The Datts

Datts (Also spelt Dutts) are the descendents of Rishi Bharadwaj and derive their Gotra from his name. Some consider Gaj Bhavan, the grandson of Rishi Bharadwaj to be the real founder of their clan.

The word Datt is derived from the simple hindi words 'daata' meaning a charitable person. Some interpreted it as a deformation of the word 'aditya' which means sun in sanskrit. As there is a Datta surname amongst the Bengalis who are Kayasthas and not Brahmins, traditional Mohyals prefer 'Dutt' or 'Datt' instead of 'Datta'.

The origin of Datts is also traced to a chieftan named Datt who accompanied Alexander the great as an envoy of Raja Porus. However on the way, Alexander fell seriously ill and died at Babylon. Datt along with his followers drifted to Arabia and settled at Harya Bunder. With the passage of time, there emerged a viable community of Datts in Arabia and in the subsequent era, they became rulers of small dominions in that country.

At the time of the war at Karbala,fought in 681 AD, which led to the divide of the Muslim race intoSunnis and Shias, Rahib Sidh Datt was a highly esteemed figure of Arabia due to his close relations with the family of Prophet Mohammed. When Ali, the fourth Caliph,( the son-in-law of the Prophet) was murdered his younger son,Hussain, came out to oppose the new Caliph,Yazid-ibin-Movia. The vastly superior forces of Yazid, at Karbala surrounded his force consisting of 200 men. In the war, when no Muslim king came to his help, Rahib fought on the side of Hussain and sacrificed his seven sons in the bloody war. Hussain was fatally wounded by Shamer, the commander of Yazid, and died of thirst in the desert on the tenth day of Moharram. Rahib chased the murderers as they ran with the severed head of Hussain, upto Kufa. Later, the head was carried to Damascus and finally buried with the rest of the body at Karbala.The Shia disciples of Imam Hussain and the valiant Datts did not lay down their arms till they saw the end of Yazid who could rule for just 40 days. Later on, when the Sunnis let loose an orgy of vendetta on the Shias and the followers of Rahib, the latter who was already overwhelmed with grief due to the slaughter of seven sons, left Arabia in 728 AD and migrated to Afghanistan via Iran and Turkistan.

The kith and kin of Rahib on their arrival in India were received with great hospitality by the native mohyals. After wandering over places, they settled near Nankana Sahib in district Sheikhupura in Pakistan. It was here that in the closing decades of the 10 th centuty that an interesting incident took place involving one peer called Wahun-a trickster chess player, and Shiv Datt-the helmsmam of the Datts. Wahun was known for his knack of invariably winning the games. According to a bet fixed by him, the loser would either pay the price with his head or embrace Islam. In this wasy he converted a large no of Hndus to Muslim faith till he met his match in Shiv Datt. He challanged the peer to a game of chess and defeate him three times in a row, thereby claiming the heads of his wife and 2 sons as per the stakes. However out of sheer magnanamity, Shiv Datt pardones their life. When Wahun came to know that one of the ancestors of Shiv Datt had sacrifised his 7 sons for the sake of the Prophet in the battle of Karbala, he took a solemn vow that in future he would never convert any Hindu by coercion to Islam. It was on this occasion that the peer echoed the famous words ‘ Wah Datt Sultan, Hindu ka dharam musalman ka iman ‘.

After some time, Shiv Datt along with a long no of followers left Nankana Sahib and moved to Dipalpur where they all lived in peace and harmony until Mohd Ghazni attacked Dipalpur in 101 AD and uprooted them from there. The Datts migrated to Raja Anandpal. When Anandpal and his successor passed away, Mohd Ghazni captured Lahore.

For almost 5 centuries, the Datts lead a maverick life. It was in 1527 AD, durinng the reign of the moughal empror that Rai Pun Dewan who was an offspring of Shiv Datt defeated and killed Rai Meen and after capturing the territory of Pathankot, founded his capital at Paniad, situated between Gurdaspur and Dina Nagar.

Provoked by this dsaring victory of Rai Pun, Babar incited the governer of Lahore to attac Puniad and provided him with the troops of royal army. The governer had his own grouse against Datts as he had fallen in love wirth a Marwah girl and wanted to marry her but she had sought the protection of the Datts. A large force was deployed to attack Puniad, but they were thrice repulsed and routed by the Datt defenders. Ultimately, due to the trechory of a cook who had been bribed by the invaders, the whole Datt garrison was caught unaware. They were completely unarmed while taking meal on a cotton field when the army swooped on them. In the ensuing battle, the men were hounded and slaughter while the women commited Sati.

In this tragic war, the Datt clan was annihilated to the last man. Only two infant boys named Shah Swarup and Dholan, escaped because they had gone to live with their maternal grandparents at Samba near Jammu.The horrible episode of Panniad so touched the suscepibilities of the Datts that their future generations never touched any food at Paniad, nor spent a night there. As the carnage took place on a Thursday, that day of the week is consdered inauspicious by the Datts and they do not wash clothes or start any new project on that day.

When Babar’s son Humayun fell mortally ill in 1530 and the physicians declared him beyond cure, astrologers were summoned to the royal court. They unanimously declared that the prince was under a curse of retribution due to the bloodshed of the Datts of Paniad and his life could only be saved by propititing the surviving members of the exterminated clan for divine mercy. After a long seach,Shah Sarup and Dholan, were traced at Samba. They were brought to the presence of the dying Humayun and implored to pray for his life. In return they were offered the gift of land covered by their running horses in a perod of 24 hours. In this way, Shah Sarip got 13 villages in ditrict Gurdaspur while Dholan received some villages in district Sialkot In course of time, Kanjrur and Zaffarwal became strongholds of the Datts.

True to the prediction of the fortune tellers, Humayuns life was also saved. Like the Marathas who had Maharani Laxmibai, the Mohyals too had their heroine in Karmu Mai Dattani. Shortly before the rule of Maharaja Ranhit Singh (1792-1839), Sardar Jaimal Singh was the head of the Kanhya Missal in Amristar. Missal was a squad led by a powerful personality and there were a dozen Missals at that time. They were later consolidate by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to become the supreme ruler of Punjab. Jaimal Singh appointed Mai Karmo as the chief of Katra Kanhiyan. The intrepid lady held her court in the open, in a jostling market square in Amritsar which is known by her name till today viz. ‘Karmo Ki Deodi’. She was a terror to the local ruffians and used to administer justice without any fear or favour. She once took part in a battle wearing the coat of arms. The seal of her high office is believed to be still in the possession of his progenies.