Tarkhan (Punjab)

The Tarkhan is a kin-based group commonly found in the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. They are traditionally carpenters by occupation.

The Hindu Tarkhans are generally identified as Khatis or Suthar, following the Vishwakarma community of India.

According to the 1921 census of India, which may not be reliable, some Tarkhan Sikhs owned large areas of land and, in some cases, whole villages. Tarkhan Sikhs are among those groups identified as Ramgarhias, after the Misl leader Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. Despite Sikhism generally rejecting the caste system, it does have its own hierarchy and in that the Ramgarhias, of which the Tarkhans are a part, rank second to none in Punjab.