Sikhs are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, an Indian or Dharmic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term Sikh has its origin in the Sanskrit word śiṣya, meaning 'seeker', 'disciple' or 'student'. According to Article I of Chapter 1 of the Sikh Rehat Maryada, the definition of Sikh is: Any human being who faithfully believes in
- One Immortal Being
- Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Sahib to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib
- The Guru Granth Sahib
- The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and
- The baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh.
Khatri is a caste originating from the Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the Indian subcontinent, they were mostly engaged in mercantilistic professions such as banking and trade. They were the dominant commercial and financial administration class of late-medieval India. Some in Punjab often belonged to hereditary agriculturalist land-holding lineages, while others were engaged in artisanal occupations and some were scribes learned in Sanskrit or Persian.
Bhatia is a group of people and a caste found in Punjab, Sindh and Gujarat. Traditionally, they have been a trading and merchant community. The Bhatias primarily live in Northwestern India and Pakistan. The Bhatias, Lohanas and Khatris were similar communities and were known to intermarry. The Bhatias recruit Saraswat Brahmins as priests.
Kohli is a Khatri clan from Punjab.
Panj Pyare refers to a gathered ad hoc quintet of five baptized (Amritdhari) Khalsa Sikhs who act as institutionalized leaders for the wider Sikh community.
Sodhi are landlord people from Khatri or Kshatriyas clan from the Punjab region. Seven of the Sikh Gurus, from Guru Ram Das to Guru Gobind Singh were of Sodhi surname.
Duggal is a Punjabi Khatri surname.
Narinder Singh Kapany was an Indian-American physicist best known for his work on fiber optics. Kapany is a pioneer in the field of fiber optics, and known for coining and popularising the term. Fortune named him one of seven 'Unsung Heroes of the 20th century' for his Nobel Prize-deserving invention. He was awarded India's second highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2021. He served as an Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) officer. He was also offered the post of Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister of India, by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Dhawan is a surname associated with the Khatri caste found in Punjab, India.
Sethi is a surname that is found among the Punjabi Khatris of India. They are a part of Khukhrain sub-caste among the Khatris which also includes the clans of Anand, Bhasin Chadha, Kohli, Ghai, Sahni, Sethi, (Sawhney) and Suri. The surname is also found among Arora which is another sub-caste of Khatris. Historian Kamal Shankar Srivastava writes that all Khukrains including Sethis were originally found near the banks of Indus and Jhelum river especially in the towns of Pind Dadan Khan, Peshawar and Nowshera.
Kakkar or Kakar is an Indian surname originating with the founder of a Bahri clan. It is associated with the Khatri caste of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. Whilst the Dictionary of American Family Names states that the etymology derives from the Sanskrit word karalagni, used in reference to the Sun and translating as "one who holds fire in its hands", the historians R. C. Dogra and Baij Nath Puri, believe it is derived from the word Karkar, meaning strong or powerful.
The Khukhrain or Khokhrain is a clan composed of eight septs of the Khatri caste that originally hailed from the areas of the Salt Range.
Baij Nath Puri was an Indian historian. He completed M. Lit. and D.Phil. from Oxford University. He was vice-president and member of the International Board of Editors for the history of Civilizations in Central Asia at UNESCO, and remained President of the Indian History Congress. He was also Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture at Lucknow University and later a professor emeritus.
Chopra is a Ror and Punjabi Khatri surname. They belonged to the Barah-Ghar / Bahri family-group of the Khatris, which also includes the clans of Dhawan, Kakkar, Kapoor, Khanna, Mehra, Malhotra, Sehgal, Seth, Tandon, Talwar, and Vohra.
Kochhar or Kochar is a surname that is found among the Khatri and Charan communities of India.
Dheer is a surname found among the Brahmins and Khatris of Punjab. The Dhirs of Kapurthala are descended from Baba Mahya, who was the Guru (teacher) of Guru Amardās of the Sikhs, and is still revered at Dhir weddings. The word "Dhir" translates to brave. Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh, a persian language book about history of India and Mughal Empire was written by Sujan Rai, a Dhir Khatri of Batala in Gurdaspur. Dhirs of Batala moved there before the end of Akbar's reign as soldiers. Bhai Bula, a Dhir Khatri was a dedicated Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan Sahib. His son, Dayal Das Dhir was martyred during a battle against the Mughals in Amritsar.
Uppal is an Indian surname. The Khatris have a clan and the Jats have a tribe called Uppal. According to BN Puri, Uppal is derived from the Sanskrit term "utpalarana" which means "one who leaps upon their enemies". Puri further mentions it to be a part of the Bunjahi and Sareen subcaste of Khatris. However, as per R.C. Dogra, Uppal means "stone". Uppals have origins in the districts of Montgomery, Amritsar and Ludhiana.
Trehan is a Punjabi Khatri surname.
