Bhat (also spelled as Bhatt or Butt) is a Brahmin surname in the Indian subcontinent. Bhat and Bhatt are shortened renditions of Brahmabhatta or Bhatta. [1]
The word "Bhat" (Sanskrit : भट्ट, IAST : Bhaṭṭa) means "scholar" in Sanskrit. [2] [3] While the original shortened rendition of "Bhatta" was "Bhat" or "Bhatt," [4] many of the Kashmiri Brahmin and Kashmiri Muslim migrants to the Punjab region started spelling their surname as "Butt", which is the transliteration of the name when written using the Urdu/Persian alphabet (as opposed to Bhat when using the Devanagari alphabet). [5] [6] [7]
The surname is in use among some Konkani Goud Saraswat Brahmins as well as Konkani Christians (who trace their ancestry to the Goud Saraswat Brahmins of Goa). [8]
Bhat, also spelled as Bhatt, Batt or Butt, is a Kashmiri Pandit surname found among the Brahmins of the Kashmir Valley, as well as Kashmiris who migrated to Punjab, [5] [6] [9] a region now divided between India and the neighbouring Pakistan. [5]
The Bhats who migrated to Punjab in the late 19th century and the early 20th century due to the 1878 drought, were Brahmin migrants [5] from Kashmir, escaping discrimination by local rulers and seeking trade opportunities. [10] [5] [11] [12]
The surname is now shared by both Kashmiri Hindus and Kashmiri Muslims who mostly retained their last names. [13] [14]
Some Bhats/Butts found in the Punjab region are descendants of those Kashmiri Brahmins [5] who migrated to different cities of (undivided) Punjab from the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir during the 1878 famine in British India. [5] [6] [11]
In Ludhiana, Kashmiris became known for their contribution to the handicraft arena. [15]
The word Bhaṭṭa (Kannada:ಭಟ್ಟ) or Bhaṭṭar (Tamil: பட்டர்) is traditionally used, especially in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka usually to denote a "learned man" or a "scholar" (Brahmins), but also in other southern states.
It was originally used as an honorific like śāstri or paṇḍita, but has become a surname in parts of the country in modern times used as a family name rather than an honorific. In Southern Karnataka naming convention followed is such that, generally, one's father's name is kept as the surname irrespective of caste and many of these honorifics continue to be used as honorifics. [16]
In earlier times a caste name or village name was used by the Tamils as their last name, but due to the influence of the Dravidian movement, Tamils of all castes have mostly given up caste surnames. However, women frequently adopt their father's or husband's name and take it for successive generations. But, honorific like Bhaṭṭar are still in use in spoken language rather than as a surname. [17]
This surname is commonly found in Havyaka Brahmins, Kota Brahmins, Shivalli Brahmins, Sthanika Brahmins, Koteshwara Brahmins, Kandavara Brahmins, Hoysala Brahmins of Karnataka. [18]
Literature of Kashmir has a long history, the oldest texts having been composed in the Sanskrit language. Early names include Patanjali, the author of the Mahābhāṣya commentary on Pāṇini's grammar, suggested by some to have been the same to write the Hindu treatise known as the Yogasutra, and Dridhbala, who revised the Charaka Samhita of Ayurveda.
The Kashmiri Pandits are a group of Kashmiri Hindus and a part of the larger Saraswat Brahmin community of India. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group from the Kashmir Valley, located within the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmiri Pandits are Hindu Kashmiris native to the Kashmir Valley, and the only remaining Hindu Kashmiris after the large-scale of conversion of the Valley's population to Islam during the medieval times. Prompted by the growth of Islamic militancy in the valley, large numbers left in the exodus of the 1990s. Even so, small numbers remain.
Kashmiris are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group speaking the Kashmiri language and originating from the Kashmir Valley, which is today located in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Khan is an ancient Indo-European surname and in the variant of 'Khan' of Mongolic origin, used as a title in various global regions, and today most commonly found in parts of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and Iran.
Dhar is a surname commonly found among the Hindu Bengali Kayastha community in Bengal region. Dhar or Dar is also used by some Kashmiri and Punjabi-Kashmiri clans and communities native to the Kashmir Valley and Punjab, and common today among Kashmiri Hindus and Kashmiri Muslims.
Kaul is a Kashmiri surname that is used by the Kashmiri Pandit community in India.
Sheikh is an Arabic word meaning the elder of a tribe, a revered old man, or an Islamic scholar.
Kashmiri Shaikh or KashmiriSheikh is a Muslim community, who mainly live in the Kashmir and those who migrated to what is now Pakistani Punjab. The Kashmiri Shaikhs are considered to be a clan of Kashmiri origin also found predominantly in Pakistani Punjab and also in other parts of India.
Kashmiri Muslims are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Islam and are native to the Kashmir Valley of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. They refer to themselves as "Koshur" in the Kashmiri language.
Sapru, also spelled as Sipru or Saproo is a Kashmiri Pandit clan and surname native to the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Malik is a surname deriving from the Arabic word malik, meaning "king" or "chieftain". The title "Malik" was granted to many Jats in India, and began to be used a surname in the 14th century. Malik is also found in Ror people of Haryana.
The Kashmiri diaspora refers to ethnic Kashmiris who have migrated out of the Kashmir into other areas and countries, and their descendants.
Kashmiri Hindus are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Hinduism and are native to the Kashmir Valley of India. With respect to their contributions to Indian philosophy, Kashmiri Hindus developed the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism. After their exodus from the Kashmir Valley in the wake of the Kashmir insurgency in the 1990s, most Kashmiri Hindus are now settled in the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country. The largest group of Kashmiri Hindus are the Kashmiri Pandits.
Wani/Vani is a surname of a caste found throughout India and Pakistan, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Maharashtra. Both Wain and Wani/Vani are acceptable pronunciations.
The Kashmiris in Punjab, also referred to as Punjabi Kashmiris, are a group of people in the Punjab region who either have partial or full Kashmiri ancestry who have historically migrated from the Kashmir Valley and settled in Punjab. Most people of this category identify as Punjabis with Kashmiri descent, either some or full. Kashmiri migration from the Kashmir Valley to Punjab continued during Sikh and Dogra rule.
Razdan is a Kashmiri Pandit surname and clan that refers to the royal or aristocratic bloodline of old Kashmir, mostly attributed to the warriors of the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. They are Saraswat Brahmins from the Kashmir Valley, belonging to the larger community of Pancha-Gauda Brahmins, and are widely known for their allegiance to Lord Shiva.
Pandit or Pandita is a Kashmiri Pandit clan and surname, native to the Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Handoo, also spelled as Handu, is a Kashmiri Pandit surname native to the Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is commonly found among Kashmiri Hindus and Kashmiri Muslims. Handoo or Hyondu in Kashmiri, is an upper-caste. This surname descent from someone named Handoo or Hēnḍay.
Bhat means a Brahmin, teacher, who imparts knowledge.
Bhat {Bhatt}, surnames are found in Uttaranchal, Northern Belt, Central and Western parts of the country and is a surname of sizeable Brahmins in Konkan, Maharashtra and Gujarat; where they had migrated in sizeable strength. Bhattas who migrated to Gauda {Bengal} were called Acharaya's {Scholars} and thus Bhattacharaya's. In Nepal, they became priests, ardent worshippers of Bhadrakali and spread Kali worship; mostly around Pashupatinath Temple. In Uttaranchal, they became the Purohit {Priestly} class, adopted the surname Purohit, many changed profession but retained the Bhatt surname. In northern plains, few became Bhattas, many Bhatts; in both cases Purohit {Priestly} class. In Central and Western parts, strict requirements of a Bhatta {Purohit} could not be sustained, and to indicate the Brahmin roots they opted for a surname only. Thus Bhatta and Purohit are surnames of the same category. Bhatta has a shortened version, Bhat {Bhatt}; referring to the same class of people. Surname Bhat {Bhatt} in Kas'mira can also be traced to the short form of Bhatta. In Kas'mira, the Bhatta honorific has been associated with many personalities, scholars of the 9th and 10th centuries, scriptures, and specific in many cases in the 14th century and later.
The But/Butt of Punjab were originally Brahmin migrants from Kashmir during 1878 famine.
The But/Butt of Punjab were originally Brahmin migrants from Kashmir during 1878 famine.
Bhatt (vulgarly Butt) is the distinctive name of a class of Bramins in the north; and in the south the same class bear the distinctive title of Pattar
Even today most common family name in Kashmir is Butt, a distortion of Bhatt, a Hindu surname common amongst the Brahmins in India.
Bhat {Bhatt}, surnames are found in Uttaranchal, Northern Belt, Central and Western parts of the country and are a surname of sizeable Brahmins in Konkan, Maharashtra, and Gujarat; where they had migrated in sizeable strength. Bhattas who migrated to Gauda {Bengal} were called Acharaya's {Scholars} and thus Bhattacharaya's. In Nepal, they became priests, ardent worshippers of Bhadrakali and spread Kali worship; mostly around Pashupatinath Temple. In Uttaranchal, they became Purohit {Priestly} class, adopted the surname Purohit, many changed profession but retained the Bhatt surname. In northern plains, few became Bhattas, many Bhatts; in both cases Purohit {Priestly} class. In Central and Western parts, strict requirements of a Bhatta {Purohit} could not be sustained, and to indicate the Brahmin roots they opted for a surname only. Thus Bhatta and Purohit are surnames of the same category. Bhatta has a shortened version, Bhat {Bhatt}; referring to the same class of people. Surname Bhat {Bhatt} in Kas'mira can also be traced to a short form of Bhatta. In Kas'mira, the Bhatta honorific has been associated with many personalities, scholars of the 9th and 10th centuries, scriptures, and specific in many cases in the 14th century and later.
This is a surname shared by Hindus and Muslims.
Surnames like 'Bhatt' and 'Pandit' are common to both Hindus and Muslims.
In fact, the Ludhiana hosiery industry owes its origin to Kashmiris. According to the Ludhiana District Gazetteer, during a devastating famine in the 19th century a number of Kashmiris migrated to Ludhiana. They are known world over for their handicraft skills. They started weaving woollen fabric there. Slowly the trade got popular and Ludhiana started to be identified with hosiery only
