Vaid

Vaid is a Brahmin clan from the Punjab, one of the seven clans of the Mohyals. The words Vaid & Rajvaid are particularly used to denote medical professionals in Indian history.

Gotra

The "gotra" of the Vaids is "Dhanvantari". In the story of the "Kurma" "Avatara" mentioned in the "Bhagavata Purana", during the "Samudra manthan", fourteen "ratnas" emerged as a result of the churning of the oceans by the devas. The last one to emerge was Dhanvantari, carrying "Amrita", the elixir of life. He was a genius in medicine who founded Ayurveda and classified it into eight parts. It is believed that Dhanvantari is one of the twenty-five avatars of Vishnu.

The Dhanvantari gotra was used over the ages as a surname by Brahmins who practised Ayurveda. Hindus observe the birthday of Dhanvantari as "Dhanteras", on the eve of Diwali.

Kedar Sharma and Kanwarpal

The origin of Vaids can be traced back almost 2,600 years. At that time Kedar Sharma ruled in Kannauj. After him, Raja Kanwarpal established a dynasty in Kannauj. He himself ruled for sixty-four years, until 520 BC, and his kingdom extended up to the river Jhelum in the Punjab.

Gotpal, Sajanpal and Bodhpal

Kanwarpal was succeeded by his son Gotpal who built a city named Goti Pal on the banks of the Jhelum. His reign was marked by friendly relations with the rulers of Iran and there was mutual exchange of trade and army personnel between the two countries. He ruled for fifty years and was succeeded by his son Sajanpal.

Sajanpal was a staunch Buddhist who had no heart in the affairs of the state. His apathy led to the dismemberment of the kingdom, which his forefathers had consolidated. After his death, his son Bodhpal, popularly known as Raja Porus ascended to the throne. He ruled over the area called the "Chaj" Doab ( between the rivers Jhelum and Chenab ) and a part of the "Sindh Sagar" Doab between the Indus and the Jhelum.

Alexander's invasion

Alexander the Great crossed the Indus in 327 BC with the ambition of conquering India. His first encounter was with Raja Hasti, who ruled over the land between the Khyber Pass and the river Attock or "Atak" called Gandhara. Hasti was killed during a siege of his palace, which lasted for thirty days. Alexander secured a difficult victory. Taxila proved an easier victory, as its monarch Ambhi not only surrendered without offering any resistance but even joined forces with Alexander to fight Ambhil's adversary, Porus. Another ruler, Shashi Gupt also joined Alexander for this purpose.

Porus and his army stood alone, with no support from neighbouring rulers. Though he lost the war, his brave spirit won the heart of Alexander. Alexander was so impressed with Porus' gallantry that, as a tribute, he returned the entire conquered land back to Porus. Porus was treacherously slain by a Greek commander while he was asleep. His two sons had already been killed in the war so the reigns of the government passed on to his brother, Manak Rao.

Manak Rao

Manak Rao was an ineffectual ruler but he made a mark by building a new city at Manakyala near Rawalpindi, where the mortal remains of Porus were cremated. The excavations carried out by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1830, have yielded a large amount of coins, copper and brass vessels. They have also laid bare the plinths of houses, layout of streets and the remains ofimportant temples.

After Manak Rao, there is a gap of eleven centuries during which nothing is known about the Vaids. A new generation of Vaid rulers arose in the ninth century.

Bachanpal

The foremost in the line was Raja Bachanpal who ruled for fifty years. His empire touched Afghanistan.

Jaipal

Raja Jaipal who ruled from 951 to 1002 AD was a distinguished king. His capital was at Ohind and his writ ran all over Northern India, from Kashmir to Multan. In AD 977, Sebük Tigin, the slave king of Ghazni stormed into India and after conquering Sindh and ransacking Multan, advanced to Lahore. He was challenged by Jaipal who drove him back to Ghazni. To avenge his defeat Subkutgin mounted a second attack on Jaipal, deploying a very big force. Jaipal suffered an ignominious defeat in spite of the reinforcements provided by the friendly rulers of Kannauj, Kalinjar and Ajmer. After the death of Sebük Tigin in 997, his son Mahmud of Ghazni made his first independent assault on Jaipal in AD 1001. A pitched battle took place in Peshawar in which nearly fifteen thousand soldiers of Jaipal were killed and he along with fifteen other members of the Royal family. They were chained and taken to the Baghdad slave markets to be paraded and sold off to Arab merchants, while the royal women were raped and kept in harems.

K.M. Munshi and doyen of Indian historians R.C. Majumdar published the Indian History in 11 volumes covering major Indian dynasties and their work cited several other works as proof also which stated Jaipal and his dynasty to be Shahiya. Shahiyas were Turks settled down in India and hinduized. This is also supplemented by the works of major Russian historians which are now becoming available. Like all groups migrating to India like Hunas, Gurjaras, Turks were also accepted in the Hindu fold and divided into the 4 Varnas. Shahiya Rajputs were valiant defendors of Indian frontiers for a hundred years. Even 800 years later their descendents ruled in Jammu and were in service to Paithaniya Rajputs of Nurpur. Paithaniyas are another example of group Pathans who remained hinduized. Other Turk groups became Shahs in Gujarat some even counted as Brahmins while others in Gangetic plains as lower caste Sahis..

Anandpal

The new Vaid king, Raja Anandpal, inherited the throne as well as the war of retribution with Mahmud in 1002. He called a convention of the Hindu rulers of Kannauj, Kalinjar, Gwalior, Ujjain and Ajmer and urged them to forge an alliance against the common foe. His campaign roused so much patriotic fervor amongst the people against the enemy that men volunteered for recruitment in the army while women donated their ornaments to help the cause.

With a powerful army at his command, a spirited Anandpal attacked Mahmud at Ohind in 1009. He pushed him beyond the Indus and recovered all the territory that his father had lost. However, at that crucial moment, the elephant of Anandpal, having been severely wounded on his trunk by a poisonous arrow, became delirious and ran away from the battle arena. His soldiers thought that the king was retreating so they threw down their weapons. After losing the war, Anandpal escaped to Jammu. Mahmud came in pursuit and plundered many towns on the way. The monumental temple at Nagarkot was reduced to shambles and the wealth of the adjoining Bhim fort looted. Anandpal shifted his capital to "Nandana" at "Balnath" but did not live to see its glory and was succeeded by his son Tirlochanpal.

Trilochanpal

Tirlochanpal fought three wars against Mahmud in 1013, 1014 and 1019 AD. Alberuni, the Arab scholar who accompanied Mahmud to India, paid glowing tributes to his valour and sagacity. Around this time Tirlochanpal had a tiff with Raja Chandrarai of the Sharwa Kingdom, to whose daughter his son Bhimpal was engaged. When the wedding party reached the host town in 1018, they were treacherously made prisoners by Chandrarai. Tirlochanpal himself escaped as he had stayed behind in Lahore to guard his capital from Mahmud. Instead of invading Lahore, Mahmud directed his fury on Chandrarai, devastated his state and made him flee to the jungles. In the ensuing confusion Bhimpal was set free.

In 1019, Tirlochanpal declared war on Mahmud on the mountainous terrain of Poonch and this time, he had the backing of the Mohyal ruler of Kashmir. He and his men were besieged for nearly a month in the fort of Loharkot. They made repeated strikes on Mahmud's garrison posted outside the fort, decimating it every time, till Mahmud and his men were compelled to quit and run to Ghazni. In their dash, they lost their way in the jungle and were overtaken by a severe snowstorm, which further crippled them.

In retaliation, Mahmud attacked Balnath and its fort, Nandana where the small force of Tirlochanpal was no match to his huge numbers. Disaster was inevitable. Countless men were massacred while women in their hundreds committed Jauhar. This episode is known as the "Carnage of Pir Tapak".

Bhimpal

Bhim Pal was coronated as the next ruler in 1021 in the fort of Loharkot. The fort was still under continuous attacks from Mahmud. Bhimpal was victorious initially, but ultimately his resistance crumbled. He lost Lahore as well as the Punjab, a territory that his forefathers had held for thirteen generations. Overwhelmed with grief on the turn of fate, he died prematurely in 1026. This marked the end of the ruling Brahmin dynasty of the Shahis.

Rudrapal and Dwarpal

After the passing away of Bhimpal his wife and two sons, Rudrapal and Dwarpal, sought asylum in Kashmir. The king, Anantdev Rudrapal the general of his army. Both Rudrapal and Dwarpal died at an early age. Anantdev also died in AD 1063.

Jyesthpal

This created a power vacuum leading to anarchy and ultimately liquidation of the empire. Asumati, wife of Rudrapal, along with her infant son, Jyeshtpal, migrated to her parental home in Jalandhar. Here too she had no relief as her father was killed soon after in a coup.

When Basaldev, the ruler of Ajmer, came to know the fate of the exiled prince and his mother, he offered them refuge in his state. He also bestowed on them the jagir of Bhatner.

Anangpal

When Anangpal, son of Jyesht Pal, grew of age he consolidated his power in Bhatner. He was the fifteenth ruler in the line of succession. He was a great exponent of Ayurveda and he once cured Prithviraj Chauhan, who was suffering from a deadly ailment. As a reward, Prithviraj gifted him yet more land in Bhatner. This fuelled in Anangpal the urge to take up arms in order to recover his ancestral kingdom. He mobilised a large force and attacked Lahore in 1179. He laid siege to the fort and from its precincts carried on a fierce war for six months until he captured the city.

When Anangpal died in 1180, Muslims recaptured Lahore. The relatives of Anangpal took his young son, Gorakhrai to their ancestral state of Bhatner. He was crowned in 1181. He became a leading light in the court of Prithviraj Chauhan, the king of Delhi and Ajmer.

Raja Jaichand of Kannauj convened his famous "Rajsuya Yagna" at Kannauj in 1191 with the object of expelling Muslims from India. Prithviraj was a special invitee to this function, which was attended by many ruling chiefs of the period. Seven eminent men, one from each clan represented the Mohyal community at the Yajna. They were Gorakhrai Vaid, Tirloknath Bali, Midderdev Datt, Narsingdev Chhibber, Takhandev Mohan, Indersain Lau and Kailashdev Bhimwal. However, the ill fated convention failed to achieve its goal due to the clash of Prithviraj and Jaichand whose old rivalries came to the surface over - riding national interests. Prthviraj had abducted Samyukta, Jaichand's daughter, from a crowded Swayamvara. When he ascended to the throne of Delhi, Jaichand refused to recognise him as a sovereign and made a rival claim. This breach occurred at a crucial time when a series of invasions of Muhammad Ghori were looming on the horizon. Ghori had captured the empire of Mahmud after his death and was now poised to conquer India.

Ghori made his first strike at Sirhind in 1191 where Prithviraj inflicted a crushing defeat and pushed him back by 40 miles (65 km) in a severely wounded condition. After this victory Prithviraj started leading a luxurious life and lost his grip on the administration of the state. Ghori made his second assault in 1192 with a cavalry of 120,000 men. Prithviraj was defeated and Ghori occupied Delhi as well as Kannauj, Benares, Gwalior and Ajmer. This marked the commencement of Muslim rule in India. In the war with Ghori, Gorakhrai was also killed.

Ganeshdev and Brahmdev

After the death of Gorakhrai, his two minor sons Ganeshdev and Brahmdev fled to safer places. Ganeshdev went to the east and his descendants established the state of Bettiah in Bihar and founded the dynasty known as "Jaitheriyas", a subcaste of the Bhumihar Brahmins. Brahmdev along with his mother and other relatives moved to the north and settled in the hilly tract of Shimla. One of his heirs named Shiv Datt, who lived in Jammu, later resurrected the lost glory of the Vaid clan.

Shiv Datt

In 1398, Timur after plundering Delhi and carrying cartloads of booty and hundreds of prisoners marched past Jammu on his way to Samarkand. He was intercepted by Raja Maldev of Jammu and forced to set free all the prisoners in his custody. In his fight with Timur, Shiv Datt displayed unusual gallantry and a pleased Maldev made him the governor of Samba. Eventually, Samba became the imperial capital of the Vaids like Bhera and Karyala of the Chhibbers and Khadi of the Balis.

Later rulers

His son Ganpati succeeded Shiv Datt. A long line of successors who were all mediocre men and made no mark in their times followed him. Then came an illustrious man Raja Auodev who earned a lot of fame and laurels. He was an outstanding exponent of Ayurveda in the tradition of the founder of his pedigree, the legendary Dhanvantri. He was appointed as "Raj Vaidya"(Court physician) in the court of the Maharaja of Jammu. Auo Dev shifted to Jammu while his son Morardas looked after the state of Samba.

Some offsprings of Auodev left Jammu and moved to Mirpur and Lakha Singh Vaid led the exodus. His progeny, Jawala Singh Vaid was known for having killed a notorious dacoit of Gujranwala. He also saved the life of Maharaja Gulab Singh when Sultan Khan of Rajouri attacked him. Harichand Vaid, the noted author of Gulshan-e-Mohyali ( published in 1923 ) was a scion of the same family.

Rajouri in the state of Jammu, was a citadel of the Vaids in the past. A king named Prithvipal built many forts, the most famous being on the hilltop of Preet Pal whose ruins are still visible. His son, Madanpal conquered the outlying areas of the Punjab. Sher Afghan murdered the last king named Aunapal in his sleep. Many Vaids were massacred in the battle. After this episode, the sun set on this bastion of power of the Vaids. Many Muslims living in this region and known as Jaraj were originally Vaids.

Moolraj Vaid was the commanding officer of the Maharaja of Jammu. He was equally well known for his proficiency as a physician. He cured the wife of the Gakhar chief, Sultan Lashkari Khan at Takht Pari. He requisitioned the services of Moolraj from the Maharaja and offered him a jagir of twenty-five villages as a reward for having treated his wife. After the death of Moolraj, his grandson Maniram became the owner of his jagir.

Vaids in the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab

During Sikh rule, Ram Sahai held a distinguished position and was conferred a jagir, which he continued to hold till the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. But during British rule, all the jagirs were confiscated.

During the closing years of the eighteenth century there was great turmoil in the Punjab due to the confrontation between Muslims and Sikhs. It was at this time that some Vaids left their native Sialkot and landed in Benares. Although separated from their ancient habitats over the past two centuries they have maintained their links. They continued to visit Lahore, Rawalpindi and Jammu to perform marriages of their children in the Mohyal community. Some of them have adopted the surname of Sinha with their names.

"Dera Bakshian" in the Rawalpindi district had the distinction of producing a galaxy of Vaids who brought glory to the Mohyal community.

Mythological origin

The Vaids regard themselves to be the descendants of Dronacharya, the Generalissimo of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war of the Mahabharata.Drona was born a brahmin, son of Bharadwaja, in modern day Dehradoon (a modification of dehra-dron, a clay pot), which implies that he was not gestated in a womb, but outside the human body in a Droon (vessel). Vaid also means doctor in Hindi.

See also

*Chhibber
*Datt
*Mohan
*Forward Castes

References

* [http://www.mohyal.com/gms/gmsdefault.html Mohyal]
* [http://www.mohyals.com/ Mohyals]