History of Virk
VIRK
Virk is a Jat gotra or clan. The clan is spread across the Punjab region in Pakistan and Northern India. The name is pronounced as "Veerk".
Etymology
The name "Virk" could have been derived from the name of the epical ancestor of the gotra, Raja Virk Vardhan
Virks in the Rigveda
According to the Jat historian, Bhim Singh Dahiya's book "Aryan Tribes and the Rig Veda", a prince named Dasyave Vrika, is mentioned in the Rigveda (Vlll/51/2, Vlll/55/1, Vlll/56/1). He can be identified with the Virk clan of the Jats and also with the Virk people of Iranian history, who gave their name to the province of Varkania /Hyrcania in Iran.
In other ancient texts
As mentioned earlier, the name of one of the ancestors of the Virk gotra was Virk Vardhan. According to the Patanjali Bhashya (4.6-114), Ashtadhyayi (l-6-155), Mahabhasya( 4-2-154) and Kashikavarti (1-1-175), Raja Virk Vardhan had built forts in:
1. Kasrud (present-day Mandsor) in Central India
2. Shakil (Sialkot)
3. Sosaph
4. Dathaaprastha
5. Naudipur
6. Koak
7. Kandewa
8. Mula
9. Pava Datt
10. Karkar
11. Virkgary.
According to Thakur Yugendrapal, the Virks are the Vahilkas (they are believed to be the founders of Bahawalpur) who are mentioned in the Mahabharata and who took one-sixth of the income of king Shalya, who was the king of the Madras and ruled over Madradesa (modern-day Sialkot). In the fourth century AD, they had a powerful kingdom. They were the contemporaries of the Gupta rulers. According to Brij Indra Bhaskar, in 428 AD, the Virk rulers performed a big Yagya near Bayana and constructed a pillar, on which they mentioned themselves as Virks. Rock inscriptions of Yasodharman have been found in Mandsor. Their reign in Malwa came to an end in 462.
Physical Attributes
Historically , the Virks had unique physical attributes. In history books, they have been described as tall, muscular, courageous and loyal. These physical and mental attributes made them ideal candidates for recruitment for the armies of different kings and Maharajas. They served in British Army, and still make a sizeable portion of Pakistani and Indian armies.
Virks in the Punjab
Sheikhupura
According to historians, the present-day city of Sheikhupura in the province of Punjab (Pakistan), was the site of Virkgarh till the Mughal emperor, Jahangir built the present city of Sheikhupura. The epical ancestor Raja Virk Vardhan was a ruler of a the area with its capitol being presentday Sialkot, Punjab Pakistan. The eastern extent of his raj included Jandiala in Amritsar, India. Still, Jandiala belongs to the Virks.
Muslim and Sikh Virks
Whether Muslim or Sikh? Virks always took pride in member of the Great Jats. The majority of Virks on the western side of Punjab converted to Islam while majority of Virks on eastern side of Punjab converted to Sikhism. The famous Virk Chieftan, Nawab Kapur Singh founded the Dal Khalsa and later divided it into twelve Misls. He was from "Fyzallapur" which remained his headquarter, this village was later rename as Singhpur. The Misl that he headed was consequently known as the Singhpuria Misl.
Virks in the British period
In Punjab (British India), the Virks held very high positions in the British Indian Army. Before the Partition of India, Sir Shahabuddin, a member of the Punjab Assembly and Secretary of the Jat Sabha, was a Virk Jat who belonged to Tar in Sialkot.
Virk Jats today
Today, one can find Virk Jats on both sides of the Punjab. In Punjab (Pakistan), a majority of Virks live in the Sheikhupura district. Virks still control the city of Sheikhupura (the ancient Virkgarh), politically and economically.
History of VIRKS
History
The Pandavas, when they returned from forest, had demanded: "give us even Kusasthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata and, for the fifth, any other that thou likest (see -Udyoga Parva/Mahabharata Book V Chapter 31: Vrikasthala was one of them: (Bickram Virk)
कुश स्थलं वृकस्थलम आसन्थी वारणावतमअवसानं भवेथ अत्र किं चिथ एव तु पञ्चमम (V.31.19)
It is one of the most important clans. It is mentioned by Pāṇini and V.S. Agrawal has identified Virks with the Jats. The same identification has been mentioned by Buddha Prakash [1]. Mahabhasya mentions Vrika and its derivative Varkenya, the Varkan of the Persians, and Hyrcan of the Greeks. The Caspian sea was once called the Sea of Vrkans (Hyrcanian). The identification of Hyrcan with Varkan has also been mentioned by Rawlinson in his "History of Herodotus", he mentions that, even in the thirteenth century, their country in Central Asia was mentioned as Urkanich in Yakut. According to Herodotus, they fought in the battle of Thermopylae under their leader named Megapanus which, afterwards, was a Satrap of Babylonia [2]. They are one of the earliest clans to enter India and, up to the sixth century A.D., at least they were ruling in Malwa under their king Vishnuvardhana, Vrik. The Vriks are remembered in the Brahma, Vaman and Markandeya Puranas. Their antiquity goes very much deep in the past.
A country called Uruk/Wark is mentioned in Sumeria, along with a country called Gutium. In fact, Trigan, the last Gutian king in the twenty-second century B.C. was defeated by Utu-Khegal, the ruler of Wark country. It is possible that this country has been named after them.
The word Vrik in Sanskrit means a wolf - the same as Russian word Volka which also means the same and after which the river Volga is named.
In the Kushana period, an officer of Vima Kadphises was a Vrika, according to K.P.Jayaswa.
According to Patan Jali Bhashya 4.6-114, Ashtadhyayi l-6-155 Mahabhasya 4-2-154 and Kashika varti 1-1-175, Raja Virk Vardhan had his forts in Kasrud (Mandsaur), Central India, Shakil (Sialkot) Sosaph, Dathaaprastha, Naudipur, Koak, Kandewa, Mula, Pava Datt, Karkar, Virkgary, etc.
According to historians, the present Sheikhupura was the site of Virkgarh.
According to Th. Yugendrapal, Virks are Vahikas who are mentioned in the Mahabharata and who took one-sixth of the income of King Shalya. In the fourth century AD, they had a powerful kingdom. They were contemporaries of the Gupta rulers. According to Brij Indra Bhaskar, in 428 AD, the Virk rulers performed a big Yagya near Bayana and constructed a Pillar, on which they are mentioned as Virks. Rock inscriptions of Yasodharman have been found in Mandsaur. Their reign in Malwa came to an end in 462 AD.
King Singhavarma belonging to this dynasty ruled from 535 AD to 585 AD. He had two sons Narvarma and Chandravarma. Chandravarma's son was Yasovarman. According to a rock inscription found in Gandhara, he was an independent ruler. He had two sons, Bhimvarma and Bondhuvarma. Bondhuvarma was defeated by the Gupta rulers and Bhimvarma was appointed the savant of a principality near Kausambhi but, once again, he became independent and, allying himself with Anu Gupta, fought the Huns. This has been referred to in the "Chandra Viyakaran".
Bhandhuvarmas's son was Yasodharman and his son Shiladitya.
The Virk Jat Kapur Singh founded Kapurthala and made it his capital. Before Punjab's partition, Sir Shahab-ud-Din, member of the Punjab Assembly and Secretary of Jat Sabha belonged to Tar in Sialkot. Jandiala in Amritsar belonged to the Virks.
The Virk tribe was designated by the British as a Martial race.
The headquarters of the Virk
The headquarters of the Virk appear to be the Gujranwala and Sheikhupura districts, especially, the former in which they own 132 villages. They claim origin from a Rajput called Virk, who left Jammu and settled at Ghuchli in Amritsar, Sheikhupura and, Gujranwala, nearly a third of them have returned themselve as Rajputs, but they marry freely with the Jat tribes in their neighbourhood. They say that their ancestor, Virk, had descended from Raja Malan Hans Dev of Jammu, the founder of the Manhas or Minhas clan of Rajputs. Leaving Paragowal (founder of paragowal was Raja parago Minhas) in Jammu, Virk settled in Amritsar and married a Gill Jat girl. His descendants, shortly afterward, moved westwards into Gujranwala. There are three main sections of the tribe, the Jopur, Vachra, and Jan. The tribes rose to some political importance about the end of last century, ruling a considerable tract in Gujranwala and Lahore, till subdued by Ranjit Singh.
Sheikhupura
According to the historians, the present-day city of Sheikhupura in the province of Punjab (Pakistan), was the site of Virkgarh till the Mughal emperor, Jahangir built the city of Sheikhupura. The epical ancestor of Virks, Raja Virk Vardhan, was a ruler of the area with its capital being the present-day city of Sialkot, Punjab (Pakistan). The eastern extent of his Raj included Amritsar (India) which still belongs to the Virks. The Virks are still strong in this area politically and economically. There are 132 villages in this area which belong to the Virks.
Muslim and Sikh Virk
Whether Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, Virks always took pride in being members of the Jat community. The majority of Virks on the western side of Punjab converted to Islam while the majority of Virks on the eastern side of Punjab converted to Sikhism. The famous Virk chieftain, Nawab Kapur Singh founded the Dal Khalsa and, later, divided it into twelve Misls.He belonged from the "Fyzallapur" village which remained his headquarters. This village was, later, renamed as Singhpur. The Misl that he headed was, consequently, known as theSinghpuria Misl..
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.