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History of Dutt or Datta

The word Datt is derived from the simple Hindi word \'data\' meaning a charitable person. Some interpret

it as a deformation of the word \'Aditya\' which means\' SUI/\" in Sanskrit. There are 12 Adityas, i.e. 12

names of the sun for the 12 months of the year. As there is a Datta surname amongst the Bengalis also

who are Kayasth and not brahmin, the traditional Mohyals prefer the epithet of Datt instead of Datta. The

origin of Datts is also traced to a chieftain named Datt who accompanied Alexander the Great on his

return journey to Macedonia, as an envoy of Raja Porus. Actually, Alexander is said to have taken two

brahmins with him, named Datt and Kalanos. However, on the way, when Alexander fell seriously ill and

died at Babylon; Datt along with his followers drifted to Arabia and settled at Harya Bunder. With the

passage of time, there emerged a viable community of Datts in Arabia and in a subsequent era they

became rulers of small dominions in that country. The presence in Arabia of many Hindus. mostly

Brahmins. before the rise of Islam, has been recorded by the historian Sisir Kumar Mitra, in his

book \'The Vision of India\'. page 183. These people observed Hindu religious customs, including the

worship of Shiva and Makresha from which the name of Mecca is said to have been derived. The famous

astrologer Yavanacharya was born of one such Brahmin family. It was from these Brahmins that the

Arabs learnt the science of Mathematics, Astrology, Algebra and decimal notation which were first

developed in India. At the time of the war of Karbala (Oct. 680 AD). Rahab Sidh Datt, a potentate of Datt

sect, was a highly esteemed figure of Arabia due to his close relations with the family of Prophet

Mohammed. In the holy war when no Muslim King came to help Hussain. Rahab fought On his side mld

sacrificed his seven sons (named Sahas Rai. Haras Rai, Sher Khan, Rai Pun, Ram Singh, Dharoo and

Poroo) in the bloody war. A Brief Account of the Episode: After the death of Mohammed, he was

succeeded by Abu Bakr, Omar and Osman, as the Caliphs: all three were related to him by marriage

alliances. Osman was not popular and was assassinated. After his death, Hazrat AlL the son-in-law of

Mohammed (he was also his first cousin) who was married to the Prophet\'s third daughter and the only

surviving issue, Bibi Fatima Zahira, became the 4th Caliph. There was stiff opposition to Ali\'s rule from

Amir Moavia, a known protege of Osman. He fought with him a bitter war for 5 years and finally got him

murdered in a mosque of Koofa, his mausoleum with a golden dome, stands in the nearby town of Najaf

(Iraq). After the extermination of Ali, Moavia grabbed the Caliphate and converted the Islamic state into a

kingdom, After his death, his notorious son Yazid became the next ruler. However, the rightful claimants

of the Caliphate were the descendants of Hazrat Ali, namely, Hassan and Hussain. While Hassan

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abdicated his claim to the crown and later died of suspected poisoning, his younger brother Imam

Hussain who was till then leading a secluded life in Medina, came out and challenged the usurper, Yazid.

It was the war of attrition between the two which led to the bloodshed of Karbala (102 km south of

Baghdad), on Oct. 10, 680 AD. The Role of Mohyals: The participation of the Mohyals and more

precisely that of a Dull family living in Arabia at that time, in the holy war, is a fact of the history. They

were a part of the entourage of 200 men and women, including 72 members of Hussain\'s family (40 on

foot and 32 on horseback), when he left Medina and made an arduous trek to Karbala, where he had a

large friendly following. After 18 days, i.e. on the 2nd. day of Mohurrum, the Hussain\'s caravan reached

Karbala, on the bank of river Euphrates and surrounded by a hostile desert. On the 7th day of Mohurrum,

all hell broke out when 30,000 strong army sent by Yazid from Mecca and other places, attacked them.

6,000 soldiers guarded the river bank to ensure that not a drop of water reached the Hussain\'s thirsty

innocents. By sunset of 10th (Ashoor), a Friday, all were dead including his step brother Abbas (32), his

son Ali Akbar (22), daughter Skeena (4) and 6 months old infant Ali Asghar who was killed by an arrow

while perched in his lap. Imam Hussain himself was slain with thirty three strokes of lances and swords

by Shimr, the hatchet man of ignominious Yazid. The ruffians of Yazid, as they ran carrying the smitten

head of Hussain to the castle of Koofa, were chased by Rahab. He retrieved the holy man\'s head,

washed it reverentially and then carried it to Damascus. According to legend, he was overtaken by

Yazid\'s men during his ovenight shelter on the way. They demanded Hussain\'s head from him: Rahab

executed the head of one of his sons and offered to them. They shouted that it was not the Hussain\'s

head, then he beheaded his second son and they again yelled that it was not his. In this way Rahab

executed the heads of his seven sons but did not part with the head of Imam Hussain. Later, after one

year, it was buried in Karbala along with rest of his body. The intrepid Datts rallied round Amir Mukhtar,

the chief of the partisans of Imam Hussain, fought with extraordinary heroism and captured and razed the

fort of Koofa, seat of Yazid\'s governor, Obaidullah, the Butcher. After scoring a resounding victory on the

battlefield, they beat the drums and yelled out that they had avenged the innocent blood of Hussain shed

at Karbala. It is also significant to note that even before the Karbala incident, Hazrat Ali had entrusted the

public exchequer to the regiment of the valiant Datts, at the time of the Battle of Camels fought near

Basra. The above provides an impeccable evidence about tha pragmatic role played by the Datt Mohyals

in the catastrophe of Karbala. There are more than a dozen ballads composed centuries ago which

vividly and with great passion describe the scenario of the historic event. Interestingly, in the Preface of

his famous historical novel, titled Karbala, published in 1924 from Lucknow, Munshi Prem Chand has

stated that the Hindus who fought and sacrificed their lives in the holy war of Karbala, are believed to be

the descendants of Ashvathama.This clearly establishes their link with the Datts who consider

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Ashvathama as an ancestor of their clan. Later on, when Sunnis let loose an orgy of vendetta on Shias

and Datts, Datts returned to their motherland around 700 AD and settled at Dina Nagar, District Sialkot

(vide Bandobast Report of Gujarat by Mirza Azam Beg page 422 and folk songs) and some drifted to as

far as the holy Pushkar in Rajasthan. Starting from Harya Bandar (modern Basra on the bank of river

Tigris) with swords in hand and beating durms, they forced their way through Syria and Asia Minor and

marching onwards captured Ghazni, Balkh and Bukhara. After annexing Kandhar, they converged on

Sind and crossing the Sind at Attock they entered the Punjab. An ancestor of Rahab named Sidh Viyog

Datt assumed the title of Sultan and made Arabia (old name Iraq) his home. He was a tough and

tenacious fighter. He was also known as Mir Sidhani. He was a worshipper of Brahma. He was the son of

the stalwart Sidh Jhoja (Vaj) who was a savant and saint and lived in Arabia (Iraq) around 600 AD. The

supporters of Hassan and Hussain honoured the Datts with the htle of \'Hussaini Brahmin\' and treated

them with great reverence in grateful recognition of the supreme sacrifices made by them in the war of

Karbala. According to Jang Nama, written by Ahmed Punjabi, pages 175-176, it was ordained on the

Shias to recite the name of Rahab in their daily prayer. At the time to the Karbala, fourteen hundred

Hussaini Brahmins lived in Baghdad alone. Much earlier than the era of Rahab, the induction of Datts

into Arabia in attributed to the Mahabharata character Ashvathama, who after the treacherous

assassination of his father Dronacharya in the epic war, went into voluntary exile and bestrode into

Arabia and made home there. A Datt dynasty has ruled in Afghanistan for 120 years, from 830 AD to 950

AD. There are coins with pictures of ox and horse which testify to their reign. The dynasty was founded

by Samand alias Somanand who himself ruled for 48 years and had seized the throne from Raja

Katormal with the connivance of his brahmin prime minister, Kallar by name. Somanand was a

contemporary of Raja Bachan Pal Vaid of Punjab. He died in 878 AD and was succeeded by his son

Kanwalpati who held the baton for 23 years till 901 AD. The last ruler of this family was Raja Bhim alias

Bhim Shahi who reigned for 49 years, from 901 to 950 AD. Bhim Shahi had only one daughter who was

married in the princely house of Lahar Kat in Kashmir. Her husband Raja Sangram Singh was a Khash

nobleman. According to Rajtarangini. the chronicle of Kashmir, the illustrious daughter of Sangram

Singh, Maharani Dida, wore the crown after the death of her husband Kshem Gupt. (N.B. Raj Tarangini

or River of Kings, was written in Sanskrit by poet-historian, Kalhana, during 1148-1150 AD). I As Bhim

Shahi had no male issue, after his death in 950 AD, their dynastic rule came to an end. Subsequently, his

descendants migrated to Punjab and the kingdom of Afghanistan was annexed by Raja Prithvi Pal of

Lahore. During their heyday in Afghanistan, Ohind, on river Sind (30 kms from Taxila), was the capital of

the Datt royalty. Reverting to the exodus of DaUs from Arabia, the kiths and kins of Rahab on their arrival

in India were received hospitably by the native Mohyal fraternity. After wandering over places, some

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settled near Nankana Sahib in District Sheikhupura of Pakistan. It was here that in the closing decades of

the 10th century, an interesting incident took place involving one Pir called Wahun, the trickster chess

player, and Shiv Datt the helmsman of the Datts. Wahun was known for his knack of winning the game

invariably. Acording to the bet fixed by him, the loser would either pay the price with his head or,

alternately, embrace Islam, In this way, he had converted a large number of Hindus to Muslim faith till he

met his match in Shiv Datt. The latter challenged the Pir to a game of chess and defeated him three

times over in a row, thereby claiming the heads of his wife and two sons, as per the stakes. The

flabbergasted Pir had to eat the crow. However, out of sheer magnanimity, Shiv Datt pardoned their lives.

When Wahun came to know that one of the ancestors of Shiv Datt had sacrificed his seven sons for the

sake of the Prophet in the battle of Karbala, he became very obliging to Shiv Datt and took a solemn vow

that in future he will never convert any Hindu by coercion to Islam. It was on this occasion that the Pir

echoed the famous words from his heart: \'Wall Datt Sultan. Hindu Ka Dharam Mussalman Ka Iman\'.

After some time, Shiv Dati along with a large number of his followers left Nankana Sahib and moved to

Dipalpur where they all lived in peace and harmony till Mahmud Ghazni attacked Diplalpur in 1012 AD

and uprooted them from there. The Datts migrated to Lahore where they were well looked after for 10

years by Raja Anand Pal. When Anand Pal and his successor Tirlochan Pal passed away, Lahore was

captured by the pirate Mahmud Ghazni. For almost five centuries the Datts led a maverick life. lt was in

1527 AD, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Babar, that Rai Pun Dewan (referred as Rai Midh by

Russell Stracey) who was an offspring of Shiv Datt, defeated and killed Rai Meen, a local Rajput ruler,

and after capturing the telTitory of Pathankot, founded his capital at Paniad, situated between Gurdaspur

and Dina Nagar. The families of Datts who took part in this battle were known as Meen Gatai. Provoked

by this daring victory of Rai Pun, Babar incited the gov\'ernor of Lahore to attack Paniad and provided

him with additional troops from the royal army. The governor was nursing his own grouse against the

Datts as he had fallen in love with a Marwaha girl, daughter of Govind Ram, and wanted to marry her but

she had sought the protection of the DaUs against his devilish designs. A large force was deployed to

attack Paniad but they were three times repulsed and routed by the Datt defenders. Ultimately, due to the

treachery of a cook who had been bribed by the invaders, the whole Datt garrison was caught unaware.

They were completely unarmed while taking meals in a cotton field when the enemy swooped on them.

In the ensuing battle the Datts were mercilessly killed; men who had taken shelter in the nearby fort were

hounded and slaughtered, while the womenfolk committed the sati (Jhelum Guzette 1905, page 121).

The Mohyal chiefs who were done to death in this maSsacre included. Dewan Rai Pun, Hari Ram,

Ganga Ram Sahai, Ghazi Maldev, Chhiddi Singh, Dargahi Mal, Paras Ram; Dilbagh Rai. Nobat Rai,

Narpat Rai, Sahib Rai. Har Mushtaq, Daya Ram Balwan, Ranjit Rai, Mansa Rai, Narain Datt, Vidya Dhar

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Balwan and Todar Mal. In this tragic war, the Datt clan was annihilated to the last man except for two

minor boys named Shah Sarup and Dholan, who escaped from the doom as they had gone to live with

their maternal grand-sires at Samba near Jammu. The horrible episode of Paniad so much touched the

susceptibilities of Datts that their future generations never touched any food in Paniad, nor spent a night

there. As the carnage took place on a Thursday, that day of the week is considered inauspicious by the

devout Datts and they do not wash their clothes or start any new project on that day. The Marwaha

community, on its part. has forever felt beholden to the Datts and idolised them for the classical suffering

undergone by them just to redeem the honour of one of their damsels. If the Mohyal\'s instinct of vowing

fidelity to a friend was vouch safed by their sacrifices for the Prophet of Islam. in the battle of Karbala;

their trait of samaritan chivalry came to fore. while safeguarding the chastity of a distressful non Mohyal

girl. in the horror of Paniad. The abhorrence of Datts for Paniad persists till today and is illustrated by an

episode narrated by Ch. Mulraj Datt of Kirti Nagar, New Delhi. When he was about 14 years old and

living with maternal uncle at Japuwal. a lady named Jamuna-a daughter of Mohans married in a Datt

family-lived in their neighbourhood. One day a vegetable vendor came hawking his vegetables and

before buying from him she casually enquired about his native place. When he mentioned the name of

Paniad, she refused to buy from him; this was the reaction of an uneducated lady who had not read any

history book but knew that Paniad was a killing field of the Datts. Ironically, after the partition. many Datt

families hailing from Kanjrur and adjacent places were allotted lands at Paniad. When Babar\'s son

Humayun fell mortally ill in 1530 and the physicians attending on him declared him beyond cure, the

astrologers were summoned to the royal court, to prospect for his life. They unanimously proclaimed that

the prince was under a curse of retribution, due to the bloodshed of the Datts of Paniad, and his life could

be saved only by propitiating the surviving members of the exterminated clan. if any, for divine mercy.

After a wearisome search. Shah Sarup and Dholan. the two surviving youngsters. were traced at Samba.

They were brought to Delhi in the presence of the dying Humayun and implored to pray for his life. In

recompense, they were offered the gift of land covered by their running horses in a period of 24 hours. In

this way, Shah Sarup got 13 villages in district Gurdaspur including Kanjrur, Veeram. Bhaiyan, Fatehpur,

Mianwali, Kapurdev, Madh Baba, Lalukot, Khanwali, Bheluwali. Nangal, Peda and Jitar; while Dholan

received Zaffarwal. Narowal. Raiya, Madi Kalan and few other villages in district Sialkot. In the course of

time, both Kanjrur and Zaffarwal became strongholds of the Datts and produced many luminaries. True

to the prediction of the fortune-tellers, Humayun\'s life was also saved. Shah Sarup was contemporary of

Guru Nanak and the two often met in the prayer meetings. Baba thakkar, the legendary hero of Kanjrur,

was a descendant of Shah Sarup. Straddling on a horse. with rapiers in his hands, he was the perfect

picture of a knight-errant in the rural setting. Once in a stinging battle with the Jats. his head was

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treacherously chopped off by his opponents and the story goes that the headless body of the gallant

warrior, with sword in his hand. went on fighting over a distance of nearly 2Y2 miles till it reached the

bank of river Basantar and fell down there. His admirers built a samadhi on that spot which was regularly

visitcd by the devoted Mohyals and was the venue of celebrations of Diwali and other community

festivals. Baba Thakkar begot four sons named Veeram. Jitar, Sehdev and Sarang. To honour the

memory of the first two. there are villages after thcir names. The Kanjrur families now settled in

Gurdaspur have built a memorial shrine to honour the memory of Baba Thakkar. During the reign of King

Akbar (1556-1605), a pious man named Baha Beram Shah Datt, was born in village Keni of Mirpur in the

Jammu State and was widely known for his nobility and spiritual attributes. He was verily a miracle-

monger and was known to levitate in the air stride a horse and to transmute copper into virgin gold by

mere touch of his hand. Even Akbar was impressed by his spiritual powers and awarded him an

ornamental plaque of honour and gifted to him , the town of Bhimbar as jagir. Baba Beram Shah

predicted his own death eight days in advance. Baba Garib Dass, the whiz-kid son of Baba Beram Shah,

was an equally renowned figure of his time, during the period of Jahangir (16051627). He led a rather

ritzy life and celebrated three nuptials. He too was a prodigy of supernatural art and once stepped into a

cauldron of boiling oil, in the presence of Guru Govind Singh, and the oil turned cold instantly. He died in

an accidental fire exactly as predicated by his father. He had two sons Baba Seva Dass and Gheva Khan

Dass and they both had lot of popular following amongst the Sikhs. If the Marathas had their Joan of Arc

in Maharani Laxmi Bai. The Mohyals too had their heroine in Karmo Mai Dattani. Shortly before the rule

of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1792- I 839), Sardar Jaimal Singh was the head of the Kanihya Missal in

Amritsar (Missal was a Squad led by a powerful personality and there were a dozen Missals at that timc.

These were later consolidated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to become the Supreme ruler of Punjab). Jaimal

Singh appointed Mai Kanno as the chief of Katra Kanihyan. The intrepid lady held her court in the open,

a jostling market square of Amritsar which is known by her name tIll today viz., Karmo Ki Deodi. She was

a terror to the local ruffians and desperadoes and used to administer justice without any fear or favour.

She once took part in a battle wearing the coat of arms. The seal of her high office is believed to be still

in the possession of her progenies. Guliana was a great sanctuary of Datts in the undivided India. During

last century, from its crusty soil rose a plebeian who wore a crown of laurels and carved a niche for

himself in the history. He was Dewan Bhim Sain Datt, the minister and supreme commander of forces of

Raja Suchet Singh, the younger brother of Raja Gulab Singh of Kashmir. After the demise of Maharaja

Ranjit Singh when Punjab was seized of anarchy and mayhem and Raja Dhian Singh was slain by the

insurgent forces; Hira Singh a nephew of Suchet Singh installed himself as the prime minister of Punjab.

However, he did not prove himself equal to the challenging task and the dissident elements approached

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Raja Suchet Singh to take over the prime ministership of the state. Suchet Singh succumbed to the

dangling canot and, albeit, Raja Gulab Singh forbade him from proceeding to Punjab in the turbulent

conditions prevailing there, Suchet Singh did precisely the same thing. Pretending to go on a hunting

expedition. he drove out of Jammu and reached Shahdara on the outskirts of Lahore. From there he

deputed his confidant deputy Dewan Jawahar Mal Datt to go to Lahore and probe the situation. The

Dewan reported back on the city being in great turmoil due to widespread belligerency of the Sikhs.

Suchet Singh was still camping at Shahdara when Hira Singh mounted a big attack on him. His senior

ministers, Dewan Bhim Sain Datt and Rai Kesari Singh. pleaded with him for not stepping into the arena

of the battle. They assured him that as his loyal subjects they will carryon the fight on his behalf but

Suchet Singh paid no heed. In the furious battle that followed. all the three were killed and their dead

bodies were cremated alongside of each other. Three mausoleums, sheltered by canopies, mark the

place at Badami Bagh near Lahore. Dewan Bhim Sain Datt was the doyen of the Mohyals of Jammu and

his gallantry became a part of the folk lore. A wanior to the finger tips, he was rendered semi blind in one

eye, in a shooting mishap. Dewan Jawahar Mal Datt was the younger brother of Dewan Bhim Sain Datt.

He had fought a war. in Mullan at the head of 2.000 soldiers in 1848-49 and for displaying exemplary

bravery was bestowed a big jagir by the British. A village called Jawahar Pura near Kanjrur in named

after him. The war of Multan took place in 1848. Its champion, Dewan Mool Raj Datt had inherited the

governoship of Multan from his father Dewan Sawan Mal Datt. He is considered as the first freedom

fighter of the modem Indian history. A British narrator, John Dunlop M.D., has given the following account

of the memorable battle of Multan. \"The British rulers persuaded the Dewan to hand over the fort

ofMultan to their stooge, Sardar Kahan Singh. Kahan Singh with thePolitical agent Vans Agnew and Lt.

Anderson, with 500 soldiers, reached Multan on 16 April 1848 for taking over the town. Dewan Mool RaJ

with the advice of his brothers cut down both the British officers into pieces. The British leaders then

decided to take Multan by force. 32,000 troops with 150 heavy artillery pieces besieged Multan, but for

months, no body could get entry into the fort and severe blows were given to all the attackers.

Unfortunately, one artillery shell destroyed all the gun powder magazine of the Dewan. The British

Commander, General Whish, sent a letter to the Dewan asking him to surrender. The same letter was

fired back to the British Commander along with an artillery shot. Severe battle followed this and the

Dewan had to sunender in January 1849, when his grain store was destroyed, leaving nothing for his

men to eat, after ably defending Multan for about 8 months. When Dewan Mool Raj was being removed

from the General\'s\'tent from his brethren and chiefs, eighteen of those of higher rank threw themselves

at his feet and shed tears. Even the British enemies praised the qualities of Dewan Mool Raj Datt. He

was so shrewd that he foiled an attempt by the British rulers, who tried to sabotage his defence by

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sending 5,000 soldiers under a Sikh leader, under the plea to help him. Dewan Mool Raj put those men

outside the fort instead of allowing them to enter it. All the men marched back to Lahore after a couple of

days. After the sun-ender, the Dewan was put under house arrest. He was then sent to jail in Rangoon,

where he died because of his ill health.\" Dewan Bhim Sain had two sons. Dewan Hem Raj and Dewan

Jamait Rai. Dewan Hem Raj was made the commander-in-chief by Raja Ranbir Singh when he became

the ruler of Kahsmir after the death of Maharaja Gulab Singh. There are many anecdotes relating to him

which highlight his gargantuan courage and bravery. He was able to subjugate a notorious Rajput bad

character of that time, named Mian Utho. and brought him to the court of the Maharaja under anest.

Once when the then Viceroy of India was inspecting the Maharaja\'s artillery in Jammu, he was

wonderstruck when the stately and rotund Dewan lifted a heavy cannon by hand in a jiffy. The State

Prime Minister Dewan Jawala Sahai was very jealous of Dewan Hem Raj because of the clout he

enjoyed in the affairs of the court. Once Dewan Hem Raj severely reprimanded Jawala Sahai in the

presence of the Maharja when the latter tried to implicate Dewan Jamait Rai, his younger brother, on a

fictitious charge of depravity. Dewan Hem Raj died during a kidney operation in Jammu in 1872. His

brother Dewan Jamait Rai had a long tenure as the Finaicial Commissioner of the State. Dewan Bhim

Sain died in 1844. His brother Jawahar Mal had 3 :-vives. The family had immense wealth and

immovable property includII1g 32 acres of land and 7 villages around Kanjrur, 3 buildings in Lahore in

Bhati Gate, in one of which Dewan Jawahar Mal died in 1852. Later, the property was inherited by Bk.

Jog Dhian Bali who was a grandson of the Dewan family. Dewan Lakshmi Chand, a descendant the

illustrious family resigned his police post and founded the DA V 19h School in Kanjrur in 1919, a Girls

School at Guliana and again a DA V High School in Shakar Garh in 1940. He presided over the Mohyal

Conference held at Lahore in 1935. During the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Sardar Karam Singh Dati of

Kanjrur was commandant of the Maharaja\'s Body Guard and Bakhshi Sham Singh of viIIage Malikpur

District Rawalpindi was the Treasurer. Bakhshi Gur Narain Datt was appointed governor of the region

comprising Rawalpindi, Pothowar rInd Kohistan: during Sikh rule. He was incharge of Maharaja Ranjit

Singh\'s Privy Seal _lI1d for that honour was known as Bllkhshi Chholi Mohal\' Wala. He was specially

selected hy the Maharaja for demarcation of the boundary of Kashmir, after the First Sikh War of 1845.

He had a big estate consisting of eight villages, including the land on which Islamabad the new capital of

Pakistan is built. On the annexation of Punjab by the Britsih, his jagir was confiscated. However, he

refused to surrender the royal seal and instead distroyed it and then committed suicidc. His big house

built in the shape of a fortress, with ramparts and subterranean pnssages, and known as Purani Tehsil,

still stands in the Saidpuri Mohnlla of Rawalpindi. Bakhshiani Moolan Tehsil-Wali of the same family was

a charismatic lady and a celebrity in her own right. Bakhshi Prem Nath Dalt, great grandson of Gur

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Namin, was rare example of an under-matriculate rising to the rank of a Colonel and that too in the

Education Corps. He was one of th founders of the Akhil Bharatiya Mohyal Pratinidhi Sabha, New Delhi.

Another notable Mohyal of that time was Mehta Dewan Chand Dall, the governor of Sind Sagar Doab.

Captain Ganda Singh Dalt, Sardar Bahadur, Risaldar Major 19 Bengal Lancers, hailed from Zaffarwal

Daltan Tehsil Raiyya of District Sialkot. He made a name by his conspicuous bravery in the Indian Mutiny

of 1857 and the Wars of China and Afghanistan. During the Kandhar campaign, he rode nearly 70 miles

a day on three consecutive days, through Baluchi HiIIs. to reach his destination. He. was selected by the

then Commander-in-Chief of India, General Lord Roberts. to serve as his Aide-de-Camp in 1889 and

held that post for three years. He served the army with great distinction for 50 long years and retired in

1894. He died in April 1903. His last public appearance was at the time of the Delhi Coronation Durbar at

which he was presented before the British monarch, among the selected army veterans. His .family

estate of Ganda Singh Wala has now almost merged with the metropolitan Amritsar and the scores of

acres of land on which stands the majestic campus of the Khalsa College, was donated by him. As he

had no son of his own, he adopted the son of his sister. His grand nephew Sardar Sant .Singh Dalt. PCS,

was the Chief of Kalsia State. Mehta Dhera Mal Dati, l)orn in Miani in 1846, was one of the architects of

the General Mohyal Sabha. He had the distinction of scrving as editor of the Mohyal Mittel\' for a

marathon tenure of 22 years. As those were the days of child-mao\'iage. he was married at the tender

age of 10 years to a girl of 6. When he was a boy of sixteen. he performed a great feat of elldurance by

walking on foot from Miani to Rawalpindi, a distance of nearly 250 kms, in search of n job. He had a

blooming career as leading government contractor in Mullan with nourishing income. He came under the

influence of Guru Dalt, the veteran Arya Samaj leader, and altended dicourses of Swami Dayanand

which transformed him into a lifelong devotee of the Arya Samaj. He donated nearly Rs. 30.000/- to its

various institutions. Once he converted a Mohyal who had embraced Islam back to Hindu fold in the face

of delirious opposition. He died on 27 December 1924. ironically, on the eve of the Mohyal Conference

held in Rawalpindi on 27-28 December of the same year. Chaudhary Ganesh Dass Dati was a

contemporary of Mehta Dhera Mal and like him a great luminary of both the Arya Samaj as well as the

General Mohyal Sabha. He hailed from Zaffarwal but spent all his life in Lahore where he retired in 1915,

after 35 years of meritorious service as Superintendent in the North Western Railway. He was so much

devoted to Arya Samaj that he would daily leave his house at 7 AM to spend two to three hours in the

Samaj before proceeding to office. In the evening again, after returning from office and brief halt at home,

he would go to the Arya Sam\\lj Temple and work there till 9 to 10 PM, thus undergoing a daily odyssey

of nearly 10 miles. He was a member as well as the treasurer of the DA V College Managing Committee.

He also looked after the publication of the Samaj organ, the Arya Gazette. He converted a whole Muslim

9

family to Hinduism and kept them at his house for several months. Once he was arrested for delivering a

violent speech in Arya Samaj and tried before a British Magistrate and the laller was so much impressed

by his scholarship that he ordered his immediate release. Ch. Ganesh Dass Dall was founder of the Arya

Girls School Wachhowali and Kanya Mahavidyalaya Qila Gujar Singh in Lahore. He belonged to that

group of Mohyals who first pioneered the establishment of the Mohyal Mittel\' Sabha in 1891 and then

reincarnated it as the General Mohyal Sabha in 1901 and also launched its monthly organ, the Mohyal

Miller. He worked in different capacities as treasurer, Vice President and trustee of the GMS for more

than 15 years. He used to affix address chits and postage stamps with hIs own hands when the monthly

issues of Mohyal Miller were ready and then carry the bundles on foot for delivering to the post office. A

part of his house was set aside as guest house for the Mohyal visitors to Lahore who would stay there for

days together. He died in December 1938 at the ripe age of 80 years. On hearing the news of his death,

te_rs rolled down from the eyes of Mahatma Hans Raj, the President O[ the Arya Samaj, and he

remarked: I have lost my right hand and the organisation a great pillar. Chaudhary Sahib\'s eldest son,

Rai _ Bahadur Gobind Ram Dalt, was an eminent entomologist. Sardar Bahadur Hony. Capt. Hukam

Singh Datt was Aide-de-Camp to Lord Curzon during his viceroyaIty. He was selected to represent the

Indian Army at the Jubilee celebrations held in London in 1897. He was awarded 8 squares of land on

the Sargodha Canal. The ever obliging Chaudhary Mati Ram Datt of Kanjrur used to feed both men as

well as animals of his village from his own granary during the hard days of the famine. When a deadly

plague was rampant in 1907, the good samaritan invited the pestilence on himself while serving the

victims of the dread disease. Bakhshi (he allowed himself to be addressed as Pandit) Lakhpat Rai Datt of

Hissar was a close associate of Lala Lajpat Rai. He wielded great intluence over the Jat landlord, Sir

Chhotu Ram, made him a staunch Arya Samajist and with his help collected huge amounts of money to

be used for Arya Samaj and the DA V College institutions. His son Pandit Nanak Chand Dalt, the

renowned Barrister of Lahore (and father-in-law of Mr. G.S. Pathak. former Vice President of India)

carried on the work of his noble father after his death. The son of Pandit Nanak Chand, Mr. P.c. Pandit,

retired as Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. (for glowing tribute paid to Pandit Lakhpat Rai

Datt by Lala Lajpat Rai, see under Mohyals contribution to the Arya Samaj). Mehta Mangal Sain Dalt of

Guliana was the Secretary of GeneralMohyal Sabha for 25 years and also presided over the Conference

held at Peshawar in 1938. He made handsome contribution to the Mohyal Ashram of Lahore. He passed

away in 1945. One of his sons, Rai Sahib Sita Ram Dati, rose to the post of Superintendent of Police.

Mehta Sahib\'s younger brother, Mehta Khem Chand. who served in the Museums of Peshawar and

Lahore for many years, was equally devoted to the General Mohyal Sabha and was its treasurer for a

long time.

10

Source: http://www.defence.pk/forums/members-club/55553-brahmins-fought-imam-hussain-

battle-karbala.html#ixzz2EHjuzJ4Y

Brahmins Fought for Imam Hussain in the Battle of Karbala

At the time of the war of Karbala (Oct. 680 AD). Rahab Sidh Datt, a potentate of Datt sect, was a

highly esteemed figure of Arabia due to his close relations with the family of Prophet Mohammed.

In the holy war when no Muslim King came to help Hussain. Rahab fought On his side mld

sacrificed his seven sons (named Sahas Rai. Haras Rai, Sher Khan, Rai Pun, Ram Singh, Dharoo

and Poroo) in the bloody war.

A Brief Account of the Episode: After the death of Mohammed, he was succeeded by Abu Bakr,

Omar and Osman, as the Caliphs: all three were related to him by marriage alliances. Osman was

not popular and was assassinated. After his death, Hazrat AlL the son-in-law of Mohammed (he was

also his first cousin) who was married to the Prophet’s third daughter and the only surviving issue, Bibi

Fatima Zahira, became the 4th Caliph. There was stiff opposition to Ali’s rule from Amir Moavia, a known

protege of Osman. He fought with him a bitter war for 5 years and finally got him murdered in a mosque

of Koofa, his mausoleum with a golden dome, stands in the nearby town of Najaf (Iraq). After the

extermination of Ali, Moavia grabbed the Caliphate and converted the Islamic state into a kingdom, After

his death, his notorious son Yazid became the next ruler. However, the rightful claimants of the Caliphate

were the descendants of Hazrat Ali, namely, Hassan and Hussain. While Hassan abdicated his claim to

the crown and later died of suspected poisoning, his younger brother Imam Hussain who was till then

leading a secluded life in Medina, came out and challenged the usurper, Yazid. It was the war of attrition

between the two which led to the bloodshed of Karbala (102 km south of Baghdad), on Oct. 10, 680 AD.

The participation of the Mohyals Brahmins and more precisely that of a Dutt family living in

Arabia at that time, in the holy war, is a fact of the history. They were a part of the entourage of

200 men and women, including 72 members of Hussain’s family (40 on foot and 32 on horseback),

when he left Medina and made an arduous trek to Karbala, where he had a large friendly

following. After 18 days, i.e. on the 2nd. day of Mohurrum, the Hussain’s caravan reached

Karbala, on the bank of river Euphrates and surrounded by a hostile desert. On the 7th day of

Mohurrum, all hell broke out when 30,000 strong army sent by Yazid from Mecca and other

places, attacked them. 6,000 soldiers guarded the river bank to ensure that not a drop of water reached

11

the Hussain’s thirsty innocents. By sunset of 10th (Ashoor), a Friday, all were dead including his step

brother Abbas (32), his son Ali Akbar (22), daughter Skeena (4) and 6 months old infant Ali Asghar who

was killed by an arrow while perched in his lap. Imam Hussain himself was slain with thirty three strokes

of lances and swords by Shimr, the hatchet man of ignominious Yazid. The ruffians of Yazid, as they ran

carrying the smitten head of Hussain to the castle of Koofa, were chased by Rahab. He retrieved the holy

man’s head, washed it reverentially and then carried it to Damascus. According to legend, he was

overtaken by Yazid’s men during his ovenight shelter on the way. 

They demanded Hussain’s head from him: Rahab executed the head of one of his sons and

offered to them. They shouted that it was not the Hussain’s head, then he beheaded his second

son and they again yelled that it was not his. In this way Rahab executed the heads of his seven

sons but did not part with the head of Imam Hussain. Later, after one year, it was buried in

Karbala along with rest of his body.

The intrepid Datts rallied round Amir Mukhtar, the chief of the partisans of Imam Hussain, fought with

extraordinary heroism and captured and razed the fort of Koofa, seat of Yazid’s governor, Obaidullah, the

Butcher. After scoring a resounding victory on the battlefield, they beat the drums and yelled out that they

had avenged the innocent blood of Hussain shed at Karbala.

It is also significant to note that even before the Karbala incident, Hazrat Ali had entrusted the public

exchequer to the regiment of the valiant Datts, at the time of the Battle of Camels fought near Basra.

The above provides an impeccable evidence about tha pragmatic role played by the Datt Mohyals

in the catastrophe of Karbala. There are more than a dozen ballads composed centuries ago

which vividly and with great passion describe the scenario of the historic event.

Interestingly, in the Preface of his famous historical novel, titled Karbala, published in 1924 from

Lucknow, Munshi Prem Chand has stated that the Hindus who fought and sacrificed their lives in the holy

war of Karbala, are believed to be the descendants of Ashvathama.This clearly establishes their link with

the Datts who consider Ashvathama as an ancestor of their clan.

Later on, when Sunnis let loose an orgy of vendetta on Shias and Datts, Datts returned to their

motherland around 700 AD and settled at Dina Nagar, District Sialkot (vide Bandobast Report of Gujarat

12

by Mirza Azam Beg page 422 and folk songs) and some drifted to as far as the holy Pushkar in

Rajasthan. Starting from Harya Bandar (modern Basra on the bank of river Tigris) with swords in hand

and beating durms, they forced their way through Syria and Asia Minor and marching onwards captured

Ghazni, Balkh and Bukhara. After annexing Kandhar, they converged on Sind and crossing the Sind at

Attock they entered the Punjab.

An ancestor of Rahab named Sidh Viyog Datt assumed the title of Sultan and made Arabia (old name

Iraq) his home. He was a tough and tenacious fighter. He was also known as Mir Sidhani. He was a

worshipper of Brahma. He was the son of the stalwart Sidh Jhoja (Vaj) who was a savant and saint and

lived in Arabia (Iraq) around 600 AD.

The supporters of Hassan and Hussain honoured the Datts with the htle of ‘Hussaini Brahmin’

and treated them with great reverence in grateful recognition of the supreme sacrifices made by

them in the war of Karbala. According to Jang Nama, written by Ahmed Punjabi, pages 175-176, it

was ordained on the Shias to recite the name of Rahab in their daily prayer. At the time to the

Karbala, fourteen hundred Hussaini Brahmins lived in Baghdad alone

www.shiachate.com

Hussaini Brahmin are a group bringing harmony and brotherhood between Muslim and Hindu

religions. They are greatly influenced by martydom of Imam Husayn, grandson of Prophet

Muhammad, at Karbala in 680 CE. During the month of Muharram many Hindus joined Muslims

lamenting the death of Imam Husayn in Lucknow during the rule of Shia Nawabs of Awadh. Brahmins

are the highest caste in Hindu hierarchy.

The small Hussaini Brahmin sect, located mostly in Indian Punjab, also known as Dutts or Mohyals.

Unlike other Brahmin clans, the Hussaini Brahmins have had a long martial tradition, which they trace

back to the event of Karbala. They believe that an ancestor named Rahab traveled all the way from

Punjab to Arabia and there developed close relations with Imam Hussain. In the battle of Karbala,

Rahab fought in the army of the Imam against Yazid. His sons, too, joined him, and most of them

were killed. It is because of this close bond between their ancestor Rahab and Imam Hussain that the

Hussaini Brahmins got their name.

A Sign each and every Husaini Brahman carries with him. On his throat he bears a line of cutting,

13

which is indicative of the fact that he is the descendant of those Brahmans whose throats were cut in

the battle of Karbala.They carried this ritual of line cutting of throat on the birth of every child in

family. 

Among Brahmans, after child birth, the ritual of Moondan is performed.In Hussaini Brahmins family

this ritual is performed in the name of Imam Husain.

Some Mohyal Brahmins migrated eastward and became as some sub-divisions of Bhumihar

Brahmins, some of whom are also descendants of Hussaini Brahmins and mourn the death of Imam

Hussain.An eminent example was Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh. Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh, who was a

freedom fighter, administrator and educationist in which capacity he did a lot for improving education

and health services in the state of Bihar in the pre-independence era.Sir Ganesh Dutta made

generous donations from his earnings and personal property for the development of educational

institutions, like radium institute in Patna Medical College, Darbhaga Medical College, Ayurvedic

College and schools for the blind, deaf and dumb, among others.

It is believed that Sunil Dutt was also a Hussaini Brahmin.

The Hussaini Brahmins were once concentrated in the Rawalpindi-Jhelum regions of Pakistan.

According to the traditions, the Hussaini Brahmins believe that their ancestor Rahab Dutt and his

sons fought on the side of Imam Husayn at Karbala and they were martyred along with the Imam.

They remained Hindus but the tragedy of Kerbala was commemorated from generation to generation

in their families and even now their clans observes it all over India, although the younger generation

is less keen on such traditions.

The non-Muslim tribal Lambadi community in Andhra Pradesh have their own genre of Muharram

lamentation songs in Telugu. Among certain Hindu castes in Rajasthan, the Karbala battle is

recounted by staging plays in which the death of Imam Husayn is enacted, after which the women of

the village come out in a procession, crying and cursing Yazid for his cruelty. 

The Hussaini Brahmins practised an intriguing blend of Islamic and Hindu traditions. A popular saying

refers to the Hussaini Brahmins or Dutts thus: 

Wah Dutt Sultan

Hindu ka Dharm 

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Musalman ka Iman

Adha Hindu Adha Musalman. 

www.alisalmanalvi.wordpress.com

Karbala and how Lahore was involved

Posted: November 25, 2012 in Cross Posted, Newspaper Articles

Tags: DAWN, Hussaini Brahmins. Rahab Dutt, Imam Hussain, Karbala, Lahore, Sunil Dutt

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Editor’s NOTE: The following piece, penned by Majid Sheikh, was published in Dawn on November

24, 2012. I’m pleased to cross-post the article on my blog from Dawn without any editing. (Ali Salman

Alvi)

IN our school and college days we all loved to assist friends set up `sabeels` alongside Lahore`s

traditional `Ashura` procession, providing cold drinks to the thousands who mourned. Sects and

beliefs never mattered then. But then neither did one`s religion.

For well over 1,332 years, the tragedy of Karbala moves everyone who hears about it, be they

Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh or any other religion. This is one incident that brings out the need to

support those with a moral position.

As children we attended the `sham-ighareeban` with our Shia friends, and learnt the lesson of

supporting those in the right. Everyone respected the beliefs of others. Yes, there were always a few

silly chaps who wanted attention, but they were at best ignored.

The ancient city of Lahore is connected to the tragedy in no uncertain terms.

Historical accounts say seven brave warriors from Lahore died while fighting in the Battle of Karbala.

It is said their father Rahab Dutt, an old man who traded withArabia in those days, had promised the

Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) to stand by his grandson in his fight to uphold the truth.

That pledge the brave Rajput Mohiyals of the Dutt clan from Lahore upheld.

Today they are known as Hussaini Brahmins, who lived in Lahore till 1947.

Then there is the fact that besides the Hindu Rajputs of Lahore, in the battle also fought John bin

Huwai, a freed Christian slave of Abu Dharr al-Ghafari, whose `alleged` descendents, one researcher

claims, still live inside the Walled City of Lahore.

I have been on the track of these ancestors for quite some time and have been able to trace one

Christian family living inside Mori Gate. They claim to have a connection with a `Sahabi` whose name

they cannot recollect. M. A. Karanpikar`s `Islam in Transition`, written over 250 years ago, made this

claim, but I do not think it is a claim worth pursuing.

15

But the most powerful claim of Lahore as the place where the descendents ofHussain ibn All came

lies in the Bibi Pak Daman graveyard, where the grave of Ruquiya, sister of Hussain ibn Ali and wife

of Muslim ibn Ageel, is said to exist.

Also graves here attributed to the sisters of Muslim ibn Ageel and other family members. Many

dispute this claim.

But then no less a person than Ali Hasan of Hajweri, known popularly as Data Sahib, came here

every Thursday to offer `fateha` at the grave, informing his followers that this was the grave of

Ruquiya. The place where he always stood to offer `fateha` has been marked out, and his book also

verifies this claim. Mind you detractors exist, of this have no doubt, but the supporting evidence is

quite strong.

Let me begin the story of the Dutts by going through the record of the Shaukat Khanum Hospital and

the recorded fact that Indian film star Sunil Dutt, who belonged to Lahore, made a donation to the

hospital and recorded the following words: `For Lahore, like my elders, I will shed every drop of blood

and give any donation asked for, just as my ancestorsdid when they laid down their lives at Karbala

for Hazrat Imam Husain.

Makes you think -but then there is this account which says that the seven sons of Rahab Dutt lost

their lives defending the Imam at Karbala. The Martyr`s List at Qum verifies this. History records

when the third thrust by Yazid`s forces came, the Dutt brothers refused to let them pass. The seven

Punjabi swordsmen stood their ground till they were felled by hundreds of horsemen. In lieu of the

loyalty of the Dutt family to that of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) was coined the famous

saying: `Wah Dutt Sultan, Hindu ka dharm, Musalman ka iman, Adha Hindu adha Musalman.` Since

then, so the belief goes, Muslims were instructed never to try to convert the Dutts to Islam.

A grieving Rahab returned to the land of his ancestors, and after staying in Afghanistan, returned to

Lahore. I have tried my very best to locate their `mohallah` inside the Walled City, and my educated

guess is that it is Mohallah Maulian inside Lohari Gate. Later theymoved to Mochi Gate, and it was

there that the famous Dutts lived before 1947 saw them flee from the hate of the people they gave

everything for.

The most interesting thing about the Hussaini Brahmins is that they are highly respected among

Hindus, and even more amazingly it is said that all direct ancestors of Rahab Dutt are born with a

light slash mark on their throat, a sort of symbol of their sacrifice. I was reading a piece by Prof

Doonica Dutt of Delhi University who verified this claim and said that all true Dutts belong to Lahore.

I must point out to an amazing version of these events that an Indian historian, Chawala, has come

up with. It says that one of the wives of Hazrat Imam Husain, the Persian princess Shahr Banu, was

the sister of Chandra Lekha or Mehr Banu, the wife of an Indian king Chandragupta. We know that he

16

ruled over Lahore. When it became clear that Yazid ibn Muawiya was determined to eliminate

Hussain ibn Ali, the son of Hussain (named Ali) rushed off a letter to Chandragupta asking for assis-

tance. The Mauriyan king, allegedly, dispatched a large army to Iraq to assist. By the time they

arrived, the Tragedy of Karbala had taken place.

In Kufa in Iraq a disciple of Hazrat Imam Husain is said to have arranged for them to stay in a special

part of the town, which even today is known by the name of Dair-i-Hindiya or `the Indian quarter` The

Hussaini Brahmins believe that in the Kalanki Purana, the last of 18 Puranas, as well as the Atharva

Veda, the 4th Veda, refers to Hazrat Imam Husain as the avatar of the Kali Yug, the present age.

They believe that the family of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)is Om Murti, the most respected

family before the Almighty.

All these facts bring me back to our days as school children working hard to provide relief to the

mourners on Ashura. Reminds me of our neighbour Nawab Raza Ali Qizilbash, who invited us to his

`haveli` every year to see the preparations before the event. Raza Bhai is no more, and neither is the

tolerance that we all enjoyed so much.

http://rxri.blogspot.com

legend of rahab datt

The legend of Rahab Sidh Datt

As per Mohyal folklore, a Mohyal of the Dutt clan had fought on behalf of Imam Hussain in the battle

of Karbala, more specifically in the storming of Kufa- sacrificing his seven sons in the process.

According to legend, Rahab Sidh Datt (also mentioned as Rahib Sidh or Sidh Viyog Datt in some

versions) was the leader of a small band of career-soldiers living near Baghdad around the time of

the battle of Karbala. The legend mentions the place where he stayed as Dair-al-Hindiya, meaning

“The Indian Quarter”, which matches an Al-Hindiya in existence today. The Dutts have traditionally

been referred to as Hussaini Brahmins since times immemorial[15]Munshi Premchand’s novel

‘Karbala’ also mentions about Hindus fighting for the sake of Imam Hussain, and refers to them as

descendants of Ashwatthama, who the Dutt clan considers as it of its ancestors. This legend

occupies an important part in the Dutt clan’s oral history[16] [17] , and is considered a source of pride

for them[18].

Zameer Hassan Kazmi, in his article "Imam Husain's Hindu Devotees" published in The Illustrated

Weekly of India [19], documents sacrifices made by Hindus, particularly Dutt Brahmins, while fighting

on the side of a descendant of Prophet Mohammad.

However, certain historians also believe that the seven persons who stepped forward to take up

17

priesthood earlier had sent a representative each from their respective clans under the leadership of

Rahib Sidh Dutt.

http://english.irib.ir/radioislam/programs/articles/item/81029-history-philosophy-and-impact-of-mourning-for-imam-husain-as-6

History, Philosophy, and Impact of Mourning for Imam Husain (AS) - 6In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate --

Salaam, and condolences to you as the fateful day of Ashura, the anniversary of the history's most heartrending tragedy draws near. The hearts of the faithful are flowing with the love of the Immortal Martyrs of Karbala, and as part of our tribute to the Prophet's grandson, we present you the 6th episode of our Moharram Special on the History, Philosophy, and Impact of Mourning for Imam Husain (AS).

Yesterday we said the credit for reviving the life-inspiring mourning ceremonies after centuries of persecution by dynasties of self-styled Muslims who knew little about Islam and nothing about Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) goes to the Safavids of Iran. Actually the Safavids had built upon the heritage of Karbala that was preserved by the Arabs of Lebanon and Iraq and by the Turks of Azarbaijan, especially the Qara Qoyonlus who briefly ruled a large kingdom including parts of Iraq and Iran. At the same time, the Timurids, although Sunni Muslims, were conscious of the position of the Ahl al-Bayt in Islam and it was in their times that the mourning ceremonies which we call Rowza or Rowza-Khwani in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, started in Khorasan, deriving their name from the Persian book Rowzat-ash-Shohada or the Garden of Martyrs, written by Mullah Hussain Wa'ez Kashefi in Herat. Although not an authoritative book, the contents of Rowzat-Shohada became popular in the subcontinent and blended with the Indian Muslim culture. But before proceeding on the widespread culture of mourning for the Martyrs of Karbala in India by Muslims of all denominations, as well as non-Muslims, it would be interesting to take note of an account in the subcontinent that claims not just a direct connection with Imam Husain (AS) but says a group of Indians were in Karbala on the Day of Ashura and later supported Mokhtar's avenging of the blood of the Prophet's grandson.

Perhaps the most interesting case of Hindu veneration of Imam Husain is to be found among the small Husaini Brahmin sect, located mostly in Punjab state in India, also known as Dutts.

According to a paper read by Dr. Hyder Reza Zabeth at the International Conference on “Perspectives on Religion, Politics and Society in South Asia” held on 19-20 February, 2007 at the University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, unlike other Brahmin clans, the Husaini Brahmins have had a long martial tradition, which they trace back to the event of Karbala. They believe that an ancestor named Rahab traveled all the way from Punjab to Arabia and there developed close relations with Imam Husain (AS). On the Day of Ashura, Rahab fought in support of the Prophet's Ahl al-Bayt against the forces of Yazid. His sons, too, joined him, and most of them were killed. Imam Husain (AS), seeing Rahab’s love for him, bestowed upon him the title of sultan or king, and told him to go

18

back to India. It is because of this close bond between their ancestor Rahab and Imam Husain (AS) that the Husaini Brahmins got their name. After Rahab and those of his sons who survived the tragedy of Karbala reached India, they settled down in the western Punjab and gradually a community grew around them. This sect, the Husaini Brahmins, practiced a blend of Islamic and Hindu rituals, because of which they were commonly known as ‘half Hindu, half Muslim’.

According to the Mashhad-based Iranian researcher, Dr. Zabeth, there is also another version of how the Dutts of Punjab came to be known as Husaini Brahmins. He says one of the relatives of Imam Husain's wife, the Persian princess Shahr Banu of Iran, was named Mehr Banu, who had gone to India and married King Chadragupta, who conferred upon him the title Sanskrit title Chandra Lekha or Ray of Moon. When the Indian king came to know that the Godless tyrant Yazid was adamant on confronting the Prophet's grandson, he dispatched a force to assist Imam Husain (AS). By the time the Indians arrived in Iraq, the Imam had been martyred. In the city of Kufa, the Indians met Mokhtar Saqafi, who arranged for them to stay in a special part of the town, which even today is known by the name of Dair al-Hindiyya or ‘the Indian quarter’. Some Dutt Brahmins, under the leadership of one Bhurya Dutt, joined Mokhtar Saqafi to avenge the death of the Imam. They stayed behind in Kufa, while the rest returned to India. Here they built up a community of their own, calling themselves Husaini Brahmins, and although they did not formally convert to Islam they kept alive the memory of their links with Imam Husain. The Husaini Brahmins believe that the event of the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet of Islam had been foretold in Bhagwad Gita, a sacred book of the Hindus. According to them, the Kalanki Purana, the last of eighteen Puranas, as well as the Atharva Veda, the fourth Veda, refer to Imam Husain (AS).

Perhaps this is the reason the Hindus participate in the Ashura processions. The Maharajah of Gwalior was always seen walking behind the alam of Hazrat Abbas barefooted and without any insignia of his royal office. According to Dr. Zabeth after the arrival of Islam in South Asia it gradually won over a large indigenous population to its fold. The observance of Moharram ceremonies in South Asia in general and India in particular have attracted the deep reverence and devotion for the performance of its rituals and customs by the Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Thus, the observance of Muharram ceremonies has introduced Islam as the harbinger for interfaith understanding in South Asia. The Martyr of Karbala's great sacrifice is commemorated by Muslims everywhere in the world, but it is observed with great emotional intensity in the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent. What is particularly striking about the observances of the month of Moharram in India is the prominent participation of Hindus in these rituals. This has been a feature of Hinduism for centuries in large parts of India, and continues even today. In towns and villages all over the country, Hindus join Muslims in lamenting the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), by sponsoring or taking part in lamentation rituals and the processions of the Ta'ziyya – which in India mean a replica of the Imam's shrine in Karbala. The commemoration of Imam Husain's sacrifice every year creates the most dramatic impact in South Asia. The majority of the population in India is non-Muslim. It is curious to see these non-Muslims participating in the many colorful and devotional ceremonies during the month of Moharram. Also, it has affected the rich and the poor alike.

In India the non-Muslims like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Christians observe Moharram ceremonies with great devotion. Benares, the holy city of Hinduism in India, has a mixed tradition of commemorating Moharram where some Hindu families participate in the procession. This also happens in Lucknow, Allahabad, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Kolkatta, Mumbai, Chennai, Amroha, Indore, Nagpur, Jaipur, Bhopal and other major cities and towns. Dr. Zabeth says: I have personally observed during my stay in India that large groups of Hindus in these cities participate in the Majlis-e Aza or mourning congregations. Benares' Shivala Mohalla boasts of the most artistic Ta'ziya, and a replica of the Imam's horse, Zol-Jenah, which is given milk in a traditional ritual in many cities in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Among the Hindus of Lucknow, Moharram ceremonies are greatly revered, and a large number of

19

Hindus participate in the 'azadari’ processions of the Shi'ite Muslims. Many Hindus distribute sherbet (sweet juices) and iced milk to those participating in the Muharram processions.

Some of the Hindus in Lucknow walk on a carpet of red hot embers with the chants of Ya Husain called Aag ka Maatam, a unique way of mourning. Moharram, presents an unparalleled example of Hindu-Muslim unity in this historical city. There are several ‘anjumans’ or associations in Lucknow run by Hindus which take out ‘azadari’ processions and organize ‘Majles’ where heart-rending accounts of the tragedy of Karbala are narrated throughout Moharram.

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