Khatri
Encyclopedia
Khatri is a caste from the northern Indian subcontinent
. 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
. With the Mughal patronage, they adopted administrative and military roles outside the Punjab region as well. Scott Cameron Levi describes Khatris among the "most important merchant communities of early modern India".
All the Sikh Gurus
were Khatris. The current Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh
, is also a Khatri.
word Kshatriya
, used to describe the warriors in the traditional Hindu varna system. However, a number of sources deny the connection of Khatri caste with ancient Kshatriya Hindu military order. According to one theory, the word "Khatri" originates from the word Khsatri mentioned in Manu Smriti
to denote a mixed caste of low-ritual status, born of the union of Kshatriya mothers and Shudra
fathers. Dasrath Sharma also described Khatris as a mixed pratiloma caste of low ritual status, but he suggested that Khatris could be a mixed caste born of Kshatriya fathers and Brahmin
mothers.
Thus, the Khatris have an ambiguous position in the varna system. Khatris claim that they were warriors who took to trade. The 19th century Indians and the British administrators failed to agree whether the Khatri claim of Kshatriya status should be accepted, since the overwhelming majority of them were engaged in Vaishya
(mercantile) occupations. There are Khatris that are found in other states of India and they follow different professions in each region. The Khatris of Gujrat and Rajasthan are said to belong to "Darji" (tailor) caste. K C S Varma notes that Francis Buchanan
wrote in the early nineteenth century that "in Behar one-half of the Khatris are goldsmiths", and that another writer of the British era, Kitts, had recorded that "the Khatris are traders in Punjab, and silk-weavers, when we find them in Bombay". Benjamin Lewis Rice echoes a similar view about the Khatri caste in various regions of India.
According to Bichitra Natak
, said to be the autobiography of the last Sikh
Guru Gobind Singh
, but whose authenticity is a matter of ongoing dispute, the Bedi sub-caste of the Khatris derives its lineage from Kush
, the son of Rama
in the Hindu mythology. The descendants of Kush, according to the disputed Bachitar Natak legend, learned the Vedas
at Benares, and were thus called Bedis (Vedis). Similarly, according to the same legend, the Sodhi sub-caste claims descent from the Lav
, the other son of Rama.
A 1984 genetic study demonstrated that the Khatris, the Arora
s and the Rajput
s are strongly clustered together, and closer to the Brahmins than the Vaishya or the Scheduled Castes.
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.
The Khatris subsequently rose as an important trading community, and played an important role in India's transregional trade under the Mughal Empire
. 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.
Khatris have an extensive military tradition and have excelled in the Armed Forces
, having received many honors and gallantry awards for their service.
and the Majha
areas in the Punjab region
of the north-western Indian subcontinent. They are now present in all the states of India, although the major concentration remains in Punjab and the Delhi region.
. Khatris were estimated to constitute 9% of the total population of Delhi in 2003.
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 who were attracted to a similar message by the Sikh Gurus
earlier. Arya Samaj inspired individuals like Swami Shraddhanand
and institutions like the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System
, started by Lala Hansraj Gupta
.
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. 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.
Other Khatris influential in the history of Sikhism include:
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.
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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.
, Jhang
, Jehlum
, Chakwal
, Faisalabad
accepted Islam, they called themselves Khawaja
and adopted Shaikh as their title. 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.
The first censuses of the Punjab were conducted by Denzil Ibbetson
and Edward Maclagan
in 1883 and 1892. 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 Arora
s. At Chiniot, the majority of the Khawajas are Khatris, and some are Arora. They reported the following sections (gotras) of Khatris from Chiniot: Sahgal, Wadhaun (or Vadhavan), Talwar
, Puri
, Topra. One gotra of Arora was reported from Chiniot: the Goruwala.
The gotras of Khawajas from Bhera were reported as follows: Vohra
, Sahgal, Kapur, Sethi
, Duggal
, Nanda
, Mehndru, Chadha
, Suri
. These are all Khatri gotras.
The Khawajas of Layyah
have following Khatri sections: Kapur, Puri
, and Tandon
.
.
, Khanna
, Kapoor
Along with the Seth
clan these four subdivisions form the Char Ghar (4 houses) grouping.
The Chopra
, Dhawan
, Batta
, Bandha
, Kakar
, Mahindru, Sahgal, Soni
, Tandon
, Vohra
, Wadhaun, and Wahi
form the Barah-Ghar group of Khatris.
Other groups include the Khukhrain
(8 clans), Bara-Jati (12 clans), Bavanjai (52 clans), and Sarin (300 clans) Khatris.
The Sarin Khatris include the Bedi and Sodhi clans, to which belonged the founders of the Sikh faith.
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.
Before the partition of India
in 1947, the Khatri sub-castes were particularly connected with specific regions:
After the partition, the different Khatri castes have widely dispersed.
in the Jech Doab (Jhelum — Chenab interfluve) region of Sargodha
district of Pakistani Punjab. A significant number of Khukhrains, along with other major Khatri groups, adopted Sikhism during the 18th and 19th centuries. The names of the eight clans are Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni/Sawhney, Sethi, and Suri. Three new subclans were later formed: Chandok (Chandhoke, Chandhok, Chandiok), Gandhoke, and Ghai.
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. Khatris in India are mostly from Punjab, region but later they migrated to regions like Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, Balochistan
Balochistan
Balochistan or Baluchistan is a region which covers parts of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. It can also refer to one of several modern and historical territories within that region:...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khatris played an important role in India's transregional trade under the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
. With the Mughal patronage, they adopted administrative and military roles outside the Punjab region as well. Scott Cameron Levi describes Khatris among the "most important merchant communities of early modern India".
All the Sikh Gurus
Sikh Gurus
The Sikh Gurus established Sikhism from over the centuries beginning in the year 1469. Sikhism was founded by the first guru, Guru Nanak, and subsequently, all in order were referred to as "Nanak", and as "Lights", making their teachings in the holy scriptures, equivalent...
were Khatris. The current Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
, is also a Khatri.
Origin and varna status
The word "Khatri" is believed by some to be the Punjabi adaptation of SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
, used to describe the warriors in the traditional Hindu varna system. However, a number of sources deny the connection of Khatri caste with ancient Kshatriya Hindu military order. According to one theory, the word "Khatri" originates from the word Khsatri mentioned in Manu Smriti
Manu Smriti
' , also known as Mānava-Dharmaśāstra , is the most important and earliest metrical work of the Dharmaśāstra textual tradition of Hinduism...
to denote a mixed caste of low-ritual status, born of the union of Kshatriya mothers and Shudra
Shudra
Shudra is the fourth Varna, as prescribed in the Purusha Sukta of the Rig veda, which constitutes society into four varnas or Chaturvarna. The other three varnas are Brahmans - priests, Kshatriya - those with governing functions, Vaishya - agriculturalists, cattle rearers and traders...
fathers. Dasrath Sharma also described Khatris as a mixed pratiloma caste of low ritual status, but he suggested that Khatris could be a mixed caste born of Kshatriya fathers and Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
mothers.
Thus, the Khatris have an ambiguous position in the varna system. Khatris claim that they were warriors who took to trade. The 19th century Indians and the British administrators failed to agree whether the Khatri claim of Kshatriya status should be accepted, since the overwhelming majority of them were engaged in Vaishya
Vaishya
Vaishya is one of the four varnas of the Hindu social order. According to Vedic tradition, this caste primarily comprises merchants, farmers, cattle-herders and artisans.-Duties of Vaishyas:...
(mercantile) occupations. There are Khatris that are found in other states of India and they follow different professions in each region. The Khatris of Gujrat and Rajasthan are said to belong to "Darji" (tailor) caste. K C S Varma notes that Francis Buchanan
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Dr Francis Buchanan, later known as Francis Hamilton but often referred to as Francis Buchanan-Hamilton was a Scottish physician who made significant contributions as a geographer, zoologist, and botanist while living in India.The standard botanical author abbreviation Buch.-Ham. is applied to...
wrote in the early nineteenth century that "in Behar one-half of the Khatris are goldsmiths", and that another writer of the British era, Kitts, had recorded that "the Khatris are traders in Punjab, and silk-weavers, when we find them in Bombay". Benjamin Lewis Rice echoes a similar view about the Khatri caste in various regions of India.
According to Bichitra Natak
Bichitra Natak
Bachittar Natak is from Dasam Granth generally attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru spans from ang 94 to ang 175 of the 2326 ang....
, said to be the autobiography of the last Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
Guru Gobind Singh
Gobind Singh
Gobind Singh VC was an Indian soldier, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest Commonwealth award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War....
, but whose authenticity is a matter of ongoing dispute, the Bedi sub-caste of the Khatris derives its lineage from Kush
Kusha (Ramayana)
Kusha , in Hindu mythology, was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita . Born in the Forest after Sita had been banished from Ayodhya, they were educated and trained in military skills and were under the care of Sage Valmiki....
, the son of Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
in the Hindu mythology. The descendants of Kush, according to the disputed Bachitar Natak legend, learned the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
at Benares, and were thus called Bedis (Vedis). Similarly, according to the same legend, the Sodhi sub-caste claims descent from the Lav
Lava (Ramayana)
Lava or Luv and his twin brother Kusha, were the children of the Lord Rama and his wife Sita, whose story is recounted in the Ramayana. Per that text, he is known as the founder of Lavapuri,that is, the modern day city of Lahore,...
, the other son of Rama.
A 1984 genetic study demonstrated that the Khatris, the Arora
Arora
Arora is an Indo-Aryan community of the Punjab region. Commentators differ in their opinions regarding the relationship between the Arora and the Khatri community....
s and the Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s are strongly clustered together, and closer to the Brahmins than the Vaishya or the Scheduled Castes.
History
The region in which the Khatris originally lived was ruled by Hindu kings until 1013 AD. Khatris encountered hardships after the Muslim conquestMuslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent
Muslim conquest in South Asia mainly took place from the 13th to the 16th centuries, though earlier Muslim conquests made limited inroads into the region, beginning during the period of the ascendancy of the Rajput Kingdoms in North India, from the 7th century onwards.However, the Himalayan...
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.
The Khatris subsequently rose as an important trading community, and played an important role in India's transregional trade under the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
. 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
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
. 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.
Khatris have an extensive military tradition and have excelled in the Armed Forces
Armed Forces
Armed Forces is Elvis Costello's third album, his second with the Attractions, and the first to officially credit the Attractions on the cover. It was released in the UK by Radar Records and in the U.S. by Columbia in 1979...
, having received many honors and gallantry awards for their service.
Distribution
The Khatris are originally from the MalwaMalwa (Punjab)
Malwa is a region of Punjab and parts of Haryana between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. This Malwa should not be confused with the Malwa Plateau region of Madhya Pradesh, Central India...
and the Majha
Majha
Majha is a region of the Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran in the Indian State of Punjab and the districts of Narowal, Lahore and Kasur in the Pakistani Province of Punjab. The term previously applied to Panjabis living north of the Sutlej...
areas in the Punjab region
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
of the north-western Indian subcontinent. They are now present in all the states of India, although the major concentration remains in Punjab and the Delhi region.
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. The Khatris are among the very few non-Brahmin communities that have traditionally studied the VedasVedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
. Khatris were estimated to constitute 9% of the total population of Delhi in 2003.
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 SamajArya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayananda on 10 April 1875. He was a sannyasi who believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda emphasized the ideals of brahmacharya...
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
Hinduism in Punjab
Punjabi Hindus are a group of people that follows the Hindu religion and has its roots in the erstwhile joint ancient Panjab region. Today it is spread out across most parts of northern India and in some parts of western India like Mumbai, Maharashtra. In India, most Punjabi Hindus are...
, especially Khatris who were attracted to a similar message by the Sikh Gurus
Sikh Gurus
The Sikh Gurus established Sikhism from over the centuries beginning in the year 1469. Sikhism was founded by the first guru, Guru Nanak, and subsequently, all in order were referred to as "Nanak", and as "Lights", making their teachings in the holy scriptures, equivalent...
earlier. Arya Samaj inspired individuals like Swami Shraddhanand
Swami Shraddhanand
Swami Shraddhanand was an Indian educationist and an Arya Samaj missionary who propagated the teachings of Swami Dayanand. This included the establishment of educational institutions, like the Gurukul Kangri University, and played a key role on the Sangathan and the Shuddhi a Hindu reform...
and institutions like the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System
Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System
The Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System, also familiarly known as the D.A.V. Public Schools System is the single largest non-governmental education society in India . It is based on the ideals of the religious and social reformer, Swami Dayanand Saraswati...
, started by Lala Hansraj Gupta
Lala Hansraj Gupta
Lala Hansraj Gupta was an Indian educationist, social worker and philanthropist. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan by Government of India for his services to the society....
.
Sikh Khatris
Sikh Gurus
The Sikh Gurus established Sikhism from over the centuries beginning in the year 1469. Sikhism was founded by the first guru, Guru Nanak, and subsequently, all in order were referred to as "Nanak", and as "Lights", making their teachings in the holy scriptures, equivalent...
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
Sodhi
-Distribution:It is mostly found Malwa , Doaba and some parts of Majha.-Sikh Guru's:Seven of the Sikh Gurus belonged to the Sodhi clan.In his...
s. During the lifetime of the Gurus, most of their major supporters and Sikhs were Khatris. A list of this is provided by Bhai Gurdas
Bhai Gurdas
Bhai Gurdas was a Punjabi Sikh writer, historian, preacher and religious figure. He was the original scribe of the Guru Granth Sahib and a companion of four of the Sikh Gurus.-Early life:...
in Varan Bhai Gurdas
Varan Bhai Gurdas
Varan Bhai Gurdas is the name given to the 40 Varan of writing by Bhai Gurdas. They have been referred to as the "Key to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib" by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru. Bhai Gurdas was a first cousin of Mata Bhani, mother of Guru Arjan Dev. He was the first scribe of Guru Granth...
, a contemporary of the Sikh Gurus.
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. 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. He fought many battles as a commander and was leader of the Tatt Khalsa ("True Khalsa").
- Bhai Daya SinghBhai Daya SinghBhai Daya Singh was one of the Panj Pyare, the first five Sikhs to be initiated into the Khalsa order in the 17th century India. In Bichitra Natak, Guru Gobind Singh praised the heroism of Daya Ram in the Battle of Bhangani, and equated him to Dronacharya of Mahabharata.- Biogrpahy :Daya Singh...
, the first of the Panj Pyare (the initial members of the KhalsaKhalsa+YouWebImagesVideosMapsNewsMailMoreTranslateFrom: ArabicTo: EnglishEnglishHindiEnglishAllow phonetic typingHindiEnglishArabicAssumptionGoogle Translate for Business:Translator ToolkitWebsite TranslatorGlobal Market Finder...
), belonged to the Sobti clan of the Khatris.
- Gulab Singh Dallewalia, the founder of the Dallewalia MislDallewalia MislThe Dallewalia Misl, was first led by Sardar Gulab Singh Dallewalia it had a strength of 5,000 regular horsemen.The Misl was founded by Sardar Gulab Singh Dallewalia , who belonged to the Khatri community. He hailed from the village Dallewal near Dera Baba Nanak on the left bank of River Ravi, 50...
, one of the twelve sovereign Sikh states during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit SinghRanjit SinghMaharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
.
- Hari Singh NalwaHari Singh NalwaHari Singh Nalwa was Commander-in-chief of the Khalsa, the army of the Sikh Empire. He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur, Sialkot, Multan, Kashmir, Attock, and Peshawar. He led the Sikh Army in freeing Shah Shuja from Kashmir and secured the Koh-i-Nor diamond for Maharaja Ranjit Singh...
(1791–1837), the Commander-in-chief of the Khalsa army of the Sikh Empire.
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.
Muslims of Khatri origin
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
tribes from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and the North West Frontier Province from the 11th century onwards, there were conversions of Hindus to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
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.
Khawajas
When Khatri traders from the western districts of the Punjab like SargodhaSargodha District
Sargodha District is a district of Punjab province, Pakistan, the capital of the district is Sargodha. It is an agricultural district, wheat, rice, and sugarcane being its main crops. The Sargodha district and region are also famous for citrus fruit; kino is a newly developed variety...
, Jhang
Jhang District
Jhang District is a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city of Jhang is the district's capital. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the district's population was 2.8 million, of which 23 percent lived in urban areas. By 2008, according to estimates, the population had...
, Jehlum
Jhelum District
Jhelum District is in the Punjab province of Pakistan. According the 1998 census the district had a population of 936,957, of which 31.48% were urban. Jhelum is known for providing a large number of soldiers to the British and later to the Pakistan armed forces due to which it is also known as...
, Chakwal
Chakwal District
Chakwal is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Chakwal district was created in 1985; until the year 2000 when divisions were abolished, it was part of Rawalpindi Division.-Administration:...
, Faisalabad
Faisalabad District
Faisalabad District is one of the districts of Punjab province, Pakistan. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 5,429,547 of which almost 42% were in Faisalabad City....
accepted Islam, they called themselves Khawaja
Khawaja
Khawaja or Khwaja is a title used in Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia. It means Lord or Master.Khwajagan is a word often used to refer to a chains of Central Asian Naqshbandi Sufi Masters from the 10th to the 16th century A.D. In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh the word is used many times for some...
and adopted Shaikh as their title. They are thus called Khawaja Shaikh. Some of them have also adopted Mian
Mian (Rajput)
Mian Rajput are one of the clans of ruling Rajput community found in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh State of India.The Mian Rajputs, are the tribe, to which the rulers of Kashmir belong. Mian Rajput consider themselves to be of highest class.They do not engage in trade or...
as a title. In recent years traders from the small town of Chiniot
Chiniot
Chiniot is a city and administration headquarter of Chiniot District, in the state of Punjab, Pakistan. Located between the heart of river Chenab with the heads of small rocky hills, it is known for its wooden furniture architecture which has a great attraction in all over the world.- Name and...
, in the Chiniot District
Chiniot District
Chiniot District became the 36th district of the Punjab province of Pakistan in February 2009. Earlier it was a tehsil of Jhang District.- History :...
, became prominent due to their contribution in the industries of Pakistan. These traders are known as Chiniotis
Chiniotis
Chinyoti are one of the leading industrialists of Pakistan. They come from a small town of Chiniot. Chiniot is the headquarters of Chiniot District of Punjab province of Pakistan with a catchment area population of nearly 1 million inhabitants , is located on the banks of Chenab, southwestern...
or Chinioti Shaikhs. The trading family of Sahgals, Sahgal Khatris of Chakwal
Chakwal District
Chakwal is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Chakwal district was created in 1985; until the year 2000 when divisions were abolished, it was part of Rawalpindi Division.-Administration:...
, are known simply as Punjabi Shaikh instead of Khawaja Shaikh. They use "Mian" as a title.
The first censuses of the Punjab were conducted by Denzil Ibbetson
Denzil Ibbetson
Sir Denzil Charles Jelf Ibbetson KCSI was an administrator in British India and an author. He served as governor of the Central Provinces and Berar from 1900 to 1902....
and Edward Maclagan
Edward Maclagan
Sir Edward Douglas Maclagan KCSI KCIE was an administrator in British India. He became Governor of the Punjab . He was Lieutenant-Governor from 1919....
in 1883 and 1892. According to their reports, the Khawajas of Bhera in Shahpur, Sargodha District
Sargodha District
Sargodha District is a district of Punjab province, Pakistan, the capital of the district is Sargodha. It is an agricultural district, wheat, rice, and sugarcane being its main crops. The Sargodha district and region are also famous for citrus fruit; kino is a newly developed variety...
were converted from Khatris, and those from Jhang
Jhang
- Demographics :According to 1981 census of Pakistan population of Jhang was 1,970,944 with the 434,495 housing units in Jhang. In 1998 census, population of Jhang was 2,834,545, whose annually growth rate was 2.16%. Male population was 1,474,099 and female population was 1,360,446...
were said to be converted from Arora
Arora
Arora is an Indo-Aryan community of the Punjab region. Commentators differ in their opinions regarding the relationship between the Arora and the Khatri community....
s. At Chiniot, the majority of the Khawajas are Khatris, and some are Arora. They reported the following sections (gotras) of Khatris from Chiniot: Sahgal, Wadhaun (or Vadhavan), Talwar
Talwar
The talwar is a type of curved sword or sabre from India and modern-day Pakistan...
, Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
, Topra. One gotra of Arora was reported from Chiniot: the Goruwala.
The gotras of Khawajas from Bhera were reported as follows: Vohra
Vohra
Vohra is a Punjabi tribe and a Khatri clan. The Vohra are settled in Punjab, Pakistan and Punjab, India.- Religion :The Vohras, Wouhras or Worah are Punjabis follow mainly Sikhism and Hinduism and Islam and they travel all around the world...
, Sahgal, Kapur, Sethi
Sethi
Sethi is a common Khukhrain surname among Punjabi people. Sethis are found in Punjab, India and Pakistan and are mainly Hindus, Sikhs-Etymology:...
, Duggal
Duggal
Duggal is a prominent Khatri clan from the Punjab region of Northern India and Pakistan. Coming from an ancient bloodline of Aryan war lords the Duggals are adherents of Hinduism and Sikhism and have traditionally been an elite administrative and warrior class in India...
, Nanda
Nanda
Nanda is a surname of Punjabis . Nanda is a Tarkhan , Ahluwalia and Kamboj surname. All the clans of Tarkhan , Lohar, Gujjar, Kamboj, Ahluwalia tribes have a close genetic and ancestral relationship with each other, and together they form the Khatri/Rajput caste.-Among Kamboj people:*Nanda is a...
, Mehndru, Chadha
Chadha
Chadha could refer to:*Khukhrain*Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha...
, Suri
Suri
-Places:* Suri, Birbhum, a town in West Bengal, India* Suri , an assembly constituency in Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal* Suri dynasty, a former South Asian empire* Şuri, a commune in Drochia District, Moldova*...
. These are all Khatri gotras.
The Khawajas of Layyah
Layyah
Layyah, also spelt Leiah , is the capital city of the Layyah District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 30°58'0N 70°56'0E with an altitude of 143 metres .-Old History:...
have following Khatri sections: Kapur, Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
, and Tandon
Tandon
Tandon is a Punjabi Khatri clan settled in Punjab, Pakistan , Punjab, India and in Nepal. In India, Tandon is a popular Khatri family name of Hindus, Sikhs or Punjabi Muslims, thought to have been derived from Sanskrit word: Marthanda . They are also a member of pure hindu cste system evolving from...
.
Others
There are a small number of Khatris who are Jain.Clans
In 1914, Raja Vanvihari Kapoor wrote that the major Khatri clans are named after the Sun godSurya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
.
- Sahasrakar Sahgal. Priests: Mohile
- Kripakar Kapur. Priests: Pambu
- Shankan Khanna. Priests: Jhingana
- Martanada TandonTandonTandon is a Punjabi Khatri clan settled in Punjab, Pakistan , Punjab, India and in Nepal. In India, Tandon is a popular Khatri family name of Hindus, Sikhs or Punjabi Muslims, thought to have been derived from Sanskrit word: Marthanda . They are also a member of pure hindu cste system evolving from...
. 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, MalhotraMalhotra
Malhotra is a Suryavanshi Khatri family surname originating from the Punjab region of the Indian Subcontinent, today straddling India and Pakistan.The Malhotras belong to the kshatriya varna ....
, Khanna
Khanna (name)
Khanna is a prominent clan from the Khatri community of the Punjab region straddling Northern India and North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.-Notable people:*Akshaye Khanna*Parag Khanna, American author and foreign relations specialist...
, Kapoor
Kapoor
Kapoor or Kapur and sometimes but rarely Capoor is the name of a gotra of punjabi descent belonging to the Khatri Varna. They are part of the "Dhai Ghar", meaning two and a half houses. Kapurs, Malhotra , Khanna and Seth marry their children with each other...
Along with the Seth
Seth
Seth , in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is the third listed son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, who are the only other of their children mentioned by name...
clan these four subdivisions form the Char Ghar (4 houses) grouping.
The Chopra
Chopra
Chopra is a Punjabi Khatri family name.- Etymology and historical references :Chopra is a Punjabi Khatri clan and belongs to the Bara-Ghar Khatri section....
, Dhawan
Dhawan
Dhawan is a Punjabi Khatri surname found in Punjab , mostly in Patiala, Mohali, Chandigarh, Amritsar, etc.The Dhawan surname is found among Sikhs and Hindus.-People having Surname Dhawan:...
, Batta
Batta
-Anglo-Indian military use:Batta is an Anglo-Indian military term, probably derived from the Canarese bhatta , meaning a special allowance of pay made to officers, soldiers, or other public servants in the field....
, Bandha
Bandha
Bandha is a Sanskrit term for "binding, bond, arrest, capturing, putting together" etc.It may refer to:*a technical term in Hatha Yoga, see Bandha *one of the tattvas in Jainism, see Bandha -See also:...
, Kakar
Kakar
The Kakar are a Pashtun tribe, with members living in Afghanistan and Pakistan.-Kakar :Kakar Afghan was one of the grandsons of Qais Abdur Rashid. Kakar's father's name was Dani, son of Gharghasht, who was the son of Qais in the Afghan appendix of tribes. According to Afghan and Muslim historians,...
, Mahindru, Sahgal, Soni
Soni
Soni is a Suryavanshi Khatri family surname originating from the Punjab region of the Indian Subcontinent.The Sonis belong to the kshatriya varna ....
, Tandon
Tandon
Tandon is a Punjabi Khatri clan settled in Punjab, Pakistan , Punjab, India and in Nepal. In India, Tandon is a popular Khatri family name of Hindus, Sikhs or Punjabi Muslims, thought to have been derived from Sanskrit word: Marthanda . They are also a member of pure hindu cste system evolving from...
, Vohra
Vohra
Vohra is a Punjabi tribe and a Khatri clan. The Vohra are settled in Punjab, Pakistan and Punjab, India.- Religion :The Vohras, Wouhras or Worah are Punjabis follow mainly Sikhism and Hinduism and Islam and they travel all around the world...
, Wadhaun, and Wahi
WaHI
WaHI stands for "Washington Heights and Inwood," two neighborhoods of Upper Manhattan in New York City. The term was coined by Eduardo Gómez, founder of the WaHI Online community web site, in 2002...
form the Barah-Ghar group of Khatris.
Other groups include the Khukhrain
Khukhrain
The Khukhrain are an ancient group of eight specific clans of the Khatri caste who originally hailed from the areas of the Salt Range and particularly the town of Bhera in Punjab...
(8 clans), Bara-Jati (12 clans), Bavanjai (52 clans), and Sarin (300 clans) Khatris.
The Sarin Khatris include the Bedi and Sodhi clans, to which belonged the founders of the Sikh faith.
Other khatri groups include the "Savji
Savji
“Savji” or “Somavanshi Sahastrarjun Kshatriyas” are people who belong to the Kshatriya community within the Hindu caste system in India. They claim their linage to legendary puranic king Sri Sahasrārjuna also called Kartavirya Arjuna or Sahastrabahu of the Haihaya vansha...
"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.
Before the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
in 1947, the Khatri sub-castes were particularly connected with specific regions:
- Ludhiana: Churamani, NandaNandaNanda is a surname of Punjabis . Nanda is a Tarkhan , Ahluwalia and Kamboj surname. All the clans of Tarkhan , Lohar, Gujjar, Kamboj, Ahluwalia tribes have a close genetic and ancestral relationship with each other, and together they form the Khatri/Rajput caste.-Among Kamboj people:*Nanda is a...
, Khullar, Jerath, ChopraChopraChopra is a Punjabi Khatri family name.- Etymology and historical references :Chopra is a Punjabi Khatri clan and belongs to the Bara-Ghar Khatri section....
and Vij/Vig - JagraonJagraonJagraon is a city and a municipal council in the Ludhiana district in the Indian state of Punjab. Jagraon is more than three centuries old. It has been thought by some that the city's original name was Jagar aon, meaning A place of great flooding, although this flooding has since ceased...
: Bahl, KapoorKapoorKapoor or Kapur and sometimes but rarely Capoor is the name of a gotra of punjabi descent belonging to the Khatri Varna. They are part of the "Dhai Ghar", meaning two and a half houses. Kapurs, Malhotra , Khanna and Seth marry their children with each other...
, Mehra, Seth, Beri and Dhir - MachhiwaraMachhiwaraMachhiwara is a village and a nagar panchayat in the Ludhiana district of the Indian state of Punjab. Machhiwara is famous for Gurudwara Sri Charan Kanwal Sahib named after the Guru's feet that are compared to the lotus flower...
and Bahlolpur: Batte, Sondhi and Karir with - RaikotRaikotRaikot is a city and municipal council in Ludhiana district in Indian state of Punjab.-History:Raikot, the walled city,[see Reference] was founded by Rai Ahmad in 1648.[see Reference]...
: SehgalSehgalSehgal is a family name, originally from the Punjab region in South Asia. Variant spellings include Sahgal, Saigal, Saihgal, Saigol and Sehgol...
and ThaparThaparThapar is a Punjabi Khatri gotra, and may refer to:* Amrita Thapar, model, Miss India 2005* Karam Chand Thapar , founder of Thapar Group of companies* Karan Thapar , television interviewer, son of General P. N. Thapar... - Khanna, Ludhiana: Had and Cham
After the partition, the different Khatri castes have widely dispersed.
Khukhrain
Khukhrain (also spelt Khokhran/Kukhrain/Kukhran) are a regional subcaste of Khatris consisting of eight clans who live in Punjab. They were originally from the town of BheraBhera
Bhera is a city on the Jhelum river in Sargodha District, Punjab province of Pakistan. It lies at latitude 32.48 N, longitude 72.92.-Location:...
in the Jech Doab (Jhelum — Chenab interfluve) region of Sargodha
Sargodha
Sargodha is a city in the Sargodha District of Punjab province, Pakistan.Sargodha is located in the northwest of Pakistan. It is the eleventh largest city of Pakistan and also known as Pakistan's best citrus-producing area. It is an agricultural trade centre with various industries...
district of Pakistani Punjab. A significant number of Khukhrains, along with other major Khatri groups, adopted Sikhism during the 18th and 19th centuries. The names of the eight clans are Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni/Sawhney, Sethi, and Suri. Three new subclans were later formed: Chandok (Chandhoke, Chandhok, Chandiok), Gandhoke, and Ghai.
Khatri organizations
The sessions of Akhil Bhartiya Khatri Mahasabha were held in Lucknow in 1916, 1936, 1952, and 1980. The Lucknow Khatri Sabha was established in 1927 and the publication Khatri Hitashi was started in 1936.See also
- List of Khatris - Several Indian prime ministers, many distinguished soldiers, administrators, writers, businessmen, and artists have been Khatri.
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Generals
- Punjab ChiefsPunjab ChiefsThe Punjab Chiefs were various ruling families who held positions of authority in Punjab. Sir Robert Montgomery, Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in the 1860s during British Rule, commissioned the histories of the Punjab Chiefs and notable families to be written and compiled. The intention of the...
Source texts
- Raja Vanvihari Kapur, The History of Khatris
- Bhai Gurdas Ji, Varan Bhai Gurdas Ji, Vaar 8 – Pauri 10.
- Temple, R.C. "The Legends of The Panjab", 1884, Reprinted by Institute of Folk Heritage, Islamabd, 1981.
- Mahan Kosh by Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha
- Mani Sikka