Mohyal Chhibbers In Indian History
Bhagwan Parsuram
Ancestor of Chhibbers
Raja Dahir of Sindh
originThis article is about north Indian Saraswats, and should not be confused with west coastal KonkaniKonkani language
Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-European family of languages spoken in the Konkan coast of India...
and Marathi speaking Goud Saraswat Brahmin.
Saraswats are descended from a Brahmin
Brahmins have historically been the class of educators, scholars and preachers in Hinduism. They are considered as belonging to the "forward castes" of the four varnas of Hinduism....
caste mentioned in ancient Hindu
A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
scriptures as inhabiting the Saraswati RiverSaraswati River
Saraswati River can refer to#the historical Sarasvati River#the Sarsuti River#the Oxus River Greek form of ancient Vaksu which is a synonym for Saraswati river...
valley, the geographic location of which is unknown. The actual origins of this community and the circumstances of its relocation to the areas that they now inhabit are shrouded in mystery. An ancient legend mentions that Parshuram, an avatar of Vishnu is said to have carved the community out of the five sons of Raja Ratten Sen.
History
Saraswat Brahmins are Brahmins who lived on the banks of the former river SaraswatiSaraswati River
Saraswati River can refer to#the historical Sarasvati River#the Sarsuti River#the Oxus River Greek form of ancient Vaksu which is a synonym for Saraswati river...
that once flowed in northern India, joining the Ganga and Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
in Prayag. Saraswats are considered among the oldest and most widespread community in India, still preserving their own culture.
Around 1000 BC, the river Saraswati started vanishing under ground and the people on its banks started migrating to other parts of.
In accordance with the theory of the Aryan migration, this community comprises solely of Brahmins who practised various occupations, depending on which their surnames (which is a major source of identification and placement in the caste system in India) were attached, as has been noticed in the early Vedic period.
Communities
As per the renowned historian, Shri Bhagwan Das Gidwani, author of the 'Return of the Aryans'. the Saraswati-Sindho river was existent in SindhSindh
Sindh , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. Different cultural and ethnic groups also reside in Sindh including Urdu-speaking Muslim refugees who migrated to Pakistan from India upon independence as well as the people migrated from other provinces after...
. Furthermore, It was also believed that the Saraswat Brahmins originated from the region. However, only a little number of Sindhis are now aware of their Saraswat Brahmin caste. Due to Islamization in Sindh since 712 AD, most of the Saraswat Brhamins (largest population of Sindh back then) and other tribes like the Saindhav Rajpoots and the Jhaatts, adopted the Islamic lifestyle. As result, till today the modern day Sindhi Hindu community, bears little knowledge of their tribes and caste. However a few surnames like 'Joshi', 'Paathak' and 'Kumar' still exist. Others over the years have been modified into the Sindhi surnames. The Aamil Sindhi community (surname eg: Advani, Madhvani, Chandrani etc) are mostly from the Saraswat Brahmin clan of Sindh.
Punjabi Saraswat Brahmins are one of the most influential communities in aforementioned areas. 'Mohyal.
Mohyal is the name of an endogamous ethnic group that originates from the Gandara region and consists of seven Brahmin lineages of that area that left the usual priestly occupation of Brahmins long ago to serve as soldiers and in government...
' one of the sub-community within Punjabi Saraswat Brahmins were landlords, Dewans, Shahs, and Kings in Northern areas,Many of Brahmins in NWFP region were "mohyals". The "mohyals" were clans of brahmins who lived independent of law of the land and were warriors, educators, law-maker in NWFP. Even, the Pathans clans sought brahmin knowledge for tribal laws.
Saraswat Brahmins form a great proportion of the Hindus in Kashmir, who are called the Kashmiri Pundits, These Kashmiri Brahmins are thought to be the descendants of the Aryans. However, these people differentiate themselves from the rest of the Saraswat Brahmins in that they identify their deity with the Goddess Saraswati, who has been mentioned in the Vedas as the goddess of learning. However, the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins residing on the western coast of India (primarily in Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka) are thought to have descended from these Kashmiri Brahmins. Substantial evidence has been set forth by several historians relating that the Kashmiri Brahmins migrated to Goa by the eleventh century AD.
Chhibber or Chibber is a Brahmin clan from the Punjab. They are one of the seven clans of the Mohyals who are Saraswat Brahmins of the Punjab. The other six clans are Bali, Bhimwal, Datt/Dutt, Lau, Mohan and Vaid. Punjabi Brahmins other than Mohyals include Barahis (Twelvers), Bawanjais (Fifty-twoers) and Athwans (Eighters). Most Chhibbers are Hindus, but because they were closely associated with the Sikh Gurus, especially the ninth and tenth Gurus, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, many follow Sikhism as well.
Chhibbers derive their gotra from Rishi Bhrigu, one of the Saptarishis .
Chach and Dahir
There are indications in old textbooks that the Chhibbers lived in Mathura around 250 BC. In the 7th century AD Rai Narsingh Dev, a Chhibber patriarch was the Dewan(Prime Minister) in the ruling principality of Mathura. He had two sons named Chach and Nahar Singh. After the death of Narsingh Dev, his sons became disenchanted with Mathura and migrated to Sindh. In Sindh, Chach got a job in the court of Raja Sahasi. Raja Sahasi discerned his latent qualities and appointed him as his prime minister. When Sahasi died without leaving any heir to succeed him, his queen, Rani Suhanadi, who was secretly in love with Chach, kept the news of his death a closely guarded secret to pre-empt intrigues of the many aspirants to the throne. She later married Chach and proclaimed him as the new ruler.
Chach is considered to be the founder of the Chhibber clan. Chhibber is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word `Shivi Var’, meaning a righteous person
Raja Chach died in 674 AD after ruling for forty years. His son, Dahir took over in 687 AD.Though he was a Brahmin, many of the citizens of his kingdom were Buddhists. His reign was shattered by the invasion of the army of the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I of Baghdad. He sent his general, the seventeen-year old Muhammad bin Qasim who besieged Debal, Dahir's capital.The Raja was defeated and killed by Qasim's forces at Roar(near present-day Nawabshah).
After Sindh, Qasim conquered Multan.
The exodus of the Chhibbers from Sindh took place at about the same time as that of the Datts from Arabia .
After the fall of Sindh, the descendants of Raja Dahir moved to the Punjab. They were helped in their rehabilitation by the king of Delhi and established themselves in different places.
Timur invaded India in 1398. While on his way to Delhi, he pillaged and plundered Dipalpur and Bhatner, the stronghold of the Chhibbers, and indulged in carnage reminiscent of Mahmud Ghaznavi. The Chhibbers fled to Bikaner but finding no means of livelihood migrated to Ujjain. Though the brahmin king of Ujjain treated them with great hospitality, for some unknown reason they shifted to Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Chhibers and the Sikh Panth
Baba Praga
Praga Sain(probable transliteration: Prayag Sen)(1507—1638) laid the foundation of Karyala, which remained the home of the Chhibbers for 450 years till the Partition of India in 1947. Praga became a disciple of Guru Nanak Dev. After Guru Nanak Dev, Baba Praga played an important part during the lifetime of the next five Gurus: Guru Angad Dev, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Har Gobind. In the year 1638, he fought with Paindah Khan , the Governor of Lahore. Baba Praga was wounded and died on his return to Karyala. His samadhi stands on the outskirts of Karyala and another memorial was raised in Kabul at ‘Char Bagh’. The cross section beyond Sarai Guru Ram Das on the periphery of the Golden Temple Complex at Amritsar is named Chowk Praga Das after him.
Durga Das, Lakhi Das and Durga Mal
Praga Das' son, Durga Das was the Diwan of Guru Har Gobind and the seventh Guru, Guru Har Rai. His son, Lakhi Das was anointed to the same post but he died soon afterwards and Durga Mal held that position until Guru Har Krishan.
Mati Das
Guru Teg Bahadur founded Anandpur Sahib in the princely state of Bilaspur(present-day Himachal Pradesh) in 1665. Mati Das(son of Durga Mal), as Dewan of the Guru, carried on the administration from there. He also acted as the chief priest of the Vaishnava Matha at Karyala whose scholars worked all over the Punjab, the North West Frontier Province, Afghanistan and Iran.
During this time, under the harsh rule of emperor Aurangzeb, Non-Muslims(mostly Hindus and Sikhs) suffered a lot. Around 1665, Guru Teg Bahadur left Anandpur Sahib with his mother, Mata Nanaki and wife, Mata Gujri and travelled eastwards through Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, preaching as he went. He travelled through Agra, Allahabad, Benares, Gaya, and finally arrived at Patna. Mata Gujri, being in an advanced stage of pregnancy, could not go any further. Guru Teg Bahadur made suitable arrangements for his wife and mother in Patna and travelled eastwards to Bengal and Assam. He was in Dhaka, when he heard the news of the birth of his son, Gobind Rai (Guru Gobind Singh), who was born at Patna on December 26, 1666. However, it was only after three years that Guru Teg Bahadur could join his family back in Patna again.
The Guru was at Patna when he received a distress call from Bhai Mati Das in Anandpur about the deteriorating condition in the North, particularly in Kashmir , where Hindus were groaning under the atrocities perpetuated by its Mughal Governor, Iftikhar Khan. The Guru rushed to Anandpur and from there began a tour of the Punjab to console the people and inspire courage in them.
On his return journey in June 1675, accompanied by Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Dyal Das, and a retinue of about 500 followers, he camped at Ropar before going to Agra. At Agra, Guru Teg Bahadur parted with his precious ring and shawl to get some sweets for his hungry followers. It is believed that the confectioner from whose shop these sweets were purchased reported to the police who were in search of the Guru. This led to his arrest,but however, according to other version of the incidence is that guru went to Delhi at the request of Kashmiri Brnhmins, who had begged before him that Aurangzeb has vowed that either all Kashmiri Brahmins convert to Islam or face imminent death and they requested the Guru to save their religion. Learning their plight Guru deided to help them and thus he went to Delhi. After arrest, the Guru along with his disciples, was escorted to Delhi under the surveillance of one thousand two hundred mounted soldiers to face trial for sedition against the emperor. At Delhi, the Qazi offered them two options: to embrace Islam or to die. In response, they unanimously refused to convert.
Bhai Mati Das was bolted between two planks of wood and bifurcated into two from top to trunk with a saw by a commander called Altaf Khan on November 9, 1675. It is stated that when the execution began, Bhai Mati Das started reciting the Japji Sahib and the voice continued to come from the two parts of his body till the prayer was completed.
Bhai Dyal Das was scalded to death in a cauldron of boiling water on November 10, 1675.
Guru Teg Bahadur was beheaded under a banyan tree (the trunk of the tree and well near-by where he took a bath are still preserved), opposite the Sunheri Masjid near the Kotwali in Chandni Chowk where he was lodged as a prisoner, on November 11, 1675.
His head was carried by Bhai Jaita, a disciple of the Guru, to Anandpur where the nine-year old Guru Gobind Singh cremated it(The gurdwara at this spot is also called Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib).The body, before it could be quartered, was stolen under the cover of darkness by Lakhi Shah Vanjara, another disciple who carried it in a cart of hay and cremated it by burning his hut. At this spot, the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib stands today. Later on, the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, was built at Chandni Chowk at the site of Guru’s martyrdom.
In recognition of the devotion and supreme sacrifice made by Mati Das, Guru Teg Bahadur bestowed the title of Bhai on him. In course of time, all Chhibbers belonging to the village of Karyala adopted this title.
Sahib Singh, Gurbaksh Singh, Kesar Singh and Chaupa Singh
Guru Gobind Singh appointed Bhai Sahib Singh (nephew of Bhai Mati Das),as his Dewan. He died in a war with Hatai Khan near the Beas and was cremated on the banks of the river. Guru Gobind appointed his son, Gurbaksh Singh as the next Dewan. When Guru Gobind Singh left for the Deccan, Gurbaksh Singh retired to Amritsar. At the time of the invasion of Ahmed Shah Abdali, on the Harmandir Sahib, the aged Bhai Gurbaksh Singh was killed.
The Chaupa Singh Rahit-nama was written by Chaupa Singh Chhibber in 1700 CE. He served the last three gurus. He was the care-taker and tutor of Guru Gobind Singh.
Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber, son of Gurbaksh Singh, wrote 'Bansavalinama Dasan Patshahian Ka' his work in 1779 AD. He served Mata Sundari (wife of Guru Gobind Singh).
Bhai Parmanand
Bhai Parmanand (born on 4 November, 1876 - died December 8, 1947) was an Indian nationalist. He has been credited as being the first person to propose setting up a separate Muslim state (i.e. Pakistan).[1]
Parmanand was born into a prominent family of the Punjab, descended from the family of the famous Sikh martyr, Bhai Mati Das.[2] His father, Bhai Tara Chand Mohyal, came from Kariala, Jhelum District and was an active religious missionary with the Arya Samaj movement, a major Bhai Hindutva icon and one-time President of the Hindu Mahasabha.
Following the British announcement of the partition of Bengal in 1905, he demanded that 'the territory beyond Sindh should be united with Afghanistan and North-West Frontier Province into a great Musulman Kingdom. The Hindus of the region should come away, while at the same time the Musulmans in the rest of the country should go and settle in this territory'. This preceded the Muslim League's Pakistan Resolution by over three decades.
In October 1905, Parmanand visited South Africa and stayed with Mahatma Gandhi as a vedic missionary.[3] Parmanand visited Guyana in 1910 which was the centre of the Arya Samaj movement in the Caribbean.[4] His lectures increased their following there. In 1911, he visited Lala Hardayal when he was on retreat in Martinique. Parmanand persuaded Hardayal to go to the United States to found a centre for the propagation of the ancient culture of the Aryan Race. Hardayal left for America, but soon located himself in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he again went on retreat on Waikiki Beach. A letter from Parmanand prompted his departure for San Francisco where he became an activist in the anarchist movement.
Parmanand toured several British colonies in South America before rejoining Hardayal in San Francisco. He was a founder member of the Ghadar Party. He accompanied Hardayal on a speaking tour to Portland in 1914 and wrote a book for the Ghadar Party called Tarikh-I-Hind. He returned to India as part of the Ghadar Conspiracy claiming he was accompanied by 5,000 Ghadarites. He was part of the leadership of the revolt, and was sent to promote the revolt in Peshawar. He was arrested in connection with the First Lahore Conspiracy Case and was sentenced to death in 1915. The sentence was later commuted to one of transportation for life: he was imprisoned in the Andaman Islands until 1920 and subjected to hard labour. In protest against such harsh treatment of political prisoners, Bhai Parmanand went on hunger strike for two months. The King-Emperor, George V, released him in 1920 as the result of a general amnesty order.[5]
In 1930, he was the chair of the Sind Provincial Hindu Conference, where he expressed concern that Muslim creation of Pakistan would divide India. He met Gandhi again in 1933 where he analysed India as being composed of three elements: Hindus, Muslims and the British. He suggested that Gandhi had tried to bring the first two together to drive out the British, but that the British had succeeded in gaining the support of the Muslims. Gandhi replied that he was an optimist, and look forward to the day when Muslims would join with Hindus. Parmanand suggested that only if Hindus organised amongst themselves would Muslims join them as nobody associates with the weak.
Bhai Parmanand died on December 8, 1947 of a heart attack. Bhai Parmanad is survived by his son Dr. Bhai Mahavir, a prominent member of the Jana Sangh and BJP.
Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji
Artical by
(Amrit Pal Singh ‘Amrit’)
In his childhood, Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji’s name was ‘Chaupat Rai’. After receiving the double-edged sword’s nectar, his name was changed to Chaupa Singh. His parents were ‘Chhibbar’ Brahmans. They donated him to the seventh Guru, Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji. Thus, Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji got the chance of having Darshan of four Gurus (Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji, Sri Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib Ji and Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji).
When (Guru) Gobind (Singh) Ji was born, Bhai Chaupat Rai Ji was appointed the male-nurse to him. Working as the male-nurse, Bhai Chaupat Rai Ji witnessed many-many childhood-amusements of (Guru) Gobind (Singh) Ji.
Bhai Harjas Ji was appointed the Persian teacher for (Guru) Gobind (Singh) Ji. Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt Ji was the Sansrit teacher. Bhai Chaupat Rai Ji was though male-nurse; he used to teach Punjabi too to (Guru) Gobind (Singh) Ji. In those days, child-students used to use wooden-slates to develop their writing skill. Students would write on such wooden-slates. These wooden-slates were washable. Bhai Chaupat Rai Ji used to wash wooden-slate for (Guru) Gobind (Singh) Ji.
While discussing that important period of Guru-history, we should keep it in mind that it was the time, when the powerful Mogul Government was an enemy of Guru’s house. Brahmans were being misbehaved in Kashmir and on other places. Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib Ji would go to different places to encourage the frightened people. In such a critical time, the security of Guru’s family was an important issue. It was obvious that only very reliable persons were appointed to fulfill the requirements of Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib’s family. There was a need of a person to look after (Guru) Gobind (Singh) Ji, who would be a well learned as well as a warrior too. In such a time, who else was more eligible than Bhai Chaupat Rai Ji. He was in Gurus’ families since Sri Guru Har Rai Ji was on the Holy throne.
Most of the books of Guru-history say that ‘Khande Da Amrit’ (the Nectar prepared by double-edged sword) was prepared by Guru Gobind Singh Ji himself and was distributed to the five beloved-ones (Bhai Dya Singh Ji etc). On the other hand, Kesar Singh Chhibbar wrote in his book ‘Bansaavali-naama Dasaan Paatshaahiyaan Ka’ that Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji, by the order of Guru Ji, prepared this nectar. According to Kesar Singh Chhibbar, Guru Ji tasted the nectar, and then first of all, he distributed it to Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji.
When the need of written ‘Rahat-naama’ (book of code of conduct) was felt, it was Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji, who was ordered by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to write the ‘Rahat-naama’. Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji wrote this, which is famous as ‘Rahat-naama Bhai Chaupa Singh’.
When Guru Gobind Singh Ji evacuated the city of Sri Anandpur Sahib Ji, Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji was ordered to accompany Mother Sundri Ji and Mother Sahib Devaan Ji along with Bhai Sahib Singh Ji.
When they were leaving the city, Mogul generals and Rajput kings attacked on Sikhs. Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji and Bhai Sahib Singh Ji had to fight to save the Guru’s family.
It is believed that Bhai Chaupa Singh Ji was among the Singhs, who were killed alongwith Ajit Singh, the adopted son of Mother Sundri Ji.
Chhibbers (Article)
Amongst different sects of Mohyals, the maximum spotlight of History is on the Chhibbers. Commencing from Raja Dahir. the SOV\' ereign of Sind in the 7th century. down to Bhai Balmukand of the modern times, it is an uninterrupted saga of sacrifices. in shimmering blood, time aft_r time. The only parallel that Indian history can perhaps offer is that of the militant Peshwas of the Maharashtra. With an illustrious line of pre-historic ancestors like Bhrigu, Jamdagni and Parashurama: they have a very rich and ancient heritage. They derive their gotra from their celestial forefather, Rishi Bhrigu, and share it with the valiant Chola kings (10th century) of the south.
Many Chhibber families patronise the Bhargava gotra which is synonymous with Bhrigu as Bhargava is a patronymic derivation of the Bhrigu\'s name. There are indications in old text-books that the Chhibbers lived in Mathura. the city of birth of Krishna the Incarnate. around 250 BC. Mathura was also the cradle of the Balis. In the 7th century AD Rai Narsingdev, a Chhibber patriarch, was Dewan in the ruling principality of Mat/mfa. He had two sons named Rai Chach and Nahar Singh. the latter is referred as Chander by some muslim chroniclers. After the death of Narsingdev, his sons became disenchanted with Mathura and migrated to Sind, through Punjab and Rajasthan, en route of Bhatinda and Bikaner. While in Sind. Rai Chach got a job in the court of Raja Sahsi. Sahsi, also known as Rai Sinhasana, was a brahmin (the various kings of the Rai dynasty have ruled for over 144 years). Raja Sahsi was a great connoisseur of men and soon discerned the latent and patent qualities of Rai Chach and appointed him as his prime minister. When Sahsi died after a prolonged illness, without leaving any issue to succeed llim. his queen Sobhi who was secretly in love with the nally Rai Chach. kept the news of the king\'s death a closely guarded secret, to pre-empt intrigues of the many aspirants to the vacant throne. She later married Rai Chach and proclaimed him as the new ruler. The brother of Sahsi, named Dhamrat. who was the chief of a nearby state, challenged Chach and invited him to a bout, and in the encounter was killed by Chach. Rai Chach is considered to be the founder of the Chhibber sect and was the first man to use the appellation of Chhibber with his name. Chhibber is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word \'Shivi Var\' meaning a righteous person. During the reign of Rai Chach. his broiller Nahar Singh (alias Chander) was the defacto ruler and their capital was at Rawar. Chach himself was busy in fighting wars and conquering new territories viz. Brahmanabad, Thalia, Sohstan and Multan (which was ruled by Rai Bechara, a kin of Sahsi). He extended his dominion upto Kannauj in the east. Kashmir and Kabul in north. and Iran in the west. Nearer hotne, he wanted to finish Samini. the Buddhist archbishop, who later played a treacherous role in the time of Raja Dahir. but spared his life. Chach built a big fort at Rawar (also mentioned as Alwar in some rCC(Jrds) which was subsequently completed by his son. Dahersia. He celebrated his seco)ld marriage with the widow queen of Brahmanabad. the ruler named Akham Lohana having been earlier killed in a battle with Chach. From his two wives he had two sons. Dahir and Dahersia, and two daughters (one named Mai while the name of the other is not known). Chach celebrated the marriage of one of his daughters with Durlab Drohan, the Mohyal (Mohan) king of Kashmir. This shows that even 1300 years ago, the genealogical purity of the Mohyal race was being preserved in the highest echelons of the society. Raid Chach died in 674 AD after a glorious rule of 40 years. After the death of Rai Chach. his brother Nahar Singh was coronated as the king of Sind. He was totally devoted to Buddhism and spent all his time in meditation and reading scriptures. Taking advantage of this situation. the ruler of Sohstan named Mehta. whose state had been usurped by Chach during his military exploitations. declared a war on Sind with the help of king of Kannauj (it cQuld not be Harsha Vardhana as mentioned in some Mohyal histories because he had demised in 647 AD) and, ironically, the ruler of Kashmir who was closely related to Chach family also sent a crack force to fight against Nahar Singh. They tried to wean away Dahir also but their efforts proved abortive. The clutch of foes had to beat a retreat after one month of concentration near fort Devbal (modern Karachi). Nahar Singh died in 681 after a rule of 7 years and according to his will Dahir was made the ruler of Alwar and his son Raj that of Brahmanabad (situated above Mir Pur Khas). Raj died after a year and was succeeded by Dahersia, the brother of Dahir, who ruled over Brahmanabad for 5 years. He married the daughter of Akham Lohana. the former ruler of the same state. His main achievement was the completion of the fort of Rawar initiated by his father and since Dahir did not take any interest in its construction, his relations with him became sour. When Dahersia died prematurely in 687. Dahir took over the charge of Brahmanabad as well as the Rawar fort. However, the peace of his dominion was soon shattered by an unprovoked attack of Raja Ramal, the hostile ruler of a neighbouring state. In a sudden swoop. Ramal overran the Rawar fort and headed towards the capital city. To punish him Dahir sent a big force under command of Mohammed Alafi. an Arab chief settled in Sind, who over the years had become a confidant of Raja Oahir and was rewarded by him for his unstinted services in the past. Alafi intlicted a crushing defeat on the impostor and was conferred yet more rewards and honours. This victory proved only a brief interlude of relief for the beleagured Raja Dahir of Sind, because a big Arab invasion which was going to seal his fate. was looming on the horizon. It all started when a sailing boat coming from Ceylon (known as Sarandeb in those days) carrying pilgrims for Arabia and a cargo of human slaves--consisting mostly of women, was intercepted and pirated near the coast of Sind by the local ruffians. In retaliation, HejajBin- Yusaf, the governor of Basra (Iraq), sent his legions but they were twice driven back, after bitter fighting near Devbal fort, by the native forces led by Jai Singh, the son of Dahir. For the final assault, backed with blessings of Waleid, the Caliph of Baghdad, Hejaj picked up his son-in-law (who was also his nephew) Mohammed Ibn Al Kasim, a fierce fighter, to lead the attack in 712 AD. Kasim stormed into India, laid siege of the Devbal fort and turned it into a battle-field. The luckless Raja Dahir fought with his back to the wall. His kingdom was in total anarchy: the Buddhist leader Sam ani (ruler of Neron) and disgruntled Jats openly sided with the invaders; his erstwhile counsellor Ilafi turned tail and switched over his loyalty to his co-religionists; his trusted Aide\' Seosagar also deserted him when the hour was dark and the need dire; even members of his own clan viz.. the brahmins, raised a banner of revolt and one of them prompted Kasim to pull down the flag from the turret of the fort so that the soldiers of Dahir may take it as a sure omen of impending defeat and lay down their arms. Amazingly, the same thing came to pass. All resistance whittled down. the marauders made a cakewalk of the fort and unleashed a bedlam: innocent men were murdered, women immolated themselves in the burnng pyres, people were converted to Islam at the sword edge. sacred Hindu and Buddhist shrines were desecrated and incinerated and mosques built in their place. After conquering the coastal town of Devbal, Kasim marched his army to the bridgehead of river Sind; the mighty river had to be crossed to gain an entry into Sind. The bridge was being guarded by the two burly brothers, Moka and Rasal, believed to be kiths of Dahir. They were bribed, the gates of the bridge were flung open. and the Arab hordes crashed into Sind. The valiant Jai Singh defended the river front and kept the intruders at bay for full 50 days, till he was forced to capitulate. The next target of Kasim\' s devils was the Rawar fort where Dahir and members of the royal family were taking refuge. surrounded by a b_ltery of astrologers and soothsayers, bargaining for luck. On seeing his defences crumbling down, an anaemic Dahir himself stepped into the arena of war, riding on an elephant whose niggling sluggishness hampered rather than help his actions, while the commandos of Kasim were fighting with lightening speed on swift running horses. Finding the odds overwhelmingly stacked against him, instead of facing the hu_iliation of a defeat and being killed in an ignominious manner, Dahir d_clded to commit suicide. (according to R.C. Majumdar he was killed). HiS dead body was picked up by the brahmins and buried in sand. One terer carried the smitten head of Dahir to Kasim and claimed a big prize. Sind was lost due to internal dissentions and selfish traitors. Raja Dahir neither gave a good account of himself- as peacetime ruler, nor made any grade as a fighter. Kasim, a lad of 16 years, with just 6000 cavalry and 3000 carrier camels, defeated Dahir on his home soil, inspite of his unchallengeable strength of 20,000 infantry, 10,000 mounted soldiers, 80 war elephants and other paraphernalia. After capturing Devbal and Rawar, Kasim took in his sweep Brahmanabad, the fort town of NirOll, Devan, Thatta (Multan) and reached as far as Kannauj-all in one year. He ruled for two years from 713 to 715 AD. After the death of Dahir, Jai Singh retired to Brahmanabad. However, the queen stayed on in Rawar fort and fought bravely for 3 days, all by herself; even her son Jai Singh did not come to her aid and remained anchored at Brahmanabad. She was no match for the brute force of the enemy and was forced to surrender. The family fort of Rawar fell to the invaders who rehearsed the orgy of plunder, rape and murder. The queen along with hundreds of other maidens voluntarily killed herself by resorting to the edifying rite of Jauhar. The charming niece of Dahir, Jaisiya, was specially picked up for being presetned to the Caliph to slake his sexual fire. Even after the extirpation of the king and the queen, their sons and skeletal loyal forces kept on showing the flag but it was no displalf of any strength and only bidding of farewell to an extinguishing era. The war had already been lost, the sun had set over the redolent kingdom of Raja Chach and Raja Dahlr and the door wide opened for t_e debut of the muslim rule whose writ was to run for many centunes. The two daughters of Raja Dahir, Surya Devi (mentioned as Sarla Devi in the history of Farishta) and Pramil Devi, were taken prisoners by Kasim and sent to Baghdad (to Damascus according to Farishta), for the flesh feast of Caliph Waleid. The indomitable girls played a hoax and told the Caliph that their bodies were no good for him as the same had already been polluted by Kasim. His ire triggered to a flashpoint, the Caliph ordered instant killing of Kasim and his dead body sewn in goatskin to be sent to him. After the extermination of Kasim, the Dahir girls blurted out the truth to the Caliph, that \\lieir chastity was still pure like the lily t1ower and Kasim did not even touch their bodies and they had only avenged the death of their parents. The Caliph exploded with rage and issued orders that the two girls should be tied by hair to galloping horses and dragged on the burning desert till their death. His commands were carried to the last dot. The above episode relating to two virgin daughters of Dahir, although part of the popular lore, may be fabricated one and wholly incredible. After the elimination of Kasim, Yazeid was appointed the new oovernor of Sind by the Caliph. Taking advantage of the power vaccum in the intervening period, Jai Singh struck with all his might. He reconquered Brahmanabad and also recovered a large part of the Sind. To curb his ascendancy, Caliph sent a large force supported by navy to retrieve the lost territory. Jai Singh was killed in the battle and his brothers migrated to Delhi and Punjab. According to historian Molvi Zaka Ullah, Jai Singh was cornered in the Korej Fort by the ruler of a rival state and killed perfidiously in a drinking bout. Jai Singh has been mentioned by various names by the different chroniclers viz., Maharaj, Jaisain, Jaisiya and Helesia. The exodus of Chhibbers from Sind took place at about the same time as that of the Datts from Arabia. After the fall of Sind, the descendants of Raja Dahir, namely Maharaj, Narain, Bhavan, Chham and Jangu moved to P-unjab and established their dominions in different places. They were helped in their rehabilitation by the king of Delhi. Maharaj founded his state at Bhadrawati (or Bhadrawali) on the bank of river Jhelum and the place was also known as Bhera-not the modern Bhera in District Shahpur situated on the cast side of the river. Some writers have given the name of Burari or Brahampuri (present Wazirabad) as the initial capital of the expatriate Chhibbers. An earlier ruler of Bhadrawati is said to have his jurisdiction upto Ghazni and built a fort there. In ancient India, there were three capitals of the Chhibbers VIZ., Bhera, Karyala and Mirpur in Jammu. Narain became the ruler of Sialkot, Bhavan and Chham were the chiefs of Bhatner (present name Hanuman Garh) situated midway between Bhatinda and Bikaner, while Jangu held a high post in the king\'s court at Delhi. Meghraj was the son of Jaisain who again had two sons named BhagSmgh (or Bhagsain) and Lalu. Bhag Singh in his turn had 5 sons with names Chandra, Aja, Pitha, Kikka and Josh. Amir Timur, a descendant of Chengiz Khan and known as Timur ang in Persia (because he was lame), after conquering Afghanistan, Invaded India at the head of 92,000 mounted troops, in 1398. While On _is way to Delhi, he pillaged and plundered Dipalpur (now in Pakistan) and Bhatner, the stronghold of the Chhibbers, and indulged In camage reminiscent of the killer Mahmud Ghazni. A large section of, the population of these places t1ed from there. The Chhibbers also _,alle? mto an exile towards Bikaner but finding no opportunities of Ivehhood in the desert country, they migrated to Ujjain. A benign brahmin king who ruled there treated the immigrants with great hospitality but for some unknown reasons the Chhibbers left Ujjain and shifted to Jaunpur. Raja Shankar Dev of Jaunpur extended to them all facilities to reinstate themselves and his son. Rai Sayal, went out of his way to fraternise with the Chhibbers. After some time, due to a quirk of fate. Sayal himself was exiled from Jaunpur and the two Chhibber veterans, Bhag Singh and Lalu, also went with him. Later on, Rai Sayal felt disgusted with worldly life and became a follower of the muslim saint, Baba Farid of Pak Patlan (originally from Bokhara), after embracing Islam. His Sayal progenies still live in large number in District Jhang Maghiana of Pakistan. Bhag Singh and Lalu moved to Doab Chach, the territory between the rivers Jhelum and Chenab. They founded there a town and built a fort and made this place as their new capital. Gajju or Gaj Sain, a descendant of Bhavan, was anointed ruler of Bhera during the reign of Lodhis. It was his son Tharpal who built the fort known as Garh ThaI\' Chak, the remnants of which are still to be seen near Karyala. After the death of Tharpal, his son Raja Gautam became the ruler of ThaI\' Chak and made the fl1mily fort as his residence. This was the time when Behlol Lodhi (1451-1488) held the throne at Delhi. Gautam died in 1519 while fighting with Muslim invader (predictably Babar before the First Battle of Panipat) whose soldiers razed Tharpal Chak to the ground. At that time, Fraga Sain. the only son of Raja Gautam was a minor of 12 years and the story goes that he tled to the hills where he lost his way in a fierce snowstorm and was rescued by a wayfarer. Praga Sain (1507-1638) was a remarkable personality and a fine blend of benign father-figure, godly person and a legendary hero. He was responsible for laying the foundation of Karyala (c-1526), the Jerusalem of the Chhibbers, near the ruins of erstwhile ThaI\' Chak. Karyala has remained a historical symbol of the Chhibbers for almost 450 years till the partition of India in 1947. It derived its naI!\\e from the luxurious growth of prickly\' kareen\' (or kikarfacacia) trees which dotted its landscape. Praga, during boyhood was made a captive by invaders from Afghanistan and taken to Kabul. He was repatriated after the conquest of Afghanistan by Babar. Praga married the daughter of Tara Chand Vaid, the Dewan of Kat Sarang (modern Campbellpur), and got one son named Durga Dass. Being a devotee of the cult of asceticism and sufism, when northern India came under the sway of spiritual renaissance of Guru Nanak. Fraga became a disciple of the Guru at very early age and was, thenceforth, known as Baba Fraga. On account of his deep devotion, he became a member of the inner court of the Guru along with Bala, Mardana and Angad. After the death of Guru Nanak (in September 1539 at Kartarpur). Baba Fraga became the power behind the throne during the period of the next five Gurus viz., Angad, Amar Dass, Ram Dass, Arjun Dev and Hal\' Govind. and played the role of a Raj Guru on their installation ceremonies. He helped Guru Arjun Dev in the composition of the Adi Granth and his spiritual attachment to him along with that of Jita and Nanda. has been extolled in verse after verse in Suraj Prakash, the holy book of the Sikhs. In the year 1638. at the hoary age of 131 years. when he was popular by the nickname of Baba Buddha. he was called upon by Guru Hal\' Govind to wear the coat of arms and fight against Shah Jahan (1627-1659). Although, crippled with age and enfeebled in body, he responded to the call and along with Nanda fought a pyrrhic war with Painde khan, the governor of Lahore. at the head of a 500 strong force. Ironically, Pain de Khan was like a cousin to Hal\' Govind as the latter had been breast-fed by the former\'s mother in his infancy. Painde Khan along with a large number of his soldiers was slain in the battle. Baba Fraga himself was grievously wounded while fighting near Kartarpur and died on return to Karyala. The grand old man was truly the Bhishama of the Mohyal community. His mausoleum stands on the outskirts of Karyala and another memorial was raised in Kabul at the site of the Char Bagh. His memory has been honoured by naming the cross-section beyond Serai Guru Ram Dass, on the periphery of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, as Chowk Prag Dass. Guru Har Govind himself died in the hills in 1645 constantly fighting the forces of Shah Jahan. He was responsible for transforming a sect of quiet mystics into a fierce military order. At the time of his installation when presented with the turban and necklace of his predecessors, he refused to accept them saying\'My necklace shall be my sword belt and my turban shall be adorned with a royal aigrette\'. After the expiry of Baba Fraga, his son Dwarka Dass was anointed as the new Dewan of Guru Hal\' Govind and he continued to hold that office upto the time of Guru Hal\' Rai, the seventh Guru. On his demise, his son Lakhi Dass (Bhai Lakhiya) was appointed to the same post but he died soon afterwards and Dargah Mal became the prime minister in his place. Bhai Dargah Mal held that position till the reign of Guru Har Kishen. The title of Bhai was first conferred by Guru Hal\' Govind on Bhai Lakhi Dass. In course of time, the Bhai title was adopted by all Chhibbers belonging to Karyala and has become their mark of identity among the Mohyal milieu. Guru Har Kishen who was the younger son of Guru Hal\' Rai was crowned as the 8th Guru at the infant age of six years. He died of small pox in 1664 when he was only 8 years old. Following his death. conclave of senior deputies including Bhai Dyala, Bhai Jetha and Bhai Gurbakhash chose Guru Tegh Bahadur (hailing from village Bakala and born in 1621) as the 9th Guru. (Guru Har Govind had 3 wives: Damodri mother of Bhai Gurditta, Nanaki mother of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Mahadevi mother of Baba Atal). Bhai Dargah Mal was still the prime minister when on his advice, Bhai Mati Dass (born on 13-1-1651. on Lohri Day), a staunch devotee of Guru Tegh Bhadur, was first appointed revenue minister and then made the prime minister. His brother Sati Dass was assigned the portfolio of protocol. The name of the third brother was Jati Dass. They were the sons of Bhai Qabool Dass. Bhai Sati Dass was a scholar of Persian and translated the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur for the benefit of his Muslim followers. (See family tree of Bhai Mati Dass at the end of the book). Guru Tegh Bhadur founded the new township of Anandpur in Bilaspur State, on the bank of river Satluj, in 1665. The land was purchased from the Raja of Kahlur. Bhai Mati Dass carried on the administration from there on behalf of the Guru. He also looked after the management of Kiratpur, situated 64 kms from Bilaspur on Chandigarh-Mandi Ilational highway. Besides, Bhai Mati Dass also acted as chief priest of the Vaishnav Foundation at Karyala whose missionaries worked all over the Punjab, NWFP, Afghanistan and Iran. Guru Tegh Bhadur assumed office of the. 9th Guru in March, 1665 and the same year he proceeded on a whirlwind tour of Bihar, Bengal and Assam for 5 years (1665-70). He was accompanied by his mother Nanaki and wife Gujri. Guru Govind singh was born in Patna on 26 Dec. 1666, Guru Tegh Bahadur received the news of his birth at Dacca. During his two years of stay in Assam, he had contacts with-Raja Ram Singh the Commander of Aurangzeb, a rebel at heart. Guru Tegh Bahadur received a distress call from Bhai Mati Dass in Anandpur about the deteriorating conditions in the north, particularly in Kashmir, :vhere the Hindus were groaning under the atrocities perpetrated by its newly appointed governor, Iftikhar Khan. His heart crying with pain, a mourn ful Guru Tegh Bahadur, returned to Punjab without even seeing baby Govind Singh at Patna. According to Guru Bilas, a deputation of 16 brahmins from Kashmir met Guru Tegh Bahadur at Aanandpur on 25 May, 1675. It was headed by Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt of Mattan, a Mohyal veteran - he was son of Adu Ram Datt and his great grandmother, Saraswati, was the sister of Baba Praga; he was also the tutor of child Govind Singh. They narrated their tale of woe, how the governor had given 6 months time for conversion to Islam, the Hindus were forced to pay discriminatory impost (i.e. Jazia), their temples were demolished with impunity and mosques built in their place, they were asked not to display frontal mark (Tilak) and 11;4 md. of sacred thread snatched from their bodies and burnt. At that time Aurangzeb was staying at Hasan Abdal to quell the revolt of Afghans. He ordered the Governor of Punjab, Zalim Khan, to arrest Guru Tegh Bahadur. The governor passed on the orders to Dilawar Khan, the Faujdar of Sirhind, in whose jurisdiction lay Anandpur. Dilawar Khan in turn asked the Kotwal of Ropar, Noor Mohammed Khan Mirza, to arrest the Guru. Guru Tegh Bahadur was camping in village Malikpur Ranghara near Ropar (50 kms from Anandpur). The Kotwa! arrested him on 12 July 1675, and kept him in prison at Sirhind for 3Y2 months, fettered and chained, till orders were received for sending him to Delhi, shut up in an iron cage. He reached Delhi on 5 Nov. 1675 and was tortured and coaxed for 5 days to embrace Islam. He was accompanied by Bhai Gurditta (his elder brother and Head Granthi), Bhai Mati Dass, Bhai Dyala, Bhai Udho and Bhai Cheema besides Bhai Sati Dass. The above information has been extracted from \'Stories from Sikh History (Book V), by Kartar Singh and Gurdial Singh Dhillon (1973). This version that Guru Tegh Bahadur was arrested at Ropar and Ii-om there deported to Delhi is also corroborated by the Mohyal chronicler Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber. the author of \"Bansawali Nama Dassan Padshahian Ka (c.1769), Shobha Shri Amritsarji Ki and Vairag Charkha\'. According to a second version supported by Sikh writers like Surinder Singh Joharand Priyadarshi Prakash; Guru Tegh Bahadur was arrested in Agra which was the second capital of Aurangzeb. The warrant for his arrest was issued by Aurangzeb himself who was in Agra at that time and soonafter left for Delhi. The Guru was staying in a garden with his band of devotees; he was apprehended and kept in prison for one day and later escorted to Delhi, under surveillance of 1200 mounted soldiers, to face trial for sedition against the king. It was at Agra that Guru Tegh Bahadur parted with his precious ring and embroidered shawl to a passing herdsman wherewith to procure some sweets for his hungry followers. Bhai Mati Dass was away at that time and on return asked His Holiness why he bartered away his valuable belongings on so small a need, when ready cash was available. It is believed that the confectioner from whom the sweets were purchased, reported to the police who were in search of the Guru. This led to their arrest. At Delhi. in a mock trial, the Qazi offered them two options viz.: eIther to embrace Islam or to pay with their lives for insurrection against the crown. In response, they unanimously agreed to kiss the gallows rather than barter away the sacred faith of their forefathers for any allurement or earthly reward. In History\'s most morbid spectacle, three saintly men were tortured to ?eath in most savage manner, on three consecutive days, in a scenano which in content and exposition surpassed even the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Bhai Mati Dass was bolted between two planks of wood and bifurcated into twain, from top to trunk, with a saw, by commander Altaf Khan, on 9 November, ]675. It is stated in the Suraj Prakash that when the executioner began sawing, Bhai Mati Dass started reciting the \'Sukhmoni Sahib\' and the voice continued to come from the two parts of his body, till the prayer was completed. Bhai Dya]a was scalded to death in a cauldron of boiling water on IO November 1675. On the same day, Bhai Sati Dass was roasted alive with oil soaked cotton wrapped round his body and set afire. After gruesome killing of Bhai Dyala and Bhai Mati Dass, Guru Tegh Bahadur asked his remaining three disciples to return to Anandpur. Bhai Gurditta insisted on remaining with him while the other two acted on his advice. Guru Tegh Bhadur was beheaded in cold blood, under a banyan tree (the trunk of the tree and the well nearby in which he took the bath, are still preserved), opposite to Sunehri Masjid, near the Kotwali in!_ Chandni Chowk where he had earlier been lodged as prisoner. The execution was carried on by Jalal-ud-din, on II November, 1675. Strong guards were put to prevent his body heing taken away. When fno Sikh of high caste came forward to claim his body, a daring Sikh; of the sweeper class, named Bhai Jaita, managed to take possession of the Guru\'s head, concealing it in a bag. he took it to Anandpur and presented it to Guru Govind Singh. Embracing him Guru Govind Singh declared: \'Ranghreta, Guru Ka Beta\'. The head was then cremated with due rites. On the following day, taking advantage of a severe storm ?_ blowing at that time, another low caste Lubana Sikh, Lakhi Shah, carried\' away the Guru\'s body concealed in a cart of hay to his hut and then, set fire to the hut and thus cremated the sacred headless body. The,famous Gurdwara Rikab Ganj stands on this spot, it was built by, S. Baghel Singh in1790. The same S. Baghel Singh also built the historic Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Chandni Chowk at the site where guru Tegh Bahadur was assassinated. The noted SIkh scholar Shri GurbachanSingh Talab in his book on Guru Tegh Bahadur has recorded that Bhai Mati Dass while standing erect was sawn across from head to the loins. He faced the operation with such composure, tranquility and fortitude that the Sikh theologians included his feat in the daily PrayerjArdas of the community. A portrait of Bhai Mati Dass is displayed in the sanctum sanctorum of Har Mandir at Amritsar along with pictures of other celebrities who lived and, died _or the sake of the Sikh faith. A park and a road named after Bhm MatI Dass were opened at Yamunanagar on 29 July, 1984.Earlier, on 20 December, 1979, a road called Bhai Mati Dass Murg, was inaugurated in Delhi-Shahdara. A plot of land in Sector] I of Chandigarh has been allottcd for raising a Mcmorial in memory of the great martyr. In 1976 when Giani Zai] Singh was the Chief Minister of Punjab, he donated Rs. one lac to Bhai Mati Dass Memoria] Trust. Shri B. D. Bali, President of the General Mohya] Sabha, was co-opted as a Trustee in 1990. Due to the untiring crusade of late Dr. Paras Ram Chhibber, the founder of Bhai Mati Dass Samarik Samiti Regd., New De]hi, the thorougfare popularly known as the Fountain, in Chandni Chowk of Delhi, where Bhai Mati Dass was brutally murdered, has been christened as Bhai Mati Dass Chowk. However, an unbecoming controversy continues to rage between orthodox Sikhs and ihe promoters of the Samiti which is hindering the installation of a statue of the martyred hero at the memorial spot. While the former proclaim that Bhai Mati Dass sported long hair as prescribed In the Sikh religion, the latter contend that his hair were short-clipped and the plea of the Sikhs was untenable because the Bhai was executed in 1675 whereas the Khalsa Panth which enjoined the wearing of long hair and other constraints on its followers. was baptised by Guru Govind Singh 24 years later, i.e. on 30 March. 1699. It is incredible that his hair was clipped when all senior members in the court of the Guru sported long hair and a beard. Moreover, Bhai Mati Dass also held the office of a Dewan., Actually. no original picture of Bhai Mati Dass is available. Bhai Parmanand got one made by an artist which displayed a beard. His pictures in Gurdwaras of Amritsar. Anandpur and Patna are all with a beard. Authentic records about Bhai Mati Dass are available with the Pandas of Haridwar. Joginder Panda of Moti Bazar showed his books with signatures of Bhai Mati Dass and Bhai Sati Dass to Giani Zail Singh in 1977. Earlier, another Panda, Pandit Mohinder Pal, had shown their signatures to Baba Mota Singh (vide article in Urdu Milap dated 18.1.80) in Chinioti Behi. page 37. The same particulars were seen by Baba Mota Singh in the books of a Panda of Mattan (J&K) on 9.4.1977. At Haridwar, there are other Pandas also who carry valuable record on Chhibbers. namely, Kashi Ram, Lachhi Ram (Kusha ghat) and a Panda at Jandal Ahata in Mati Bazar. Dr. Bhai Mahavir has also seen these records including of one person (name not decipherable) mentioned as great grandson of Baba Praga who had brought the ashes of Bhai Mati Dass and Bhai Sati Dass for immersion in the Ganges but the impression is faint and illegible. Even after the death of Bhai Mati Dass his descendants carried on tI!e titanic fight against the tyrannical muslim rulers. When Guru Govind sIngh succeeded to the Sikh hierarchy, he picked-up Bhai Sahib Chand (also known as Sahib Singh). a nephew of Bhai Mati Dass. to be his Dewan. He also appointed his brother Dharam Chand as the revenue minister. Mukand Rai, the real son of Bhai Mati Dass who was living in Karyala at that time, was made the civil minsiter. Sahib Chand who had inherited the mane and muscle of his illustrious ancestors Baba Praga and Mati Dass, was an intrepid fighter. He fought a tumultuous war with Hatai Khan and mopped up his legions like a fireball. Ultimately, he fell down dead near Beas under the blows of the outnumbered enemy. His body was cremated on the river-bank by Guru Govind Singh with his own hands and a memorial marks the place. Guru Govind Singh was so much impressed by the bravery and 10yaJty of Bhai Sahib Singh that through special messengers Lal Singh and Hira Singh, he sent a reward of one horse and a cash amount of Rs. 500 to his son Bhai Gurbakhash Singh Chhibher, in 1704. Guru Govind Singh also sent a letter of eulogy, dated 12 Bhado Samat 1761. signed in his own hand and written with the tip of his arrow. This citation is preserved by his progenies as a priceless souvenir. Guru Govind Sing appointed Bhai Gurbakhash Singh as his next Dewan, a post which his ancestors had held, consistently over the generations. Bhai Sahib Chand was one of the Panj Pyams of Guru Govind Singh. He stayed for a long time at Bidar in Karnataka; the place is a pilgrim centre of the Sikhs as Guru Nanak had also visited it in the year 1513 AD. In Sept. 1988, Sikh-Hindu clashes erupted in Bidar on the occasion of the Ganesh Utsav. Later on, when Guru Govind Singh proceeded to Deccan, Dewan Gurbakhash Singh left Anandpur and retired to Amritsar. At the time of the invasion of Ahmed Shah AMali, his bandits made a horrendous onslaught on the Golden Temple and let loose an orgy of loot and mayhem. The Sikhs were hounded and killed in the streets and a reward of Rs, 10 to Rs. 15 per head was offered for their slaughter. In the raging street baule, the age-weary Bhai Gurubakhash Singh was done to death in a skirmish. A luminary of the Chhibbers of Karyala, Bhai Nand Lal \'Goya\' (1633-1705), was private secretary of Prince Mua\'zzam. the son of Aurangzeb, who was later crowned as Bahadur Shah I. On his advice, Guru Govind Singh fought on the side of Prince Mua\'zzam against his brother Azam. Nandlal was a gifted poet and a classical singer. Later in life, he withdrew himself from Mua\'zzam and joined Guru Govind Singh at Anandpur and was made poet laureate in the Guru\'s court among a galaxy of 52 poets. A Mohyal Robinhood: Not the legendary character given to reckless adventure and bending himself double to help the suffering humanity, but the hot -blooded phenomenon called Banda Veer Bairagi. He was born in village Mendhar Distt. Poonch, nestling in Shivalik ranges, in Jammu & Kashmir, in a Chhibber family on 27 October, 1670. His original name was Lachhm_,l Dev and that of his father Ram Dev. From very early age he was disposed to mendicancy and wander-lust. Once on a hunting trip, he killed a she-deer viz., Hirni, at about one mile from Mendhar and a village by the name of Hirni stands there at present. He saw the female deer dying in pain and its two offsprings falling from womb. The sight had deep effect on him and he resolved to become a sadhu, adopted name of Madho Dass, and left home. As a hermit he lived in Nasik and then moved to Nanded in Maharashtra. He met Guru Govind Singh at Nanded in Sept. 1708 and was deeply impressed by his militancy against the muslim despotism. After the death of the Guru, Banda vowed to continue his mission of avenging the atrocities inflicted on the Hindus by the fanatic muslim rulers. He roused the Sikhs with the ringing slogan of \'Ra} Karega Khalsa, Aaki Rahe Na Koey\' (the Khalsa will rule the land and all dissidents will be wiped out). He raided and ransacked the muslim strongholds of Ambala. Saharnpur and Deoband. Like an hurricane, he stormed into Lahore and captured it. On the way, he fought pitched battle with Wazir Khan, the governor of Sirhind, who had ordered the live burial of the two minor sons of Guru Govind singh, and killed him in May. 1710. He razed to ground the towns of Panipat and Kamal. In lcss than a decade, he changed the map of centuries and completed the work of Shivaji and other warrior patriots. Disturbed at the successes of Banda, Bhadur Shah sent 60,000 soldiers accompanied by his four princes to attack Lohgarh where Banda and his forces were encamped. In a long lasting battle. Sikhs were short of provisions and started eating horses and other beasts to satisfy their hunger. Banda escaped from the fort one night and disappeared in the hills of Nahan. However, he was defeated in the war with his sworn enemy Farrukhseiyar, the Mughal tycoon, at Amir_bad in 1716. About 300 Sikh soldiers were killed in this battle. Banda was captured and brought to Delhi chained and caged, and paraded in the streets along with 700 cartloads of his beheaded soldiers, their bleeding heads poised on the spears. John Surmon and Edward Stephenson, the two envoys of the East India Company, who saw the grim spectacle, have given a palpable account of the harrowing incident. First his 750 followers were exterminated at the rate of 20 heads per _ay. near Harctinge Library in the vicinity of the Delhi Railway Sta110n, and lastly Banda himself was executed at Kutab Minar, in front of the tomb of Bahadur Shah, on 9 June, 1716. Before his execution, he was asked to kill his infant son with his own hands and on his refusal to perform the grisly act, the child was hacked to pieces and morsels of his flesh were forced into the mouth of Banda. His dead body was cremated at Bam Pula. The great poet, Rabindranath Tagore, as described his martyrdom in stirring words in a poem captioned Captive Hero. Banda was popularly known as Maharaja Gurbaksh Singh. Although, he was a great follower of Guru Govind Singh and was given the sobriquet of Banda Bahadur by the Guru. he never converted himself to Sikhism. In the Mughal records he has been mentioned as Bandvi Sikh, Le. belonging to a new sect initiated by himself. Those Sikhs who were drawn from lower castes and pampered with jobs and used for fighting against Banda were called Tat Khalsa. Banda established his empire in 1710 and issued his own seal in Dec. 1712. Guru Govind Singh\'s two wives, Mata Sahib Devi and Mata Sundri, at the instance of the Mughal ruler asked him to stop insurgency and accept in reward a big jagir but he renounced the offer by saying that the command was issued under duress, hence it was not binding on him. Contemporary studies have traced the origin of Banda to Sirmur State in the Himachal Pradesh. He used to have hunting excursions around Nahan and Paonta Sahib. Banda\'s disappearance from Mukhlispur into the hills and emergence at Kiratpur, in one day, indicated his familiarity with the submountainous tract of the Shivalik hills. The Dera of Banda Bahadur is now established in Riasi Tehsil of Udhampur. There should not be any misgiving about the Mohyal identity of Banda. A clinching proof was provided by the noted Mohyal of Banali district Alwar, Sardar Bahadur Captain Mehta Mangat Ram Chhibber, OBI, a veter_n of two ,world wa_s: who after the 46th Mohyal Conference held 111 Jammu 111 1977, vIsited Mendhar for 3 days from 10th to 12th Oct., 1977. and checked-up with the local elders and the historical records available and was fully convinced that Banda was a \'.. Mohyal veteran of the Chhibber caste. This has also been ratified by \"\'t Shri B.S. Bali, PBSO retd.. who served in Indian Army for 40 years,! mostly in J & K and travelled extensively in that State to as far as Leh, and has studied books on Sikh History and on Banda by Sikh and ,} foreign scholars. The fact of Banda being a Mohyal is also strongly) supported by Shri Amrik Singh Bhimwal, the noted author of books and editor (Punjabi), Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Jammu. An award winner and now a free lance journalist. The noted author P. N. j Chopra, in his book \'Re.ligions and Communities of India\', published by Vision Books in 1982. has mentioned on page 68 under \'The Mohyal Community\', Banda Bairagi as a Mohyal hero. The scions of the illustrious Chhibber clan of Karyala, namely, Bhai Charan Singh, Bhai Jai Bhan Singh, Bhai Gaj Singh and Bhai Wazir Singh held gubernatorial posts during the reign of Majaraja Ranjit Singh. They were awarded jagirs and stipends, issued certificates of honour, exempted from payment of salt tax and granted sal/ad providing severe punishment to anyone who dared to disturb the peace of their families. On_ of their progenies, Bhai Gurdit Singh. was a well-known landlord and among the first to be honoured with the rank of a Ziladar on the advent of the British regime. A Chhibber chief named Bakhshi Jograj along with his younger brother Bakhshi Desraj, had migrated from Bhera and established their estate at Kahnuwan Distt. Gurdaspur, during the muslim rule. When Nawab Begh was the governor of Punjab, Jograj was the commander of army while Desraj was incharge of the civil administration. For his conspicuous gallantry in the battle-field, Jograj was rewarded a Jagir of 22 villages out of which he donated 5 villages to the Gurdwara of pandori and this property is still held in the custody of the aforesaid Gurdwara. He founded a village Kot Jograj after his own name on the canal bank near Kahnuwan. When Bakhshi Jograj was killed in a combat, his body was cremated at Kahnuwan by Desraj. His widow jumped into the burning pyre to commite suicide and the site of her death is known as Satigarh. Among the \'Chhibber stalwarts who blazed a trail during the Sikh period may be mentioned the following: Bakhshi Amar Singh of Bhera the governor of Thai, Mehta Kishen Chand of Pind Dadan Khan the governor of area between the rivers Ravi and Indus and Bakhshi Amrik Rai of Gujrat, the Paymaster of the Sikh army. The illustrious Mehta family of Kala is mentioned in the District Gazetteer of Jhelum (1904). Their chief man. Mehta Sukha Nand, was a governor and landlord in the reign of Sikhs. He had his big mansion at Kala known as \'Afari\' and used to hold his durbar there. His grandson, Mehta Sham Dass, was a representative of the Kashmir government in India. He was a man of versatile talent, an erudite scholar and a prolific writer. His name is mentioned in the Gazette of District Jhelum 1904 (page 120) for getting Mohyals enlisted as hereditary agriculturists. He was one of the builders of the General Mohyal Sabha. Not being happy with the impassive functioning of the GMS and the rutted writings in Mohyal Mitter; he started his own fortnightly named \'Mohyal Gazette\' in 1899 and carried on a crusade for swift social reforms. He collected a large number of Mohyali kavits and published them in his Gazette. He passed away in 1912 and with him the Mohyal Gazette also went into oblivion. Mehta Sham Dass had 4 sons. His second son, Mehta Amrit Chand, was a legal luminary and took active part in the Congress movement. To avoid being prosecuted by the Punjab government, he remained underground for many years near Gorakhpur in UP. He was imprisoned several times and his property was confiscated twice. _I_e third son, Mehta Fateh Chand, was a doctor. He too was a politIcal revolutionary and was imprisoned for 5 years for hitting a British officer with a stone. The yougest son of Mehta Sham Dass. Mehta aldev Singh, left government service to join the national struggle. A httle before the partition, a large number of serviceable tanks of KalaO dllance Depot. which were officially ordered to be dismantled, were mischievously left in tact. Mehta Baldev Singh had an inkling of the oul. pl_y as these tanks were going to be used by the Pakistan Army III fIght1l1g against India in the Kashmir operations. Mehta Baldev Singh moved the Army Headquarters at Delhi and got these tanks dismantled and the scrap auctioned. Great grandson of Mehta Sham Dass. Captain Hitesh Kumar. became immortal in Bangladesh War of Independence. The stirring saga of his martyrdom is described in the opening para of chapter on the eminent Mohyals of the Defence services. During the reign of Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir. Bakhshi Radha Kishen won laurels for his conquests of Gilgit and Ladakh in 1861. He hailed from village Thoha in Tehsil Kalmta of Rawalpindi District. A commoner by birth. he shot up to the position of commander of the state army due to his leadership traits. His son Bakhshi Moolraj who earlier served as Colonel in the army was made governor of Ladakh. He had his estate at Pail. Moolraj had two sons, Bakhshi Ram Dass and Bakhshi Moti Ram. The former was the chief minister of Poonch while the latter a member of the State Assembly and chairman of the Military Board. Bakhshi Thakar Dass. son of Bakhshi Ram Dass, was an eminent barrister and retired as Judge of the High Court. Afghanistan has been a familiar country for the Mohyals since times past. They have wielded the scepter and worn the crown in that land for 120 years. from 830 to 950 AD (see under Datts). Here we are concerned chiefly with a historical Chhibber family which emigrated from Bhera nearly 250 years ago and struck roots in Kabul and achieved luminous heights of fame. Their precursor, the first man to set his foot on the Afghan soil was Dewan Kishen Kor. It was his great grandson Dewan Narain Dass who made a name in the days of King Amir Sher Ali Khan. He displayed rare valour in crushing the insurgency of tribals and the Amir was so pleased with him that he honoured him with the rank of a Field Marshal. His son Dewan Rama Nand was commissioner of Kabul based in British Peshawar while the second son Dewan Hira Nand was Mahant of the famous Pir Rattan Nath Dargah also at Peshawar. The most famous man of this dynasty was Brigadier General Dewan Niranjan Dass. Chairman of the State Bank of Afghanistail and Finance Minister of Amir Aman Ullah Khan. He wielded tremendous authority during the rule of all kings, from Amir Sher Ali Khan to Amir Aman Ullah Khan. He played a big part in the liberation of Afghanistan from the tutelage of the British Empire. He used to visit Delhi frequently to negotiate with Government of India on behalf of the Royal Afghan Government. Bacha-i-Saquao offered him a high post in his cabinet but he declined the offer. He helped the Hindus and Sikhs in securing jobs and trading facilities in Kabul. These communities enjoyed total religious freedom and there was a ban on cow slaughter. It was the benevolent legacy of Dewan Niranjan Dass that they are still living in Afghanistan in large number. have their temples and schools, and enjoy equal rights with the rest of the citizenry. Dewan Sahib married five times and the only male issue named Krishen Chander that he got from his Mohan wife who hailed from Peshawar. died at the prime age of 18 years in September, 1939. There is no direct descendant of this illustrious family living in Afghanistan at present, although, there are hosts of nephews and the like. One of them Dewan Chuni Lal was Subedar of Kandhar. Dewan Niranjan Dass met with heroic death in the war of retribution waged by Bacha Saquao to dethrone Amir Aman Ullah Khan. He had two daughters. The elder one Pathani Radha Jan. did not marry and was a member of the Royal Afghan Court with the power to put her seal on official documents. She used to dress like a male officer. wear a hat or turban and coat and tie. and go about riding on a horse. The Dewan had adopted his grandson from the younger daughter. The grand old man of Bhera (bom 25 Dec. 1850) Bakhshi Ram Dass Chhibber. promenading on the Mall of Simla. donning his familiar embroidered cassock. his snow white beard billowing in the crisp mountain breeze. presented the majestic picture of a Mohyal patriarch.Popularly known as Munshi Ram Dass. he was tutor of Urdu and Persian to the ruling British eWe and amongst his pupils were such formidable personalities as Lord and Lady Minto. Lord and Lady Hardinge, Lady Curzon, Lady Lansdowne and Field Marshal Roberts. the Commander in-Chief of India. The testimonials given by these dignitaries to Bk. Ram Dass speak volumes about his scholarship as well as pay glowing tribute to the distinguished martial community of which he was the scion. Aword of recommendation from him would open the door for dizzy posts and legion of Mohyals made use of his benevolence to the hilt. He used his intluence to get the Mohyals listed as agriculturists. It was on his bidding and at his personal cost that Russell Stracey wrote the famous History of the Mohyals in 1911, which till now is considered to be the most reliable account of the venerable community. Bakhshi Ram Dass was a philanthropist to his finger tips and made lavish donations viz Rs. 30,000 to DA V College Lahore and Rs. 20.000 to the General Mohyal Sabha: reckoned in today\'s value, a whopping Rs. 10 lakhs. A whole block called Ram Dass Block was built with his contribution in the Mohyal Ashram of Lahore. He was one of the founders of the renowned Lady Hardinge Hospital at New Delhi. His involuntary participation in the infanticide of his newly bom sister. shook his conscience against the amoral and degenerated values of social life. When he was only 8 years old. As he grew of age. he fought relentlessly in the forums of the Arya Samaj and the General Mohyal Sabha, for Stndent social reforms in Hindu society in general and the medieval Mohyal community in particular. To channel his revolutionary thoughts, he launched an organ called \'Miratul Mohyali\'. which proved the prec_rsor of the Mohyal Mitter. Bk. Ram Deiss presided over 3 Mohyal conferences held at Rawalpindi (1905), Lahore (1910) and Lyallpur(926). He died at the hoary age of 87 on 1 May. 1937. without leav!ng any issue. Dr. KS. Mohan of Panchkula, reminscing about his stay Lahore Mohyal Ashram where he served as its Superintendent unng 1938-40. has wrillen that Bk. Ram Dass also used to stay there in the early thirties and the curious thing about him was th:lI he used to plug his ears and nostrils with swabs of cotton. Bakhshi Gokul Chand Chhibber was a pillar of the Arya Samaj and left his indelible mark in the shape of institutions which he founded: Arya Samaj Temples and DA V Boys and Girls Schools at Peshawar and Abbotabad. When the byelaws of the General Mohyal Sabha were drafted, many salient points from the constitution of the Arya Samaj were incorporated in the same. under his wise cousel. He was responsible for reviving the publication of the Mohyal Mitter when it had become defunct after its preliminary launching. He was a contemporary of Swami Dayanand and along with his yauger brother Bakhshi Ganga Dhar, was amongst the first to join the Arya Samaj in Rawalpindi. His yougest brother, Bakhshi Jagan Nath, excelled in studies. took to law and enjoyed a roaring practice. The other most notable Mohyal lawyer of Rawalpindi of the period was Bakhshi Brinda Ban who also was a deeply committed Mohyal. Bakhshi Gokul Chand was a cofounder of the DA V College Lahore and worked shoulder to shoulder with Mahatma Hansraj, Lal Lajpat Rai and Pandit Lakhpat Rai Datt of Hissar, to make it a premier educational institution of the country. He was Confidential Assistant to the DC of Abbotabad and regarded as the real power behind the chair. In those days Abbotabad was a part of Punjab but for strategic reasons the British rulers wanted to transfer it to the NWFP. Bakhshiji fought a losing battle for many years to resist this transfer. A celibate to the end, as an ardent devotee of the Arya Samaj he once decided to break the caste barrier and marry an Aggarwal girl, but was dissuaded from taking the step by Mahatma Hansraj who wanted him to marry in his own virile community. A man of portly build and stature. he dwarfed every body around him. He died in Lahore on 1 November, 1901 and was given a gun-carriage funeral. Pandit Brij Lal Chhibber of Rawalpindi was an erudite scholar of the Vedas and a pioneer in the field of Arya Samaj in Punjab. He had the privilege of working directly under Swami Dayanand Saraswati. His name is mentioned in the autobiography of Swamiji. There was a street named after him in Rawalpindi. It is rare that a whole family is disposed to acts of charity and devoted to service of the humanity at large, as exemplified by the three brothers Rai Sahib Bakhshi Damodar Dass Chhibber, Bakhshi Ramji Dass and Bakhshi Brij Lal Chhibber of Bhera and their cousin. Mehta Nand Lal Mohan. They jointly built a Dharamshala in Jammu for the pilgrims of Vaishno Devi; a Sanatan Dhm\'am High School and a temple at Nowshehra and many a well in the parched areas to provide drinking water to the poor. Mehta Mangat Ram Chhibber, Sardar Bahadur, OBI, Hony. Capt., served in both World Wars and took part in combat missions in Wazirstan. He was awarded 7 medals for distinguished services. He had profound knowledge of Mohyal history and contributed instructive articles to the community journals. He hailed from Gujrat and after partition settled at Banali in District. Alwar (Rajasthan).
Noida, Feb 4 (IANS) A pall of gloom descended on a Noida neighbourhood Wednesday as the body of an Indian Army officer, Captain Varun Chibber, who died in an accident during a counter-terrorism operation in Kashmir, was flown down to his hometown.
Relatives and hundreds of visitors gathered outside his home in Sector-29 to pay tributes to the deceased army officer.
Chibber was posted in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir. He lost his life Feb 2 when he was on a search operation in the militancy infested area. He fell into a deep gorge near a mountainous terrain and died on the spot.
Full state honours were given to the officer before his father Col. N.P. Chibber lit the pyre. Soldiers fired in the air to salute their departed colleague.
‘I am proud of my son who laid life for the country,’ said the father.
Chibber was to be married in a month.
by V.P. Bhatia
A FEW months ago, I had mentioned in this column a rather strange fact-that the street in which our family lived in our birth place of Pind Dadan Khan, an important tehsil town in Jhelum district of Pakistan, was called the Mohyal Street wherein almost half the houses were those of Bhatia Rajputs and half of Mohyal Brahmins. No other caste lived there. It was also called the Mehta Street, as Mohyals are branch of Mehtas.
The Mohyals were militant Brahmins who had taken to the professions of Police and the Army and owned lands generally allotted to them in lieu of their military service by successive rulers, Hindu, Muslim and the British.
The Mohyals claimed to descend from Sapt-rishis of the Mahabharata times and consequently are divided into seven castes-Bali (Parashar), Bhimwal (Koshal), Chhibber (Bhargava), Dutt (Bhardwaj), Lau (Vashishtha), Mohan (Kashyap), Vaid (Dhanvantari).
In our street mostly Chhibbers lived. The local SHO was a Chhibber, bearing the title of a Bakshi also. One of my close friends whose father was a high Police officer elsewhere in Punjab was also a Chhibber. One of the Mohyals' patron-saints was Parshu Ram, who was the first Brahmin to bear arms. He fought 21 wars against Kshatriyas. It is said that after the Mahabharata War, Ashwatthama, the son of Guru Dronacharya left Bharat in disgust and settled in Arabia along with his followers and gave Hindu cultural character to pre-Islamic Arabia. His progeny later appeared as Husseini Brahmins who took part in the battle of Karbala on the side of Imam Hussein. They later ruled over Afghanistan. Raja Dahir of Sind and Raja Jayapal of Punjab as well as Pushyamitra who established his suzerainty upto Kabul and Swat valley after finishing his treacherous King was a Brahmin. So were the famous Porus and Chanakya. It means they had a spotless military spirit to defend the integrity of the country. This is but only a brief account of the Mohyal's military services as sentinels of our frontiers alongwith Rajputs.
Anwar Shaikh's latest book The Vedic Civilisation is available free of charge on application to Principality Publishers, P.O. Box 918, Cardiff, United Kingdom.)
Mohyal
Khan
Conferred by the Mughals (also the only Hindus .Many descendants of this extended Chhibber clan of Karyala (Bhai Charan Singh
Former Indian General seeks peace with Pakistan
By Intikhab Hanif
LAHORE, May 5: An Indian general who spent a major part of his military career in occupied Kashmir and the Siachen sector is now trying to broker peace between Pakistan and India.
Lt-Gen M. L. Chibber (retired) is on a private visit to Pakistan to promote reconciliation which he says will come through close contact between the peoples of the two countries.
But while pleading for reconciliation - which he says may come sooner than "most of us think" - he avoids a direct answer as to how the core issue of Kashmir should be resolved.
"For India, Kashmir is not a disputed territory," the general told Dawn during an exclusive interview here on Friday. But he doesn't comment when it is put to him that for Pakistan this is the main issue which requires resolution above all other problems.
He does not agree that it was India that started the confrontation in Siachen and silently occupied parts of it. He alleges that India had only pre-empted Pakistan.
When asked about the link between his long career working against Pakistan and his new role as a peace keeper, General Chibber says the desire for reconciliation emerged from within him and it was motivated by a man of "infinite wisdom in India, Sai Baba, who has been working for the unity of man for so long."
The general sees no chance of any war between Pakistan and India at present and believes that a nuclear war is out of the question.
General Chibber and his wife, Dr Ramesh Chibber, have been in Pakistan since April 21. He says his visit is due to correspondence with General Pervez Musharraf. He started his visit from Islamabad on April 21 and before moving to Lahore on May 2 he had held four formal interactions at different forums besides having a 75-minute meeting with the chief executive.
The two are leaving for Karachi on Saturday from where they will go to Bombay on May 10. The itinerary includes a meeting with the Sindh governor.
Hailing from Abbottabad, General Chipper had joined the British India Army in 1945. He came to the scene in 1949 when he was involved in demarcation of the then Ceasefire Line in Kashmir. Then as a captain in Kargil he indulged in what he says normal shootouts across the line from 1955 to 1957. He was again in Kashmir as a brigade commander from 1968 to 1970. He commanded another brigade in the Kashmir sector during the 1971 war.
He was director of Indian Military Operations from 1976 to 1979 when various game plans against Pakistan were formulated. He became commander of the Indian Northern Areas Command from 1982 to 1985 when India occupied Siachen.
General Chibber retired from the army on August 31, 1985 and says that on September 1, 1985 he wrote to General Ziaul Haq that he was starting a campaign for peace. Since then, he has been writing of his desire for peace to almost all army chiefs in Pakistan.
He says he had also contacted General Pervez Musharraf when the latter became the army chief in 1998 with the same motive and wrote another letter to him when he took over power in October last year.
The general says at the time of partition he had opted for Pakistan and offered to join the 13th Frontier Force at Abbottabad but later migrated to India along with his family.
His wife, who belongs to Rawalpindi, was studying in the King Edward Medical College, Lahore, at the time of partition and later completed her medical education at the Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi.
The general says he has no backing from his government or any other agency for his peace mission. "People of India and Pakistan are with me. The problem has been not the people but the establishments in the two countries. The establishments preserve their public image and it is the duty of people like me to raise hopes for the future."
"My conviction after spending 12 or 13 days in Pakistan is stronger than ever before that reconciliation will come soon. It is a feeling deep in the hearts of the people in both the countries," General Chibber says.
While replying to a question on the Siachen glacier, he says the world must recognize the truth behind the issue. Lt-Gen Jehan Dad Khan (retired) of Pakistan has mentioned many hidden truths of the issue in his book published in 1999.
The general claims that Siachen was an undemarcated area and India came to know in 1978 that some enterprizing agent in Pakistan was pursuing mountaineering expeditions there. He alleges that many developments that followed indicated a Pakistani desire to occupy the area in May 1984. And India occupied the place on April 13 in order to prevent it.
General Chibber says the Nawaz-Vajpayee meeting was a breakthrough which he alleges was damaged by the Kargil issue. Mr Vajpayee is also a follower of Sai Baba and had taken the peace initiative despite criticism from some quarters. And he was belittled and ridiculed when the Kargil issue erupted.
"But I have no doubt that the people of India who are angry with the Kargil issue, will settle down."
When asked why if the people of India wanted peace, Mr Vajpayee was rejecting repeated offers of talks by General Pervez Musharraf, he says trust is not something which "you can switch on or off." Time and action marking no covert or overt violence will regenerate confidence, he says.
The Indian general agrees that it is the governments which will ultimately chose the future path, but says things will change with an exchange of views between the peoples of the two countries.
He says there is no immediate danger of war despite "routine" exchange of shelling across the LoC between the two sides. "This is my professional judgment that has come from learning the art of warfare."
He says war can be averted by avoiding tough talk. "This is my advice to both the countries because it is action that shapes human destiny. I will also request the media to stop looking for sensational headlines."
General Chibber avoids a direct reply to a question regarding his suggestions for the resolution of the Kashmir issue and says he had himself sought an answer to this question during his meetings in Islamabad.
But he blames Britain for "pitting the people of the subcontinent against each other."
General Chibber says that when he retired he had advocated that India and Pakistan must go nuclear to ensure eradication of the curse of atomic weapons from earth. Nuclear weapons can only be eliminated by their proliferation and not through the monopoly of five nations over them, the general says.
"I felt vindicated when two days ago I read that the five nuclear nations have given a notion of completely destroying the nuclear weapons," he says.
Replying to a question regarding the increase in Indian defence budget, he says, for a developing country, whether its India or Pakistan, spending more than three per cent of the GDP on defence means it is driving itself towards bankruptcy.
Even the developed countries which spend more than five per cent of the GDP on their defence are creating problems for themselves.
In the case of India, the general says, its defence budget was less than two per cent of its GDP till 1962 but when it was thrashed by China, India it tried to overcome the problem and raised its defence budget up to 3.5 per cent. In the last 20 years, he says, the defence budget has gone up in gross terms but has been reduced in terms of inflation.
In General Chibber's words, there can be no lasting solution to the Kashmir issue without trust between the two countries. Unhindered interaction among people of the two countries in every area of human activity can promote reconciliation because he says there is an enormous stock of goodwill lying latent in their hearts. Reconciliation and trust will automatically convert Kashmir into a bridge rather than a battleground between the two countries.
"Hostility between India and Pakistan is artificial. It can be removed if people are not insulated from inter-acting with each other freely," the Indian visitor believes.
1. History
The origin of the Mohyals is misted over by the clouds of time.
The jingoist Mohyals trace their roots to the hoary era prior to the epochs of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Their minds are charged with a never-dying euphoria about a Ranoramic past when their great ancestors used to prostrate before the rising sun because they knew that all life beamed out of the sun. Being of the pre-vedic origin, the ancient Mohyals paid homage to their spiritual leaders like Parashurama, the son of Jamdagni. They conceived God as per the rishi-gyan which stressed that the world cannot exist separate from God. Their basic religion was the belief in the laws of morality as enunciated by the sages Vyasa and Vasishtha. They also believed that man was a part of the cosmic rhythm and a transient guest on this planet.
The Mohyals claim that they are the progenies of the great raj-rishis who were distinctly different from the class of the brahm-rishis because besides being the high priests of spiritualism, they also wielded temporal powers. In fact, Parashurania was the first brahmin in the history to wear arms and to conquer territories. Dronacharya and Ashvathama were both generals of the army.
There are other postulations about the origin of the Mohyals. Some history buffs have averred that they are the relics of the original Aryan stock. The earliest contacts between the Indians and the Sumerians - the Aryan rulers of Mesopotamia - go back to 3500-3000 BC, i.e. the halcyon days of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
According to commonly held views, the Aryans originated from the Ural-Caspian basin. Enroute, they settled down in North Afghanistan, around Bactria (present name, Balkh). Bactria was a capital city in the regIon known as Vahlika, situated on the north of the Hindu Kush ranges, beyond Pamirs. It was the meeting place of several trade routes leading to Rome, Greece, Turkey, Russia and China. After a long stay Bactria, during further migration, the peaceful tribes amongst them settled in what was later called Iran or Aryanam - the land of the Aryans; while the warlike ones advanced southwards to India and settled down in the fertile Indus Valley, known as Sapt Sindhu or the land of the seven rivers as described in the Rigveda.
According to a second opinion, Airya or Airyana Valejo, bordering the Arctic Circle, was the original home of the Aryans till glaciation forced them to move to warmer climes: the plateau of Iran and the subcontinent of India.
Curiously, Afghanistan during antiquity was known as Ariana and the Pamirs are even now inhabited by an Aryan race, Tajiks.
The first migratory hordes of the Aryans are believed to have strayed into India around 1600 BC and their maximum influx took place in 1200 BC.
The Mohyals have figured in the arid Arabia, as denizens and rulers of the land. The Datts believe that their ancestors at one time established a dynasty in Arabia (Gazetteer Jhelum District 1904, page 120121) and they were the standard bearers of the Prophet of Islam in the war of Karbala, fought in 681 AD. They lived in Arabia like free citizens, fraternised by the Muslims, and were never coerced to embrace Islam. The word 'Misr' in the Arabic script is inscribed on the antiques found in the possession of certain Mohyal families.
It is contended that all brahmin dynasties encountered by the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang, in the 7th century, were Mohyal kingdoms. According to Sir A. Cunningham, they have ruled in Kabul from 830 to 950 AD.
The real truth about the origin of the Mohyals perhaps lies somewhere between and betwixt the above ponderables; because in a Mohyal we find a fine amalgam of the Hellenic features, the torso of the Arab and blond complexion of the Aryans. He is marked out in any congregation of men by his sheer height, macho build and the swagger. Besides these physical characteristics, he is known for his epicurean zest for life, high sartorial taste and chic precocity. He is the trusty workhorse who is happiest while in the harness and goes back to bed at night after a day's hefty trot.
The Mohyals are paragons of valour and virtuosity and thought nothing of sacrificing their lives for the sake of Dharma or the nation. Their martial instincts are confirmed by noblest tradition; they have fought determinedly against fanaticism, religious bigotry and social injustice. They have adopted themselves to the successive rules of the Mughals, the Sikhs and the British, with no recorded instance of treachery.
They reprobate two things: the handling of scale (viz. grocer's profession) and acceptance of charity.
The appellation of 'Mohyal', a Prakrit form of the Sanskrit word Mahipal, does not seem to be more than six or seven centuries old. In the aeons earlier to that, over the generations, a distinct class of brahmins rose who discarded the traditional priestly avocation in favour of administrative and military career and gradually fashioned themselves into a ruling elite. It was also the custom in those days that the government servants were paid their wages in the form of land grants. The land given remained with the recipient family, in perpetuity, which led to the evolution of a new social order of the landed aristocracy. The Mohyals and the Bhumihars of East UP were an offshoot of this phenomenon.
There are many connotations of the word Mohyal, the most commonly accepted being that it is a corrupt form of Mahiwal or Mahipal - meaning owner of land. There is another interpretation of its being derived from the word 'Muhin', symbolising the seven castes into which the community is divided. In ancient dialect, Mohi or Mahi denoted 'land' while Al meant 'respectable man'. Mohyals were the masters of land and their deity was Halram, alias Balram, alias Baldev. He is the Aryan god of agriculture; in one hand he holds the plough and in the other, a pestle.
Curiously, there is a place called Mohyale, situated on the interjunction of the republics of Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan. The place is easily accessible from Arabia, across the Red Sea. A short distance from Mohyale, in the east of Ethiopia, there is another place called Bale, pronounced as Bali in French. There are customs amongst the inhabitants of this region which are similar to those of the Mohyals. For instance, they have a ceremony like the Mundan in which the members of the tribe gather under a Jand tree and lave and shave the child and a goat is also slaughtered on this occasion for the community feast.
In their fateful voyage of many centuries, the Mohyals have stuck to their ancient moorings. They have stoically preserved their inherited racial traits and their uninhibited ways of life.Their outgoing nature and old world manners, their warrior instinct and tradition of valour; stilI remain the hall-mark of their identity. Their greatest asset till now was a close-knit and insular family outfit; they have stoutly resisted the marrying of their siblings into the other castes, in order to preserve their genealogy. And thus, their little good old world has survived the vicissitudes of time and tide.
2. The Habitat
From the times immemorial till the historic partition of the country in August 1947, the main habitat of the Mohyals was Northern India, notably the West Punjab (now part of Pakistan), and the erstwhile NWFP and Jammu & Kahsmir. There were many districts like Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sargodha and Gurdaspur which had a large concentration of the community. There were villages in these districts in which a certain caste of the Mohyals preponderated and the place was known with that caste as the suffix of its name viz., Kanjrur and Tehi Dattan., Dera Bakhshian and so on. Kanjrur itself was a conglomeration of half a dozen villages, namely Veeram, Bhaiyan, Fatehpur, Kapurdev and Mianwali; each one of them had a good complement of the Mohyals.
Kanjrur Ki Kahani: The estate of Kanjrur was founded c.1530 AD by Shah Sarup, the disaster child of the Paniad episode, and grew into a capital centre of the Datts. In keeping with their self assured profile, the Datts of Kanjrur adopted the befitting title of 'Chaudhari' with th.eir names. The small town was high on its claims to reputation: It is 1believed to have played host to Guru Nanak The great sage Swami Virjanand was also born here and later due to squabbles in the family, shifted to Kartarpur near Jalandhar to live with his maternal grandfather. A landmark of Kanjrur was the storeyed Haveli built by Dewan Jawahar Mal, the victor of the Multan war fought with the Brithish in 1848-49. He owned large property in Kanjrur and surrounding villages, besides the village of Jawahar Pur which was named after him. The memory of the Basantar rivulet is inseparable from the name of Kanjrur. On its bank stood the hallowed Samadhi of their great hero 'Baba Thakkar'. The spot was the venue of Diwali Mela and it was the custom .for all newly wed couples to visit the Samadhi for paying their obeisance before going to their homes. Baba Thakkar was killed while fighting heroically with the Jats. Accroding to legend, one of the Datts named Midh. had married a Jat girl named Previ and this out of caste alliance led to bitter strife between the two communities. Both Baba Thakkar and Previ were killed. The headless body of Thakkar riding on the horse fell on the bank of the river where the memorial was built. The place where Previ fell also had a shrine in her memory and adjoining to it was the arena where wrestling matches were held. By tradition, three sides of the arena were reserved for the Previ's clan while the fourth side was occupied by the Datt residents of Kanjrur.
Zaffarwal, a stronghold of Datts near Kanjrur at about I km from river Ravi and Bulhadwal, the noted centre of the Mohans on the other side of the river, due to their congenial proximity, led to many marriages being courted between their constituents. A notable example was that of Mehta N.N. Mohan of Mohan Meakins fame who was married to Smt. Ram Rakhi, the daughter of S. Ishar Sil1gh of Zaffarwal. The sister of Smt. Ram Rakhi was married to S. Shamsher Singh Vaid, the landlord and celebrated industrialist of Ganda Singh Wala (Amritsar). 'The illustrious Baba Mohar Singh of Zaffarwal was a Minister to the Raja of Poonch; his great grandson, the veteran Mohyal Ch. Mulraj Datt, lives in Kirti Nagar, New Delhi. Sadly, the town of Zaffarwal has noW been completely washed away by the floods of Ravi.
In old days, the river Ravi was regarded as the limit of the Mohyal country, as there were very few Mohyals living on the east side of the river. The Mohyals of the traditional west were so allergic to marrying their daughters with the folks on the east of Ravi that there was apopular dictum: fa Ni Dhiye Ravi; Na Koi Avi Na Koi fav In their ancient abodes, the seven castes of the community lived cheek by jowl, in a chequered mosaic. Many families shared a common terrace or a balcony or the doorway, and their members lived on first-name terms with each other. The bracing climate of the land and sylvan landscape of rugged hills and running brooks, imparted an apparent virility and a Bohemian character to these people.
3. Numerical Strength
The earliest available information about the population of Mohyals is found in the Gazetteer of Jhelum District, 1904 (page 120-121) citing an overall figure of 11,000. This figure looked incredibly low considering the burgeoning presence of the community all along during Muslim, the Sikh and the British regimes. They were certainly more than the handful number of 11,000 in the beginning of the 20th century. A serious attempt to determine their strength was made in 1977 and, although, it could not be branded as a perfect census, whatever ground was covered the job was done methodically. The population profile that emerged from this survey established the numerical strenght of the Mohyals at about 2 lacs. Interestingly, the noted author Dr. P.N. Chopra, in his book 'Religions and Communities of India', published by Vision Books in 1982, under the chapter on the Mohyal Community, page 66, has reckoned their strenght at nearly 3 lacs. To figure out latest position, on, the, basis of an annual growth of population in India at 2.2 per cent, It Will be a safe bet to say that It approaches the 3.5 lacs-plus mark. It is a redoubtable strength, meaning more than five times the entire population of the Parsi community living in India.
Highlights of the Survey conducted in 1977:
Mohyal Census 1977: On the initiative of the author of this book, when he was the editor of the Mohyal Patrika. Bombay, a census was organised during January to March 1977, with the active participation of the various Mohyal Sabhas of the country and abroad. It was a unique effort covering 66 big cities and small towns, innumerable villages, inaccessible hilly tracts, extending upto Nagaland and Sikkim and transgressing the national borders to encompass foreign lands in cluding the UK, USA, Belgium, Finland, Kenya, the Middle East and the Gulf Sheikhdoms, The campaign, gnerated rave enthusiasm: Mr. R. N. Mehta of Calcutta inserted an advertisement in the Statesman to solicit particulars of the Mohyals living in the eastern region; Mr. J.L. Datt, Secretary, Mohyal Sabha, London, waded through piles of addresses in the London Telephone Directory to locate the Mohyal designations and was dismayed when hundreds of names listed as Laos turned out to be either British or the Chinese broods; two volunteer girls scoured the snowbound hamlets in the Kashmir valley to gather the vital information. The final figures returned in this census were: Balis 12,500 (34% of the total), Datts 8,500 (23%), Chhibbers 5,200 (14%), Vaids 3,750 (10%), Laus 3,600 (10%), Mohans 1,800 (5%) and Bhimwals 1,150 (3.5%) or a grand-total of 36,500 numbers. Considering the dire limitations of the gigantic task, carried out in a voluntary manner in less than three months and without the help of any expert agency; the tally represented a bare fringe of the total roster. Big chunks of the population were not even touched: nearly 30% of the Mohyal population in Delhi and 50% in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, could not be investigated for want of social workers; in UP, the five KA V AL cities with sizeable population of Mohyals went by default for the same reason.
Consider also the following pertinent points which tip the scale.in favour of higher numbers:
(i). During the survey, it came to light that there are many villages in Jammu and Kashmir in which the Sikhs of Bali caste live in their hundreds and their total population is believed to be anything from 8 to 10 thousand. Very few of them display the caste with their name and they seem to have been ine orably submerged in the ethnic stream of Sikhism, oblivious of their Mohyali connection. When a social worker, Mr. Amarjit Singh Bali of Srinagar, visited them in connection with the Mohyal census, he was physically roughed-up and accused of creating dissensions in their ranks. Curiously, a Muslim named Abdul Aziz Bali, reported about 750 strong population of Muslim Balis in a single village in Jammu called Pogal Paristan. Besides, there are many Datt families living in Bhadarwah in the Jammu state, this place once was the capital of the Pal ruling dynasty. Daraba, 30 kms from Poonch, is another stronghold of the Datts and is known as the Kanjrur of J&K. There are nearly 50 Mohyal families domiciled in Akhnoor and its staellite villages like Hamirpur, Jaurian and Sidhad. A large number of Balis are living in district Baramula. The Balis of Garhi Bawa Jito on Katra-Riasi road have drifted and started calling themselves as Brahmins. There are many Datt families in Tral. Turgwal is a beehive of the Chhibbers. Sunehal Chhibberan, a village in Akhnoor Tehsil has 40 Chhibber families with a population of nearly 250 persons. Their ancestors are believed to have migrated from Punjab during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to seek employment in the army and police force of aharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir. In village Jhangar district Rajouri Valds live in majority. Japuwal, a small village in district Gurdaspurhas about 26 families of the Mohan denomination.
(ii). There is a large number of the so-called borderline Mohyals living in Jalandhar Doaba and the districts of Hoshiarpur and Una in the Himachal Pradesh, who have adopted the facile sumame of Sharma and Pandlt. They were alienated from the mainstream centuries ago, due to some political disaster. In Jalandhar district, there is a village Jadala near Nawan Shahar, which is almost wholly inhabited by Mohyals. In Jalandhar city itself, there are Mohallas known as Lau and Balian. The renowned saint of the town, Bawa Sodal, at whose samadhi a big mela is held on Anant Chaudjhmas, is venerated by the Lau community (Note: The mythical child-saint, Baba Sodal, when he was about 6 years vanished from a tank while bathing, nearly 200 years ago. He was not a Mohyal but offspring of a Chadha family. The Mohyal connection is due to reason that there are half a dozen Lau families of Jalandhar who are performing religious rites of the Chadhas and serving as priests at the Bawa Sodal shrine for past many generation and deriving substantial income from the offerings. Information, courtesy Bk. Roshan Lal Chhibber of Chandigarh). The famous temple of Bawa Laljiat Datarpur was built by the Mohyal devotees. The grandson of Bawa Lalji, Kewal Ram Bali, had a large following in his native place Bilot near Dera Ismail Khan. There is a shrine dedicated to his memory in Inderpuri, New Delhi. In village Dhianpur, the family records of Mohyals are kept on the same line as maintained by the pandas of Haridwar. There is a large population of the Balis and Chhibbe in Mehalpur and Govindpur. Another village Lambra, situated 10 kms from Jalandhar on the Nakodar road, is predominantly inhabited by Mohans and Chhibbers. There are many Vaid families in Mehatpur and the place's name appears to be a distortion of Mehtapur. A sizeable number of Mohyals live in Doraha, situated on G.T. Road, a few miles from Ludhiana. In Himachal Pradesh, there is a village called, Bathian Brahminan, situated on Hoshiarpur Phagwara Road, which is entirely inhabited by the Bhimwals. Another village named Chanthu, situated 8 kms from Hoshiarpur, is entirely populated by the Laus. Another very big village called Khad has a large population of DaUs of the Meengat denomination who had migrated from Veeram, centuries ago. Both Swami Dayanand and Swami Virjanand had stayed in a serai at this place, while going to Jawalamukhi from Kartarpur. The village is said to have been gifted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to one of Datts' ancestors, named Kesar Singh. A veteran Mohyal of Khad, Mr. Mohan Lal Pandit (Datt), has been elected to the State Assembly for three consecutive terms, before and after the partition. There are nearly 25 families of DaUs living in Bagli in district Kangra.
(iii). An interesting revelation was made by Mr. Jagdish Mittel' Lau, Secretary, Saraswat Mohyal MandaI, New Delhi, in an article published in October 1976 issue of the Mohyal Patrika that there were no less than 5 to 6 thousand of his caste-fellows who had descended from the Mohyals but were now totally cut-off from the parent community. Nearly 200 households of these people are living in Delhi alone. The samadhi of their ancestor, Sidh Shyamji Lau, is situated on the bank of Jamuna near the railway bridge.
(iv). There are scores of Mohyal families, mostly of Vaid caste, who are living in Ghazipur and Varanasi districts of UP for the past twO centuries, and in many cases have adopted the surname of Sinha. They have sedulously kept their Mohyal identity and marry their children only in their own community.
The Mohyal census of 1977 also provides an insight into the demo graphic structure of the Mohyal society. It has exploded the popular myth that Datts constitute the largest single caste because that distinction probably belongs to the Balis, whose number has been ballooned due to their Sikh compeers, living in swarming number in Jammu and Kashmir. Another notion that Laus are in a microscopic minority has also been proved wrong, considering their formidable strength as established by the census.
Bottomline: The Mohyal community after nearly 50 years of its survival from the killing fields of the Partition has found its feet and is now completely rehabilitated. Its constituents have made cosy homes and the life is on the upbeat. Delhi remains their main calling address. They are living in thriving numbers in Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Yamuna Nagar. An offshore place like Bombay boasts of a Mohyal population of over 4,000" There is no count of the Mohyals who have settled in the foreign lands as there is hardly any family whose cousin or an uncle was not harvestip.g a new life either in Sydney or in San Francisco. In this scenario, meriting a special mention is the shining example of Chandigarh and its satellite towns, emerging as the new capital centre of the community. The region is nestling with a population of nearly 8,000 Mohyals and their number is multiplying. The author is indebted to Shri Roshan Lal Chhibber of Chandigarh for providing the following castewise statistics of the Mohyal families living in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali:
4. Bulldogs of the Borders
To be brahmin and a warrior as well is a paradox and this poetic paradox runs in every Mohyal family. The history of the Mohyals is an unending saga of guts and gallantry. They were the sword-arm of anny and stood on the firing line of many a war in all periods of the history. It is truly said of the Mohyal that he is in his best elements, when in the battle array. During the twenties of this century, a visitor to the Mohyal families in any village was generally accosted by an old and haggard woman, sans any male member present in the house, and on querying from her about the whereabouts of the menfolks, the grand lady would pick on her snuff box and croon: Oh! they were all gone to Laam-meaning a long war, being fought on unknown battle-fields, beyond the misty hills and gilded temples of the village. That was the archetypal scenario of every family.
The first border war of the country was fought in the year 326 BC when a puny chieftain challenged Alexander the Great near Taxila and throttled his entry into the heartland of India. He was Raja Porus, a Vaid Mohyal. After his encounter with Porus, Alexander met with yetmore resistance near Multan from the native forces who were predom inantly Mohyal. MuHan in those days was the capital of the Bali rulers and these people held sway over the surrounding territory and the area was dotted with their castles and forts. They engaged Alexander's army Jin bushfire skirmishes in which many senior generals of the invaders were done to death. Opposition was also organised by a confederacy of republican people of Malloi (Malwa) and Kshudrakas. They had a city wholly inhabited by Brahmins who left the pen for the sword and j5000 of them died fighting for the freedom (Glimpses of Ancient India! by Radha Kumud Mukerji, Page 45). The long and bitter fightingi disillusioned Alexander and forced him to call off his dream of con- 'quering India and to order an ignominious retreat.
In another border war fought in 712 AD, Raja Dahir stubbornly battled against the Arab legions to stop their penetration into Sind.
The Mohyals. did not defend only the national perimeters but also used their fighting prowess to uphold the nobler values of life. They shed their blood at Karbala in 681 AD to show their affinity for the i:kins of the Prophet. In 1527, in the harrowing episode at Paniad, they did not mind being slaughtered to the last man just to safeguard the,virginity of a Khatri girl. In the sunset of the Mughal empire they, threatened the bastions of Aurangzeb with their incessant belligerency.
During the Mughal and Sikh rule, they were bestowed titles like Bakhshi, Dewan, Mehta etc. in reward for their proverbial bravery. Maharaja Ranjit Singh appointed many Mohyals to his famous Vadda 1Risala-the Life Guard of the Lion of the Punjab. During the British period, fifty per cent of the Mohyal commissioned officers, were decorated with awards for their distinguished services.
Even now their chests and shoulders are overflowing with the badges and epaulettes of honour. During wars with China, Pakistan and BangIa Desh, they have fought with redoubtable valour. The conquest of Haji Pir Salient in J&K in 1965 war with Pakistan, under the baton of Lt. Gen. Z.c. Bakshi, was a water mark in the annals of the modern Indian warfare. When the Military Academy results are published, the Mohyals figure in large number amongst the successful candidates. When the gallantry awards are announced, their names bounce in the list.
Mehta Kartar Singh Mohan, DSP, was one of the first officers accepted by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to serve as his security officer for over a decade. He was the grandson of late Mehta Arjan Dass and expired in Dec. 1989. Mrs. Indira Gandhi, during her first tenure as the Prime Minister, also had a Mohyal security officer named Mehta Bal Krishan Mohan, ACP, who was the cousin of Mehta Kartar Singh. A Mohyal Air Force Officer, Sqn. Ldr. Sunil Mehta (Chhibber), served as ADC to President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed till his death in office. Other notable Mohyals who served as senior security officers in the PM's office from Pandit Nehru's time to Rajeev Gandni included Sarvashri Amar Nath Bali, B. R. Datt and S.K. Datta (Dir. CBI).
The large number of Mohyals, holding commanding positions of Brigadier and above, in the higher echelons of the country's fighting forces, not to mention of their prolific presence in the lower ranks, is really amazing for a community of mere three lakhs in a dizzy milieu of 800 millions.
The Mohyals are an embodiment of the ancient warrior laureate. If the nation ever raises a kirti-stambh or builds a valhalla for its war heroes, their names will make the headlines.
5. The Courtesy Titles
All castes of Mohyals have the rare privilege of using certain titles with their names which were bestowed on them by the Moghul and Sikh rulers for their high flying bravery and unimpeachable loyalty. These appellations are still in use and include: Bakhshi, Bhai, Chaudhri, Dewan, Malik, Mehta, Rai and Raizada. These epithets have a Persian connotation and imply status. Bakhshi means benevolent, Chaudhri means head of family or the village, Dewan means a landlord, Mehta means the incharge of finance/property (the term in still in vogue in Gujarat and Maharashtra) and Raizda means a wise man or adviser.
The title of Bhai was specially conferred on the Chhibbers of ryala by the Sikh Gurus for their great sacrifices and devotion to dharma. It may be mentioned here that the Dewans (prime ministers) of all the ten Sikh Gurus were Chhibber veterans, hailing from Karyala, a unique honour.
The title of Chaudhri is a distinction mark of the Datts of Kanjrur, Veeram and Zaffarwal. The prefix of Dewan is used by Datts hailing from Guliana and certain other places while that of Raizada is used largely by the Balis and occasionlly by Va ids also. The prefixes of Bakhshi and Mehta are commonly used by the various castes of Mohyals.
Curiously, patently Muslim suffixes like Beg, Khan and Sultan were also used by Mohyal dignitaries in the past. These were conferred on them by the Muslim rulers of the time for their valour and distinguished services. Kandhi Beg Chhibber was a minister in Turkistan while his son Minocher Khan was chief of the Iranian army. A select class of Datts were known by the designation of Alwal Khan Datts. In Rllqaate-Alamgiri. Fateh Jang Khan Bali has been mentioned as the commander in Gujarat. Yakke Khan Datt (Tis Hazari) was a chief of the Moghul cavalry. His family has prospered in Miani district Sargodha for centuries: Mehta Dhera Mal Datt, one of the architects of the General Mohyal Sabha; Rai Bahadur Dr. Harnam Dass Datt who earned encomiums as a civil surgeon; Mehta Nand Lal Datt who was Director of the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore-the only one of its kind ill Asia; Capt. J. D. Datt of the INA fame; were all offsprings of this illustrious family.
As some of the titles currently used by the Mohyals are also used by certain non-Mohyal communities, the scrupulous Mohyals advocate the desirability of mentioning both the courtesy title as well as the caste with the name, to clearly denote the Mohyal identity, e.g. Raizada K.L. Bali, T.R. Dewan (Datt) etc.
Note:
- Gakhars, also referred as Gurkhas: They were a sect of the Hussaini Brahmins who traced their pedigree to Parashurama. According to Sir A. Cunningham. the father of Indian archaeology. they were the Abhisaras of the Mahabharata and the Puranas. One of their ancestors. Raja Sughar. migrated from Ajudhya to Kashmir and his great grandson, Gai Lochan. founded the Gakhar clan. They enjoyed unchallenged sovereignty over the Shivalik ranges. extending from Peshawar to Dehra Dun. For many centuries. They led a daredevil tribal life and were fleree fighters. They fought along with other Hindu rulers to repel the invasions of Muslim marauders from the north. In 761 AD when the Afghans made many onslaughts on Punjab. the Brahmin king of the area deployed a large number of Gakhars along the west bank of river Sind. to serve as seClllity force. and also built a fort near the Khyber Pass which was managed by the Gakhhar garlison. In 1009. Raja Anand Pal of Lahore not only recovered the entire terlitory which had been earlier conquered by Mahmud Ghazni but also drove back his hordes beyond Peshawar. He achieved this with the help of the Gakhars who wrought havoc on Mahmud's forces and made them flee. In this war. more than 3.000 soldiers of Mahmud were exterminated and the historian Farishta has given a harrowing acccount of the fighting. These fabled warriors ultimately succumbed to the proselytism of Shahab-ud-din Gholi and his successors and were converted to Islam. during 12th and 13th centuries. Even after their conversion. they held the Mohyals in high esteem and rewarded them with high posts and jaglrs. Prior to the Sikh administration. Gakhras enjoyed supremacy in Doaba Sind Sagar and Takhat Pari was their capital. Sultan Lashkari Khan who died in 1706 had requisitioned the services of Raizada Mool Raj Vaid from the Maharaja of Jammu and appointted him as his Counsellor and gifted him 25 villages as jaglr. Some of this property was still in possession of the Vaids of Turkwal in Tehsil Gujar Khan. at the time of the partition. In his book titled Balnama. published In Persian by Raizada Rattan Chand Bali. the fraternal relations subsisting between the Mohyals and the Gakhars. have been highlighted.
- Khakhs: According to Rajtaranginl, Khakhs or Khas (13ombe were an offshoot of the same clan) have ruled a large territory of Kahsmlr along river Chenab upto the Banlhal Pass. from 938 to 1340 AD. Lohar Kot and Rajpuli (present Rajauli) were their main seats of power. The ruling dynasty had a long and distinguished line of monarchs including Maharaja Yeshkar son of Prabhakar Vardhan. Kshem Gupt. Abhimanu. Bhlm Gupt. Tribhuvan Gupt. Nandi Gupt. Rani Dida. Sangram Raj. Hart Raj, Anant Dev. Kalash Dev, Aat Krishan, Harashdev. Achal, Salsal. Bhikshacher. Jaisingll, Parmanoo. Vritidev and Apyadev. Some of these rulers had alliance with the Mohyals. Raja Sngram Raj ruler of Lohar Kot Was marlied to the daughter of Raja Bhlm Shahl. the Datt sovereign of Kabul and Kandhar from 901 to 950. with his capital at Ohind (south of Indus near modem Hazro). Bhim Shahi had only one daughter and no male issue. Rani Dida the daughter of Sangram Raj was married to Kshem Cupt. the noted Khakh ruler. After death of Kshem Cupt. Rani Dida was anointed as the queen and ruled from 981 to 1013. Another royal princess hailing from the house of Raja Trllochan Pal (Vald) of Punjab was married to Candharu Sain son of Tung. the Khakh prime minister and army commander of Rani Dida. Rudarpal son of Raja Bhlm Pal. the last Hindu ruler of Punjab. was brother-in-law of Raja Anant Dev of Kashmir: their wives were real sisters and were daughters of Raja Indu Chand of Jalandhar. The kindred relations existing between the Khakh ruling houses of Kashmir and the Mohyal royalties of Punjab and Afghanistan show that they belonged to one world.
- Origin of Sat Bansi Brahmins: When the Kshatris of Punjab ostracised the Aroras. uprooted from Sind. and asked their priests not to perform their marriages and funeral rites: the latter in consternation approached their elderman. Sldh Jachik of Arorkot. to help them in their quandary. Sidh Jachik. distressed at the plight of the Aroras. appealed to the saintly Mohyal. Gosain Bhoj Raj Vaid of Thatta (In Multan. then the capital of Sind) to prevail upon his fellow Mohyals to come to the rescue of the Aroras by performing their religious ceremonies. In response to the humanitarian call. in a rare gesture. seven eminent Mohyals. one drawn from each caste. met in Multan. under the leadership of Gosain Bhoj Raj. and declared that they will henceforth adopt the priestly profession. against the avowed tenets of their C'Ommunity. to bailout the Aroras from their predicament. The seven Mohyals who took part in the conclave were: Bhoj Raj Vaid. Chhangi Ram Mohan. Dhanpat Datt. Lalumal Bali. Saitpal Chhibber. Sham Lau and Takhatmal Bhlmwal. Their progenies came to be known as Bhoj Potre. Chhangu Potre. Dhan Potre. Lalu Potre or -Lalre. Saitpal. Shamu Potre and Takhat Potre or Lalre. respectively. These seven families were expelled from the Mohyal clan. as a punishment for having adopted clerical avocation. This episode probably took place in the closing decades of the 17th century when there was lot of political turmoil in the country.
BIBLOGRAPHY ON MOHYALS - Martial Saraswat Brahmins
1. The History of Mohyals-1911. by TP. Russell Stracey (Acctt. Gen.(Retd.) Posts, Madras).
2. Mohyalltihas in Urdu-1955 by Chuni Lal Dutt.
3. Mohyal History-1995 by Sh. P.N. Bali ("Woodwinds", St. Andrews' Road, Bandra, Mumbai- 400050).
4. District Gazetteer, Gujrat-1922 : Customs of Kharian Tehsil.
5. "Muhiyal" -1916 (Pages 132-136), personal archives of Lala Lajpat Rai.
6. Dastur-al-Amal Mohyali by Late Mehta Balmukand Mohan of Nahan.
7. Islah-e-Mohyali by Raizada Ratan Chand Vaid.
8. Gulshan-e-Mohyali (1923) in Urdu by Hari Chand Vaid (of Sukho).
9. Jang Nama by Rai Sahib Mehta Arjan Das Mohan.
10. SMRITI ( Yaad-e-Rafta Mohyali) Quarterly-J.S. Bhimwal, Kalkaji, New Delhi.
11. Mohyal Referencer-1996, a Global Directory: Mohyal Sabha, Chandigarh.
12. Monthly Issues of Mohyal Mitter, discontinued Mohyal Patrika (Monthly) and Mohyal Milan (quarterly)-Editor, A.K. Datta, IPS/Rtd., 530, Sector 8-B, chandigarh .
13. Sisganj by J.B. Bali.
14. Bhai Mati Das Samarika 1977 in Hindi published by Dr. Paras Ram Chhibber.
15. Hamare Purvaj by Dr. Lajja Devi Mohan (463-L, Model Town, Panipat-1321 03)
16. Story of Guru Gobind Singh-Hemkunt Press.
17. History of India (Urdu)-1915 by Moulvi Zaka Ullah 1915.
18. Early Medieval India by A.B. Pandey.
19. Hiatory of Medievaln India by C.v Vaidya
20. Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan by Lt. Col. James Tad.
21. Glory that was Gurjara Desa by K.M. Munshi.
22. History of India (Urdu) by Mula Mohd. Kasim Hindu Shah Farishta.
23. The History of Kathiawar by Capr . Wilberforce-Belf.
24. Hindu Civilisation : Dr. Radha Kurnud Mukerji.
25. The Oxford History of India: Vincent A. Smith.
26. Mythological Ancestors: Nmes by R. Gopal Krishan, former Editor, The Illustrated Weekly of India (discontinued) and Prof. S.C. Chhibber, Ramesh Nagar New Delhi.
27. Sub-castes & GOTRAS (from Sapat Rishis & Manu SmritJ) : Bali (Prashar) Bhimwa (Kaushal), Chhibber (Braghu), Datt (BharadwaD, Lau (Vashist) , Mohan (Kashyap) and Vaid (Bharadwaj)
28. Dating of Ramayana :- limes of India, 5 Nov., 1983: Research Work of Late Dr. H.D. Sankalia, Deptt. of Archaeolo JY, Deccan College, Pune.
29. Dating of Mahabharata : Research work of Dr. E. Vedavyasa, Ph.D., lAS, (Andhra Pradesh) and Prof. Rajesh Kochhar.
30. General Knowledge Digest-19G8 by Mani Ram Aggarwal.
31. An Advanced History of India: R.C. Majumdar and H.C. Ray Chaudhary.
32. The Cultural Heritage of India (Vol. I), Ramakrishna Mission, Calcutta.
33. The North West India of the Second Century BC-1979 by Mehta Vasishtha Dev Monan.
34. History of India (Hindi) by D.N. Kundra (1979).
35. Virjanand Prakash by Bhim Sain Shastri.
36. Illustrated Weekly of India (discontinued) - Series on Saraswat Brahmans (featuring Shri Sunil Outt, Actor-now Union Minister).
Above list is Compiled by :K. N. Datt, CE/Retd., 5429, MHC, Manimajra, Chandigarh-160 101
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The Content about Mohyal History is extracted from the book " Mohyal History - 1995 "- Second Edition by Sh. P. N. Bali.
landmark in the rise of Hindus because we emerged as an independent civilisation-national-state. Hindu power was no longer open to challenge which it would have been in the absence of partition. But the reality could not be so defined because the Congress leadership was not trained to think in terms of civilisational contests and also because the shock of vivisection of Mother India was too great for most Hindus to allow them to realise that they had reached an important milestone on the road to recovery and re-assertion."
Looking back on 50 years of independence one observes with pain and regret, that despite so much talent and opportunities, India has failed to produce a seer and statesman at the helm of affairs who could set this large country on the right course for proper governance, after freedom from slavery of a thousand years. Gradually, more and more politicians of doubtful integrity and calibre are encroaching the centre stage of political arena.
Now, as a millennium ago, India continues to suffer from lack of proper leadership.
"F M Cariappa and Gen. Thimaya brought to the notice of Nehru the need to take suitable measures to counter the Chinese military movements in the North East. It seems Nehru was irked and replied rather sarcastically, "It is not the business of Commander-in-Chief to tell the Prime Minister who is going to attack and where. In fact the Chinese will defend our Eastern frontier. You mind only Kashmir and Pakistan". The rest is history. The Chinese attack shattered him and it was too late to learn from it. Despite the humiliating defeat, India's response was a knee-jerk reaction to increase the number of its armed forces. This national tragedy has hardly left any impact on our governing political elite, which continues to be largely innocent of the need to understand long-range national strategy.
U.S. strategic analyst George Tanham was commissioned by U.S. Defence Department (!) to conduct a study on Indian strategic culture. He very correctly concluded in his monograph that Indians do not have a tradition of strategic thinking.
The debate in Indian Parliament on the Pokhran-II tests has proved that Mr. Tanham was absolutely correct. How else does one explain the criticism of these tests by leading members of Parliament (including recent Prime Ministers) on the plea that our security environment did not necessitate the acquisition of nuclear weapons?
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Bhai Mani Singh
Bhai Mani Singh - A Sikh Martyr and Scholar
Bhai Mani Singh being executed
by chopping his body to joint by joint
Bhai Mani Singh was a great Sikh personality of eighteenth century and occupies a very esteemed position in Sikh history. He assumed the control and steered the course of the Sikh destiny at a very critical stage in their history. A great scholar, a devoted Sikh and a courageous leader, Bhai Sahib willingly laid down his own life to uphold the dignity of the Sikh nation and religion. Bhai Mani Singh is a Martyr par excellence in Sikh history and his name has become an integeral part of daily Sikh Ardas (prayer).
Ethinicity
Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed came, according to Bhai Kesar Singh ji Chhibbar [1], his contemporary, of a Kamboj family, but according to Giani Gian Singh Dullat [1822-1921], author of the Panth Parkash, of a Dullat Jatt family of Kamboval village (now extinct), near Sunam [2] in Sangrur district of the Punjab. Since Giani Gian Singh himself belonged to Dullat lineage, hence he has claimed Bhai Mani Singh as one of his Dullat ancestors . [3]On critical review of Giani's own family history, its chronology and other relevant issues in the light of available physical evidence, it is virtually impossible to accept Giani Gian Singh's claim on Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed. [4]. Even in the well-known classic Punjabi Mahankosh, the distinguished Sikh scholar of 20th century, Bhai Kahn Singh Nabhha, clarifies that the Dullat Jatt ethnicity of Bhai Mani Singh is being pressed forward solely and solely by Giani Gian Singh alone. Numerous other scholars/writers, on the other hand, invest Bhai Sahib with a Kamboj ethnicity [5]. According to Giani Garja Singh, no person by the name Mani Singh has ever been in the ancestral line of Giani Gian Singh [6].
Since Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber, a contemporary of Bhai Mani Singh [7], claims to have personally met and seen the latter several times during his early age [8], he therefore, is a very reliable eyewitness on Bhai Mani Singh's family particulars. Moreover, being a non-Kamboj himself, Bhai Chhibber can be assumed to be absolutely non-committed with regard to his write-up on Bhai Mani Singh's ethnic background. In contrast, Giani Gian Singh ji Dullat is far removed in time by over a century and half from Bhai Sahib ji. And he has also an understandable motivation for investing Bhai Mani Singh ji with a Dullat Jatt lineage and thus connecting him with his own (Dullat) family to claim credit and honor for his family. Hence, his claim or evidence on Bhai Mani Singh's ethnicity
ethnic identity apparently becomes much weaker and dubious as compared to the evidence of a non-committed eyewitness like Bhai Kesar Singh ji Chhibber.
Koir Singh Kalal, another contemporary of Bhai Mani Singh, also lends support to Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber's evidence on the Kamboj lineage of Bhai Mani Singh [9].
Based on Shaheed Bilaas by Kavi Seva Singh, Giani Garja Singh ji (a Punwar Vanjara Rajput) has claimed that Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed belonged to Punwar (Vanjara) Rajput lineage and was born on March 10, 1644 AD [10] in village Alipore in Multan, now Pakistan. Shaheed Bilaas was originally writen in Bhattakhri in 1803 AD and is claimed to be based on Bhat Vahis. It is stated to have been transliterated into Gurmukhi draft by Chhajju Singh Bhat in 1870 AD which curiously remained unpublished over 90 years until Giani Garja Singh ji edited and published it with his own comments in 1961 AD. It is notable that inspite of persistent demands, the original drafts of Shaeed Bilaas by Sewa Singh in Bhattakhri (1803 AD) as well as its transliterated version in Gurmukhi script (1870 AD) have not been presented by Giani Garja Singh or his supporters to the Scholars at Punjabi University Patiala for the review and examination of their authenticity, genuineness and contemporariness. Giani Garja Singh’s claim on Bhai Mani Singh and Bhai Dayala Ji has recently been rejected by scholars of note from Punjabi University Patiala who call in question the authenticity of the referential sources cited by Giani Garja Singh to prove the Rajput lineage of Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed. These sources are yet to receive the rigourous and critical review from the scholar community for their authenticity and trustworthiness [11] . Scholars assert that, in order to seek favors and to please his patron Bhai Sangat Singh who was a great Grand son of Bhai Mani Ram Rajput [22] , Kavi Sewa Singh Bhat has wrongly transmuted Bhai Mani Ram Dewan (Rajput) into Dharama Acharya, Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed [12].
Dr G. S. Nayer, Member Editorial Board, Punjabi University Patiala, also asserts that there is no real reason to reject the evidence of Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber on Bhai Mani Singh as coming of Kamboj lineage [13].
Prof Gurmukh Singh Waraich of Patiala University has also rejected Garja Singh's unattested and uncritiqued referential sources about Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed as being unscientific. In his research article on the identity of Bhai Mani Singh, prof Waraich asserts that Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed belonged to the Kamboj lineage [14].
According to Sher Singh Sher (a Non Kamboj scholar), Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed was a paternal nephew (i.e Bhateeja) of Bhai Dayala Ji and belonged to the Kamboh
Kambo caste.[15]
Latest, a well known Punjabi writer and historian, S. Kirpal Singh has written a research book on Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed which was published in 2004. The book is in response to Shaheed Bilaas of Giani Garja Singh and it treats of the subject from the very fundamentals, and establishes that it was Bhai Mani Singh Kamboh (Kamboj) of village Kambohwal (now Longowal) and not Bhai Mani Ram Dewan (a Punwar Rajput) of village Alipore, Multan, who was martyred by being cut piece by piece at Lahore. [16] [17].
According to Karam Singh historian, in the wake of Anandpore disaster when Bhai Mani Singh had escorted the wives (Mehils) of Tenth Guru ji to Delhi, they were also accompanied by some devoted Kamboh families who had been in the service of Gurughar. It appears highly likely that these families originally belonged to Kambohwal and had moved to Anandpur in the shelter of Gurughar and had permanently stayed there in the service of ninth Guru ji. Bhai Dayala Ji
Bhai Dayala ji and Bhai Mani Singh, to all probability, belonged to these devoted families of the Kamboh lineage. Karam Singh Historian had recommended further research on these Kamboj families.
Early life
There is some uncertainity about the exact year of birth of Bhai Mani Singh. Giani Thakur Singh writes his year of birth as 1672 AD while some other writers put it at 1670 AD. But according to Sohan Singh Seetal, a well known Sikh historian, Bhai Mani Singh was born in 1664 AD. Principle Satbir Singh wrote the year of birth as 1672 in his 1970 edition but changed it to 1662 AD in the later editions of "Sada Itihaas" (See: Sada Itihaas, 1998, p 154, Principle Satbir Singh). According to Dr Santokh Singh also, Bhai Mani Singh was born in 1662 AD (The Guru's Word). These earlier dates are indirectly based on Giani Giani Singh's references to ninth Guru's visit to village Akoi/Malwa in year 1665 AD. Based on critical analysis of ancient Sikh writings, it appears certain that Bhai Mani Singh was born no later than 1665 AD, hence years given by Giani Sohan Singh Seetal or Principal Satbir Singh/Dr Santokh Singh etc appear more closer to truth.
According to Shaheed Bilaas edited and published by Giani Garja Singh ji in 1961, the birth date of Bhai Mani Ram (alias Bhai Mani Singh Rajput) of Alipore, Multan is 1644 AD.
In the shelter of the Guru
Bhai Mani Singh is said to have been brought in the early years of his childhood to the presence of Guru Tegh Bahadur at Anandpur. He was approximately of the same age as the Guru's own son, Gobind Rai. Both grew up together - Gobind Rai [Das] and Mani Ram were the names they went by in those pre-Khalsa days. Mani Singh remained in his company even after he had ascended the religious seat as Guru. Mani Singh accompanied the Guru to the seclusion of Paonta where Guru Gobind Singh spent some three years exclusively given to literary work. Bhai Ji was asked to stay back with Gobind Rai when Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib proceeded to Delhi to save the Hindus from being forcibly converted to Islam. Bhai Ji became a great soldier while serving the Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. He accompanied Guru Ji when the Guru visited Nahan, at the invitation of Hill Chief Raja Medni Prakash.
Bhai Ji fought bravely in battle of Bhangani in the year 1688 A.D., when Hill Chiefs mounted a combined attack on Guru Gobind Singh. Bhai Hari Chand, one of the brothers of Mani Singh attained martyrdom in this battle. Bhai Mani Singh was named Dewan of Guru’s court after the battle of Nadaun in which he showed his quality of a fearless and brave warrior.
Bhai Mani Singh took Amrit at the hands of Guru Gobind Singh Ji on the day of the creation of Khalsa (Baisakhi in 1699 A.D). After taking amrit paan, his name was changed from Manik Dass to Mani Singh.
When Guru Gobind Singh Ji left Anandpur on the night of December 20, 1704, his family got separated at river Sirsa in the confusion created by the Mughal attack. Bhai Mani Singh took Mata Sundri Ji and Mata Sahib Devan to Delhi via Ambala.
In 1706, Bhai Mani Singh escorted Guru Sahib's wives to Talwandi Sabo where the Guru was staying. At Damdama Sahib (Sabo Ki Talwandi), Bhai Mani Singh wrote Demdami copy of Adi Guru Granth Sahib (in its present form) under instructions from Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. The same volume of Sri Guru Granth Sahib was later bestowed Guruship at Nanded by the Tenth master. When Guru Sahib left Agra with Emperor Bahadur Shah for Nander in 1707, Mata Sahib Devan and Bhai Mani Singh accompanied him. When Guru Gobind Singh proceeded to South India, Bhai Mani Singh escorted Mata Sahib Devan Ji back to Delhi where she lived with Mata Sundri Ji for the rest of her life.
After Baba Banda Singh Bahadur attained martyrdom in Delhi, some among the Sikhs started worshipping him as a Guru which was against the orders of Guru Gobind Singh, who had bestowed Guruship on Sri Guru Granth Sahib. They even changed the Sikh salutation to Fateh Darshan from "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh." His followers, led by Bhai Mahant Singh Khemkaran, proceeded to wards Amritsar to forcibly take over the management of Harmandir Sahib. On the other hand, staunch followers of Sikh tenets, as specified by Guru Gobind Singh led by Baba Kahan Singh, son of Baba Binod Singh (an advisor of Baba Banda Singh appointed by Guru Gobind Singh) had in advance obtained permission from Mughal Rulers for holding a special congregation at Harmandir Sahib on the occassion of Diwali. Sikhs of both sides came in large numbers to Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar to claim the right of its management and were prepared to fight it out, but somehow on the intervention of some wise counsels, the occasion passed off peacefully although the government of the time wanted blood shed between the two Sikh groups to take place.
However, these danger signals prompted some well meaning Sikhs to approach Mata Sunder Kaur Ji at Delhi to resolve the dispute between Tat Khalsa and Bandai Khalsa military factions of the Sikhs. Mata Sunder Kaur despatched Bhai Mani Singh for the purpose of appointing him Granthi of Harmandir Sahib for proper management of the Shrine and sent him to Amritsar with Mama Kirpal Singh (Chand), the maternal uncle of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. After analysing reasons for the dispute, Bhai Mani Singh invited Sikhs of at shades of opinion of Khalsa, gathered on the occassion of birth of the Khalsa on Baisakhi Day. While Baba Kahan Singh, Jathedar of Tat Khalsa captured, Akal Bunga, Bhai Mahant Singh of Bandai Khalsa captured. Jhanda Bunga in the premises of Harmandir Sahib. So much so that Bhai Mahant Singh went to the extent of coming right upto the entry point to Harmandir Sahib riding a chariot sitting on cushions.
In 1721, Bhai Mani Singh intervened and suggested a novel method for settling the dispute to which both sides agreed. On the Baisakhi day Bhai Mani Singh took two pieces of plain paper. He wrote “Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh” on one and “Fateh Darshan” on the other. Folding these papers separately, he dropped both these papers in the sacred sarovar (Water Pool) of Harmandir Sahib. It was agreed by the two parties that the party whose folded paper floated back first would manage the shrine. For a while the both papers remained under water. Later one of these surfaced. The same was taken out and read by Bhai Mani Singh. It was revealed that the words “Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh” representing Tat Khalsa were written on this. Thus, Tat Khalsa won the right to manage Harmandir Sahib and bloodshed was avoided among Sikhs. Thus dispute was peacefully settled and he restored peace among the Khalsa and put the affairs of Harimandir Sahib in order. Thereafter, Bhai Mani Singh decided and announced that Sikhs gather at Harmandir Sahib twice a year on the occassion of Baisakhi and Diwali.
The Mughal Empire
In 1735 A.D., Zakria Khan, the Governor of Lahore, ordered village headmen and landlords to finish Sikhs of their areas. He also appointed Diwan Lakhpat Rai, an enemy of the Sikhs, the administrator of Amfitsar and Qazi Abdul Razak as the police chief. One day the Governor asked them, 'What is the reason that no matter what the number of Sikhs we kill more are created ?" The Qazi replied, "Their Guru had put the elixir of life in the pool at Harmandir Sahib. Whosoever bathes in that pool, gains eternal life." Hearing this, the Governor ordered the filling up of the pool with sand and turned Bhai Mani Singh out from the service of Harmandir Sahib.
Having been turned out from Harmandir Sahib, Bhai Mani Singh took up residence at the Sultan Wind's well. one evening Qazi Abdul Razak came to Bhai Mani Singh and said, "My children are very ill. Medicines of local physicians and doctors are having no effect. Children wake up with nightmares." Bhai Mani Singh went with him to his house. He sprinkled water from the pool of Harmandir Sahib over the children and said to them, "Be not afraid during the night." As the Lord would have it, the children stopped having nightmares. Qazi Abdul Razak stopped silting up the pool.
By 1737, the Mughal government of Lahore had strictly prohibited the Sikhs to visit Amritsar and bathe in the holy tank. To overcome this restriction, Bhai Mani Singh applied to Governor Zakaria Khan for permission to hold the Diwali festival at Harimandir Sahib. With the help of the Qazi Abdul Razak, Bhai Mani Singh got permission from the Governor to allow Sikhs to have free access to Harmandir Sahib for ten days on the occasion of Diwali. The permission was granted for a tribute of Rs.5,000. He hoped that he would be able to pay the sum out of the offerings to be made by the Sikhs who were invited to come. He wanted the Sikhs to gather in large numbers to plan their future strategy and to devise ways for infusing hish spirits and unity among Sikhs.
Zakaria Khan had wicked intentions while granting permission for the celebration. He had planned to encircle, attack and kill large number of unsuspecting Sikhs when they were absorbed in celebrations. Zakariya Khan, under the pretext of keeping order, mobilized and deployed large contingents of army units around Amritsar under the command of Dewan Lakhpat Rai. It was to march towards the city just on the day of the festival so that the Sikhs might be frightened and dispersed.
Sensing foul intentions of rulers, Bhai Mani Singh sent out messengers to all concerned informing Sikhs of the impending danger and requesting them not to come to Amritsar on the occasion of Diwali. Inspite of warnings sent out by Bhai Mani Singh, a fairly large number of Sikhs arrived at Hanmandir Sahib. Lakhpat Rai mounted a surprise attack and killed a large number of Sikhs while they were bathing in the sacred sarover. Bhai Mani Singh sent a note of protest against this unproved killing of Sikhs to Zakaria Khan.
Execution
Bhai Mani Singh was arrested for not paying the stipulated sum. He was asked by the Qazi to embrace Islam or else face death. Bhai Mani Singh stoutly refused to barter his religion and boldly opted for death. By orders of Zakarya Khan, Bhai Mani Singh was executed at Nakhas, Lahore in December, 1737 AD. The Nakhas has ever since been known as Shaheed Ganj - the place of martyrdom. [21]This was a gruesome execution in which Bhai Mani Singh's body was chopped to pieces joint by joint starting from the extremities interior-wards. The Martyrdom greatly inflamed the passions of the Sikhs. They pledged to uproot the evil forces of the Mughals sooner than later.
As a scholar
Bhai Mani Singh acted as scribe when Guru Gobind Singh Ji compiled Sri Guru Granth Sahib from his sacred tongue.
Bhai Sahib is also stated to have transcribed many copies of the sacred Sikh scriptures which were sent to different preaching centers in India. He also taught the reading of Gurbani and its philosophy to the Sikhs.
Bhai Sahib was responsible for collecting the Bani (holi writings) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and compiling it in the form of Dasam Granth. Besides this, Bhai Sahib also authored several invaluable books like Japji Sahib Da Garb Ganjni Teeka (teeka means translation and explanation of a work), Janam Sakhi Guru Nanak Dev ji, Sikhan Di Bhagatmala etc. He also prepared a new version of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in which he took out Guru-bani from the Ragas and rearranged/systematised it for each Guru separately for the convenience of Sikh Sangat. He did a similar thing with the Bhagat-bani also. It is stated that the segregation of Bani thus was disapproved by the Sikh-Sagat in general and Bhai Sahib was reprimanded for the sacrilege accordingly.
In his capacity as a Granthi of Darbar Sahib, Bhai Singh is also stated to have composed the Ardaas (Sikh Prayer) in its current format. He also started the tradition of adding the deeds of the Gursikhs with the prayer
Celebate life
Bhai Mani Singh remained unmarried all his life. This is very well attested by the ancient Sikh scholar, Bhai Rattan Singh Bhangu [18]. Bhai Rattan Singh Bhangu further attests that Bhai Mani Singh was ''Pujarion sir baddo pujaree'' [19] i.e ''"a foremost worshipper (at Harimandir)"'', which evidence pre-eminently projects the scholarly side of Bhai Mani Singh's personality[20]. But compared to this, Bhai Mani Ram Dewan (Rajput) of Giani Garja Singh's ''"Bhat & Panda Vahis"'' was married twice, is stated to have fathered ten sons and was more of a warrior bent of mind than scholar. How can a married man and a father of ten sons be called a celebate? This evidence proves that Grihasthi: ''Bhai Mani Ram Dewan'' (Rajput) of Alipore, Multan, was not the same as the ''Jati-Sati'' (i.e. celebate) ''Dharam-Acharya: Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed''.
References
Bansawalinama, Charana 10, 13, Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber
Panth Parkash, Second Edition, Lahore, p 271, Giani Gian Singh
Shaheed Bilaas, 1961, p 14, Giani Garja Singh; Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed, 2004, p 20-23, Kirpal Singh; also: Bhai Mani Singh and his caste, Dated Nov, 21, 1993, Dr Parkash Singh Jammuu, Punjabi University Patiala
It is important to know that Giani Gian Singh ji Dullat often goes on changing his own statements about the basic parameters of his own ancestors in different editions of his Panth Parkash. And there are numerous inconsistencies in his own ancestral family particulars. This goes to prove that Giani Gian Singh ji is not sure of what he is writing about. This adds enough elements of doubt to his professed claim on the actual Bhai Mani Singn Shaheed. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhai_Dayala_Ji#References] Another important point here: Giani Gian Singh Dullat was born in 1822 AD. Bhai Nagahya Dullat was the elder brother of Bhai Mani Singh Dullat. If Bhai Mani Singh was born around 1662-1665 AD, then Bhai Nagahya Dullat must have been born, at least around 1660-1662 AD. Thus, there is an intervening period of over 160 years between the "year of birth" of Bhai Nagahya Dullat (great grand father) and that of Giani Gian Singh Dullat (great grand son) if we accept Giani Gian Singh's claim on Bhai Mani Singh. This involves THREE human generations, which gives us about 54-55 years for one human generation. This number is prepostrously huge (55 years/per generation) and virtually impossible. Based on the numerous generational data worldwide, the average human generation is often taken to be about 25 (i.e. 20 to 30) years by all scholars though it may also extend upwards to as much as 35 or 40 years under special circumstances only. It is extremely important to note that if only ONE of these THREE generations (55 years each) of Giani Gian Singh's family from Naghahya (great grand father) to Giani Gian Singh (great grand son) happens to be of the usual length of 30 years (for which there is an extremely high probability), the average for the remaining TWO generations would then become about 68 years!. This number is utterly absurd and unacceptable! This single argument alone virtually negates Giani Gian Singh's claims on Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed whom he calls Dullat Jatt from his lineage
Encyclopaedia of Sikh Literature, Mahan Kosh, 1974, foot note, p 951
Shaheed Bilaas, 1961, p 14, Giani Garja Singh
On carefully reading the Bansawalinama, it becomes known that Bhai Kesar Singh Chibber was born in 1699. This is because Chhibber himself attests that at the time of writing of Bansawalinama, he was of 70 years old. e.g Sattar baras sodh main keeti, taan ih katha sunai: (Bansawalinama Charan 14, verse 625). It is notable that the Bansawalinma was written in 1769 AD. Bhai Mani Singh assumed control of Harimandir as its Granthi in 1721 and stayed in that capacity till his martyrdom in 1737. Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber's own father Bhai Gurbaksh Singh was working as Daroga of Harimandir Sahib and Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber was also staying with him at Amritsar. Therefore, Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber who lived close to Bhai Mani Singh after his appointment as Granthi of Harimandir in 1621 AD, must have naturally become very familiar with Bhai Mani Singh. Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber was, therefore, in very good position to collect information and make correct judgement about Bhai Mani Singh and his ethnic particulars. He, therefore, correctly and unambiguously states that Bhai Mani Singh Sahib belonged to Kamboj lineage (e.g: Ih Granth Avtar Lila da jo hai se, Bhai Mani Singh Musadee, jaati (caste) Kamboh horan tyaar karvayaa; OR: Tab Bhai Mani Singh jaati (caste) Kamboh kahiye, so aan miley jin ke sam Sikh koi aisa Guru ka nahiye etc etc : see Charan 10th, Bansawlinama, Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber ) and also expressly states that Bhai Sahib ji was martyred by being chopped piece by piece (See: Bansawlinama Charan 10).
Bansawalinama, Charan 13, 14, Kesar Singh Chibber
Koir Singh Gurbilaas, Patsahi 10, (Ed) Shamsher Singh Ashok, Punjabi University Patiala, 1986, p 294-295. See Verses 204-209; Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh, 2004, pp 91-94, Kirpal Singh (a research book), The Kambojas through the Ages, 2005, p pp 265-66.
Ancient Sikh tradition, deeply ingrained in the mind of Sikhs, however tell us that Tenth Guru ji and Bhai Mani Singh were approximately of the same age and were Bal-sakhas or childhood friends. This is also confirmed by Giani Gian Singh (e.g: Mania maat-pita kai sangai
Gayo huto guru paas nisangai
balk kai sang balak thaaso
ketak din Anandpur baaso
sahibjade sangai khelat
rehat ren-din Anand jhelat
: Panth Parkash, Bhasha Vibhag, 1987, p 676). This tradition clearly teaches us that Bhai Mani Singh Rajput (birth 1644) was over 22 years older than Guru Gobind Singh ji (birth 1666 AD) and thus can not be said to be a balsakha or childhood friend of the latter.
Encylopedia of Sikhism, Vol IV, p 95-96, Dr Harbans Singh
op cit., p 95-96), Dr Harbans Singh; Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh (a reserch book), 2004, pp 37-98, S Kirpal Singh.
Identity of Bhai Mani Singh, Article, Published in Punjab History Conference, Twenty Second Session, March 25-27, 1988, part I, Proceedings, Punjabi University Patiala, 1989, pp 80-81; Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, p 248-267; Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed, 2004, Kirpal Singh.
Identity of Bhai Mani Singh, Article, Published in Punjab History Conference, Twenty Second Session, March 25-27, 1988, part I, Proceedings, Punjabi University Patiala, 1989, p 80-81, Gurmukh Singh Waraich; also see: Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, p 255
Glimpses of Sikhism and the Sikhs, 1982, p 207, Sher Singh Sher.
Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed, (research book), 2004, pp 37-95; See also: The Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, pp 249-266
The author S Kirpal Singh rejects, one by one, the arguments put forward by Giani Garja Singh to pass on Bhai Mani Ram Bhai Mani Ram "Rajput" as the "scholar" and "Dharamacharya", Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed. Kirpal Singh especially visited Hardwar to personally review and verify the contents of the Panda Vahis relating to Garja Singh's family and reports that there are dubious entries as well as discrepancies in chronological order as well as indications of tempering of the "Panda Vahis" at Hardwar in respect of Giani Garja Singh's family. Kirpal Singh has further found that the Panda Vahis at Hardwar can very easily be got manipulated or tempered with through the Pandas by any one at any time, and are therefore, by no means a reliable and scientific source of correct information. Similar arguments also apply to the Bhat Vahi Multani Sindhi and others Vahis which Garja Singh or his supporters like Piara Singh Padam, Dr Piar Singh etc depend on to prove their case. This new information by S Kirpal Singh very much negates the claim of Garja Singh. S Kirpal Singh notes a clear-cut forging of the documentaion and evidence by Giani Garja Singh ji(Op cit., 2004, pp 37-98)
See: Prachin Panth Parkash, Rattan Singh Ghangu, Edited by Bhai Sahib Dr Veer Singh, 1998 edition, p 222
op cit., p 223, Rattan Singh Bhangu
Mani Singh jo sant mahaan, Jati-Sati aur Gyani maan. Hathi tapi aur mat ko puro, sahansheel aur dil ko suro(See: Prachin Panth Parkash, 1998, p 222, Rattan Singh Bhangu).
Shaheed Bilaas of Giani Garja Singh (1961) states that Bhai Mani Singh (Rajput) was arrested after Diwali of 1733 AD and was executed on June 14, 1734 AD i.e about 8 months after his arrest following Dewali (See: Shaheed Bilaas, Bhai Mani Singh, 1961, p 93, Editor Giani Garja Singh) whereas all other ancient sources and oral Sikh traditions assert that Bhai Mani Singh was martyred shortly after his arrest following Dewali---hence his Martyrdom is said to have occured in the month of November or December according to other ancient sources. It must be remembered that the Mughal rulers of Punjab were noted for their quick executions of the Sikhs. It is highly improbable that they could ever have waited for eight months to execute Bhai Mani Singh after he was formally arrested and charged shortly following the Dewali. This does not make sense at all. This is another point in Shaheed Bilaas of Giani Garja Singh which conflicts with the traditionally accepted ancient Sikh sources. To all probability, Bhai Mani Ram alias Bhai Mani Singh Rajput of Alipore (born 1644) had died naturally of old age on June 14, 1734. He was already over 90 years on that date. His death was later confused with that of actual Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed by Kavi Sewa Singh Bhat simply to please his Patron, Bhai Sangat Singh, the great grand son of Bhai Mani Ram Rajput (See: The Encylopedia of Sikhism, Vol IV, 1998, p 95-96, (Ed) Dr Harbans Singh; Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh (a reserch book), 2004, pp 37-98, S Kirpal Singh).
Shaheed Bilaas, Bhai Mani Singh, 1961, p 93, (Ed) Giani Garja Singh.
Books and Articles
Ancient Bansawalinama, Charan 10, 13, 14, Bhai Kesar Singh ji Chhibber.
Panth Parkash, Giani Gian Singh ji.
Prachin Panth Parkash, (ed) Bhai Vir Singh, New Delhi Edition, p 222-223, Rattan Singh Bhangu.
Encylopedia of Sikhism, Prof Harbans Singh.
Encyclopaedia of Sikh Literature, Mahan Kosh, 1974, foot note, p 951.
Gurmat Sudhakar, Bhasha Vibhag, 1970, p 221, Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha.
Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji di Shabad Murti, p 38, Bhar Randhir Singh ji.
Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed and his Caste, Kamboj Chetna Manch 1993, p 86, Dr Parkash Singh.
Sidki Jeewan, Mani Singh Shaheed Da Jeewan Britaant, 1907, Giani Thakur Singh.
Jeewan Sandesh, (Itihaas Number), Giani Gurdit Singh ji.
Bhai Mani Singh, Bhasha Vibhag, 1961, p 85, Dr S. S. Kohli.
Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji de Darbari Rattan, 1994, p 251-252, Prof Piara Singh Padam.
Glimpses of Sikhism and the Sikhs, 1982, Sher Singh Sher.
Bansawalai Nama Das Patshahian ka, Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber, Singh Brothers Amritsar, 1997, p 26, Editor Piara Singh Padam,
Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, p 248-267; Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed, 2004, Kirpal Singh ji.
Punjab History Conference, Twenty Second Session, March 25-27, 1988, part I, Proceedings, Punjabi University Patiala, 1989, p 80, Dr G. S. Nayer Member Editorial Board, Punjabi University Patiala.
Identity of Bhai Mani Singh, Article, Published in Punjab History Conference, Twenty Second Session, March 25-27, 1988, part I, Proceedings, Punjabi University Patiala, 1989, p 80-81, Prof Gurmukh Singh.
Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed, (a research book), January 2004, Jullundur, K. S. Dardi.
These Kamboj People, 1979, K. S. Dardi.
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