LOHANA, a powerful tribe who have been known as residents in Sind since the earliest times, and have undergone great vicissitudes, but still retain their credit as well as their religion, and, whether regarded as merchants or officials, are the most influential tribe in Sind. They have spread into Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and Arabia, where they expose themselves to inconveniences, insults, and dangers, in pursuit of their darling objects, wealth and final return to their native soil, to enjoy the fruits of their industry. Their name is derived from Lohanpur in Milian, from which they migrated in very remote times. They have about fifty subdivisions, of whom the Khud abadi and Sihwani are the chief. They all wear the poita, janeo, or zonal.. Most of them are Hindus, but a few have become Sikhs. They eat meat, are addicted to spirituous liquors, do not object to fish or onions, drink water from their inferiors as well as superiors in caste, and are neither frequent nor regular in their devotions. The town of Aghani and Agham Lohana seems to have got its name from a Lohana chief named Aghiun, who was governor of Brahmanabad in the time of Chach. It lies about 30 miles S.E. from Hyderabad in Sind, and though now almost forgotten, it was formerly a place of some conse quence. This tribe is numerous both in Dhat and Talpura. Formerly they were Rajputs, but be taking themselves to commerce have fallen into the third class. They are now scribes and shop keepers, and object to no occupation that will bring a subsistence; and as to food, to use the expressive idiom of this region, where hunger spurns at law, excepting their cats and their cows, they will eat anything.' Three or four caravans annually travel between Deraband and Kabul, and into Calcutta to Bokhara and let. Malairo in Russia, carrying coarse piece-goods, salt, indigo, kitakhab, and fruit. Baber mentions them.
The Lohana of Sind are Vaishnava and Saiva Hindus. Some of them worship the river Indus deity and his wazir under the names Joule Pir and Udhero Lall. The suffixed titles of their sub divisions are—Mul, Chund, Rae, Ram Das, Lal.
They are the principal number of Hindus in the country, but, like the Saraswati Brahmans, they eat meat, fish, and onions, and drink spirits, buy ing the flesh from the Muhammadans, it being unlawful for them to kill. They are not highly educated, but in the time of the Talpur Aniira they were largely employed as revenue collectors, and were described as scheming and crafty. Under British rule they have shown an earnest applica tion and devotion to duty, able and energetic, honest and upright. They are financiers, bankers, merchants, and shopkeepers.
The Lohani section of the great trading tribe of Povindah, according to Vigne, claim to be descended from Lohani or Luhur, the son of Miani, a Muhammadan shepherd or goatherd of Ghor or Mushkon, a district east of Herat. There were Lohani with Mahmud of Ghazni, who returned with him after his victories in Hindustan. Mali mud's son was Sultan Muhammad. Sultan Masud, who succeeded, had no sons, and about this time the Lohani were placed at Deraband, which was given to them. From that time to this, they have traded between Hindustan and Kabul. Such is their own account. They have subdivided into three branches,—the Daulat Khel, Pani Khel, and Mian Khel. The two first and portions of the last have settled as farmers in the lands of Tank and at Deraband in the Delirajat, and about Thal and Choti Ali. The other part of the Mian Khel arc traders in the countries between Calcutta, Bombay, Benares, Lahore, Samarcand, and Bok bara using camels. Their horses are fine, usually 15 hands high. In their marches parties of the younger men protect their flanks. They traverse the Gulair and Cheri passes, which unite in the Deraband. The Lohani from Calcutta, Dehli, Jeypore, all take the route to their rendezvous at Deraband. The merchants assemble in Dehrajat in April, and, being joined by their families, who have waited on the batiks of the Indus, they pass into Khorasan, where they remain during the summer.— Vigne's A Personal Narrative, pp. 32, 53, 54, 118; Elliot's History of India; Tod's Rajasthan.