Shokeen
Shokeen (शॉकीन) gotra is a shorter version of ancient Jat Gotra called by names Shaukhanda (शौखंदा) Sheokhand (श्योकंद) Seokand (स्योकंद) Seokund (स्योकंद) Sheokand (श्योकंद) Shyaukand (श्यौकंद) etc. They are distributed in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi
Origin
They are recorded as descendants of Chandravanshi king Shiva Skanda (शिव स्कन्ध). Some historians consider this gotra originated from Nagavanshi Shalipinda (शालीपिण्ड). [1] Skanda is the name of Kartikeya, second son of Shiva and brother of Ganesha. The region Scandinavia gets name after Skanda.
History
There is story of this clan migrating from Lahore, Punjab in the 12 century. It was due to the wave of Arab attacks. The migratory Jat families had a first stop at Patiala in Punjab region, then it stopped in Jind(Present day Haryana), few other kept on moving forward to Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. There were 8 brothers who settled in Delhi and formed 8 continuous villages there (in the nearby vicinity). Some of the rest of migrant went to western Uttar Pradesh/ Harit Pradesh and settled there. The family records of this gotra/ Clan can be found with pundits in Gadhganga. There are 25 Villages in patiala district of this gotra. According to Hukum Singh Panwar(Pauria),this clan is living in about 25 contiguous villages (in total 30 villages) [2] in Jind district of Haryana and about 5 villages in Nangloi block of Delhi ,rest 3 villages in delhi are bit scattered. There are couple of villages of this clan in patiala and some in western Uttar Pradesh better known as Harit Pradesh. Of late this gotra has been Arabicised as Shokeen in some Delhi villages, though while marrying they retain their ancestral clan name that is sheokhand. They are identified by some scholars with the Shivis [3] or the Sibis of the Usinara country in the north of Haridwar near the source of Ganges. [4] The Sivas or Sibis Jats became known as Shivakhande or Sheokhande from and after the Shivaliks, the abode of Lord Shiva, the highest deity of the Jats.
There are 8 villages (Ath-Gama) of this Gotra in National Territory of Delhi (Sultanpur Majra, Mongol Pur Kalan, Mongolpur Khurd, Peeragarhi, Nangloi Jat, Nilothi, Kamruddin-Nagar, Dichaon Kalan),Roshanpura, Deendarpur, Chhawla and in Haryana near Jind. All the village of Shokeen gotra in delhi falls in outer delhi. Though these village use Shokeen as their surnames but socially they introduce themselves as Sheokhanda, particularly for fixing marriages and in panchayats.There also seems to be a debate among Delhi villages to use their surname as Sheokhanda rather than Shokeen but some members of the community are resisting the efforts as they wish to be different.
Distribution
Sheokand (श्योकंद) gotra Jats are Scattered in many areas, have prominent presence in Kakrod, Uchana, Jajanpur near Pehowa [5] and some adjacent areas of Jind district in Haryana. They are mentioned in the Vishnu Purana as Sukanda. [6] [7]
Villages in Delhi
There are 14 villages (chodah- Gama) of this Gotra in National Territory of Delhi (Sultanpur Majra,New Roshan Pura, Deenarpur, Mangolpur Kalan, Mangolpur Khurd, Peeragarhi, Nangloi Jat, Nilothi, Kamroodin-nagar, Chhawla,Dichau) and in Haryana near Jind. Sultanpur Majra is a 'Shokeen' gotra village in Outer (west) Delhi.
Shokeen and Sheokhanda Debate
The change in the surname came into being in 1950s when some young boys wanted to make their names look cool. They found their surname very heavy in pronouncing and came with a suggestion of shokeen name. There is another alternate story of a young boy form one of the 8 villages who went to Mumbai to become an actor where he referred his surname as shokeen. Though he never made into the movies his surname clicked among the youth of the villages and slowly some boys started writing there names as shokeen. Though many village elders tried to change this phenomenon but now days many are writing shokeen as a surname. Though there are few who still use sheokhanda as their surname but for fixing marriages sheokhanda is used.
Distribution in Haryana
Villages in Hisar district
Villages in Jind district
Dumarkha Kalan, Dumarkha Khurd, Sudkain, Ghaso, Khark Bhura, Tarkha, Uchana Khurd, Pahlwan, Bhanbhori, Kakrod, Chhan.
Sheokand Khap
Sheokand Khap has 30 villages in Narwana tahsil in jind district in Haryana. Bijnor district - Kharak (खरक) village, Delhi province 12 villages, Patiala district 25 villages. Uchana Kalan (उचाना कलां) is head village of this khap. [8]
The family records of this gotra can be found with pundits in Gadganga.
Notable persons from this gotra
- Devender Shokeen Naib Tehsildar Najafgarh (Village Deendarpur)
- Ch Chandan singh Sheokand D.S.P (retd) Uchana haryana
- Vivek Shokeen - tennis player
- Chaudhary Tarif Singh - Ex-MP Outer Delhi
- Virender Singh - Haryana Minister
- Rajeshwar Dayal Sheokhand - IAS Haryana
- Smt Jaiwanti Sheokhand - IAS Haryana
- Ch. Bharat Singh Shokeen ( -19 April, 2008), ex M.P. Outer Delhi (1984-89)
- Bharat Singh Shokeen M.L.A.(INELO) Najafgarh (Dichaon Kalan)
- Sumesh Shokeen M.L.A.(Congress)Matiyala (Chhawla Village)
- Subhash Shokeen Advocate, Delhi High Court (Village New Roshan Pura)
- Rajbir Singh Shokeen, Manager North Zone,Timex (Village New Roshan Pura)
- Sukhveer Singh Shokeen, S.I. Delhi Police (Village New Roshan Pura)
- Virender Singh, Daniks (Village Mangolpur Kalan)
- Late Ch. Inder Singh Sheokand - M.P. (6th Lok Sabha, 1977), Deputy C.M. of PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union)
- Chaudhary Birender Singh Sheokand -EX Finance Minister, Haryana
- Brijender Singh Sheokand - D.C.Chandigarh
- Jaiwanti Sheokand - EX D.C. Kaithal, presentlyREtired
- Ch. Bhoop Singh Sheokand - Advocate P & H High Court, EX Advocate General, Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh
- Ishwar Singh Sheokand -EX DEPUTY DIRECTOR (EDUCATION) CHANDIGARH
- Suveer Sheokand- Advocate P & H High Court, Ex Treasurer, P & H High Court Bar Association,Convener Youth Congress, Chandigarh
- R. D.Sheokand- Retired I.A.S.and persently member of HPSC Haryana.A very Honest Officer during service.
- Jagdish Singh Sheokand- Sub Inspector In Haryana Police.
External links
References
- ↑ Dr Mahendra Singh Arya, Dharmpal Singh Dudee, Kishan Singh Faujdar & Vijendra Singh Narwar: Ādhunik Jat Itihasa (The modern history of Jats), Agra 1998, p. 281
- ↑ Name="Hukum Singh Panwar 1993. p. 38"
- ↑ Kathasaritsagar, vol.1 p. 11
- ↑ ABORI, vol. XXIX, p. 117, fn. 9
- ↑ Added by (VINEET SHEOKAND)
- ↑ 156-op. cit, 157
- ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya, Jats the Ancient Rulers, 1980, p. 270
- ↑ Dr Ompal Singh Tugania: Jat Samuday ke Pramukh Adhar Bindu, Agra, 2004, p. 21
Back to Gotras