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Introduction

Punjabi Khatris are an elite community of the Kshatriya caste that originated in the Pothwar plateau (Rawalpindi division) and surrounding regions of Punjab, Pakistan. When Pakistan and India gained independence, most of the Khatris in what became Pakistan migrated to India. Today Khatris live in all regions of India, but are concentrated in Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. While most all Khatris are Hindu, some are also Sikh and a few are Jain. Khatris of all these faiths collectively form one community. In modern day, the Khatri play a dominant role in the Indian economy, serving as businessman, civil and government administrators, landlords, and military officials. They are by far the most educated group in Punjab.

Common Family Names

Some Khatri family names include Anand, Awal, Badhwar, Bagga, Bakshi, Bedi, Bhalla, Bhasin, Bhandari, Bindra, Chadha, Chandok, Chona, Chopra, Choudhary, Dhawan, Duggal, Dhupar, Dumra, Gujral, Jerath, Jairath, Jaggi, Kakkar, Kapoor, Khanna, Kochhar, Kohli, Koshal, Lal, Lala, Lamba, Mahendru, Maini, Malhotra, Malik, Mankhand, Manraj, Mehrotra, Mehta, Monga, Nair(Nayyar), Oberoi, Parwanda, Puri, Rajpal, Rai, Sabharwal, Sami, Sahni, Sarin, Sehgal(Sahgal), Sethi, Sibal, Singh , Sodhi, Soni, Suri, Talwar, Tandan(Tandon), Thapar, Trehan, Uppal, Vadehra, Vij, Vinaik, Vohra, Wadhawan and Wahi (Wahie).

The Arora (Ahuja, Aneja, Khurana,Chawla, Juneja), Sood and Bhatia communities of the Punjab, while not Khatri, share a similar cultural and mercantile background as the Khatris.

Historical Background

The region from where the Khatris emerged is now an Islamic country, Pakistan; but in ancient times this was one of the most important centers of Indian culture. This is where the Vedas and the Mahabharata were composed, where students from all over India came to study at Takshasila (Taxila) and where Panini composed his Ashtadhyayi. Most Khatris are devout Sanatani Hindus. Some are also Sikhs, Arya Samaji and a few are Jains. All these intermarry and form one community.

In early Vedic Period the role of the Khatris during the war was to fight and during peace to rule.

During Rajput Period (647 AD to 1021 AD) the regional administrative system changed. Initially, Khatris lost their political power to emerging order of Rajputs. Being literate, proud and well verse in statecraft, they were allowed to continue in administrative role. However many of them unemployed, channeled their skilled to commerce and trade. Toward the end of Rajput control, Khatris reemerged as dominant.

During Muslim Period (1021-1752 AD) foreign Muslims from Central Asia, Iran or Arabia were employed in higher positions of bureacuracy and Military. However, local adminstartion and revenue collection remained in the hands of local Hindus or Muslims. Though members of other castes were also employed, most of these offices were held by Khatris. One of the office held by Khatris was called "Qanungo", means "an expounder of law". This designation was used for herditary registrar of landed property in a district. The founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak, a Khatri of Bedi section, started his career in one of these offices.

Khatris continue to be the most educated group in modern Punjab. Their historical access to resources and education, has translated into wealth and power.

Khatris and Vedas

The Khatris are among the rare non-Brahmin communities that have historically studied the Vedas. In Bachitra Natak, Guru Gobind Singh mentions the descendants of Lord Ramchandra of Ayodhya studying the Vedas, and hence came to be called Bedi.

Khatris and Sun Worship

Raja Vanvihari Kapur has written that major Khatri clans are named after Lord Sun.

• Mitra Mehra
• Kripakar Kapur
• Shankan Khanna
• Martanada Tandan
• Shreshtha Seth
• Dhavan Dhavan
• Mahendra Mahindru
• Bahukar Bahora (Vohra)
• Chakravali Chaupada (Chopra)
• Karalagni Kakkar
• Surya Suri
• Sahasrakar Sahgal

According to Bhavishya Purana, Punjab indeed was an ancient center of Sun worship.

Khatris and Sarasvata Brahmins

As noted in the introduction, the mercantile communities were the socio-religious leaders in the Punjab. The Khatris were the patrons ('yajamansas' or in Punjabi 'jajmani') of the Sarasvata Brahmins. Together the two communities represent the heritage of ancient Aryan center of NW India.

Khatris and Sikh Panth

A minority of the Khatris are Sikh. The Sikh panth is not caste based, still the Khatris played a major role in development of Sikhism as a gentle and inclusive faith. All the Sikh Gurus were Khatri. During the lifetime of the Gurus, most of their major supporters were Khatris. The Sikh institutions till the early 20th century were lead by Mahants (Masands) who were generally Khatri. Widespread abuses by the Masands, such as introduction of idols in Gurudwaras, led to agitation for reform by the reformist Singh Sabha resulting in formation of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee to oversee Sikh Gurudwaras. After the formation of the Khalsa (1699), and especially during the reign of Ranjit Singh, Hindu Khatri families raised at least one son (usually the oldest) as an Amritdhari Sikh.

Khatris and Indian Culture

The Khatris were adversely impacted by the partition of India. It resulted in the loss of the traditional home regions of the Khatris.

Traditionally Khatris have been an orthodox community, although there is now significant exposure to modernity in some Khatri families. Even when they are modern, the Khatris have a great affinity with their traditions and values.

Khatris take pride in their Indian heritage and have contributed significantly to the Indian culture in terms of industry, commerce, administration, scholarship etc.

Divisions among the Khatris

Here are some of the major divisions of the Khatri community.

Within the Khatri clans there is a hierarchy too. At the top of the pyramid is the Dhai Ghar (i.e. 2 1/2 - the number 3 being considered unlucky) grouping comprising of Khanna, Kapur, and Mehra/Malhotra clans. Along with the Seth clan these four form the Char Ghar grouping. With the Chopra, Dhavan, Mahendru, Sahgal, Talwar, Tandon, Vohra and Wadhawan sub castes, all 12 form the barah-jati grouping. Another group is called Bavanjai (52). The Sarins, for some inexplicable reason in the hoary past, are at the bottom of the pyramid. The historical reasons for these divisions need research. A regional clan grouping is the Kukhrain grouping (see below). Yet another grouping is one associated with the Sikh gurus (Bedi, Chona, Trehan, Bhalla, Sodhi etc.)

Kukhran

Kukhran (also spelt Kukhrain) Khatris are a regional grouping of nine subcastes of Punjabi Khatris originally from the town of Bhera in the Jech doab (Jhelum - Chenab interfluve) region of Sargodha district of Pakistani Punjab. In keeping with Khatri traditions, Bhera was an important trading outpost on the road to Kabul, and a 'taksal' (mint) during the reign of Ranjit Singh. It declined in importance due to a shifting of the Jhelum river course, which left it away from the river bank. The Kukhrans were traditionally warrior peoples who bore the brunt of Muslim invasions from the northwest during the 12-16th centuries. Kukhrans are Aryan and Vedic peoples and have originally followed Hinduism, however a significant number adapted Sikhism during the 18th and 19th centuries. This, and also because many Hindu Kukhran families, as well as other Khatri clans, raised at least one Sikh son during the formation of the Khalsa in 1699, resulted in Kukhran family names, as well as other Khatri clan names, being present in both Hindu and Sikh communities worldwide. Common Kukhran names are Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Chandok, Kohli, Sabbarwal, Sahni, Sethi and Suri many of whom had migrated from present Pakistan to India during partition.

The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh is a Kukhran of the Kohli subcaste.

Khukrain clans Gotra and other details:

Clan Vansh Gotra Purohit Kuldevta

Anand : Suryavansh Kashyap Bijra Durga Mata

Bhasin : Suryavansh Kashyap Bijra Durga Mata

Chadha : Suryavansh Vats Luv Baba Sodal

Sahni : Chandravansh Vats Vasudev Bhadarkali

Suri : Suryavansh Bhargav Panda Sesh Nag

Kohli : Chandravansh Kashyap Dutt Satyavati

Sethi : Suryavansh Palsth Soodan Vaishnoo Devi

Sabharwal : Suryavansh Hanslas Madankhamb Baba Medar

Afghanistan Khatris

According to the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, the Hindki, Hindus living in Afghanistan, are part of the Khatri class. The term is sometimes applied in a historical sense to the Buddhist inhabitants of the Peshawar Valley north of the Kabul river, who were driven thence about the 5th or 6th century and settled in the neighborhood of Kandahar.

The temples and gurdwaras in Kabul and Kandahar are maintained by the Khatris.

During the Taliban rule, most the Khatris had fled Afghanistan. Some of them have now returned.

UP Khatris

Uttar Pradesh Khatris are those who have been living in Uttar Pradesh for several generations.

Khatris in Burma

Prior to revolutionary and nationalist movements in Burma, Chinese and Indian merchants and landowners formed an economic upperclass in the country. Many of the Indians landowners in Burma were Khatri that settled in the country for generations because of their economic control and prosperity. Wealth became increasingly concentrated in the hands of very few Indian upperclass families. However, as nationalist sentiments grew, most all Indian and Chinese merchants were forced out of the country.

Muslim Khatris

Although the vast majority of Khatris are Hindus, some are Muslim. The conversion started in 12th century and continued until 1947. They are known as Punjabi Sheikhs and are a very important community of Pakistan. Their main profession is trade. House of Saigols and Chiniotis are the leading industralists of Pakistan.

In western districts of the Punjab (Sargodha, Mianwali, Multan, Jhang, Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Faislabad) any Khatri trader when become Muslim called themselves "Khoja". Sometimes they are called "Khoja Sheikh".

In other districts of the Punjab Khatris use "Sheikh" as title and it is generally assumed that they belong to Muslim trading families. The Khoja Sheikhs of Chiniot, a town in district Jhang, have industris in all over Pakistan. A group of Muslim Khatris is known as "Qanungo Sheikhs". They are descended of Qanungos described above. They are mostly employed in government or private sectors.

There are large number of Muslim Khatris from Gurdaspur, Jallandhar amd Amritsar living in Karachi. They mainly belong to Sahgal and Chaddha sections, are involved in trade and commerce

Distinguished Khatris

• Master Tara Singh (Malhotra) - freedom fighter and leader of the movement for creation of Punjabi subah
• M.S. Oberoi - hotelier, founder of the Oberoi chain of hotels
• Najam Sethi - crusading Pakistani editor of the Friday Times
• Kuldip Nayyar - crusading Indian journalist
• Purushottam Das Tandon freedom fighter
• The father-son duo of Prithviraj and Raj Kapoor legendary actors, directors, and producers of Indian movies
• The brothers Balraj and Bhisham Sahni, the former a well known actor and the latter the Hindi author ('Tamas')
• The brothers Satish and Inder Kumar Gujral, the former a well regarded artist and muralist who trained under Diego Rivera, the latter a Prime Minister of India
• Kundan Lal Saigal (Sahgal/Sehgal), the legendary singer and actor in early North Indian (Hindi and Bengali) talkies, known as the Enrico Caruso of North India for his vocal range.
• Vikram Seth, the novelist, who so sensitively portrayed urban Khatri life after the partition of India in 'A Suitable Boy'
• Meera Nair, the director and producer of the award winning movies as 'Salaam Bombay'
• Gurinder Chadha - Kenyan- Brit movie director ('Bend it like Beckham', 'Bhaji on the Beach')
• Deepa Mehta - Indo-Canadian director
• Shekhar Kapur - movie director ('Bandit Queen', 'Elizabeth')
• Rajinder Singh Bedi - Urdu author
• Sangam Rai, Maharaja of Burdwan
• Devaki Nandan Khatri, pioneer Hindi author
• Manmohan Singh, Prime minister of India
• Mulk Raj Anand, novelist
• Narendra Kohli, Hindi Author

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

• Page 501-526, Vol II, Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose "A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province", 1911 AD
• Page 537-538, Vol II, Ibid.

• Social groups of India