Our Glorious Heritage
Late Shri Madan Mohan Sood
(Author of "Origin & History of Soods").
In every community there is always an inherent desire to know about their ancestry. Knowledge of great deeds and honourable conduct of the ancestors acts as an inducement to better deeds. The nobility of ancestry are not mere matters of glorification but they further inspire the posterity to follow in the foot-steps of their forefathers so that they prove themselves worthy inheritors. The word 'Sood' is of Sanskrit origin and according to Amar Kosh – an authoritative Hindi Dictionary, it means a "courageous and a brave person or a victor of his enemies". It also means a man who can easily make progress. Late Prof. Rulya Ram Kashyap, who was a scholar of Sanskrit and had studied Vedas extensively, after thorough research, published a small book 'Sood Yog'. According to him the word 'Sood' has been mentioned in the Vedas at 23 places – 15 places in Rig Ved, 6 places in Yajur Ved and twice in Atharva Ved. One of the names of Lord Krishna is 'Madhusudan' – (Sudan means 'sanharak' – killer of demon Madhu). Thus, it conclusively proves that 'Sood' is a very ancient fraternity endowed with noble qualities. Muslims invaded India in 700 A.D. whereas our community, as the history tells us, was there since Vedic period. When we go through the pages of past history of India it is revealed that with the spread of Budhism, the old Vedic Dharma got great set back. Greatly perturbed by this, Brahmin Rishis did everything to revive old Hindu Dharma based on the Vedic traditions. They performed a sacred Yajna at Mount Abu. The sacred flames of Agni Kund, incarnated and baptised four Kashatriyas – the Parmar, the Parihar, the Solanki and the Chouhan. who took a vow to fight against this mass change of faith and establish the ancient glory of Hindu Dharama. These four branches spread all over the country. The second son born to Parmar was named Sood and our community consequently bears that name. The capital of the kingdom of Sood dynasty for eight generations was Patten in Sind, and later it was shifted to Alwar and finally Jai Singh, son of King Dahar shifted his capital to Amar Kot, now in Pakistan. It is recorded in several documents that 101 Sood Rajas were ruling in different States. Reference of 44 descendants of Parmar is also available. After the invasion of Muslims, gradually not only Rajasthan, but entire India came under their rule. Soods who had established themselves in the North and later concentrated at Soodpur (now Sirhind) migrated to different cities and towns in Punjab and Himachal Pardesh. In the changed political and social scenario Soods established themselves in business and other professions. These incidents have been recorded by renowned historians : Col. James Tod ('Tod's Rajasthan') Vaka-i-Rajasthan, History of Ancient India by Sh. R.C. Dutt and historian Sh. D.C. Ganguli, 'Chajnama' & 'Tabkate Sikandri'. There are references to the term 'Sood' in Bhavishya Puran. Upsarg, Ardhang Adhyaya 6th. Maharshi Dayanand also referred to 'Agnikul' Rajputs in his earlier Satyarth Parkash (of Ten Chapters 'dus samullas'). *Based on "Origin and History of Soods" written by Late Shri Madan Mohan Sood, General Secretary, Sood Sabha, Chandigarh with a Foreward by Justice Tek Chand Sood, President, Sarvdeshik Sood Sabha and published by Sood Sabha, Chandigarh.
Courtesy By "Sood Sabha Chandigarh"