Lau (Mohyal)
Encyclopedia
Lau is one of the Saraswat Brahmin
clans of Punjab
. They are one of the seven lineages constituting the Mohyal
community, known for its martial tradition.
was the Raj Guru or Royal Priest of King Dashratha, the father of Lord Rama. Hence the gotra
of the Laus is said to be Vashishtha. A section of Lau families have it recorded as Vats, believed to be a result of an adoption of a person from another Brahmin lineage into the clan at some point in the past.
on the border with Hoshiarpur
, Punjab. In the Middle Ages Bajwada was an important town, as reflected by the prominence of its mention in Mughal records. Various Mohyal ballads, especially the Vishav Rai Niti, extol the feats and fierce swordsmanship of the early rulers of Bajwada especially Vishav Rai and Ballal Sen, and consist of verses that also glorify the damages inflicted by their armies on the Ghaznavid sultans, when the latter were on their way to or returning from raids of other Indian cities.
Many names of the Lau clan in Mohyal folklore and records closely match names from the Sena dynasty
of Bengal, like Ballal Sen and Lau Sen. That, and the coinciding of the Lau clan's appearance in Punjab with the period when the Senas held territories North of Delhi
, has led some historians to assert that the Laus descended from among the Senas and are named after Lau Sen, consistent with the known phenomenon of a new clan or caste name coming into being with a notable ancestor. The name Lau Sen is famous in Bengali folklore as well, and consistent with Mohyal tradition the Senas were also of Brahmin lineage but in a Kshatriya role.
An alternate theory based on oral tradition ascribes the Lau clan's origin to Lau Pal, who is also stated to be a ruler of Bajwada
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
clans 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...
. They are one of the seven lineages constituting 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...
community, known for its martial tradition.
Mythological roots
The Laus claim descent from Sage Vashishtha, who in Indian mythologyIndian mythology
Indian mythology may refer to:*Indian epic poetry*Vedic mythology*Hindu mythology*Buddhist mythology*Native American mythology...
was the Raj Guru or Royal Priest of King Dashratha, the father of Lord Rama. Hence the gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
of the Laus is said to be Vashishtha. A section of Lau families have it recorded as Vats, believed to be a result of an adoption of a person from another Brahmin lineage into the clan at some point in the past.
Early history
In Mohyals' recorded history however, there is no mention of the Lau clan until around 1000 CE. According to Mohyals' own historians and their folklore, the clan came into prominence by establishing a dheri (fiefdom) at Bajwada near modern day Kangra in Himachal PradeshHimachal 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...
on the border with Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....
, Punjab. In the Middle Ages Bajwada was an important town, as reflected by the prominence of its mention in Mughal records. Various Mohyal ballads, especially the Vishav Rai Niti, extol the feats and fierce swordsmanship of the early rulers of Bajwada especially Vishav Rai and Ballal Sen, and consist of verses that also glorify the damages inflicted by their armies on the Ghaznavid sultans, when the latter were on their way to or returning from raids of other Indian cities.
Many names of the Lau clan in Mohyal folklore and records closely match names from the Sena dynasty
Sena dynasty
The Sena Empire was a Hindu dynasty that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. At its peak the empire covered much of the north-eastern region in the Indian Subcontinent. They were called Brahma-Kshatriyas, as evidenced through their surname, which is derived from the Sanskrit,...
of Bengal, like Ballal Sen and Lau Sen. That, and the coinciding of the Lau clan's appearance in Punjab with the period when the Senas held territories North of 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...
, has led some historians to assert that the Laus descended from among the Senas and are named after Lau Sen, consistent with the known phenomenon of a new clan or caste name coming into being with a notable ancestor. The name Lau Sen is famous in Bengali folklore as well, and consistent with Mohyal tradition the Senas were also of Brahmin lineage but in a Kshatriya role.
An alternate theory based on oral tradition ascribes the Lau clan's origin to Lau Pal, who is also stated to be a ruler of Bajwada