Bhatti Khanzada
Encyclopedia
The Bhatti Khanzada of Awadh
are a Muslim Rajput community found mainly in the Barabanki district
of Uttar Pradesh
in India
. There is also a distinct community of Bhattis found in the village of Yahiapur in Pratapgarh district. The Awadh
region covers most of the eastern areas of Uttar Pradesh
, and is home to a distinct culture. A small number of Bhatti Muslims are also found in the districts of Bahraich
and Balrampur
. They are sub-group within the larger Khanzada
community of eastern Uttar Pradesh
.
The Bhatti are a well known Rajput
tribe found that are found mainly in Rajasthan
and Punjab
. They are a clan of Chandravanshi Rajput
s, and those of Awadh
claim to originate from Bhatner
in Haryana
, and the Bhattis were some of the earliest converts of Islam
. The community descend from two brothers, Zubair Khan, and Mustafa Khan, who arrived in Awadh
with the armies of Tatar Khan, the Muslim
commander who is said to have conquered Awadh
for the Khilji
rulers. They settled in the village of Basorhi, as the place contained the shrine of the Sufi saint Syed Shah Jalal. The community then spread to Mawai
, where they are now found in about twenty villages. They produced the families of the taluqdar
s of Barauli
and Neora in Barabanki district
, and are closely related to the Qidwai
Shaikhs
, a neighbouring Muslim
community through intermarriage. Other than the taluqdar
families, the majority of the Barabanki Bhatti are small to medium sized farmers. With the abolishment of zamindar
i system of feudal ownership, has had a strong impact on the large landowning families, as much of their land has been redistributed. They are Sunni Muslim
s, except the taluqdar families who are Shia. The Bhatti have always been more orthodox then the Khanzada
, a neighbouring Muslim Rajput community. Like other communities in Awadh
, they are largely endogamous, marrying close kin. They have no connection with the Ranghar
Bhatti of western Uttar Pradesh
or those of Punjab
.
There are also other Bhatti communities in Awadh
, such as those of Yahiapur in Pratapgarh district. They have no connection with the Barabanki Bhattis.
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
are a Muslim Rajput community found mainly in the Barabanki district
Barabanki District
The Barabanki district is one of four districts of Faizabad division, lies at the very heart of Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and forms as it were a centre from which no less than seven other districts radiate...
of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. There is also a distinct community of Bhattis found in the village of Yahiapur in Pratapgarh district. The Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
region covers most of the eastern areas of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, and is home to a distinct culture. A small number of Bhatti Muslims are also found in the districts of Bahraich
Bahraich District
Bahraich District is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Bahraich town is the district headquarters. Bahraich District is a part of Devipatan Division.-History:...
and Balrampur
Balrampur district
Balrampur district is one of the 72 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in India. Balrampur town located on the bank of the Rapti is the district headquarters. Balrampur district is a part of Devipatan division, and historic Awadh region....
. They are sub-group within the larger Khanzada
Khanzada (Awadh)
The Khanzada or Khan Zadeh are a community of Hindu converted Muslim Rajputs, found in the Awadh region of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. A few are also found in the state of Bihar. This community is distinct from the Rajasthan Khanzadas, who are also a community of Muslim Rajputs. They also...
community of eastern Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
.
The Bhatti are a well known Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
tribe found that are found mainly in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
. They are a clan of Chandravanshi Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, and those of Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
claim to originate from Bhatner
Hanumangarh
Hanumangarh is a city in northern Rajasthan state in western India, situated on the banks of the river Ghaggar, located about 400 km from Delhi. It is the administrative seat of Hanumangarh District...
in Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, and the Bhattis were some of the earliest converts of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The community descend from two brothers, Zubair Khan, and Mustafa Khan, who arrived in Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
with the armies of Tatar Khan, the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
commander who is said to have conquered Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
for the Khilji
Khilji
Khilji may refer to:*Khilji dynasty*Khilji, Nepalas added to the page to prevent it being listed on Special:Shortpages. It and the accompanying monitoring template were generated via Template:Longcomment. Please do not remove the monitor template without removing the comment as well....
rulers. They settled in the village of Basorhi, as the place contained the shrine of the Sufi saint Syed Shah Jalal. The community then spread to Mawai
Mawai
Mawai may refer to:-*Mavia an Arab warrior queen, a Hong Kong coaster* Mawai, Haryana, a town along the Yamuna River, India....
, where they are now found in about twenty villages. They produced the families of the taluqdar
Taluqdar
A taluqdar or talukdar , is a term used for Indian land holders in Mughal and British times, responsible for collecting taxes from a district...
s of Barauli
Barauli
Barauli is a town and a notified area in Gopalganj district in the state of Bihar, India.-Geography:Barauli is located at . It has an average elevation of 65 metres .-Demographics:...
and Neora in Barabanki district
Barabanki District
The Barabanki district is one of four districts of Faizabad division, lies at the very heart of Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and forms as it were a centre from which no less than seven other districts radiate...
, and are closely related to the Qidwai
Qidwai
The Qidwai or Kidwai are a community of Muslims in Pakistan and India. They are mostly settled in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also settled in the city of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The Qidwai, together with the Milki, Malik and Chaudhary are one of the four sub-group of a...
Shaikhs
Shaikhs in South Asia
Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Cheikh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh and other variants , is a word or honorific term in the Arabic language that literally means "elder." It is commonly used to designate an elder of a tribe, a revered wise man, or an Islamic scholar...
, a neighbouring Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community through intermarriage. Other than the taluqdar
Taluqdar
A taluqdar or talukdar , is a term used for Indian land holders in Mughal and British times, responsible for collecting taxes from a district...
families, the majority of the Barabanki Bhatti are small to medium sized farmers. With the abolishment of zamindar
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
i system of feudal ownership, has had a strong impact on the large landowning families, as much of their land has been redistributed. They are Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, except the taluqdar families who are Shia. The Bhatti have always been more orthodox then the Khanzada
Khanzada (Awadh)
The Khanzada or Khan Zadeh are a community of Hindu converted Muslim Rajputs, found in the Awadh region of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. A few are also found in the state of Bihar. This community is distinct from the Rajasthan Khanzadas, who are also a community of Muslim Rajputs. They also...
, a neighbouring Muslim Rajput community. Like other communities in Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
, they are largely endogamous, marrying close kin. They have no connection with the Ranghar
Ranghar
Ranghar are a Muslim ethnic group, which is found in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states of India. Ranghar were native to Indian state of Haryana and also found in the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh, as well as Delhi in India...
Bhatti of western Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
or those of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
.
There are also other Bhatti communities in Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
, such as those of Yahiapur in Pratapgarh district. They have no connection with the Barabanki Bhattis.