The central concept of Ṛta (cosmic order) and the doctrine of three Rna (being in debt) were mentioned in the Ṛgveda. Committing one's actions to the governance of Ṛta, referred to as its "Dharma" (duty), and Rna was therefore understood as imperative in ensuring one's own well-being. Moksha was considered the ultimate goal of an individual's life.

Hindu philosophy encompasses the philosophies, world views, and teachings of Hinduism that emerged in Ancient India. The entire philosophy can be broadly divided into Aastika and Nāstika with about sixteen schools of thought. The Astikas accept the authority of the Vedas and include six systems i.e. shad-darśanam, organized as follows:

• Nyāya - Based on the quest for the ultimate abstract truth and the nature of reality.

• Vaiśeṣika - Based on logic, anu-parmanu, and the futility of Maya.

• Mimamsa (aka Purva-Mimamsa) - Explains Vedas and holds them to be eternal and divine.

• Sāṅkhya -Holds the elimination of physical and mental pains to achieve liberation "Moksha".

• Yoga - Propounded by Patanjali preaches meditation and contemplation to attain Union with the Param-atma.

• Vedanta (aka Uttar-Mimamsa) - Propounded by Ved-Vyas explains the divine nature of Atman, Maya, and creation. It further breaks down into three sub-schools that got prevalent during the Bhakti movement, Dvait, Vishisht-Dvait, and Advait.

Whereas, the Nāstikas share philosophical concepts but reject the Vedas and include Buddhism, Jainism, Chārvāka, Ājīvika, and others.

Major Hindu deities include Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva, Parvati, Brahma, and Saraswati. These deities have distinct and complex personalities, yet are often viewed as aspects of the same Ultimate Reality called Brahman. Major deities have inspired their own Hindu traditions, such as Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism, but with shared mythology, ritual grammar, theosophy, axiology and polycentrism.

Prehistory

The earliest signs of humans: Biface handaxes used by Homo erectus and Acheulian, carbon-dated to Palaeolithic Age (2,500,000–250,000 BC) have been discovered during the excavations of prehistoric mounds running along the Soan River in the Pothohar Plateau, in upper Punjab. Not much is known about the human settlements and activities during the Mesolithic and the Neolithic ages.

Indus-Sarasvati Civilization

In the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages, The Greater Punjab region was part of the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in the Vedic period then known as the Sapta Sindhu, or land of the seven rivers. Reputed peer-reviewed studies indicate that agriculture was adopted independently in these fertile lands.

Scholars observe slight variations between Indus-Sarasvati, Egyptian, and Iranian civilizations in the usage of hyroglifics, agriculture, general living culture, administrative practices, and other religious beliefs like burying the dead. Available scientific evidence suggests trade and control were the driving force for intermingling of people both inwards and outwards. This resulted in the emergence of the 'Ancestral North Indian Population' around 2nd millennium BCE. The region saw a migration of people eastwards due to several factors including the drying of the Sarasvati.

Mauryas and the Turco-Greeks

During the period when the epic Mahabharata was written around 800–400 BCE, the region came to be known as Trigarta, the land of three rivers namely Ravi, Beas, and Satluj, and was ruled by Katoch kings. Samsaptakas were 'sworn warriors' and the bravest of the Trigartas, who, led by their King Susarman to assist Duryodhan. Later the region was called Panchanada.

The Takshashila University, the oldest university in the world was established in the northern Punjab region. Taxila was a great center of learning and intellectual discussion during the Mauryan period, claimed to have been founded by Taksh the son of Bharat who was the brother of Ram. The northwestern Punjab region saw great wealth and cultural intermixing due to its proximity to the Silk Road and the Taxila University.

The furthest eastern extent of Alexander the Great's exploration was along the Indus River. The Battle of the Hydaspes was fought in 326 BC between Alexander the Great and King Porus of the Paurava kingdom.

Hindu Kings

The Indus Valley Civilization spanned much of the Punjab region with cities such as Harrapa (modern-day Punjab, Pakistan). The Vedic Civilization spread along the length of the Sarasvati River to cover most of Northern India including Punjab. This civilization shaped subsequent cultures in the Indian subcontinent. 

Hindu Shahi Kings

The Punjab region was conquered by many ancient empires including the Gandhara, Nandas, Mauryas, Sungas, Kushans, Guptas, Palas, Gurjara-Pratiharas, and Hindu Shahis. 

Islamic Raids

Islamic Rule (Ghaznavid, Ghurid, Delhi, Suri and Mughal Empires)

Colonial ethnology

The British with their fetish for categorization and documentation felt that all extant Indian castes should be fit into the Vedic framework of the four varnas. “It was decided by the Government of India in 1885 to make a comprehensive field survey for precise information about the way of life, manners, and customs, rituals, marriage practices, etc. of the tribes, castes, sub-castes of the country for better administration and ethnographic research.” The result was published in 1891-92 titled The Tribes and Castes of Bengal in two volumes. Much to the chagrin of the Khatris throughout north India, Risley declared that “If then, it is at all necessary to connect the Khatris with the ancient fourfold system of castes, the only group to which we can affiliate them is the Vaisyas”. 

The matter was discussed at Khatri Conference at Bareilly, in June 1901 and resolved to present evidence in favor of their higher social status and, wishing to be suitably classified in the 1901 census. The results of the campaign were summarized in a 1905 book “A Brief Ethnological Survey of the Khattris” written by Moti Lal Seth, deputy inspector of schools and member Khattri Hitkari Association, Agra. This remains one of the primary sources of information on Khatris. A valuable additional and more general source is the three-volume Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province, compiled by a British civil servant  Horace Arthur Rose, superintendent of Punjab census operations. The Glossary is based on Punjab census reports of 1881 and 1891.  It also embodies some of the materials collected in the Ethnological Survey of India which was begun in 1900.

Divison of Punjab 1947

In 1947, the Punjab Province underwent partition based on the Radcliff Line. The most truncated portion of current Indian Punjab is generally divisible into 3 natural regions based on the flow of rivers namely, Majha, Malwa, and Doaba. The western part of Punjab which was awarded to the Dominion of Pakistan consisted mainly of Majha where the majority of the Khattris resided. The 'Jatts' were majorly in the Malwa region which is the Indian Punjab. However, it is worth noting that 'Jhang' and 'Multan' were two districts of the Punjab Province. Whereas, 'Sindh' is a separate province of Pakistan.

Greater Punjab has served as home to the Soanians, Harappans, Indo-Aryans, and Indo-Scythians. The region has been ruled by many different empires and ethnic groups, including the ancient Maurayans, Macedonians, Persians, Scythians, Arabs, Turks, Mughals, Afghans, Balochis, Sikhs and British.

"Khattries are more than 500 tribes of which 52 (the Bawanjatis) stand high and the 12 (the Barahghars) still higher. The Khattries have no flag of their own nowadays. A number of descendants have given up military profession and have taken to other pursuits"

The Khatris like any other caste is an endogamous group belonging to the Patthar of Punjab. The Khatris are sub-divided into various sub-tribes, each of which embraces a number of clans. Tired of defending against repeated Islamic raids from the west, some moved eastwards in search of better opportunities known as Purabiya or eastern Khatris.

In course of time, a social division structure appeared within the Khatri caste. Scholars observe that the Khatris underwent drastic organizational changes in the time of Sultan Allauddin Khalji on the question of widow remarriage. The royal proposal was eventually abandoned because of vehement opposition from within the community. A small band of Khatris who opposed the proposal were isolated as 'Sareens' or "Shara Ain" or Muhammadan Law. For the rest, the agitation created a social hierarchy; the stronger their opposition, the higher their status. [Pt. 9 AIR 1925]

Present-day Khatris loosely split into Char-Ghar and Bunjai. The relationship between these two groups is non-symmetrical. The Bunjai accept a lower position vis–a-vis the Char-ghar on the social totem pole.

A summary of the hierarchy is placed below:

• The Dhai-Ghar (3 Clans)

• The Char Ghar (3+1 Clans)

• The Barah-Ghar (4+8 Clans)

• The Bavanjah-Ghar (52 Clans)

• Khuhrains and Sareens are two autonomous offshoots of the Bavanjah-Ghar/ Bunjai.

• Other groups

In Earlier days, Khukhrain and Dhaiye Khatri used to marry among each other but preference was given to be married within their respective groups. Moreover, Dhaiye, Baharaan, and Bahujayee Khatri were exogamous within there respective group and clan. They use to marry within their group as well as within their clan. Later, Bahujayee Khatri started marrying among Arora Community as many of them were living in the Multan region. Even Baharaan Khatri started marrying among the Bahujayee, Dhaiye started marrying among Baharaan, and Khukhrain with Dhaiye.

The Vedic Arya Kshatriyas were divided into two clans - the Suryavanshis and the Chandravanshis. Later some families of both clans became followers of the Rishi Angira and became known as the Agnikul. The Chandravanshi Raja Nahush's son Yayati and his son Yaddu's descendants became the Yaduvanshis.

The power of the Kshatriyas declined over the years and conflict arose between the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas. The Kshatriyas lost their dominant position. They lost their states and finally came and settled in Punjab. They started calling themselves Khatris.

1. The Suryavanshis adopted another name of Surya Dev which is Meher and became Mehras, Mehrotras, and Malhotras.

2. the Chandravanshis adopted the name Kapoors.

3. The Agnivansh split up. Some became brahmins and called themselves Agnihotris and the rest were called the 'Khand' family (the 'part' family). Later the Khand family came to be known as Khanna's. Since they were from a 'split' clan - they were called the 'half' clan.  Both Koushal and Kutsa Gotras are found within the Khanna caste.
   
   - Khannas with Koushal/ Kaushal/ Kaushik Gotra have 'Koushal' gotra Brahmins and worship 'Shivaya Mata' as their Kul Devi.
   - Khannas with Kutsa Gotra have 'Jhinghan' gotra Brahmins and worship 'Chandika Mata' as their Kul Devi.

The so-called 'Dhai Ghars' (two and a half families) are the Kapoors, Malhotras, and Khannas.

There are two offshoots of the Bunjai, namely  Khukhrain (spelt variously) and Sarin. The Khukhrains are said to be the descendants of Khatris who  “joined the Khokhars in rebellion and whom other Khatris were afraid to marry. ” (Rose 1911:513).

The word "Khokhar" itself is of Persian origin and means "bloodthirsty". Whereas, Barādarī, or Birādrī or Biraderi (Urdu: برادری), means Brotherhood and originates from the Persian word برادر Baradar, meaning "Brother". The Khukhrain sub-group of the "52"s claims descent from a son of Manu and several clan names are traced to military terms in support of the claim to Kshatriya descent.

Khukhrains originally hailed from the areas of the Salt Range, a hill system in the Patthar region of Punjab. They were predominantly located in the area between Indus' tributary rivers Jhelum and Chenab with the town of Bhera as their main center. Interestingly Mohyal Brahmins, rather than the Saraswat Brahmins, officiated as their priests.

The Khukhrain or Khokhrain is a clan originally composed of eight septs of the Khatri caste namely, Anand, Bhasin, Chaddha, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni, Sethi, and Suri. To these “Chandok have been affiliated in Peshawar, and in Patiala the Kannan section is said to belong to this group” (Rose 1911 II:509). Ghais are also said to be Khukhrains. They were a powerful tribe and resisted the attacks of Mahmud of Ghazni during his third invasion which led to his defeat against Jayapala at the Battle of Bhera in 1004-05. Bhera, subsequently became the Khukhrain capital. Jaipal's son, Anandapal received Khukhrain's support against Ghazni in 1008-09 at Wahind. When Mahmud Gazni sacked Bhera, the Khukhrain king, Biji Rai stabbed himself with his dagger rather than submit to Ghazni. Known for assassinating Mohammad Ghauri, a powerful tribe that resisted Mahmud of Ghazni during his 3rd invasion after defeating Jayapal at the Battle of Bhera in 1004-05 which was the Khukhrain capital.

Some scholars such as Muhammad Ikrām Chutai believe that a number of Khukhrains were converted to Islam by the Sufi Baba Farid. "The Khokharain sub-group of the 52 claims descent from a son of Manu but it is possibly named from the Khokhar Rajputs and several clan names are traced to military."

Khukhrains, traditionally and historically a warrior community, bore the brunt of invasions from various central Asian tribes now converted to Islam who came from the northwest during the 12th-16th centuries. Most of the Khukhrains who moved to India following Partition in 1947 descended from Doab region of Pakistan that comprised of Khushab, Pindi Gheb, Talagang, Campbellpur, Chakwal, Pind Dadan Khan, Peshawar and Nowshera. Various contemporary and historical places in Pakistan Punjab and Afghanistan corresponding to traditional areas associated with Khukhrain or Khokhar bear the name or variants of Khukhrain or Kokrana. Today, Khukhrain Hindus or Sikhs are, by and large, an urbanized highly educated and economically well off community. Khukhrains in India and Pakistan have excelled in almost all spheres including business, politics, arts, military, and in various fields of sciences as well as in the judiciary and law. Among all Punjabi communities, the Khukhrains are the most respected and counted as the topmost.

Gotra of Khukhrains

Gotra is the name of the clan, progeny, lineage, class. Although according to the Paniniya sources, 'Apatyam Pautra Prabhriti Gotram' 4-1-162, the descendants of Paustra etc. are called Gotras.

Regarding, the gotra, Khukhrain's original gotra is 'Kashyap'. Among eight clans Anands, Kohlis, and Bhasins maintained their original Kashyap Gotra. While the other five clans due to the change of purohits (gurus) of their times, started to accept different gotras of their own, by the 1st century AD.

Sapta Rishis are believed to be the mind-born children of Brahma. To these Rishis, the Vedas including Rig Veda were revealed. The seven great Rishi or saptarshi of the first (Svayambhuva) manvantara are Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulatsya, and Vashishtha. In other manvantara there are other saptarishi. In the present manvantara the seven are Kashyapa, Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja. 

In ancient Indian astronomy, the asterism of the Big Dipper (part of the constellation of Ursa Major) is called saptarishi, with the seven stars representing seven rishis of the first manvantara, namely "Vashistha", "Marichi", "Pulastya", "Pulaha", "Atri", "Angiras" and "Kratu".

The Sethi surname was derived from Sanskrit word sreshthi which means shreshth, "the best among all”. They have also been called ‘Pulseti’ (based on their gotra from Pulastya Rishi, sometimes corrupted as Palsth (Pulast)). Sethis are Suryavanshis. Their Kuldevi is Maa Vaishno Devi. And their Purohit is Soodan.

Sethis belong to a warriors’ clan Khukhrains (etymological derivative of Khokhar their ancestor Raja Khokhar Mal or khukhri, a lethal dagger or sword Khukhrains used to carry during turbulent times). Sethis are a regional sub-caste of the ten Khukhrain clans, viz., Anand, Kohli, Suri, Bhasin, Sahni, Chadha, Sethi, Sabharwal, Ghai, and Chandhok. Sethi’s are an Indo-Scythian community and have originally followed Hinduism however, a significant number adapted Sikhism during the 18th and 19th centuries. A predominant section of the Hindu Khukhrains, continue to follow dual religious traditions of, both, Sikhism and Arya Samaj. Sethis’ mother tongue is Punjabi but Sethis in Pakistan speak a different dialect of Punjabi than the Sethis of East Punjab.

Place of birth of our Paternal GF and Maternal GM
Jalalpur Jattan: Porus fought against Alexander the Great in the battle of Hydaspes in 326 BC near banks of River Jhelum. It is said that Alexander the Great won the battle and a large area of Punjab between River Jhelum and Beas was absorbed into Alexandrian Empire. When Alexander the Great defeated King Porus, he established two towns, one near Jehlum River and another near Chenab River. The latter, present-day Jalalpur Jattan was named 'Shaklanagar' an amalgamation of Greek and Sanskrit words meaning the city of beauty. These cities were settled by people from his multinational armies, which included a majority of Greeks. These Indo-Greek cities and their associated realms thrived long after Alexander's departure. Later, Jalal-ud-Din-Feroze-Khilji and his forces stayed here to suppress the invasion of Mongols and he renamed the city to Jalalabad after his name. The name was once again changed to Jalalpur Jattan by the notable Jatts of their time said to be Zabardast Khan and Ajmer Khan. During Sikh Empire, the town gained significant importance. There is a place in Jalalpur Jattan built by Chandragupta Maurya in 300 BC. Local historians believe that Chandragupta had built a fort in Islam Garh, a suburban village of Jalalpur Jattan. Our grandfather distinctly remembers that our house was called "Lalleyan di haveli". The structure was made of "laal ittan" and there was a huge line of donkeys (khoteyan di line) that were used to carry trade goods. The original name of the village could not be ascertained but the fort became famous as Islam Garh Fort with the passage of time. The fort of Islam Garh had remained under Aurangzeb Alamgir, Ahmed Shah Abdali, and Ranjit Singh and their forces. The fort had been the mint of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore in 1832. Only some deteriorated remains of the fort exists today. There is also an ancient city within the territories of Jalalpur Jattan, now a town known as Kula Chor. Excavations in the area revealed that Kula Chor was the mint of the Maurya Dynasty.

Place of birth of our Maternal GF and Paternal GM
Dinga is a town in Gujrat District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It lies between the rivers Jhelum and Chenab. The actual name of the town was Deen Gha (hub of Islamic education) but with the interval of time during the British Empire its name became Dinga. There is evidence that this town was established in the 16th century. In 997 CE, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the Ghaznavi dynasty empire established by his father, Sultan Sebuktegin. He conquered the Shahis in Kabul in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of Punjab region. The Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal Empire ruled the Punjab region. The Punjab region became predominantly Muslim due to missionary Sufi saints whose dargahs dot the landscape of Punjab region.

Historical Perspective
Originally, Sethis have their roots in the town of Bhera (Bhadravati) in the Jech Doab (Jhelum – Chenab interfluves) region of Sargodha district of Pakistan Punjab. Bhera was an important trading outpost on the road to Kabul, and a ‘taksal’ (mint) during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The palace of Sopeithes which the Greek historian Arian mentions as the palace on the Hydaspes was supposed to be at Bhera. The present day Sethi’s are descendents of Raja Khokhar Mal who ruled a part of West Punjab with his seat at Bhera. He was instrumental in forging unity of all other sections and laid the foundation of a single powerful kingdom, which came to be known as Khukhrain clan. The last chief or Raja of Bhera was a Sethi Khukhrain, Diwan Bahadur Jawahar Mal. Sethis are believed to be one of the bravest of the clans of Khukhrains. The various constituents of this clan were so brave a people that Mahmud Ghazni (the clash of the Khukhrains with Mahmud Ghazni took place in his third invasion after the defeat of Jayapala, at the Battle of Bhera in 1004-5) while invading India was so scared of Sethis that he instructed his generals not to antagonise them and to keep off their territories while conducting their campaigns.  Bhera, or Bheda from older times, existed probably since 400 BC. There are accounts of Mahmud of Ghazni raiding the city in the 10th century or Genghis Khan's forces ransacking it later. More recently, Bhera was a trading town on the western side of the River Jhelum and was shifted east of the river after being attacked by different armies around the early 16th century.

Sethis developed as warriors and defenders of land, initially, have been on high ranks in the civil, government, and military administration roles, for centuries. Sethis were also referred to as heads of a tribe or business as they expanded into trade and mercantile businesses. The Sethis have always been a very powerful and wealthy group of Punjabis, especially those living in large cities, either in Pakistan or now in India.

A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a symbol of the clan's unity. 

Gotra of Sethis

Pulastya (Phecda) is believed to be a Prajapati, a mind-born son of Brahma. Pulastya means 'one of smooth hair'. He was the father of Vishrava (father of Kubera and Ravana) and the great Rishi Agastya. He was the medium through which some of the Puranas were communicated to the mankind. He received the Vishnu Purana from Brahma and communicated it to Parashara, who made it known to mankind.

Khukhrain's original gotra is 'Kashyap'. Among eight clans Anands, Kohlis, and Bhasins maintained their original Kashyap Gotra. While other five clans due to the change of purohits (guru) of their times, started to accept different gotras of their own, by the 1st century AD. Accordingly, Sethis being initiated by a guru, took the guru’s Gotra since through the process of initiation (dīkṣa), becoming the spiritual child of the guru.

The full affiliation consists of (1) Gotra, (2) Sutra (of Kalpa), (3) Shakha, (4) Pravaras.
Accordingly, I anonymous Sethi, of Pulastya Gotra, of 

Gotra is the Sanskrit term for a much older system of tribal clans. A gotra must be distinguished from a kula. The Sanskrit term “Gotra” was initially used by the Vedic people for the identification of the lineages. Generally, these lineages mean patrilineal descent from the sages or rishis in Brahmins, warriors and administrators in Kshatriyas and ancestral tradesmen in Vaisyas. A kula is a set of people following similar cultural rituals, often worshiping the same divinity (the Kula-Devata, family deity or clan deity). Kula does not relate to lineage or caste. In fact, it is possible to change one’s kula, based on one’s faith or Iṣṭa-devatā (an individual's personal deity of choice).

The ancestry of the Sethi’s The Social Stratification of Sethi’s Hinduism (Pulastaya Gotra) Under Vedic Society (Kshtriya, Khukhrain, Sethi) The Sethi surname was derived from Sanskrit word sreshthi which means shreshth. They have also been called ‘Pulseti’ based on their gotra from Pulastya Rishi one of the sapta-rishis. Sethis belong to a warriors’ clan Khukhrain khatris, Khukhrain is the etymological derivative of Khokhar their ancestor Raja Khokhar Mal or khukhri. Sethis are a regional sub caste of the ten Khukhrain clans, viz. Anand, Bhasin, Chadha, Chandhok Ghai, Kohli, Sabharwal, Sahni, Sethi and Suri. Originally, Sethis have their roots in the areas of the Salt Range and particularly the town of Bhera in Punjab. Bhera (Bhadravati) in the JechDoab (Jhelum – Chenab interfluves) region of Sargodha district of Pakistan Punjab. 

"Bhera" is a Sanskrit word which means "a place where there is no fear". According to the "Ancient Geography of India, Bhera was once known as Jobnathnagar. The palace of Sopeithes which the Greek historian Arrian mentions as the place on the Hydaspes is supposed to be at Bhera. The Greeks refer to the Jhelum river as the Hydaspes River where Alexander fought Porus in Battle of the Hydaspes River in 326 BC. It was at this battle that Alexander's famous horse Bucephalus was killed. Old Bhera was destroyed in 1545 because of the disputes among the Pashtun forces, and was rebuilt at the present location, that is the left bank of the River Jhelum. Sher Shah Suri was the founder of the new city. When he visited the old city, he was distressed upon seeing the destroyed areas and as an aftermath he built the city again and connected it well and even constructed several monuments. Bhera earned a great status during the Mughal rule. During the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar, Bhera regained its former glory and was one of the 40 cities of Mughal India having a royal mint for minting gold and silver coins. Sethis developed as warriors and defenders of land, initially, have been on high ranks in the civil, government, and military administration roles, for centuries. Sethis were also referred to as heads of a tribe or business as they expanded into trade and mercantile businesses. 

The present-day Sethis are descendants of Raja Khokhar Mal who ruled a part of West Punjab with his seat at Bhera. He was instrumental in forging unity of all other sections and laid the foundation of a single powerful kingdom, which came to be known as Khukhrain clan. The last chief or Raja of Bhera was a Sethi Khukhrain, Diwan Bahadur Jawahar Mal. Sethis are believed to be one of the bravest of the clans of Khukhrains. The last chief or Raja of Bhera was Diwan Bahadur Jawahir Mal. A Khukhrain. The Diwan Family originally came from Peshawar and tradition ascribes the abolition the jazia in Peshawar to his influence. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh invaded and occupied Sargodha District. The Muslims faced severe restrictions during the Sikh rule. After the Sikh Raj (1790 to 1849), the British occupied Bhera till independence in 1947. In the British Er,a the population of Bhera was 18,680 (1901). It is the terminus of a branch of the North-Western Railway. It is an important center of trade, with manufacturers of cotton goods, metal-work, and carving. 

Bhera was founded about 1540 on its present site, but it took the place of a city on the opposite bank of the river, of far greater antiquity, which was destroyed at this period. Most of the Khukhrains who moved to India following Partition in 1947 descended from the Doab region of Pakistan that comprised Khushab, Pindi Gheb, Talagang, Campbellpur, Chakwal, Pind Dadan Khan, Peshawar, and Nowshera. Various contemporary and historical places in Pakistan Punjab and Afghanistan corresponding to traditional areas associated with Khukhrain or Khokhar bear the name or variants of Khukhrain or Kokrana. Today, Khukhrain Hindus or Sikhs are, by and large, an urbanized highly educated, and economically well-off community.

We hail from the towns of Jalalpur-Jattan and Dinga, of the Gujrat District in the Gujranwala Division, of Punjab province, Pakistan. The area is a part of the Majha region in Punjab, Pakistan. We speak Majhi.

Saraswat Brahmins:- Most Punjabi Brahmins are Saraswats. The main surnames of Punjabi Brahmins are:- Sharma, Issar, Markande, Jaitley, Rampal, Moudgill, Bhardwaj, Bhargava, Batish, etc.

Mohiyals Brahmins:- Mohyal – a clan of Saraswat Brahmins separated their lifestyle from other Brahmins by serving the society with a weapon in one hand and Vedas in the other. Famous as warrior brahmins they originated as seven different Brahmin castes namely Bali, Bhilwal, Chibber, Dutt, Mohan, Vaid, and Lau after seven famous rishis/saints Parasar, Agastya, Bhrigu, Bhardwaj, Kashyap, Dhanvantri and Vasishta, respectively. Mohyal Brahmin is one of the clan of Saraswat Brahmins, the Brahmins who traditionally inhabited on the banks of Saraswati river which corresponds to North Western parts of the today's Indian subcontinent. Historically, during Vedic period, Brahmins traditionally were engaged in priestly duties and were required to not seek more than minimal sustenance and to not pick weapons. But adharmic practices and cruelty by some rulers in later period against brahmins as well as invasions by some outland invaders led to developing of Mohyal clan who gave up traditional priestly duties and became warrior clan Mostly Hindu, while some are also Sikh. Mostly from the Rawalpindi region, now migrated to India. They are Saraswat Brahmins who dwelt on the banks of the ancient river Saraswati - that once flowed from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. As such they came in the path of each and every invader who came to loot or subjugate India. The warrior sage, Parshuram, had militarised them in the early epic period. From priests these Brahmins had morphed into Mohyal fighting Brahmins, brave and tenacious fighters with a great tradition of soldiering. Major surnames are:- Dutt, Chhiber, Bali, Mohan, Vaid, Bhimwal etc. Sunil Dutt is an example of Mohiyal. The word Mohyal comes from the Prakrit form of the Sanskrit word 'mahipal' and does not seem to be more than 6-7 centuries old. The Mohyals and the Bhumihars of East-Up were an off-shoot of this phenomenon. The word Mohyal is accepted as being the corrupted form of 'Mahiwal' or 'Mahipal' meaning 'the owner of land'. There is another interpretation of its being derived from the word 'Muhin'. 'Muhin' symbolizes the 7 castes into which the community is divided. In ancient dialect 'Mohi' or 'Mahi' denoted land while 'al' meant respectable man. Mohyals were the masters of the land and their deity was 'Hal Ram' alias 'Bal Ram' alias 'Bal Dev'. He is the Aryan God of agriculture; in one hand he holds the plough and in the other the pestle. A lesser known fact is that there is a group of Brahmins — the Mohyal Brahmins — who prefer to call themselves the Hussaini Brahmins.

In Hindu cosmology, a Kalpa (day of Brahma) is a long period consisting of 14 Manvantaras, each lasting approximately 30,67,20,000 years. Given the immense scales of time involved, it's challenging to map these periods directly to our historical BCE or AD framework. However, I can provide an approximate framework based on the current understanding:

1. Svayambhuva Manvantara: Approximately 1.96 billion years ago

   • Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, Vashishta. 

Pulastya is the father of Vishrava, and therefore the grandfather of the famous demon king Ravana, making him a significant figure in the Ramayana.

2. Svarochisha Manvantara: Approximately 1.65 billion years ago

   • Urja, Stambha, Prana, Rishabha, Nischara, Arvarivat, Satyavak

3. Uttama Manvantara: Approximately 1.34 billion years ago

   • Pramati, Marichi, Angiras, Anga, Kratu, Pulastya, Vashishta

4. Tamasa Manvantara: Approximately 1.03 billion years ago

   • Jyotirdhama, Prithu, Kavya, Chaitra, Agni, Vanaka, Pivara

5. Raivata Manvantara: Approximately 720 million years ago

   • Hiranyaroma, Vedasri, Urdhvabahu, Vedabahu, Sudama, Parjanya, Mahamuni

6. Chakshusha Manvantara: Approximately 410 million years ago

   • Sumedhas, Virajas, Havishman, Uttama, Madhu, Abhimanyu, Sahishnnu

7. Vaivasvata Manvantara (Current Manvantara): Approximately 120 million years ago to the present

   • Atri, Vashishta, Kashyapa, Gautama, Bharadvaja, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni

8. Savarni Manvantara: Projected to start approximately 120 million years in the future

   • Diptimat, Galava, Parasurama, Kripa, Drauni, Vyasa, Rishyasringa

9. Daksha-Savarni Manvantara: Projected to start approximately 430 million years in the future

   • Savana, Dyutiman, Bhavya, Vasu, Medhatithi, Jyotishman, Satya

10. Brahma-Savarni Manvantara: Projected to start approximately 740 million years in the future

    • Havishman, Sukriti, Satya, Apammurti, Nabhaga, Prasruta, Anagha

11. Dharma-Savarni Manvantara: Projected to start approximately 1.05 billion years in the future

    • Nischara, Agnitejas, Vapushman, Vishnu, Aruni, Havishman, Anagha

12. Rudra-Savarni Manvantara: Projected to start approximately 1.36 billion years in the future

    • Tapasvi, Sutapas, Tapomurti, Taporati, Tapodhriti, Tapodyuti, Tapodhan

13. Deva-Savarni Manvantara: Projected to start approximately 1.67 billion years in the future

    • Agnibahu, Shuchi, Shukra, Magadha, Manasa, Agnidhra, Ruchi

14. Indra-Savarni Manvantara: Projected to start approximately 1.98 billion years in the future

    • Kavi, Prithu, Agni, Vanaka, Dhama, Vasu, Satyavan

These projections are based on the cyclical nature of Hindu cosmology, where each Manvantara spans approximately 306.72 million years. The total duration of all 14 Manvantaras combined makes up one Kalpa (day of Brahma), which is approximately 4.32 billion years.