs, thanks to significant economic and social power that elevated this middle class group from its lower caste confines.^[4]

According to the 1921 census of India, which may not be reliable, some Tarkhan Sikhs owned large areas of land and, in some cases, whole villages.^[5]

In 2001, the Punjab Government included Ramgarhia, Tarkhan and Dhiman in the list of Other Backward Classes (OBC) to improve their economic conditions.^[6] They were also added in the list of backward classes by the governments of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.^[7]^[8]

Notable people

Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, General of the Ramgarhia Misl^[9]
Bhai Lalo, Sikh religious figure^[10]
Zail Singh, president of India between 1982 and 1987^[11]

References

^ McLeod, W. H. (2000). Exploring Sikhism: Aspects of Sikh Identity, Culture and Thought. Oxford University Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-19-564902-4.
^ Atal, Yogesh (2012). Sociology: A Study of the Social Sphere. Pearson Education India. p. 242. ISBN 978-8-13179-759-4.
^ Cole, W. Owen (2005). A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy. Routledge. p. 70. ISBN 1135797609.
^ Childs, Peter (13 May 2013). Encyclopaedia of Contemporary British Culture. Routledge. p. 270. ISBN 978-1134755547.
^ Sharma, Subash Chander (1987). Punjab, the Crucial Decade. Nirmal Publications. p. 114. ISBN 978-8171561735.
^ "Ramgarhias in OBC list". The Times of India. 31 August 2001. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
^ "List of Backward Classes | Welfare of Scheduled Caste & Backward Classes Department, Government of Haryana". haryanascbc.gov.in. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
^ "HBCFDC". himachalservices.nic.in. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
^ McLeod, W. H. (2005) [1995]. Historical Dictionary of Sikhism (2nd ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 102. ISBN 0-8108-5088-5.
^ Singh, Pashaura; Barrier, Norman Gerald (1999). Sikh Identity: Continuity and Change. Manohar. p. 235. ISBN 978-81-7304-236-2.
^ Kumar, Ashutosh (22 November 2019). Electoral Politics in Punjab: Factors and Phases. Taylor & Francis. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-000-76939-5.

[1] McLeod, W. H. (2000). Exploring Sikhism: Aspects of Sikh Identity, Culture and Thought. Oxford University Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-19-564902-4.

[2] Atal, Yogesh (2012). Sociology: A Study of the Social Sphere. Pearson Education India. p. 242. ISBN 978-8-13179-759-4.

[3] Cole, W. Owen (2005). A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy. Routledge. p. 70. ISBN 1135797609.

[4] Childs, Peter (13 May 2013). Encyclopaedia of Contemporary British Culture. Routledge. p. 270. ISBN 978-1134755547.

[5] Sharma, Subash Chander (1987). Punjab, the Crucial Decade. Nirmal Publications. p. 114. ISBN 978-8171561735.

[6] "Ramgarhias in OBC list". The Times of India. 31 August 2001. Retrieved 3 September 2020.

[7] "List of Backward Classes | Welfare of Scheduled Caste & Backward Classes Department, Government of Haryana". haryanascbc.gov.in. Retrieved 4 September 2020.

[8] "HBCFDC". himachalservices.nic.in. Retrieved 31 October 2020.

[9] McLeod, W. H. (2005) [1995]. Historical Dictionary of Sikhism (2nd ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 102. ISBN 0-8108-5088-5.

[10] Singh, Pashaura; Barrier, Norman Gerald (1999). Sikh Identity: Continuity and Change. Manohar. p. 235. ISBN 978-81-7304-236-2.

[11] Kumar, Ashutosh (22 November 2019). Electoral Politics in Punjab: Factors and Phases. Taylor & Francis. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-000-76939-5.

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v t e Ethnic groups, social groups and tribes of the Punjabis
Agrawal	Bansal
Arains	Rayeen Mian Mehr Kardar Ramay Bhutto
Ahirs	Yaduvanshi Ahirs Ahirs Ghosi Hindu Ghosi Aharwar Ranghar
Chauhans	Khandowya
Scheduled Castes	Ad-Dharmi Balmiki Bazigar Chamar Khatik Mazhabi Sikh Mochi Mirasi Nat Ramdasia Sikh Ravidasi
Gakhars	Kayani
Gurjars	Gurjara-Pratihara Bhati Baisla Khatana
Jats	Atwal Aulakh Bajwa Bhutta Buttar Chaudhary Cheema Chohan Dhankhar Deol Gill Grewal Jaswal Kahlon Kharal Khokhar Maan Malhi Malik Mirdha Mokal Noon Ranjha Randhawa Sahota Sandhu Sekhon Shergill Sidhu Sial tribe Sipra Sodhi Sohal Sohi Sukhera Tiwana Uppal Virk Warraich Wyne
Labana	Labana
Khatris	Anand Bhamba Bhambri Bhandari Bhasin Bindra Chadha Chopra Dhawan Duggal Gambhir Ghai Gujral Kakkar Kandhari Kapoor Khanna Khattar Khosla Khukhrain Kohli Khullar Madhok Mahendru Makan Malhotra Mehra Mehrotra Nagpal Nanda Narula Nayyar Oberoi Puri Roshan Sabharwal Sahni Sehgal Seth Sethi Sodhi Soni Talwar Tandon Thapar Trehan Vadera Vadra Vohra
Mohyal Brahmin	Bali Bhimwal Chhibber Datt Lau Mohan Vaid
Rajputs	Jarral Mair Rajput Bhatti Janjua Rathore Chauhan Minhas Jaswal Jamwal Rana Raja Wattoo
Tarkhans	Panesar Sohal
Others	Arora Bagga Bakarwal Bania Dogar Kamboj Kumhar Saini Sansi Sayyid Shaikh