Datt/Datta/Dutta

 

CHHIBBERS

Amongst different sects of Mohyals, the maximum spotlight of History is on the Chhibbers. Commencing from Raja Dahir. the SOV\' ereign of Sind in the 7th century. down to Bhai Balmukand of the modern times, it is an uninterrupted saga of sacrifices. in shimmering blood, time aft_r time. The only parallel that Indian history can perhaps offer is that of the militant Peshwas of the Maharashtra. With an illustrious line of pre-historic ancestors like Bhrigu, Jamdagni and Parashurama: they have a very rich and ancient heritage. They derive their gotra from their celestial forefather, Rishi Bhrigu, and share it with the valiant Chola kings (10th century) of the south.
Many Chhibber families patronise the Bhargava gotra which is synonymous with Bhrigu as Bhargava is a patronymic derivation of the Bhrigu\'s name. There are indications in old text-books that the Chhibbers lived in Mathura. the city of birth of Krishna the Incarnate. around 250 BC. Mathura was also the cradle of the Balis. In the 7th century AD Rai Narsingdev, a Chhibber patriarch, was Dewan in the ruling principality of Mat/mfa. He had two sons named Rai Chach and Nahar Singh. the latter is referred as Chander by some muslim chroniclers. After the death of Narsingdev, his sons became disenchanted with Mathura and migrated to Sind, through Punjab and Rajasthan, en route of Bhatinda and Bikaner. While in Sind. Rai Chach got a job in the court of Raja Sahsi. Sahsi, also known as Rai Sinhasana, was a brahmin (the various kings of the Rai dynasty have ruled for over 144 years). Raja Sahsi was a great connoisseur of men and soon discerned the latent and patent qualities of Rai Chach and appointed him as his prime minister. When Sahsi died after a prolonged illness, without leaving any issue to succeed llim. his queen Sobhi who was secretly in love with the nally Rai Chach. kept the news of the king\'s death a closely guarded secret, to pre-empt intrigues of the many aspirants to the vacant throne. She later married Rai Chach and proclaimed him as the new ruler. The brother of Sahsi, named Dhamrat. who was the chief of a nearby state, challenged Chach and invited him to a bout, and in the encounter was killed by Chach. Rai Chach is considered to be the founder of the Chhibber sect and was the first man to use the appellation of Chhibber with his name. Chhibber is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word \'Shivi Var\' meaning a righteous person. During the reign of Rai Chach. his broiller Nahar Singh (alias Chander) was the defacto ruler and their capital was at Rawar. Chach himself was busy in fighting wars and conquering new territories viz. Brahmanabad, Thalia, Sohstan and Multan (which was ruled by Rai Bechara, a kin of Sahsi). He extended his dominion upto Kannauj in the east. Kashmir and Kabul in north. and Iran in the west. Nearer hotne, he wanted to finish Samini. the Buddhist archbishop, who later played a treacherous role in the time of Raja Dahir. but spared his life. Chach built a big fort at Rawar (also mentioned as Alwar in some rCC(Jrds) which was subsequently completed by his son. Dahersia. He celebrated his seco)ld marriage with the widow queen of Brahmanabad. the ruler named Akham Lohana having been earlier killed in a battle with Chach. From his two wives he had two sons. Dahir and Dahersia, and two daughters (one named Mai while the name of the other is not known). Chach celebrated the marriage of one of his daughters with Durlab Drohan, the Mohyal (Mohan) king of Kashmir. This shows that even 1300 years ago, the genealogical purity of the Mohyal race was being preserved in the highest echelons of the society. Raid Chach died in 674 AD after a glorious rule of 40 years. After the death of Rai Chach. his brother Nahar Singh was coronated as the king of Sind. He was totally devoted to Buddhism and spent all his time in meditation and reading scriptures. Taking advantage of this situation. the ruler of Sohstan named Mehta. whose state had been usurped by Chach during his military exploitations. declared a war on Sind with the help of king of Kannauj (it cQuld not be Harsha Vardhana as mentioned in some Mohyal histories because he had demised in 647 AD) and, ironically, the ruler of Kashmir who was closely related to Chach family also sent a crack force to fight against Nahar Singh. They tried to wean away Dahir also but their efforts proved abortive. The clutch of foes had to beat a retreat after one month of concentration near fort Devbal (modern Karachi). Nahar Singh died in 681 after a rule of 7 years and according to his will Dahir was made the ruler of Alwar and his son Raj that of Brahmanabad (situated above Mir Pur Khas). Raj died after a year and was succeeded by Dahersia, the brother of Dahir, who ruled over Brahmanabad for 5 years. He married the daughter of Akham Lohana. the former ruler of the same state. His main achievement was the completion of the fort of Rawar initiated by his father and since Dahir did not take any interest in its construction, his relations with him became sour. When Dahersia died prematurely in 687. Dahir took over the charge of Brahmanabad as well as the Rawar fort. However, the peace of his dominion was soon shattered by an unprovoked attack of Raja Ramal, the hostile ruler of a neighbouring state. In a sudden swoop. Ramal overran the Rawar fort and headed towards the capital city. To punish him Dahir sent a big force under command of Mohammed Alafi. an Arab chief settled in Sind, who over the years had become a confidant of Raja Oahir and was rewarded by him for his unstinted services in the past. Alafi intlicted a crushing defeat on the impostor and was conferred yet more rewards and honours. This victory proved only a brief interlude of relief for the beleagured Raja Dahir of Sind, because a big Arab invasion which was going to seal his fate. was looming on the horizon. It all started when a sailing boat coming from Ceylon (known as Sarandeb in those days) carrying pilgrims for Arabia and a cargo of human slaves--consisting mostly of women, was intercepted and pirated near the coast of Sind by the local ruffians. In retaliation, HejajBin- Yusaf, the governor of Basra (Iraq), sent his legions but they were twice driven back, after bitter fighting near Devbal fort, by the native forces led by Jai Singh, the son of Dahir. For the final assault, backed with blessings of Waleid, the Caliph of Baghdad, Hejaj picked up his son-in-law (who was also his nephew) Mohammed Ibn Al Kasim, a fierce fighter, to lead the attack in 712 AD. Kasim stormed into India, laid siege of the Devbal fort and turned it into a battle-field. The luckless Raja Dahir fought with his back to the wall. His kingdom was in total anarchy: the Buddhist leader Sam ani (ruler of Neron) and disgruntled Jats openly sided with the invaders; his erstwhile counsellor Ilafi turned tail and switched over his loyalty to his co-religionists; his trusted Aide\' Seosagar also deserted him when the hour was dark and the need dire; even members of his own clan viz.. the brahmins, raised a banner of revolt and one of them prompted Kasim to pull down the flag from the turret of the fort so that the soldiers of Dahir may take it as a sure omen of impending defeat and lay down their arms. Amazingly, the same thing came to pass. All resistance whittled down. the marauders made a cakewalk of the fort and unleashed a bedlam: innocent men were murdered, women immolated themselves in the burnng pyres, people were converted to Islam at the sword edge. sacred Hindu and Buddhist shrines were desecrated and incinerated and mosques built in their place. After conquering the coastal town of Devbal, Kasim marched his army to the bridgehead of river Sind; the mighty river had to be crossed to gain an entry into Sind. The bridge was being guarded by the two burly brothers, Moka and Rasal, believed to be kiths of Dahir. They were bribed, the gates of the bridge were flung open. and the Arab hordes crashed into Sind. The valiant Jai Singh defended the river front and kept the intruders at bay for full 50 days, till he was forced to capitulate. The next target of Kasim\' s devils was the Rawar fort where Dahir and members of the royal family were taking refuge. surrounded by a b_ltery of astrologers and soothsayers, bargaining for luck. On seeing his defences crumbling down, an anaemic Dahir himself stepped into the arena of war, riding on an elephant whose niggling sluggishness hampered rather than help his actions, while the commandos of Kasim were fighting with lightening speed on swift running horses. Finding the odds overwhelmingly stacked against him, instead of facing the hu_iliation of a defeat and being killed in an ignominious manner, Dahir d_clded to commit suicide. (according to R.C. Majumdar he was killed). HiS dead body was picked up by the brahmins and buried in sand. One terer carried the smitten head of Dahir to Kasim and claimed a big prize. Sind was lost due to internal dissentions and selfish traitors. Raja Dahir neither gave a good account of himself- as peacetime ruler, nor made any grade as a fighter. Kasim, a lad of 16 years, with just 6000 cavalry and 3000 carrier camels, defeated Dahir on his home soil, inspite of his unchallengeable strength of 20,000 infantry, 10,000 mounted soldiers, 80 war elephants and other paraphernalia. After capturing Devbal and Rawar, Kasim took in his sweep Brahmanabad, the fort town of NirOll, Devan, Thatta (Multan) and reached as far as Kannauj-all in one year. He ruled for two years from 713 to 715 AD. After the death of Dahir, Jai Singh retired to Brahmanabad. However, the queen stayed on in Rawar fort and fought bravely for 3 days, all by herself; even her son Jai Singh did not come to her aid and remained anchored at Brahmanabad. She was no match for the brute force of the enemy and was forced to surrender. The family fort of Rawar fell to the invaders who rehearsed the orgy of plunder, rape and murder. The queen along with hundreds of other maidens voluntarily killed herself by resorting to the edifying rite of Jauhar. The charming niece of Dahir, Jaisiya, was specially picked up for being presetned to the Caliph to slake his sexual fire. Even after the extirpation of the king and the queen, their sons and skeletal loyal forces kept on showing the flag but it was no displalf of any strength and only bidding of farewell to an extinguishing era. The war had already been lost, the sun had set over the redolent kingdom of Raja Chach and Raja Dahlr and the door wide opened for t_e debut of the muslim rule whose writ was to run for many centunes. The two daughters of Raja Dahir, Surya Devi (mentioned as Sarla Devi in the history of Farishta) and Pramil Devi, were taken prisoners by Kasim and sent to Baghdad (to Damascus according to Farishta), for the flesh feast of Caliph Waleid. The indomitable girls played a hoax and told the Caliph that their bodies were no good for him as the same had already been polluted by Kasim. His ire triggered to a flashpoint, the Caliph ordered instant killing of Kasim and his dead body sewn in goatskin to be sent to him. After the extermination of Kasim, the Dahir girls blurted out the truth to the Caliph, that \\lieir chastity was still pure like the lily t1ower and Kasim did not even touch their bodies and they had only avenged the death of their parents. The Caliph exploded with rage and issued orders that the two girls should be tied by hair to galloping horses and dragged on the burning desert till their death. His commands were carried to the last dot. The above episode relating to two virgin daughters of Dahir, although part of the popular lore, may be fabricated one and wholly incredible. After the elimination of Kasim, Yazeid was appointed the new oovernor of Sind by the Caliph. Taking advantage of the power vaccum in the intervening period, Jai Singh struck with all his might. He reconquered Brahmanabad and also recovered a large part of the Sind. To curb his ascendancy, Caliph sent a large force supported by navy to retrieve the lost territory. Jai Singh was killed in the battle and his brothers migrated to Delhi and Punjab. According to historian Molvi Zaka Ullah, Jai Singh was cornered in the Korej Fort by the ruler of a rival state and killed perfidiously in a drinking bout. Jai Singh has been mentioned by various names by the different chroniclers viz., Maharaj, Jaisain, Jaisiya and Helesia. The exodus of Chhibbers from Sind took place at about the same time as that of the Datts from Arabia. After the fall of Sind, the descendants of Raja Dahir, namely Maharaj, Narain, Bhavan, Chham and Jangu moved to P-unjab and established their dominions in different places. They were helped in their rehabilitation by the king of Delhi. Maharaj founded his state at Bhadrawati (or Bhadrawali) on the bank of river Jhelum and the place was also known as Bhera-not the modern Bhera in District Shahpur situated on the cast side of the river. Some writers have given the name of Burari or Brahampuri (present Wazirabad) as the initial capital of the expatriate Chhibbers. An earlier ruler of Bhadrawati is said to have his jurisdiction upto Ghazni and built a fort there. In ancient India, there were three capitals of the Chhibbers VIZ., Bhera, Karyala and Mirpur in Jammu. Narain became the ruler of Sialkot, Bhavan and Chham were the chiefs of Bhatner (present name Hanuman Garh) situated midway between Bhatinda and Bikaner, while Jangu held a high post in the king\'s court at Delhi. Meghraj was the son of Jaisain who again had two sons named BhagSmgh (or Bhagsain) and Lalu. Bhag Singh in his turn had 5 sons with names Chandra, Aja, Pitha, Kikka and Josh. Amir Timur, a descendant of Chengiz Khan and known as Timur ang in Persia (because he was lame), after conquering Afghanistan, Invaded India at the head of 92,000 mounted troops, in 1398. While On _is way to Delhi, he pillaged and plundered Dipalpur (now in Pakistan) and Bhatner, the stronghold of the Chhibbers, and indulged In camage reminiscent of the killer Mahmud Ghazni. A large section of, the population of these places t1ed from there. The Chhibbers also _,alle? mto an exile towards Bikaner but finding no opportunities of Ivehhood in the desert country, they migrated to Ujjain. A benign brahmin king who ruled there treated the immigrants with great hospitality but for some unknown reasons the Chhibbers left Ujjain and shifted to Jaunpur. Raja Shankar Dev of Jaunpur extended to them all facilities to reinstate themselves and his son. Rai Sayal, went out of his way to fraternise with the Chhibbers. After some time, due to a quirk of fate. Sayal himself was exiled from Jaunpur and the two Chhibber veterans, Bhag Singh and Lalu, also went with him. Later on, Rai Sayal felt disgusted with worldly life and became a follower of the muslim saint, Baba Farid of Pak Patlan (originally from Bokhara), after embracing Islam. His Sayal progenies still live in large number in District Jhang Maghiana of Pakistan. Bhag Singh and Lalu moved to Doab Chach, the territory between the rivers Jhelum and Chenab. They founded there a town and built a fort and made this place as their new capital. Gajju or Gaj Sain, a descendant of Bhavan, was anointed ruler of Bhera during the reign of Lodhis. It was his son Tharpal who built the fort known as Garh ThaI\' Chak, the remnants of which are still to be seen near Karyala. After the death of Tharpal, his son Raja Gautam became the ruler of ThaI\' Chak and made the fl1mily fort as his residence. This was the time when Behlol Lodhi (1451-1488) held the throne at Delhi. Gautam died in 1519 while fighting with Muslim invader (predictably Babar before the First Battle of Panipat) whose soldiers razed Tharpal Chak to the ground. At that time, Fraga Sain. the only son of Raja Gautam was a minor of 12 years and the story goes that he tled to the hills where he lost his way in a fierce snowstorm and was rescued by a wayfarer. Praga Sain (1507-1638) was a remarkable personality and a fine blend of benign father-figure, godly person and a legendary hero. He was responsible for laying the foundation of Karyala (c-1526), the Jerusalem of the Chhibbers, near the ruins of erstwhile ThaI\' Chak. Karyala has remained a historical symbol of the Chhibbers for almost 450 years till the partition of India in 1947. It derived its naI!\\e from the luxurious growth of prickly\' kareen\' (or kikarfacacia) trees which dotted its landscape. Praga, during boyhood was made a captive by invaders from Afghanistan and taken to Kabul. He was repatriated after the conquest of Afghanistan by Babar. Praga married the daughter of Tara Chand Vaid, the Dewan of Kat Sarang (modern Campbellpur), and got one son named Durga Dass. Being a devotee of the cult of asceticism and sufism, when northern India came under the sway of spiritual renaissance of Guru Nanak. Fraga became a disciple of the Guru at very early age and was, thenceforth, known as Baba Fraga. On account of his deep devotion, he became a member of the inner court of the Guru along with Bala, Mardana and Angad. After the death of Guru Nanak (in September 1539 at Kartarpur). Baba Fraga became the power behind the throne during the period of the next five Gurus viz., Angad, Amar Dass, Ram Dass, Arjun Dev and Hal\' Govind. and played the role of a Raj Guru on their installation ceremonies. He helped Guru Arjun Dev in the composition of the Adi Granth and his spiritual attachment to him along with that of Jita and Nanda. has been extolled in verse after verse in Suraj Prakash, the holy book of the Sikhs. In the year 1638. at the hoary age of 131 years. when he was popular by the nickname of Baba Buddha. he was called upon by Guru Hal\' Govind to wear the coat of arms and fight against Shah Jahan (1627-1659). Although, crippled with age and enfeebled in body, he responded to the call and along with Nanda fought a pyrrhic war with Painde khan, the governor of Lahore. at the head of a 500 strong force. Ironically, Pain de Khan was like a cousin to Hal\' Govind as the latter had been breast-fed by the former\'s mother in his infancy. Painde Khan along with a large number of his soldiers was slain in the battle. Baba Fraga himself was grievously wounded while fighting near Kartarpur and died on return to Karyala. The grand old man was truly the Bhishama of the Mohyal community. His mausoleum stands on the outskirts of Karyala and another memorial was raised in Kabul at the site of the Char Bagh. His memory has been honoured by naming the cross-section beyond Serai Guru Ram Dass, on the periphery of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, as Chowk Prag Dass. Guru Har Govind himself died in the hills in 1645 constantly fighting the forces of Shah Jahan. He was responsible for transforming a sect of quiet mystics into a fierce military order. At the time of his installation when presented with the turban and necklace of his predecessors, he refused to accept them saying\'My necklace shall be my sword belt and my turban shall be adorned with a royal aigrette\'. After the expiry of Baba Fraga, his son Dwarka Dass was anointed as the new Dewan of Guru Hal\' Govind and he continued to hold that office upto the time of Guru Hal\' Rai, the seventh Guru. On his demise, his son Lakhi Dass (Bhai Lakhiya) was appointed to the same post but he died soon afterwards and Dargah Mal became the prime minister in his place. Bhai Dargah Mal held that position till the reign of Guru Har Kishen. The title of Bhai was first conferred by Guru Hal\' Govind on Bhai Lakhi Dass. In course of time, the Bhai title was adopted by all Chhibbers belonging to Karyala and has become their mark of identity among the Mohyal milieu. Guru Har Kishen who was the younger son of Guru Hal\' Rai was crowned as the 8th Guru at the infant age of six years. He died of small pox in 1664 when he was only 8 years old. Following his death. conclave of senior deputies including Bhai Dyala, Bhai Jetha and Bhai Gurbakhash chose Guru Tegh Bahadur (hailing from village Bakala and born in 1621) as the 9th Guru. (Guru Har Govind had 3 wives: Damodri mother of Bhai Gurditta, Nanaki mother of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Mahadevi mother of Baba Atal). Bhai Dargah Mal was still the prime minister when on his advice, Bhai Mati Dass (born on 13-1-1651. on Lohri Day), a staunch devotee of Guru Tegh Bhadur, was first appointed revenue minister and then made the prime minister. His brother Sati Dass was assigned the portfolio of protocol. The name of the third brother was Jati Dass. They were the sons of Bhai Qabool Dass. Bhai Sati Dass was a scholar of Persian and translated the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur for the benefit of his Muslim followers. (See family tree of Bhai Mati Dass at the end of the book). Guru Tegh Bhadur founded the new township of Anandpur in Bilaspur State, on the bank of river Satluj, in 1665. The land was purchased from the Raja of Kahlur. Bhai Mati Dass carried on the administration from there on behalf of the Guru. He also looked after the management of Kiratpur, situated 64 kms from Bilaspur on Chandigarh-Mandi Ilational highway. Besides, Bhai Mati Dass also acted as chief priest of the Vaishnav Foundation at Karyala whose missionaries worked all over the Punjab, NWFP, Afghanistan and Iran. Guru Tegh Bhadur assumed office of the. 9th Guru in March, 1665 and the same year he proceeded on a whirlwind tour of Bihar, Bengal and Assam for 5 years (1665-70). He was accompanied by his mother Nanaki and wife Gujri. Guru Govind singh was born in Patna on 26 Dec. 1666, Guru Tegh Bahadur received the news of his birth at Dacca. During his two years of stay in Assam, he had contacts with-Raja Ram Singh the Commander of Aurangzeb, a rebel at heart. Guru Tegh Bahadur received a distress call from Bhai Mati Dass in Anandpur about the deteriorating conditions in the north, particularly in Kashmir, :vhere the Hindus were groaning under the atrocities perpetrated by its newly appointed governor, Iftikhar Khan. His heart crying with pain, a mourn ful Guru Tegh Bahadur, returned to Punjab without even seeing baby Govind Singh at Patna. According to Guru Bilas, a deputation of 16 brahmins from Kashmir met Guru Tegh Bahadur at Aanandpur on 25 May, 1675. It was headed by Pandit Kirpa Ram Datt of Mattan, a Mohyal veteran - he was son of Adu Ram Datt and his great grandmother, Saraswati, was the sister of Baba Praga; he was also the tutor of child Govind Singh. They narrated their tale of woe, how the governor had given 6 months time for conversion to Islam, the Hindus were forced to pay discriminatory impost (i.e. Jazia), their temples were demolished with impunity and mosques built in their place, they were asked not to display frontal mark (Tilak) and 11;4 md. of sacred thread snatched from their bodies and burnt. At that time Aurangzeb was staying at Hasan Abdal to quell the revolt of Afghans. He ordered the Governor of Punjab, Zalim Khan, to arrest Guru Tegh Bahadur. The governor passed on the orders to Dilawar Khan, the Faujdar of Sirhind, in whose jurisdiction lay Anandpur. Dilawar Khan in turn asked the Kotwal of Ropar, Noor Mohammed Khan Mirza, to arrest the Guru. Guru Tegh Bahadur was camping in village Malikpur Ranghara near Ropar (50 kms from Anandpur). The Kotwa! arrested him on 12 July 1675, and kept him in prison at Sirhind for 3Y2 months, fettered and chained, till orders were received for sending him to Delhi, shut up in an iron cage. He reached Delhi on 5 Nov. 1675 and was tortured and coaxed for 5 days to embrace Islam. He was accompanied by Bhai Gurditta (his elder brother and Head Granthi), Bhai Mati Dass, Bhai Dyala, Bhai Udho and Bhai Cheema besides Bhai Sati Dass. The above information has been extracted from \'Stories from Sikh History (Book V), by Kartar Singh and Gurdial Singh Dhillon (1973). This version that Guru Tegh Bahadur was arrested at Ropar and Ii-om there deported to Delhi is also corroborated by the Mohyal chronicler Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber. the author of \"Bansawali Nama Dassan Padshahian Ka (c.1769), Shobha Shri Amritsarji Ki and Vairag Charkha\'. According to a second version supported by Sikh writers like Surinder Singh Joharand Priyadarshi Prakash; Guru Tegh Bahadur was arrested in Agra which was the second capital of Aurangzeb. The warrant for his arrest was issued by Aurangzeb himself who was in Agra at that time and soonafter left for Delhi. The Guru was staying in a garden with his band of devotees; he was apprehended and kept in prison for one day and later escorted to Delhi, under surveillance of 1200 mounted soldiers, to face trial for sedition against the king. It was at Agra that Guru Tegh Bahadur parted with his precious ring and embroidered shawl to a passing herdsman wherewith to procure some sweets for his hungry followers. Bhai Mati Dass was away at that time and on return asked His Holiness why he bartered away his valuable belongings on so small a need, when ready cash was available. It is believed that the confectioner from whom the sweets were purchased, reported to the police who were in search of the Guru. This led to their arrest. At Delhi. in a mock trial, the Qazi offered them two options viz.: eIther to embrace Islam or to pay with their lives for insurrection against the crown. In response, they unanimously agreed to kiss the gallows rather than barter away the sacred faith of their forefathers for any allurement or earthly reward. In History\'s most morbid spectacle, three saintly men were tortured to ?eath in most savage manner, on three consecutive days, in a scenano which in content and exposition surpassed even the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Bhai Mati Dass was bolted between two planks of wood and bifurcated into twain, from top to trunk, with a saw, by commander Altaf Khan, on 9 November, ]675. It is stated in the Suraj Prakash that when the executioner began sawing, Bhai Mati Dass started reciting the \'Sukhmoni Sahib\' and the voice continued to come from the two parts of his body, till the prayer was completed. Bhai Dya]a was scalded to death in a cauldron of boiling water on IO November 1675. On the same day, Bhai Sati Dass was roasted alive with oil soaked cotton wrapped round his body and set afire. After gruesome killing of Bhai Dyala and Bhai Mati Dass, Guru Tegh Bahadur asked his remaining three disciples to return to Anandpur. Bhai Gurditta insisted on remaining with him while the other two acted on his advice. Guru Tegh Bhadur was beheaded in cold blood, under a banyan tree (the trunk of the tree and the well nearby in which he took the bath, are still preserved), opposite to Sunehri Masjid, near the Kotwali in!_ Chandni Chowk where he had earlier been lodged as prisoner. The execution was carried on by Jalal-ud-din, on II November, 1675. Strong guards were put to prevent his body heing taken away. When fno Sikh of high caste came forward to claim his body, a daring Sikh; of the sweeper class, named Bhai Jaita, managed to take possession of the Guru\'s head, concealing it in a bag. he took it to Anandpur and presented it to Guru Govind Singh. Embracing him Guru Govind Singh declared: \'Ranghreta, Guru Ka Beta\'. The head was then cremated with due rites. On the following day, taking advantage of a severe storm ?_ blowing at that time, another low caste Lubana Sikh, Lakhi Shah, carried\' away the Guru\'s body concealed in a cart of hay to his hut and then, set fire to the hut and thus cremated the sacred headless body. The,famous Gurdwara Rikab Ganj stands on this spot, it was built by, S. Baghel Singh in1790. The same S. Baghel Singh also built the historic Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Chandni Chowk at the site where guru Tegh Bahadur was assassinated. The noted SIkh scholar Shri GurbachanSingh Talab in his book on Guru Tegh Bahadur has recorded that Bhai Mati Dass while standing erect was sawn across from head to the loins. He faced the operation with such composure, tranquility and fortitude that the Sikh theologians included his feat in the daily PrayerjArdas of the community. A portrait of Bhai Mati Dass is displayed in the sanctum sanctorum of Har Mandir at Amritsar along with pictures of other celebrities who lived and, died _or the sake of the Sikh faith. A park and a road named after Bhm MatI Dass were opened at Yamunanagar on 29 July, 1984.Earlier, on 20 December, 1979, a road called Bhai Mati Dass Murg, was inaugurated in Delhi-Shahdara. A plot of land in Sector] I of Chandigarh has been allottcd for raising a Mcmorial in memory of the great martyr. In 1976 when Giani Zai] Singh was the Chief Minister of Punjab, he donated Rs. one lac to Bhai Mati Dass Memoria] Trust. Shri B. D. Bali, President of the General Mohya] Sabha, was co-opted as a Trustee in 1990. Due to the untiring crusade of late Dr. Paras Ram Chhibber, the founder of Bhai Mati Dass Samarik Samiti Regd., New De]hi, the thorougfare popularly known as the Fountain, in Chandni Chowk of Delhi, where Bhai Mati Dass was brutally murdered, has been christened as Bhai Mati Dass Chowk. However, an unbecoming controversy continues to rage between orthodox Sikhs and ihe promoters of the Samiti which is hindering the installation of a statue of the martyred hero at the memorial spot. While the former proclaim that Bhai Mati Dass sported long hair as prescribed In the Sikh religion, the latter contend that his hair were short-clipped and the plea of the Sikhs was untenable because the Bhai was executed in 1675 whereas the Khalsa Panth which enjoined the wearing of long hair and other constraints on its followers. was baptised by Guru Govind Singh 24 years later, i.e. on 30 March. 1699. It is incredible that his hair was clipped when all senior members in the court of the Guru sported long hair and a beard. Moreover, Bhai Mati Dass also held the office of a Dewan., Actually. no original picture of Bhai Mati Dass is available. Bhai Parmanand got one made by an artist which displayed a beard. His pictures in Gurdwaras of Amritsar. Anandpur and Patna are all with a beard. Authentic records about Bhai Mati Dass are available with the Pandas of Haridwar. Joginder Panda of Moti Bazar showed his books with signatures of Bhai Mati Dass and Bhai Sati Dass to Giani Zail Singh in 1977. Earlier, another Panda, Pandit Mohinder Pal, had shown their signatures to Baba Mota Singh (vide article in Urdu Milap dated 18.1.80) in Chinioti Behi. page 37. The same particulars were seen by Baba Mota Singh in the books of a Panda of Mattan (J&K) on 9.4.1977. At Haridwar, there are other Pandas also who carry valuable record on Chhibbers. namely, Kashi Ram, Lachhi Ram (Kusha ghat) and a Panda at Jandal Ahata in Mati Bazar. Dr. Bhai Mahavir has also seen these records including of one person (name not decipherable) mentioned as great grandson of Baba Praga who had brought the ashes of Bhai Mati Dass and Bhai Sati Dass for immersion in the Ganges but the impression is faint and illegible. Even after the death of Bhai Mati Dass his descendants carried on tI!e titanic fight against the tyrannical muslim rulers. When Guru Govind sIngh succeeded to the Sikh hierarchy, he picked-up Bhai Sahib Chand (also known as Sahib Singh). a nephew of Bhai Mati Dass. to be his Dewan. He also appointed his brother Dharam Chand as the revenue minister. Mukand Rai, the real son of Bhai Mati Dass who was living in Karyala at that time, was made the civil minsiter. Sahib Chand who had inherited the mane and muscle of his illustrious ancestors Baba Praga and Mati Dass, was an intrepid fighter. He fought a tumultuous war with Hatai Khan and mopped up his legions like a fireball. Ultimately, he fell down dead near Beas under the blows of the outnumbered enemy. His body was cremated on the river-bank by Guru Govind Singh with his own hands and a memorial marks the place. Guru Govind Singh was so much impressed by the bravery and 10yaJty of Bhai Sahib Singh that through special messengers Lal Singh and Hira Singh, he sent a reward of one horse and a cash amount of Rs. 500 to his son Bhai Gurbakhash Singh Chhibher, in 1704. Guru Govind Singh also sent a letter of eulogy, dated 12 Bhado Samat 1761. signed in his own hand and written with the tip of his arrow. This citation is preserved by his progenies as a priceless souvenir. Guru Govind Sing appointed Bhai Gurbakhash Singh as his next Dewan, a post which his ancestors had held, consistently over the generations. Bhai Sahib Chand was one of the Panj Pyams of Guru Govind Singh. He stayed for a long time at Bidar in Karnataka; the place is a pilgrim centre of the Sikhs as Guru Nanak had also visited it in the year 1513 AD. In Sept. 1988, Sikh-Hindu clashes erupted in Bidar on the occasion of the Ganesh Utsav. Later on, when Guru Govind Singh proceeded to Deccan, Dewan Gurbakhash Singh left Anandpur and retired to Amritsar. At the time of the invasion of Ahmed Shah AMali, his bandits made a horrendous onslaught on the Golden Temple and let loose an orgy of loot and mayhem. The Sikhs were hounded and killed in the streets and a reward of Rs, 10 to Rs. 15 per head was offered for their slaughter. In the raging street baule, the age-weary Bhai Gurubakhash Singh was done to death in a skirmish. A luminary of the Chhibbers of Karyala, Bhai Nand Lal \'Goya\' (1633-1705), was private secretary of Prince Mua\'zzam. the son of Aurangzeb, who was later crowned as Bahadur Shah I. On his advice, Guru Govind Singh fought on the side of Prince Mua\'zzam against his brother Azam. Nandlal was a gifted poet and a classical singer. Later in life, he withdrew himself from Mua\'zzam and joined Guru Govind Singh at Anandpur and was made poet laureate in the Guru\'s court among a galaxy of 52 poets. A Mohyal Robinhood: Not the legendary character given to reckless adventure and bending himself double to help the suffering humanity, but the hot -blooded phenomenon called Banda Veer Bairagi. He was born in village Mendhar Distt. Poonch, nestling in Shivalik ranges, in Jammu & Kashmir, in a Chhibber family on 27 October, 1670. His original name was Lachhm_,l Dev and that of his father Ram Dev. From very early age he was disposed to mendicancy and wander-lust. Once on a hunting trip, he killed a she-deer viz., Hirni, at about one mile from Mendhar and a village by the name of Hirni stands there at present. He saw the female deer dying in pain and its two offsprings falling from womb. The sight had deep effect on him and he resolved to become a sadhu, adopted name of Madho Dass, and left home. As a hermit he lived in Nasik and then moved to Nanded in Maharashtra. He met Guru Govind Singh at Nanded in Sept. 1708 and was deeply impressed by his militancy against the muslim despotism. After the death of the Guru, Banda vowed to continue his mission of avenging the atrocities inflicted on the Hindus by the fanatic muslim rulers. He roused the Sikhs with the ringing slogan of \'Ra} Karega Khalsa, Aaki Rahe Na Koey\' (the Khalsa will rule the land and all dissidents will be wiped out). He raided and ransacked the muslim strongholds of Ambala. Saharnpur and Deoband. Like an hurricane, he stormed into Lahore and captured it. On the way, he fought pitched battle with Wazir Khan, the governor of Sirhind, who had ordered the live burial of the two minor sons of Guru Govind singh, and killed him in May. 1710. He razed to ground the towns of Panipat and Kamal. In lcss than a decade, he changed the map of centuries and completed the work of Shivaji and other warrior patriots. Disturbed at the successes of Banda, Bhadur Shah sent 60,000 soldiers accompanied by his four princes to attack Lohgarh where Banda and his forces were encamped. In a long lasting battle. Sikhs were short of provisions and started eating horses and other beasts to satisfy their hunger. Banda escaped from the fort one night and disappeared in the hills of Nahan. However, he was defeated in the war with his sworn enemy Farrukhseiyar, the Mughal tycoon, at Amir_bad in 1716. About 300 Sikh soldiers were killed in this battle. Banda was captured and brought to Delhi chained and caged, and paraded in the streets along with 700 cartloads of his beheaded soldiers, their bleeding heads poised on the spears. John Surmon and Edward Stephenson, the two envoys of the East India Company, who saw the grim spectacle, have given a palpable account of the harrowing incident. First his 750 followers were exterminated at the rate of 20 heads per _ay. near Harctinge Library in the vicinity of the Delhi Railway Sta110n, and lastly Banda himself was executed at Kutab Minar, in front of the tomb of Bahadur Shah, on 9 June, 1716. Before his execution, he was asked to kill his infant son with his own hands and on his refusal to perform the grisly act, the child was hacked to pieces and morsels of his flesh were forced into the mouth of Banda. His dead body was cremated at Bam Pula. The great poet, Rabindranath Tagore, as described his martyrdom in stirring words in a poem captioned Captive Hero. Banda was popularly known as Maharaja Gurbaksh Singh. Although, he was a great follower of Guru Govind Singh and was given the sobriquet of Banda Bahadur by the Guru. he never converted himself to Sikhism. In the Mughal records he has been mentioned as Bandvi Sikh, Le. belonging to a new sect initiated by himself. Those Sikhs who were drawn from lower castes and pampered with jobs and used for fighting against Banda were called Tat Khalsa. Banda established his empire in 1710 and issued his own seal in Dec. 1712. Guru Govind Singh\'s two wives, Mata Sahib Devi and Mata Sundri, at the instance of the Mughal ruler asked him to stop insurgency and accept in reward a big jagir but he renounced the offer by saying that the command was issued under duress, hence it was not binding on him. Contemporary studies have traced the origin of Banda to Sirmur State in the Himachal Pradesh. He used to have hunting excursions around Nahan and Paonta Sahib. Banda\'s disappearance from Mukhlispur into the hills and emergence at Kiratpur, in one day, indicated his familiarity with the submountainous tract of the Shivalik hills. The Dera of Banda Bahadur is now established in Riasi Tehsil of Udhampur. There should not be any misgiving about the Mohyal identity of Banda. A clinching proof was provided by the noted Mohyal of Banali district Alwar, Sardar Bahadur Captain Mehta Mangat Ram Chhibber, OBI, a veter_n of two ,world wa_s: who after the 46th Mohyal Conference held 111 Jammu 111 1977, vIsited Mendhar for 3 days from 10th to 12th Oct., 1977. and checked-up with the local elders and the historical records available and was fully convinced that Banda was a \'.. Mohyal veteran of the Chhibber caste. This has also been ratified by \"\'t Shri B.S. Bali, PBSO retd.. who served in Indian Army for 40 years,! mostly in J & K and travelled extensively in that State to as far as Leh, and has studied books on Sikh History and on Banda by Sikh and ,} foreign scholars. The fact of Banda being a Mohyal is also strongly) supported by Shri Amrik Singh Bhimwal, the noted author of books and editor (Punjabi), Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Jammu. An award winner and now a free lance journalist. The noted author P. N. j Chopra, in his book \'Re.ligions and Communities of India\', published by Vision Books in 1982. has mentioned on page 68 under \'The Mohyal Community\', Banda Bairagi as a Mohyal hero. The scions of the illustrious Chhibber clan of Karyala, namely, Bhai Charan Singh, Bhai Jai Bhan Singh, Bhai Gaj Singh and Bhai Wazir Singh held gubernatorial posts during the reign of Majaraja Ranjit Singh. They were awarded jagirs and stipends, issued certificates of honour, exempted from payment of salt tax and granted sal/ad providing severe punishment to anyone who dared to disturb the peace of their families. On_ of their progenies, Bhai Gurdit Singh. was a well-known landlord and among the first to be honoured with the rank of a Ziladar on the advent of the British regime. A Chhibber chief named Bakhshi Jograj along with his younger brother Bakhshi Desraj, had migrated from Bhera and established their estate at Kahnuwan Distt. Gurdaspur, during the muslim rule. When Nawab Begh was the governor of Punjab, Jograj was the commander of army while Desraj was incharge of the civil administration. For his conspicuous gallantry in the battle-field, Jograj was rewarded a Jagir of 22 villages out of which he donated 5 villages to the Gurdwara of pandori and this property is still held in the custody of the aforesaid Gurdwara. He founded a village Kot Jograj after his own name on the canal bank near Kahnuwan. When Bakhshi Jograj was killed in a combat, his body was cremated at Kahnuwan by Desraj. His widow jumped into the burning pyre to commite suicide and the site of her death is known as Satigarh. Among the \'Chhibber stalwarts who blazed a trail during the Sikh period may be mentioned the following: Bakhshi Amar Singh of Bhera the governor of Thai, Mehta Kishen Chand of Pind Dadan Khan the governor of area between the rivers Ravi and Indus and Bakhshi Amrik Rai of Gujrat, the Paymaster of the Sikh army. The illustrious Mehta family of Kala is mentioned in the District Gazetteer of Jhelum (1904). Their chief man. Mehta Sukha Nand, was a governor and landlord in the reign of Sikhs. He had his big mansion at Kala known as \'Afari\' and used to hold his durbar there. His grandson, Mehta Sham Dass, was a representative of the Kashmir government in India. He was a man of versatile talent, an erudite scholar and a prolific writer. His name is mentioned in the Gazette of District Jhelum 1904 (page 120) for getting Mohyals enlisted as hereditary agriculturists. He was one of the builders of the General Mohyal Sabha. Not being happy with the impassive functioning of the GMS and the rutted writings in Mohyal Mitter; he started his own fortnightly named \'Mohyal Gazette\' in 1899 and carried on a crusade for swift social reforms. He collected a large number of Mohyali kavits and published them in his Gazette. He passed away in 1912 and with him the Mohyal Gazette also went into oblivion. Mehta Sham Dass had 4 sons. His second son, Mehta Amrit Chand, was a legal luminary and took active part in the Congress movement. To avoid being prosecuted by the Punjab government, he remained underground for many years near Gorakhpur in UP. He was imprisoned several times and his property was confiscated twice. _I_e third son, Mehta Fateh Chand, was a doctor. He too was a politIcal revolutionary and was imprisoned for 5 years for hitting a British officer with a stone. The yougest son of Mehta Sham Dass. Mehta aldev Singh, left government service to join the national struggle. A httle before the partition, a large number of serviceable tanks of KalaO dllance Depot. which were officially ordered to be dismantled, were mischievously left in tact. Mehta Baldev Singh had an inkling of the oul. pl_y as these tanks were going to be used by the Pakistan Army III fIght1l1g against India in the Kashmir operations. Mehta Baldev Singh moved the Army Headquarters at Delhi and got these tanks dismantled and the scrap auctioned. Great grandson of Mehta Sham Dass. Captain Hitesh Kumar. became immortal in Bangladesh War of Independence. The stirring saga of his martyrdom is described in the opening para of chapter on the eminent Mohyals of the Defence services. During the reign of Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir. Bakhshi Radha Kishen won laurels for his conquests of Gilgit and Ladakh in 1861. He hailed from village Thoha in Tehsil Kalmta of Rawalpindi District. A commoner by birth. he shot up to the position of commander of the state army due to his leadership traits. His son Bakhshi Moolraj who earlier served as Colonel in the army was made governor of Ladakh. He had his estate at Pail. Moolraj had two sons, Bakhshi Ram Dass and Bakhshi Moti Ram. The former was the chief minister of Poonch while the latter a member of the State Assembly and chairman of the Military Board. Bakhshi Thakar Dass. son of Bakhshi Ram Dass, was an eminent barrister and retired as Judge of the High Court. Afghanistan has been a familiar country for the Mohyals since times past. They have wielded the scepter and worn the crown in that land for 120 years. from 830 to 950 AD (see under Datts). Here we are concerned chiefly with a historical Chhibber family which emigrated from Bhera nearly 250 years ago and struck roots in Kabul and achieved luminous heights of fame. Their precursor, the first man to set his foot on the Afghan soil was Dewan Kishen Kor. It was his great grandson Dewan Narain Dass who made a name in the days of King Amir Sher Ali Khan. He displayed rare valour in crushing the insurgency of tribals and the Amir was so pleased with him that he honoured him with the rank of a Field Marshal. His son Dewan Rama Nand was commissioner of Kabul based in British Peshawar while the second son Dewan Hira Nand was Mahant of the famous Pir Rattan Nath Dargah also at Peshawar. The most famous man of this dynasty was Brigadier General Dewan Niranjan Dass. Chairman of the State Bank of Afghanistail and Finance Minister of Amir Aman Ullah Khan. He wielded tremendous authority during the rule of all kings, from Amir Sher Ali Khan to Amir Aman Ullah Khan. He played a big part in the liberation of Afghanistan from the tutelage of the British Empire. He used to visit Delhi frequently to negotiate with Government of India on behalf of the Royal Afghan Government. Bacha-i-Saquao offered him a high post in his cabinet but he declined the offer. He helped the Hindus and Sikhs in securing jobs and trading facilities in Kabul. These communities enjoyed total religious freedom and there was a ban on cow slaughter. It was the benevolent legacy of Dewan Niranjan Dass that they are still living in Afghanistan in large number. have their temples and schools, and enjoy equal rights with the rest of the citizenry. Dewan Sahib married five times and the only male issue named Krishen Chander that he got from his Mohan wife who hailed from Peshawar. died at the prime age of 18 years in September, 1939. There is no direct descendant of this illustrious family living in Afghanistan at present, although, there are hosts of nephews and the like. One of them Dewan Chuni Lal was Subedar of Kandhar. Dewan Niranjan Dass met with heroic death in the war of retribution waged by Bacha Saquao to dethrone Amir Aman Ullah Khan. He had two daughters. The elder one Pathani Radha Jan. did not marry and was a member of the Royal Afghan Court with the power to put her seal on official documents. She used to dress like a male officer. wear a hat or turban and coat and tie. and go about riding on a horse. The Dewan had adopted his grandson from the younger daughter. The grand old man of Bhera (bom 25 Dec. 1850) Bakhshi Ram Dass Chhibber. promenading on the Mall of Simla. donning his familiar embroidered cassock. his snow white beard billowing in the crisp mountain breeze. presented the majestic picture of a Mohyal patriarch.Popularly known as Munshi Ram Dass. he was tutor of Urdu and Persian to the ruling British eWe and amongst his pupils were such formidable personalities as Lord and Lady Minto. Lord and Lady Hardinge, Lady Curzon, Lady Lansdowne and Field Marshal Roberts. the Commander in-Chief of India. The testimonials given by these dignitaries to Bk. Ram Dass speak volumes about his scholarship as well as pay glowing tribute to the distinguished martial community of which he was the scion. Aword of recommendation from him would open the door for dizzy posts and legion of Mohyals made use of his benevolence to the hilt. He used his intluence to get the Mohyals listed as agriculturists. It was on his bidding and at his personal cost that Russell Stracey wrote the famous History of the Mohyals in 1911, which till now is considered to be the most reliable account of the venerable community. Bakhshi Ram Dass was a philanthropist to his finger tips and made lavish donations viz Rs. 30,000 to DA V College Lahore and Rs. 20.000 to the General Mohyal Sabha: reckoned in today\'s value, a whopping Rs. 10 lakhs. A whole block called Ram Dass Block was built with his contribution in the Mohyal Ashram of Lahore. He was one of the founders of the renowned Lady Hardinge Hospital at New Delhi. His involuntary participation in the infanticide of his newly bom sister. shook his conscience against the amoral and degenerated values of social life. When he was only 8 years old. As he grew of age. he fought relentlessly in the forums of the Arya Samaj and the General Mohyal Sabha, for Stndent social reforms in Hindu society in general and the medieval Mohyal community in particular. To channel his revolutionary thoughts, he launched an organ called \'Miratul Mohyali\'. which proved the prec_rsor of the Mohyal Mitter. Bk. Ram Deiss presided over 3 Mohyal conferences held at Rawalpindi (1905), Lahore (1910) and Lyallpur(926). He died at the hoary age of 87 on 1 May. 1937. without leav!ng any issue. Dr. KS. Mohan of Panchkula, reminscing about his stay Lahore Mohyal Ashram where he served as its Superintendent unng 1938-40. has wrillen that Bk. Ram Dass also used to stay there in the early thirties and the curious thing about him was th:lI he used to plug his ears and nostrils with swabs of cotton. Bakhshi Gokul Chand Chhibber was a pillar of the Arya Samaj and left his indelible mark in the shape of institutions which he founded: Arya Samaj Temples and DA V Boys and Girls Schools at Peshawar and Abbotabad. When the byelaws of the General Mohyal Sabha were drafted, many salient points from the constitution of the Arya Samaj were incorporated in the same. under his wise cousel. He was responsible for reviving the publication of the Mohyal Mitter when it had become defunct after its preliminary launching. He was a contemporary of Swami Dayanand and along with his yauger brother Bakhshi Ganga Dhar, was amongst the first to join the Arya Samaj in Rawalpindi. His yougest brother, Bakhshi Jagan Nath, excelled in studies. took to law and enjoyed a roaring practice. The other most notable Mohyal lawyer of Rawalpindi of the period was Bakhshi Brinda Ban who also was a deeply committed Mohyal. Bakhshi Gokul Chand was a cofounder of the DA V College Lahore and worked shoulder to shoulder with Mahatma Hansraj, Lal Lajpat Rai and Pandit Lakhpat Rai Datt of Hissar, to make it a premier educational institution of the country. He was Confidential Assistant to the DC of Abbotabad and regarded as the real power behind the chair. In those days Abbotabad was a part of Punjab but for strategic reasons the British rulers wanted to transfer it to the NWFP. Bakhshiji fought a losing battle for many years to resist this transfer. A celibate to the end, as an ardent devotee of the Arya Samaj he once decided to break the caste barrier and marry an Aggarwal girl, but was dissuaded from taking the step by Mahatma Hansraj who wanted him to marry in his own virile community. A man of portly build and stature. he dwarfed every body around him. He died in Lahore on 1 November, 1901 and was given a gun-carriage funeral. Pandit Brij Lal Chhibber of Rawalpindi was an erudite scholar of the Vedas and a pioneer in the field of Arya Samaj in Punjab. He had the privilege of working directly under Swami Dayanand Saraswati. His name is mentioned in the autobiography of Swamiji. There was a street named after him in Rawalpindi. It is rare that a whole family is disposed to acts of charity and devoted to service of the humanity at large, as exemplified by the three brothers Rai Sahib Bakhshi Damodar Dass Chhibber, Bakhshi Ramji Dass and Bakhshi Brij Lal Chhibber of Bhera and their cousin. Mehta Nand Lal Mohan. They jointly built a Dharamshala in Jammu for the pilgrims of Vaishno Devi; a Sanatan Dhm\'am High School and a temple at Nowshehra and many a well in the parched areas to provide drinking water to the poor. Mehta Mangat Ram Chhibber, Sardar Bahadur, OBI, Hony. Capt., served in both World Wars and took part in combat missions in Wazirstan. He was awarded 7 medals for distinguished services. He had profound knowledge of Mohyal history and contributed instructive articles to the community journals. He hailed from Gujrat and after partition settled at Banali in District. Alwar (Rajasthan).