Heer

Heer (हीर) Hir (हीर) Heir (हेर) Her (हेर) Hayer (हेअर) Haer (हेअर) is gotra of Jats found in Punjab (India), Haryana and Pakistan. The Jat Gotra 'Heer' and 'Her' are the same. 'Her' is originated from 'Heers'. Hir (हीर) is a Muhammadan Jat clan found in Montgomery (doubtless Her). Dilip Singh Ahlawat has mentioned it as one of the ruling Jat clans in Central Asia.

Origin

They are said to be originated from Heer Syala place.

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Her = Heracleum (Pliny.vi.4)
• Her = Heroön (Pliny.vi.33)

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions The region of Themiscyra, and the nations therein.... At the back of the mountains of this district is Iberia, while on the coast are the Heniochi, the Ampreutæ²⁵, the Lazi, the rivers Acampsis,²⁶ Isis,²⁷ Mogrus, and Bathys,²⁸ the nations of the Colchi, the town of Matium,²⁹ the river Heracleum and the promontory of the same name,³⁰ and the Phasis,³¹ the most celebrated river of Pontus.

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25 It is suggested by Hardouin that these are the same as the Zydretæ mentioned in the Periplus of Arrian, and by him placed between the Heniochi and the Lazi.

26 See note 91.

27 Supposed to be the same as the modem Tshorok.

28 Or "Deep" River. This stream may possibly be identified by observing that Pliny places only one river between it and the Phasis.

29 Probably the Madia of Ptolemy, who places it in the interior.

30 At the present day called Eraklia, according to Parisot.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny, describing 'The Gulfs Of The Red Sea', mentions....The localities of this region are as follow: On passing the Ælanitic Gulf there is another gulf, by the Arabians called Sœa, upon which is situate the city of Heroön.² The town of Cambysu³ also stood here formerly, between the Neli and the Marchades, Cambyses having established there the invalids of his army.

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1 The Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb.

2 Or Heroöpolis, a city east of the Delta, in Egypt, and situate near the mouth of the royal canal which connected the Nile with the Red Sea. It was of considerable consequence as a trading station upon the arm of the Red Sea, which runs up as far as Arsinoë, the modern Suez, and was called the "Gulf" or "Bay of the Heroes." The ruins of Heroöpolis are still visible at Abu-Keyscheid.

3 This place, as here implied, took its name from Cambyses, the son of Cyrus.

History

Ram Sarup Joon writes.... Yadhu was the eldest son of Yayati. It is written in the Vishnu Puran that he did not inherit his father’s throne. He, therefore, retired towards Punjab and Iran. He had five sons out of whom, Except Satjit and Krishna, three remained childless. Satjit had three sons Bibai (Biveya), Hai (Heya), whose descendants are Jats of ‘Heer’ gotra and Ahai (Aheya); who founded the Ahir community.

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Ram Swarup Joon writes....The Bhullar gotra is found among the followers of all the three religions. They are spread all over the Punjab. They are related to Heir gotra. Ruins of Bhulller era are spread over an area of 12 miles near Fort Abbas in Bahawalpur State.

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Ram Swarup Joon writes about...Heir and Bhangu: Hindu, Sikh and Muslim Jats belonging to Heir Gotra are found in Hoshiarpur and Jullundur. Heir is a very old gotra. They associate themselves with the Ahri Clan. In the genealogical tables they are supposed to belong to the Yadu dynasty and Ahai was the grandson of Yadu. In ancient times Heir gotra and Ahr clam was settled in Iran and Turkistan. Jats of the Bhangu gotra are descendants of the Heir.

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सिहाग, हेर, भुल्लर, दहिया लोगों के निकट सिर दरिया के पूर्व में थे तथा तुर्किस्तान व ईरान में भी थे।

The Jat Gotras, Maan, Bhullar and Heer are considered to be the Oldest and Purest Jat gotras. But there is very rare information available regarding Heers and Bhullars. Bhullars are said to be given their name as 'Bhulars' because they do not give information about their birth place. Means they have forgotten their birth place. In Arbi, Pharsi, Pashto (Persian), Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi :- 'Bhoolna' means to Forget. Might be because of that they got their name as 'Bhoolar' or 'Bhular'. But the question is from where they originate and how they had maternal relation with Heers. Both of these have Chandravanshi linage. There is need to further research in this matter.

Moreover Bhangoos (Bhangu) are considered to be the descendant of Heers. Bhangu is also a very ancient Jat Gotra. In some areas of Punjab they are known as Heer-Bhangoo or Bhangu-Hira or Hira. Bhangus are not from Bhangi Misl as asumed. They are related to Heers. Now a days most of the 'Heer-Bhangus' do not use their complete surmane as 'Heer-Bhangu'. Either they used it as Heer or Heera or Bhangu only. But how and when Bhangus got separated from Heers is a matter of research.

'Heer' is a very peculiar word as well as gotra to be identified in Old Vedas. It is very difficult to recogonize this gotra in any of the Sanskrit Vedas. Because in Sanskrit Heer, Hari or Har words might confuse anyone. Even a well known Sanskrit scholar too. Many of the Jat gotras are found in little bit different names in Sanskrit Vedas but still they can be identified. For example Aulakh is used as Olak or Olakh, Bains is used as Vains or Vais, Virk is used as Birk or Birka, Takhar is used as Tukhrak etc. But when it comes to Heer, it is not so easy to identify it as a Gotra when used as Heer, Hari or Har. Hari and Har might have number of meanings. Hari is even commonly used for God. Might be because of this reason this gotra has not been traced well. Prof. B.S. Dhillon's book 'History and Study of Jats' writes every where Her in place of Heer. It may be probably due to fact that most of the Heer Jats from Doaba (Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala etc) region of Punjab moved toward western countries during the early 50s and 60s. Might be then after they start using their gotra as 'Her' from 'Heer'. Because Englishmen cant pronounce 'Heer' as Heer. They will always pronounce it as 'Her'. Although in the nearby district such as Jalandhar etc. some of the 'Heers' using it as 'Her' and spell it as 'Hayer'. Most of the number of 'Her' originate from village 'Littran' in Jalandhar district. At least one member from each family of this village is residing in abroad. So because of western pronunciation, new generation of 'Heers' start using it as 'Her'. There are still some families present in which older people are using it as 'Heer' and younger one using it as 'Her' and most of them are residing abroad.

Her (हेर) gotra has originated from Heers who had maternal relations with Bhullars.

B S Dahiya writes: As per Ghirsman, in 20 BC, the king of Sogdian was named Heraus (see under Sikarwar). In "Kushana Studies in USSR.", the"Heraios" are mentioned as a tribe of Kushanas. This clan is the Her clan of the Jats. The Hers are considered to be the original Jats. Her means Lord or Master in 'Gothic'.

Dilip Singh Ahlawat has mention Her as one of the ruling Jat clans in Central Asia.

Bhular, Sihag and Maan vansha are related with Her vansha. .

Thousands of years before Christ Her,Dahiya,Bhular and Sihag lived in Iran and Turkistan.

H.A. Rose writes that Her (हेर ), Aher (अहेर ), or Porawal (पोरवाल)., the third of the group of Jat tribes which includes the Bhullar and Man also. Their home appears to lie north of the Sutlej and they are found in considerable numbers under the hills from Ambala in the east to Gujrat in the west, and throughout the whole upper valley of that river. There is a very old village called Her in the Nakodar tahsil of Jullundhar which is still held by Her Jats, who say that they have lived there for a thousand years; in other words for an indefinite period.

Distribution in Punjab, India

Villages in Hoshiarpur district

Maximum number of Jats of Heer Gotra belongs to Hoshiarpur district in Punjab, India. Jats of Heer Gotra are residing in many Villages of Hoshiarpur, such as :- Purheeran, Dadyal, Moranwali, Singhpur, Haripur, Adampur, Shergarh, Heerapur, Bajwara, Mehatpur, Mahilpur, Halluwal etc.

In Hoshiarpur district the Heer population is 11, 505.

Villages in Jalandhar district

Heers live in villages:

• Heeran and Heerapur in (Jalandhar). Most of the number of 'Her' originate from village 'Littran' in Jalandhar district. At least one member from each family of this village is residing in abroad. So because of western pronunciation, new generation of 'Heers' start using it as 'Her'.

• Haer is village in Nakodar tahsil in Jalandhar district in Punjab, India.

• Goheer (गोहीर) is village in Nakodar tahsil in Jalandhar district in Punjab, India.

According to B S Dhillon the population of Her clan in Jalandhar district is 4,500.

Villages in Ludhiana district

Heers live in villages:

Poheer (tah.Ludhiana East), Heeran (tah.Ludhiana East) and Heran (tah. Raikot).

Her population is 3,603 in Ludhiana district.

Heeran Jattan (in Khanna tah. Ludhiana),

Villages in Amritsar district

Heers live in villages:

Chak Heir, Heir,

Her population is 3,441 in Amritsar district.

Villages in Gurdaspur district

Hir named Village is in Gurdaspur tahsil in Gurdaspur district in Punjab.

Villages in Patiala district

Her population is 2,640 in Patiala district.

Villages in Firozpur district

• Hiran Wali (हीरां वाली) is village in Fazilka tahsil in Firozpur district in Punjab, India.

In Firozpur district the Her population is 1,950.

Villages in Mansa district

Heron Khurd is village in Budhlada tahsil in Mansa district in Punjab.

Heron Kalan, Hirewala are villages in Mansa tahsil in Mansa district in Punjab.

Villages in Moga district

• Kokhri Heran is village in Moga tahsil in Moga District district in Punjab.

Villages in Nawanshahr district

• Herian is village in Nawanshahr tahsil in Nawanshahr district in Punjab.

Villages in Rupnagar district

Bara Punjab,

Heerpur, Tehsil Anandpur Sahib, Distt Rupnagar).

Rurki Heeran (http://www.mypind.com/rup/rupPage670.htmin

Chamkor Sahib),

Hirpur Ganura is Village in Anandpur Sahib tahsil of Rupnagar district in Punjab.

Distribution in Haryana

Heer Majraa in Haryana.

Distribution in Himachal Pradesh

Heeran Thara,

Distribution in Jammu and Kashmir

Villages in Jammu district

Rakh Flora,

Distribution in Pakistan

According to 1911 census, the Heer were one of the principal Muslim Jat clans with Population in Sialkot District (73), Lahore District (376), Amritsar District (74), Gujrat District (1,451), Shahpur (Sargodha District) District (553), Mianwali District (1,034), Jhang District (584).

Some of the Villages in Pakistan are:- Pura Heeran, Heeran in Kasur District, Morrah Heeran etc. There is one Village named as 'Hir' in Iran too. This is mentioned in Wikipedia under the article named as Heer (Clan).

Notable persons

• Manmohan Waris (a Legendrary Punjabi Singer and Musician also known as Virse da Waris).
• Kamal Heer (Famous Punjabi Folk Singer, youngest brother of Manmohan Waris and Sangtar Heer).
• Sangtar Heer (an Award-Winning Punjabi Composer and Musician).
• Aman Hayer (Prominent Punjabi Musician belongs to village Littran in Jalandhar district, famous with the name of Groundshaker).
• Dave Hayer (BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly, in the province of British Columbia, Canada).
• Kash Heed (Kashmir Singh Heer a Canadian politition from village Halwara of Distt. Jalandhar).
• Tara Singh Hayer (Sikh Canadian newspaper publisher from village Paddi Jagir).
• Sqn Ldr Amanjeet Singh Heer (No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force) was awarded VAYU SENA MEDAL during Kargil Battle.
• Oswald Heer (Swiss geologist and naturalist, was born at Niederuzwil in Canton of St. Gallen and died in Lausanne).
• Ewald Heer (an aerospace engineer, author and professor who has worked on robotics, artificial intelligence (AI).
• Jeffrey Michael Heer (Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department, Stanford University).
• John Knowles Herr, American general officer.
• Traugott Herr (1890-1976), German general.
• Lois Herr, American politician.
• Harry Heher (New Jersey Supreme Court Justice and Democratic Party leader).
• Kent Hehr (Liberal Member Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the riding of Calgary-Buffalo.
• Addison Hehr (an American art director, He was nominated for two Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.
• Joachim Heer (25 September 1825 - 1 March 1879) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1875-1878).
• Alfred Heer ( Born October 12, 1961 in Glarus ) is a Swiss politician ( Swiss People's Party).

References

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