Mohyal Brahmin


Mohyal Brahmin is an Indian Jati with origins in the Punjab region. The members of this clan originate from the broader Saraswat Brahmin group and comprise seven sub-clans named Bali, Bhimwal, Chhibber, Dutt, Lau, Mohan and Vaid. These each claim their lineage from one of seven different Brahmin rishis.
The majority of them identify as Hindu, but some also identify with being Sikh. A very small minority of Mohyals also have an association with Shia Islam due to their role in the Battle of Karbala, these Mohyals are called Hussaini Brahmins.

Vedic origins

The Mohyals are split into subgroups - jatis - with each family claiming their lineage can be traced to a specific Vedic figure.
House NameVedic origin figure
BaliParashar
BhimwalKaushal
Chhibber/ChibberBhrigu
Datt/Dutt/DuttaBharadwaja
LauVasishtha
MohanKashyap
VaidDhanvantri

Contributions to Sikhism

Spirituality and identity

Guru Nanak, continuing in the tradition of Bhakti Saints, revitalised wisdom in order to make to accessible for the common people of Late Medieval India. As apart of this transformation, many Punjabi Hindus, including the Mohyals, revered and followed Guru Nanak. This devotion towards Nanak's mat led them to follow Nanak's successors and then assist in the creation of the Sikh ethos. Moreover, as the latter Gurus became martial, this community was a natural home for the warrior-class of Punjabi Hindus. A distinct Sikh religious identity was not created until the 19th century, thus, referring to the period of the Gurus as Sikhism is problematic.

Guru period

Other notable Mohyals include the brothers Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Sati Das, who both died alongside the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, for protecting Indic civilisation against Islamism. As the family of the latter Gurus and this Chhibber family were close, Bhai Chaupa Singh Chhiber became a care-taker of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru.