Talk:Punjabi Khatri

Khatri is a community of north India originated from Punjab. The region is connected with the composition of Vedas, Mahabharata and many more.

The word Khatri is a Punjabi word that has been derived from the Sanskrit word “Kshatriya” because of different accent. They are the warriors and the rulers that belong to the ancient India.

Today, they distinguish themselves as Punjabi Khatri due to the emergence of several communities with the name as Khatrey/Kshtri/etc.

Khatri (Punjabi Khatri) is the community consisting of only Suryavanshis (Sun Dynasty) and Chandravanshi (Lunar Dynasty). Only the Punjabi Khatris claim themselves and traced to be the direct or indirect descendants of King Raamchandra and King Krishanchandra, who are believed as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Whereas, Rajputs though belong to Sun, Lunar, Fire Dynasties but never say or claim they to be the descendants of King Raam and King Krishan.

Among Punjabis, there are several distinct communities, among all the communities the Khatris reside at the top.

In ancient times, the name Khatri was not in existence, rather they were known as the Kshatriya, during the reign of Mauraya Dynasty they concentrated in the Potwar Plateau of Punjab.

All most all Khatri belongs to King Padam Anand and King Purush (Porus). There are four sub categories:-

1. Khukhrain Khatri

2. Dhaih-ye Khatri

3. Baharaan Khatri

4. Bahu-jayee Khatri

All the above four words were derived from Sanskrit and later spelt in punjabi.

Earlier only Khukhrains and Dhaih-ye Khatris were present and were known as Anands(Suryavanshi) and Purus(Chandravanshis), later two more sub categories were derived.

Khukhrain Khatri :- In Sanskrit spelt as Kushrayan, means Descendants of King Kush. Progeny of King Padam Anand. It consisted of eight clans Kohli, Suri, Bhasin, Chaddha, Jnagal ,Sawhney, Taneja, Sethi and Sabharwal. Later three more clans were derived from above Chandhok, Ghai and Ghandhok. They are Suryavanshi and direct descendants of King Raam of Ayodhaya.

Dhaih-ye Khatri :- Many of us misinterpret this word as Dhai (two and half), but its completely wrong. When a building or any object collapses then we say "dhaih gayi". The name was given to the progeny of King Purush (Porus) in front of whom not one can stand.

It consists of clans Malhotra, Khanna, Kapoor, Mehra and Mehta. Malhotra,Mehra,Mehta,Mehan surname are derived from Mehrotra surname which means descendants of Mihir (a synomy for sun or surya in Sanskrit) so they are Suryavanshi. descendants of raja Ishwaku.

Khanna word derived from the word 'khanda' which means sword.they are also Suryavanshi. 'Kapoor' surname is derived from karpoor word of sanskrit which means camphor ,Some time it's used for moon so they are Chandravanshi and direct descendants of King Krishan. In ancient in india they were present as kshatriya tribes or "kshatriya kabila". They also worked as administrator in mughal era.

Baharaan Khatri :- Again we spell it wrong as baran (Twelve), it has been derived from the sanskrit and hindi words only. They are the Suryavanshi but does not consist descendants of Khukhrain. This category consist of several clans Tondon, Chopra, Bedi, Wahi, Sodhi, Sondhi, and Gujral.

Bahu- Jayee Khatri :- They are born in many castes, in different words this is the group of different sub-castes of Khatris (that is, Khukhrains, Dhaihye and Baharaan), who on the account of their indiscipline at any time, were out caste from their original higher castes.

In Sanskrit, Bahujayee means "many birth" as, Bahu means Many and Jayee means Birth. They consists both the suryavanshi and chandravanshi.

This category consist of many clans/castes.

Other than these, Khatri consist of Naagvanshi.

Naagvanshi clans are Nayyar, Nair and Naik. Khatri consider themselves are Kshatriya but they consider themselves separate from the Khatri community. These clans are also present in southern part of India and adapted different culture there.

Note from a Muslim Khatri living in Canada (1/20/2006)
I am a Muslim Khatri from Jhalum living in Canada since 1992. Here in Canada, I met my Hindu Khatri relatives who migrated to India in 1947. We share same language, foods and other cultural traits and enjoy each others company here in Canada. It was very sad that we were not not able to see each other when we were living in our respective countries. Now here in North Amereica we are again relatives and good friends.

I am writing these words after reading about vandalism by 169.229.83.204. I just wanted to say that please do not create same controvesy as being created with the article of Rajput. It is a historical fact that some Khatris accepted Islam and now living in Pakistan and are very susccessful in industry and business. We are Muslim but proud of our Hindu Khatri heritage and would like to a have brotherly reltionship with our Hindu or Sikh brethren living in India.

1/20/2006 - to Muslim Khatri living in Canada As a Hindu Khatri I fully endorse your sentiments. This is no place for crude prejudices of the type displayed by 169.229.83.204. We'll just have to watch out for him and his ilk on this forum. Thanks for restoring the section on Muslim Khatris.

- to Muslim Khatri living in Canada I really respect Khatris, I don't care if they are Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, or whatever religion. Brother u must realize that we are the most hated community in Punjab. If you tell someone you are a khatri, they will smack you in the face. The reason is that we have done too many sacrifices for other people. Millions of khatris have been killed in the wars between India and Pakistan. If u are khatri, I request that u never join any army, whether it is Indian or Pakistani. We are a very small population now and our population has been decreasing for the past several decades. I don't want to see my people (religion doesn't matter) get wiped out like this. What have we earned from all the sacrifices we have made? Genetics has proven that Khatris are a race, we have different Alleles 8 and some other alleles than other populations in the world. We, along with other Indians are a mixture of Europeans, East Asians, South Asians and Middle Easterners. But nevertheless, we all have a specific allele 8 length that differs from other populations of the world suggesting that Khatris are a race. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.59.112.63 (talk) 03:51, 18 June 2013 (UTC)

Thank you for the sentiment - From Canada

Some ideas
Thanks for the great additions to the articles.

I think we need more historical material, specially for the period before 1800s. We also need some good references.

Should the article be just "Khatri" and not "Punjabi Khatri"? While Punjab is indeed the ancient home, Khatris can no longer be considered a mere regional entity. Many Khatris have lived outside of Punjab for several centuries.

What do you think?

--Vikramsingh 01:49, 11 February 2006 (UTC)

I add more information about Khatri's History....
and some person comes in and deletes it, and always puts Khatris being Vaishya caste, when in fact, everyone knows they are the original Kshatriya caste....very annoying who ever this person is..

In Gujarat Khatri community other Name is Brahmkshtria.

Vandalism by SanjayMohan
I am amazed by the persistant vandalism by SanjayMohan.

He keeps inserting text that is not only nonsense, he attempts to ridicule and demonize (literally demonize by calling Khatris descendants of the "Asuras") the khatris.

I request Wikipedia administrators that he and his IP address be disabled from vandalizing Wikipedia.--ISKapoor 20:33, 10 March 2006 (UTC) DEAR MR SANJAY WHAT ARE U TALKING SIR IF YOU ARE GIVING REF OF MAHBHART THEN YOU MUST BE KNOWING THAT SHALYA WAS REAL BROTHER OF MADRI ONE OF THE MOTHERS OF PANDVAS AND SHALYA WAS REAL METERNAL UNCLE OF PANDVAS AND NOT KORVAS WHO DROVE CHRRIOT OF KARAN PARALLELY TO LOARD KRISHNA AND WAS ALWAYS DEMOROLISING KARNA WHILE FAVOURING INDIRECTLY THE PANDVAS .HE WAS DOING SO TO KEEP HIS OTH BECAUSE HE MADE PROMISE TO DURYODHAN TO FIGHT IN HIS FAVOUR BECAUSE HE WELLCOMED THEM FIRST. HE FULLFILLED IS PROMISE TILL HIS DEATH. HE SET AN EXAMPLE THE ONE SHOULD KEEP HIS PROMISE .SO HOW CAN YOU SAY HE IS A LIAR. ACTUALLY MOST OF THE PEOPLE FROM PUNJAB ARE SANATANDHARMI. THE DHARAM OF TRUTH.WHICH THEY PRACTISE TILL DATE. AND THIS SANATAN DHARAM IS FROM TIME IMMORIAL WITH THE THREE GODS BRAMA VISHNU MAHESH .EVEN THE VEDAS WHICH YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT  ORIGINATED AFTER BRAHMA ORIGNATED FROM THE NAVEL OF LORD VISHNU. IF WE TAKE THE PERIOD OF RAMAYAN THE HALF PUNJABI BLOOD OF BHARAT WAS ALWAYS LOYAL TO RAM THE ELDER BROTHER AND RIGHTFULL OWNER OF KINGSHIP AT THAT TIME. BUT YOUR SO GOOD BLOOD PANDVAS FATHER PANDU NEVER DID THAT FOR DHRITRASHTRA. PANDVAS STARTED THINKING THEMSELVES AS RIGHTFULL KINGS. MORE OVER THE GRAND MOTHER OF PANDU AND DHRITRASHTRA WERE A SHUDRA GIRL ACCORDING TO THAT PERIOD CULTURE.(FISHERMAN'SDAUGHTER).MATSAYAGANDHA WITH REAL BAD STINCKING SMELL OF A FISH BUT HIGHLY BEAUTIFULL. (TOE MAHABHARAT CALL SE TOE SARE HINDU TOE SHRUDH HO GAYE HONGE AAPKE HISAB SE .BUT U ARE FORGETTING CAST SYSTEM WAS DIVED ON ONE'S PROFESSION). THERE OUR BHISHMA PITAMAH AND DRONACHARYA ALSO MADE MISTAKE IN CASE OF KARAN .SHE ASKED THE COST OF HER MARRIGE WITH SHANTANU AS NOT TO MAKE BHISHAM ALIAS DEVRAT THE KING AFTER HIM. SO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING OF MAHA BHARAT YOUR SO CALLED ROYAL BLOOD MR SHANTANU THE FATHER OF BHISHMA OR SHALYA.DEAR IF WE COMPARE SHALYA WAS NOTHING. RAHI BAT KAYKAI KI TOE BATA DU DEVTAON KE SAATH YUDH MEI JAB DASHRATH JI BEHOSH HO GAYE TO KAYKAI  UNKA RATH HAANK KAR LE GAI THI. STORY NO 2 USNE APNE HATH KI EK UNGLI CHARRIOT KE HOLE MEIN DAL DI THI KYONKI CHARRIOT KA NAIL NIKAL GAYA THA. AUR DASHRATH KE PRAN BCHAYE AUR DO VARDAN MILE. SAME TYPE OF DRAMA HAPPEND AT THE TIME OF MAHABHARAT HERE SATAYAVATI ACTED AS KAYKAI. TO ME THESE ALL ARE STORIES AND NOTHING ELSE .TO TEACH YOU GOOD AND BAD .BUT IT SEEMS U ARE PICKING ONLY BAD THINGS. YAN TOE KOI KHATARI TUMARI LADKI KO BAGA KAR LE GAYA HOGA KOYANKI USNE USE PROMISE KIYA HOGA .KI TERE SATH JEEVAN NIBAUNGA AGAR ESA NAHI HAI TOE PHIR KAY KARAN AAPKE MAN MEIN BHARE ITNE ZEHAR KA. KINDLY LEAVE ALL SUCH THINGS IN THE BEST INTREST OF THE COUNTRY. ACTUALL LESSON IS WHENEVER A MAN WILL TAKE A WRONG STEP UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE BEAUTY OF A WOMAN HE IS DESTINED TO BE DOOMED.NO QUESTION OF ERA,DYNASTY RELIGON AND PLACE ARISES ....THANX...SUNIIL RAGHUVANSH — Preceding unsigned comment added by 120.60.11.30 (talk) 16:58, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

Who is SanjayMohan?
Who is SanjayMohan? What does he want to achieve by claiming that Khatris are "asuras" (demons)?

--Vikramsingh 02:39, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Who invented Sohan Halwa
Not Diwan Sawan Mal as you claim - he was not even born at the time you mentioned. You have been taken in by the claim in the link you provide.

Click on link for Diwan Sawan Mal.--ISKapoor 00:46, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

Khatri Shabha
@ http://www.khatrisabha.com/khatri.asp

Khatri is a subcaste of the 'Kshatriya' caste that is specific to Punjab state in India.

Hindu (Khatri) and Sikh name based on the name of a prominent mercantile community in the Panjab. The name "Khatri" derived from Sanskrit word 'ksatriya' ‘member of the warrior class’, derived from sanskrit word ksatra which means ‘dominion’, ‘power’. As their name suggests, the Hindu Punjabi Khatris claim to be of Kshatriya origin. They have been prominent in civil administration from the time of the Mughal emperors. 10 Sikh gurus before guru granth sahib, including first guru, dhan Guru Nanak, the Sikh's first guru, have come from the Khatri community though they never promoted caste system and were against caste division of society. The vast majority of the Khatris are, however, Hindus.

Census taken by Punjab Government
@http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/gaz_ldh8.htm add this too, I don't have permission :(

Khatris. – Khatri is a popular variant of the Sanskrit word Kashtrya, which was used to describe the warrior caste among the Hindu according to the varanashram propounded by the Shastras. In course of time as a result of economic and political exigencies, however, the Khatris also resorted to mercantile occupations, which were originally adopted by the Vaisas, the trading classes. Like Brahmans there are further sub-divisions amongst Khatris-Bannjais, Sarin, Dhaigharas, chargharas, etc. in the reign of Alaudin Khiliji widoe re-marriage was enforced. Fifty-two castes of Khatris are said to have submitted a memorandum, duly signed, to the Emperor. The signatory castes are called Banjais. Certain castes of eastern Punjab refused to sign the memorandum and were called Shari-Ain, later corrupted to that of Sarin. The Khokhrain baradari is said to consist of the descendants of certain families of Khatris who were believed to have joined the Khokhars in a rebellion and with them other Khatri families were loath to have matrimonial relations. The Bahri section of the descendants of Mehr Chand, Khan Chand and Kapur Chand, three Khatris who went to Delhi in attandance upon one of Akhar’s Rajput wives, and who thus separated from rest of the Khatri castes, married only within each other’s families. the number of the members of this caste is fairly large. The more prominenty, however, in point of social rank are the Mehrotra or Mehra, Khanna, Kapur and the Seth sub-castes. Prior to partition certain castes, such as churamani, Nanda. Khullar, Jerath, Chopra and Vij were particularly associated with Ludhiana ; Bahl, Kapur, Mehra, Seth, Beri Sencher and Dhir with jagraon ; Batte, sondhi and Karir with Machhiwara and Bahlolpur ; sehgal and Thapar with Rai kot and Had and Cham with Khanna. After partition different castes of Khatris have been widely dispersed with the result that it is very difficult to ascertain their numbers caste-wise, especially because compilation of statistics according to castes has been discontinued since 1947. Khatris are generally mild in disposition. They are mostly literate and law abiding. Khatris in the district are a great commercial class. They have also made their mark in industry. In Payal sub-tahsil they are generally land-owners. They also engage themselves in Government or private service.

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Since there is so much vandalism on this article and it contains needless amount of details of a community...brevity would be better so not to attract unnecessary attacks from disrespectful quarters.....suggest delete this page altogether and replace it with the much more concise and polite article titled khatri which already exsists in wikipedia. I am a khatri myself and dont see much reason to unnecessarily brandish it. 03/18/06. KINDLY INFORM .TRUE AUTHENTIC HISTORICAL INFORMATION IS WELLCOME WE ARE FROM AMRITSAR AND VILLAGE CHOWNK MEHTA NOT MOHYALS  BUT KHATRIES OF PUNJAB  WITH SURNAME AS VAID  AND GOTRA AS RAGHUVANSH AS TOLD BY MY ANCESSTORS. ONE OF OUR ANCESSTORS WAS A SIKH AT THE TIME OF RAJA RANJEETSINGH.USED  TO GIVE MONEY FOR THEIR VARIOUS  MISELES TO FIGHT.SOME GENERATIONS KNOWN  TO  ME AS .MY FATHER HARI OM VAID ,GRANDFATHER MASTER KASMIRI LAL VAID, GREAT GRAND FATHER MOHAN LAL VAID BETTER KNOWN AS MONA SHA  USED TO BE THE ZAMINDAR OF CHOWNK MEHTA PIND.ANY FURTHER INFORMATION IS WELLCOME. I AM TRYING TO KNOW MY LEANAGE. THANX REGARDS.suniilraghuvansh@gmail.com — Preceding unsigned comment added by 120.60.11.30 (talk) 17:30, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

Khatris are classified as a standard class only in Punjab .In rest of India many Khatris are either classified as scheduled caste or even lower then maha dalit class.
Khatris are classified as a standard class only in Punjab .In rest of India many Khatris are either classified as scheduled caste or even lower then maha dalit class. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Simba100 (talk • contribs) 23:00, 1 April 2020 (UTC)