Submitted by APS Bhangoo

on 29th December 2004

 

My background:

 

My ancestral village is Rurki Hiran, it is about 4 kms from Chamkour Sahib (where 2 older Sahibzadas were martyred in 1704) in Ropar District. My grandfather was an officer in Punjab Police during British Raj. There is a cluster of 7 strong Bhangoo villages, which are closely tied together. The legend is that our ancestors were Sardars of the Bhangi misl. About 200 years ago Maharaja Ranjit Singh ousted them from the Majha tract. They got disguised as Aheers and crossed the river Sutlej and settled here. So bears the name of the village Hiran from Aheer. In fact some use their last name as Bhangoo-Hira or Hira.

 

However, I have to investigate about this story. Who were our ancestors and how did they come here. I personally have no records of this.

 

The following are some of the villages from our cluster -

Rurki Hiran

Hawara kalan & Hawara khurd

Kala Majra

Birsalpur

 

Bhangoo History in brief:

 

  1. It is mentioned in “Tribes of Punjab and NWFP” by Rose based on the 1883 census report of India by the British that the Bhangoo tribe drives its name from eponym “Bhango”. He belonged to a ruling family of Nepal and he migrated to Punjab more than a thousand (may be two thousand) years ago. Then the tribe controlled the Jhang area till they were dispersed by the Sials. This text also mentioned that the Bhangoo tribe was also found in the Shorkot area.
  2. Second important information that I read on the Internet and it is also posted on http://www.bhangoo.com. It is in reference to the Arabic accounts (of the 8th century Arab Invasion) of Jatt tribes in the Sindh, Bhangoo was mentioned as being one of them. This goes along with the above theory that the Bhangoo tribe is present in the Punjab-Sindh area from atleast around 1500 years. We need to get and read this reference to prove this account.
  3. It is conceived by some that Bhangoo Jatts are the descendents of the powerful Bhangi Misl. One of the founders of this misl was Hari Singh Bhangi, who was a Dhillon from near Badni in Faridkot. His descendents took over the reigns of the Bhangi Misl after his death. Now they are settled in Amritsar District and they continue to keep their last name as Dhillon. As the Bhangi misl was powerful and famous, so some Bhangoo Jatt-Sikhs might have wanted to get associated with it. Or is it possible that some of the Bhangi chiefs were in fact “Bhangoo”. Whatever the case is, we have to find the reality.
  4. Everyone is aware of Shahid Mehtab Singh, who rode from Bikaner to Amritsar after he heard that Massa Rangar is dishonoring Shri Harminder Sahib. He went back to Bikaner with Rangar’s head. He is an ultimate example of courage and bravery in Sikh history. He was a Bhangoo from Mirankot near Amritsar. His grandson Rattan Singh Bhangoo wrote the Prachin Panth Parkash, which is an invaluable contribution to Sikh history. Rattan Singh’s entire family including father and uncles were Sardars of the Shahedan Misl. They are now settled in Jhari-Bhari near Khanna.
  5. One more personality that stands out from the rest is Major-General Shabeg Singh, a Bhangoo who is famous for his role in Operation Bluestar.

 

Some other Bhangoo villages

 

  1. A village called Moran near Philaur is said to the home of a famous Sardar family, Bhangoo by last name and they served as generals in the Indian Army.
  2. There is cluster of Bhangoo villages in Sangrur District, Rajpura area of Patiala distt.
  3. Bhanguan is a village in Fatehgarh Sahib Distt, close to my ancesterol village but not immediately related to our cluster.
  4. Rurka is a Bhangoo village near Mullanpur in Ludhiana distt.
  5. There is a Bhangoo village near Barnala (name not known).
  6. There are multple Bhangoo villages in Amritsar distt.

 

APS Bhangoo can be reached at aps@bhangoo.com