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Origin and History of the Poonia Clan: Dileep Singh Ahlawat

Dileep Singh Ahlawat writes that the realm of Lord Shiva extended from Mount Kailash to Kashi, including the Shivalk (the hills of Shiva’s matted locks) and Haridwar.

During this period, the Puruvanshi King Veerbhadra ruled over Talakhapur, near Haridwar. This region was also referred to as Shiva’s locks. King Veerbhadra was a follower of Lord Shiva. When Shiva received news of Sati’s death, he visited King Veerbhadra’s court in anger, cast off his matted locks, and ordered Veerbhadra to punish King Daksha. Veerbhadra, with his army and followers, attacked Kanakhal and killed Daksha. Today, a railway station named Veerbhadra stands at the site of this great warrior, located two miles before Rishikesh on the railway line from Haridwar to Rishikesh. The Indian government has established a large pharmaceutical factory at this Veerbhadra site. King Veerbhadra’s domain was where the Ganges River descends from the mountains to the plains. According to the Puranas, the Ganges emerges from Shiva’s matted locks. This means that Emperor Bhagirath brought the Ganges from Shiva’s locks or hills to the plains at Haridwar.

It is also pertinent to describe the Jat Ganga, which is as follows:

At Bhairon Valley, located six miles below Gangotri, the Bhagirathi Ganges flows from the northeast, and the Neelganga (Jat Ganga) flows from the northwest, merging at this point. The dry area between their confluence is called Bhairon Valley. The right bank of Jat Ganga is known as ‘Lanka’. The water of Jat Ganga is so pure that it contains no sand particles, whereas Bhagirathi’s water is muddy. Even after their confluence, the waters of both rivers remain visibly separate for a long distance. The water of Jat Ganga is clear and blue, hence its name. According to sages and ascetics, Bhagirathi Ganga was excavated by Emperor Bhagirath, and Jat Ganga was dug out by the Jats, hence its name. The northern part of this Jat settlement was relocated by the Indian government during the China war and resettled near Harsal village. The Jats established their village by the Ganges, naming it Baghauri. This village stretches about 300 meters along the riverbank and consists of approximately 250 houses. The people are of Aryan descent, with beautiful men, women, and children. They follow Buddhism and have a Buddhist temple in their village. They raise sheep and goats and trade wool with Tibet. They weave woolen clothes in their homes.

Note: Harsal village is located about seven miles downstream from the confluence of the two Ganges on the right bank. Baghauri village is adjacent to Harsal.

The historical element hidden within the tale of Jat origins like Veerbhadra and others is:

From the Chandravanshi Emperor Yayati’s son Anu, in the 9th generation, came King Ushinar, whose many sons included one named Shiva (refer to Chapter 1 for Anu’s genealogy). This renowned generous Emperor Shiva gave rise to the Shivivanshi clan, which is a Jat lineage (gotra). The detailed description of this Chandravanshi Shiva Jat lineage will be provided in Chapter 3.

The Puruvanshi King Veerbhadra was a Jat ruler, and his Shivivanshi followers were located in the Shivalk hills. His capital was Talakhapur, near Haridwar. According to the Shiv Puran, significant Jat gotras originated from Veerbhadra’s descendants.

The lineage of Veerbhadra, as noted in the Rajvansh history of Rana of Dholpur Jat, includes the following:

Veerbhadra’s five sons and two grandsons established various Jat lineages (Jat history, p. 83, author Lieutenant Ramsaroop June):

• Yayati
  • Veerbhadra
    • (1) Paunbhadra (Poonia gotra)
    • (2) Kalhanbhadra (Kalhan gotra)
    • (3) Atisurabhadra (Anjana gotra)
    • (4) Jakhbhadra (Jakhad gotra)
    • (5) Brahmabhadra (Bhimeroliya gotra)
    • (6) Dahibhadra (Dahiya gotra)

Paunbhadra’s name gave rise to the Paunia (Poonia) gotra. This Jat gotra is found in Haryana, Rajasthan, Braj, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Pakistan.

Kalhanbhadra’s name led to the Kalhan Jat gotra, present in Kathiawar and Gujarat.

Atisurabhadra’s name resulted in the Anjana Jat gotra, found in Malwa, Mewar, and Pakistan.

Jakhbhadra’s name gave rise to the Jakhad Jat gotra, which is widespread in Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, and Pakistan.

Brahmabhadra’s name resulted in the Bhimeroliya Jat gotra. Jats of this gotra ruled in Dholpur. The lineage of rulers from Veerbhadra to the Dholpur kings is recorded in the Dholpur Rajvansh. This Jat gotra is found in Haryana, Haridwar region, Punjab, Jammu-Kashmir, and Pakistan.

Dahibhadra’s name gave rise to the Dahiya Jat gotra, found in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Central Asia.

Note: The aforementioned names and gotras emerged from the Chandravanshi Kshatriya Aryan lineage.