Chhabra (pronounced Chhabrha) Punjabi - ਛਾਬੜਾ, Hindi - छाबड़ा Gujarati - છાબડા
Chhabras are a common demographic group found primarily in Punjab region. The Chhabras are considered a subset (Gotra: Sankrit, Got: Punjabi) of Punjabi Arora community. In fact Chhabras originating from Chhab, West Punjab are a distinct but related to the Aroras originating from Aror, Sindh.
The ancestors of Chhabras were mainly concentrated in West Punjab (now Pakistan) along the banks of the Indus River and its tributaries; in the Majha region in East Punjab (India), and the North-West Frontier Province; and in Sindh (mainly as Sindhi Aroras) In post-independence and post-partition India, Aroras and Chhabra mainly reside in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
Chhabras are a common demographic group found primarily in Punjab region. The Chhabras are considered a subset (Gotra: Sankrit, Got: Punjabi) of Punjabi Arora community. In fact Chhabras originating from Chhab, West Punjab are a distinct but related to the Aroras originating from Aror, Sindh.
The ancestors of Chhabras were mainly concentrated in West Punjab (now Pakistan) along the banks of the Indus River and its tributaries; in the Majha region in East Punjab (India), and the North-West Frontier Province; and in Sindh (mainly as Sindhi Aroras) In post-independence and post-partition India, Aroras and Chhabra mainly reside in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
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| Map of Indus Valley Civilization Sites |
Demography
Almost all Chhabras are either Sikhs or Hindus. There are some Muslim Chhabras who live in West Punjab, Pakistan or in Western UP. In fact my tax accountant in California is a Muslim Chhabra from West Punjab. There are several theories about the origin of Chhabras. Denzil Ibbetson, who wrote the Report for the Indian census of 1881, treats the Arora as a separate community from that of the Khatri, although similarly one of the "great mercantile castes". He notes that the Arora claimed to be of Khatri origin.Origin Theory 1: Chhabras as a Subcaste of Aroras
According to Brahminical folktales, the Aroras were originally Khatri (Sanskrit - Kshatriya) who escaped the genocide of Khatris in West Punjab by Parshurama, a Brahman. After this escape, this group of Khatris were renamed as Aroras as they settled at a place named Aror in Sindh.
A historical fact may be hidden in this folktale as its likely that this myth is describing the invasion of India by Persian King Cyrus (Parshu = Persia, Ram = King). According to Greek historian Arrain, Indians between the river Indus and Cophen (Kabul) were conquered by Cyrus. This theory further classifies Chhabras as a subcaste of Aroras. Its noteworthy that marriages between Chhabras and Aroras are probably as old as their origin.
Chhab was invaded by Huns (Khattack clan from Pashtoon tribe) which resulted in Chhabras moving eastwards in West Punjab. They settled near Multan and called this place "Chhab" again (Chhab Khurd).
Subsequent invasions by Turks, Afghans and Mughals saw Chhabras venture out of Chhab and settle across West Punjab as a flourishing merchant clan.
Partition of India and creation of Islamic state of Pakistan forced the Chhabras out of West Punjab and settle in East Punjab and the rest of India.
The Chhabras have endured these invasions, survived them with dignity by migrating to new frontiers, and eventually establishing themselves as a successful and dynamic business community.
Comments are welcome as my research is limited but it was very enlightening for me to study this part of the history of Chhabra clan.
My Own Roots: Arvind Singh Chhabra s/o Manmohan Singh s/o Sardul Singh s/o Prem Singh s/o Gurditt Singh Chhabra (Peshawar)
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| Natives of Gandhara Region of Ancient India |
Origin Theory 2: Aroras as Natives of Indus Valley Civilization
It is interesting to note that the geographic locations of Arora villages is identical to the Indus Valley civilization sites. Its a common belief that Aroras were the original natives of the famous Indus Valley that was spread from Sindh to West Punjab and Gujarat states. Aroras hailing from Aror, Sindh, Chhabras hailing from Chhab in NW Frontier and Lohanas originating from Lahore. The Sindhi Chhabras pronounce their family name as Chhabaria. |
| Native of Indus Valley Civilization - Mohenjo Daro |
The Amritsar Gazetteer claims Aroras are very energetic and intelligent businessmen. They are superior in business acumen to their counterparts settled in the district. This profile echoes with the profile of the natives of Indus Valley civilization who were trading their mercantile to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, Persia, and China.
There is another village in West Punjab, called Chhab Khurd and its very likely that the inhabitants of this village were called Chhabras. In rural Punjabi terminology the use of suffix - Khurd means the sattelite or migrated village from the original. The suffix - Kalaan means the larger or the original village.
According to the scholar and historian, Alberuni, author of an encyclopedic work on India called Tarikh Al-Hind, "the sea coast of India commences with Tiz or modern Chabahar".
There is an ancient village and former port named Tis in Chabahar's neighborhood, which dates from 2500 BC, known in Alexander the Great's conquests as Tiz. This was the place where Alexander escaped to Iran by a boat after being chased the Indian warrior tribes all the way from Punjab.
Tiz was formerly an active commercial port, and was destroyed by the Mongols. There are still some ruins in the village.This destruction led the natives of this village to migrate southwards to Baluchistan, Sindh, and eventually to West Punjab. This community was called Chhabra as they hailed from Chabahar".
In my opinion, the stories of invasions of India (Punjab) is coupled with the migration of Punjabi communities. The names of villages and family names are telling something but you need the understanding of ancient history and Punjabi clans, geography of villages to make the connection. Punjabis in general are not good in documenting their own history. So far history of our people has been written by Greek, Arab or Western historians followed by Indian scholars of South Indian or Bengali origin. All of these relied on the previous Western and Indian assumptions influenced by their own biases. Unfortunately the current residents of Pakistan also don't see history beyond the Islamic invasions and fail to make connection with their own history.
Origin Theory 3: Chhabras from Chhab Village
Chhab is a village of NW Frontier in Pakistan, situated in District Attock and Tehsil Jand. It is located on the bank of River Sindh. Chhab is one of the main business and education center of the region. According to history, this region was invaded by the Saghri Khattak tribe of Pushtoon (Pasht = Western, Hoon = Huns) who displaced the natives (Chhabras) and established Chhab as their own cultural center. |
| Map of Chhab Town in NW Frontiers, Pakistan |
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| Map of Chhab Khurd Village in West Punjab, Pakistan |
Origin Theory 3: Natives of Chhabahar Port
Chābahār (Persian: چابهار, formerly Bandar Beheshtī) is a city situated on the Makran Coast of the Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran. Chabahar is a free port (Free Trade Zone) on the coast of the Gulf of Oman and Iran's southernmost city bordering Baluchistan in Pakistan. |
| Chabahar Port in Blochestan Province of Iran |
There is an ancient village and former port named Tis in Chabahar's neighborhood, which dates from 2500 BC, known in Alexander the Great's conquests as Tiz. This was the place where Alexander escaped to Iran by a boat after being chased the Indian warrior tribes all the way from Punjab.
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| Ruins of Tiz near Chabahar Port |
Tiz was formerly an active commercial port, and was destroyed by the Mongols. There are still some ruins in the village.This destruction led the natives of this village to migrate southwards to Baluchistan, Sindh, and eventually to West Punjab. This community was called Chhabra as they hailed from Chabahar".
Conclusion
I believe that all folk tales originate from some historical facts. All of the theories about the origin of Chhabras could reflect a turbulent history of the region. Chhabras who were the natives of their original residence, were displaced by the invasions of their land by the Aryan Khatris, Mongols, Persians, Pashtoons, and more recently by Pakistanis. These series of displacements could have been instrumental in developing the tough business acumen of the community.In my opinion, the stories of invasions of India (Punjab) is coupled with the migration of Punjabi communities. The names of villages and family names are telling something but you need the understanding of ancient history and Punjabi clans, geography of villages to make the connection. Punjabis in general are not good in documenting their own history. So far history of our people has been written by Greek, Arab or Western historians followed by Indian scholars of South Indian or Bengali origin. All of these relied on the previous Western and Indian assumptions influenced by their own biases. Unfortunately the current residents of Pakistan also don't see history beyond the Islamic invasions and fail to make connection with their own history.
Here is my hypothesis:
Chhabras were part of the Indus Valley Civilization originating from Chabahar port which was part of India 4000 years ago. They were displaced by the Mongol invasion and settled in NW Frontier and named this place "Chhab" based on their original home.Chhab was invaded by Huns (Khattack clan from Pashtoon tribe) which resulted in Chhabras moving eastwards in West Punjab. They settled near Multan and called this place "Chhab" again (Chhab Khurd).
Subsequent invasions by Turks, Afghans and Mughals saw Chhabras venture out of Chhab and settle across West Punjab as a flourishing merchant clan.
Partition of India and creation of Islamic state of Pakistan forced the Chhabras out of West Punjab and settle in East Punjab and the rest of India.
The Chhabras have endured these invasions, survived them with dignity by migrating to new frontiers, and eventually establishing themselves as a successful and dynamic business community.
Comments are welcome as my research is limited but it was very enlightening for me to study this part of the history of Chhabra clan.
My Own Roots: Arvind Singh Chhabra s/o Manmohan Singh s/o Sardul Singh s/o Prem Singh s/o Gurditt Singh Chhabra (Peshawar)
In today's world , Chhabra caste is considered as a kshatriya caste which actually were multanis. My own grandparents nad several other relatives came from Quetta,balochistan,pakistan. Moreover they were from a very celebrated family of the province. So the question is were they balochis? or according to the above details a small punjabi group ?
ReplyDeleteMadhav, in fact Multan is a city and people who come from there are called Multanis. The Chhabras are ancient people of Punjab-Sindh region and related to the Indus Valley civilization. As I mentioned in my blog, they originated from Chhab and then spread in the region as their homeland was invaded. Chhabra (People of Chhab) are closely related to Aroras (people of Aror) as both are the descendents of Indus valley civilization. I am a Chhabra myself but my family originates from peshawar. There are Chhabras from Rawalpindi area and from Majha - Mid Punjab, Multan, Balochistan, and Sindh. The Sindhi Chhabras pronounce their name as Chhabria. The Bloach are a different race and somewhat related to Rajputs and Pashtun (Pasht + Huns) and they settled in the region much later.
DeleteEven my great grandparents were from Multan may be we are related
DeleteGood research. Thanks
ReplyDeleteso am i Hindu ? if yes ! brahmin kshatriya or wat ?
ReplyDeleteis khtari = kshatriya ? no i guess !
So many questions .... let me try to respond:
Delete1. "so am i Hindu?" Depends on how you define the term Hindu. The natives living east of Sindh river were called Hindu by the persians and Indians by the greeks a mispronunciation of the word "Sindhu". If this definition is true then all of us who originate from that region can be called "Hindus". Not sure if you are happy to know that?
2. "if yes! brahmin kshatriya ow wat?" Chhabra and Aroras are neither. They are the natives of the Indus Valley spanning from Sindh, Multan, Punjab, and Gujarat. Some refer to them as a breakaway group from Kshatriya while the other identify them as Vaishya - the traders. The people of Indus Valley were primarily merchants trading in precious stones, gold, and other mercantile. But note that many Kshatriyas turned to trading when dethroned by the new occupiers of the land.
Hi, yes you are a Hindu, in addition to this impressive research, I would like to add that Chhabras were related with Aroras, Aroras who were originally Khatris. And Khatris are the descendants of Aryans, still carrying the pure Aryan bloodline. So yes, Chhabras are Kshatriyas, although from the decades, most of them are playing the role of a vaishya.
DeleteNot all chhabra are Hindu they can also be jain
DeleteHi I am a rudhi chhabra and am from rajasthan and am jain so not all of chhabras are Hindus
DeleteWere Chhabra's in Sargodha? anyone have more details?
ReplyDeleteYes...My in laws are from sargoshi and they r chhAbra aroro
DeleteI shud have seen this before ..many chhabra families from sargodha are settled in Haryana and Punjab
DeleteI am from Mianwali punjab Pakistan.
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DeleteI am tryng to find native place of our ancestors in Sargodha .....
ReplyDeleteThere are ways to find it but not easy. It is said that the Pandas of "Har ki Pauri" at Hardwar keep the funeral register. You may be able to trace it there if you can find an honest panda. Other method is to find someone living in Sargadha today who can trace it from local registry, etc.
DeleteYes , Opp Gau Ghat.. , ask for a purohit who keeps track for Chhabras ...they were primarily in Sargodha , Sahiwal , Mianwali and Dera Ghazi Khan ...
DeleteI think these are same names.
Delete👍
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DeleteAll I know is my father who came from Sargodha. I am really keen to know where they all lived..my father died way back in 1989 else I would have asked .My other uncle /aunt from chhabra family are no more..great blog ..I know someone asked about Sargodha so may be once they might be related .
DeleteSuperb Research ....Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks ... may be we can construct a Chhabra clan family tree one day.
DeleteArv , I am very keen , I have researched a bit on this , please connect with me on manishchhabra@outlook.com and we shall discuss .
DeleteSure, I have been able to trace back six generations of my own family tree.. lets collaborate.
DeleteWonderful, any help offered to get together my family tree would be highly appreciated, thanks
Deletesiddharthchhabra.12345@gmail.com
I am raghav chhabra and my ancestors came from haripur hazara(pakistan) . I just wanna know, is there any place of our ancestor?, so, I can visit that place.
DeleteWhat is the Gotra for Chhabra?
ReplyDeleteChhabra is the Gotra or Subcaste ... and Arora is the Jaati or caste according to the Hindu caste system. I refer to them as historical family heritage .. but believe in equality of all castes as prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh
DeleteAgree with Arv , while i also believe in equality and all blessed children of the Dasham Guru , we are kstariyas (Khatri pronounced in punjabi) , who have fought , survived and thrived but never gave up . Most Chhabras have "kshayap" Gotra ...
DeleteThank you Arv and Manish! Appreciate your responses. I believe in equality as well... was curious about this as this comes up during religious ceremonies and has been little confusing. Good research Arv... very insightful and fascinating!! Thank you
DeleteGotra is not decided by the caste as far as I know, gotra is the lineage of a maharishi you are born into, although I am a Chhabra and my family uses kashyapa gotra, for that matter anyone who is not aware of his own gotra can use kashyapa gotra, narayana, shiva gotra, as we all are child of ishvara.
DeleteAllow me to clarify:
DeleteIn Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally the gotra forms an exogamous unit, with the marriage within the same gotra being prohibited by custom, being regarded as incest. The name of the gotra can be used as a surname that is strictly maintained because of its importance in marriages among Hindus, especially among castes. Pāṇini defines gotra as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram (IV. 1. 162), which means "the word gotra denotes the descendance (or descendants), apatya , of a couple consisting of a pautra , a son and a bharti, a mother, i.e. a daughter-in-law." When a person says "I am Vipparla-gotra", he means that he traces his descent from the ancestor Vipparla by unbroken male descent.
According to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.2.4 Kashyapa, Atri, Vasistha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Bharadvaja are seven sages (also known as saptarishi).
These seven Brahmin clans (exception being Vishvamitra who was accepted as a Brahmin but he was from Kshatriya origin) are the family priest of Kshatriyas. For example Vashist was the family priest of Ayodhya rulers and it DOES NOT mean that the Gotra of Rama was Vashisth. Rama's gotra was Raghuvansh originated from the name of his ancestor Raghu.
Kshatriya clans practiced worship to a specific god/godess (kuldevta/devi) as prescribed by their family priests and at times sought their guidence on various issues.
Rama was a Raghuvanshi, raghu is his kula, not his gotra :)
DeleteKindly do not mix up the gotra with kula, both are seperate.
Ram too was of Kasyap Gotra. We all are children of Kashyap Rishi🙏🙏
DeleteWhat is the origin of this research?
ReplyDeleteand vashiya is a low caste, so have the officials who make the list of OBCs missed ours' ?
Hi Madhav, the research is my own based on archaeological, demographical, geographical, and chronological history of the region and its people. Chhabras and Aroras belong to the Kshatriya category and not Vaishya. In Hindu caste system, Vaishyas are not considered low caste and play a key role in maintaining trade and economy. As Sikhs, we do not believe in the caste system and no one is low or high as all humans are made equal. Read my blog on caste system on this link: https://malicethoughts.blogspot.fi/2016/07/hindu-castes-and-sikhism.html
DeleteMy grandfather shri CD Chhabra came from Sialkot (now Pakistan) after partition
DeleteThank you for sharing this. Have always wondered about our roots. This is an interesting perspective.
ReplyDeleteVery well explained!
ReplyDeleteVery useful information. Thanks Arv and other members who have given their inputs.
ReplyDeleteregards,
Vishesh Chhabra - Ambala
Ram Sarup Joon, a pioneer Jat historian and author of "The History of Jats" writes that Aroras are the descendants of raja "Ar" son of raja "Seth" Chandra vanish. Raja "Ar" was the ruler of Afghanistan(ancient Aryana).The Greek historians mentioned Southern Afghanistan as Arachosia(modern Kandahar and Helmand river basin) and it was inhabitated by a tribe Arachoti. In fact Arachoti is a compound noun, if we decompose it carefully we find that "Ar" is for raja "Ar" and "Chot" (koat is a common word in Punjabi and Sindhi languages that is used for fort,castle, fortress),so it is deducted that Arachoti means one who hails from the fort /dwelling of "Ar". In Punjabi language when a person is referred to his native town especially a koat " I" is added to form an adjective, for example one who hails from Sialkoat he will be called Sailkoati. In Greek language "Arachoti" changed into Arachosia, means the land of "Ar" .It is proved from the above mentioned information that modern Aroras used to live in this region before the advent of proper Iranian and Gilzai/Giligi(a tribal consortium of Pushto speaking people, different from Abdalis/Durranis). Aroras came into Indo-Pak more than twenty five centuries ago from Arachosia that was their homeland,and Aror/Arorkoat/Alor (modern Rohri in Sindh Pakistan) was set up in the reminiscen of their old abode.
ReplyDeleteN
Bajaj Sahib, you are right and these historical evidences need to be researched academically. In fact, my personal accountant is also Chhabra but he is a practising Muslim from West Punjab.
DeleteHi. Does anyone knows about kuldevi of chhabra's ?
ReplyDeleteSavita ji, let me give me perspective on this issue. The terms of "Kildevta: and "kuldevi" are brahmanical concepts on belong to a short period on our history. The Chhabras, Aroras, and Punjabis in general are ancient civilizations whose history is older than the Brahminnical system as we know today. Our ancesters practiced pre-historic religion during the Indus Valley civilization. Over time, they have practised Jainism, Buddhism, Nathism, and Sikhism in addition to Brahminical Hinduism. None of these have any concept of "kuldevta" or "kuldevi". We need to broaden our outlook as our heritage is older than any of these religions. There is a long list of deity our ancesters worshipped, that includes following:
Delete1) Nature based objects - trees, water, air. animals
2) Functional objects - wealth, health, power, knowledge
3) Fertility based Godesses - Nine Devis
4) Kings and Priests - Shiva, Brahma, Pashupatinath, Rama, Krishna
5) Jain Tirthankars - Mahavir
6) Buddhist Icon - Gautam Budha, Manjusri
7) Nath Jogis - Gorakhnath
8) Sikhism - Ten Gurus
9) Sufi Murshid - Sheikh Farid Mian Mir
Depends on what period we are looking at, our ancesters worshipped various deities from the above list.
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ReplyDeleteThere is a place near Rajasthan MP Border called Baran and a place called Chhabra - This place has a battery of Krishna Temples and the story I get from Chhabras in that place is that Chhabras are warriors who migrated to Punjab when armies used to go for battle . Knowling my family had "Krishna" inspired names , I understand , Kuldeva is Lord krishna (This is my own conclusion ) , My Kuldevi is Maa Chintpurni (Temple in Distt kangra - HP ) - Hope this helps
ReplyDeleteManish, everyone is entitled to worship whoever they choose to but there is no correlation between Krishna and Chhabras. In fact, there is no historical Krishna temple in West Punjab where Chhabras originate from. The following of Krishna was localized around Gujarat, Rajasthan, and South UP. Goddess Chintpurni belongs to group of fertility based matriarchal society where mother was the head of the society. These Goddess are also geographically spread across North India - Chintpurni in Himachal, Jwalamukhi in Jammu, Vaishno in Kashmir, and Shakumbri from Meerut etc. There is again, no connection with Chhabras. Association with these Hindu Gods and Godesses is a personal preference ... not different than association with Mahavira, Buddha, Gorakhnath, Sheikh Farid or Guru Nanak.
DeleteChhabras are kashyaK gotra and belong to Suryavanshi. Multan a word derived from Sanskrit as Mool Sathan means origin of the world. Where Hiranya Kashyap was born and was killed by Narsingh. Both are kasyap gotra. Rest you can ask me.
DeleteCP Chhabra
CP Chhabra Sahib, thanks for posting. Multan seems to be the origin (Mool Sthan) of Punjabi civilization branching off from their Indus Valley origin. Love to hear more about the mythology of Narsingh.
DeleteHowever, I question the concept of "Kashyap" gotra as a figment of imagination by the Barhminical system. They have tried to attach each Indian subgroup to a Brahmin Family - Kashyap, Bhargava, Bhardwaj, Attri, etc. This is nothing more than the commercial division of their patrons (Yajmans) among various Brahmin clans.
The truth is that all Chhabras belong to singular Jaati (caste) - Arora or Aror vansh and one singular Gotra (subcaste) - Chhabra.
Rest is all figment of imaginations of Brahmins who scammed our ancestors as their patrons or "Yajmans".
We all are children of Rishis who are also children of Bhagwan Brahma. Kashyap Rishi had two dharampatni Mata Aditi and Diti. Mata Aditi had 12 children bhagwan Vishnu, भगवान सूर्य and देवराज इंद्र एंड other devtas। दिती के दो पुत्र हैं हिरण्यकश्यप एंड हिर्णयक्ष। यहीं से सृष्टि आरंभ होती है।
DeleteHow do we all become children of Rishis? If we are all children of Kashyap Rishi, then we are all Brahmins, right? This concept has no logic as Chhabras are not Brahmins and only Brahmins were allowed to read scriptures and had the right to meditate. Non-brahmins were never accepted as Rishis. Have you not read Uttara Kanda, the last book of Valmiki Ramayan? It describes how Lord Rama beheaded Shambooka for violating Varnasharam Dharma. His crime was that he was a Non-brahmin and he attempted to perform 'Tap'. Rama did this to uphold the caste system and prevent non-brahmins from getting spiritual knowledge.
DeleteOn one aspect, you are right that we all are children of one mother and one father - you may call this original pair as 'Adam & Eve". In human genetics, the Mitochondrial Eve (also mt-Eve, mt-MRCA) is the matrilineal most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of all living humans. In other words, she is defined as the most recent woman from whom all living humans descend in an unbroken line purely through their mothers and through the mothers of those mothers, back until all lines converge on one woman. The male analog to the "Mitochondrial Eve" is the "Y-chromosomal Adam" (or Y-MRCA), the individual from whom all living humans are patrilineally descended.
Now if this ancestral pair was of South African origin or a Brahmin, that is disputable and you are entitled to your belief and I respect that,
Useful discus.
ReplyDeleteVery informative and enlightening indeed thanks
ReplyDeleteKavita Chhabra
Kavita ...Please post your ancestral
DeleteRoots ..helps the research and clustering data on our roots . Thanks
Pankaj chhabra panchkula we belong to Malout village old district Ferozepur there are many families I want to know from where we came
ReplyDeletePankaj,
DeleteAs far as my research goes, Most Chhabras come from Lehnda (West)Punjab orginating form Chhab between Rawalpindi and Peshawar. Following Pashtun invasion, they moved east and settled near Multan and Lahore. Its likely, your ancestors moved to Malout after partition. Have you checked with your parents/grandparents on when they came to setlle in Malout?
Our parents/grandparents/grand grand parents are living at Malout before partition and I heard from my father that our family are cotton traders and Bhatinda is the market for cotton and Malout is the night stay between traveling from some where from Pakistan and Bhatinda before partition
Deletewell we can definitely do that with the fact that we all are kinda keen to know the history behind us!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe belongs to Sangla Hill dist: Sheikhpura now in Pakistan My grandfather and his brothers turned to ne Sikhs but my fathers ggrandfather and the rest of the ancestors were not sikhs even myself is monna. Is there anyone who belongs to Sangla Hill. Please say Ajay Chhabra
ReplyDeleteThanks Varun. My own family is similar. Gurdit Singh Chhabra, the grandfater of my grandfather was from Peshawar and he raised his eldest son as Sikh. The younger sons were mona and now relate closely to Hinduism due to marriages with Hindu families over time.
Deletechabbewal
ReplyDeleteI am Ravinder Chhabra s/o Surinder Singh s/o Balwant Singh s/o Hari Singh , r/o Delhi I have read & gone through the above contents & posts It has given great pleasure Thankfull to Arvind ji
ReplyDeleteAlways eager to meet my same cast brothers & sisters
DeleteThank you Ravinder ji, all Chhabras belong to the same family clan, whether we are Sikh, Hindus, Jain, or Muslim.
DeleteYes brother
DeleteMy grandmother's last name is Chhabra, we are originally from Sukkur Sindh.
ReplyDeleteNice to know sir. The Sindhi Chhabras and Punjabi Chhabras are siblings and belong to the same family tree. In fact Sindh was probably the location of Chhabras before they migrated to West Punjab along the banks of river Sindh. I have Sindhi friends who use the last nales Chhabra or Chhabaria.
DeleteSindhi Chhabras are the same as Punjabis ... inf act, the Chhabras migrated from Sindh to Punjab to develop the Punjabi Chhabra clans. Some Sindhis Chhabras prounce their last name as Chhabria.
DeleteI am 60 yrs old and was told by grand father ,his brother & my father that we belong to district Sargoda tehsil Midranja & village Thakt Hazara I had visited Pakistan twice , lucky to had been Nankana sahib & Punja sahib to offer my prayers but could not visit my native place Thanks to all
ReplyDeleteSir, your family is closes to the original Chhab village close to takht Hazara. The Chhabras were displaced from their ancestral village by Khattak pathans who now doniate the village.
DeleteI am Rsvinder Chhabra & posted twice here but no body respondid , then what is use
ReplyDeleteYou still have to give credit to the Chhabra Origin my Late father did when he gave his UPSC Interview. It was a roundabout spiel about Shivaji the Maratha escaping in a basket and a basket is called a Chhabri. Shivaji was short. I am tall. So here I am. A Chhabra.
ReplyDeleteHe got the job. And served in that Department for 30 years.
Sanjiv ji, the Chhabras existed for centuries before Shivaji, The chhabras are from Sindh, South and West Punjab and have no connection with Shivaji who was a Maratha. Before partition, the presence of Chhabras in East Punjab (Indian) was negligible. The Chhab village in West Punjab is over 2,000 year old site. It was the home of Chhabras before it was overtaken by the Khattak pathans. This invasion forced the Chhabras to spread across West Punjab and establish themselves as businessmen. Punjabi lastnames are ususally created for the origin (village) such as Chhab, or based of an ancestor's name suuch as Baveja (Born to Bawa), or type of soil they settled such as Gill (wetlands).
DeleteI am glad that it worked for your dad. Respects.
I wish I had read this article 18 years ago. I met a prospective client who was a Sindhi. The only question he had was "are you a Punjabi or Sindhi?" I didn't get the project
ReplyDeleteThe origin of Chhabras are from Sindh region and there are Chhabras in Sindh also. They use the name "Chhabaria" but they are the same as Punjabis.
DeleteOn another note, do all Chhabras have long noses? If yes, we can ask one of the face mask companies to supply a size D face mask.
ReplyDeleteYes, its a running joke in our family too ... he/she has the "Chhabra Nose".
DeleteArv Singh ji, you are doing valuable research. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteMy father used to say that Chhabra meant Shah = a rich person, Bara= bahut ziada = very much
So, he said Chhabra meant "A very rich or well-to-do person".
I don't know whether he said this just to make us proud of ourselves, or something else.
My father came from some village near Pattoki, now in West Punjab (Pakistan).
Some people write it as Chabra also.
Baldev S Chhabra
Thank you Sir, the origin of the lastname Chhabra comes from thier original location - Chhab village. The Chhabras were/are businessmen and its fair to assume that they had wealth.
DeleteThat's very informative, as i managed to know my last 6 generation were from Kamalia(now in pak). Align to your 2nd theory on origin.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
~chhabra from delhi.
We are from hare ka kot , hafzabad , gujranwala , now settled in delhi after partition ...our grand father told us all the chhabras from hare ka kot have been settled in delhi and few in samana near ambala ...i have seen records of my 5-6 generations in haridwar at our panda....even one of my grandfather brother wasnt able to come to india during partition his name was krishan lal chhabra one of my grandparent muslim friend have helped him and married him with his own daughter as he doesnt have any son ...after partititon my grandparents and his brother talk through chitthi's . he became muslim and still have family living in hafzabad pakistan . they invited my grand father so many times but he couldnt make it....
ReplyDeleteHi This is Manav Chhabra, my grandfather and his elder brother whose name was krishan lal chhabra were from Hare Ka Kot. Hafzabad Gujranwala. They lived for some time in Amritsar later came to panipat and then settled in Yamunanagar in Haryana. This is some coincidence that your grandfathers brother had the same name.
DeleteHi, My grandfather was from Hare Ka Kot, Gujranwala, he had two brothers and the eldest was named Krishan Lal Chhabra. After partition our family lived in Amritsar for a while and then they came and settled in Panipat. Later they moved to Yamunanagar in Haryana and that is where our family lives now.
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DeleteManav, thank you for sharing. We unfortunate Punjabis are like lotus sperated from a river and then planted in isolated ponds. Arrival of Islam disrupted the social thread of Punjabi community and broke it apart in two divisions. Later partition removed us from our homelands and scatered us all over India. Our future generations are brought up differently where we settled - Delhi, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, or Mumbai etc. We have lost connection to our roots and our current generations hardly speak Punjabi. My blog is my attempt to share the common heritage of us all Chhabras.
Deletei virinder arora (chabra) i feel dificultty to find our ku
ReplyDeleteldevi/kuldevta.pl help if any body know about our kuldevi/kuldevta. vkarorajmu@rediffmail.com.
Virinder ji, the concept of kuldvta/kuldevi is related to the period when Chhbras were Hindus. Some of our ancestors accepted Buddhism, Sikhism or even islam over time. This may not be relevant to all Chhabras. Typically, all wealthy clans have family priests who proposed a kuldevta/devi to the family. In my humble opinion, there is no spiritual, genetic or historical relevance of this concept.
DeleteAs chhabra belong to Arora caste so your Kuldevi is Hinglaj Mata!
DeleteI think ( my personal opinion ) is that i am son of Dashmesh pita Guru Govind Singh ji
ReplyDeleteVery well said ... and Gurus tought us to look beyond caste system and treat all humans as equal. My effort is purely historical and my curiosity to find my family's origins. My family does not use it as my last name.
Deleteplease tell me about chhabra jain of khandelwal jan in rajasthan
ReplyDeleteplease tell me about chhabra jain of digamber jain in Rajasthan
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to know that Chhabbras are also Jains in Rajasthan. Last month I came across a Chhabra from Pakistan who is Muslim. In Sindh, they are called Chhabria. The Sarawagi or Śrāvaka Jain community is also known as the Khandelwal. They originated from Khandela, a historical town in northern Rajasthan. The Khandelwals have 84 divisions and Chhabras are one of these divison. This division is associated with the Chhabras of Punjabb and Sindh. In my research, I find that Chhabras are an ancient clan who existed since the Indus Valley Civilization 4,200 years ago. Its totally understandable that some of our ancestors adopted Jainism which was prominent in Punjab and NW India before Buddhism took root there. Overtime our ancestors adopted the predominant religions of that period - Hindu, Jain, Buddhism, Hindu, Islam, Sikhism.
Deletewho are chhabra jain of khandelwal jain in rajasthan
ReplyDeletePlease tell me about chhabra jain of Rajasthan
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to know that Chhabbras are also Jains in Rajasthan. Last month I came across a Chhabra from Pakistan who is Muslim. In Sindh, they are called Chhabria. The Sarawagi or Śrāvaka Jain community is also known as the Khandelwal. They originated from Khandela, a historical town in northern Rajasthan. The Khandelwals have 84 divisions and Chhabras are one of these divison. This division is associated with the Chhabras of Punjabb and Sindh. In my research, I find that Chhabras are an ancient clan who existed since the Indus Valley Civilization 4,200 years ago. Its totally understandable that some of our ancestors adopted Jainism which was prominent in Punjab and NW India before Buddhism took root there. Overtime our ancestors adopted the predominant religions of that period - Hindu, Jain, Buddhism, Hindu, Islam, Sikhism.
DeleteChetanya ji, I found more information on the Chhabras of Rajasthan Chhabra (pronounced Chhub-raa) is a a city and a municipality in Baran district in the state of Rajasthan, India, near to the border with Madhya Pradesh. Chhabra is a historic walled city with a fort. Its name comes from the six gates in the walls. The Jains belonging to this city are called Chhabra. Please note this is different than Chhabra (Chhaab-ra) who originate fron Chhab. My research is not conclusive and more work is needed.
DeleteArvind ji,
ReplyDeleteYour research is indeed commendable. We are also Chhabras from Peshawar now living in Delhi ,post partition. We are not Sikhs. All I know is that my Grandfather came from a place called Ganj Da Mohalla in Peshawar. I have always been intrigued by our ancestry and am always curious to know more about where my roots are. Your research has somewhat helped me. Regards.
Chhabra Sahibb, lets connect as there were not many Chhabras in Peshawar. All I know that My grandfather had three uncles (Chacha) and all three of them were Mona Sikhs and did not keep Kesh. One of them Dr. Gian Chand settled in Gorakhpur, the second one settled in Riwari, Haryana, and the third uncle lived in Delhi. WE lost connection with them over time. Love to connect ... please provide your contact information. My WhatsApp number is +14083002500. Thanks, Arvind
DeleteIn my opinion, chawra (rulers of gujarat), chhabra, chhabri (gurjar), chaprana (also gurjar) are the same origin. Please comments.
ReplyDeleteAllow me to elaborate as similar sounding names could be confusing. 1) Chhabra of Punjab belong to the Indus valley region of Sindh and Punjab. Their origin is from a town called Chhab (pronounced Chaab), 2) Chhabria are Sindhi cousins of Punjabi Chhabra and belong to the same community 3) Chavda are Rajputs dynasty that ruled over Gujarat from c. 690 to 942.4) Chhabra Jains belong to Chhabra (pronounced Chhub-ra) town in Rajasthan famous for its castle with six gates. 5) Chaprana, also pronounced as Chaprauna are Gurjar or Gujjar clan distinct from the others mentioned earlier. Gujjars were nomads and would come down to Punjab region during winters from central asia via Kashmir. Several places in Punjab are named after their settlements such as Gujranwala, Gujarat, and Gojar. its possible that they had a sttlement in Chhab and that group of Gujjars were calles Chhabri Gujjars. By the way there is a confirmed link between Rajputs and Gujjars as the first Rajput rulers in India belonged to the Gurjara Pritihara clan.
DeleteHi. Thanks for your research Arvind. My paternal grand father Sh. Karam Chand Chhabra came from Pakistan at the time of partition. He and his family including his cousins were based in Khanewal near Multan and were traders. After partition they got a base in Hisar in Haryana. My grand parents used to speak Multani and we have grown up seeing them and us going to the Gurudwara mostly. Going to Mandir was not forbidden. I am 40+ now and lately I have been putting some effort to understand my roots and after seeing the videos of Amardeep Singh on history and state of Gurudwaras in Pakistan and his path breaking work on Guru Nakak, I have reached to an intermediate conclusion that we are Hindus who started following Sikkhism some generations ago. Thanks once again for the effort you have put in.
ReplyDeleteI am Rohit Chhabra, My Grand father came from Lailpur now Faisalabad in Pakistan, we are Khatri belongs to Arora community. After partition we settled at Uttarakhand and some in Delhi.
ReplyDeleteYour efforts are commendable guys. Our family histories are integral to our identity. Please don't allow time to erode it. Keep collecting the information you can find and sharing it with the community.
ReplyDeleteHi, This is Himanshu Chhabra. My grand parents were from Shujabad, Multan. As our grandparents guided us, our gotra is kshatriya. I would like to know more about our community and if possible can someone form a group where we all get connected.
ReplyDeleteThanks and Regards
I am from Mianwali Punjab. I am Muslim . My last name is Chabora . Some people write Chhabora. Here is lives thousands of Chhabora people in Mianwali , Bhakkar , Chakwal , Dera Ismaeel khan , Lieah , Muzaffer Garh and Multan. They are all Muslim .I think , it is a relation between Chhab town and Chhabora tribe.l think more , that Chhabra are really Chhabora. And they are not Aroura or Khhatries. They are really qahtani Arabs . They came centuries before , from Syria via Afghanistan to subcontinent. Difference between Chhabra and Chhabora is only one letter O.
ReplyDeleteIt is very little or small differrence.
Assm research guys my great grandparents were from Gujrat And Gujrawala Punjab
ReplyDeleteKhatri and arora are same
ReplyDeleteI do not agree to your comments which reflects a more homogeneous Punjabi urban society of post-independence. historically, the Aroras originated from Aror in the heartland of Indus Valley Civilization and from there they spread to Punjab from the southern route. Hindu tradition calls people who arrived from the southern route as Chandravanshi. The Khatris spelt as Kshatriya in Sanskrit originated in Iranian/European plateau and arrived in Punjab via the Northern route through Afghanistan and NW Frontiers. This Northern route is called Suryavanshi.
DeleteMy study identifies Arora villages distributed from Sindh, Multan, to Punjab alongside the river Indus. then they spread further into Punjab. The Khatri villages are found from Afghanistan border through Rawalpindi, and then to the rest of Punjab. These villages do not overlap for the most times.
काफी दिनों से मैं भी अपनी कुलदेवी के बारे में ढूंढते ढूंढते आज इन सभी के विचारों को घ्यान से पढ़ा काफी जानकारी मिली अच्छा लगा हमारा संबंध भी गुजरांवाला के शाहपुर से है मेरे परदादा बिशन दास जी छाबड़ा दादा राम दास छाबड़ा 1947 में भारत आने के बाद यमुना नगर हरियाणा में आ कर बस गए आज भी क ई परिवार यहां पर हैं
ReplyDeleteHi. I am Ajay Chhabra from Delhi. My father was from Bakkhar. I was able to trace record of my great grandfather from Haridwar. Originally all chhabra's are from Chhabra which was invaded by Hun tribe and thereafter people from Chhab region spread out to other parts.
ReplyDelete