Datt

Datt or Dutt is a Brahmin clan from the Punjab. They are one of the seven clans of the Mohyals who are Saraswat Brahmins of the Punjab. The six other clans are Bali, Bhimwal, Chhibber, Lau, Mohan and Vaid. Most Datts are Hindus, but like most Mohyals, many follow Sikhism and other religions as well; their gotra is Bharadwaj. Some Datt Brahmins migrated eastward and mingled with Bhumihar Brahmin and became one with them.

Gotra

Datts claim descent from Rishi Bharadwaja and derive their gotra from his name. Some consider Gaj Bhavan, the grandson of Bharadwaj to be the real founder of their clan. All Datts are Saraswat Brahmins of Punjab.

Etymology

The word Datt is derived from the Hindi word daata meaning a charitable person. Some interpreted it as a corruption of the word Aditya which means 'sun' in Sanskrit; the surname is unrelated to Datta, one of the five clans of Bengali Kayasthas. Traditionally Mohyals of the Datt Clan have the last name 'Datt', whilst the name 'Dutt' is considered to be a closely related derivative of 'Datt'.

Chief Datt and Alexander the Great

The origin of the Datts is also traced to a chieftain named 'Datt' who accompanied Alexander the Great as an envoy of Porus. However on the way, Alexander fell seriously ill and died at Babylon. Datt along with his followers drifted to Arabia and settled at Harya Bunder. With the passage of time, there emerged a viable community of...
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