Origin of Labanas

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Lobanas (or Labana) are a tribe which live all over India. Labanas have their own language called "Lubanki" which is a dialect. However, this language is only spoken by Labanas outside the Punjab, state of India. The Labanas of Punjab and Haryana are mostly Sikhs and speak mainly Punjabi or Hindi.

Different Views On Origin Of Labana (Lobanas)

Trader View

✝ The term Lobana appears to have been derived from LUN ("salt") and the BANA ("trade"). The Lobanas were the great salt-carrying and salt-trading community. They were occasionally called Banjaras. Locally, they were known by different names in parts of the Panjab. In Ambala district, for example, on account of their versatility in adopting different vocations, the lobanas were called "Bahrupias"

✝ Labana deciphers as ‘La’ means Metal, alike aluminium & ‘Bana’ means Trader

✝ H.A. Rose gives an alternate explanation as Labana being drived from Ladh-Ana. Ladh means to load.

Warrior View

✝ Lobanas were the warrior who protected the trade routes. They fought with an iron sheild( Lo means iron and bana means iron sheild). The book Labana Itihaas, by Sardar Harnam Singh describes Lobana as associated with the word Loh-Bana, and here Loh means Iron, and Bana means dress. People who dress in Iron Armour. As per this book, there was a battle between the Labana warriors, and another king. The valour with which these warriors fought gave rise to the phrase Loh-Bane. The same book also gives an alternate description as being the Hindu Lord Ram's Son Lau's descendents - Lau - aana. THe Ghotra is warrior cum labana clan as related with LUV(Son of ram)

Different views are prevalent about the origin of the Lobanas.

✝ In Ludhiana and Jhang districts, the Lobanas claimed to be the descendants of Chauhan Rajputs of Jaipur and Jodhpur.

✝ In [Gujrat]] district, they claimed to be Ragubansi Rajputs. The Lobanas of Kangra and Hoshiarpur districts claimed their origin from the Gaur Brahmins of Pilibhit. A good number of them traced their origin from Gaur Brahmins who came to the Panjab from Ranthambore in Aurangzeb's time.

✝ It appears to be more appropriate to regard the Lobanas as a sub-division of the great Banjara tribe, forming one of their Principal sub-castes.

✝ The ruler of Pilibhit, a Labana came to the conference which launched the research work into Labanas. This research work lead to publishing of Labana Itihaas. This was early 20th century. The author of Labana Itihaas went all over India looking for Labana's and Labana establishments. He even alludes to the King Porus of Sikander/Porus battle fame as being a Labana. We are talking BC era here.

✝ The Rajput linkages of at least some Labana's are not beyond the realm of possible. As a matter of fact, when Lakhi Shah Lubana's Son died fighting in Anandpur Sahib, records made at the time pen him as being Chandrawanshi. This was around 1705 or 1706 AD

References

http://lobanas.googlepages.com/

http://www.labana.org/

http://surnamesslist.googlepages.com/

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