Bhat

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For the English name, see Butt (name).

Bhat (Urdu: بھٹ), also spelled as Butt (بٹ),[1][2][3] both of which are a shortened rendition of Bhatta, also spelled Bhatt, (Hindustani: भट्ट (Devanagari), بھٹٹ (Nastaleeq)),[2][4] is a common surname in Pakistan and India.

Etymology

Historians state the surname is a distorted form of Bhatta, which originates from Sanskrit (भटट), meaning "scholar" according o the Brāhmaṇa.[5] While the original shortened rendition of "Bhatta" was "Bhat" or "Bhatt,"[4] many of the migrants from the Kashmir Valley to the Punjab region started spelling their surname as "But" or "Butt" which is the spelling of the clan used in the Pahari language.[3][6][7]

Origin

The earliest reference of Bhatt can be found in Chandragupta Maurya's empire. In Mudrarakshasa, while describing different divisions in Chandragupta's army, a reference can be found to Bhatt-Bala. Here Bala means a division, hence Bhatt-Bala would mean a division composed of Bhatt.

People named Bhat or Butt were said to be a clan of Brahmin descendants of intellectual Vedic and Dardic saints that inhabited the banks of the Saraswati River, which ran dry around 2000 BC. This forced the community to migrate to the Kashmir region of the Indian subcontinent.[8]

Geographic distribution

Kashmir

Bhat, also spelled as Butt, is a Kashmiri surname, found among individuals native to the Kashmir Valley of India, as well as Kashmiri émigrés who have migrated to the Punjab,[1][9][10][11] a region divided between India and neighbouring Pakistan.[6] Kashmiris bearing the surname Bhat/Butt belong to the larger Bhat caste of Brahmins found in the rest of the India;[2][3][4] the surname is shared by both Hindus and Muslims.[12][13]

Punjab

In the Punjab Province of British India, the Hindu Bhats of Hissar were "found [in] two sub-castes, Brahm and a few Raj."[14] The Muslim Bhats living in Hissar dated their conversion from Hinduism to Islam to the period of Alamgir's reign.[15] Some Muslim Bhats/Butts found in the Punjab migrated from Kashmir and Jammu during the 1878 famine,[6][7] and are Brahmin Hindu converts to Islam.[1][2][16]

In areas such as the Punjab region most of the Northern Hindu Saraswat Brahmins and some various other northern Hindu castes, such as Rajputs converted to the Sikh Bhat/Bhatra sangat during the missionary efforts of prince Changa Bhat Rai who earned the title "Bhat Rai", who was the grandson of Raja Shivnabh, a Hindu king who had met Guru Nanak and converted to Sikhism during the 16th century.[17] During the 14th to 16th century many Saraswat Brahmins were forced to lead unsettled lives due to religious oppression, unable to practice their hereditary profession as Hindu priests, artists, teachers, scribes, technicians class (varna). They used their academia in there unsettled life travelling as scribes, genealogies, bards and astrologists. In the 15th century the religion of Sikhism was born causing many to follow the word of Guru Nanak Dev. The Sikhs also share the Bhat heritage, and are known as the Bhat or Bhatra and Bhatta sangat and were amongst the first followers of Guru Nanak.[18] Even though Sikhism itself does not support separation by caste, the social system meant that the Bhatra followed a hereditary profession of travelling missionaries, scribes, genealogies, bards astrologists and itinerant salesman;[19] however it is not uncommon to see Bhats in other professions such as farming and retail.

Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh

A sizeable population of Bhatt Brahmins have made the peaceful hills of Himachal and Garhwal their home. Bhatts found in these states usually trace their origin from Gujrat and Sindh. During the Muslim political turmoil in North India, many of them left their ancestral homes and made Himalayas their home. Bhatt Brahmins are respected in Garhwali villages and act as priests, jyotishis and astrologers. They also played an important role in the court of Garhwali kings. In terms of physical appearance they share similarities with Nort Indians but have a distinct hazel eyes like Central Asians. Also their most characteristic facial feature is a long, beak like nose and broad forehead. They are usually tall and muscular with long limbs.

Notable people

Activists

  • Hassan Butt, former spokesman for the disbanded British Islamist group Al-Muhajiroun
  • Shakeel Bhat, outspoken Kashmiri activist, labelled as "Islamic Rage Boy" by Western media

Arts and literature

Actors & Actresses

  • Uzra Butt, was a Pakistani actress and dancer

Historians

  • Prajna Bhatta, Kashmiri Indian historian, famous for his work, "Rajavalipataka"

Military

Media

Musicians

Politicians

Scientists

Sports

Cricket

Hockey

Football

Other sports

Others

See also

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Madras_Literary_Society_and_Auxiliary_of_the_Royal_Asiatic_Society" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Saligram_Bhatt" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ For definition of ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇa, with last syllable showing a Vedic accent, used as a noun as "m. (having to do with Brahman or divine knowledge), one learned in the Veda, theologian, priest, Brāhman, man of the first four castes"; and definition of ब्राह्मण brāhmaṇa, with only first syllable showing a Vedic accent, used as an adjective as "a. (i) belonging to a Brāhman, Brāhmanic", see: Macdonell 1924, p. 199.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=QpjKpK7ywPIC&pg=PA365&lpg=PA365&dq=History+of+kashmir+and+its+people&source=bl&ots=-RI_8tLrab&sig=8d9tzPeeB5lAjaq9RZqzYO8QydA&hl=en&ei=ab9pSobcB46PkAXutZW4Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Haqiqat Rah Muqam shivnabh raje ki page 624 [p.1248]khari
  18. ↑ HA Rose, Glossary of Tribes and Castes of the Punjab (Lahore 1883), quoted by Pradesh
  19. ↑ HA Rose, Glossary of Tribes and Castes of the Punjab (Lahore 1883), quoted by Pradesh
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