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{{Short description|Khatri clan}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Infobox clan
| clan name = Khukhrain
| native_name = Khokhrain
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| region = [[Punjab]]
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| ethnicity = [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]]
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| historic seat = [[Bhera]]
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The '''Khukhrain''' or '''Khokhrain'''<ref name="tribuneindia.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110108/saturday/above.htm |author=Khushwant Singh|title=The brave Khokhrains|website=The Tribune (India newspaper)|date=8 January 2011|access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref> is a sub-group composed of eight clans of the [[Khatri]] [[caste]] that originally hailed from the areas of the [[Salt Range]].

==History==
The Khukhrains spread over [[Khushab]], Dhune Kheb, [[Chakwal]], [[Pind Dadan Khan]], [[Peshawar]], [[Nowshera District|Nowshera]] and [[Lahore]].<ref name="panjab195">The Panjab Past and Present By Punjabi University Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies Published by Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University., 1981 Page 195</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=July 2019}} They were a powerful tribe during the attacks of [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] and resisted him during his third invasion after the defeat of [[Jayapala]] at the Battle of Bhera in 1004-5. Bhera was the Khukhrain capital. <ref>The Panjab Past and Present By Punjabi University Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies Published by Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University., 1981 Page 200)</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=July 2019}} King Jai Dev Anand defeated Mahmud of Ghazni, making him a prisoner of war. However the King let him go against the advice of his minister and the General Shri Pal Suri. [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] had his wounds treated and made arrangement's within one year the Kingdom was sacked by Ghazni. When Bhera was sacked by [[Mahmud of Ghazni]], the Khukhrain king, Biji Rai preferred to commit suicide using his dagger rather than submit to [[Mahmud Ghaznavi]].<ref name="panjab195" /> Jaipal's son, [[Anandapala]], received support of the Khukhrains against the Ghazni rule in 1008-9 at Wahind.<ref>The Panjab Past and Present By Punjabi University Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies Published by Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University., 1981 page 201}</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=July 2019}}

In 1206, the Khukhrains had assassinated Muhammad Ghori during a raid near [[Jhelum]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=17I2EAAAQBAJ&dq=Khukhrain&pg=PA1521 | title=Timelines of Nearly Everything | date=3 July 2021 | publisher=Manjunath.R }}</ref>

==Religious beliefs==
The Khukhrain clan was originally [[Hindu]]. Later clan members embraced [[Sikhism]] and [[Islam]]. Khukhrains of all these faiths collectively form one [[kinship]]. In Pakistan there continues to be a large number of Muslim Khukhrains living especially in the Pakistani Punjab. Some scholars such as Muhammad Ikrām Chutai believe that a number of Khukhrains were converted to [[Islam]] by the Sufi [[Baba Farid]].<ref>Babaji: Life and Teachings of Farid-ud Din Ganj-i Shakar By Muhammad Ikrām Chutai Page 433 Published by Sang-e-Meel Publications, 2006</ref>

== Clans ==

* [[Anand (surname)|Anand]] : Named after a common ancestor "Ananda" which translates to "joy" in [[Sanskrit]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hanks|first1=Patrick|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0AyDDQAAQBAJ&q=anand|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland|last2=Coates|first2=Richard|last3=McClure|first3=Peter|date=2016-11-17|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-252747-9|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Bhasin (surname)|Bhasin]] : They were mostly concentrated in [[Rawalpindi District|Rawalpindi district]] (1208 families) according to 1881 [[Census of India]] conducted by [[British Empire|British]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Puri|first=Baij Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytuAAAAMAAJ&q=puri+bhasins+rawalpindi|title=The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study|date=1988|publisher=M.N. Publishers and Distributors|pages=24|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Chadha]] : According to a local account, the ancestors of Chadhas fought with [[Babur]] in a war. However, all of them died except for one man who hid behind an [[Calotropis gigantea|aak bush]]. This person continued the progeny of the Chadha clan. To pay tribute to the aak bush which saved the Chadha clan from extinction, the Chadhas visit [[Eminabad]] in [[Gujranwala District|Gujranwala]] district to perform prayers and worship the Aak tree as a former tradition<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Siddiqi|first1=Iqtidar Husain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qbIYAQAAMAAJ&q=chadha+khatri|title=Medieval India: Essays in medieval Indian history and culture|last2=Iraqi|first2=Shahabuddin|date=2003|publisher=Manohar|isbn=978-81-7304-786-2|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Chandhok (surname)|Chandhoke]] (Chandhok) : They were concentrated in [[Peshawar]] and [[Kabul]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Puri|first=Baij Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytuAAAAMAAJ&q=chandok+peshawar|title=The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study|date=1988|publisher=M.N. Publishers and Distributors|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Ghai]] :They are mentioned in [[Bhai Gurdas|Bhai Gurdas's]] Vaar 11 ਵਡਾ ਭਗਤੁ ਹੈ ਭਾਈਅੜਾ ਗੋਇੰਦੁ ਘੇਈ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੁਆਰੇ। (Translation : Bhaiara and Govind are devotees belonging to Ghai sub-caste. They remain at the door of the Guru.)<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Pashaura|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ciwpDwAAQBAJ&dq=khatri+sub-castes&pg=PT79|title=Life and Work of Guru Arjan: History, Memory, and Biography in the Sikh Tradition|date=2006-07-10|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-908780-8|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Sabharwal]] : The sub-caste is also mentioned in [[Bhai Gurdas|Bhai Gurdas's]] Vaar 11 "ਸਨਮੁਖ ਭਾਈ ਤੀਰਥਾ ਸਭਰਵਾਲ ਸਭੇ ਸਿਰਦਾਰਾ।" (Translation : Bhai Tirtha was the leader among all the Sikhs of Sabharval sub- caste.) <ref name=":1" />
* [[Sahni]] (Sawhney) :The Sahnis were the inhabitants of [[Bhera]] town located on the eastern bank of [[Jhelum River]] prior to the [[partition of India]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Prasad|first1=Guntupalli V. R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rQcLEAAAQBAJ&dq=sahni+bhera&pg=PR11|title=Biological Consequences of Plate Tectonics: New Perspectives on Post-Gondwana Break-up–A Tribute to Ashok Sahni|last2=Patnaik|first2=Rajeev|date=2020-11-23|publisher=Springer Nature|isbn=978-3-030-49753-8|language=en}}</ref> Sahni families were also the governors of [[Wazirabad]] tehsil. According to [[Baij Nath Puri|B.N Puri]], Sahni is derived from "Senani" meaning "[[Army general|general of an army]]"<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Puri|first=Baij Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ytuAAAAMAAJ&q=suri+hero|title=The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study|date=1988|publisher=M.N. Publishers and Distributors|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Seth (surname)|Sethi]] : According to B.N Puri, Sethi is derived from "shrestha" meaning "the headman"<ref name=":2" />
* [[Suri (surname)|Suri]] : As per [[Baij Nath Puri|B.N Puri]], Suri translates to "hero"<ref name=":2" />

==Khokran and Khokhars==
''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' notes that: "The Khukhrain sub-group of the "52"s claims descent from a son of Manu and several clan names are traced to military terms in support of the claim to [[Kshatriya]] descent.."<ref>Britannica: A New Survey of Universal Knowledge By Walter Yust Published by Encyclopædia Britannica, 1952 Page 980</ref>

==See also==
*[[Hinduism in Punjab]]
* [[Khatri]]
* [[List of Khatris]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Ethnic groups, tribes and clans of the Punjab}}

[[Category:Khatri clans]]

Khukhrain - Revision history

Donnell05T at 20:20, 30 August 2025