K.D. Maini
Khatris is a trading community which has its origin in Punjab and is widely distributed in 132 districts of India including J & K state. Khatris claim to be Rajput and believe that their community name is a corrupt form of Kshatriya. They are largely engaged in mercantile activities. They were considered a progressive and dynamic community before independence Their business pursuits range from the village shopkeeper to whole sale traders. This community is described in terms of Char, Bara and Bavanga. The first four consist of Mehra, Malhotra, Kapoor, Khanna and Sethi, and have 761 sub-castes. They are divided into two main sects that is purbia or eastern Khatri and pachhainiya or western Khatri. The Khatris of Punjab belong to western branch. Before independence Khatris were one of the major communities of Punjab who traced their origin to one segment of Kshatriya of Manu’s Varna. They were mostly settled in western Punjab and their main caste were Bhallas, Bohars, Dhavan, Kapoor, Kakar, Khanna, Kochar, Mahenderu, Malhotra , Mehra , Sahai, Sahni, Sethi, Tandon, Ghai, Ghandhari, Maini, Puri, Kiran , Mehta, Handa, Saighal , Cham, Chotra, Kohli, Lakhi, Rihan, Bedi, Sodhi, Trihan and Aroras.
Khatris migrated to J&K state between 1819 to 1860 AD during Khalsa and Dogra rule. Before 1947 Khatris had a dominated role in the village life. They were scattered in all over Jammu province along with Muzaffarabad, Uri, Karna, Kupwara, Titwal, and Tangdar area of Kashmir. Khatris were addressed by the honorific title of Lala, Shah or Bakshi. After the Amritsar pact of March 15, 1846 between Dogra Raja Ghulab Singh and British Govt., the State of J&K came into existence under the Government of Maharaja Ghulab Singh. No doubt that Maharaja was already ruling Jammu state since 1822 onwards but he was having no link with rest part of the State. On the other hand, the tribes of Pirpanjal region who started from Muzaffarabad up to Bimber did not accept the new regime from the core of their heart and thus started unrest and disturbance in these areas. Maharaja Ghulab Singh dissolved 16 jhagirs and principalities like Rajouri, Bimber, Mirpur, Kotli, Uri, Takhai, Sudroon, Thakila Prava, Poonch, Sudnooti, Muzaffarabad, Tangdhar etc. He also attached these areas with newly created J&K state. Therefore the public of these areas started revolting against Maharaja. In those days there was no information and intelligence network and it became difficult for the administration to know about the happening in a particular area in Pir Panjal regions. Therefore, a direct network was planned by the administration and the administration motivated the poor Khatri families of western Punjab area like Kusak, Wahli, Chakwal, Jhelum, Pind Dadal Khan, Gujjar Khan and Rawalpindi by offering them interest free loan to start their trade ventures in Pir Panjal belt with two objectives that is to provide tradeable items to the public in their villages and to get upto date information from the villages as there was no other option. In these circumstances Khatris started their ventures in the villages of affected areas. With the passage of time they spread in all over Jammu province. Initially they were coming in summer session from their natives’ areas and after selling their goods returned back in winter session. However, when they started getting good profit, they constructed their houses and shops and settled in this area. Khatris were very intelligent community. They were aware of the fact that minority can live with majority only with cordial relations. Therefore they mixed with the local tribes, started speaking local language, honouring the values of the people and showing respect to their faith. In this manner they adjusted themselves in the villages without any security from the Government side. Day by day Khatris became the centre of village life and were known as Shahbakar (a big business man). Every village was having one or two shops of Khatri. Initially they started their business with selling of gur, tea, tobacco, naswar, salt and cloths. Since there was no local trader in the competition therefore Khatris had upper hand in business and became prosperous in a very short period. They started constructing, pacca havelis and pacca shops in the villages and live a better life as compared to the local people. This economic imbalance had created a rift and tension between Khatris and local people. The Government also realized that Khatris will now purchase the land of small farmers and turn them landless. Therefore, the order was passed by J&K Government that Khatris will only be allowed to construct a house and shop but they cannot purchase agriculture land. The period from 1846 to 1931 is considered an golden period of Khatri in J&K state. The shop of a Khatri had become the center of social life of the people. In those days public was having no avenue of employment, amusement and information accept the shop of a Khatri. Therefore in the early morning, the villagers who were known as Asamies along with pots of ghee, bags of rice, maize, chilly, garlic, egg and chicken starts pouring into the shop of a Khatri, which they sell on the shop and buy gur, tobacco, salt,tea, clothes etc. Then they would start gossping, discussing politics and enjoying the company of Glamours Shah ji who was telling them about the day to day happening of Raj Darbar and administration. During these deliberations the Khatri was able to smell the mood of the people and get the information about the happenings in the locality. Accordingly, they would pass on this information to administration. In this manner Khatris had become a bridge between administration and public of the locality.
The rise of Khatris in such a fashion was not liked by the local tribes. The local were of the opinion that Khatri were exploiting them and behaving likes representatives of the administration. This grievance against Khatri resulted in the disturbance of 1931 throughout in the villages of Jammu Province from Muzaffarabad up to Bimber. In this disturbance the houses of Khatris were burnt, their shops were looted and they were compelled to leave from the villages. However this was not a communal movement. It was only against Shabkari system because during this moment not even a single person was killed or injured.
After the disturbance of 1931, the influential Khatris migrated from the villages to foreign countries and settled elsewhere and never cameback. However, the small shopkeepers again came back in the villages and restarted their business.
Similarly, during the happening of 1947 and 1965 the Khatri families suffered a lot in the villages. Majority of them migrated to Jammu and aboard. Presently 99 percent Khatris have been shifted from the villages and are trying to settle in the cities and towns. Their glamorous and glorious life style and economy got shattered. They have no property in the villages. In the cities Khatris are not so financially sound to compete their rivals in the business. In these circumstances Khatri are migrating from one place to another in search of livelihood. There is a need of proper economic study of this vulnerable community who is uprooted from the villages and has not settled in the cities.
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