Mahton
Encyclopedia
Mahton or Mehton is a caste
. They were enlisted as "Rajput
Mahta Sikh" by the British in 1892. Mahtam
is also another separate caste, the two castes are distinct
In Kapurthala
Mahton tradition is that of the Mahton's Raja Jai Singh Sawai had two sons, of whom one, Raja Jagna having quarrelled with his father came to Punjab and founded Banga
in Jalandhar
and Bajaura in Hoshiarpur
, Panchhat
in Kapurthala being subsequently founded by five of his descendants, while Mahia his eldest son founded Mayopati in these parts. The shrine of Mahton ancestor in Banga was built by rocks from Dharanagri.
The tradition in Adampur says that two brothers Ratiji and Matiji came from Shakargarh
to Bajaura, where the Brahmin
s invoked their aid against the Muslim
s. The latter were defeated in a desperate encounter near Jalandhar. Matiji was slain but Ratiji founded five villages.
Similarly from Sailkot came Mian Mota, who first settled in Jaswan-Kopti near Gurdaspur
and then in Rajpur
near Hoshiarpur, whence he founded Narur
in Kapurthala, naming it after the elder of his two sons Nar Chand and Zahir Chand .
On the other Thakkarwal (also called Randhirgarh) in Hoshiarpur was founded by an ancestor from Kasur
and thence a village of a samename was founded in Phagwara
tahsil of Kapurthala . At one period Mahtons also appear to have been settled in the Bit Manaswal plateau in Hoshiarpur Shiwaliks from where they left when the Rana's occupied it.
Religion - Originally Hindu
s, most Matons have adopted Sikhism
, in one form or another, and a certain number have accepted Islam
.
H.A.Rose after writing about Mahtams said - At the same time I should note that the MAHTON of Hoshiarpur and the neighborhood appear to hold a much higher social position than the MAHTAMS of Sutlej, and it may be that the two are really distinct. The Mahton of Hoshiarpur are of good Rajput
blood, though they have lost their caste by taking to ploughing and practicing widow remarriage but their social standing is not much below the Rajputs. The name is derived from Mahta, which is a title of honour among the Rajputs. The late Mr. A.Anderson also gave the Hoshiarpur Mahtons high social standing.
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
. They were enlisted as "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...
Mahta Sikh" by the British in 1892. Mahtam
Mahtam
Mahatams are a clan found among Punjabis of India and Pakistan . They are Hindus as well as Muslims, and in the 1920s the former were mainly cultivators and the latter were clearers of the jungle....
is also another separate caste, the two castes are distinct
In Kapurthala
Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic...
Mahton tradition is that of the Mahton's Raja Jai Singh Sawai had two sons, of whom one, Raja Jagna having quarrelled with his father came to Punjab and founded Banga
Banga
Banga may refer to:* Places** Banga, Aklan in the Philippines** Banga, Angola, municipality in Angola** Banga, Burkina Faso, a town in Burkina Faso** Banga, Pakistan, a town in Punjab, Pakistan** Banga, India, a town and nagar panchayat in India...
in Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
and Bajaura in Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....
, Panchhat
Panchhat
Panchhat, commonly known as Panshta, is a village in Phagwara Tehsil in the Kapurthala District, Punjab. The nearest city, Phagwara, is about away. To reach Panchhat one must travel about on the Hoshiarpur-Phagwara Road and then travel about on the link road to Panshta...
in Kapurthala being subsequently founded by five of his descendants, while Mahia his eldest son founded Mayopati in these parts. The shrine of Mahton ancestor in Banga was built by rocks from Dharanagri.
The tradition in Adampur says that two brothers Ratiji and Matiji came from Shakargarh
Shakargarh
Shakargarh , the headquarters of Shakargarh Tehsil, is a city in the north-east of Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It borders Jammu to the North and Sialkot to the west The city is located at 32°16'0N 75°10'0E and is situated at the west bank of the Ravi River.-Demographics:The total area of...
to Bajaura, where the Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s invoked their aid against 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...
s. The latter were defeated in a desperate encounter near Jalandhar. Matiji was slain but Ratiji founded five villages.
Similarly from Sailkot came Mian Mota, who first settled in Jaswan-Kopti near Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur is a city in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. It is located in the center of and is the administrative head of Gurdaspur District. It was the location of a fort which was famous for the siege it sustained in 1712 from the Mughals...
and then in Rajpur
Rajpur
Rajpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Barwani district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.-Geography:Rajpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 225 metres .-Demographics:...
near Hoshiarpur, whence he founded Narur
Narur
Narur, also known as Naroor or Naror, is a large village in Punjab, situated 19 km from Phagwara. The area is 183 hectares with a population of 2485....
in Kapurthala, naming it after the elder of his two sons Nar Chand and Zahir Chand .
On the other Thakkarwal (also called Randhirgarh) in Hoshiarpur was founded by an ancestor from Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
and thence a village of a samename was founded in Phagwara
Phagwara
Phagwara is a city and a municipal council in Kapurthala district in North India, in the central part of the Punjab.-Location:Phagwara lies on the Delhi–Amritsar national highway No.01 and is also served by the rail link between Delhi and Amritsar. It is located between the two big cities of...
tahsil of Kapurthala . At one period Mahtons also appear to have been settled in the Bit Manaswal plateau in Hoshiarpur Shiwaliks from where they left when the Rana's occupied it.
Religion - Originally Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s, most Matons have adopted Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
, in one form or another, and a certain number have accepted Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
H.A.Rose after writing about Mahtams said - At the same time I should note that the MAHTON of Hoshiarpur and the neighborhood appear to hold a much higher social position than the MAHTAMS of Sutlej, and it may be that the two are really distinct. The Mahton of Hoshiarpur are of good 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...
blood, though they have lost their caste by taking to ploughing and practicing widow remarriage but their social standing is not much below the Rajputs. The name is derived from Mahta, which is a title of honour among the Rajputs. The late Mr. A.Anderson also gave the Hoshiarpur Mahtons high social standing.