Shokeen

Sheokhand/Shokeen is a gotra of Jats found in Delhi and Haryana. The gotra gets its name from Shiva.

History

There is story of this clan migrating from Lahore, Punjab in the 12th 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), a few others kept on moving forward to Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. There were 8 brothers who settled in Delhi and founded 8 continuous villages there (in the nearby vicinity). The rest of the migrants went and settled in western Uttar Pradesh/ Harit Pradesh.

The family records of this gotra/ Clan can be found with the pundits in Gadhganga. There are 25 Villages in patiala district of this gotra. According to Hukum Singh Panwar (Pauria),this clan is settled in about 25 contiguous villages (out of total 30 villages) [6] 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 [7] or the Sibis of the Usinara country in the north of Haridwar near the source of Ganges. [8] 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 [9] and some adjacent areas of Jind district in Haryana. They are mentioned in the Vishnu Purana as Sukanda.

Distribution 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 the 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 from 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 their names as Shokeen. Though many village elders tried to check this phenomenon but nowadays many are writing Shokeen as a surname. Though there are a few who still use Sheokhanda as their surname but for fixing marriages sheokhanda is used by all.

Distribution in Haryana

Villages in Hisar district: Hasangarh Villages in Jind district: Badanpur, Bhagwanpura, Bhanbhori, Chhan, Dohana khera, dhakal, Dumarkha Kalan, Dumarkha Khurd, Ghaso, Jheel, Kakrod, Khark Bhura, Kheri Masania, Mangalpur, Pahlwan, Safa Kheri, Sudkain Kalan, Tarkha, Uchana Khurd

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. [12]

The family records of this gotra can be found with pundits in Gadganga.

Notable persons

• Late Ch. Inder Singh Sheokand - M.P. (6th Lok Sabha, 1977), Deputy C.M. of PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Un)
• Ch. Bhoop Singh Sheokand - Advocate P & H High Court, EX Advocate General, Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.
• Suveer Sheokand - Advocate P & H High Court, Ex Treasurer, P & H High Court Bar Association,Convener Youth Congress, Chandigarh.
• Brigadier Anil - Indian Army
• Chaudhary Tarif Singh - Ex-MP Outer Delhi.
• Birender Singh - General secretary AICC.
• Rajeshwar Dayal Sheokhand - Retired IAS Haryana.
• Vivek Shokeen - Tennis Player
• Smt Jaiwanti Sheokhand - Ret. IAS Haryana.
• Ch. Chandan Singh Sheokand - Retd. D.S.P (Haryana).
• Major Parmender Shokeen - Rajput Regiment (Dichaon Kalan).
• Amar Pal Singh Shokeen - Asst. Director, FSL Delhi (Mangol Pur Kalan)
• Ch. Bharat Singh Shokeen - (19 April 2008), ex M.P. Outer Delhi(Dichao Kalan)
• 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).
• Virender Singh - DANICS (Village Mangolpur Kalan).
• Brijender Singh Sheokand - IAS, D.C.Chandigarh.
• Ishwar Singh Sheokand - Ex. Deputy Director (Education), Chandigarh.
• Surinder Pal Singh Sheokand - Senior Advocate, Member HPCC (Dumarkha Kalan).
• Chhaju Singh Sheokand - Retired S.S Haryana Roadways.
• Manoj Shokeen - MLA BJP Kanjhawala, Delhi(Nilothi Vill.).
• Bijender Singh - MLA Congress, Nangloi (Vill.- Nangloi).
• Rampal Sheokand - XEN, HSIIDC, Manesar (Gurgaon) (VILLAGE-Jheel).
• Satender Sheokand - Sr. Engineer, BHEL (Vill.-Jheel).