The Amils () are a Sindhi Hindu sub-group of Lohana. The word "Amil" has its origin in the Persian word "amal" (as "administer"). Amils used to work in Administration in Government services.
Amils and Bhaibands were the communities that were one of the earliest to take up English education during British colonial rule. They were, along with the Parsis, the closest to the British and were regularly sent to Britain in order to seal business deals on behalf of the East India Company.
Amils in Sindh Amongst Sindhi Hindus, socially this clan ranks first in the hierarchical ranking among followed by Bhaiband. The Amils held the highest administrative offices under Muslim rulers, beginning in the mid-eighteenth century. They speak Sindhi. In 1938, Amils were primarily bankers, clerks, and minor officials. Amils are by no means the wealthiest in the Sindhi community but are highly educated professionals, often to this day.
Written historical accounts of the Amils in Sindh are rarely available. This article has been presented on the basis of some available documents and information received from elders. Hindus lived in abundance in Sindh, these Lohanas come in the order of inheritance. Before Hindus learn about "Amil" and "Bhaiband" in Sindhi.
Lohana inheritance
According to Skanda Purana, Lohana is a Suryavanshi Kshatriya Thakur. These Kshatriyas have been called Lohanas because of their settlement in strong forts like iron and making iron weapons. The word Lohana is a short form of Loh-Rana or Lohar-Rana. Lohana is an ancient dynasty History of Lohana Basically Lohana is a major community of Kshatriya varna. It originated in the region of Punjab in northwest India and later migrated to Sindh Gujarat state of India about 800 years ago. They became prominent residents of Sindh, so the original place of Lohanas is considered to be Sindh. As administrator and ruler, Kshatriya Lohana was entrusted with the task of protecting the people and serving humanity. However, over time, as a result of economic and political requirements, Lohana has been engaged mainly in mercantile businesses. According to historians, the Lohanas have their roots in the Indian subcontinent before the arrival of the Aryans, who consider them possibly the oldest living community in the world. According to mythology, Rama is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the protector of the universe. It is believed that Lord Rama divided his vast kingdom into eight parts, one part each of which was given to eight children of himself and his three brothers. Rama's elder son was Kush, who was given the south skill which was in the Gangetic basin. The descendants of Kush are known as Kushwaha. Rama's younger son was Luva, who was given the answer (Uttar Kaushal) of his kingdom (ref: Valmiki Ramayana Uttar Kand Sarga 107), which was later called Lavkar or the land of Luv which includes the present day Lahore (capital of Pakistan. In Ramayana, Luv is described as a great warrior, he along with his elder brother Kush stopped the horse and the entire army of his father Lord Rama's Ashwamedha Yagya. It is said that the descendants of Luv then moved westwards and established their rule over today's Afghanistan and surrounding areas as well. There is also evidence of this fact in the writings of the Chinese traveler "Fahiyan" (who came to India between 414 and 399 BC), he calls Lohana a brave community ruling the northwestern region of India. "Colonel Tod" who studied the history of Rajasthan intensively, describes Lohana as the oldest Kshatriya community. Around 580 BCE, when King Bimbisara ruled over India (India), the society got divided into different communities based on their occupation. One of their communities was called Kshatriyas and the descendants of King Love were grouped with them and came to be known as Luvanam, also known as Luvana. Luwanas of Loharghat were known as Loharana (lord of swords; or iron chieftains (iron = iron, rana = chieftains)), who later became Lohana. Everyone from Fahiyan down to the bottom recognizes Lohana as a brave community. One of the possible reasons for this bravery is that for centuries they found themselves falling in the direct path of invaders coming from the north-west such as the Persians, Macedonians, Huns, Mughals, etc. Over time, the power of the Lohnas of Sindh started decreasing and they felt that their identity was being threatened in Sindh, so they started migrating to Kutch, Saurashtra, Gujarat and even Thailand. In Gujarat, the Lohanas who perform the rituals are called Pujars and the descendants of Udero Lal (Darya Lal) are known as Ratnani. Gujarat Lohana women are praised as they say that only Rajputani, Loharani and Mianai give birth to children with gems. It is said that in 1422 AD, 700 Lohana families converted to Islam at the hands of Sayyid Yusufuddin Qadri in Thatta Sindh, now known as Memon. Lohanas are still found in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which are now Islamic states. But they still retain their religious identity and are known as Lokahathra. Lohana, who maintains his Hindu identity in Sindh, is known as Sindhi Lohana. In the early 20th century, a large number of Hindu Lohanas from Gujarat migrated to the British colonies of East Africa, with their descendants moving to Great Britain in recent decades. Many of them have settled in North West London and Leicester. Many Lohana Sindhi Samaj migrated to different cities in Gujarat and all over the India of India after partition, in Gujarat they are known as Ladi Lohana Sindhi Samaj. Lord Jhulelal, also belongs to the Suryavanshi Lohana family, his two brothers Somrai and Bhedu rai family also live in other cities of India.
Sindhi Amil and Bhaiband
Among the Sindhis, there were two classes: Amil and Bhaiband. Inter-caste marriages between them were rare in Sindh, but now these class distinctions are almost over and socially they question only Nukkh (gotra) and where they were living in Sindh for marriage. The native Amils in Sindh are also called Aalim, Amil, Diwan, Munshi. The Bhaibands or Vanya were usually merchants, who are called Vaishyas in the varna system. At the same time, the Amil or Diwan people were employed, more educated and of urban mentality, they were considered to be of Kshatriya varna. Most of the Amils were natives of Sindh, some historians say that some "Amils" were residents of Rajasthan who migrated to Sindh.
Who were the migratory Amils in Sindh?
And when did they reach Sindh? There is no published history or any record available to know these things. Therefore, it has also included limited data extracted from historical material and newspapers, and information from the elderly. Most of the Amils who are currently in Sindh came from Multan or Uch (Uch-i-Sharif, south of Multan); Both are located in Punjab. Some of the brothers living in Sindh have also come from Punjab, while others have come from Jaisalmer, Jodhpur (both in Rajasthan) and Gujarat. Some of the present-day Amils are Khatri Lohanas, and belong to warrior castes. Although the Amil family were Hindus in origin, some were influenced by Sikhism while living in Punjab or converted to Sikhism. Bherumal comments that today, some Amils of Hyderabad (Sindh) continue to uphold the Sikh traditions of the Panch-kesh (five Ka kars of Khalsa Sikhs: one of the Ka kars in which the hair of the head and face are kept. While most of these migrants continue to worship Guru Nanik as their ishta-devata (beloved deity), some have decided not to follow the pancha-kesh tradition after the migration. Such traditions have been going on since the time of Guru Nanik Sahib.
Did Amil come to Sindh from Punjab?
Some historians say that the "Amils" came to Sindh from Punjab, Rajasthan, and other states, although there is no official evidence. It is said that some people came because of the oppression of the emperor; Some had migrated for business purposes and employment, while others were doing so for personal or family reasons. For them, the route to Sindh, being a historical trade route, already existed. It is now necessary to discuss which categories of Amil families migrated from Punjab to Sindh. According to some senior elders (who were aware of Hindu family groups and their migration to Sindh), four complete family groups "Pada" and nine close family groups "Vedah" came to Sindh during this migration. "Vedaha" refers to Amil groups which were of different identities by Nukh (tribe, native) but were still connected to each other through matrimonial relations, meaning Vedaha means closely connected families, and "pada" refers to Amil groups that have neither the same identity (Nukh) nor any family relations. (However, they are neighbours in the same city/village). It is said that the "Vedaha" migrants were earlier closely connected families in Punjab, and there were inter-marriages among their castes. Both Pada and Vedaha Amils originally migrated from Punjab to Nawabshah and Hyderabad. Over time, other Hindus from Punjab migrated to the cities of Sukkur and Jacobabad in Sindh. Some of the families migrated from Punjab to Jodhpur and Gujarat and then to Hyderabad and Sindh.
Sindhi surname
Surnames have been prevalent among the Amil Sindhis, they used to write surnames with "Ni", "Ani" or "Ani" with the name of a famous or famous ancestor of their generation of 10-20-30 or more. The four early migrant Amil "Pada" (neighbours) people had surnames (surnames ), Vaswani, Idnani, Kirpalani and Mirchandani, and nine early Amil migrants were surnames of "Vedaha" (relative) migrants: Advani, Gidwani, Chandiramani, Malkani, Sipahimalani, Wadhwani, Punwani, Mansukhani and Shivdasani. In time, his descendants started writing some new surnames like Ajbani, Puniyani, Jagtyani, Jethmalani, Mansukhani etc. Some Amils were influenced by small European surnames and started shortening their surnames, Shivdasani became Sunny, Sipahmalani became Lani, Thadani became Thad and Kirpalani became Kripp, although this change did not last much, otherwise today many Sindhis would also be found with such surnames. The tradition of writing surname or surname was only in Sindh among the Amils, Bhaibands or other Sindhis used to write either Sindhi or surname according to the family name or identity of the place of residence. Every tradition changes according to place and time, now in the last 50-60 years, almost every Indian has started writing Sindhi surname or surname. In Sindh, "Amil" married only Amil and the ancestral surname was carried out. Gradually, the discrimination of Amil Bhaiband in marriage decreased. At present, it has become very difficult to know whether someone is Amil or Bhaiband. Although this is a good change from the point of view of social harmony, still a large "elite class" does not like and accept it.
Amil – Religion and Languages