Lone

Lone (Kashmiri: , لون ) is a Kashmiri tribe in the Kashmir Valley of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Lone tribe is based mainly in northern Kashmir, although in the past few centuries there has been gradual diffusion of the tribe throughout the valley of Kashmir. However, now the tribe also is concentrated in the Kupwara district of the Kashmir valley.There are also some lone families in south kashmir in villages like kachdoora shopian.

In 1911 census, the total Lone population in the state of Jammu and Kashmir was 51931. Out of this there were 8126 found in the Jammu division, 354 in Gilgit and Baltistan, and the rest in the Kashmir division.

Although the vast majority of the Lone tribe speak Kashmiri as their mother language, significant numbers speak Shina, especially those who live in the Gurez valley.

Many Kashmiris of Lone tribe also live in Azad Kashmir and Punjab regions of Pakistan in cities such as Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum and Rawalpindi. Many Lones use Khwaja title, some even use Butt as their surname in these areas of Punjab because of the popularity of this surname among Kashmiri castes of Punjab.

Lone surname is thought to have originally derived from the ancient Lavanya tribe of Kashmir. Lavanya is a Sanskrit word meaning Grace or Beauty .Lavanyas were originally a martial tribe most probably from the hilly tract between Shopian and Rajauri (the same area from where Lohara dynasty originated) where from they came down to Kashmir valley on account of employment as military soldiers under Kashmiri Kings centred around Srinagar. Kalhana makes frequent mention of Lavanyas as a tribe in kashmir who were mostly used as infantry soldiers. Some Kashmiri kings used them in their wars against the Dards inhabiting the areas in the immediate north and north west of Kashmir valley. The Lavanyas were predominantly settled by Kashmiri kings in areas close to land of Dards (modern Chilas, Gilgit etc.). That is why we find people with Lone as their surname mostly residing in Kupwara, Handwara and Baramula districts of Kashmir, they are also found in significant numbers in the neighboring neelum district of azad Kashmir which is the only area inside azad Kashmir having a native Kashmiri speaking population. I quote Kalhana

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