Raja Sálbán (also known as Salivahan) was a legendary Indian monarch who is said to have lived in the first century CE, and is said to have founded the city of

Sialkot Sialkot (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of the Sialkot District and the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 12th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined ...

and the Sialkot Fort in

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. He is said to have also conquered territory in

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

and

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

. Salban was said to have been the first of the

Rajputs Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

claiming the mythological Hindu

Yaduvanshi Yaduvanshi, Yaduvamsha, or Yadava (not to be confused with Yadav) is an ancient Hindu mythological dynasty and also refers to people reputed to have descended from the legendary king Yadu. Yaduvanshi may also refer to: * Yaduvanshi Rai, Indian ...

lineage to settle in Punjab. According to

Punjabi folklore Punjabi folklore (more particularly its folksongs) is a core part of the Punjabi culture. Other important components of Punjabi folklore are farces, anecdotes, idioms, folktales, and sayings. Research Origin Richard Carnac Temple argued in ...

, he was father of Puran Bhagat and

Raja Rasalu Raja Rasalu is a legendary prince and protagonist of the ''Adventures of Raja Rasalu'', a Punjabi folktale. According to the story, he is son of Raja Sálbán, the king of Sialkot, and a younger brother of Puran Bhagat. Monarchs of Sialkot in ...

, the protagonist of the ''Adventures of Raja Rasalu''. Monarchs of Sialkot in

such as Raja Sálbán and

may have belonged to the

Takka kingdom Taank Kingdom (also known as Takka or Taki) was a kingdom based in the Punjab from 6th to 10th century CE. The kingdom was located south of Kashmir, north of Sindh and east of Zunbil dynasty, extending from the Indus in the west to the Beas rive ...

Story

Raja Salban's first wife, Queen Icchira gave birth to Puran Bhagat. Upon the suggestion of local astrologers, Puran was sent away from the King for the first 12 years of his life, as it was said that King could not see the face of his son. While Puran was away, the king married a young girl named Luna, who a tanner's daughter. After 12 years of isolation, Puran returned to the royal palace. There, Luna became romantically attracted toward Puran, who was of the same age. Being the step-son of Luna, Puran disapproved of her advances. A hurt Luna accused Puran of violating her honor. The infuriated monarch ordered Puran to be amputated and killed. The soldiers carried out his orders and cutoff the Puran's hands and legs and threw him in a well in the forest named the Puran's Well. After several years

Guru Gorakhnath Gorakhnath (also known as Gorakshanath (Sanskrit: ''Gorakṣanātha'') (Devanagari : गोरक्षनाथ / गोरखनाथ), c. early 11th century) was a Hindu yogi, mahasiddha and saint who was the founder of the Nath Hindu monas ...

, who was passing by with his followers, heard voice from the well. He took him out using a single thread and unbaked earthen pot. He was later adopted by Baba Gorkhnath, and himself became a

jogi Jogi may refer to: Art and entertainment * ''Jogi'' (2005 film), a Kannada film * "Jogi" (Panjabi MC song), 2003 * "Jogi" (The Sketches song), a song by Pakistani Sufi-rock band The Sketches *"Jogi", a song performed by Arko * ''Jogi'' (2022 fi ...

. Eventually, he confronted his father, and it was due to the ascetic's blessings that the king had another son who eventually became Raja Rasalu, another folk legend that became popular in Punjab.

Claims of descent

Various historical figures have claimed descent from Salban.

Rao Bhati Rao Bhati (also Rao Bhatti or Raja Bhatti) was the progenitor (apical ancestor) ancestor of the Bhati clan of Rajputs. Said to have been a Hindu raja (monarch) who ruled during the 3rd-century, Bhati's descendants claim descent from the H ...

, the common ancestor of the

Bhati Bhati (also romanised as Bhattī) is a Rajput clan. The Bhati clan historically ruled over several cities in present-day India and Pakistan with their final capital and kingdom being Jaisalmer, India. History The Bhatis of Jaisalmer bel ...

claimed descent from Salban and so did Bhati's descendant,

Jaisal Singh Rawal Jaisal Bhati (1113–1168) was the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer, ruling from 1156 to 1168 CE. Jaisal was a Rajput chief of the Bhati clan who lived during the 12th century, Jaisal rose to power in 1143 by defeating ...

, the founder and first monarch of

Jaisalmer Jaisalmer , nicknamed ''The Golden city'', is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur, in the heart of the Thar Desert. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer district ...

. Other claims of descent from Salban, via Jaisal Singh's lineage, include the

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

Phulkian dynasty The Phulkian dynasty (or Phoolkian) of Maharajas or '' sardars'' were Sikh royals and aristocrats in the Punjab region of India. Members of the dynasty ruled the Phulkian states of Badrukhan, Bhadaur, Faridkot, Jind, Malaudh, Nabha, and Pati ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raja Salban Punjabi culture Sialkot Legendary Indian people 1st-century Indian monarchs Punjabi folklore Indian folklore

Story

Claims of descent

See also

Notes

References