Rao Bhati (also Rao Bhatti or Raja Bhatti) was the

progenitor In genealogy, a progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; or ''Ahnherr'') is the founder (sometimes one that is legendary) of a family, line of descent, gens, clan, tribe, noble house, or ethnic group.. Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines Geschlec ...

(

apical ancestor Common descent is a concept in evolutionary biology applicable when one species is the ancestor of two or more species later in time. According to modern evolutionary biology, all living beings could be descendants of a unique ancestor commonl ...

) ancestor of the Bhati clan of

Rajputs Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

. Said to have been a Hindu

raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

(monarch) who ruled during the 3rd-century, Bhati's descendants claim descent from the Hindu mythological

Yaduvanshi Yaduvanshi, Yaduvamsha, or Yadava (not to be confused with Yadav) is an ancient Hindu mythological dynasty and also refers to people reputed to have descended from the legendary king Yadu. Yaduvanshi may also refer to: * Yaduvanshi Rai, Indian ...

lineage of the

Lunar dynasty The Lunar dynasty (IAST: Candravaṃśa) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling varna (Social Class) mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. This legendary dynasty was said to be descended from moon-related ...

Biography

Bhati and his descendants claim direct descent from

Yadu This is a list of ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes that are mentioned in the literature of Indian religions. From the second or first millennium BCE, ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes turned into most of the population in the north ...

, the legendary king of the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

lineage, a branch of the

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

, through the mythological figure

Pradyumna Pradyumna () is the eldest son of the Hindu deities Krishna and his wife Rukmini. He is considered to be one of the four vyuha avatars of Vishnu. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Pradyumna was the reincarnation of Kamadeva, the god of lov ...

. They reportedly originated in

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

. According to the seventeenth-century ''

Nainsi ri Khyat Nainsi ri Khyat (or 'Khyat of Nainsi') is a late 17th-century Marwari & Dingal text chronicling the history of Marwar. Its author Muhnot Nainsi, an official of Marwar State, based the Khyat (or chronicle) on the Charan accounts and the traditi ...

'', the Bhatis after losing Mathura moved to

Bhatner Hanumangarh is a city and municipal council in the Indian state of Rajasthan, situated on the banks of the river Ghaggar also identified as ancient Sarasvati river, located about 400 km from Delhi. It is the administrative headquarter of ...

in the Lakhi Jungle, and from there to other locations in

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and

northwestern India Northwest India is a loosely defined region of India. In modern-day, it consists of north-western states of the Republic of India. In historical contexts, it refers to the northwestern Indian subcontinent. In contemporary definition, it gene ...

including

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. Raja Sálbán, a legendary monarch of

Sialkot Sialkot (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of the Sialkot District and the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 12th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined ...

, is also sometimes claimed to be Rao Bhati's grandfather and held to be the first of the Yaduvanshi

to settle in Punjab. According to genealogical accounts, Bhati was born in the

Punjab region Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

, in what is now

, during the 3rd century. Bhati was a monarch and the leader of a Yaduvanshi Yadu

Rajput clan Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Rajp ...

, which was named after Yadu, the legendary king in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

. During his rule in the 3rd century, Bhati conquered and annexed territories from 14 princes in Punjab, including the area of what is now modern-day

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. He is also credited with establishing the modern city of

Bathinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda district. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa Region, west of the capital city of Chandigarh and is the fifth ...

, Punjab, after he captured the area in the 3rd century.

Legacy

During Bhati's rule, and in recognition of his achievements, the

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic. Patronymics are used, b ...

of his clan, which had previously been named Yadu after the same mythological king in Hinduism, was changed to Bhati. The Bhati Rajput clan was then named after him. Many of Bhati's descendants achieved notability. His descendant in the 12th century, Jaisal Singh, became the founder and

Rawal Rawal may refer to: Places * Rawal, Uttar Pradesh, India * Rawal, Kapurthala, India * Rawal lake, in Pakistan Other uses * Rawal (caste), an Indian community from Rajasthan and Gujarat * Rawal (name), including a list of people with the nam ...

of the

Kingdom of Jaisalmer The Kingdom of Jaisalmer was a kingdom of Bhati Rajput, Rajputs in the far-western part of present-day Rajasthan, India, from the mid-12th century CE until 1947. In 1156 CE, Rawal Jaisal moved his capital from Lodhruva to Jaisalmer because t ...

. Through his 17th-century descendant, Phul Sidhu, who was also a direct descendant of Jaisal Singh, he is the direct ancestor of the

Phulkian dynasty The Phulkian dynasty (or Phoolkian) of Maharajas or '' sardars'' were Sikh royals and aristocrats in the Punjab region of India. Members of the dynasty ruled the Phulkian states of Badrukhan, Bhadaur, Faridkot, Jind, Malaudh, Nabha, and Pati ...

royal families of

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubar ...

, Nabha,

Jind Jind is one of the largest and oldest cities in Jind district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is the administrative headquarter of Jind district. Rani Talab is the main destination for tourists while Pandu Pindara and Ramrai are the ma ...

, and Faridkot, and their descendants.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * He is also credited with establishing the modern city of

, Punjab, after he captured the area in the 3rd century. * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhati, Rao Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 3rd-century Indian monarchs Rajput monarchs Hindu monarchs Legendary Indian people Asian people whose existence is disputed