Mohyal
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| Castes of India | |
| Mohyals | |
| Classification | Brahmin |
| Subdivisions | Bali, Bhimwal, Chhibber, Datt, Lau, Mohan and Vaid |
| Significant populations in | Punjab and other parts of Northern India |
| Languages | Punjabi |
| Religions | Hinduism |
Mohyal (sometimes Muhiyal or Mahjal) is the name of an endogamous group of seven lineages arising from the Gandhara region, once a great center of Indian learning. Panini, Vasubandhu, Asanga, Charaka etc. hailed from this region. Within the Hindu varna system, they are classified as Brahmins, the top varna. Most Mohyals are Hindus, many others are Sikhs (Sikhs are followers of Sikhism which is a religion just under 400 years old), resulting chiefly from a notable role played in the evolutionary days of the Sikh religion by members of its community. A very small percentage of Mohyals are Muslims.
This martial Brahmin group is divided into seven clans. Their gotras are listed below.
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[edit] Mohyal Clans
The 7 Mohyal clans and their gotras (lineages) are:
- Bali: Parashar
- Bhimwal: Kaushal
- Chhibber/Chibber:Bhrigu
- Datt: Bharadwaja
- Lau: Vasishtha
- Mohan: Kashyap
- Vaid: Dhanvantri
[edit] Courtesy Titles
During Mughal and Sikh rule, Mohyals were bestowed courtesy titles as rewards for bravery and loyal service. The courtesy titles figure in most Mohyal names even today, and they include Bakhshi, Bhai, Chaudhri, Dewan, Malik, Mehta and Raizada.
- Bakhshi, also spelled Bakshi- meaning benevolent,
- Bhai meaning brother,
- Chaudhri meaning head of the family or village,
- Dewan meaning a landlord or a person of authority,
- Mehta meaning the in charge of finance/property,
- Raizada meaning of noble lineage
Of these, the title of 'Bhai' was conferred on the Chhibbers of Karyala by the Sikh Gurus for their great sacrifices and devotion to dharma, and among Mohyals, this title is found among their descendants only. The Dewans (prime ministers) of all the ten Gurus were Chhibbers belonging to Karyala.
The title of Chaudhri in a Mohyal name typically signifies having descended from the Datt families of Kanjrur, Veeram and Zaffarwal. The title of Dewan was used by the Datts belonging to Guliana and certain other places, and in the earlier Mughal era, some Datts had the honor of being addressed as Sultan.
The title ‘Raizada’ was used mostly by Balis and occasionally by Vaids. The titles of Mehta and Bakshi are the ones most commonly featuring in Mohyal names.
[edit] Numerical Strength and Geographical Distribution
As per rough estimates, the current strength of the Mohyal community is about 200,000 persons. In India’s billion-plus population they constitute a microscopic minority yet make a disproportionately large presence in various fields, especially the Indian Armed Forces.
The traditional stronghold of the Mohyal community was the region of Gandhara that corresponds to modern day districts of Rawalpindi, Haripur, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sargodha and Jammu. The river Ravi was regarded as the southern and eastern limit of Mohyal territory. Mohyals continued to live in large numbers in these areas until the creation of Pakistan in 1947, after which a near complete process of brutal religious cleansing emptied their presence in all these areas barring Jammu which did not become a part of Pakistan. At that point, after a loss of many lives they were forced to move over to India- except for the Muslim Mohyals and five Hindu/Sikh families that stayed on in Pakistan.
[edit] Origin and Early History
The Mohyals are a branch of the bigger Bawanjai Saraswat Brahmins group. Bawanjai literally means 52 lineages, and includes 6 that have since converted en-masse to Islam, most prominent of which is the Gakhar community. When Gandhara witnessed repeated invasions and decline in Hinduism, many Brahmins, Mohyals included, could not longer support scholarship and became administrators and warriors. The Mohyals belong to a distinct category of Brahmins that switched from the traditional duties of Brahmins in favor of military and administrative ones. They have been likened in custom and temperament with other similar brahma-kshatriya groups that believe to have descended from Parshuram. These groups are called Bhumihar Brahmins in Eastern U.P. and Bihar, Goud Brahmins in U.P. and Rajasthan, Chitpawan Brahmins in Maharashtra, Anavil Brahmins in Gujarat, Havyak Brahmins in Karnataka, Namboothiri Brahmins in Kerala and Segans of Punjab. Their variants are found with different names all across the Indian sub-continent. They share similar customs and practices.
[edit] Mohyals and Religious Identity
Mohyals take pride in having retained their Hindu/Sikh identity even while living as miniscule religious minorities in predominantly Muslim lands, even in the face of widespread conversions in other groups to Islam. This was generally regarded as a sign of staying unconquered, especially in the backdrop of numerous cases of conversions brought about by use of force or incentives. On the other hand, many Hindu groups consider them very Muslim–like in their outlook, especially given the Hussaini-Brahmin appellation, and the tradition of circumcision followed in a few Mohyal families. However, neither of these perceptions have traditionally caused friction in Mohyals’ relations with Muslims or other Hindu communities. Their oral history likes to emphasize that those of the Mohyal community who did convert to Islam did so out of personal convictions alone. Mohyals have been patrons of Hinduism and Sikhism in remote outposts beyond South Asia- In the 1800s, a Mohyal of the Datt clan from Pind Dadan Khan had sponsored repairs at the Atashgah fire temple in Baku, during his stay in Central Asia.
[edit] Ancient Accounts
Some of the Mohyal clans claim to have descended from certain figures from the Mahabharata, the longest literary epic poem in the world. Although the historical veracity of these claims cannot be substantiated, certain other aspects can.
Parashurama, Drona, Ashwatthama and Kripa, characters from the epic, stood apart from the typical Brahmins in that along with their intellectual and spiritual teachings, they were masters of the military arts. They occupied the functions of martial gurus to the princes and kings, as well as that of generals and commanders during the war.
Whether these figures existed or not cannot be proved, yet Mohyals point to these as indications of the existence of Brahmins that focused on the military arts.
Interestingly, the temperaments and personality traits of the martial Brahmins described in the Mahabharata are very similar to those of the Mohyal communities.
[edit] The legend of Rahab Sidh Datt
As per Mohyal folklore, a Mohyal of the Dutt clan had fought on behalf of Imam Hussain in the battle of Karbala, sacrificing his seven sons in the process.
Many aspects of this legend are not verifiable, and some other aspects seem like gross exaggerations accumulated in versions orally communicated across generations. However some other intriguing aspects do leave room for a possible basis to the story as well.
According to legend, Rahab Sidh Datt was the leader of a small band of career-soldiers who happened to be living near Baghdad around the time of the battle of Karbala. Considering that Mohyal folklore also abounds with stories of persons serving as career-soldiers, there could be some truth here. The legend mentions the place where he is supposed to have stayed as Dair-al-hindiya, meaning “The Indian Quarter”, which also matches an Al-Hindiya still in existence today. The Dutts have also been addressed as Hussaini Brahmins for as long as anyone can recall. Munshi Premchand’s novel ‘Karbala’ also mentions about Hindus fighting for the sake of Imam Hussain, and refers to them as descendants of Ashwatthama, who the Dutt clan considers as it of its ancestors.
Zameer Hassan Kazmi, in his article " Imam Husain's Hindu Devotees" published in The Illustrated Weekly of India in 1971, has done unique research on sacrifices made by Hindus, particularly Dutt Brahmins, while fighting on the side of a descendant of Prophet Mohammad.
Regardless of the extent of its veracity, this occupies an important part in the Dutt clan’s oral history and is considered a source of pride for them.
[edit] Recent History
Currently, a documented history of their origin is mostly derived from oral history and a few historical records, notably The history of the Muhiyals: The militant Brahman race of India (1911) by T.P. Russell Stracey (sometimes spelled Rusell), written and published during the time of the British Raj.
Stracey mentions that the Mohyals are primarily a military class, divided into seven clans that have been prominently associated with the government and sometimes rulership of the country. They have also figured at some early period of history in the affairs of Arabia, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Persia. At the time of his writing he states that they were spread from Afghanistan and Punjab to Bihar. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar they are known as Bhumihar Brahmins.
[edit] Customs and Values
Mohyals take pride in their traditions of not accepting charity, and fighting against religious bigotry and social injustice regardless of consequence. Mohyals have a community tradition that emphasizes maintaining steadfast loyality to friends and superiors. They take pride in having adapted themselves to the successive rules of the Mughals, the Sikhs and the British with no recorded instance of treachery. At the same time, Mohyals have through history been very selective in choosing rulers to serve, often paying a high price for maintaining a fierce independence[1]. During the British rule they were favored in military recruitment due to their strong martial traditions and their assurance of loyality. In 1527, a group of Mohyals was slaughtered to the last man in a village named Paniad, just to safeguard the virginity of a Khatri (Marwaha) girl who had sought their protection from Babur's army. During the Mughal and Sikh rule, they were bestowed with titles like Sultan, Bakshi, Dewan, Mehta etc. in reward for their bravery. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had appointed many Mohyals to his famous Vadda Risala-the Life Guards of the Lion of Punjab. During the British period, fifty percent of the Mohyal commisioned officers, were decorated with awards for their distinguished services. In the self-serving "Theory of Martial Races" propounded by the British after the 1857 mutiny, Mohyals were the only predominantly Hindu community from Punjab included in the classification.
Mohyals traditionally abhor 3 things: 'the taking of charity', 'the handling of scales(trading)' and 'living a life of laziness'. Though numerically unimportant, they have frequently risen to prominence in the service of the armed forces and government which they enter in large numbers. They are remarkable among the Hindu population in being hereditary agriculturists, seldom practicing trade and specially despising the life of indolence led by any Brahmin who lives by charity and with whom the Mohyals, though admitting a common origin, often object to be classed with.
[edit] Racial Features
Earlier, the Mohyals were more conscious of their racial features, the typical traits being tall height, fair complexion, wide build, light eye colour and dark hair. Events in the 20th century, such as the Partition of India, migrations to Africa, Europe, North America and the increasing laxity of the caste-system has contributed to a broadening of outlook in the Mohyal community, yet still many Mohyals advocate marriages within the community in a supposed effort to preserve the genetic stock and group identity.
They share common features with people of the Gandhara region Kashmiri Pandits, Khatris and other North Indian groups.
No genetic tests have yet been performed on members of the Mohyal community at large, but testing may one day point to a more precise point of origin.
[edit] Famous Mohyals
[edit] Historical Figures
- Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das (disciples of Guru Tegh Bahadur who preferred barbaric deaths instead of a forced coversion to Islam). They were descendants of Baba Praga , also a notable figure in Sikh history before them. Bhai Chaupa Singh Chhiber was a descendant of the same family, and was tutor and care-taker of Guru Govind Singh. Bhai Sahib Singh was a nephew of Bhai Mati Das, was appointed Dewan by Guru Govind Singh. He is often mistakenly referred to as one of the Panj Pyare, as he shared his name with Bhai Sahib Singh of Bidar. The son of Bhai Sahib Singh, Bhai Gurbakhsh Singh died defending the Harmandir Sahib during a raid by Ahmad Shah Durrani, and his son Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber was author of 'Bansavalinama Dasan Patshahian Da'.
- Mehta Radha Kishan of Bhaun, Bakhshi Amar Singh of Bhera, Mehta Kishen Chand of Pind Dadan Khan and Mehta Sukha Nand of Kala Gujran were Governors during Sikh Rule.
- Bakhshi Amrik Rai of Gujrat served as the paymaster of the Sikh army
- Brigadier General Dewan Niranjan Dass was Chairman of the State Bank of Afghanistan and Finance Minister of Amir Aman Ullah Khan. He was a descendant of Bakshi Dewan Narain Dass (Chhibber) who led the army of King Amir Sher Ali Khan in quelling inter-tribal wars, and whose great-grandfather had migrated to Kabul from the town of Bhera near Pind Dadan Khan.
- Bakhshi Radha Kishen of Village Thoha Khalsa in Tehsil Kahuta of Rawalpindi District- rose from humble origins to become commander of the army of the Princely State of Kashmir in the reign of Maharaja Gulab Singh. He won laurels for his conquests of Gilgit and Ladakh in 1861. His son Bakhshi Moolraj who earlier served as Colonel in the Maharaja’s army was made governor of Ladakh.
[edit] From the Armed Forces of British and Independent India
- Lt. Gen. Kalwant Singh (Datt) (General Officer Commanding during 1948 Indo Pak war)
- Sardar Bahadur Risaldar-Major Bakhshi Ganda Singh Datt, OBI (awarded Order of Merit in 1857 for saving the life of Sir Robert Sandeman at Lucknow, and later excelled in British Indian Army's Afghan Campaigns)
- Sardar Bahadur Risaldar-Major Bakshi Prem Singh Vaid,Order of Merit
- Sardar Bahadur Risaldar-Major Bakshi Tirath Ram Vaid,Order of Merit awarded after battle of Malakand in 1897
- Risaldar-Major Dewan Hukam Singh Datt, Hony. Capt., Hony. Magistrate, ADC to Lord Curzon.
- Raizada Wazir Chand Bali – numerous awards from Mesopotamia (1921), Mehmand Operations (1935), Waziristan (1936-38), WW-II including Sardar Bahadur, OBI, Hony. Capt., Victory Medal, Iraq Medal, Indian Services Medal, Burma Star, Britain War Medal.
- Maj. Vijay Rattan Choudhry (Datt) (posthumously won MVC in Indo Pak war of 1971)
- Lt Col. Harbans Lal Mehta (posthumously won MVC in Indo Pak war of 1965)
- Lt. Gen. Zorawar Chand Bakhshi (hero of the capture of the strategic Haji Pir pass in the 1965 Indo-Pak war, and India's most decorated General of his time having been awarded PVSM, MVC , VrC, VSM and the MacGregor Medal)
- Rai Bahadur Bakshi Badri Nath Chhibber (A highly decorated police officer in British and Independent India)
- Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Harish Chander Datt, Vr. C, VSM
- Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Manohar Lal Chhibber, PVSM, AVSM
- Lt. Gen. (Retd.) BKN Chhibber, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (also former Governor of Punjab)
- Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) K.K. Bakshi, born 1935 Vr. C, Vayu Sena Medal (as a Sqn Ldr flying a HF-24 in the 1971 India Pakistan War, he had two confirmed air-to-air combat victories[2] to his credit, both involving superior F-86 Sabre aircraft of the PAF.)
- Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) K.K. Bakshi, AVSM, born 1927
- 2nd Lt. Puneet Nath Dutt (posthumous winner of India's highest gallantry award, Ashok Chakra, in 1997 for his role in a counter-terror operation
[edit] Other Fields
- Bhai Parmanand (A social reformer in the Punjab)
- Bhai Mahavir (former Governor of Madhya Pradesh, and also a descendant of the family of Bhai Mati Das)
- Chief Justice V.K.Bali (currently Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court)
- Mr. N.N. Mohan (industrialist, founder of Mohan Meakin Breweries)
- Bollywood personalities- Sunil Dutt, his wife Nargis Dutt (who herself was born half-Mohyal to a Hindu Mohyal father and a Muslim mother), Geeta Bali and Om Prakash, Anand Bakshi, and JP Dutta.
- Barkha Dutt
- Saira Mohan
- Lara Dutta
- K.C. Bali
- Sanjay Dutt
[edit] See Also
[edit] External links
- Mohyal
- Mohyals
- Article on 2nd. Lt. Puneet Nath Dutt at Bharat Rakshak, unofficial site of Indian Armed Forces
- Bhai Mati Das
- Bhai Parmanand
- Hindu Followers of Imam Husain
- Article in Pakistan's Defence Journal mentioning Muhiyals.
[edit] References
- History of the Mohyals, by P.N. Bali
- Muhiyals - The Militant Brahmin Race of India by T.P. Russell Stracey
- The Illustrated Weekly of India , Vol. XCII II, March 14, 1971
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The seven Mohyal clans |
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| Bali | Bhimwal | Chhibber | Datt | Lau | Mohan | Vaid |
