MOHYAL HISTORY AT A GLANCE
Descended from the Rishis, it has been possible to trace the foot prints of ancestors of Mohyals during several centuries of ‘recorded’ history only. To introduce you to Mohyal History we have, here, put together small write ups giving a brief over-view of our past. It is hoped that going through these, you will have an idea what to expect from the subsequent serious reading of the detailed accounts.
You will come across many new topics. For example, Hindus were ruling in Afghanistan, when Islam came knocking. They defeated the world conquering Arabs and held up the march of Islamic Arms for several centuries. Ancestors of Mohyals were an important element in that defence of Indian borders. Subjugation of India was not a walk-over. It was the closing phase of a long successful resistance by India. Again, there is a general perception that the caste system is as old as Hindu religion. The present system, of multifarious castes and its inter-marriage fraternities (Biradaris), is actually of comparatively recent origin – only eight centuries old. Try to savor and absorb these new nuggets of knowledge. In the subsequent detailed accounts, credible sources have been cited for everything, if you are a serious student of new knowledge.
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A GOLDEN CHAPTER OF INDIAN HISTORY (c. 640-1000 CE):
KNOWLEDGE SUPPRESSED BY FOREIGN RULERS
After the foreign hordes (Shaks, Bactrian Greeks, Kushans and Hunas had been expelled or absorbed by the middle of the first millennium CE, the Indian kingdoms kept fighting among themselves for supremacy, completely ignoring the north-west India, which then comprised the region between the river Satluj and Koh Hindu Kush (in Afghanistan).
- Conquering several countries with ease and speed, the Arabs defeated Iran in 640 CE. The Arab Caliphate thus shared a common border with India. Zabul, the south-western region of Afghanistan (south of Koh Hindu Kush) was then the front line state of India bordering Iran. Rutbil, the Kshatriya Raja of Zabul, defeated a large Arab army in 698 CE after which the ARABS DID NOT ATTACK THE HINDU KINGDOM. THIS WAS THE FIRST DEFEAT THAT THE ARAB ARMIES FACED.
- Gradually the Arab power waned and the converted Muslims set up independent kingdoms in the eastern Caliphate – the region east of Iran and north-west of Koh Hindu Kush. One of these, the Saffarids, managed to kill Rutbil in 870, by treachery, under the ruse of a peace treaty. The western border of the Hindu Kingdom of Kabul (south-eastern Afghanistan) thus became the north-western frontier of India. Hindu population of Zabul was converted to Islam.
- By then a Brahman Vazir (Minister) had taken over the Buddhist kingdom of Kabul. The successor Brahman dynasty of Kabul (the ancestors of the present-day DATT caste of Mohyals), which was ruling astride the Khyber Pass, continued to protect this strategic gateway to India up to c. 964 CE, from their powerful SAMANI neighbours – another Muslim Kingdom with capital at Samarkand. Later, a Sultanate that had arisen in Ghazni, defeated the Samanis and became very powerful. The Ghaznavids next turned towards India. Another Brahman dynasty (the ancestors of the VAID caste of Mohyals) that had been ruling over Punjab from the ninth century CE, courageously resisted the advance of Ghaznavids, fighting them at Ghazni (c, 986-87 CE), Peshawar (1000 CE), south of Khyber Pass (1008 CE), their capital of Nandana (1014 CE) and a rear-action battle on the bank of river Ramganga (1019 CE).
- Hindu India had thus blocked the world-conquering Arabs, and their successor Muslim Kingdoms, for more than three centuries (640-1000 CE). Punjab was annexed to Ghazni in 1021 CE but it took almost two more centuries for the Muslim arms to reach Delhi. The Muslim victors (and their successors) completely excluded these not-so-pleasant–for-them events from narration of History of India during the millennium of foreign rule. That is why you do find any mention about the Mohyal Rulers also in text books.
- After Independence also, the researchers of history have never focused their attention beyond the river Satluj, in respect of this Early Indo-Islamic History. Fortunately, certain accounts of pre-Ghaznavid history have been left by some Muslim chroniclers which are vouchsafed by inscriptions and coins that continue turning up in Afghanistan. These heroes of Hindu History, Mohyal Sovereigns among them, who defended that region for so long, on their own strength and grit, remain unsung. We are trying to highlight those events.
- The teaching of Medieval Indian History begins with the raids of Mahmud Ghaznavi. The history of the earlier period (seventh to tenth century) should now be incorporated in the text books to give balanced view of India’s resistance to Muslim invaders: Mohyal History is part of that. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any effort in progress even under the present political dispensation, to revise college text books relating to the Medieval Period.
- Full authentic account in respect of rule by ancestors of DATTS and VAID Mohyal Brahmans over Afghanistan and Punjab, was made available (2010) in the book AFGHANISTAN REVISITED:The Brahmana Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan and the Punjab: (c. 840-1026 CE). Other NEW WAVE books, giving authentic account of other facets of Mohyal History have also followed within this decade.
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It should be clearly understood that Mohyal Kings ruling in Afghanistan and Punjab were not mere “Jageerdaars”. They were Parameshwar, Maharajadhiraj, the sovereign rulers, as mentioned in the stone inscriptions found in Afghanistan. They were at par with other powerful dynasties of their times, ruling in Central Asia and Central India. We reproduce here the text from the Back Cover of the book AFGHANISTAN REVISITED … referred to above.
THREE GREAT KINGDOMS THAT DID NOT QUARREL AMONG THEMSELVES IN A VOILENT WORLD
In The beginning of the ninth century three great kingdoms established themselves … one each at Bukhara/Samarkand, Kannauj and Kabul/Waihind. They were controlling the route used by trade caravans carrying Indian goods to Central Asia, and onwards to Europe, linking with the famous ‘Silk Route’.
The SAMANIDS of Bukhara occupied the whole of eastern Caliphate; broke the power of the Saffarids of Sistan and became virtually independent of their overlord – the Caliph of Baghdad. It was the most vibrant and prosperous period of Central Asia.
The BRAHMANA HINDU SHAHIS OF KABUL, the Hindu neighbouring state maintained a credible ‘Balance of Power’ and prosperity, to deter the Samanids from any (mis)adventure towards the Khyber Pass – thus protecting India. Their history is highlighted here.
At the other end, the Gurjara-Pratiharas of Kannauj, the leading power of Northern India during the most prosperous period of Indian history, also did not harm the Shahis.
These three great kingdoms rose and declined almost simultaneously; did not fight among themselves; collected the ‘Peace Bonus’ in the form of trade taxes; and were decimated again almost simultaneously, by one person – Sultan Mahmud ruling from his central vantage place of Ghazni.
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MOHYAL HISTORY RECEIVES PROFESSIONAL NOTICE
- BOOK REVIEW IN A RESEARCH JOURNAL
Mohyal History is a sub-chapter of History of India. Having been researched 
and authenticated according to the cannons of historical writing, we wanted claims of Mohyal History, as narrated in our book AFGHANISTAN REVISITED, to be evaluated by the professionals: and it did receive notice early enough. It was Reviewed, extensively, in a prestigious Research Journal, ITIHAS DARPAN of Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojna, New Delhi, Vol. XVI (1) April, 2011, pages 120-125. This Journal, issued bi-annually, publishes only Research Papers on History. We quote from it:
Mohan, R. T.: Afghanistan Revisited: The Brahmana Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan and the Punjab (840-1026 CE); History Research and Archives Forum of Mohyal Foundation, General Mohyal Sabha (Regd.)Delhi, 2010, pp. xxxi + 207, price US$ 18.95, special Indian price Rs. 300/=
Afghanistan Revisited is a history of Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan and Punjab, which the author fondly calls ‘The Brahmana Hindu Shahi’ because some historians have accepted them as ancestors of the present Mohyal Brahmans. The author, Sri Ram Tirath Mohan, a retired Diplomatic Officer from Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, himself belongs to one of the seven communities of this branch of the Brahmans has treated the subject in a scholarly manner and as such this work, though a chapter of India’s history may also be considered as micro-history of Mohyal Brahmans.
For last few years I am working on Central Asia Thesis of Vedic Civilization (CATVC) that professes that Vedic civilization originated in Central Asia and from there it spread throughout the word in various stages. But its nucleus, preserved by the Vedic people, shifted southwards in India; Afghanistan being an important centre till the end of the first millennium of the common era. Thus when I saw this book in the shelf of Sri Balmukandji, now the Organising Secretary of A.B. Itihas Sankalan Yojna in the Apte Bhawan, Keshav Kunj, New Delhi I cursorily read it and felt that this can be reviewed in the IItihasa Darpan. Mny. Balmukandji had two copies of the book presented by the author, and he kindly gave me one of it for the purpose.
[A detailed Review, of more than four A-4 size pages, follows in which the learned author gives his own views also on the subject, published by him earlier. We reproduce here his concluding para.]
The book is decently produced and nicely printed. Typesetting could have been improved. I congratulate the author for producing such a nice work. (emphasis added)
- T. P. Verma
The learned Reviewer Prof. T.P. Verma, Retired Head of Department of History, Banaras Hindu University, was then the Editor of the magazine ITIHAS DARPAN.
- BOOK REVIEW IN A PRESTEGIOUS DEFENCE JOURNAL
The book AFGHANISTAN REVISITED received notice in another prestigious journal also. It was reviewed in the JOURNAL OF THE UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTION OF INDIA (USIS JOURNAL), India’s Oldest Journal on Defence Affairs (Established :1870), Vol. CXLII, April-June 2012, No. 588, page 307. We reproduce:
Short Review of Books
Afghanistan Revisited: The Brahmana Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan and the Punjab (c. 840-1026 CE). By RT Mohan, (New Delhi, General Mohyal Sabha Foundation, 2010), pp. 207, Price Rs. 300/- ISBN N.A.
As the name suggests, the book traces the history of the Hindu Shahi dynasties of North West India and Afghanistan over a crucial period of two centuries during the medieval era. This was the period that saw the rise and spread of the monotheistic doctrine of Islam throughout Central Asia and the Hindu Kush into South Asia. The author traces the history and ethnicity of the last Hindu kingdoms that held sway in Afghanistan and undivided Punjab till they were ultimately decimated by the invasions of Mahmud of Ghazni.
The book is significant in shedding light on an epoch of Indian history obscured by the successive writings of successive Islamic and colonial historians who, for reasons of their own, tended to deliberately gloss over the events that preceded the political ascendency of Islam in South Asia.
The author describes the time of the Hindu-Shahis and covers, chapter-wise, the various rulers who made up the dynasties. There are four appendices and an epilogue. These discuss various important inscriptions ad coins, while the epilogue focuses on the ethnicity of Hindu Shahis and links them to Mohyal Brahman clans of North India. The Mohyals, long known as the fighting Brahmans, have a long and proud history of military service, more in consonance with the Kshatriyas rather than the Bramanical varna. The seven principal exogamous families are: Datt, Vaid, Bali, Chhibber, Mohan, Bamwal or Bhimwal and Lawa. One of the most astounding pieces of ancient Mohyal folklore is their association with the armies of the Holy Prophet of Islam in seventh century Arabia, where they are said to have fought under the banner of Amir Mukhtar and helped avenge the death of the Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hussain, by razing the fort of Kufa in 686 CE.
Although the author of this work is not a academician he has put together a tome worthy of high academic merit and the author does a commendable job in applying universal style format throughout. The book is an important addition to the historiography of medieval Indian history.
Squadron Leader Rana TS Chhinna (Retd.)
The Reviewer Sqn Ldr Rana TS Chhinna (Retd.) was the Secretary and Editor of the CENTRE FOR ARMED FORCES HISTORICAL RESEARCH BOARD OF MANAGEMENT.
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A SYNOPSIS OF MOHYAL HISTORY/ Mohyal Itihas Praveshika (Hindi)
It was felt that in the digital age most people do not have the habit of reading serious books. It was therefore decided to compile a very short version – a SYNOPSIS – of Mohyal History, which can be read in a single sitting. We append here the booklet A SYNOPSIS OF MOHYAL HISTORY together with its Hindi version MOHYAL ITIHAS PRAVESHIKA. This is your introduction to Mohyal history. It has become very popular and more than two thousand copies have already been distributed, free, mainly through the local and central Mohyal Sabhas, particularly at their major functions /Milans. We want that a copy should reach every Mohyal home. You are welcome to ask for free copies from the Mohyal Sabha, Panchkula for personal use or distribution at major functions like Mundan/Marriage – reminding the great Mohyals about their glorious past. During old times our Bhats (bards) appeared on their own to sing Muhiyal kahavan kathin hai, mukh kahe no ho Muhiyal … Now we have to keep reminding ourselves and coaching our younger generations.
PHOTO AND TEXT OF THE SYNOPSIS OF MOHYAL HISTORY
HISTORY OF MOHANS
BASED ON POTHI RAI SEEGARH AND JANGNAMA MOHANAN
Most of the literature about Mohyal History, produced in the first half of the twentieth century, was lost due to the Partition of the country in 1947: among these Islahe Mohyali by Raizada Ratan Chand Vaid (c. 1908), Pothi Rai Seegarh, various caste Jangnamas etc. A short treatise on Mohyal History (Urdu) was published by Chaudhari Gauri Shankar Datt ‘Kanjrurvi’ at Lahore in 1923, which had a limited circulation. During our search, we were able to retrieve (a photocopy of) this history book from a saintly Datt family of Mendhar, a small town now on the border of J&K. Nothing remarkable by itself, it has the text of the Jangnama Mohanan, in verse, which seems to have been compiled by another Rai (Bhat) of a Mohan clan. To preserve this heritage item, we have re-written the text of the Jangnama in Dev Nagari script (from its original in Urdu) and published it as a booklet, together with a brief history of the Mohan caste of Mohyals. We take this opportunity to thank Sh. O. P. Mohan, former Senior Vice President of GMS, for his patronage in its production. Like the Synopsis of Mohyal History, this booklet is also being distributed free. It is reproduced here in full.