History of VIRKS

History

The Pandavas, when they returned from forest, had demanded: "give us even Kusasthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata and, for the fifth, any other that thou likest (see -Udyoga Parva/Mahabharata Book V Chapter 31: Vrikasthala was one of them: (Bickram Virk)

कुश स्थलं वृकस्थलम आसन्थी वारणावतमअवसानं भवेथ अत्र किं चिथ एव तु पञ्चमम (V.31.19)

It is one of the most important clans. It is mentioned by Pāṇini and V.S. Agrawal has identified Virks with the Jats. The same identification has been mentioned by Buddha Prakash [1]. Mahabhasya mentions Vrika and its derivative Varkenya, the Varkan of the Persians, and Hyrcan of the Greeks. The Caspian sea was once called the Sea of Vrkans (Hyrcanian). The identification of Hyrcan with Varkan has also been mentioned by Rawlinson in his "History of Herodotus", he mentions that, even in the thirteenth century, their country in Central Asia was mentioned as Urkanich in Yakut. According to Herodotus, they fought in the battle of Thermopylae under their leader named Megapanus which, afterwards, was a Satrap of Babylonia [2]. They are one of the earliest clans to enter India and, up to the sixth century A.D., at least they were ruling in Malwa under their king Vishnuvardhana, Vrik. The Vriks are remembered in the Brahma, Vaman and Markandeya Puranas. Their antiquity goes very much deep in the past.

A country called Uruk/Wark is mentioned in Sumeria, along with a country called Gutium. In fact, Trigan, the last Gutian king in the twenty-second century B.C. was defeated by Utu-Khegal, the ruler of Wark country. It is possible that this country has been named after them.

The word Vrik in Sanskrit means a wolf - the same as Russian word Volka which also means the same and after which the river Volga is named.

In the Kushana period, an officer of Vima Kadphises was a Vrika, according to K.P.Jayaswa.

According to Patan Jali Bhashya 4.6-114, Ashtadhyayi l-6-155 Mahabhasya 4-2-154 and Kashika varti 1-1-175, Raja Virk Vardhan had his forts in Kasrud (Mandsaur), Central India, Shakil (Sialkot) Sosaph, Dathaaprastha, Naudipur, Koak, Kandewa, Mula, Pava Datt, Karkar, Virkgary, etc.

According to historians, the present Sheikhupura was the site of Virkgarh.

According to Th. Yugendrapal, Virks are Vahikas who are mentioned in the Mahabharata and who took one-sixth of the income of King Shalya. In the fourth century AD, they had a powerful kingdom. They were contemporaries of the Gupta rulers. According to Brij Indra Bhaskar, in 428 AD, the Virk rulers performed a big Yagya near Bayana and constructed a Pillar, on which they are mentioned as Virks. Rock inscriptions of Yasodharman have been found in Mandsaur. Their reign in Malwa came to an end in 462 AD.

King Singhavarma belonging to this dynasty ruled from 535 AD to 585 AD. He had two sons Narvarma and Chandravarma. Chandravarma's son was Yasovarman. According to a rock inscription found in Gandhara, he was an independent ruler. He had two sons, Bhimvarma and Bondhuvarma. Bondhuvarma was defeated by the Gupta rulers and Bhimvarma was appointed the savant of a principality near Kausambhi but, once again, he became independent and, allying himself with Anu Gupta, fought the Huns. This has been referred to in the "Chandra Viyakaran".

Bhandhuvarmas's son was Yasodharman and his son Shiladitya.

The Virk Jat Kapur Singh founded Kapurthala and made it his capital. Before Punjab's partition, Sir Shahab-ud-Din, member of the Punjab Assembly and Secretary of Jat Sabha belonged to Tar in Sialkot. Jandiala in Amritsar belonged to the Virks.

The Virk tribe was designated by the British as a Martial race.