Bhatra Community

[StarStriker]

Going back to the earlier point we discussing though, I can assure you that the origin of the Bhatras does indeed lie in central India (Uttar Pradesh and below). Rather than deny that fact I feel Bhatras like yourself should embrace that truth and be proud of it because you came to the Punjab as some of the first Sikhs as it were.

I'd Been told that bhatras were initially from Sri Lanka, and were followers of Guru Nanak, that traveled with him, and leaving Sri Laka behind, and came to "India" after that. Thats y i thought they were darker skinned compared to other Sikhs of Panjab.

[gurdssingh]

Wow the hypocrisy of the likes of some members, who in an instant condemn certain "communities" JSinghNz , sikhiseeker, dalsingh101( getting dissed on Sikh awareness, for your foul language using the f word all the time) - just imagine if this was a thread about the Jatt community? Just check out the 2videos in the op, dancing and drinking and what a song huh by j status! No offence JRoudh (or Rhode, as it was spelt back when Punjabi's wrote in Roman script), I understand what you are doing but please at least be accurate - Bhatra's came here in the 20's when the other Punjabi's had not left Punjab - Huh? Are you for real, ummh in the previous century who do you think was building the railways in Canada / US? Read up on the early pioneers in BC / Cali.

Edit -Sikh forum NOT POOOONJABI!

[JRoudh]

JigSawSingh, I think you have gone slightly off topic.

You seem to be making a mistake that lot of people make by judging an entire community based on seeing a handful of Bhatras and coming up with assumptions based on little evidence. Yes there maybe some Bhats who are slightly darker skinned but. Just because you maybe slightly darker does not mean you are from south India. There are many Jats that are dark skinned does that mean they are not native to Punjab?

Being a Bhatra and having seen a wide range of Bhatras from all the UK to back In India. I can honestly say that the Bhats are mostly light skinned.Which is why I think you are getting your wires crossed. Many Bhats are infact very light. It depends what clan they are from.

Most jats I know are are not exactly light skinned either.

No Bhatra has heard of uttar pradesh if we did we would know about it. Dont believe everything you read in these books by white people who often dont know their own history let alone complex ethnic make ups of Punjabi communities. As a Bhatra we started out as Brahmins and then mixed with native Punjabis of Punjab thus forming a new community the Bhatras. This is after they converted to Sikhsism by the Bhats who were missionaries. Hence our surnames come from the different groups of Punajb.

I guess some people cannot accept this and would rather hold onto their old fashioned wife's tales to make themselves feel superior over others.

No offence but being a Bhatra and knowing our history inside out with personal information and knowledge of the collective Bhat Sangat . I think am I better to judge were we come from and our origins. Then someone who has read a few snippets of information of some old prehistoric inaccurate book by white guy who dont know their own history. These people often confuse Sikhs for Hindus even today let alone when then these articles were written.

I will ask again . How comes Bhatras dont have those strange sounding south Indian names? Or sri Lankan names?? The facts are plane obvious. we are a diverse mix of native Punjabis. When I go to a Roudh wedding it is often difficult to distinguish these people from Greeks. See This video of my cousin Jay Status who my cousin. does he look south Indian to you? His name is Sukhwinder Roudh.

As I have said there some dark skinned Bhats, but you get dark skinned people in all communities including Jat/Tharkan/Khatri. Dont judge the entire community based on a few dark skinned Bhats you have seen. Have you been to Bhatra wedding? You will be surprised by how the skin color actually widely differs. from very light skinned almost white to darker skinned. This is due to the diverse ethnic make of these people.

[JagsawSingh]

igSawSingh, I think you have gone slightly off topic.

You seem to be making a mistake that lot of people make by judging an entire community based on seeing a handful of Bhatras and coming up with assumptions based on little evidence. Yes there maybe some Bhats who are slightly darker skinned but. Just because you maybe slightly darker does not mean you are from south India. There are many Jats that are dark skinned does that mean they are not native to Punjab?

I think you're mixing me up with someone else Roudh. I've never mentioned skin colour. Its not something that has any place in my life.

[JSinghnz]

I think you're mixing me up with someone else Roudh. I've never mentioned skin colour. Its not something that has any place in my life.

Lol, that's what happens when the so called Sikhs get mixed up with the rotten, backward, caste system.

[ghettosikh]

Very good read jroudh but I have one question u wrote that other uk sikh communities were not as accepting to bhatras because you weren't as modern ? Can you go into more detail I feel that is very childish on them also from the wedding vid you showed it look like women and men r segregated well dancing which i think is great after reading this I have a new fond respect for the bhatras cos u stick to ur roots and don't see that modernizing equals successes

[Big_Tera]

I think you're mixing me up with someone else Roudh. I've never mentioned skin colour. Its not something that has any place in my life.

This whole thread is getting a bit confusing . Why cant I do quotes Admin??

but I agree with alot J roudh comments about the Bhat origins.

[Big_Tera]

Very good read jroudh but I have one question u wrote that other uk sikh communities were not as accepting to bhatras because you weren't as modern ? Can you go into more detail I feel that is very childish on them also from the wedding vid you showed it look like women and men r segregated well dancing which i think is great after reading this I have a new fond respect for the bhatras cos u stick to ur roots and don't see that modernizing equals successes

[JRoudh]

Lol, that's what happens when the so called Sikhs get mixed up with the rotten, backward, caste system.

JagSawSingh, Okay maybe that was another person.

But back to the main topic. One thing we need to remember is that many Sikhs groups started out as poor. I am sure Jatts did not start out wealthy and with silver spoons in their mouths. They were infact classed as Shudra low caste by the Hindu caste system and openly to admit to being of peasant origin.

Lets look at the definitions of peasants

peasant (ˈpɛzənt)

n

1. (Sociology)

a. a member of a class of low social status that depends on either cottage industry or agricultural labour as a means ofsubsistence

3. an uncouth or uncultured person

a poor smallholder or agricultural labourer of low social status (chiefly in historical use or with reference to subsistence farming in poorer countries).

"peasant farmers"

'an ignorant, rude, or unsophisticated person'.

Should we use this definition to label all Jatt peoples character? And are sure that there were no criminals in the Jatt community? Your making out that Jatts are squeaky clean and never do anything wrong.

Going back to Bhatra Sikhs. Lets just establish what is correct.

Bhatras are a mix of the native Punjabis that converted to Sikhism from the 16th to 20th centuries.These people include Rajputs, Khatris, probably even Hindu Jatts themselves going by some surnames that Bhats have, The Bhats didn't just go there for the fun of it. We went there to carry on Guru Nanaks message and we systematical brought many Punjabis to Sikhism regardless of their origin. This is how the Bhatra population grew so big.

It was recorded at an early period that Bhatras brought so many to the Sikh faith, that 20 mounds of salt were consumed with their meals by the followers.

Hence why Bhatras consider themselves the original Punjabis. What period did Jatts enter Punjab and what period did the Bhatras enter this land and mixed with the local population.

You are making out that Bhatras are purely From utter Pradesh. Which is blatantly wrong. Most Bhats are of Indo Aryan origin. This is due to the huge amount of native Punjabi's that were converted by the Bhats and thus they became Bhatras. As I said this included various groups from the Sikh communities that exist today. Back then these people were all Hindu.

The jatts were not born in Punjab they obviously came there from another place hence you cant class them as native Punjabi's. Infact Bhatras have more right to class themselves as Punjabi's as we were there long before anyone else hence we have built up a bigger connection to this place in terms of our roots ans ancestors. I it any wonder that Bhat Sikhs see themselves as the most 'Pakka of all Sikhs'

We have a stronger affiliation to Punjab then the Jatts or other Sikh groups. We have lived here for centuries way before any others turned up. I can trace my roots in my home village of Amritsar going back many generations. Trust me in terms of being Punjabi while Jatts may glorify this in songs or films about being Punjabi. There is not truer Punjabi then the Bhatras. We don’t need to glorify our affection, connection and roots with this land in songs, it is in our history, psyche, identity and our blood.

Most Bhats are very light skinned also especially the ones in india and have Aryan features. Its actually quite astonishing. I think this is to do with the Bhats that migrated out of punjab. They were probably the slighly darker skinned ones. The fair skinned ones it seem migrated less out of Punjab.

[garch]

Put 10 punjabis in a room and wait for the bitching and backbiting to start...

Guys stop measuring ***** and arguing about whos baba had a better car and koi kam karlo.

No place for pride in tribe in sikhi!

Manus ke jaath ek pachano!