# Bhatti clan

Bhatti or Bhati caste (lit.derived from the Gurmukhi word: Bhaṭṭa ) is a Punjabi and a Sindhi caste of Rajputs. and Jats. They along with Bhuttos and Bhatias claim to have originated from the Hindu Bhati Rajputs. The Bhati/Bhatti Rajputs, are descended from a common ancestor, Rao Bhatti, a 3rd-century Hindu monarch.

## Bhatti's of Rajasthan

The Bhattis of Jaisalmer were members of the Yadava Rajput clan. Their lineage is traced back to Mathura through an ancestor named Rao Bhati, who was a descendant of Pradyumn. The 17th-century text ‘’Nainsi ri Khyat’’ records that the Bhatis migrated from Mathura to Bhatner in Lakhi Jungle, eventually spreading to other regions of western and northwestern India, including Punjab. Rao Bhati reportedly conquered lands from 14 princes in Punjab, including modern-day Lahore. He is also recognized for founding the present-day city of Bathinda in the Lakhi Jungle region during the 3rd century.
Rao Tannu-ji, the Bhati ruler of Tanot, strengthened Bhati influence in western Rajasthan and the eastern Cholistan desert during his reign, which lasted until 814 AD. He defeated the Varya Rajputs and Langas of Multan. Under his leadership, a coalition attack involving the Pathans, Langas, Khichis, Khokars (Ghakkars), and Johiyas was successfully repelled.
By the 12th century, areas such as Rohri, Sukkur in present-day Sindh, Pakistan, and Pugal and Chohtan in Rajasthan were part of Bhati rule. Jaisalmer emerged as a major center for the Bhati dynasty, which governed various fortified settlements such as Bhatner, Pugal, Bikrampur, Barsalpur, Deravar, Maroth, Kehror, Aasnikot, Tanot, Lodhruva, and Mamanvahan. The Bhati ruler Vijayrao Lanjo is remembered for ruling a vast domain that stretched from Ghazni to Gujarat, earning him the title of ‘uttara disi bhad kivaad’ (sentinel of the north).
Epigraphic records describe Vijayrao Lanjo as holding the grand title ‘‘Parambhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshwara’’ (the paramount sovereign, great king of kings, and supreme reality). His successor, Bhojde, ascended the throne in 1143 but was later defeated by his uncle, Rawal Jaisal Singh, who aligned with Ghaznavid chiefs. Jaisal Singh subsequently became the Bhati leader. The Phulkian dynasty claims descent from Rawal Jaisal Singh, the founder of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer.
In 1398, Timur invaded India, encountering resistance from Rai Dul Chand of Bhatner, a Bhati ruler. Despite the coalition of Rajputs and Muslims, the Bhatner Fort fell, and the city was destroyed.
Further claims link the Bhatis to the founding of Kapurthala, Ambala, and Batala in Punjab. ‘‘Rana Kapur’’ established Kapurthala in the 11th century,Punjabi University, Department of Punjab Historical Studies (1990). The Panjab Past and Present Volume 24. Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University. while ‘‘Raja Amba’’ and ‘‘Rai Ram Deo’’ founded Ambala and Batala, respectively, in the 14th and 15th centuries.Batala Town Imperial Gazetteer of India – ‘‘vol.7 pg.133’’
The historian Alexander Cunningham identified ancient ruins in the Rawalpindi Cantonment as Gajipur, believed to have been a Bhati capital.

## Notable people

* Dulla Bhatti, a folk hero from Pindi Bhattian, present-day Pakistan, who is famous in Punjab for leading a revolt against the Mughal emperor Akbar and is thus praised during Lohri.
* Jaspal Bhatti, a famous Indian television personality from Amritsar.
* Rai Bhoe Bhatti, a feudal lord of the clan during the latter half of the 15th century who headed the jagir of present-day Nankana Sahib.
* Rai Bular Bhatti, a feudal lord of the jagir of present-day Nankana Sahib famous for gifting land to Guru Nanak.
* Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti, Pakistani politician from Jhang.
* Raja Aziz Bhatti, a Pakistani military officer who was awarded posthumously Pakistan's highest military decoration the Nishan-e-Haider.
* Raja Muhammad Sarwar Bhatti, a Pakistani military officer from Gujar Khan district who was awarded posthumously the Nishan-e-Haider.
* Shaitan Singh Bhati, Indian military officer who was awarded India's highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra.
* Rana Shabbir Sharif Bhatti, a Pakistani military officer from Gujrat district who was awarded posthumously the Nishan-e-Haider.
* Raja Shaukat Aziz Bhatti, a Pakistani politician who is a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab since 2024.
* Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, a Pakistani politician from Sahiwal who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till January 2023.
* Rai Hassan Nawaz, a Pakistani politician from Sahiwal who has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since February 2024.
* Muhammad Khan Bhatti, a Pakistani civil servant who serves in BPS-22 grade as the Secretary, Punjab Assembly.
* Rai Ibrahim Bhatti, the last ruler of the state of Kapurthala from 1773 to 1779.
* Lakhi Rai Bhatti, a ruler of Khairpur (now called Khairpur Tamewali), in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
* Zahid Mehmood, Pakistani Cricketer from Dadu.