Brahmins Fought for Imam Hussain in the Battle of Karbala

[Justin Joseph]

Brahmins Fought for Imam Hussain in the Battle of Karbala

At the time of the war of Karbala (Oct. 680 AD). Rahab Sidh Datt, a potentate of Datt sect, was a highly esteemed figure of Arabia due to his close relations with the family of Prophet Mohammed. In the holy war when no Muslim King came to help Hussain. Rahab fought On his side mld sacrificed his seven sons (named Sahas Rai. Haras Rai, Sher Khan, Rai Pun, Ram Singh, Dharoo and Poroo) in the bloody war.

A Brief Account of the Episode: After the death of 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 AlL 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 5 years and finally got him murdered in a mosque of Koofa, his mausoleum with a golden dome, stands in the nearby town of Najaf (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 Oct. 10, 680 AD.

The participation of the Mohyals Brahmins and more precisely that of a Dutt family living in Arabia at that time, in the holy war, is a fact of the history. They were a part of the entourage of 200 men and women, including 72 members of Hussain’s family (40 on foot and 32 on horseback), 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 2nd. 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 of 10th (Ashoor), a Friday, all were dead including his step brother Abbas (32), his son Ali Akbar (22), daughter Skeena (4) and 6 months old infant 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 ovenight shelter on the way.

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 Amir 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 an impeccable evidence about tha 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, Munshi Prem Chand has stated that the Hindus who fought and sacrificed their lives in the holy war of Karbala, are believed to be the descendants of Ashvathama.This clearly establishes their link with the Datts who consider Ashvathama as an ancestor of their clan.

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 (vide Bandobast Report of Gujarat by Mirza Azam Beg page 422 and folk songs) and 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 the Sind at Attock they entered the 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 honoured the Datts with the htle of ‘Hussaini Brahmin’ 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. At the time to the Karbala, fourteen hundred Hussaini Brahmins lived in Baghdad alone

Brahmins Fought for Imam Hussain in the Battle of Karbala Azadaar e Husain - Azadari India

 

[pak-yes]

Now this is interesting never heard of it though.

 

[forcetrip]

Its because it never happened. I think the shias have the names of all the people that were massacred on a plaque. Someone can google those names and let us know as well.

 

[forcetrip]

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.

That part makes absolutely no sense ..

 

[Siddiqui A]

this is uttel BULLSHIT....im a sunni work in a company of shias and no ....this indian needs to chill out about his brahmins...koz NO they werent there....looks like they really like to pull crap outa their *****...

 

[dabong1]

I think one of imam hussains wife was a pesian-hindu princess.

 

[Marxist]

i heard about Jats in Arabia ,but never heard about bhramins

 

[pak-yes]

I think one of imam hussains wife was a pesian-hindu princess.

Who in the world told you this?

 

[Hyde]

First of all i am not rejecting the fact that at least one Brahman Family did help Imam Ali R.A ----------- Haven't read the full article yet and this article has lots of errors so i am quoting and reading together

I am glad to see Justin you are trying to learn Islamic History

Brahmins Fought for Imam Hussain in the Battle of Karbala

A Brief Account of the Episode: After the death of 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.

What a crap - Some peoples believe Hazrat Usman (R.A.) was the most popular among these 4 leaders where other group says Hazrat Umar was the most popular leader among Ameer-ul-Mo'mineen and Hazrat Usman second. I can give a long lecture on Hazrat Usman R.A. = One fine example is the compilation of the Holy Qur'an was completed during his era.

After his death, Hazrat AlL 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 5 years and finally got him murdered in a mosque of Koofa, his mausoleum with a golden dome, stands in the nearby town of Najaf (Iraq).

Another crap - Hazrat Ali did had stiff relationships with Amir Mua'avia and fought a war against him but he was not behind the killing of Hazrat Ali. I will not talk about his death here to keep my post short (btw read about Hazrat Ali's life and First Fitnah of Islam to understand what i am talking about - and for god sake not from Wikipedia only)

After the extermination of Ali, Moavia grabbed the Caliphate and converted the Islamic state into a kingdom,

Another crap - There was an agreement between Hazrat Ali and Amir Mu'avia. I want to see the author of this crap article. Its just going over my head now and that is why religious discussions are not allowed here may be.

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 Oct. 10, 680 AD.

That is ok i think

The participation of the Mohyals Brahmins and more precisely that of a Dutt family living in Arabia at that time, in the holy war, is a fact of the history. They were a part of the entourage of 200 men and women, including 72 members of Hussain’s family (40 on foot and 32 on horseback), 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 2nd. 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 of 10th (Ashoor), a Friday, all were dead including his step brother Abbas (32), his son Ali Akbar (22), daughter Skeena (4) and 6 months old infant 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 ovenight shelter on the way.

The funny thing is that i can challenge you the writer does not know how many companions of Hazrat Imam Hussain participated in this war. I did not read the number so far but i am sure he does not know anything. As far as i know only 1 brahmind family participated in the whole story of Imam Hussain R.A. I will share the story later on

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.

Exactly thats the story i am talking about - I can agree onto this but not the last part .

and i have no idea about the rest of the article but will not trust since this article has so many errors of historical facts

 

[Hyde]

That part makes absolutely no sense ..

To Whom It may concern:

If you do not know anything does not mean it is not part of the history

One of that story does exist in the books of History however cannot be confirmed by authentic source (imo). Karbala is a myth and i am yet to come across even one scholar who knows everything about Karbala.

It is like a bead of the "Tasbih". Some peoples know a little while other knows other part of the story. It is not easy to know all the facts. Just to know why Karbala took place you can write 10s or may be 100s of books and then imagine how many books you can write on the war?.

I heard about this Brahmin family couple of years ago and i am yet to read from any authentic source. Those who believes quoted only verbally and i am yet to come across any reliable book where these facts were mentioned but one thing is certain this chapter does exist in History.

 

[inayatali]

i heard about Jats in Arabia ,but never heard about bhramins

Dear,
At least you must have knowledge about this.

 

[Marxist]

Dear,
At least you must have knowledge about this.

so plz enlighten me ,with your knowledge.

 

[Marxist]

Hindu followers of Muslim imam
By Yoginder Sikand

One of the most important events in early Muslim history was the battle of Karbala fought in 680 CE in which Imam Hussain, grandson of the Prophet through his daughter Fatima and her husband Imam Ali, was slaughtered along with a small band of disciples in a bloody battle against the tyrant Yazid. This event occurred in the Islamic month of Muharram, and it is for this reason that this month is observed with great solemnity in many parts of the Muslim world.

What is particularly striking about the observances of the month of Muharram in large parts of India is the prominent participation of Hindus in the ritual mourning. In several towns and villages, Hindus join Muslims in lamenting the death of Hussain, by sponsoring or taking part in lamentation rituals and tazia processions. In Lucknow, seat of the Shia nawabs of Awadh, prominent Hindu noblemen like Raja Tikait Rai and Raja Bilas Rai built Imambaras to house alams, standards representing the Karbala event. The Hindu Lambadi community in Andhra Pradesh have their own genre of Muharram lamentation songs in Telugu. Among certain Hindu castes in Rajasthan, the Karbala battle is recounted by staging plays in which the death of Imam Hussain is enacted, after which the women of the village come out in a procession, crying and cursing Yazid for his cruelty. In large parts of rural India, Hindus believe that if barren women slip under a Moharrum alam they would be blessed with a child.
Perhaps the most intriguing case of Hindu veneration of Imam Hussain is to be found among the small Hussaini Brahmin sect, also called Dutts or Mohiyals, who are found mainly in Punjab. The Hussaini Brahmins have had a long martial tradition, which they trace back to the event of Karbala. They believe that an ancestor named Rahab traveled all the way from Punjab to Arabia, where he became a disciple of Imam Hussain. In the battle of Karbala, Rahab fought in the army of the Imam against Yazid. His sons, too, joined him, and most of them were killed. The Imam, seeing Rahab’s love for him, bestowed upon him the title of Sultan or king, and told him to go back to India. It is because from this close bond between Rahab and Imam Hussain that the Hussaini Brahmins derive their name.

After Rahab and those of his sons who survived the battle of Karbala reached India, they settled down in the western Punjab and gradually a community grew around them. The Hussaini Brahmins practised an intriguing blend of Islamic and Hindu traditions. A popular saying refers to the Hussaini Brahmins or Dutts thus:

Wah Dutt Sultan,
Hindu ka Dharm
Musalman ka Iman,
Adha Hindu Adha Musalman
Oh! Dutt, the king
[Who follows] the religion of the Hindu
And the faith of the Muslim
Half Hindu, half Muslim.

Another story, which seems less reliable, is related as to how the Dutts of Punjab came to be known as Hussaini Brahmins. According to this version, one of the wives of Imam Hussain, the Persian princess Shahr Banu, was the sister of Chandra Lekha or Mehr Banu, the wife of an Indian king called Chandragupta. When it became clear that Yazid was adamant on killing the Imam, the Imam’s son Ali ibn Hussain rushed off a letter to Chandragupta asking him for help against Yazid. When Chandragupta received the letter, he dispatched a large army to Iraq to assist the Imam. By the time they arrived, however, the Imam had been slain. In the town of Kufa, in present-day Iraq, they met with one Mukhtar Saqaffi, a disciple of the Imam, who arranged for them to stay in a special part of the town, which even today is known by the name of Dair-i-Hindiya or ‘the Indian quarter’.

Some Dutt Brahmins, under the leadership of one Bhurya Dutt, got together with Mukhtar Saqafi to avenge the death of the Imam. They stayed behind in Kufa, while the rest returned to India. Here they built up a community of their own, calling themselves Hussaini Brahmins, keeping alive the memory of their links with the Imam.

The Hussaini Brahmins believe that in the Bhagwadgita Krishna had foretold the event of the Imam’s death at Karbala. According to them, the Kalanki Purana, the last of eighteen Puranas, as well as the Atharva Veda, the fourth Veda, refer to Imam Hussain as the divine incarnation or avatar of the Kali Yug, the present age. They hold Imam Ali, Imam Hussain’s father, and son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, in particular reverence, referring to him with the honorific title of ‘Om Murti’.

The Hussaini Brahmins, along with other Hindu devotees of the Muslim Imam, are today a rapidly vanishing community. Younger generation Hussaini Brahmins are said to be abandoning their ancestral heritage, some seeing it as embarrassingly deviant. No longer, it seems, can an ambiguous, yet comfortable, liminality be sustained, fuzzy communal identities giving way under the relentless pressure to conform to the logic of neatly demarcated ‘Hindu’ and ‘Muslim’ communities. And so, these and scores of other religious communities that once straddled the frontier between Hinduism and Islam seem destined for perdition, or else to folkloric curiosities that tell of a bygone age, when it was truly possible to be both Hindu as well as Muslim at the same time.

Hindu followers of Muslim imam , The Milli Gazette, Vol.5 No.10, MG104 (16-31 May 04)

 

[forcetrip]

To Whom It may concern:

If you do not know anything does not mean it is not part of the history

I am sorry I do not believe your form of history. I think I will research on my own. Thank you for your rational comments above.

Another crap - Hazrat Ali did had stiff relationships with Amir Mua'avia and fought a war against him but he was not behind the killing of Hazrat Ali. I will not talk about his death here to keep my post short (btw read about Hazrat Ali's life and First Fitnah of Islam to understand what i am talking about - and for god sake not from Wikipedia only)

very enlightning ..

Here is the list I found off google ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_casualties_at_the_Battle_of_Karbala

 

[asq]

Wrtier Rakesh sharma, speaks for itself.

google it and he is a writer of books for music for all. No way he will be an authentic writer about such a serious matter, he is trying to earn some browny points in India.

to make big money to do so he is induging into something very serious, he should refrain from it.

Mouth Organ By Rakesh Sharma - Buy Books for learning Musical Instruments - Learn mouth organ

if this is the one he is a music writer. there no one else on google. Go figure.