History of the Mohans
History of mohan clan was documented in a book called Pothi Rai Seegadh. The Mohan clan is a part of the broader Mohyal community, which is a group within the Brahmin caste in India. The Mohyal community has a distinct history that is closely associated with martial and warrior traditions. Mohans are believed to be descended from sage Parashurama, who is considered the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu and is credited with creating the mohan community to serve as warrior brahmins. This unique status allowed them to engage in both scholarly pursuits and military service.
Mohan clan, has been known for its role as warriors, administrators, and protectors of Brahmin interests. They served various kingdoms and empires, often taking on roles that required a combination of intellectual acumen and martial skills. They are known for their valor and dedication to their duties. Over time, they have preserved their heritage through oral traditions, family records, and community resources.
During fourteenth century, Bhagwan Dass, a descendant of the prehistoric ancestor Durbasha Gorman, made Mathura his home. He had three sons named Gokul, Mathura Dass and Hari Kishan. Hari Kishan later on shifted to Benaras. His son Abnashi Ram went on a pilgrimage of the holy Ganga and Yamuna in the north and reached as far as Delhi. At Delhi Abnashi Ram won the favour of Amir Timur (1336-1405) who appointed him as his Dewan. Timur also appointed another Mohan dignitary named Maya Dass to a high post in his court. The two sons of Maya Dass, Hari Chand and Hira Nand, were made commanders of the Royal army. The two brothers distinguished themselves by laudable conquests in the south and were made Dewans of the newly acquired territories. However, these southern conquests appear highly improbable because Timur stayed in India for a few months only and all this time he was embroiled in fierce fighting. He left Samarkand at the head of a 92,000 force in April 1398, crossed Indus in September, made his first incursion at Dipalpur, then raided Bhatner and other places, reaching Panipat in December 1398. He invaded Delhi on 17th December and defeated its twin rulers viz., Mahmud Tughlaq and his cousin Nasrul Khan, the latter had his capital at Ferozabad. Timur indulged in wholesale slaughter and massacred 100,000 hindus. Known as the scourge of the east, his main aim was to plunder maximum wealth and not to raise any dominion, so after realising his goal, he proceeded to the north, recrossed Indus on 19th March, 1399, on his way to Samarkand. En-route, he was severely beaten by the hindus near haridwar.
In 1398, emerging via Multan, his army blazed its way through Punjab, Delhi, Meerut, along the Shivaliks to Kangra, Jammu and back through killed four lakh hindus.
When Timur departed from Delhi after defeating Mahmud Tughlaq, the Rai Mohan rebuilt the town of Dhankote on the bank of the river Sind.
This happened during the latter’s reign that Dewan Hira Nand and Dewan Basant an eclipse when Raja Sukhpal Mohan of Peshawar was converted to Islam. Dhankote on Sind was the ancient home of the Mohans. It was captured by Mahmud’s son Sultan Masood, who ousted the mohans during the hectic days of the raids of Mahmud Ghazni on India. Dhankote continued to live in Kalabagh till the partition. The chief of the Mohan clan, made over the town to the Aswan tribe whose descendants family passed some time in unsettled conditions.
A Yajna was performed by mohans in 1191, nearly 190 years after the hurricane the Rajsu Yajna of Raja Jai Chand. The Mohan patriarch who participated in the Yajna was another veteran named Rai Takhan Dev Mohan. At the time of the Yajna the Mohans, were living in large number in Malwa but later Chenab and their main establishment was at Rattanpur. (A territory near river Jhelum)
Rai Thakur was a celebrated Mohan personality during the period of Ala-ud-din Khilji. He had two sons Jaswant Rao and Harbans Rao, the latter has been mentioned as Harjas Rao in some records. Jaswant Rao adopted the Mohammaden faith in 1306, while Harbans Rao met with a premature death. Jaswant Rao became a favourite of the ruler in Delhi and was able to arrange grant of big jagir in Mamdot for the five sons of his deceased brother named: Sudh Rao, Bharat Rao, Manak Rao, Hardas Rao and Phanan Rao. Phanan Rao due to his ability and sagacity emerged as the leader of the family. Mamdot near Dhankote, their old family estate, became the prestigious Dheri of Mohans and a nostalgic symbol of the
entire clan.
When Babar the first Mughal king occupied the throne, he appointed Harjas Rai an eminent Mohan of that time as his Dewan. This was the period of glory of the Mohan family, several members of their clan shot to limelight and were conferred titles and jagirs. Mamdot in district Ferozepur remained the bastion of their power.
In a short time Mamdot became such a stronghold of the Mohans that when Humayun succeeded Babar to the throne of Delhi, he sent a crash force to curb their power but the Mohans proved too formidable. Ultimately, he deployed a large army to crush them. The Mohans fought from their family fort in Mamdot but were no match for the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. In the savage war they were totally wiped out and the only ones to survive were an aged family patriarch Baba Sahib and his son Sobha Ram Thakur. Sobha Ram was taken prisoner and deported to Delhi where he was posted as manager of the royal household.
The following gruesome episode is described in the Pothi of Seegadh Rai, the chronicle of the Mohans:
When Mohammed Shah (who presented the famous Peacock Throne to Nadir Shah of Persia) was the king of Delhi (1719-1748 AD), Mansa Ram Mohan was his trusted chief. Another Mohan dignitary of the court named Dewan Sadhu Ram was deputed by the king to mobilise army operations in the Punjab. Prahalad Rai, a noted bard of that period, has glorified Sadhu Ram in his kavits. The Dewan had an unusually handsome grandson named Jai Ram who was the son of Raja Ram. The king forced this masculine brave man, to marry his daughter, after converting him to Islam. This step was highly resented by the Mohan community and they challenged the king to a war. In the battle, the Mohans defeated the Mughal army said to be two lakh strong and imprisoned their commander Hashmat Khan. This incited great ire in the king and to avenge the humiliation he ordered a big army, supported by troops from Khurasan, to attack Mamdot. Mohans fought a pitched battle under the command of their popular leaders Govind Ram and Mathura Dass, in a manner that their valour in this war became a part of the folklore and was sung by the family bards for generations. Being woefully outnumbered, the Mohans were totally annihilated and only a few elderly persons like Dewan Sadhu Ram survived from the disaster. All women plunged to death in the raging pyres and the few men who could escape from the inferno fled to other places. According to text in the Seegadh Pothi, 2088 veteran Mohan men and women perished in this of great distinction, who fell down dead while fighting in this horrific war carnage. The Pothi gives a list of 72 Mohans with their names, all men.
72 eminent men who were killed in the the siege of Mamdot were: Dewan The scene of tragedy was the family fort of Mohans at Mamdot. The names Ram, Gokul, Ganda, Jhanda, Kahan, Bhaju, Gulaba II, Nadh, Dhanpat, Sukha, Bhaju II, Bhagwan Dass, Gohar Singh, Mia Singh, Man Singh, Dharmu, Dhani Ram, Basu, Bansu, Wasti, Hakam, Hazari, Bihari, Sobha Ram, Nathu Mal, Sarjas, Makhan, Moti, Ghasita Ram, Lachhman, Jai Daya, Kul Ganga, Sambha, Dasan Mal, Moola, Doola, Karan Dass, Labh Sain, Jaswant, Jawala, Mathura, Basant, Sham Jiv, Nathu Ram II, Kanshi Ram II, Bhagwan, Karan, Kesar Mal, Duni Chand, Jind Ram, Mehtab, Radhe Mal, Jaimal, Raja Ram, Bishen, Ghed Ram, Mutwal Chand, Nihal, Nanak, Mansa Ram, Uttam, Arjun, Mohan, Makhan II, Buta Mal and Shadi. After this grim tragedy, the Mohans led a bereaved and haunted existence for a long time.
Mohan clan was saved from extinction due to the initiative and exertions of Shri Jai Ram, who included them to wider mohyal community. To honour the memory of this saviour, Dewan Sadhu Ram enjoined on his offspring to offer an earthen carafe at the time of all marriages and the tradition is being kept alive ardently by the Mohans.
Many Mohan families who couldn’t settle in Pind Dadan Khan as their home drifted to other wellknown centres of Mohyal community like Rawalpindi, Sagri, of Pind Dadan Khan, are regarded as the direct descendants of Baba Sahib.
The Mohans were decimated to such an extent in the hindu holocaust of Mamdot that they have still not recovered their old strength & constitute very meagre population like Parsis.
