Khukhrain - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

See detailed article Khatri
Khatri
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...

The Khukhrain are an ancient group of eight specific clans of the Khatri

Khatri

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...

caste who originally hailed from the areas of the Salt Range

Salt Range

The Salt Range is a hill system in the Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends from the Jhelum River to the Indus, across the northern portion of the Punjab province. The Salt Range contains the great mines of Mayo, Khewra, Warcha...

and particularly the town of Bhera

Bhera

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 Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...

. This area was the Sind Sagar Doab

Sind Sagar Doab

The Sind Sagar Doab, can be classified as one of the main region of Punjab. Punjab historically has been divided into regions based on its various rivers, since the name Punjab is based on its 5 main rivers. The Sind Sagar Doab include the area between the Indus River and Jhelum River, that is the...

(Indus-Jhelum interfluve) and the Jech Doab

Jech Doab

The Jech Doab, can be classified as one of the main region of Punjab. Punjab historically has been divided into regions based on its various rivers, since the name Punjab is based on its 5 main rivers. The Jech doaba include the area between the Jhelum River and Chenab rivers, it is the southern...

(Jhelum-Chenab interfluve) region of Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

that comprised Khushab

Khushab

Khushab is a city of Khushab District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city serves as the headquarters of Khushab Tehsil an administrative subdivision of the district....

, Pindi Gheb, Talagang

Talagang

Talagang, the headquarters of Talagang Tehsil, is a town located in Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located at 32°55'0N 72°25'0E and lies about 30 kilometres from the M2 motorway and about 45 kilometres from the district capital, Chakwal....

, Chakwal

Chakwal

Chakwal is the capital of Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located 90 km south-east of the federal capital, Islamabad and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan, chief of the Mair Minhas tribe from Jammu, who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor, Zaheerudun Babur...

, Pind Dadan Khan

Pind Dadan Khan

Pind Dadan Khan is a town in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, it is the capital of Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil, which is an administrative subdivision of the district...

, Peshawar

Peshawar

Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....

and Nowshera. The name "Doab" literally translates to "land of two rivers" ("Do" two, "Ab" river; Punjabi). In former India, Sind Sagar Doab

Doab

A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...

and Jech Doab were the main region where Khukrains were in large number. The language spoken in the region was majorly Doabi

Doabi

Doabi is one of the Punjabi dialects spoken in Doab . The word "Do Aabi" means "the land between two rivers" and this dialects is spoken between the rivers of Beas and Sutlej...

. The names of the eight clans are: Anand

Anand

*Ananda was one of the principal disciples of the Buddha, Siddhartha GautamaAnand may refer to:-Given name:* Anand Agarawala, Canadian software programmer and creator of BumpTop* Anand Lal Shimpi, founder and editor-in-chief of AnandTech...

, Bhasin, Chadha

Chadha

Chadha could refer to:*Khukhrain*Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha...

, Kohli

Kohli

Kohli is a well-known Khatri surname originating from Punjab in north-western India.The Khukhrain are a group of eight specific clans of the Khatri sub-caste. The names of the eight clans are: Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni, Sethi and Suri,...

, Sabharwal

Sabharwal

Sabharwal is a family name predominant among people from Khatri community. The Sabharwal clan is a part of the Kukhran | Khokhran | Khokhar grouping among Khatris, which also consists of nine other clans, all of whom originate from the historic town of Bhera in Punjab . Many Sabharwals were from...

, Sahni

Sahni

Sahni is a Hindu family name and may be:* Ajai Sahni, an author and expert on counter-terrorism* Baljit Sahni , an Indian football player* Balraj Sahni , a Hindi film actor...

, 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:...

and 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*...

. Later three new sub clans originated those were Chandok (Chandhoke, Chandhok, Ghandhok), Chhachi

Chhachi

Chhachi or Chachi or Chhachhi are a sub section of the Kohli Khokhran clan. Khokharan Chhachi's live in India and Pakistan and are Hindu, Sikh or Muslim. The Khokharan are an ancient clan from the areas of West Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Afghanistan. The Khokharan clan consists of Anand,...

(Chachi, Chhachhi): a sub section of the Kohli clan, and Ghai

Ghai

Ghai is a Punjabi Khatri surname. People with this surname include:* Rajinder Ghai , Indian cricketer* Subhash Ghai , Indian film maker* Yash Ghai , Fellow of the British Academy...

Etymology

There has been much debate as to the origin of the title “Khukrain”. Some say it is derivative of Khokhar while others say it is due to Khukhri (a dagger) as Khukhrains used to carry such a dagger during turbulent times. However the issue remains unsettled.

Gotra

As our surnames and family names represent our ancestors, GOTRA represents the name of rishi, who was the father of our ancestor. All the human beings and other creatures on earth are son or descendents of SAPTRISHI [seven sages].

Regarding, the gotra, Khukhrain's original gotra is KASHYAP. Among eight clans Anands, Kohlis and Bhasins maintained their original Kashyap Gotra. While other five clans due to change of purohits (guru) of their times, started to accept different gotras of their own, by the 1st century AD.

Note: - In Hindu rituals (prarthana, havan, etc.) they say, “Kashyap gorta utpanah (born)” but for other five clans they use “dhaaran” (accepted). Because our gurus or purohits have given us our present gotra and our ancestors “adopted” them.

Gotras are subject to change only under very special circumstances such as stated about girls, when they marry they adopt their husband’s gotra. Thus Chadhas and Swahneys claim their gotra as VIRVANS (vats), SETHIs as PULAST, SURIs as BHARGAV and SABHARWALs as HANS.

Different castes/clans of different VARNA can be of same gotra as it depends on one’s family choice to select and to surrender for spiritual refinement.

Got	Vansh	Gotra	Purohit	Kuldevta
Anand	Suryavansh	Kashyap	Bijra	Durga Mata
Bhasin	Suryavansh	Kashyap	Bijra	Durga Mata
Chadha	Suryavansh	Virbhans or Vats	Vasudev	Bhadarkali
Kohli	Suryavansh	Bharadwaj (Kashyap)	Dutt	Satyavati
Sahni	Suryavansh	Virbhans or Vats	Vasudev	Bhadarkali
Sabharwal	Suryavansh	Hanslas	Madankhamb	Baba Medar
Suri	Suryavansh	Bhargav	Panda	Bhagwati (Durga Mata)
Sethi	Suryavansh	Palsth(Pulast)	Soodan	Vaishnoo Devi

The main place of their ancestral geographic location was the town of Bhera

Bhera

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:...

, situated in the Jech Doab

Doab

A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...

region (Jhelum-Chenab interfluve) of Punjab

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...

, which now lies in the 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...

of Pakistan

Pakistan

. The history of the Khukhrain is inextricably intertwined with the ancient town of Bhera

Bhera

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:...

Bhera

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:...

is also the historical town to which Porus

Porus

King Porus was the King of Paurava, an ancient state within the territory of modern day Punjab located between the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers, and later of dominions extending to the Beas...

or Purushotthama of the Puru

Puru

The Purus were a tribe, or a confederation of tribes, mentioned many times in the Rigveda, formed around 3180 BCE. RV 7.96.2 locates them at the banks of the Sarasvati River. There were several factions of Purus, one being the Bharatas...

tribe belonged. Purushotthama (c.325 BC

325 BC

Year 325 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Camillus and Scaeva...

) was the king of Kekaya

Kekaya

Kekayas or Kaikeyas were an ancient people attested to have been living in north-western Punjab—between Gandhara and Beas river since remote antiquity. They were the descendants of the Kshatriyas of the Kekaya Janapada hence called Kekayas or Kaikeyas...

the land of the Puru tribe, one of the Janapadas

Janapadas

The Janapadas were the major realms or kingdoms of Vedic India which, by the 6th century BC, evolved into the sixteen classical Mahajanapadas.-Etymology:...

(kingdoms). Its location was in what is now middle Punjab

Punjab region

, the areas between the rivers Jhelum

Jhelum River

Jehlum River or Jhelum River , ) is a river that flows in India and Pakistan. It is the largest and most western of the five rivers of Punjab, and passes through Jhelum District...

and Chenab

Chenab River

The Chenab River چنRiver' آب) is a major river of Jammu and Kashmir and the Punjab in Pakistan. It forms in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of the Punjab, Pakistan...

and its extent varied from time to time. The word Purushotthama means "Supreme Being". Purushotthama was 7 feet 6 inches tall according to Arrian

Arrian

Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon , known in English as Arrian , and Arrian of Nicomedia, was a Roman historian, public servant, a military commander and a philosopher of the 2nd-century Roman period...

.

The palace of Sopeithes which the Greek historian Arrian mentions as the place on the Hydaspes is supposed to be at Bhera. The Greeks refer to the Jhelum river as the Hydaspes River where Alexander the Great fought Porus in Battle of the Hydaspes River

Battle of the Hydaspes River

The Battle of the Hydaspes River was fought by Alexander the Great in 326 BC against King Porus of the Hindu Paurava kingdom on the banks of the Hydaspes River in the Punjab near Bhera in what is now modern-day Pakistan...

in 326 BCE (also see sources below).

Meanings of Khukhrain Clans

Anand: The word derived from Sanskrit word Paramanand also known as Anand (Joy), which means Feel of Heaven.

Kohli: The word is Kul Hari, based on the name of one of the goddess of North India (Kul Devi) and Lord Vishnu (Hari), the one who preserves "the Preserver". The word Hari came into existence in holy book Mahabharat in which it means "one who takes away". It is widely believed among Khukhrains that their continuance and survival up till the present day is owing to their preserving by the Kohli clan.

Suri : The word is used in both Vedic and Classical Sanskrit. The word is used for `Sun' or 'Brightness of Sun'. It is also used in Vedic Sanskrit instead of "Shourya" and "Shoor Vir" (the most courageous). In Classical Sanskrit sometimes used in place of "Guru" or "Lord of Planets" that is, Sun.

Bhasin: Derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhuseen" means Power of Speech (bhu [tongue/speech] + seen [power]). In some places it has been used for "Sun".

Sahni: This word derived from Sainani and means the "chief commander" or "companion".

Chadha: The word is derived from the name of Chamunda, who was the slayer of evil lord Chanda & Munda. Chamunde means one who kills or punishes the evils.

Sethi: Derived from the Sanskrit word "Sresthi" which means Shreshth (the best among all).

Sabharwal: Derived from the Sanskrit word "Shubh Var" which means "the lucky one".

Chandhok: This clan was derived from Chadha clan and has similar meaning. Chandhok and Gandhoke clans were derived very recently before 1940 A.D. But the reason for their emergence is still unknown as the History of Khukhrain and Other Khatris vanished due to the Partition.

Chhachi (Chachi, Chhachhi): A sub section of the Kohli clan who settled in Chhachh

Chhachh

Chhachh is a region consisting of an alluvial plain extending from Attock District of Punjab, Pakistan, south-west to Topi - Swabi. The word Chhachh is derived from the Pashto word Chaj. It is bounded on the north and west by the river Indus, and is about long from east to west, and broad...

in Attock District

Attock District

Attock District is a district in the north-west Punjab Province of Pakistan.The district was created in April 1904 by the merger of Talagang Tehsil in the Jhelum District with the Pindigheb, Fatehjang and Attock tehsils from Rawalpindi District of the Punjab province of British India.Attock...

(then Camelpur/Campbellpur) of Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

, Pakistan

Pakistan

.

Ghai: Origin of this clan is still unknown but more or less related to Suri clan.

Rules of Marriage

Khukhrain are exogamous within the same clan but endogamous with respect to their group. This means that Khukhrains use to marry within Khukhrain but cannot marry within the same clan. The Khukhrain again avoid only the got of the father and mother because they have so few sections to marry into.

A person from "Kohli clan" can not marry in the Kohli clan but can only marry within the other clans of the Khukhrain biraadri.

Being the descendant of the same ancestor, they consider themselves as sibling. Thus, each Khukhrain consider every person born in their clan as their brother or sister and never get marry with their siblings.

In Earlier days, Khukhrain and Dhaiye Khatri used to marry among each other but preference was given to be married within their respective groups.

More over, Dhaiye, Baharaan and Bahujayee Khatri were exogamous within there respective group and clan. They use to marry within their group as well as within their clan.

Later, Bahujayee Khatri started marrying among Arora Community as many of them were living in the Multan region. Even Baharaan Khatri started marrying among the Bahujayee, Dhaiye started marring among Baharaan, and Khukhrain with Dhaiye.

Rituals and traditional practices among Khukhrain

The Anands give no alms on a Sankrant, the first of a solar month. Their women tabu ghi for the hair. They worship the ak which must not be touched by the women of the section, or mentioned by them. They worship it once a year.
The Chadhas hold the ak sacred, because they say their forefathers once fought with Babar near Eminabad and all fell, save one who hid under an ak bush. He re-founded the section and it still performs the Mundans at Eminabad and worships the ak.
The Kohlis, whose original home was at Jamsher, a village in Jullundur, worship the kite at the Bhaddan rite. They eschew the use of dry cotton plants as fuel because a snake once got mixed up with them and was burnt to ashes.
The Sabharwals perform the Bhaddan ceremony at their houses after 13 days of the birth of a child.

Mohyals, the Brahmins of Khukhrains

The Mohyal

Mohyal

Mohyal is the name of an endogamous ethnic group that originates from the Gandhara 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 services.The...

Brahmins were associated to the Khukhrains and have a long history of not following the priesthood occupation that was usually associated with Brahmins in the past.

The Mohyal

Mohyal

of whom the Datt

Datt

Datt or Dutt 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 six other clans are Bali, Bhimwal, Chhibber, Lau, Mohan and Vaid. Most Datts are Hindus, but like most Mohyals, many follow Sikhism and other religions as...

/Dutt are a sub clan were also purohits of the Khukhrain in earlier times however

Languages of Khukhrain

India has different languages, but all of them are siblings of each other. The north-western part of India (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh) and even the Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, western region of Uttar Pradesh share a very close and common platform of Language, Culture, Tradition and Rituals. As an example most of people of these regions (like Lahore, Amritsar, Barsana, Bharatpur, etc) will use word Khatri instead of Kshatriya, Shikhya in place of Shiksha and many more.
Punjabi language still has the influence of both Classical and Vedic Sanskrit not only in the language but also in their surnames/clans.

Most of the Khukrains who moved perforce to India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

following 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 descended from the Doab

Doab

A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...

region of Pakistan that comprised Khushab, Pindi Gheb, Talagang, Camelpur (Campbellpur), Chakwal, Pind Dadan Khan, Peshawar and Nowshera. Their mother tongue is Punjabi. In former India Sind Sagar Doab

Sind Sagar Doab

and Jech Doab

Doab

A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...

were the main region where Khukrains were in large number. The language spoken in the region was majorly Doabi

Doabi

Doabi is one of the Punjabi dialects spoken in Doab . The word "Do Aabi" means "the land between two rivers" and this dialects is spoken between the rivers of Beas and Sutlej...

. In India the special dialect of Doabi

Doabi

Doabi is one of the Punjabi dialects spoken in Doab . The word "Do Aabi" means "the land between two rivers" and this dialects is spoken between the rivers of Beas and Sutlej...

that was originally spoken by the Khukrains who migrated from Western Punjab (now Pakistan

Pakistan

) is fast being replaced by the local Eastern Punjabi language, in their new Indian residence of Punjab. Doabi is the main dialect of the Doab

Doab

A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...

(mainly Jech Doab) of Pakistan. Bhera, situated in the Jech Doab region (Jhelum-Chenab interfluves) of Punjab, which now lies in the Sargodha District of Pakistan, is vocalised by two main dialects of Doabi

Doabi

Doabi is one of the Punjabi dialects spoken in Doab . The word "Do Aabi" means "the land between two rivers" and this dialects is spoken between the rivers of Beas and Sutlej...

and Potwari. Today, in the modern world people not only Punjabi but Multani, Sindhi, Jhangi consider themselves as Punjabi and even speak the same language, what they call the Punjabi Language

Punjabi language

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...

Khukhrain and Bhera

The Imperial Gazetteer of India records the History of Bhera -

In the recent past centuries, Bhera

Bhera

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:...

was an important trading outpost on the road to Kabul, and had a taksal or (mint) during the rule of Ranjit Singh

Ranjit Singh

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...

. Bhera

Bhera

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:...

declined in importance due to the gradual shifting of the course of the Jhelum River, due to which the town lost the advantage of being located on a river bank.

Khukhrain Mohallas in Bhera

Most of Bhera’s mohallas (neighborhoods) are historically named after Hindu castes, Muslim surnames, or various trades (e.g., Sahnian da mohalla, Kohlian da Mohalla, Sethian da mohalla, Gandhian da mohallah, Pirachian da mohallah, Khawjian da mohallah, Mohallah Ansarian wala, Thathairan da mohallah, Mohallah Tarkhanan wala, Loharan di Mori, etc). The Punjabi names of Muslim mohallahs got a Persian touch after the partition, e.g., Pirachian da mohalla became Mohallah Pirachgahn, and Khowgian da mohalla turned into Mohalla Khowigahn. However, the names of almost all Hindu mohallahs were left unchanged and allowed to retain their caste names. It was a magnanimous gesture in view of the fact that hardly any Hindus had stayed back in Bhera after the partition. The eleven folders (buttons) on Bhera’s mohallahs seek to provide the names and locations of Bhera’s old, inner-town neighborhoods. These mohallahs are pictorially presented in their own individual folders or in group folders.

Kohlian Wala Mohalla

Kohlian Wala Mohalla was once Bhera's largest neighborhood, having hundreds of houses and mansions (Maarris) many of which are now reduced with time as poor remains of their grand originals (khandar bataa rahe hain, imarat azim thi).
This South Central Mohallas grouping of Mohallas includes Kohlian Wala Mohallah, Mohallah Hidayat Shah, Choorian Wala Mohallah, Mohallah Sadat and other mohallahs of Lalu wala, Alipurian, Peeran Wala, Frashan, Kassaban and Thatian wala.

Sahnian Wala Mohalla

Sahnian da Mohalla is an old mohalla whose residents of the pre-partition period were mostly owners of agricultural lands, but many of them were also known for their achievements in politics, sciences, arts, and business. Dewan Chaman Lal Sahni served as a member of the Central Legislative Assembly of India in Delhi. Among the other luminaries from this mohalla were Justice Ram Lal Sahni of the undivided Punjab's High Court in Lahore; Professor Birbal Sahni, a renowned Palaeobotanist (Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany in Lucknow - a national laboratory is named in recognition of his pioneer work), and the parents of the well-known actor, Balraj Sahni, and his brother Professor Bhisham Sahni, a renowned Hindi writer who also used to write short stories in Urdu until about 1950.

Sethian Wala Mohalla

Bhera has two Sethian de Mohallas: Vadda Sethia da Mohalla that starts from Jethu di Khuee and the other, Chhota Sethian da Mohalla, that takes off near Kacheri Bazaar and terminates near Circular Road close to the pre-partition-era Ram Leela Grounds. The houses in the main mohalla were famous for their carved doors.

Last Raja of Bhera

The last chief or Raja of Bhera was a Sethi Khukran, Diwan Bahadur Jawahir Mal . The Diwan Family originally came from Peshawar, and tradition ascribes the abolition of the Jizya

Jizya

Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah is a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens, who meet certain criteria...

in Peshawar to his influence.

Khukrains like other Khatri castes were traditionally and historically a warrior community (although they are now well represented in many fields other than the army) and hence they bore the brunt of invasions from the various central Asian tribes now converted to Islam who came from the northwest during the 12th-16th centuries. The Hindu populations in Afghanistan and Northwest India continued to recede after the 11th century even as predominant areas of Afghanistan were still under non Muslim rule till the 10th CE. (See also Shahi

Shahi

The Shahi , Sahi, also called Shahiya dynasties ruled one of the Middle kingdoms of India which included portions of the Kabulistan and the old province of Gandhara , from the decline of the Kushan Empire in the 3rd century to the early 9th century...

and Jayapala

Jayapala

Jayapala Janjua Shahi, the son of Asatapala and father of Anandapal, was the first king and founder of the Hindushahi dynasty of Afghanistan and Northwest Pakistan. He succeeded the last Brahman Shahi king Bhimadeva in about 964 CE, and thus began the Janjua Rajput phase of Shahiya Dynasties...

Origin

Amongst the eight clans of Anand, Sahni (Sahaney/Sawhney), Suri, Chadha, Sabarwal, Kohli, Bhasin and Sethi, the brotherhood flourished with aims to defend the Hindu faith, property, women and to aid each other in times of need.
These were the Hindu people and spoke Punjabi Language. During the 16th century many of them adapted Sikhism to fight against Islamic (Mughal) invasion.

Present day clans:- Anand, Kohli, Suri, Bhasin, Sahni, Chadha, Sethi, Sabharwal, Ghai, Chandhok, Chhachi and Gandhoke

Note: - Names in bold letters represent Khukhrain Lineage. Other names represent the sub groups through inheritance.

Khukhrain King Porus

The Sabharwal last name has many references during the time of King Porus

Porus

King Porus was the King of Paurava, an ancient state within the territory of modern day Punjab located between the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers, and later of dominions extending to the Beas...

who was a Sabharwal Khukhrain. Porus was 7 feet 6 inches tall according to Arian

Arian

Arian may refer to:* Arius, a Christian presbyter in the 3rd and 4th century* a given name in different cultures: Aria, Aryan or Arian...

(see picture).

In 326 BC, Alexander the Great, whose forces were then fighting against the army of King Porus, at the left bank of river Jhelum near Southern Salt Range, wrote in a letter to his mother and said, ‘I am involved in the land of leonine (lion-like) and brave people called 'Khukhrain’, where every foot of the ground is like a wall of steel, confronting my soldiers. You have brought only one son into the world, but every one in this land can be called an Alexander."
According to some Pakistani anthologist, it is believed that Khukhrain originated from Porus.

Mahmud of Ghazni and Khukhrains

The Khukhrains spread over Khushab

Khushab

Khushab is a city of Khushab District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city serves as the headquarters of Khushab Tehsil an administrative subdivision of the district....

, Pindi Gheb, Talagang

Talagang

, Chakwal

Chakwal

, Pind Dadan Khan

Pind Dadan Khan

Pind Dadan Khan is a town in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan, it is the capital of Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil, which is an administrative subdivision of the district...

, Peshawar

Peshawar

Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....

and Nowshera

Nowshera

Nowshera - known locally as Nowkhaar is the chief city of Nowshera District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan...

were a powerful tribe during the attacks of Ghazni and never submitted to the foreigners but always resisted them whenever the opportunity came to their hands .
The clash of the Khukhrains with Mahmud of Ghazni

Mahmud of Ghazni

Mahmud of Ghazni , actually ', was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty who ruled from 997 until his death in 1030 in the eastern Iranian lands. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which covered most of today's Iran,...

took place in his third invasion after the defeat of Jayapala

Jayapala

, at the Battle of Bhera in 1004-5 which was a powerful stronghold of the Khukhrain ,

Dr Ishwari Prasad also writes that the last invasion of Mohammad was against Bhadravati (Bhera) the capital of the Khukhrains. While returning from Somnath with a huge booty, which Mohammad plundered from the famous Shiva temple of Somnath, which certainly shook the religious sentiments of the Hindus, a certain tribe called Khukhrain attacked him and snatched away a large part of the booty from his army.

Finally when Bhera was sacked by Ghazni, Khukhrain King Biji Rai instead of submitting, committed suicide by ending his life with his own dagger . Jaipals son Anandpal received support of the Khukhrains against Mahmud Ghazni in 1008-9 at Wahind

Khukhrain and Ala-ud-din Khilji

The book 'A glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North-West provinces of India', records-
Other scholarly references such as in the publications of the Britannica also point to the close relation between Khukhrain and Khokhar. About the Khukhrain mention is made stating

Khukhrain Punjab Chiefs

The Punjab Chiefs
Punjab Chiefs
The 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...

were various ruling families who held positions of authority in Punjab

Punjab (British India)

Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...

. Sir Robert Montgomery, Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in the 1860s during British Rule

British Raj

British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...

, commissioned the histories of the Punjab Chiefs and notable families to be written and compiled. The intention of the work was to give a picture of the Punjab aristocracy as it existed at the time. It was first published in 1909.

District	Name of the Chief	Clan/Caste/Tribe/Family
Gujranwala District Gujranwala District Gujranwala District is a district in Punjab, Pakistan.- History :The village of Asarur which has been identified as the location of Taki, an ancient town, visited by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang contains immense ruins of Buddhist origin...	Sardar Mehr Singh Chhachi Chhachi Chhachi or Chachi or Chhachhi are a sub section of the Kohli Khokhran clan. Khokharan Chhachi's live in India and Pakistan and are Hindu, Sikh or Muslim. The Khokharan are an ancient clan from the areas of West Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Afghanistan. The Khokharan clan consists of Anand,...	Kohli Kohli Kohli is a well-known Khatri surname originating from Punjab in north-western India.The Khukhrain are a group of eight specific clans of the Khatri sub-caste. The names of the eight clans are: Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni, Sethi and Suri,... Khukhrain Khatri Khatri 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...
Jhelum District	Hira Singh of Chotala Chotala Chotala is a village and union council of Jhelum District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is part of Jhelum Tehsil, and is located at 32°49'0N 73°35'0E with an altitude of 214 metres .-References:...	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*... Khukhrain Khatri Khatri 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...
Gujranwala District	Ganga Bishan of Eminabad Eminabad Eminabad or Eminābād is a town in Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan.Eminabad is an old town, located 15 kilometres south of Gujranwala. It is linked to Grand Trunk Road and Eminabad railway station by a four kilometre stretch of metalled road. It has three historical shrines.Eminabad is a very...	Chadha Chadha Chadha could refer to:KhukhrainImmigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha... Khukhrain Khatri Khatri 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...
Shahpur District	Diwan Bahadur Diwan Jawahir Mal of Bhera	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:... Khukhrain Khatri Khatri 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...
Rawalpindi District	Sardar Gurdit Singh Chhachi Chhachi Chhachi or Chachi or Chhachhi are a sub section of the Kohli Khokhran clan. Khokharan Chhachi's live in India and Pakistan and are Hindu, Sikh or Muslim. The Khokharan are an ancient clan from the areas of West Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Afghanistan. The Khokharan clan consists of Anand,...	Sahni Sahni Sahni is a Hindu family name and may be:* Ajai Sahni, an author and expert on counter-terrorism* Baljit Sahni , an Indian football player* Balraj Sahni , a Hindi film actor... Khukhrain Khatri Khatri 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...

Hierarchy among Khatris

Among Punjabis, there are several distinct communities, among all the communities the Khatris reside at the top.
Khatris are divided into several sub castes. The 1891 Punjab census listed 3086 sub castes of Khatris and the 1911 census listed 1559. Even the 1911 number seems too large and shows the unreliability of Census figures in these matters. One possible reason for the discrepancy could be the different treatment of the Arora sub castes in the two censuses. While Aroras consider themselves to be Khatris, Khatris consider them to be lower in the caste hierarchy.

In ancient times, the name Khatri was not in existence, rather they were known as the Kshatriya, during the reign of Maurya Dynasty they concentrated in the Potwar Plateau of Punjab.

There are four sub categories:-

1. Khukhrain Khatri (Eight Clan or Got)

2. Bari Khatri (Twelve Clan or Got)

3. Bahunjayee Khatri (Fifty Two Clan or Got)

4. Sarin Khatri (Three Hundred Clan or Got)

All the above four words were derived from Sanskrit and later spelt in Punjabi.

Earlier only Khukhrains and Dhaih-ye Khatris were present and were known as Anands (Suryavanshi) and Purus (Chandravanshis), later two more sub categories were derived.

Khukhrain Khatri:- It consisted of eight clans Anand, Kohli, Suri, Bhasin, Chadha, Sahni, Sethi and Sabharwal. Later three more clans were derived from above Chandhok, Ghai and Ghandhok.

Dhai Ghar (Bari) Khatri (number three being inauspicious):- It consists of clans Malhotra/Mehra/Mehrotra, Khanna, Kapoor/Kapur/Kupur. They are Chandravanshi and direct descendants of King Krishan. Kakkar/Kakar and Seth extend along as Char Ghar Khatri

Bahraan Ghar (Bari) Khatri:- They are the Suryavanshi but does not consist descendants of Khukhrain. This category consist of several clans Tandon/Tandan/Tondon, Chopra, Bohra/Wohra, Wahi, Soni, Vig, Wadhaun/Wadhwa, Talwar, Sahgal, and Maindharu/Mahindru, Dhawan/Dhaun.

Bahunjayee Khatri:- They are born in many castes, in different words this is the group of different sub-castes of Khatris (that is, Khukhrains, Dhaihye and Baharaan), who on the account of their indiscipline at any time, were out caste from their original higher castes. In Sanskrit, Bahujayee means "many birth" as , Bahu means Many and Jayee means Birth. They consists both the suryavanshi and chandravanshi. This category consists of many clans/castes.

Other than these, Khatri consist of Naagvanshi.

‘‘‘Naagvanshi’’’:- its clans are Nayyar, Nair and Naik. They consider themselves Kshatriya but separate from the Khatri community. These clans are also present in southern part of India and adapted different culture there.

More over, Arora community is separate from Khatris, but they always forcefully say that they are Khatri.

Sarin:- Bara Sarin and Chota Sarin (comprise of 300 clans)

Alphbatical Order

KHUKHRAIN: Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Chandhok, Chhachi, Ghai, Ghandhoke, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sawhney/Sahni, Sethi, Suri

DHAI GARHI (Extended Char Ghari): Malhotra/Mehra/Mehrotra, Khanna, Kapoor/Kapur/Kupur, Kakkar/Kakar, Seth

BAHARAAN GARHI: Bohra/Wohra, Chopra, Dhawan/Dhaun, Maindharu/Mahindru, Sahgal/Seghal/Saigal, Soni, Talwar, Tandon/Tandan/Tondon, Vij, Wadhaun/Wadhwa, Wahi

NAAGVANSHI: Nair, Naik, Nayyar/Nayer

BAHUNJAYEE: Adlakha, Awal, Badhwar/Budhwar, Bagga, Bahl, Bassi, Batta, Beri, Bhalla, Bhambri, Bhandari, Bindra, Dhir, Duggal, Dhupar, Gandotra, Gujral, Gulla, Handa, Jaggi, Jethi, Jagga, Jolly, Katyal, Khosla, Khullar, Kiri, Kochar, Lamba, Madhok, Mahana/Mahna, Maini, Makan/Markan/Makin/Mawkin/Maken, Malik, Mankhand, Marwah, Monga, Mongia, Nehra, Nikhanj, Oberoi/Uberoi, Ohri, Parwanda, Puri, Pahwar, Pardal, Passi, Rai, Roshan, Sablok, Saggar/Sagar, Sahi/Shahi, Sarna, Sekri/Sekhri, Sibal, Sikand, Sikka, Thamman, Thakkar/Thukkar, Tuli, Thapar, Uppal, Vadehra, Vasudeva, Vinayak, Wadhera

‘‘‘SARIN’’’: Bara Sarin and Chota Sarin (comprise of 300 clans)

Khatri to Khukhrain Hierarchy

Within Khatris, too, there was a distinct hierarchy. On the top of the Bari Khatris pyramid sat Dhai-gharais (two and a half houses- three being an inauspicious number), consisting of three sub castes - Kapoor, Malhotra and Khanna. The reference to two and a half is because of the Khatri superstition of the number three. Below them were Baharaan-gharais (twelve houses) including such castes as Gujral, Marwaha, Tandon, Chopra and Wahi. Further lower in the order were Bawinja-gharais (fifty-two houses). Distinct from these "ghars" were the "Khukhrain biraadri" consisting of eight sub castes - Kohli, Sethi, Anand, Bhasin, Sahni, Suri, Sabharwal and Chadha.
Khukhrains are very proud of their biraadri. Some claim that Porus was a Khukhrain.
These sub castes were exogamous within the same sub caste but endogamous with respect to the same group. In other words, a Kohli could not marry another Kohli but could only marry within the eight sub castes included in the Khukhrain biraadri. These rules got relaxed over time with gradual broad banding to make all Khatris endogamous and then extending the circle of eligible matrimony to include Aroras as well. In modern India, these taboos have further broken down and Khatris now frequently marry Non-Khatris and even Non- Punjabis, but one still frequently finds matrimonial advertisements specifying ones Khukhrain or Khatri affiliation.

Post Partition of India 1947

Most of the Hindu or Sikh, Khukhrains moved perforce to India

India

following the Partition of India

Partition of India

in 1947. Khukrains are now settled not only in large concentrations in Delhi, Punjab

Punjab (India)

Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...

and 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...

but also spread the world over. Their mother tongue is Punjabi.

Sikh Khukhrain

Among the Khatri castes, the Khukhrain were one of the foremost followers of the Sikh Gurus and traditionally brought up one son as a Keshdhari Sikh . This is evident from the large number of Khukhrain surnames among Khatri

Khatri

Sikhs.

A predominant section of the Hindu Khukrains, continue to follow dual religious traditions of both Sikh as well as Arya Samaj. This has been in spite of the religo-political competitive zeal of both the Arya Samaj

Arya 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...

and Tat Khalsa

Tat Khalsa

Tat Khalsa Singh Sabha was a Sikh organization founded in Lahore in 1879 to rival the earlier Sanatan Singh Sabha based in Amritsar. Although original Tat Khalsa are Sikhs made by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The major differentiation came only after Baba Banda Singh Bahadur...

effort at creating purified identities.

Intermarriage between Khatri as well as Khukrain Sikhs and Hindus are common. The dual religious Hindu and Sikh identity and Khukhrain biraadri identity comfortably coexists.

Muslim Khukhrain

Most Khukhrains are Hindu or Sikh. Some are Muslim. Khukhrains of all these faiths collectively form one community. In Pakistan, there continues to be a large number of Muslim Khukhrains living in the eastern Punjab area. The Pakistani Journalist Najam Sethi

Najam Sethi

Najam Sethi is an award-winning Pakistani journalist and the editor-in-chief of The Friday Times, a Lahore-based political weekly. He was previously the editor of Daily Times and Daily Aajkal newspapers. He also hosts a popular political program in Urdu, called Aapas ki Baat, on GEO News...

is one such example. Some scholars such as Muhammad Ikrām Chutai believe that a number of Khukhrain were converted to Islam by the Sufi Baba Farid

Places in Punjab and Afghanistan

Various contemporary and historical places in the Punjab and Afghanistan corresponding to traditional areas associated with Khukhrain or Khokhar

Khokhar

The Khokhar or Khokar are a people of Punjab region of Pakistan and north-western India. According to H. A. Rose they are the gotra of Rajput, Jat, Arain, Nai, and Churah. According to Denzil Ibbetson, they are also a gotra of the Tarkhan and Khatri tribes. The Khokhars were designated as an...

bear the name or variants of Khokharain or Kokrana.

Afghanistan

Khokharan in 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...

.

Pakistan

Kohlian da Mohallah (Mohallah Kolianwala), Bhera, Pakistan
Sethian da Mohallah (Mohallah Sethianwala), Bhera, Pakistan
Sahnian da Mohallah (Mohallah Sahnianwala), Bhera, Pakistan
Basti Khokharain, Mainwali, Punjab, Pakistan, also known as Shampur Khokharan
Pindi Khokharain, SIALKOT Punjab, Pakistan
Dhok Khokhran, Pakistan
Pipli Khokhran, Dipalpur, Pakistan
Bhagwala Khokharan (Gujar Khan)
Jhangh Khokharan (Gujar Khan)
Kathala Khokhran, Sahiwal, Pakistan
Thatta Khokhran, Pakistan
Mari Khokharain, Gujarat District
Mohalla Khukhrain, Khanpur, Dist. Rahim Yaar Khan,
Khokharain Wala, outside Dehli Gate Multan
Khokharain, Bahawalnager Qalandar Pufr. Punjab, Pakistan
Khokhar Agar Khan, Jhelum, Punjab. Pakistan
Rhang khokhran (Sialkot)

India

Kohlian, Dinanagar,Gurdaspur, Punjab
Kotli Khokhran (Gujrat)
Shampur Khokharan (Gujrat)
Khokhrain in Hoshiarpur Punjab India
Khokharain in Kapurthala Punjab India
Rindheer Khokharain, Gujrat

Contemporary

Khukhrains Hindu or Sikhs are by and large an urbanised highly educated and economically well off community. Khukhrains in India and Pakistan have excelled in almost all spheres including business, politics, arts, military, and in the field of sciences as well as in the Judiciary and law.

Famous Khukhrain personalities include:

Dr Manmohan Singh (Kohli clan) -Prime Minister of India.
Admiral S.N Kohli, ex Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
Dewam Ram Dayal Kohli, General of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army

Kedar Nath Sahani, Ex-Mayor of Delhi, Ex-CEC of Delhi, Ex- Governor of Sikkim & Goa.

Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal
Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal
-Career:Sabharwal worked as an advocate for Indian Railways from 1969 to 1981, as an advocate for Delhi administration from 1973 to 1976-1977, later as Additional Standing Counsel and then as Standing Counsel. He also served as Counsel to the Central Government from 1980 to 1986...

, former Chief Justice of India
Chief Justice of India
The Chief Justice of India is the highest-ranking judge in the Supreme Court of India, and thus holds the highest judicial position in India. As well as presiding in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice also head its administrative functions....
Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, former Chief Justice of India
Ruchi Ram Sahni, pioneer of science popularisation in Punjab
Natasha Suri
Natasha Suri
Natasha Suri is an Indian beauty pageant winner from Mumbai,India. In 2006 she won the Miss India title and placed in the semifinals in the Miss World contest.Suri places in the 'Top Models' bracket in India...

, Miss India World 2006
Mulk Raj Anand
Mulk Raj Anand
Mulk Raj Anand was an Indian writer in English, notable for his depiction of the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society. One of the pioneers of Indo-Anglian fiction, he, together with R.K...

, English writer, most famous for the novels "Untouchable" and "Coolie")
Dev Anand
Dev Anand
Dharam Dev Anand , better known as Dev Anand , is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and...

, one of the most famous Bollywood actors of all time.
Narinder Kohli, Hindi writer famous for "Abhigyan" and "Krish.Katha;"
Bhisham Sahni
Bhisham Sahni
Bhisham Sahni भीष्म साहनी was a Hindi writer, playwright, and actor, most famous for his novel and television screenplay Tamas , a powerful and passionate account of the Partition of India...

, Hindi movie writer and recipient of the Sahitya Academy Award and the Padmashri. His works include "Amritsar Aa Gaya" and "Tamas." Brother of Balraj Sahni.
Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni , born Yudhishthir Sahni , was a famous Hindi film actor. He belonged to a Punjabi Khatri family from Bhera now in Punjab, Pakistan...

, Stage and film actor, brother of Bhisham Sahni
Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha , OBE, is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in the United Kingdom. She is best known for the hit films Bhaji on the Beach , Bend It Like Beckham , Bride and Prejudice and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging...

, UK-based film-maker whose oeuvre includes "Bend it like Beckham" and "Bride and Prejudice"
Dayaram Sahni, ASI's first Indian Director-General who discovered Harappa
Harappa
Harappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The site takes its name from a modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The current village of Harappa is from the ancient site. Although modern Harappa has a train station left from...
Dhanchand Kohli: Historical architect who rebuilt the eight Gates of the city of Bhera
Bhera
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:...

.
Sohan Lal Suri (Maharaja Ranjit Singhs Court Historian), 'Umdat ut-Twarikh
Gurbux Singh Kohli, Olympic gold medallist in field hockey 1964, Captain of Indian Hockey team
Gurbux Singh
Gurbux Singh is a former field hockey player from India who was a member of the India national field hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Four years later he captured the bronze...
Geet Sethi
Geet Sethi
Geet Siriram Sethi of India is a professional player of English billiards who dominated the sport throughout much of the 1990s, and a notable amateur snooker player. He is a six-time winner of the professional-level and a three-time winner of the amateur World Championships, and holder of two...

: He is a six-time winner of the professional-level and a three-time winner of the amateur World Championships, and holder of two world records, in English billiards.
Karun Chandhok, auto racer
Madan Mohan (director): one of the most respected Hindi film composers belonged to Kohli clan, full name Madan mohan Kohli.
Hardeep Singh Kohli
Hardeep Singh Kohli
Hardeep Singh Kohli is a British writer and radio and television presenter.-Background:Kohli was born in London and moved to Glasgow in Scotland when he was four. His parents came to the UK from India in the 1960s. The family's roots lie in the Punjab. His mother was a social worker, and his...

is a writer, comedian and presenter in the United Kingdom.
Raj Kumar Kohli: Hindi film producer
Kunal Kohli: Hindi film maker and critic
Smiley Suri, Indian Actress
Mohit Suri
Mohit Suri
Mohit Suri, is an Indian film director, most known for his films, like Kalyug and Awarapan .He is member of the Bhatt family...

, Indian Film Director
Sanjay Suri
Sanjay Suri
Sanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...

, Actor
Rosy Suri, Indian Fashion Designer
Vishal Anand, Bollywood Actor
Chetan Anand
Chetan Anand
Chetan Anand may refer to:*Chetan Anand , Indian badminton player*Chetan Anand , Bollywood personality...

, Bollywood Actor
P. G. "Biloo" Sethi,Golfer
Najam Sethi
Najam Sethi
Najam Sethi is an award-winning Pakistani journalist and the editor-in-chief of The Friday Times, a Lahore-based political weekly. He was previously the editor of Daily Times and Daily Aajkal newspapers. He also hosts a popular political program in Urdu, called Aapas ki Baat, on GEO News...

, editor of the Friday Times, Lahore, Pakistan
Lalit Suri
Lalit Suri
Lalit Suri was an Indian hotelier and a member of the Rajya Sabha ....

(1947-2006), Indian politician and a member (1992,2002) of the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of India's Parliament).
Manil Suri
Manil Suri
Manil Suri is an Indian-American mathematician and writer, most notable for his first novel, The Death of Vishnu, which was long-listed for the 2001 Booker Prize, short-listed for the 2002 PEN/Faulkner Award and won the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize that year...

(b. 1959), Indian-American mathematician and writer
Birbal Sahni
Birbal Sahni
Birbal Sahni FRS was an Indian paleobotanist who studied the fossils of the Indian subcontinent, was also a geologist who took an interest in archaeology...

, renowned botanist
Subhash Ghai
Subhash Ghai
Subhash Ghai is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. His most notable films include Kalicharan ,Karz , Hero , Meri Jung , Karma ,Ram Lakhan ,Saudagar , Khalnayak , Pardes and Taal...

, Producer and Director
Parmeet Sethi
Parmeet Sethi
-Personal life and education:Parmeet was educated in Mumbai. He passed out of Sydenham college of commerce. He married Archana Puran Singh, a film and television actress, on 30 June 1992. They have two sons...

,Indian actor
Parikshit Sahni, Bollywood Actor