Bali clan

The Bali are a clan of the Mohyal Brahmin community, who are found in North India, particularly the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Delhi (after the partition).

Early history

Mohyals have long claimed a few royal houses of ancient and early medieval times as their own ancestors, including Raja Dahir and the Hindu Shahi kings of Kabul and Punjab. According to their oral history, the Kabul dynasty of King Spalapati that reached a glory under his son King Samanta Dev were of the Datt lineage, and whose ancestors in preceding centuries are said to have been displaced as rulers of a small coastal territory called Harya Bunder further towards the Middle-East. Some of the latter Hindu Shahi Kings that were defeated after successive invasions by the Ghaznavids are claimed to have been of the Vaid clan, which according to Mohyal ballads is said to have nearly been wiped out in the process.

The Mohyals' were once priests that resided near the ancient river of Saraswati, that used to flow from the Himalayans and down to the Arabian sea.[1] However, during the Vedic Period Bhagwan Parsuram, a famous warrior sage militarised these priests into fierce warriors that would go on to unify the areas of India and defend it from many invasions.[2]

As per Mohyals' history, King Dahir of Brahmanabad in Sindh belonged to the Chhibber clan and was a forefather of Bhai Mati Das. Other oral and written sources talk of the Raja Vishav Rai of the Lau clan having ruled over Bajwara (near modern day Hoshiarpur), and the Mohans ruling over Mamdot. Some of the other royals claimed by Mohyals as their own forefathers are also claimed by other groups, these names include King Porus and Raja Nand of Punjab. King Porus is also said to have been of the Mohyal Brahmin clan.

Recent history

During the Mughal and Sikh rule, they were bestowed with titles like Sultan, Bakshi, Dewan, Mehta etc. in reward for their bravery. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had also appointed many Mohyals to his famous Vadda Risala also known as "The Royal Guards of the Lion of Punjab". During the British period, fifty percent of the Mohyal commissioned officers, were decorated with awards for their distinguished services. In the self-serving "Theory of Martial Races" propounded by the British after the 1857 mutiny, Mohyals were the only predominantly Sikh community from Punjab included in the classification.

Mohyal clans

This ethnic group is divided into seven clans[5] listed below with their gotras (lineages):

1. Bali: Parashar
2. Bhimwal: Kaushal
3. Chhibber/Chibber: Bhrigu
4. Datt: Bharadwaja
5. Lau: Vasishtha
6. Mohan: Kashyap
7. Vaid: Bharadwaja

References
  1. Bakshi, G.D. (2017). Guardians of the Gate: A Military History of the Mohyal Fighting Brahmins. New Delhi, India: KW Publishers Pvt Limited, 2017. pp. 20–21. ISBN 9789386288776.
  2. Dutt, Harish Chander (2020-06-14). "Mohyals Brahmins – marshals or saints?". dailyexcelsior.com.
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