Bhatti is often hailed as the Robin Hood of Punjab

Every year in January, the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh celebrate Lohri, a festival that marks the winter and long days, making way for the summer. On this day, a bonfire is set up, and people pray and dance around that fire. Special dishes are also made, and in case you are in Punjab, you may hear a song that goes, “Sundar Mundriye, ho! Tera kon vichara, ho? Dulla Bhatti wala, ho!”

While several Punjabi folk songs are performed during Lohri, the above-mentioned is a song that immortalised the tale of Dulla Bhatti for his Robin Hood-esque actions during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar.

16th-century Pind Bhattian

Muslim Rajput chieftains from the Bhatti clan ruled Pind Bhattian, a small village now in Pakistan, in the 16th century. During the Lodhi era, they had the ruling king’s support, and they enjoyed influence in the region. However, when Humayun expanded his kingdom, the Mughals entrusted zamindars to extract tax from the villagers and peasants.

Rebel and fall

The zamindars' and the Mughal Empire's behaviour towards the villagers and peasants contributed to the rebelliousness of the Bhatti clan. They revolted against the Empire but eventually were defeated, and Bijal Bhatti and his son Farid Bhatti were hanged for treason during the reign of Akbar.

Who was Dulla Bhatti?

Born Abdullah Bhatti, Dulla Bhatti was the son of Farid Bhatti, but his mother had kept her father’s history a secret to keep Dulla safe. However, destiny had other plans.

Dulla was a naughty kid who used to play with slingshots and often broke the earthen pots of village women. One day, a woman got frustrated by his antics and therefore shouted at him, saying, “Your father and grandfather were brave warriors; why do you trouble us poor girls every day? They died fighting the Mughals; if your shot is so perfect, why don’t you fight them?” as quoted by nineteenth-century Punjabi poet Kishan Singh ‘Arif’ in his book ‘Qissa Dulla Bhatti’.

Rise of Bhatti

Hearing this, Dulla Bhatti confronted his mother, and she told him the history of his father and grandfather. An enraged Dulla Bhatti formed his own force and started robbing Mughal treasure and distributing it among the poor.

That’s not all – when a betrothed woman named Mundri was abducted by a zamindar, Dulla Bhatti rescued her and married her off at his expense. The marriage occurred on the night of Lohri, according to folklore.

Hanged by Akbar

Emperor Akbar hanged Dulla Bhatti on 26 March 1599, after he had been a rebellious fighter for years. However, centuries later, Bhatti’s tales of courage echo through the air every year on the eve of Lohri.