Lohri ties and connects history folklore and cultural tradition. In winter, when bonfires light up in the North India, the scent of til (sesame seeds) and gur (jaggery) fills the air along with smoke. Punjabi’s children chant the folk song ‘sundar mundariye ho!’ Most consider Lohri as a celebration of harvest and warmth. It seems simple with songs, popcorn, groundnuts and light hearted festivity, celebrated at night. Lohri carries a second quieter layer to it. A tale of defiance to power, land and rebellion is at the route of it all. It is a farmers revolt that shook an the mighty Mughal Empire under the reign of then greatest Mughal Emperor, Akbar.
Rai Abdullah Khan Bhatti, as the people remember him only as Dulla Bhatti, who is called Robin Hood of the Ravi. A farmer’s son, who defied the greatest Mughal Emperor, Akbar. The Mughal ruler considered him as a bandit, whereas the people of the rural Punjab considered him a folk Hero – a saviour. He dared to challenge the emperor Akbar’s oppressive land revenue system.
The revenue tax that ignited the people to rise in revolt and rebellion.
In the 16th century, Akbar’s Finance Minister, Raja Todar Mal, introduced the ‘Zabt or the Dasala system’. On records, it seemed to be a very fair and orderly land revenue system. But from the point of view of the payers, i.e. the farmers, it was suffocating, crushing and burdensome for them in the practical sense. This tax system left farmers impoverished, because they had to pay it in cash. It was based on a ten- year average produce. It was one third of the farmer’s revenue in cash. This was mainly considered on the fertile plains of ‘Sandal Bar’ which is between the rivers Ravi and Chenab.
Dulla’s father and grandfather resisted this tax system. As a punishment, they faced execution. Their execution was supposed to be serving as a stern warning for the other farmers, it triggered something else. This did not serve as a grim warning. It ignited the rebellion by the farmers against the then imposed land revenue system.
Young Dulla grew up amidst stories of vengeance, justice and a sacred right to till one’s own land freely. Dulla perceived the incident as a force that had killed his kins and claimed his land. He collected some people and started a Guerrilla Army that struck at Mughal caravans and Treasures. It became a full-fledged peasant insurgency. Farmers and their sympathisers began ambushing the Mughal convoys. They plundered goods, grain, sugar, supplies and cash moving between Delhi, Lahore and Kabul. These acts weakened the Mughal control over Punjab countryside.
A true hero
Dulla was known as ‘the Robin Hood of Punjab’ as he redistributed the loot among the farmers and the poor. According to the Court of Law, he was a criminal, a dacoit or a trouble maker. According to the common people, he was the saviour, their ‘Sher- e Punjab’ – a lion that guarded their dignity and interests.
The Emperor, therefore, lost control on the countryside, as Dulla enriched the impoverished people with the looted treasures. Ultimately, Akbar was forced to move his capital to Lahore to keep rebellious Punjab and Dulla’s uprising under a watch. Dulla was indeed a local justice.
Sundar and Munder, the Legends in the song, ‘Lohri chorus’, echoes of Dulla Bhatti’s bravery. The folktale of Sundar and Munder. Mughal officers harassed these two orphaned sisters. They wanted to abduct the sisters for the Harem or slavery. Dulla rescued them, arranged their marriages and stood symbolically as their fathers. He did not have the riches to give them the dowry. But he gave them one kilogram (a ser) of sugar as the dowry. Till today, this example explains the famous and humble but significant ‘Lohri offerings’ of jaggery and til (Sesame seeds).
Lohri’s traditional offerings of jaggery and sesame seeds stands as a code of rebellion, sugar for dowry, shawls for hardships and bonfires for sacrifice. This is to remember the two sisters and the saving their grace by Dulla Bhatti. In the sweet exchange of offerings, there is bitter oppression at its roots. Singing these folk songs, somehow, reiterate the story of Dulla’s defiance to the Mughal Emperor and his oppressive land revenue system.
Dulla met a treacherous and betrayed end.
He was captured and executed in Lahore around the time of 1599. In the words of sufi sage poet, Shah Hussain’s words, ‘No honourable son of Punjab will ever sell the soil of Punjab’ describes him in the best possible manner. Dulla Bhatti’s remains are in a Grave that is unmarked, unadorned and quiet in Miani Saheb cemetery.
The month of January brings back memories of this great savior. He turned rebellion into rhythm and harvest songs into history. Every Flame of Lohri rekindles his spirit, refreshes the memory of that one man, who stood up for his land and the people. Dulla subtly reigns forever in the spirit and in the memory of the people of Punjab. He warms every winter night with the memory of his courage that turned it into the song.
The girls that he saved from probable slave markets and imperial Harem are remembered. The modest, yet deeply symbolic offering of the one ser of sugar as a dowry, an ingredient that is common in everyday life and is used in every home represented an act of solidarity.
The verse ‘Dulla Bhatti wala Ho!’ directly names the hero and sings praise of his resistance protection and shared joy. Through this, a community immortalised in the language of both, the song and sugar. He restores a balance, a so-called bandit, who has become the saviour for the people of Punjab.
An Invitation to celebrate, reminisce and pay respect
Lohri is the festival anchored in the story of Dulla Bhatti, seasonal change and agrarian cycle. It is linked to the land, justice and the protection of the vulnerable people. Each time ,we notice a bonfire, regard that brave farmer’s son, who ‘stood his ground’ to ‘till his ground’. Every time we hear of a humble dowry, remember the emotions behind it are much greater the the goods involved. Each piece of gur (jaggery) or til (sesame seeds) reiterates the tale of a common man, who turned grief into courage and courage into song. We can follow these folk songs back through smoke and time, learn our lessons and overcome our oppressions. We could unlock a whole new world of inspirations from some of these unsung heroes.
Check out our latest article Echoes of Tradition: Art That Thrived Offline here!
