Good Morning Mohyals 

Yogendra Bali

To begin with let me confess. I am myself a Mohyal. My dear friend, late Sunil Dutt was a Mohyal. My dearest friend, Dr. Brigadier Kapil Mohan is a distinguished Mohyal. Famous neuro-specialist Dr. Baldev Singh was a Mohyal and the legendary Rahab Dutt, who sacrificed all his sons in the battle of Karbala in a bid to protect Hassan and Hussain (the grandsons of Prophet Muhammad), was also a Mohyal. When a Mohyal meets a Mohyal, he would traditionally address him as “Fakhr-e Qaum” or the Pride of the Nation. 

Mohyals, born fighters, with or without a sword and gun, fought in the great battle of Mahabharata. Among their mythologically famous ancestors, they count the “great instructor of the warriors”, Dronacharya and the angry sage, Parshurama. Mohyals are Brahmins, but unlike other Brahmins of the Indo-Gangetic plain, they were soldiers, famous and rulers at the same time. They accepted no charity though they were very generous in giving charity and help to all who were in need. 

I had written earlier also about Mohyals in these columns when I  offered a tribute to my dear friend Sunil Dutt, and had underlined that the Mohyals were practicing secularists who, in the words of the ancient bards, were described as “Dutt Sultan, Naa Hindu Naa Musalman”, meaning that Dutts (a major clan of Mohyals), are princes indeed who were just princes, neither Hindu nor Muslim.

But what was the provocation for me to say good morning to this colourful clan of colourful clansmen. Well, the provocation was a chance look at the Urdu volume of “Mohyal History” by Chuni Lal Dutt ‘Kanjroorvi’ which was full of very fantastic assertions and claims. It was difficult for me to historically verify these claims but still I found them so fascinating that I decided to share these with my readers with the warning: “do not take anything for granted, just take it or leave it.” But I am sure you will enjoy this presentation of some fascinating “facts” about the fascinating Mohyals. They comprise of seven sub-clans – Balis, Bhimwals, Chhibbers, Dutts, Laus, Mohans and Vaids. The most fantastic assertion in the history is that this clan has remained intact with its traditional beliefs and customs right from the days of Mahabharata. 

The legend of the origin of Mohyals, contained in this book narrates: 

At the end of the war of Mahabharata, Ashwatthama, the illustrious son of the great guru of the warriors, Dronacharya, did not like to stay in the land ruled by his enemy. He decided to leave what was once his motherland. Six of his close friends decided to leave the land of their birth and accompany him on a journey of suffering and privation. Since they had decided to leave the land of their birth and for the sake of their nation and honour, adopt a life of wandering soldiers they were called the “Moh Asals” or those who had sacrificed their love for their land of birth. They were mostly landowners or “Mahi Alas” and, therefore, came to be known as Mohyals over the ages. The miracle is that they still survive, with their very special traits like pride, fighting spirit and entrepreneurship. 

A very interesting facet of all attempts at recording the “history of the Mohyals” from time to time has been that it is mainly on legend and folklore, mostly contained in the songs of the wandering bards or the “Raas.” According to these legends they were known as Mohyals for various reasons. Because they were the ones who could easily shun “moh”. They were the face of India as princes and warriors of Sindh, Punjab and Afganistan who were always the first to face foreign invaders in the battle field. 

This book of “history” claims that Mohyals of the Dutt clan ruled Afghanistan for a long period in the ninth and the tenth century. The first Mohyal ruler of Kabul was said to be Soma Dutt. The second and third rulers of the Dutt clan in Kabul were Kanwal Pati Dutt and Bhim Dutt. Their rule ended with the death of Bhim Dutt in 950 A.D. 

The book quotes one Prof. Morris to claim that a Bali emperor ruled over an empire which stretched from India to Greece. Some historians were of the opinion that the Jam dynasty rulers of Sindh also belonged to the Bali clan. In Gujarat, the Balis were known as Raos of Thatha Multan. The Bali clan was also known as Balas in Saurashtra. When their capital Balbhipur was destroyed, the Balis escaped to Marwar in Rajasthan and built a city called Bali. Tales in his history of Rajasthan had asserted that Balis were the same clan of warriors who had fought Alexander the Great when he tried to invade India. 

Parshu Ram was claimed to be the famous ancestor of the Chhibber clan. The great king Dahar of Sindh who fought off many onslaughts from invaders like Hajjaj and Mohammad Bin Qasim, was also a Chhibber. 

Incidentally, the Mohyal tribe also claims to have been publishing India’s oldest community journal – The Mohyal Mitter – for nearly 150 years. Quite a feat, indeed! 

In the undivided India, the Mohyals were mostly concentrated in Punjab, the North West Frontier Province and some areas across the Ravi in the Doaba districts. After the partition, they were scattered all over the country. They continued to distinguish themselves in their traditional professions as fighters in the Armed and Police forces, but changed with the modern times to produce revolutionaries. 

Well, Mohyals are not the only ones who made their contribution to the long and inspiring story of India. But what is remarkable is that they managed to retain their identity and traditions over the centuries, despite being a small clan. Is it not a wonder?