The Tarkhan is a caste found in the
Punjab region of India and Pakistan. They are traditionally
carpenters by occupation.[1]
The
Hindu members of this clan are generally identified as
Khatis,
Suthars or
Lohars following the
Vishwakarma community of India.[2]
Whereas, Tarkhan Sikhs are among those groups who are identified as
Ramgarhias, after the
Misl leader
Jassa Singh Ramgarhia.[3] Despite Sikhism generally rejecting the caste system, it does have its own very similar socio-economic hierarchy and in that the Ramgarhias, of which the Tarkhans are a part, now rank second only to the
Jat Sikhs, thanks to significant economic and social power that elevated this middle class group from its lower caste confines.[4]
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.[5]
In 2001, the Punjab Government included Ramgarhia, Tarkhan and Dhiman in the list of
Other Backward Classes (OBC) to improve their economic conditions.[6] They were also added in the list of backward classes by the governments of
Haryana and
Himachal Pradesh.[7][8]