The Lohana, also referred to as Luvana are an Indian caste.
Traditionally largely occupied as Merchant.
The community originated in Sindh before migrating to Gujarat.
The Lohanas are divided into three separate cultural groups as a result of centuries apart in different regions. Thus there are significant differences between the culture, language, professions and societies of
The Lohana, also referred to as Luvana are an Indian caste
- Sindhi Lohanas (those who migrated from Sind after partition of India)
- Kutchi Lohanas (those living or having ancestry in Kutch), and those of
- Gujarati Lohanas (those living or having ancestry in Saurashtra)
Although considered to be Vaishya in the Hindu ritual ranking system known as varna
the Lohanas favour a mythical origin as members of the Kshatriya varna.
Their claim is to be of Suryavanshi descent from a lineage tracing back to Lava, son of Rama.
At least some of them believe that they belong to the Rathor clan, which they consider to be kshatriya.
They claim that their name is derived from Lavnam, one of the 18 grades of Kshatriya,
ultimately derived from Lava himself.
In the 7th century,
there was a Buddhist ruler named Agham Lohana ruled a part of Sindh and was Governor of Brahmanabad and contemporary of Chach of Alor
Agham Lohana is referred to in Chach Nama and the city of Agham Kot is said to be named after him. Even the sea around was known as Lohana Darya. Chach of Alor killed Agham Lohana in battle of Brahmanand and married his widow and also married his niece to Agham's son Sirhind. Further, Chach is said to have laid restrictions of Lohana and Jat tribes from wearing headgear and carrying weapons. He further placed upon the Jat and Lohana restrictions such as.
Forbidding them riding horses with saddles
Forbidding them from wearing silk or velvet
Forbidding them from wearing headgear or footwear
Forcing them to wear black or red scarves
Conversion to Islam and migration of Hindu Lohanas
As per community's history, it was after the death of Veer Dada Jashraj, the decline of Lohana kingdom began and their reign at Lohargadh/Lohanpur/Lohkot in Multan. Lohanas get their name from the city of Lohanpur or Lohkot from which they were driven out in 13th century AD by Muslim invaders.
Ismaili Dai' Pir Sadardin converted many of them to the Shia Ismaili Nizari sect of Islam in 14th Century AD. As Lohanas were worshipers of Shakti, in order to convert them Ismaili missionaries made certain modifications in their doctrines to convert them. They are known as Khojas or Khawaja.
In 1422, the Sindh was ruled by a Hindu king of Samma Dynasty named Jam Rai Dan, who was converted to Islam by Sayad Eusuf-ud-Din and he got a new name Makrab Khan.At that time a person named Manekji was head of eighty-four nukhs of Lohanas, who was in favor in court of that Samma king. He was persuaded by ruler and the Quadri to convert to Islam. However, not all Lohanas were ready to convert from Hinduism but 700 Lohana families comprising some 6178 persons converted to Islam at the hands of one in Thatta Sindh these are now known as Memons.
Sindh which had fallen under Muslim rule of Muhammad bin Qasim after defeat of Dahir and the Hindus were increasingly pressurized to either convert to Islam or face persecution and were living in constant fear. It was around this time, that Uderolal who is revered as Jhulelal ( by Sindhis ) or Dariyalal (by Gujaratis and Kutchis ) and Zinda Pir ( by Muslims ) who was born in to Ratanchand (Ratnarai) Thakkur and Devki, a Hindu Lohana family of Nasarpur in Sindh. He took upon the mantle of Lohana and Hindu leadership. Uderolal showed his miraculous powers and preached Muslim chief Mirkshah, and initiated him into the true meaning of religion that Allah and Ishwar are one and same. Uderolal, thus won the freedom of religion for Hindus from the Muslim rulers and devoted the rest of his life to spiritual and community service. Today Uderolal is revered as Jhulelal, the patron saint of Sindhis and also considered to be as Pir and revered as Jinda Pir, as such, both Hindus and Muslims visit the site of his Samadhi. The Lohanas after Dariyalal took samadhi for almost two centuries Hindus and Lohanas remained fearless but later again due to their Hindu identity being discriminated and increasingly threatened in Sindh and they began to migrate mainly towards Kutch and Saurashtra.