Mohyal Brahmins (or Potohari Brahmins) are an Indian sub-caste of Saraswat Brahmins from the Punjab region, who are sometimes referred to as 'Warrior Brahmins'. Mohyal Brahmins were the ancient and one of the first

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

rulers of Punjab and Afghanistan. Their texts claim that their center of origin was from the Ghandhara region of Ancient India (now a region divided between northeastern- Afghanistan and northwestern- Pakistan). Prior to the

Partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

, Mohyal Brahmins lived primarily in the Potohar and

Hazara Hazara may refer to: Ethnic groups * The Hazaras, a Persian-speaking people of Afghanistan and Pakistan * Aimaq Hazara, Aimaq's subtribe of Hazara origin * Hazarawals, a Hindko-speaking people of the Hazara region of northern Pakistan * Hazar ...

regions of Northern Punjab (

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...

Chakwal Chakwal ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city in Rawalpindi Division, Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 66th largest city of Pakistan by population. Chakwal is located 90 kilometres south-west of the federal capital, Islamabad and 270 kilomet ...

Jhelum Jhelum ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for p ...

, Sargodha,

Campbellpur Attock ( Punjabi and Urdu: ), formerly known as Campbellpur (), is a historical city located in the north of Pakistan's Punjab Province, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 61st larg ...

, Haripur,

Abbottabad Abbottabad (; Urdu, Punjabi language(HINDKO dialect) آباد, translit=aibṭabād, ) is the capital city of Abbottabad District in the Hazara region of eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in Pakistan and fourth ...

and Murree) and the Pahari regions of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

( Pulandari, Mirpur,

Kotli Kotli ( ur}) is a city in Kotli District of Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. It lies on the Poonch River, and the river contains several notable waterfalls including the Lala Waterfall near the town of Kotli and the Gulpur Waterfalls at the village of ...

, Bhimber,

Poonch Poonch, sometimes also spelt Punchh, may refer to: * Historical Poonch District, a district in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in British India, split in 1947 between: ** Poonch district, India ** Poonch Division, in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, ...

, Rawlakote, Jammu,

Bagh Bagh ( fa, باغ, link=no, meaning "garden") may refer to: Places India * Bagh Caves in Madhya Pradesh, India * Bagh, Dhar, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India Iran * Bagh, Ardabil, a village in Ardabil Province * Bagh, Larestan, a village ...

and Rajouri). After the partition, they migrated to, and settled in the neighbouring Indian states of Punjab,

and Delhi. Mohyal Brahmins are a caste and a sub-group of the Punjabi Hindu community. The members of this sub-caste originate from the broader Saraswat Brahmin group and comprise seven clans named

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

, Bhimwal,

Chhibber Chhibber ( Punjabi: ਛਿੱਬਰ, Hindi: छिब्बर) alternatively Chibber, is a Mohyal Brahmin clan from the Punjab region. They are one of the seven clans of the Mohyal Brahmin of the Punjab. Most Chhibbers are Hindus, but because the ...

, Datt,

Lau Lau or LAU may refer to: People * Lau (surname) * Liu (劉/刘), a common Chinese family name transliterated Lau in Cantonese and Hokkien * Lau clan, one of the Saraswat Brahmin clans of Punjab * LAU (musician): Laura Fares Places * Lebane ...

, Mohan and Vaid. These each claim their lineage from one of seven different Brahmin

rishi ''Rishi'' () is a term for an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mentions in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis" or ...

Contributions to Sikhism

Spirituality and identity

The majority of Mohyal Brahmins identify as

, with some also identifying as

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

. Guru Nanak revitalised faith in order to make it accessible for the common people of late Medieval India. As a part of this transformation, many Punjabi Hindus, including the Mohyals, revered and followed Guru Nanak. This devotion towards Nanak's ''mat'' (teachings/wisdom) led them to follow Nanak's successors and then assist in the creation of the Sikh ethos. Moreover, as the latter Gurus became martial, this community was a natural home for the warrior-class of Punjabi Hindus. Guru Nanak, continuing in the tradition of

Bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

Saints, revitalised Sanatan ('Hindu') wisdom in order to make to accessible for the common people of late Medieval India. As a part of this transformation, many Punjabi Hindus, including the Mohyals, revered and followed Guru Nanak. Its worth mentioning that a distinct Sikh

religious identity Religious identity is a specific type of identity formation. Particularly, it is the sense of group membership to a religion and the importance of this group membership as it pertains to one's self-concept. Religious identity is not necessarily the ...

was not created until the 19th century, thus, referring to the period of the Gurus as 'Sikhism' is not problematic.

Guru period

Other notable Mohyals include the brothers

Bhai Mati Das Bhai Mati Das ( Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਮਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 1675) along with his younger brother Bhai Sati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dayala, and Bhai Sati Das were executed at a ''kotwali'' (police-station) in ...

and

Bhai Sati Das Bhai Sati Das ( Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਸਤੀ ਦਾਸ; died 1675) along with his elder brother Bhai Mati Das were martyrs of early Sikh history. Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dyal Das were all executed at ''kotwali'' (police-station) ...

, who both died alongside the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, for protecting

Hindu Religion Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global pop ...

from Islamic Jihad. As the family of the latter Gurus and this Chhibber family were close, Bhai Chaupa Singh Chhibber became a care-taker of

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...

, the tenth guru.

Post Gurus Period

Even after the death of the Gurus, the Mohyals were heavily imbedded into their legacy. They held high-ranking positions such as Dewans during the time of the latter Gurus to during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Sukerchakia and the Sikh Empire.The history of the Muhiyals: The militant Brahman race of India'' (English,1911) by T.P. Russell Stracey Mohyals were instrumental in keeping the wisdom of the Gurus alive and historians such as Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber wrote one of the seminal works of early Sikh history - Bansavalinama (published in 1769).Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action (1995) - David N. Lorenzen Other Mohyal families besides Chhibbers played significant role too, for example, Sardar

Mahan Singh Mirpuri Sardar Raja Mahan Singh Mirpuri Bali (born in Mirpur, Kashmir) was a famous general in the Sikh Khalsa Army, and was the second-in-command general to General Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa.The history of the Muhiyals: The militant Brahman race of India ...

belonged to the

clan and was 2nd in Command of the Khalsa Army. Mohyal Hindus were high-ranking officers in various Sikh Armies, this led to these 'brave warriors' joining '

Sikh Regiment The Sikh Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Sikh regiment is the highest decorated regiment of the Indian Army and in 1979, the 1st battalion was the Commonwealth's most decorated battalion with 245 pre-independence and 82 ...

s' during the British Raj of India.

References

External links