Butt (Urdu: بٹ) or Bhat (Hindi: भट) is a Kashmiri surname, common among people of Kashmir and Punjab in Pakistan.
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Historians claim the surname is a distorted form of Bhatta/Bat (goddess) which originates from Sanskrit (भटट) meaning "scholar" according to Brāhmaṇa.[1]
People named Butt were said to be a clan of descendants of intellectual Vedic and Dardic saints that inhabited the banks of the Saraswati River which ran dry around 2000 BC. This forced the community to migrate to Kashmir in search of "ultimate truth".[2] Everyone who has "Butt" as surname have Kashmiri-Origin.
Kashmiri Pandits which traditionally refers to people within the priestly Brahmin caste of Hinduism and are speculated as being descendants of Saraswat Brahmins, who are mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures as inhabiting the Saraswati River valley, the geographic location of which is unknown.[3] The actual origins of this community and the circumstances of its relocation to the areas that they now inhabit are not fully known. An ancient legend mentions that Parashuram, an avatar of Vishnu, is said to have carved the community out of the five sons of Raja Ratten Sen. Saraswat Brahmins are originally from what is today Kashmir, but can also be traced into Punjab and as far as Sindh in southern Pakistan. They were usually skilled in Sanskrit and Hindu law, religion, music or philosophy. They have the earliest recorded history in Kashmir and have also been mentioned in the Mahabharata.[4] People named Butt were also followers of Buddhism at various points in time related culturally to the great Gandhar. There culture showed various influences from ancient Vedic, Greek and Kushan cultures. They have contributed greatly to Indian culture through excellence in Sanskrit, mathematics and science.
Islam had swayed over vast territories around Kashmir, and the new faith had made its entry gradually into Kashmir. By the 14th century, Islam gradually became the dominant religion in Kashmir, starting with the conversion in 1323 of Rincana, the first king of a new dynasty from Ladakh. The Muslims and Hindus of Kashmir lived in relative harmony, since the Sufi-Islamic way of life that ordinary Muslims followed in the region complemented the Rishi tradition of Kashmiri Pandits. The famous sufi saint Bulbul Shah was able to persuade the king of the time Rinchan Shah from Ladakh to adopt the Islamic way of life, and the foundation of Sufiana composite culture was laid when Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists were co-existing. Other Kashmiri rulers such as Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, were tolerant of all religions in a manner comparable to Akbar. In the late 18th century during the reign of Emperor Alamgir, many converted to Islam. Today, many Butts are Muslims, although some still practice Hinduism and smaller numbers Christianity.[5]
During 1800, a massive drought swept across Kashmir which caused many in the region to migrate out of the Kashmir Valley, and south of the Jehlum River into what is today upper Punjab, primarily in Pakistan. Those which migrated mainly entered into agriculture and by the 1820s, after the drought had passed, many of the Kashmiri immigrants returned to the Kashmir Valley. Some, however, remained in Punjab as they had settled comfortably. Some chose to continue migrating southwards, eventually settling in the old city of Lahore mainly at Delhi gate and Bhatti gate.[6]
Like other Kashmiri families, the social structure is based on the extended family. However the wider kinship network of biraderi and how it impacts on relations and mobilization is equally important. The extended family is of fundamental importance as a unit of decision making and with respect to the relations of its members with wider society. The institution of biraderi – which means brotherhood in a relatively loose sense – provides a useful collective framework for promoting mutual well-being. This is achieved through help and co-operation in social, economic and political spheres and it reinforces a sense of belonging and collective self-assurance.[7]
The Butt clan today are mainly trilingual, speaking Urdu, Koshur and Punjabi. Koshur is a unique language spoken mainly in the Kashmir Valley. Koshur can also be referred to as a "culture" which differs greatly from other non-Kashmiris in neighbouring Mirpur, Poonch and Jammu. Many Koshur speaking Kashmiris settled in upper and central Punjab from 1800 onwards because of famine and bad social and economic conditions. They have adopted Punjabi culture but identify themselves as ethnic Kashmiris.
The Butt clan is closely related to other Kashmiri tribes and clans. The Mir family are a wealthy direct descendants of the Butt clan and are predominantly found in Kotli and Khuiratta, Azad Kashmir who fled the Kashmir Valley during the 1800 drought. Dar, Lone, Khawaja and Sheikhs are also Kashmiri tribes and clans which are closely related to the Butt clan.
The geographical distribution of the Butts.[8]
(Wing Cdr AbdusSalam Butt, Sqn Ldr Mohammad Yahya Butt, Air Cdr Mohammad Zakaria Butt and Gp Capt. Mohammad Yunas Butt were 4 brothers all serving together in the PAF and this is a Guiness Book Record they share with 4 brothers from USA and 4 Brothers from India)
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This page or section lists people with the surname Butt (tribe). If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link. |
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