Mohyal Brahmin

The Mohyal Jati (clan), is split into further Jatis with each Family Name tracing their origin story to a certain Vedic figure.

Contributions to the Indic ('Hindu') World

Moving from Vedic history to more recent ancient history, P.N. Bali writes -

'326 BC: when Alexander the Great came riding on the horse-back of ego, to conquer this fabled land [India]; it was a Mohyal satrap named Porus who halted his truth and made his dream sour' (page, vi).[4]

As consistent with Mohyal oral history, the Punjabi Hindus of which Mohyals were apart of, fought to protect India against outside invaders[4]. This ethos stayed consistent with the Moyhal clan as they along with other Indic groups, fought battles along India's border. Fighting on behalf of the Mauryian Empire (including Ashoka the Great) to Gupta Empire. As the forces of Islam started to convert and conquer lands across wider Arabian and Persian regions, their sights soon turned towards India to fulfil the Ghazwa-e-Hind mandate. However, clans liked the Mohyals resisted such actions -

'712 AD: this was the year of the first Arab invasion of India. The man who fought a relentless battle of the bridgehead of the river Sind, to starve off the onslaught, was Raja Dahir, the Mohyal monarch of Sind' (page vi)[4].

Contributions to Shia Islam

'681 AD: the modern populist rhetoric of secularist pales into nothingness when one thinks of the valiant Datt named Rahab - an archetypal Brahmin - who sacrificed his seven sons, to redeem the honour of the grandson of no less a person than the Prophet of Islam, in the battle of Karbala' (page, vi)[4]. The Moyhals like other Sanatan ('Hindu') groups who lived Mesopotamian region, retained their cultural and spiritual identity whilst fighting alongside muslim warlords. The Mohyals who have associations to Shia Islam are called Hussaini Brahmins[6]. Although, many Hindu groups were converted to Islam during this period, the Mohyals were revered warriors and scholars, thus held their ground and distinct identity.

Spirituality and Identity

Guru Nanak, continuing in the tradition of Bhakti Saints, revitalised Sanatan ('Hindu') wisdom in order to make to accessible for the common people of Late Medieval India[7]. As apart of this transformation, many Punjabi Hindus, including the Mohyals, revered and followed Guru Nanak[4]. 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[8]. Its worth mentioning that a distinct Sikh religious identity was not created until the 19th century, thus, referring to the period of the Gurus as 'Sikhism' is problematic[9].

Gurus Period

Baba Praga was a Chhibber (Mohyal) and participated in many battles. Chowk Paraga Das of Amritsar is named after him. His loyalty and spiritual devotion to different Gurus, in particular, Guru Arjan Dev finds a mention in the famous Suraj Prakash[10][5]. Other notable Mohyals include the brothers Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das, who both died alongside the 9th Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur for protecting Indic civilisation against Islamism[11]. P.N. Bali page vii writes '9 Nov 1675: death itself was glorified when Bhai Mati Dass was anointed in its embrace...37 years earlier, his ancestor, Baba Praga, had risen with a sword in his hand, at the hoary age of 131 years, to fight tyranny, on the sandbanks of the river Jhelum'[4]. As the family of the latter Gurus and this Chhibbers family were close, Bhai Chaupa Singh Chhiber became a care-taker of Guru Gobind Singh (10th Guru)[4][12].

Post Gurus Period

Even after the death of the Gurus, the Mohyals were heavily imbedded into their legacy[13]. 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 Punjab Empire[14]. 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). [15][16] Other Mohyal families besides Chhibbers played significant role too, for example, Sardar Raja Mahan Singh "Mirpuri"''' belonged to the Bali family and was 2nd in Command of the Khalsa Army [14]. Mohyal Hindus were high-ranking officers in various Sikh Armies, this led to these 'brave warriors' joining 'Sikh Regiments' under the British Raj[14].

• Official Website of General Mohyal Sabha
• Hindu followers of Muslim imam , The Milli Gazette, Vol.5 No.10, (16–31 May 04)
• Official Website of Educational Institution Directly run by G.M.S.