TREHAN

TREHAN, a sub caste of Khatris. It belongs to the Sarin group, one of the four subgroups into which the Khatris are divided. They are categorized in two main divisions the higher and the lower. The Trehans belong to the higher group. The etymology of the word trehan is not very clear. According to some, trehan is the distorted form of conjunctive trairin, lit.

three debts. The legend has it that their elder was freed in his lifetime itself from three Puranic debtsdebt to die parents, debt to the gods and debt to the pitrs (ancestors). According to another legend, Trehan is the title which an elder in the line known for his piety and philanthrophy adopted for himself. The Trehans, also known as Bavas, are numerically very small and are mostly found in and around Khadur Sahib, in the Amritsar district, which was once the abode of Guru Angad, who was himself born in a Trehan family.

References :

1. Rose, H.A., A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontlet-Province [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970
2. Vahjara Bedi, Sohinder Singh, Panjabi Lokdhara VishavKosh. Delhi, 1978