Bhati
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Bhati (Template:Lang-hi, Urdu: بھٹی भाटी, Template:Lang-pa) is a Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan t,hey claim descent from Lord Krishna the Avtar of Vishnu. The Bhati originated in the desert principality of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, in the border villages of Bikaner and some tehsils of Jodhpur (Osian and Shergarh), a region known as Bhatiana. In addition, the Bhati are also found in Uttar Pradesh. They are divided into about forty gotras or clans of Rajputs. They are one of the royal races of Rajputs.[1]
Early history
Lord Krishna and his progeny
According to Hinduism and the caste system, Lord Krishna had eight wives.[2] Rukmini was the senior wife whose son Pradyumna was married to a Vidarbha Princess who bore his two sons, Aniruddha being the prominent one. Aniruddha had son Vajra (Vajranabh). Vajra was the lone survivor of Yadu dynasty and re-established Mathura after Krishna's death with help of Kuru King Parikshit
Other tribes attacked Dwarka; Nabha[3] had to flee Dwarka and became king of Marusthali. His son Prithibahu inherited the insignia of Lord Krishna and the chatri (Royal Umbrella) made by Vishwakarma.
Jaisalmer
The state of Jaisalmer was positioned right on the route from Afghanistan to Delhi. Taking advantage of this strategic position, the Bhatis levied taxes on the passing caravans, Bhati Rajputs were proficient horse riders,marksman and warriors. Their reign spread to the Punjab,Sindh and beyond, to Afghanistan. The City of Ghazni was named after a brave Bhatti warrior Raja Gaj.. In Lahore, a monument exists to this day, which is called the Bhati Gate, named so probably because it opens in the direction of the "Sandal Bar", an area ruled by Rai Sandal Khan Bhatti Rajput. The majority of the inhabitants of Jaisalmer are Bhati, who take their name from an ancestor named Bhati, renowned as a warrior when the tribe were located in the Punjab area.[citation needed] Shortly after this the clan was driven southwards, and found a refuge in the Indian desert, which was henceforth its home. Prince Deoraj, a famous prince of the Bhati family, is esteemed the real founder of the Jaisalmer dynasty, and with him the title of Rawal commenced. In 1156 A.D. Rawal Jaisal, the sixth in succession from Deoraj, founded the fort and city of Jaisalmer, and made it his capital as he moved from his former capital at Lodhruva (which is situated about 15 km to the southeast of Jaisalmer).
Bhati's fight Alauddin Khilji
In 1293, the Bhatis so enraged the emperor Ala-ud-din Khilji that his army captured and sacked the fort and city of Jaisalmer, so that for sometime it was quite deserted. Some Bhatti's migrated to Talwandi, now Nankana Sahib in Distt. Nankana Sahib and others settled in Larkana (in Sind, Pakistan) under the name of Bhutto. In Nankana Sahib, the Bhatti Clan can be traced from the lineage of Rai Bhoe and Rai Bular Bhatti. After this there is nothing to record until the time of Rawal Sahal Singh, whose reign marks an epoch in Bhatti history in that he finally gave in and acknowledged the supremacy of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Jaisalmer princes had now arrived at the height of their power, but from this time till the accession of Rawal Mulraj in 1762 the fortunes of the state rapidly declined, and most of its outlying provinces were lost. In 1818 Mulraj entered into political relations with the British. Maharawal Salivahan, born in 1887, succeeded to the chieftainship in 1891. The Maharajas of Jaisalmer trace their lineage back to Krishna through Jaitsimha, a ruler of the Bhati Rajput clan. The major opponents of the Bhatti Rajputs were the powerful Rathor clans of Jodhpur and Bikaner. They used to fight battles for the possession of forts, waterholes or cattle. Jaisalmer was positioned strategically and was a halting point along a traditional trade route traversed by the camel caravans of Indian and Asian merchants. The route linked India to Central Asia , Egypt, Arabia, Persia, Africa and the West.
Geographical distribution
India
In India, the Bhati/Bhatti reside mainly in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab (where they have traditionally come to be known as Bhatti in Punjabi).
Gujarat
In Gujarat, Bhatis have several jagirs in the Sabarkantha and Banaskantha District (former Idar State), including Munai, Torda, Bhutiya, Gorad, Ranasan, Lauk, Muloj, Solsanda , Chandarni and Rampur. Bhati Rajputs in Gujarat are descendants of 12th-century immigrants from Jodhpur and Jaisalmer districts in Rajasthan. Most of them either assisted the Rathores of Jodhpur to capture Idar or were their relatives.
Bhatti Rajputs are also found, though fewer in numbers in the Rann of Kachchh, where they migrated from Rajasthan in the 18th century. Other Bhatti Rajputs settlements are also found in Jamnagar and nearby villages, formerly known as the "Halar State" ruled by the Jam dynasty. The Bhatti Rajputs of Jamnagar originate from Kachchh or Rajasthan.
Punjab
In Punjab, there are several villages that are populated entirely by Bhatti.
The historic Patiala and East Punjab States Union had a large concentration of Bhatti.
Bhati Rajputs are found in the villages Sahlon,Rampur, Ghurial (Jalandhar), Rehla, Phuglana, Salah, Daroli, Machhli Kalan, Lalru, Jhawansa, Tardak, Joli,Rampur, Samgoli Nagla, Jhhanjeri, Cholta, Badali, Rangian, Magra, Gunnoo Bhattian, and Khellan-mallan, Killianwali (Mukatsar, Punjab), Shergarh (Dabwali, Sirsa, Haryana), and Sullar Gharat(sangrur, punjab). These Bhati migrated from Jaisalmer in the 12th century.
Rajasthan
In Rajasthan, they are found in the Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer, and some tehsils of Gurdaspur, Shergarh Udaipur (Mohi) and Nagaur (Gaaju, Ladnun, Mugdara).
Uttar Pradesh
There are about 104 Rajput Bhati villages and 150 Gujjar bhati villages in the districts of Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshar in Uttar Pradesh.
In Uttar Pradesh there are several villages where Bhatis reside. These are Chandner in District Ghaziabad where Manu Thakur s/o Rakesh singh is very known personality (Love story Manu and Mannat Thkur is very famous, it became an example to all the love pairs), Kakrala in Budaun district, Yahiyapur in Pratapgarh district, Bhargain in Etah district, and Thiriya Nizamat Khan in Bareilly district. In Awadh, the Bhatti of Awadh form a distinct Muslim Rajput community.
South India
In Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu people of caste "Bhatraju" are considered to have come from a Kshatriya bloodline of Pandavas. Bhatti residing in the village of Killianwali, tehsil Malout, Muktsar district, and Shergarh (tehsil Dabwali, Sirsa District, Haryana) have adopted the Sikh religion.[citation needed]
Pakistan
The Bhatti tribe settled throughout the Indus River Valley, from Kashmir in the north to Thatta in the South. They have adapted in many cultures and speak a variety of languages. And also in rawalakot azad kashmir
Religion
Bhati/Bhatti Rajputs are predominantly Hindus in India, while in Pakistan they are exclusively Muslims. When Bhatis migrated to the Punjab region centuries ago, the local Punjabi people called them "Bhatti Rajputs" in the local Punjabi language.
The Sikh population of Bhatti Rajputs is found in the Doaba and Malwa regions of Punjab.
Bhati tribes in the Indus River Valley
Bhati clans in Sindh
The Muslim population of the Sindhi Bhattis is found predominantly in the Sindh province. In Sindh the major clans of Bhattis are the Dadani, Mahar, Mangrio, Bhutto, Kamario, Rajpar, Bhamban and Indhar. All Bhattis are related to Samma clans as they are Yadubansi too. For example, Abro's sub-clans (Mungrani, Kehar, Odho, Sarki, Bhootani, Pechoho, Unar, Khuhro, Bhayo, Junejo, and Phulpoto) are related to Bhattis.
Bhati clans in Punjab
There are about forty sub-branches of the Bhattis/Bhati. In Punjab the major clans of Bhattis are the Pensi and Keela. Many other Rajput tribes in Punjab trace their origin to the Bhatti. Some of these tribes include Mair Rajputs of Punjab, Rajput Jenjer/Janjar, Rajput Mers of Kathiawar, Rajputs of the Bajju clan as well as the famed Jats of the Sidhu dynasty (currently ruling Patiala). Other Jat clans claiming Bhatti origin include the Brar, Sahasi, and Manes clans. In addition the Manj Rajputs are also Bhatti. Other Rajput clans claiming Bhatti origin include the Alpial, Indhar (from which the Rais of Bhong are), Kalyar, Kanju, Uttera, Noon, Dhandla, Wattu, Bhabha, Diyal, Mittru, and Hattar. In Pakistani administered Kashmir, the Narma Rajputs also claim a Bhatti origin.[citation needed]
Notable Bhattis
- Narayan Singh Bhati, writer and poet
- Devi Singh Bhati, politician, MLA - from Kolayat, Rajasthan.
- Mahendra Singh Bhati, Member of Parliament 11th Lok Sabha - Bikaner.
- Ved Ram Bhati, Minister, UP.
- Rai Bhoe Bhatti,owner of 1700 squares and Rai Bhoe Di Talwandi
- Rai Bular Bhatti,recognized the divinity of Baba Guru Nanak Dev ji and donated 750 squares to him.
- Rai Rehamat Khan Bhatti One of the largest landlord of punjab, collected revenue for Gurdawaras