Country India District Tarn Taran PIN 143409 Elevation 218 m Local time Thursday 2:22 AM | State Punjab Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) Telephone code 91 1852 Population 13,936 (2016) | |
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Weather 20°C, Wind N at 6 km/h, 78% Humidity | ||
Naushehra Pannuan is a large village located in the Tarn Taran district in the Indian State of Punjab. The village is believed to be the largest village of the Pannu Jatt Sikh clan. Naushehra holds a prominent position in the Punjabi state politics with a number of prominent state politicians vying for candidacy in the Naushehra Constituency each year. A large number of people from the Naushehra have emigrated outside of India. Emigration started in the early 20th century with a number of people from Jaggu ki Patti(Chaudriwala) moving to Hong Kong. This wave of immigration to Hong Kong continued well into the 60s and 70s. More recently, villagers have been moving to the United States and Canada. In the first decade of the millennium, the villagers started seeking immigration to newer destinations such as Australia and Italy. The most notable event in the village's history was the Plague pandemic of the 1890s that wreaked havoc on the village and resulted in large scale deaths. This led some of the villagers to move to away from the original town center to outer areas most notably the Jagpur patti.
Contents
- Map of Naushehra Pannuan Punjab 143409
- Population Demographics
- Education
- Origin Local legend
- Emigration to Foreign Countries and Other States
- Major Public Service Projects
- Major Historic events
- Gurudwaras Temples and Shrines
- Rivalry and Animosity with Sarhali
- Notable people
- References
Map of Naushehra Pannuan, Punjab 143409
Population & Demographics
According to the 2011 Census Data, the population of the village is 7785, with 4096 males and 3689 females. Regarding literacy, the census also reported that the village has 4943 literate and 2842 illiterate persons.
Education
The village features many schools at a primary and senior secondary level, which are affiliated with the Punjab School Education Board and the Central Board of Secondary Education. Here is the list of major schools in the village:
Origin & Local legend
According to a local legend, the Pannu Jatt Clan that would later establish Naushehra Pannuan, used to originally live near village of Lachmann Maari in Batala. One morning, a woman belonging to this clan was harassed by a Muslim Chaudhry. The woman killed her harasser with a stick. As a result ,the Pannu clan had to leave this area and settle in the village of Jaura near Tarn Taran. One of the elders of the village became a disciple of a peer Nashriya Shah. Nashriya Shah asked the Pannu Jatt clan to establish a new village. The Pannu Jatt clan left the Jaura village to establish the new village of Naushehra at the current location. The village is named after the peer Nashriya Shah. The ruins of his tomb and the adjoining mosque can still be seen in the north eastern section of the village in Desuwal Patti.
Another legend tied to Mange Shah explains the construction of the village by Baba Rassal under the spiritual guidance of the other patron peer of the village, Baba Mange Shah. As the local legend goes, Mange Shah blessed Baba Rasssal with a 50 Paise coin that would double each day. Baba Rasssal used this money to construct the town and its mud brick fortifications including city walls and city gates which can still be seen all around the village. In return for his patronage and blessings, Baba Mange shah asked Baba Rasssal not to reveal the source of this money to anyone. However, Baba Rassal was increasingly pressed by his wife to reveal the source of his new found wealth. Because of the repeated questioning and pestering, Baba Rasool finally gave in and revealed the source of the money. As a result, the money stopped doubling and the fortification and village building work stopped abruptly. It is believed, that this is the reason why the village fortifications appear unfinished. According to this legend, Baba Rasssal had 6 sons, to whom he bequeathed 6 different patti's or sections of the village. Desuwal patti, Jagpur, are some of the 6 original pattis.
Emigration to Foreign Countries and Other States
A large number of Naushehra Pannuan citizens have emigrated to other countries including Hong Kong, UK, United States, Canada, Australia and Italy. The first villagers to venture out of India were four wrestlers from Jaggu ki Patti. This troupe included Kandhara Singh and 3 other wrestlers who traveled to Hong Kong in the year 1900 to fight in a series of wrestling matches. After winning, they decided to stay in Hong Kong for a period of time. After some time in Hong Kong, the four decided to travel to Vancouver, Canada. After a series of adventures and mishaps, one wrestler decided to come back to Hong Kong while others decided to stay in Vancouver. The successive generations of the wrestler who decided to come back to Hong Kong, lived on and prospered in Hong Kong for an entire century. Even today, the future generations of these four original wrestlers continue to thrive in Hong Kong and Canada. Major families that moved to Hong Kong include the families of Kandhara Singh, Ujagar Singh, Mann Singh, Arjan Singh, Lachmann Singh, Harnam Singh, Tirlok Singh. Folks from Patti Jagu ki continued to emigrate to Hong Kong well into the 60s and 70s. During the 80s, a new wave of emigrants started moving to Canada and the United States. Most recently, the villagers have started moving to Italy and Australia.
In the 1950's,S.Mahinder Singh from Jagu Ki Patti (Chaudriwala) moved their respective families out of state to Noida Sector 145, Uttar Pradesh on the Noida to Agra Yamuna Express Way. Their descendants have thrived both in their new home, Uttar Pradesh and also back at Naushehra.
Major Public Service Projects
The British brought to Naushehra Pannuan its first taste of modern public service with the local irrigation canal or otherwise known as Sua in Punjabi as part of the Upper Bari Doab irrigation network in 1859. The villagers helped excavate this canal and for the last 150 years the canal has irrigated the lands of their successors. The next major development was the construction of a primary and middle school in the Naushehra Pannuan in 1938. The ruins of Primary and Middle school can still be seen on the current National Highway 15 in the north section of the village. The old Post office located in the old bazaar was built during the British times. Independence of India brought new institutions such as Panchayti Raj and Block based administration. As a result of these new institutions, a steady stream of new developments rolled out. First development came in the form of a bridge that connected the town of Naushehra with Chaudriwala in 1956. The year 1956 was also the year when Senior Secondary Education came to Naushehra in the form of a Senior Secondary High School which still stands today at its original location on the National Highway. The local Block development office was built in 1961. This office was instrumental in some major rural development in and around Naushehra Pannuan.
Major Historic events
Naushehra Pannuan has played a major role in history in the past few centuries. The 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji regularly communicated with the Sangat at Naushehra Pannuan through a set of Hukamnama'. Four Hukamnamas or orders were issued by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji between 1699 and 1702 and are well preserved at the local Baba Dhanna Gurudwara. During this period, Baba Dhanna from Naushehra Pannuan served as the Gardner of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji. Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave his comb (kanga) and Dastar to Baba Dhanna.
Hukamnama from Sri Gobind Singh Ji to the Sangat at Naushehra: Translation - "To Naushehra Pannauan of Amritsar. Come to Diwali with the offerings for the Guru. Give to no one else. Send tola of gold by draft. Contributors will be blessed. Oct 5th 1699"
The next historic event that is tied to Naushehra Pannuan is the rise of Karor Singhia Misl during the Sikh Misl period between 1760s and 1780s. People from Naushehra Pannuan played a major role in the rise of Sikh power during the Misl period. People from Naushehra Pannuan were part of the Karora Singhia Misl headed by Baghel Singh which conquered Delhi in 1783.
The first reference to Naushehra Pannuan in a book can be found in Buta Singh's 'Geographical description of Punjab' written in 1840s. In the book, he reports that Naushehra has '700 homes and 50 shops'. He also mentions that the land is owned by Pannu Jatts.
The great plague pandemic which came to India and China during the late 1890s tore through Naushehra, killing a large percentage of its population. As a result of large scale deaths, the villagers decided to move out of the original town center which they believed was riddled with rats and rat holes to outer areas of the village. The citizens of Naushehra moved to the new patti of Jagpur. Similarly, the villagers of nearby sub-village of Chaudriwala, decided to move from the original town center to the current location of Chaudriwala.
The next great chapter in Naushehra's history turned in 1947 during the Partition of India. A large number of its citizens were Muslim who left their homes in the Bazaar to move to Pakistan. These homes were taken over by the villagers. One prominent Muslim's home was known to be near the village Pond. The bricks and earthwork from this home was used to build the aforementioned bridge that connects Naushehra and Chaudriwaal.
The most recent chapter turned during the turmoil of the 1980s. Because of the village location in rural majha region, it received its fair share of troubles. The village was a battleground for government and militant forces for much of the late 80s. Several drive by shootings occurred during this period. One such shooting in 1983, resulted in the death of 3 persons who were Hindu. As a result, a number of Hindu families felt a threat to their lives and moved out of the village. It should be noted that some Hindu families were defiant in the face of adversity and resolved to stay in the village. A number of Sikh families also chose to move to outside India to escape the troubles.
Gurudwaras, Temples and Shrines
The village features centers of worship for various different religions and belief systems. A major Sikh place of worship is the prominent Baba Dhanna Gurudwara on the National Highway 15. This gurudwara is dedicated to Baba Dhanna who was the Gardner of the 10th Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.In Gurudwara of Baba Dhanna Singh there are handwritten letters of 10th Guru Gobind Singh Ji sent by him to the people of Naushehra Pannuan. This gurudwara was reconstructed in the late 1980s. Some other Sikh places of worship include the Jaggu ki Patti Gurudwara, Gang wala Gurudwara etc. Thakur dwara is a major Hindu temple near the village bazaar. The two patron saints/peers of the village have their shrines in the Desuwaal region. Baba Mange shah Samadh received patronage and popularity over the last 30 years and have since been rebuilt and reconstructed into a magnificent structure. The site is also used for a major religious festival in the honor of Baba Mange Shah, who is considered the founder saint of the village.
Rivalry and Animosity with Sarhali
Until late last century, the villages of Sarhali and Naushehra Pannuan were known for the intense rivalry between the two villages. So much so, that the people of Sarhali abhorred marital alliances with the people of Naushehra and vice versa. This deep animosity and rivalry is explained through a local legend. According to this legend, Baba Rasool choose two suiters from Sarhali for marriage with his daughters. On the wedding day, two sons of Baba Rasool accompanied their sisters to Sarhali to deliver their sisters safely to their new homes. As legend has it, the two brothers were invited on a hunting trip by the grooms. During this hunt, a fight broke out between the brothers and grooms, and it is said that the two brothers were murdered by the Sarhali grooms. The daughters of Baba Rasool were given the heads of their brothers to take back to their home village. Baba Rasool was very angry at receiving the severed heads of his two sons. Baba Rasool and the rest of the villagers sought retribution. As the legend goes, under the pretext of reconciliation, Baba Rasool invited the Sarhali's villagers to establish another marital alliance. When the Sarhali villagers came to Naushehra with the Baraat, they were murdered by the people of Naushehra. This was followed by a series of back and forth massacres. It is believed that the villagers kept close eye on each other to forewarn their respective villages about the approaching mob from the rival village. It is said that the watch tower of Naushehra Pannuan was near the neighboring town of Kheda.