Sidhu

Jat Clan: Sidhu
Distribution	Malwa(Punjab)
Descended from:	Bhatti Rajputs
Branches:	Barar, Harike, Bhaike, Jaid, Pirkotiye, Rosse Manoke and Jhuttike Sidhu
Religion	Sikhism & Islam
Languages	Punjabi
Surnames:	Sidhu or Chaudhary

Sidhu (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਧੂ, siddhū) is a prominent and one of the most influential Jat/Jatt gotra (clan).The Sidhu clan is mainly found in the Malwa region of Punjab state, and the province of Punjab in Pakistan. The Sidhu's were mostly rich landlords and farmers, and they were one of the earliest Jatt clans.

Origin of Sidhu

The ruling Sikh families of Patiala, bathinda, Faridkot & Nabha in the Punjab, which after Independence, shortly came together as the Patiala and East Punjab States Union(PEPSU), were the famed Sidhu who traced their origin to the Bhatti/Bhati / Bhattis Rajputs. Khiva Rao sired Sidhu Rao in around 1250. Sidhu Rao's descendants merged with the Jat community. Sidhu is the founder of the Sidhu Clan. Sidhu was also married into a Gill Jat tribe. He sired six sons from this marriage: The heads of these families are said to have received baptism and initiation into the Khalsa fold from Guru Gobind Singh himself during his stay at Muktsar and areas in the vicinity.

Sidhu was also married into a Gill Jat tribe. He sired six sons from this marriage:

• Dahar's descendants are known as Bhaike of Kainthal and Jhumba.
• Dhar's descendants are known as Pirkotias. They are presently settled in the village "Pirkot" in district Bathinda,Punjab,India.
• Roop's progeny are Rosse of the village of Tehna in Faridkot.
• Suro's progeny are known as Meharmia.
• Mano's descendants are settled in Malkana and Naurang villages and known as Manokes.
• Bhura's descendants are known as Harikas and Brars.
• Hari Rao was born in the family of Sita Rao, the elder son of Bhura. He was the founder of the Harkike Sidhu branch. Kaonke, Attari, Harike and Fattanke belong to this lineage. They are not of Brar lineage.
• Jarth, the second son of Sita Rao, sired Brar who founded the Brar Clan.
• Jhuttike Sidhu are rich landlords and farmers of Bathinda city in Punjab.

Thus, Sidhu's have eight sub-clans:

1. Brar
2. Harike
3. Bhaike
4. Pirkotiye
5. Rosse
6. Jaid
7. Manoke
8. Jhuttike Sidhu

Brars

Brars unlike the Sidhus are almost entirely Sikh by faith. Brar was the fifth generation descendant of Sidhu. He was a known marauder and warrior. He regained Bathinda after defeating the Bhattis. He also rebelled against the Delhi government. He made Bidowali in Bathinda as his stronghold. He died around 1415 BCE in Bidowal. Brar's family was then known as a strong warlike family that were overwhelmingly loyal, brave, fearless, and courageous. During Timur's raid on Northern India in 1398, the Brars robbed Timur in the area of Tohana in today's Haryana. After marauding, the Brars used to take shelter in the jungles of the area. The enraged Timur started deforestation on a large scale. Timur killed a large number of Brars and avenged his losses. Also, the Brars were once involved in a feud with the Bhullar, who did not like the Brars on their territory while Bhullars being one of the three original Jatts. Brar's are also mentioned in the zafarnama of Guru Gobind Singh, being a part of the first original eight Hindu tribes to first join the Khalsa Army and convert to the Sikh religion. The eight tribes were Brar(Jat), Dhillon(Jat), Sidhu(Jat), Sodhi(Khatri), Minhas,(rajput),Ahluwalia(Khatri), Matharu(Ramgharia), Parmar(Rajput).

Brar had six sons but only Dull and Paur could attain fame. Brar had three brothers whose descendants also call themselves as Brars. The Harike Sidhus also claim to be Brars although they are not. Faridkotiye and Sangharke belong to the lineage of Dull while Phoolke, Mehrajke and Ghurajke are from the lineage of Paur. They are mostly settled in the Bahia area of Bathinda.

Dull sired four sons named Ratan Pal, Lakhan Pal, Binay Pal and Sehan Pal.

Ratan Pal's descendants are settled in the villages of Abloo, Daan Singh Wala, Kotli, Kili, Mehma Sarja and Kundal. Lakhan Pal’s descendants are called Deonke. Sehan Pal's progeny is settled Nagedi Sran and Fidde while Binay Pal’s in Matta, Doda, Kauni, Bhagsar and Jhutti Patti of Bathinda. Sanghar from the lineage of Binay Pal attained eminence. He had fourteen sons including Bhallan. Other Sub-clans formed, starting from the 16th century onwards, including Attariwalla and other

Sidhus and Brars during the lifetime of the Sikh Gurus

Balhan

Akbar appointed Bhallan Brar as Chaudhry of his area. He died in 1543.

Bidowali (or Bidowal) is the original village of the famed Sidhu-Brars. The sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Gobind, along with his family, were granted a visit to Mohan in Vikrami Samvat 1688.

Mohan and Kala

According to the Bathinda Gazette, the Choudhar (landlordship) of this area was given by the Mughals to a Sardar (Chief) named Bairam of Brar lineage. After his death in 1560, the same was handed over to Mehraj. Mehraj’s grandson Mohan was pestered by Muslim Bhattis and he left Bidowali for some time in 1618 and came to the Bathinda area. According to one description, Mohan and his son Roop Chand laid their lives in 1632 during a fight with Muslim Bhattis. Mohan’s son Kala was also an ardent follower of the sixth Guru. When Shah Jehan’s army attacked the Guru in 1635 at Lehra near Mehraj, Kala along with his clan sided firmly with him. The Guru ended victorious. A happy Guru Har Gobind asked Kala Brar to fence as much land he wanted to. By evening, Kala had marked twenty-two villages and put his fence (Morhi) into the ground. The Bhullar Jats, who considered themselves to be the original dwellers and owners of this area removed his fence and threw it into a well. When Kala complained against this to the Guru, he remarked: "Bhai Kala, your roots have reached to the other world." Hence, Kala founded a village and named it as Mehraj.

Phul

When Guru Har Rai visited this area, Kala along with his cousins, Phul and Sandal appeared for his service. The Guru blessed Phul and Sandal with the privilege of affording to take his horse to the Ganges and Yamuna rivers for drinking water. On growing up, Phool founded the village of Phul and captured the areas surrounding it. Chowdhary Phul sired Tarlok Singh and Ram Singh who avenged his death from Nawab Isa Khan. They were baptized at the hands of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

During Guru Gobind Singh's time, the Brars dominated the Malwa region of the Punjab. Guru Gobind Singh in his Zafarnamah referred to the Brars saying that all the Brars supported him.

Patiala, Nabha and Jind

Phul

The descendants of these two brothers ruled over the principalities of Patiala, Nabha and Jind. These three were known as the Phulkian principalities after Phul. Among these three, Baba Ala Singh expanded his principality far and wide. He was an ardent Sikh and a statesman of high calibre. He was the Misldar of the Phulkian Misl. Baba Ala Singh died in 1765.

Faridkot

The ancestor of the Faridkot principality, Bhallan was also an ardent follower of Guru Har Gobind. He had also helped the Guru in the battle of Mehraj. He died issueless in 1643.

Kapura, who was a nephew of Bhallan, succeeded him. Kapura founded the town of Kot Kapura in 1661. Kapura was the Chaudhry of eighty-four villages. He was also a Sikh but did not want to earn the ire of the Mughals. In the battle of Muktsar in 1705, Kapura helped Guru Gobind Singh ji in an underhand manner. Kapura was slain by Isa Khan Manj in 1708. He had three sons named Sukhia, Sema and Mukhia. Mukhia killed Isa Khan and took control of the entire area. Sema was also killed in this battle in 1710. Kapura’s elder son Sukhia again came into power in 1720.

In 1808, Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured the principality of Faridkot up to Muktsar. Later Maharaja Ranjit Singh agreed to vacate this area to the British after signing an agreement with the British to settle the border with the Satluj river as a boundary between Sikh and British rule. As result the area of Muktsar was added into the Faridkot Riast by the British. Pahara Singh Brar during the Anglo-Sikh Wars helped the British to end the Sikh rule after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. That one of the Deputy Commissioner's of Faridkot (S.Bhagat Singh) during his visit to Fresno CA, USA, when asked about the famous things in Faridkot, answered that Faridkot is famous for Tall Brars. Maharaja Harinder Singh Brar was the last ruler of Faridkot State before India became independent

Kaithal

The principality of Kaithal (today in Haryana), was founded by Bhai Bhagtu(he was also revered as saint). This state had wide areas in its control. Due to the 1857 Mutiny, the British took over this principality in 1858. The villages of Bidowali, Jhumba, Kot Bhai, Channu, Faqaarsar, Thehri in the Tehsil of Muktsar were part of this principality. After the anexture of the state, royal lineage came to settle in the prominent villages of Bhaike Sidhus included Fafre, Chakk Bhaike, Bhucho, Selbrah, Dialpura, Bambiha Bhai, Thehri, Bhaika Kera and Kot Bhai. Each of the villages was the manor of a greater cluster of smaller villages. For example the three brothers from Bhucho had close to 73 villages which included Fatenwala, Kundal, Dabwali etc. a majority of the villages were still closer to their homeland in Kaithal till after independence and the cealing act. The Bhaikas also presented themselves as feudal lords and hence helped sustain masses under them through times of economical and social distress. The presented malwa with an option of governance, which was later picked up by the British as revenue generation module and the sardars of prominent villages were taxed rather than the entire populations. The lords in turn generated enough income to sustain themselves and their people primarily through economy of scale in large scale agriculture practices. There are eight villages of jalalke brars in Bathinda district namely jalal(original village),Ramuwala,Podhipura,Koar singh wala,Hakamwala,Akalia,Hammirgarh and Gurusar.All these villages have jalalke after their names. Jalalke Brars are respected subclan of jatt brars now some brar families are also in sirsa distt of Haryana Jassa Singh Brar

Demographics

India

Besides three Sidhwans, Sidhus have 32 villages in the tehsil of Jagraon in the Ludhiana district, such as Malsihan Bhaike, etc. Sidhus also have their villages in the area of Moga; Chuhar Chak; Bagha Purana and Bangi Rughu in district Bathinda was founded by Veer Singh Sidhu as extended residency of Rughu (Raghu))the third son of Phul(Father) and Bali(Mother) who shifted from Rampura to Jiundan ,the parent village of Bali. The Sidhu-Harike are famous in the villages of Sekha, Adalti Wala,Bakshiwala and countless other villages in Barnala and Patiala district.

The most well-known villages of Brar's are Budhsinghwala, Ghuriana, Kotla Raika, Khote, Burj Jawahar Singh Wala, Patto Hira Singh, Bare Wala,Chak Sherewala (Distt. Muktsar), Didare Wala, Ladhai ke, Mari Mustafa, Alam wala,Madhak , Harike Kalan, Hari Nao, Rode, Lande, Langeana. The progeny of Baba Jalal, a Sidhu-Brar, founded the villages of Aaklia, Gurusar, Bhodipura, Koir Singh Wala, Hakam Singh wala, Sandhwan, Hamirgarh and Ram Singh wala, Mange Wala[Moga],badhni kalan(moga), Wadda Ghar,SAHO-KE(MOGA).

Pakistan

In Pakistan Sidhus are found throughout central Punjab, with special concenterations in Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad and Lahore Districts.

Religion

Most Sidhu jatts in Pakistan follow Islam and most Sidhu jatts in India are Sikh.

See also

• List of Jat Clans of West Punjab