Arh

Arh (अर्ह) is a Jat clan.

Origin

They get its name from a ruler of the name Arha (अर्ह). These people lived on the bank of Shailoda river between Meru and Mandarachal mountains.

Association with present Jat gotras

Ram Sarup Joon writes ... Many names in the Genealogical tables of Yayati are associated with present Jat gotras. Some examples are Ushinar, Shishu Bhadra, Tak or Takshak, Satoti, Krishan or Kushana from the Yadhu branch; Dushyanta, Bharat, Bhardwaja, Hasti, Ajmirh, Kaushik, Gadh and Vishwamitra of Puru branch; Seth, Arh, Gandhi, Gaindhu and Gandhar of the Ardas branch.

History

Ram Sarup Joon writes....This Ardas Branch of Puru spread into Upgunusthan now known as Afghanistan. A King named Seth of this dynasty had a son called Arh, whose son Gandhara founded the city of this name as his capital. Duryodhana’s mother Gandhari was from this branch.

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Ram Sarup Joon writes that ... Arh or Lohchab : The King Arh was in fourth generation of Ardas and is mentioned in many stories of Puranas. He was a brave Warrior. Very few Jats belonging to this gotra are found to day.

They have the villages, Bhopania and Ochandi in district Rohtak and Delhi. According to Todd's Rajasthan the origin of the Arh dynasty cannot be traced out, but a few gotras of this dynasty are found among the Jats.

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They are mentioned by Cunningham in an inscription at the Buddhist Stupa of Sanchi of the Ashoka period as under:

No. 35. — Araha-Gutasa Sāsādakasa bhichhuno dānam.

" Gift of Arhata Gupta, a mendicant monk of the Sāsārdaka order."

In Rajatarangini

Rajatarangini tells that .... Bhadreshvara who was promoted to the post of Tungga, plundered the riches belonging to the gods Bhuteahvara and Ahideva. (VII, p.176)

In Mahabharata

Sabha Parva, Mahabharata/Book II Chapter 48 mentions about various kinds of tribute presented unto Yudhishthira by the kings of the earth. They that dwell by the side of the river Sailoda flowing between the mountains of Meru and Mandara and enjoy the delicious shade of topes of the Kichaka Venu (bamboo) viz., the Khashas, Ekasanas, the Arhas, the Pradaras, the Dirghavenus, the Paradas, the Kulindas, the Tanganas, and the other Tanganas, brought as tribute heaps of gold measured in dronas (jars) and raised from underneath the earth by ants and therefore called after these creatures.

1  [थ]
    दायं तु तस्मै विविधं शृणु मे गदतॊ ऽनघ
    यज्ञार्दं राजभिर थत्तं महान्तं धनसंचयम
2 मेरुमन्दरयॊर मध्ये शैलॊदाम अभितॊ नदीम
    ये ते कीचक वेणूनां छायां रम्याम उपासते
3 खशा एकाशनाज्यॊहाः परदरा दीर्घवेनवः
    पशुपाश च कुणिन्दाश च तङ्गणाः परतङ्गणाः
4 ते वै पिपीलिकं नाम वरदत्तं पिपीलिकैः
    जातरूपं दरॊण मेयम अहार्षुः पुञ्जशॊ नृपाः

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Ram Sarup Joon writes that ....There is a story in Karna Parva/Mahabharata Book VIII Chapter 23 of the Mahabharata that when Dron Acharya was killed in action, Karna was appointed Commander in Chief of Kaurava Army. He chose Raja Shalya of Sialkot as his charioteer. He was a Madrak Jat and a brother of Madri, mother of the Pandavas. When they were driving to the battle field Karan said, “0, Shalya, there is none equal to me in archery in the Pandava army. They will flee before my arrows”. Shalya was frank and said “No, my people don’t acknowledge your prowess with the bow and arrow as being superior to that of Arjuna.” Karan felt offended and remarked caustically’ “0 Shalya, what do you Jartikas living in the land of five rivers, know about archery and bravery. All your people, Arh, Gandhar, Darad, Chima, Tusar, Malhia, Madrak, Sindhaw, Reshtri, Kukat, Bahik and Kekay eat onion and garlic..... The gotras mentioned above are all Jats and are not found in any other community. However ungraceful the remark, it does prove the existence of Jats in that period and that people of Punjab were called Jatika or Jartika.

अर्ह जाटवंश

अर्ह, पारद, तङ्गण-परतङ्गण - ये तीनों जाटवंश हैं। इनका वर्णन - मेरु और मन्दराचाल (मेरु के पूर्व में) पर्वतों के बीच में प्रवाहित होने वाली शैलौदा नदी के दोनों तटों पर छिद्रों में वायु के भर जाने से वेणु की तरह बजने वाले बांसों की रमणीय छाया में जो लोग बैठते थे और विश्राम करते थे, वे अर्ह, पारद, तङ्गण-परतङ्गण आदि नरेश, महाराजा युधिष्ठिर को भेंट देने के लिए पिपीलिकाओं (चींटियों) द्वारा निकाले हुए पिपीलिक नाम वाले स्वर्ण के ढेर के ढेर उठा लाये थे। (सभापर्व 52वां अध्याय, श्लोक 2-4)। इन लोगों का प्रजातन्त्र राज्य मरु तथा मन्दराचल के क्षेत्र में था। आजकल यह स्थान मंगोलिया में है। अर्जुन ने इन तङ्गण-परतङ्गण नरेशों को हराकर इनसे भेंट ली थी (सभापर्व)।

References

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