From My Bones/Heritage
Book by Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon (1998):
New Delhi: Aryan Books International. ISBN 81-7305-148-8.The Indo-Aryan stock is tall, sturdy, strong, handsome, industrious and adventurous. Though varying in religious beliefs and practices, the Jats predominantly inhabit areas falling in Pakistan, Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh of India. Besides constituting the finest peasantry of the subcontinent, the Jat community has produced valiant warriors, poets, patriots, great administrators, eminent scholars, saints and sages throughout the ages. Their clans are named after their Gotras, sub-castes or clans. My father and mother were descendants of the Dhillon and Dhariwal Sikh Jat Clans, respectively.
The Dhillons enjoy recognition and a status among their Jat brethren. They are often addressed as 'Dhillon Padshah' - Dhillon Majesty. This courtesy shown by a Jat to a Jat is gratifying, for a Jat, though simple and straightforward, is sensitively self-respecting and proud of his birth irrespective of his station in life but choosy in bestowing praise on others. The Dhillons owe their happy position to the outstanding exploits of their forefathers in the field of war and statecraft, apart from their generally easy-going and genial nature.
Early in the eighteenth century during the decline of the Mughal empire, four Dhillon Hindu Jats -- Chaudhuries Chhaja Singh, Bhim Singh, Mala Singh and Jagat Singh- of Panjwar, a village eight miles from Amritsar, embraced Sikhism. Under the command of Sardar Chhaja Singh they set up a Dal comprising a force of twelve thousand strong. It was the first of the twelve Sikh Misls which came into being during that period. It was named the Panjwarya Misl but more commonly called the Bhangi Misl, because they were fond of bhang,
Dhillon, Gurbaksh Singh (1998): From My Bones, End of page 5
an intoxicating drink made of the leaves of hemp.
After the death of Sardar Chhaja Singh, Sardar Bhim Singh led the Misl successfully with ability, making it a well equipped, organized and disciplined force. With Amritsar as their base, they operated far and wide. The capture of the big gun, the Zamzama at Ramnagar and the occupation of Lahore which they held for thirty years, are some of their outstand1Og exploits. Zamzama is displayed as a show-piece of history in front of the Museum at Lahore. It is popularly called "Bhangion ki Tope" after the name of the Misl. The Misl held sway over most of the Mahjha region of the Punjab till the advent of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sukerchakya Misl who occupied Lahore in 1799 and set up his Raj as the sole sovereign of the Punjab.
But more important than the military and political exploits are the attainment of a simple peasant - an old man-the venerable Baba Buddha. He was held in such a high esteem by the successive Sikh Gurus that he is believed to have enjoyed the unique honour of having been called to install six out of the ten Gurus on the spiritual throne, the Gaddi, though actually he did install five Gurus for Guru Nanak has not been formally installed by anybody. He spent much of his active in the jungles around Jhabal (Beer) near Amritsar where he reared his herd of cattle. A simple and pious Randhawa Jat Baba Buddha was the pride of all Sikh Jats and the Sikhs.
Far from pretending any claim to the great Dhillon dynasties, I have enjoyed being Just a Dhillon right from my childhood. This natural sense of belonging to the lineage has been responsible to an extent in moulding my own character.
My family was of a humble origin. Narwar, our ancestral village, is in Lahore district today as it was before the partition of India. It is about 28 kilometres from Amritsar across the border. My grandfather, Sardar Jawahar Singh was of an ascetic temperament and devoted all his time to prayers and to the service of the Sikh temple (gurudwara). The granthi (Sikh priest) was so much enamoured of him that he married his daughter, his only child to Jawahar Singh. Out of this wedlock were born two sons, Sardar Harbhajan Singh and Sardar Natha Singh.
Sardar Harbhajan Singh was my grandfather. He learnt Urdu and
Dhillon, Gurbaksh Singh (1998): From My Bones, End of page 6
and Persian and was employed as a Patwari, the lowest revenue official.
As a mark of appreciation of his diligence and creditable service, He was promoted as Kanungo, land revenue inspector. Towards the end of the nineteenth century with the advent of canals when new colonies were opened in the Punjab, he was awarded a murabba, 25 acres of under the upper Bari Doab canal in Chak No. 32 near Chhanga Manga in Chunian tehsll of Lahore distinct. After retirement, he migrated to the new land. In those days it was quite a challenge to reclaim a virgin forest.
Incidentally, my grandfather lost his eyesight. My recollections of him are that of a blind old man walking with a stick holding someone's hand. He had a terrible temper and it was not a pleasant job to lead him but somehow I loved his company on long evening walks along the canal bank near our village. Once I asked him, "Babaji, How did you lose your eyesight?". He said, "One day as I was crossing the canal over the bridge, I saw some women bathing naked in the canal. I stood there to watch them. They got annoyed and cursed me, so I got blind". I asked, "Babaji I have seen pictures of Lord Krishna hiding in a tree with women's clothes and the women concealing their bodies in the river water. Didn't they curse Krishna? Why didn't He go blind like you?" The grandpa replied, "You see, it is the intention of an act which determines the ethics of it. Bhagwan Krishna was the greatest Master, a Divine Teacher. He intended to teach those girls a lesson not to take naked bath in the open. Krishna was holy. I was wicked, so I got blind". My grand-father died in 1928 when I was just a student of the 7th standard.
My father Sardar Thakar Singh was the first child of his parents. He was three days old when his mother died and was brought up by his mother's younger sister Har Kaur, called Haro, whom my grandfather married. Since she remained childless, grandfather Contracted another marriage with Maalaan, who gave birth to three sons and two daughters, all very much younger than my father. As the eldest son, my father shared with grandfather the responsibility of bringing up his younger brothers and sisters. Bebe Maalaan died early. I do not remember seeing her.
As far as we children were concerned, Bebe Haro was our grandmother. She always lived with my parents. We fondly addressed
Dhillon, Gurbaksh Singh (1998): From My Bones, End of page 7
her as Bebe. Short of stature but lofty in ideas, she offered a wonderful company. As I look back, I can still visualize being cuddled up in her warm bed along with other children listening to the bedtime stories as she quietly distributed dried fruit, candy or sweets and parched corn or gram which she saved for us out of her own share. I have always cherished the heavenly bliss that tenderly enveloped us in complete fearlessness and sense of sublime security under her wings.
.jpg)
The Bebe had a kind heart. She loved animals and each morning would be seen feeding small birds, sparrows and doves, filling little bowls with water for birds and dogs. During the hot summer noon, she would personally water and bathe little calves. She enjoyed excellent health. I never saw her ill. She was her own doctor, prescribing simple treatments. Her curative agents were hot or cold water and milk, sugared or salted curds, butter or mustard oil massage, hot or cold bath, alum, camphor, asafoetida, garlic, onions and honey taken in different doses and in different ways.
She had a great sense of humour and would make us laugh with her anecdotes narrated in a poetic vein. Amrik, my younger brother, once remarked, "If Bebe had been to school she would have become a great poet". She lived a long life spanning over 90 years and died in 1944 of sheer old age, the only disease for which there is no cure. My mother often used to say, "I owe all my happiness and prosperity to Bebe's blessings. May god bless her soul! She never scolded me as mothers-in-law would".
My father started his education rather late. There was no school in the village. He had to go all the way to Lahore even for primary education, where he lived in a rented room shared by other boys from the village. They had to cook for themselves and would come home on weekends.
My father got married when he was still a child: he passed 4th class after his marriage. Being a bright student, he wished to go in for higher education but grandfather decided otherwise, which would save him two rupees a month. Fourth class was considered a standard of qualification good enough for getting a clerical job. My father had just attained his majority and it was considered proper that he should start earning for himself and for the family. My father did not wish to
Dhillon, Gurbaksh Singh (1998): From My Bones, End of page 8
have an office Job because he wanted to be a soldier. Accordantly, he presented himself before the Recruiting Officer at Lahore for enlistment in a cavalry unit. To his disappointment, his chest was found two inches too small. He was told to go back, build up his chest and report thereafter.
....Then he went to the recruiting officer and got enlisted as a sawar in 8th K G O (King George's Own) Light Cavalry. He got an early promotion and was selected as to be trained as a veterinary surgeon. He happened to be stationed at Firozpur when I was born.
Dhillon, Gurbaksh Singh (1998): From My Bones, End of page 9