The Bhat Brahmins

Kashmiri Pandits and their contributions to Sikhism

The fact that the Sikh Gurus always surrounded themselves with Kashmiri Pandits has been suppressed as well as distorted by the so called 'historians' funded by the British to manipulate Sikh history. Instead, a deep contempt and hatred of Brahmins was encouraged in Punjab through various interpolations and canards spread by the British Christian missionaries. One of the main culprits is the Irish Christian missionary known as Max Arthur Macauliffe, who was funded by the British East India Company to further weaken Hindu society by establishing the Tat Khalsa Singh Sabha, the SGPC, AKJ, Nirankaris ( modern day Sikhs ) etc These prophets of doom nurtured a narrow minded puritanical Victorian ideals established by the British Raj, began to label Guru ordained Sanatan Sikhi as being false. They were financed heavily to set up their own printing presses and conversion schools, to carry out distortions of Punjab history by going as far as spreading canards that Jatt Sikhs were not of Indian or Hindu origin but were from Syria, Jordan and Greece or were Sythians - the agenda to give the notion that the Sikhs constitute one Race and Nation,and are not a part of Mother India at all. By specifically picking and choosing what should be a part of the Sikh holy scriptures, by erasing or manipulating the Banis such as the Kartarpur Banis, which are in Braj Bhasha, these stooges of the British re-wrote the Shri Adi Granth ji, renamed it the Guru Granth sahib and made it the main scripture to be followed by all Sikhs. The Tat Khalsa began to radically alter Sanatan Sikhism as it had been preached by all the Gurus, so to ensure it conformed to their new British Raj accommodating perception.
Facts ignored and distorted by Tat Khalsa & SGPC

Contempt of Brahmins was the main goal of the Jaichand stooges such as Kahn Singh of Nabha and Teja Singh Bhasuria. Myths were created about how the 9th Guru Tegh Bahadurji sacrificed his own life for some Kashmiri Brahmins who had allegedly run to him for protection. The accounts of the numbers of Kashmiri Pandits seeking protection from Guruji have been mentioned as : 500,600, 1000, 16, 25 etc with inconsistencies in the story from one sikh writer to another. But having done painstaking research on the various circumstances surrounding the beheading of Guru Tegh Bahadurji, one cannot stop taking into account the fact that guruji was initially summoned by Aurangzeb to accompany Raja Ram Singh ( commander of Mughal army ) to invade Assam in 1667. The war had continued for at least 3-4 years after which both Guruji and Ram Singh returned to Delhi defeated by the Ahom Hindu Kings. Accompanying Guru Tegh Bahadurji for the Assam mission were two other Kashmiri Pandits - Bhai Mati dass and Dayal Dass, who were brothers, but this has been conveniently ignored by the Tat Khalsa stooges. In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadurji and the two Kashmiri Pandits were summoned by Aurangzeb and were mercilessly tortured to death. The sacrifice of the Kashmiri Pandits has been written as 'brave Sikh sacrifices' in Tat Khalsa chronicles, blatantly leaving out the facts. 

Eleven Bhats who contributed Swayyas to Shri Adi Granth were all Brahmans. There are 123 compositions in holy book. The Bhat Brahmins all originally from Kashmir, were Saraswat Brahmins, who wrote the Bhat Vahi Talauda Parganah Jind, which has the genealogy of the Gurus, in a script called Bhatakshri. These Bhats were Bhat Kalsahar, Bhat Jalap, Bhat Kirat, Bhat Bhlkha, Bhat Salya, Bhat Bhalya, Bhat Nalya, Bhat Gayana, Bhat Mathura, Bhat Harshas, and Bhat Bhalya. Of these, Bhikha Bhat was of Sultanpur Lodhi whose family had escaped the tyrannical Islamic reign in Kashmir and given initiation as a shishya by Guru Amardas at Gobindwal. He lived upto the time of Guru Arjan Dev to whom he introduced seventeen other Brahmin scholars - Santokh Singh (Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth), Bhai Vir (Guru Granth Kosh) and some others among the traditional scholars count 17, and Pandit Kartar Dakha puts the figure at 19.This variation in numbers is owed to the fact that the Bhats used to sing the Gurubanis in chorus of traditional Ragas taken from the Sama Veda.

The works of these intellectual Brahmins are known as Bhat Banis. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, `They were the Ved`as incarnate" (p. 2121).

Continuing with Khalistani Myths

Khalistani Myth : ' Brahmins are enemies of Sikhism -'

A well known Myth spread by the venomous Talibani Khalistanis. What they do not tell us is that :

1. Several Sikhs were indeed Brahmins such as Bhai Gurdas, Baba Buddha etc  Chhibber (alternatively Chibber or Chhiber) is a Brahmin clan from Kashmiri and settled in Punjab. They are one of the seven clans of the Mohyals who are Saraswat Brahmins of Kashmir. The other six clans are Bali, Bhimwal, Datt/Dutt, Lau, Mohan and Vaid. Punjabi Brahmins other than Mohyals include Barahis (Twelvers), Bawanjais (Fifty-twoers) and Athwans (Eighters). Most Chhibbers are Hindus,  and were closely associated with the Gurus, especially the ninth and tenth Gurus, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh.

2. Guru Gobindji's teacher & mentor was in fact a Kashmiri Brahmin called Kripa Ram Dutt who was well knowledged in warfare, martial arts, Vedas, Upanishads, sanskrit, Farsee & also fought alongside the Khalsa army & died a martyr for Sanatan Sikhi. He taught the young Guru Gobind Singh all the knowledge of Vedas, warfare & martial arts.

3.  Guru Tegh Bahadur's close followers were Kashmiri Pandit Brahmins. Their names were Bhai Sati Dass, Bhai Dayal Dass & Bhai Mati Dass who all were tortured to death by Aurangzeb. They accepted martyrdom instead of being forcibly converted to Islam. They wore the Janeu, tilak & died for Hindu Dharm. It seems Guru Tegh Bahadurji too died for Hindu Dharm, the faith he so much held close to his heart as per his following statement to Aurangzeb: 

'Tin te sun Siri Tegh Bahadur
Dharam nibaahan bikhe Bahadur Uttar bhaniyo, dharam hum Hindu
Atipriya ko kin karen nikandu Lok parlok ubhaya sukhani
Aan napahant yahi samani Mat mileen murakh mat loi
Ise tayage pramar soi Hindu dharam rakhe jag mahin
Tumre kare bin se it nahin

~ Guru Tegh Bahadur's reply to Aurangzeb's ordering him to embrace Islam

.
(In response, Shri Tegh Bahadur says, My religion is Hindu and how can I abandon what is so dear to me? This religion helps you in this world and that, and only a fool would abandon it. God himself is the protector of this religion and no one can destroy it.)

In recognition of the devotion and supreme sacrifice made by the Brahmin Mati Dass, Guru Teg Bahadur bestowed the title of Bhai on him. In course of time, all Chhibbers belonging to the village of Karyala adopted this title. 

4. Bhai Mati Dass was a Mohyal Brahmin of the Chhibber clan. He belonged to the village of Karyala, a stronghold of the Chhibbers, in the Jhelum District in Punjab (Pakistan), about ten kilometres from Chakwal on the road to the Katas Raj Temple Complex. The village stands on the top of the Surla hills.Originally from kashmir, these Pandits had fled the tyranny of Aurangzeb's rule in the valley for a safe haven in Punjab.

Mati Dass was the son of Hira Nand, a disciple of Guru Har Gobind, under whom he had fought in many battles. He survived the Guru, and a little before his death he had entrusted his two sons, Mati Das and Sati Das to the care of Guru Har Rai, who had assured the dying man of his full attention and help. Both the lads remained attached to the Guru's family at Kiratpur. When Guru Har Krishan was summoned to Delhi by Aurangzeb, both the brothers, Mati Das and Sati Das, were present in his entourage along with his brother Dayal Dass and Gurditta, a descendant of Bhai Budha (different from Baba Gurditta, the son of Guru Hargobind, brother of Guru Teg Bahadur and father of Guru Har Rai).

5. The title of Bhai was first given to a Kashmiri Brahmin family settled in Kiratpur. It was their nephew Chaupa Singh Chibber who compiled the first Rehat Maryada. He served the last three gurus. He was the care-taker of Guru Gobind Singh.

6. Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber, son of Gurbaksh Singh, wrote 'Bansavalinama Dasan Patshahian Ka' his work in 1779 AD. He served Mata Sundari (wife of Guru Gobind Singh). Many descendants of this extended Chhibber clan of Karyala (Bhai Charan Singh, Bhai Gaj Singh, Bhai Wazir Singh and Bhai Jai Bhan) were entrusted with senior posts during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and awarded jagirs and stipends. They were issued certificates of honour, exempted from paying salt-tax and severe punishments were provisioned for anyone disturbing the peace of their families.

7. Baba Praga Sen (1507—1638) laid the foundation of Karyala, which remained the home of the Chhibbers for 450 years till the Partition of India in 1947. Praga became a disciple of Guru Nanak Dev. After Guru Nanak Dev, Baba Praga played an important part during the lifetime of the next five Gurus: Guru Angad Dev, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das,Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Har Gobind. In the year 1638, he fought with Paindah Khan, the Governor of Lahore. Baba Praga was wounded and died on his return to Karyala. His samadhi stands on the outskirts of Karyala and another memorial was raised in Kabul at ‘Char Bagh’. The cross section beyond Sarai Guru Ram Das on the periphery of the Golden Temple Complex at Amritsar is named Chowk Praga Das after him. His loyalty and spiritual devotion to different Gurus particularly Guru Arjan Dev finds a mention in the book Suraj Prakash.

8.Praga Das' son, Durga Das was the Diwan of Guru Har Gobind and the seventh Guru, Guru Har Rai. His son, Lakhi Das was anointed to the same post but he died soon afterwards and Durga Mal held that position until Guru Har Krishan. 

9. Several of the advisors, head of bodyguards and army generals of Maharaja Ranjit Singh were Brahmins.