Hussaini Brahmans: A historic bondage between Hindus and Shias Source: News Bharati English 8/9/2013 12:16:33 PM As the holy month of Ramzan concludes today with the celebration Eid, I am reminded of a meeting with Gulam Hussain, a young, intelligent Muslim friend of mine who came to my place to discuss some ‘important’ matters. During the course of discussion he said: “We Shias have a 1400-year-old strong relationship with the Hindus”. I was surprised. But more surprises were waiting for me when he disclosed that the Shias in India had volunteered to help Hindus build a grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya and offered a sumptuous monetary help also! Now this was really shocking. I have been associated with a nationalist Muslim movement for nearly a decade but never come across any Muslims speaking in this style. From my study of Muslims in India, all that I could gather was that the Muslims came to India as traders and invaders bringing with them a horrid tale of destruction, religious conversions and plunder and loot. And what this young Muslim friend of mine was unfolding before me was an altogether different side of the Muslim history. I tried to verify and cross-check from the historical records what he told me and a new vista on relationship of Hindus and Shia Muslims opened before me which I believe many would appreciate and relish. Historical evidences: One has to go back to understand the deep roots of this bondage between the Hindus and the Shia Muslims. After the death of Prophet Mohammed, he was succeeded by Abu Bakr, Omar and Osman, as the Caliphs. All three were related to him by marriage alliances. Osman was not popular and was assassinated. After his death, Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed (he was also his first cousin) who was married to the Prophet’s third daughter and the only surviving issue Bibi Fatima Zahira, became the 4th Caliph. There was stiff opposition to Ali’s rule from Amir Moavia, a known protege of Osman. He fought with him a bitter war for five years and finally got him murdered in a mosque of Koofa, his mausoleum with a golden dome, stands in the nearby town of Najaf in Iraq. After the extermination of Ali, Moavia grabbed the Caliphate and converted the Islamic state into a kingdom. After his death, his notorious son Yazid became the next ruler. However, the rightful claimants of the Caliphate were the descendants of Hazrat Ali, namely, Hassan and Hussain. While Hassan abdicated his claim to the crown and later died of suspected poisoning, his younger brother Imam Hussain who was till then leading a secluded life in Medina came out and challenged the usurper, Yazid. It was the war of attrition between the two which led to the bloodshed of Karbala (102 km south of Baghdad), on October 10, 680 AD. Hussain’s desire to visit India: Imam Hussein was encircled by the army of Yazid. Hussein had pleaded Yazid to allow him to go to India which was then the Hindu country and he knew that Hindus shunned violence and that they were just affectionate towards each other. He did not want to go to any Islamic country because he knew that he would be unsafe in any Muslim country. He had full faith and trust on Hindus. The other reason for him to go to India was because his wife Shahar Bano and queen of Emperor Chandra Gupta, Chandra Lekha, were sisters — both being daughters of the Shah of Iran. He knew that he would be only welcomed in India. This historical fact was confirmed by noted Hindi writer Raj Kumar Asthana in his book ‘Ancient India’. Imam Hussein’s eldest son Zainul Abedeen, wrote a letter to Emperor Chandra Gupta seeking his help in their fight against the forces of Yazid. The letter is available at the museum in Rajasthan. On the receipt of this letter Emperor Chandra Gupta dispatched a strong army of 5000 of which the Dutta Brahmans had comprised the major portion, under the command of General Bhurya Dutt. However, by the time this contingent reached the battlefield of Karbala, Imam Hussain and his entourage of 72 was completely eliminated. Valient fight by Dutt Brahmans: Ameer Mukhtar, one of Imam Hussein’s trusted disciples was in the process of avenging the death of his master and when he knew of Hindu contingent arriving to help them, he welcomed them at the place known as ‘Darra-e-Hindeeya’ even today! The Hindu forces joined Ameer Mukhtar and fought valiantly with the evil forces of Yazid under the command of Bhurya Dutt. Later, some part of the contingent stayed back while a part of it returned to India. When Emperor Chandra Gupta came to know about the martyrdom of Iman Hussein and his entourage he was grief-stricken and his entire kingdom offered homage to the departed soul. This was the beginning of Moharrum – the festival of Shias. It was started by Hindu India when there was no Islam and no Musslaman here. The sacrifice of Imam Hussein is vividly described by many a Hindu poets in their poems. Tafsir-e-Islam gives the vivid account of Dutt Brahmans sacrificing their lives for Imam Hussein. The 72 members-40 on foot and 32 on horseback- accompanied Hussain when he left Medina and made an arduous trek to Karbala, where he had a large friendly following. After 18 days, i.e. on the second day of Mohurrum, the Hussain’s caravan reached Karbala, on the bank of river Euphrates and surrounded by a hostile desert. On the 7th day of Mohurrum, all hell broke out when 30,000 strong army sent by Yazid from Mecca and other places, attacked them. 6,000 soldiers guarded the river bank to ensure that not a drop of water reached the Hussain’s thirsty innocents. By sunset all were dead including his step brother Abbas, his son Ali Akbar, daughter Skeena, and 6-month- old toddler Ali Asghar who was killed by an arrow while perched in his lap. Imam Hussain himself was slain with thirty three strokes of lances and swords by Shimr, the hatchet man of ignominious Yazid. The ruffians of Yazid, as they ran carrying the smitten head of Hussain to the castle of Koofa, were chased by Rahab. He retrieved the holy man’s head, washed it reverentially and then carried it to Damascus. According to legend, he was overtaken by Yazid’s men during his overnight shelter on the way. Intizar Hussain mentioned in his column in Dawn about the ten Brahmans went to Karbala with the determination to fight for Imam Hussein. Amongst them were Rahab Dutt and his seven sons who fought valiantly and resolutely sacrificing their lives. After the departure of Yazid’s army, Rahab Dutt took the bodies of his sons with their severed heads and put them together. Then he prayed to Imam Hussein to grant life to his slain sons and his wish was fulfilled. However, they bore the mark of slitting on their throats. This cut mark is still found on the throats of Hussaini Brahmans. The Brahman came to Punjab with his seven sons and settled down there and the Hussaini Brahmans came to be associated with slit marks on throats. Intizar Hussain happened to meet a girl who belonged to this clan of Hussaini Brahmans. Her name was quoted as Nonica Dutt. Hussain had an exclusive interview with her during the course of which she narrated him the history. She told him that after the birth of a child the ritual of Moondan is performed in the name of Imam Hussein in the families of Dutt Brahmans. It was she who disclosed to Intizar Hussain that famous Indian matinee idol Sunil Dutt and his son Sanjay was Hussaini Brahman and father of Nargis was also a Hussaini Brahman. At the time of the war at Karbala which took place in October 680 AD, Rahab Dutt, potentate of Dutt Brahnan clan, was a highly esteemed figure in Arabia due to his close relations with the family of the Prophet. Rahib with his seven sons namely Sahas Rai, Haras Rai, Sher Khan, Rai Pun, Ram Singh, Dharoo and Poroo, fought bravely with the forces of Yazid. In the battle all the seven sons sacrificed their lives. They demanded Hussain’s head from him. Rahab executed the head of one of his sons and offered to them. They shouted that it was not the Hussain’s head, then he beheaded his second son and they again yelled that it was not his. In this way Rahab executed the heads of his seven sons but did not part with the head of Imam Hussain. Later, after one year, it was buried in Karbala along with rest of his body. The intrepid Datts rallied round Ameer Mukhtar, the chief of the partisans of Imam Hussain, fought with extraordinary heroism and captured and razed the fort of Koofa, seat of Yazid’s governor, Obaidullah, the Butcher. After scoring a resounding victory on the battlefield, they beat the drums and yelled out that they had avenged the innocent blood of Hussain shed at Karbala. It is also significant to note that even before the Karbala incident, Hazrat Ali had entrusted the public exchequer to the regiment of the valiant Datts, at the time of the Battle of Camels fought near Basra. The above provides impeccable evidence about the pragmatic role played by the Datt Mohyals in the catastrophe of Karbala. There are more than a dozen ballads composed centuries ago which vividly and with great passion describe the scenario of the historic event. Interestingly, in the preface of his famous historical novel, titled Karbala, published in 1924 from Lucknow, noted Hindi writer Munshi Prem Chand stated that the Hindus who fought and sacrificed their lives in the holy war of Karbala, are believed to be the descendants of Ashvatthama. This clearly establishes their link with the Datts who consider Ashvatthama as an ancestor of their clan. Dutts settle in Punjab: Later on, when Sunnis let loose an orgy of vendetta on Shias and Datts, Datts returned to their motherland around 700 AD and settled at Dina Nagar, District Sialkot according to the Bandobast Report of Gujarat by Mirza Azam Beg (page 422), and folk songs. Some drifted to as far as the holy Pushkar in Rajasthan. Starting from Harya Bandar (modern Basra on the bank of river Tigris) with swords in hand and beating durms, they forced their way through Syria and Asia Minor and marching onwards captured Ghazni, Balkh and Bukhara. After annexing Kandhar, they converged on Sind and crossing Sindhu river at Attock, entered Punjab. An ancestor of Rahab named Sidh Viyog Datt assumed the title of Sultan and made Arabia (old name Iraq) his home. He was a tough and tenacious fighter. He was also known as Mir Sidhani. He was a worshipper of Brahma. He was the son of the stalwart Sidh Jhoja (Vaj) who was a savant and saint and lived in Arabia (Iraq) around 600 AD. The supporters of Hassan and Hussain honored the Datts with the title of ‘Hussaini Brahman’ and treated them with great reverence in grateful recognition of the supreme sacrifices made by them in the war of Karbala. According to Jang Nama, written by Ahmed Punjabi, (pages 175-176), it was ordained on the Shias to recite the name of Rahab in their daily prayer. Relationship of harmony and bondage: Thus, the Hussaini Brahmans are the one who represent the harmony and bondage of brotherhood between the Shia Muslims and Hindus even before Islam came to India. Many a Hussaini Brahmans have contributed to the freedom struggle and development of India. Prominent amongst them was Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh, who was a freedom fighter, administrator and educationist who contributed a lot for improving educational institutions in Bihar. He donated his personal property for establishment of Radium Institute in Patna Medical College, Darbhanga Medical College, Ayurvedic College and schools for the blind, deaf and dumb among others. These Husaini Brahmins practiced a mixed blend of Hinduism and Islamic traditions. A popular saying refers to the Hussaini Brahmans thus: “Wah Dutt Sultan, Hindu ka dharm, Musalman ka Iman, Adha Hindu adha Musalman”. There is a group of Hussaini Brahmans in Pune too. According to reports Pune’s Hussaini Brahmans are a lesson in national integration. They signify their close bond with Imam Hussein and yet retain their Hindu identity intact. These Hussaini Brahmans came to Pune from Punjab centuries ago and settled down here continuing the warrior tradition of their ancestors. There are around 125 families of these Hussaini Brahmans in Pune with surnames like Mohan, Bali, Chibber, Dutt, Bakshi, Lav and Bimwal drawn from the seven rishis from whom they claim their descend. These Hussaini Brahmans symbolize the centuries-old bond shared by Hindus and Shia Muslims and enjoy a special place in Islamic history. Strengthening this tradition could lead India and the Islamic world to a new vista of mutual understanding and everlasting bondage. This is the real message of Eid.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 10:25:19 +0000