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| varna =
| varna =
| classification =
| classification =
| religions = [[Hinduism]]
| religions = [[Hinduism]], [[Islam]] and [[Sikhism]]
| languages = [[Hindi]], [[Punjabi]] and [[Urdu]]
| languages = [[Hindi]], [[Punjabi]] and [[Urdu]]
| country = Primarily [[India]], a significant population in [[UK]], [[US]], [[Canada]] and [[Pakistan]]
| country = Primarily [[India]], a significant population in [[UK]], [[US]], [[Canada]] and [[Pakistan]]
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====Arya Samaj Khatris====
====Arya Samaj Khatris====
[[Swami Dayanand]] was invited to Punjab by prominent individuals who also founded the [[Singh Sabha]], to counter the missionaries. He established [[Arya Samaj]] in Lahore in 1877, a society and reform movement which was against casteism, rituals, and idol worship. The group promoted strict monotheism, which Swami Dayanand claimed was the essential message of the Vedas. Arya Samaj became popular among [[Hinduism in Punjab|Punjabi Hindus]], especially Khatris<ref>''Political Elite and Society in the Punjab'', by Nina Puri. Published 1985 Vikas</ref> who were attracted to a similar message by the [[Sikh Gurus]] earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chowk.com/articles/10040 |title=Chowk: : The Amazing Khatris of Punjab |publisher=Chowk.com |date= |accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> Arya Samaj inspired individuals like [[Swami Shraddhanand]] and institutions like the [[Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System]], started by Lala [[Hansraj]].<ref>''Mahatma Hansraj: Maker of the Modern Punjab'' By Sri Ram Sharma, Published 1941, Arya Pradeshik, Pratinidhi Sabha</ref>
[[Swami Dayanand]] was invited to Punjab by prominent individuals who also founded the [[Singh Sabha]], to counter the missionaries. He established [[Arya Samaj]] in Lahore in 1877, a society and reform movement which was against casteism, rituals, and idol worship. The group promoted strict monotheism, which Swami Dayanand claimed was the essential message of the Vedas. Arya Samaj became popular among [[Hinduism in Punjab|Punjabi Hindus]], especially Khatris<ref>''Political Elite and Society in the Punjab'', by Nina Puri. Published 1985 Vikas</ref> who were attracted to a similar message by the [[Sikh Gurus]] earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chowk.com/articles/10040 |title=Chowk: : The Amazing Khatris of Punjab |publisher=Chowk.com |date= |accessdate=2008-11-15}}</ref> Arya Samaj inspired individuals like [[Swami Shraddhanand]] and institutions like the [[Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System]], started by Lala [[Hansraj]].<ref>''Mahatma Hansraj: Maker of the Modern Punjab'' By Sri Ram Sharma, Published 1941, Arya Pradeshik, Pratinidhi Sabha</ref>

===Sikh Khatris===
[[File:Guru Gobind Singh meets Guru Nanak Dev.jpg|thumb|left|[[Guru Gobind Singh]] (with bird) encounters [[Guru Nanak Dev]]. An 18th century painting of an imaginary meeting.]]
All the ten [[Sikh Gurus]] were Khatris. Guru Nanak was a [[Bedi]], Guru Angad was a [[Trehan]], Guru Amar Das was a [[Bhalla]], and the rest of the Gurus were [[Sodhi]]s.<ref>{{cite book | title = The A to Z of Sikhism | author = W. H. McLeod | isbn = 9780810868281 | publisher = Scarecrow Press | year = 2009 | page = 86 }}</ref> ''A Glossary of The Tribes & Castes of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province'' (1911) states:

{{bquote|There are four sacred sections among the Khatris, whose position must be touched upon. These are the:
* '''Bedi''' of the Dharman-Bunjahi or Chhota Sarin sub-group
* '''Sodhi''' of the Chota Sarin sub-group
* '''Trehan''' of the Bara Sarin sub-group
* '''Bhalla''' of the Bara Sarin sub-group
These four sections became sanctified by the births of the various Sikh Gurus to them.|x|x|Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose. ''A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province'', 1911 AD, Page 512, Vol II.}}

During the lifetime of the Gurus, most of their major supporters and Sikhs were Khatris. A list of this is provided by [[Bhai Gurdas]] in [[Varan Bhai Gurdas]], a contemporary of the Sikh Gurus.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.searchgurbani.com/main.php?book=bhai_gurdas_vaaran&action=intro | title=Vaaran Bhai Gurdas:VaarPauri:SearchGurbani.com |publisher=Searchgurbani.com |date= | accessdate=2008-11-15}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}} {{dead link|date=October 2011}}</ref>

Other Khatris influential in the history of Sikhism include:

* [[Sahib Singh Bedi]] (1756–1834), a Sikh general who was a Bedi descended from Guru Nanak Dev.<ref>{{cite book | title = Encyclopaedia of Sikh religion and culture | editor = R. C. Dogra, Gobind Singh Mansukhani | page = 337 | isbn = 9780706983685 | year = 1995 | publisher = Vikas Pub. House }}</ref> He placed the [[tilak]] or mark of sovereignty on Ranjit Singh's forehead, anointing him the Maharaja of Punjab during his coronation at Lahore on 11 April 1801.

* [[Bhai Binod Singh]], a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh, who accompanied him to Deccan in 1708. Binod Singh was a Trehan Khatri descended from Guru Angad.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Volume 1 | author = Harbans Singh | year = 1998 | publisher = [[Punjabi University]] | isbn = 9788173801006 | page = 374 }}</ref> He fought many battles as a commander and was leader of the [[Tatt Khalsa]] ("True Khalsa").

* [[Bhai Daya Singh]], the first of the [[Panj Pyare]] (the initial members of the [[Khalsa]]), belonged to the Sobti clan of the Khatris.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Sikhs in history: a millenium study, with new afterwords | author = Sangat Singh | publisher = Uncommon Books | year = 2001 | isbn = 9788190065023 | page = 71 }}</ref>

* [[Gulab Singh Dallewalia]], the founder of the [[Dallewalia Misl]], one of the twelve sovereign Sikh states during the reign of [[Maharaja Ranjit Singh]].<ref>{{cite book | title = History of the Sikhs: The Sikh commonwealth or Rise and fall of Sikh misls | year = 1978 | author = Hari Ram Gupta | publisher = Munshiram Manoharlal | page = 52 }}</ref>

* [[Hari Singh Nalwa]] (1791–1837), the Commander-in-chief of the Khalsa army of the Sikh Empire.<ref>{{cite book | title = Hari Singh Nalwa, "champion of the Khalsaji" (1791-1837) | author = Vanit Nalwa | page = 228 | isbn = 9788173047855 }}</ref>

After formation of the Khalsa (1699), and especially during the reign of Ranjit Singh, Hindu Khatri families raised at least one son (usually the oldest) as an Amritdhari Sikh. The Sikh institutions till the early 20th century were led by Mahants (Masands) who were generally Khatri. Widespread abuses by the Masands, such as the introduction of idols in Gurudwaras, led to calls for reform (which were met more than once by deadly resistance from the Mahants) by the Singh Sabha which resulted in formation of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee to oversee Sikh Gurudwaras.{{cn|date=September 2011}}


===Muslims of Khatri origin===
===Muslims of Khatri origin===

Revision as of 17:28, 8 October 2011

Khatri
ReligionsHinduism, Islam and Sikhism
LanguagesHindi, Punjabi and Urdu
CountryPrimarily India, a significant population in UK, US, Canada and Pakistan
Populated statesPunjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Balochistan, Sindh, NWFP and Delhi.
Family namesKapoor, Chopra and Sehgal etc.
SubdivisionsBari, Bunjahi and Sarin
StatusForward caste

Khatri (Hindi: खत्री, Punjabi: ਖੱਤਰੀ,Urdu: کھتری) is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent.[1] The word "Khatri" is the Punjabi adaptation of Sanskrit word Kshatriya, used to describe the warriors in the traditional Hindu varna system.

Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Khatris played an important role in India's transregional trade under the Mughal Empire.[2] With the Mughal patronage, they adopted administrative and military roles outside the Punjab region as well.[3] Scott Cameron Levi describes Khatris among the "most important merchant communities of early modern India".[4] In course of time, the Khatris have adopted mercantile occupations.[1][5][6]

All the Sikh Gurus were Khatris.[4]

Origin and history

The Sodhi and Bedi clans of the Khatris derive their lineage from Lava and Kusha, the sons Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana.

A 1984 genetic study demonstrated that the Khatris, the Aroras and the Rajputs are strongly clustered together, and closer to the Brahmins than the Vaishya or the Scheduled Castes.[7]

All the Sikh Gurus were Khatris.[8] According to Bichitra Natak, the autobiography of the last Guru, Gobind Singh, the Bedi sub-caste of the Khatris derives its lineage from Kush, the son of Rama in the Hindu mythology. The descendants of Kush learned the Vedas at Benares, and were thus called Bedis (Vedis).[9] Similarly, the Sodhi sub-caste claims descent from the Lav, the other son of Rama.[10]

The region in which the Khatris originally lived was ruled by Hindu kings until 1013 AD. Khatris encountered hardships after the Muslim conquest of the region, but stubbornly clung to their heritage. Because of high levels of education and scholarship, they were able to survive even in difficult times.[11][page needed]

The Khatris subsequently rose as an important trading community, and played an important role in India's transregional trade under the Mughal Empire.[2][4] With the patronage of Mughal nobles, the Khatris adopted administrative and military roles outside the Punjab region. According to a nineteenth century Khatri legend, the Khatris followed the military professoin until the time of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Several Khatris were killed during the Aurangzeb's Deccan Campaign, and the emperor ordered their widows to be remarried. When the Khatris refused to obey this order, Aurangzeb terminated their military service, and directred them to be shopkeepers and brokers.[3]

Military tradition

Khatris have an extensive military tradition and have excelled in the Armed Forces, having received many honors and gallantry awards for their service.[citation needed]

Distribution

The Khatris are originally from the Malwa and the Majha areas in the Punjab region of the north-western Indian subcontinent.[citation needed] They are now present in all the states of India, although the major concentration remains in Punjab and the Delhi region.[citation needed]

Religion

Hindu Khatris

Sanatan Khatris

The Khatri community have been active in roles of administration, rule, and warfare within Punjab. The Khatris were the patrons ('yajamansas' or in Punjabi 'jajmani') of the Saraswat Brahmins.[12] The Khatris are among the very few non-Brahmin communities that have traditionally studied the Vedas.[13] Khatris were estimated to constitute 9% of the total population of Delhi in 2003.[14]

Arya Samaj Khatris

Swami Dayanand was invited to Punjab by prominent individuals who also founded the Singh Sabha, to counter the missionaries. He established Arya Samaj in Lahore in 1877, a society and reform movement which was against casteism, rituals, and idol worship. The group promoted strict monotheism, which Swami Dayanand claimed was the essential message of the Vedas. Arya Samaj became popular among Punjabi Hindus, especially Khatris[15] who were attracted to a similar message by the Sikh Gurus earlier.[16] Arya Samaj inspired individuals like Swami Shraddhanand and institutions like the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System, started by Lala Hansraj.[17]

Sikh Khatris

Guru Gobind Singh (with bird) encounters Guru Nanak Dev. An 18th century painting of an imaginary meeting.

All the ten Sikh Gurus were Khatris. Guru Nanak was a Bedi, Guru Angad was a Trehan, Guru Amar Das was a Bhalla, and the rest of the Gurus were Sodhis.[18] A Glossary of The Tribes & Castes of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province (1911) states:

There are four sacred sections among the Khatris, whose position must be touched upon. These are the:

  • Bedi of the Dharman-Bunjahi or Chhota Sarin sub-group
  • Sodhi of the Chota Sarin sub-group
  • Trehan of the Bara Sarin sub-group
  • Bhalla of the Bara Sarin sub-group

These four sections became sanctified by the births of the various Sikh Gurus to them.

— x, x, Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose. A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province, 1911 AD, Page 512, Vol II.

During the lifetime of the Gurus, most of their major supporters and Sikhs were Khatris. A list of this is provided by Bhai Gurdas in Varan Bhai Gurdas, a contemporary of the Sikh Gurus.[19]

Other Khatris influential in the history of Sikhism include:

  • Sahib Singh Bedi (1756–1834), a Sikh general who was a Bedi descended from Guru Nanak Dev.[20] He placed the tilak or mark of sovereignty on Ranjit Singh's forehead, anointing him the Maharaja of Punjab during his coronation at Lahore on 11 April 1801.
  • Bhai Binod Singh, a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh, who accompanied him to Deccan in 1708. Binod Singh was a Trehan Khatri descended from Guru Angad.[21] He fought many battles as a commander and was leader of the Tatt Khalsa ("True Khalsa").

After formation of the Khalsa (1699), and especially during the reign of Ranjit Singh, Hindu Khatri families raised at least one son (usually the oldest) as an Amritdhari Sikh. The Sikh institutions till the early 20th century were led by Mahants (Masands) who were generally Khatri. Widespread abuses by the Masands, such as the introduction of idols in Gurudwaras, led to calls for reform (which were met more than once by deadly resistance from the Mahants) by the Singh Sabha which resulted in formation of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee to oversee Sikh Gurudwaras.[citation needed]

Muslims of Khatri origin

A Khattri nobleman, in Kitab-i tasrih al-aqvam by Col. James Skinner, aka Sikandar (1778–1841)

Following invasions by Turkic tribes from Afghanistan and the North West Frontier Province from the 11th century onwards, there were conversions of Hindus to Islam from among various Punjabi communities, including Khatris. Generally they retained their tribal and clan affiliations, as has been the norm in the region. Similarly, the Khatris who converted to Islam continue to retain a strong social identity.[citation needed]

Khawajas

When Khatri traders from the western districts of the Punjab like Sargodha, Jhang, Jehlum, Chakwal, Faisalabad accepted Islam, they called themselves Khawaja and adopted Shaikh as their title.[citation needed] They are thus called Khawaja Shaikh. Some of them have also adopted Mian as a title. In recent years traders from the small town of Chiniot, in the Chiniot District, became prominent due to their contribution in the industries of Pakistan. These traders are known as Chiniotis or Chinioti Shaikhs. The trading family of Sahgals, Sahgal Khatris of Chakwal, are known simply as Punjabi Shaikh instead of Khawaja Shaikh. They use "Mian" as a title.[citation needed]

The first censuses of the Punjab were conducted by Denzil Ibbetson and Edward Maclagan in 1883 and 1892.[citation needed] According to their reports, the Khawajas of Bhera in Shahpur, Sargodha District were converted from Khatris, and those from Jhang were said to be converted from Aroras.[citation needed] At Chiniot, the majority of the Khawajas are Khatris, and some are Arora.[citation needed] They reported the following sections (gotras) of Khatris from Chiniot: Sahgal, Wadhaun (or Vadhavan), Talwar, Puri, Topra.[citation needed] One gotra of Arora was reported from Chiniot: the Goruwala.[citation needed]

The gotras of Khawajas from Bhera were reported as follows: Vohra, Sahgal, Kapur, Sethi, Duggal, Nanda, Mehndru, Chadha, Suri. These are all Khatri gotras.[citation needed]

The Khawajas of Layyah have following Khatri sections: Kapur, Puri, and Tandon.[25]

Others

There are a small number of Khatris who are Jain.[citation needed]

Divisions

Clans

In 1914, Raja Vanvihari Kapoor wrote that the major Khatri clans are named after the Sun god.[12]

  • Sahasrakar Sahgal. Priests: Mohile
  • Kripakar Kapur. Priests: Pambu
  • Shankan Khanna. Priests: Jhingana
  • Martanada Tandon. Priests: Jhingana
  • Mitra Mehra. Priests: Jetali
  • Shreshtha Seth
  • Mahendra Mahindru
  • Bahukar Bahora (Vohra)
  • Chakravali Chaupada (Chopra)
  • Karalagni Kakkar. Priests: Kumadiye
  • Surya Suri
  • The Royal Treasurer (Bhandari)

Social divisions

There are social divisions within the community which includes the Dhai-Ghar (2½ clans, the number 3 being considered unlucky) grouping comprising Mehra, Malhotra, Khanna, Kapoor [6] Along with the Seth clan these four subdivisions form the Char Ghar (4 houses) grouping.[13]

The Chopra, Dhawan, Batta, Bandha, Kakar, Mahindru, Sahgal, Soni, Tandon, Vohra, Wadhaun, and Wahi form the Barah-Ghar group of Khatris.[13]

Other groups include the Khukhrain (8 clans), Bara-Jati (12 clans), Bavanjai (52 clans),[13] and Sarin (300 clans) Khatris.[13]

The Sarin Khatris include the Bedi and Sodhi clans, to which belonged the founders of the Sikh faith.[13]

Other khatri groups include the "Savji"khatris or Somvanshya Sahasrarjun Kshatriya or SSK Samaj are a Kshatriya community concentrated in the districts bordering Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra . They are also referred to as Pategars or patkar or Khatris.[13]

Before the partition of India in 1947, the Khatri sub-castes were particularly connected with specific regions:[26]

After the partition, the different Khatri castes have widely dispersed.[26]

Divisions recorded in the Ain-i-Akbari

Divisions among the Khatri groups were reported by Emperor Akbar's close adviser Abu'l Fazal in his book Ain-i-Akbari (compiled in 1590 AD).[27]

The division into the Bara and Bunjahi groups is noticed in the Ain-i-Akbari:- "The Kshatriya (now called Khatris) form two races, the Surajbansi and Sombansi * * There are more than 500 tribes of these Kshatriyas, of whom 52 (Bawanjai) are pre-eminently distinguished and 12 (Baraghar) are of considerable importance."

— x, x, Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province, 1911, Page 510, Vol II.

Khukhrain

Khukhrain (also spelt Khokhran/Kukhrain/Kukhran) are a regional subcaste of Khatris[13] consisting of eight clans who live in Punjab. They were originally from the town of Bhera in the Jech Doab (Jhelum — Chenab interfluve) region of Sargodha district of Pakistani Punjab.[citation needed] A significant number of Khukhrains, along with other major Khatri groups, adopted Sikhism during the 18th and 19th centuries.[citation needed] The names of the eight clans are Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni/Sawhney, Sethi, and Suri.[citation needed] Three new subclans were later formed: Chandok (Chandhoke, Chandhok, Chandiok), Gandhoke, and Ghai.[citation needed]

Khatri organizations

The sessions of Akhil Bhartiya Khatri Mahasabha[clarification needed] were held in Lucknow in 1916, 1936, 1952, and 1980. The Lucknow Khatri Sabha[clarification needed] was established in 1927 and the publication Khatri Hitashi was started in 1936.[28][full citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Rose, Horace Arthur (1911). A Glossary of The Tribes and Castes of The Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. p. 507. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
  2. ^ a b Gijsbert Oonk (2007). Global Indian diasporas. Amsterdam University Press. p. 43. ISBN 9789053560358.
  3. ^ a b John R. McLane (2002). Land and Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal. Cambridge South Asian Studies (Volume 53). Cambridge University Press. p. 132. ISBN 9780521526548.
  4. ^ a b c Scott Cameron Levi (2002). The Indian diaspora in Central Asia and its trade, 1550-1900. BRILL. p. 106. ISBN 9789004123205.
  5. ^ People, Gazetteer Ludhiana, Department of Revenue, Government of Punjab (India)
  6. ^ a b Gazetteer Amritsar, Department of Revenue, Government of Punjab (India) (First Edition 1976)
  7. ^ MI Kamboh (1984). "Population genetic studies of PI, Tf, Gc and PGM1 subtypes among various caste groups in North India". Acta Anthropogenet: 159–79. PMID 6242530.
  8. ^ H. S Singha (2000). The encyclopedia of Sikhism. Hemkunt Press. p. 125. ISBN 9788170103011.
  9. ^ Major Nahar Singh Jawandha. Glimpses of Sikhism. Sanbun. p. 16. ISBN 9789380213255.
  10. ^ The Cosmic Drama: Bichitra Natak, Author Gobind Singh, Publisher Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the U.S.A., 1989 ISBN 0-89389-116-9, 9780893891169
  11. ^ The Khatris, a Socio-Historical Study. by Baij Nath Puri Published in 1988, M.N. Publishers and Distributors (New Delhi)
  12. ^ a b Jwalaprasad Mishra, Jati Bhaskar, 1914
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Hindu Tribes and Castes as Represented in Benares, by Matthew Atmore Sherring, Published 1872. Trubner and co [1] p 277
  14. ^ http://www.india-seminar.com/2004/534/534%20sanjay%20kumar.htm HT-CSDS 2003 Survey Estimates
  15. ^ Political Elite and Society in the Punjab, by Nina Puri. Published 1985 Vikas
  16. ^ "Chowk: : The Amazing Khatris of Punjab". Chowk.com. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  17. ^ Mahatma Hansraj: Maker of the Modern Punjab By Sri Ram Sharma, Published 1941, Arya Pradeshik, Pratinidhi Sabha
  18. ^ W. H. McLeod (2009). The A to Z of Sikhism. Scarecrow Press. p. 86. ISBN 9780810868281.
  19. ^ "Vaaran Bhai Gurdas:VaarPauri:SearchGurbani.com". Searchgurbani.com. Retrieved 2008-11-15. [dead link] [dead link]
  20. ^ R. C. Dogra, Gobind Singh Mansukhani, ed. (1995). Encyclopaedia of Sikh religion and culture. Vikas Pub. House. p. 337. ISBN 9780706983685.
  21. ^ Harbans Singh (1998). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Volume 1. Punjabi University. p. 374. ISBN 9788173801006.
  22. ^ Sangat Singh (2001). The Sikhs in history: a millenium study, with new afterwords. Uncommon Books. p. 71. ISBN 9788190065023.
  23. ^ Hari Ram Gupta (1978). History of the Sikhs: The Sikh commonwealth or Rise and fall of Sikh misls. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 52.
  24. ^ Vanit Nalwa. Hari Singh Nalwa, "champion of the Khalsaji" (1791-1837). p. 228. ISBN 9788173047855.
  25. ^ Ibbetson, Denzil; Edward MacLagan and H.A. Rose. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province, vol. II, 1911, pp. 537–538.
  26. ^ a b "Punjab District Gazetteers". Punjabrevenue.nic.in. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
  27. ^ Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province, 1911, Page 510, Vol II
  28. ^ The Indian Historical Review, by Indian Council of Historical Research, Published 1982 Vikas Pub. House

Source texts