Tadkeshwar
Encyclopedia
Tarkeshwar also spelt "Tadkeshwar", (Gujarati તડ્કેશ્વર) is a town located in the district of Surat
, Gujarat, India, situated approximately 36&km away from Surat City and on the Kim-Mandvi Road north of the River Tapti. It belongs to the Mandavi Taluka of Surat Panchayat, and is very close to Bharuch District. It has a population of about 12,000 people, with a slight majority of Vohra Surti Muslims and the remainder Hindus of various castes, including a number of Tribal Hindus. Most of the families are engaged in agriculture. A large part of the population is settled abroad including USA, Canada
, United Kingdom
, France
, South Africa
, Zambia
, Barbados
and Panama
. A large part of the Muslim population also migrated to Pakistan
post 1947 and today are Pakistan
i citizens settled mainly in Karachi
.
town called Bhim-Nagar derived from the name of Raja
Bhimdev I of the Solanki
dynasty, who ruled most of Gujarat at the time. During Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna's invasions into Gujarat, the town was both attacked and conquered by his armies, sometime between the years 1024-1026AD. Thirty Five thousand Ghaznavid soldiers are said to have conquered the town. This is attested by the fact that old stones can be found around the town with the name of the conqueror Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi engraved on them. Since Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna was himself of Turkic origin and his armies consisted of Turks, Persians and Afghans
from Afghanistan
/Afghan Turkestan
after the conquest the town became known as Turk-sar, which in the Turkic language means 'beset by the Turks'. Over time, the words combined to form "Tarkeshwar". Most of the town's original Hindu population were killed. Some Rajputs in the town are said to have converted to Islam. Some of his soldiers settled in the town and over time adopted the use of Rajput surnames or titles. A common surname today found in Tadkeshwar is Turki
, which literally means of Turkic origin. Some families in Tadkeshwar claim to be descended from the Ghaznavid soldiers that settled in the town and there are many families in which light skin and Blue eyes is noticed including Chauhan
, Nakhuda
, KARODIYA, Bana
, Ingar, Saeed and Kazi.
The town has a subsequent history of foreign and local settlements including Parsi's, Nakhuda
's and Pashtuns. Many pious Muslims and saints are associated with the town and are responsible for many people embracing Islam. Four mausoleums dedicated to Muslim saints surround the town at all four directions, and are said to give the town divine blessing. Two of the more famous saints are Hazrat Maulana Nizamuddin Bajouri, an Afghan Pashtun
from Bajour, who lived and died in Tadkeshwar in the 19th century; and his disciple Hazrat Shaikh Moosaji Mehtar. Their graves are located together on a hill and are often visited by the locals.
Today, the majority of Tadkeshwar is populated by Muslim
s, and about 40% are Hindus and generally the town's politics and affairs are dominated by the Muslims and hence it is known as a Muslim town. Both communities share cordial and good relations. The communities are however separated into Muslims streets and Hindu streets. The town has seven mosques and three Hindu Temples including a Jain Temple. The more prominent Muslim families are Chauhan
, Nakhuda
, Bana
, Ingar, Saeed, Turki
, Kazi, Desai
, Mehtar
, Arya, Dedat, karoodiya Nurgat and Patel
. Among the Hindu
families Brahmins, Rajputs, Parmars, Solanki
, Ahirs
as well as Patel
s, Shah
and Kathiawar
's are found. The town also has a Parsi
street, and previously they were many Parsi's most of whom have now moved to Mumbai or Surat and today only one elderly member of this community remains. There is also one Afghanistan Afghan Achakzai family originally from Spin Boldak in Kandahar, settled in the village since 1947. They still speak Pashto among themselves and Urdu with others. The patriarch of this family Maulana Sher Ali Kandahari is the most senior Maulana in the town's Madressa and was born in Afghanistan. There is also one Sikh family.
Falah-e-Darain, where hundreds of Muslim students from far afield as Sudan and Srinagar
in India go to become Alims and Qaris. The old mosque also contains an inscription in Persian language
.
The town has its own water works system and electricity and telephone networks are provided to the whole town. The town also has its own bazaar
, high school, three hospitals and two graveyards with many old stones.
Tadkeshwar also has two lignite
mines and a canal. The masoleams of two saints Hazrat Maulana Nizamuddin Bajouri, and Hazrat Shaikh Moosaji Mehtar are also located in the village.
The closest railhead is Kim.
Surat district
Surat is a district in the state of Gujarat India with Surat city as the administrative headquarters of this district. It is surrounded by Bharuch, Narmada , Navsari and Dang districts. To the west is the Gulf of Cambay. It is the second-most advanced district in Gujarat...
, Gujarat, India, situated approximately 36&km away from Surat City and on the Kim-Mandvi Road north of the River Tapti. It belongs to the Mandavi Taluka of Surat Panchayat, and is very close to Bharuch District. It has a population of about 12,000 people, with a slight majority of Vohra Surti Muslims and the remainder Hindus of various castes, including a number of Tribal Hindus. Most of the families are engaged in agriculture. A large part of the population is settled abroad including USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. A large part of the Muslim population also migrated to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
post 1947 and today are Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i citizens settled mainly in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
.
History
The town was previously a RajputRajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
town called Bhim-Nagar derived from the name of Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
Bhimdev I of the Solanki
Solanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
dynasty, who ruled most of Gujarat at the time. During Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna's invasions into Gujarat, the town was both attacked and conquered by his armies, sometime between the years 1024-1026AD. Thirty Five thousand Ghaznavid soldiers are said to have conquered the town. This is attested by the fact that old stones can be found around the town with the name of the conqueror Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi engraved on them. Since Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna was himself of Turkic origin and his armies consisted of Turks, Persians and Afghans
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
/Afghan Turkestan
Afghan Turkestan
Afghan Turkestan is a region in northern Afghanistan, on the border with the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It was the name of a former province in this area until its division by Abdur Rahman, and was centred on Mazari Sharif and included territory in the...
after the conquest the town became known as Turk-sar, which in the Turkic language means 'beset by the Turks'. Over time, the words combined to form "Tarkeshwar". Most of the town's original Hindu population were killed. Some Rajputs in the town are said to have converted to Islam. Some of his soldiers settled in the town and over time adopted the use of Rajput surnames or titles. A common surname today found in Tadkeshwar is Turki
Turki
The Turki language is a Türkic literary language active from the 13th to the 19th centuries, used by different Türkic peoples...
, which literally means of Turkic origin. Some families in Tadkeshwar claim to be descended from the Ghaznavid soldiers that settled in the town and there are many families in which light skin and Blue eyes is noticed including Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
, Nakhuda
Nakhuda
Nākhudā is a term originating from the Persian language literally meaning Captain...
, KARODIYA, Bana
Bana
Bana may refer to:*Term for the Fali people, especially in Nigeria* Bana, Gabon* Bana, Guinea* Bana , a village in Rajasthan state of India* Bana , popular balladeer from Cape Verde* Bana, Hungary, village in Hungary...
, Ingar, Saeed and Kazi.
Nakhuda
Nākhudā is a term originating from the Persian language literally meaning Captain...
's and Pashtuns. Many pious Muslims and saints are associated with the town and are responsible for many people embracing Islam. Four mausoleums dedicated to Muslim saints surround the town at all four directions, and are said to give the town divine blessing. Two of the more famous saints are Hazrat Maulana Nizamuddin Bajouri, an Afghan Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
from Bajour, who lived and died in Tadkeshwar in the 19th century; and his disciple Hazrat Shaikh Moosaji Mehtar. Their graves are located together on a hill and are often visited by the locals.
Today, the majority of Tadkeshwar is populated by Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, and about 40% are Hindus and generally the town's politics and affairs are dominated by the Muslims and hence it is known as a Muslim town. Both communities share cordial and good relations. The communities are however separated into Muslims streets and Hindu streets. The town has seven mosques and three Hindu Temples including a Jain Temple. The more prominent Muslim families are Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
, Nakhuda
Nakhuda
Nākhudā is a term originating from the Persian language literally meaning Captain...
, Bana
Bana
Bana may refer to:*Term for the Fali people, especially in Nigeria* Bana, Gabon* Bana, Guinea* Bana , a village in Rajasthan state of India* Bana , popular balladeer from Cape Verde* Bana, Hungary, village in Hungary...
, Ingar, Saeed, Turki
Turki
The Turki language is a Türkic literary language active from the 13th to the 19th centuries, used by different Türkic peoples...
, Kazi, Desai
Desai
Desai is an administrative title and surname derived from the Vedic Sanskrit words "desh sai" meaning "lord of the land." 'Desai' is a surname attributed to Hindus who were feudal lords and revenue collectors...
, Mehtar
Mehtar
Mehtar is a Persian word meaning "Mighty" and was used in several ancient area of Pakistan to denote the local ruler. It is the title of the ruler of the former State of Chitral....
, Arya, Dedat, karoodiya Nurgat and Patel
Patel
Patel is a surname of Indian origin, originally meaning "headman" or"village chief". Patels are socially, economically and politically the most dominant caste in Gujarat Patels are basically Kurmis or Kunbis and are found in various geographical locations. The Kunbi are an Indian subcaste...
. Among the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
families Brahmins, Rajputs, Parmars, Solanki
Solanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
, Ahirs
Ahirs
Ahir is an Indian caste. The term can be used synonymously with Yadav, as the latter term refers to Ahirs who have identified as Yadavs. The major divisions of Ahirs are: Yaduvanshi, Nandvanshi, and Gwalvanshi.-Etymology:...
as well as Patel
Patel
Patel is a surname of Indian origin, originally meaning "headman" or"village chief". Patels are socially, economically and politically the most dominant caste in Gujarat Patels are basically Kurmis or Kunbis and are found in various geographical locations. The Kunbi are an Indian subcaste...
s, Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
and Kathiawar
Kathiawar
Kathiawar or Kathiawad is a peninsula in western India, which is part of the Saurashtra region on the Arabian Sea coast of Gujarat state. It is bounded on the north by the great wetland of the Rann of Kutch, on the northwest by the Gulf of Kutch, on the west and south by the Arabian Sea, and on...
's are found. The town also has a Parsi
Parsi
Parsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
street, and previously they were many Parsi's most of whom have now moved to Mumbai or Surat and today only one elderly member of this community remains. There is also one Afghanistan Afghan Achakzai family originally from Spin Boldak in Kandahar, settled in the village since 1947. They still speak Pashto among themselves and Urdu with others. The patriarch of this family Maulana Sher Ali Kandahari is the most senior Maulana in the town's Madressa and was born in Afghanistan. There is also one Sikh family.
Places
Tadkeshwar has a large and very old madrassa Darul UloomDarul uloom
Darul uloom , also spelled darul ulum etc., is an Arabic term which literally means "house of knowledge". The term generally means an Islamic seminary or educational institution—similar to or often the same as a madrassa or Islamic school—although a Darul Uloom often indicates a more advanced level...
Falah-e-Darain, where hundreds of Muslim students from far afield as Sudan and Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
in India go to become Alims and Qaris. The old mosque also contains an inscription in Persian language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
.
The town has its own water works system and electricity and telephone networks are provided to the whole town. The town also has its own bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
, high school, three hospitals and two graveyards with many old stones.
Tadkeshwar also has two lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
mines and a canal. The masoleams of two saints Hazrat Maulana Nizamuddin Bajouri, and Hazrat Shaikh Moosaji Mehtar are also located in the village.
The closest railhead is Kim.