Abdullah Bhatti was a Punjabi
Muslim Rajput of the
Bhatti tribe. Abdullah Bhatti lived at
Pindi Bhattian in
Punjab, and came from a family of hereditary local rural chiefs of the
zamindar class. Both his father, Farid, and his grandfather, variously called Bijli or Sandal, Akbar's son, Shaikhu (later known as
Jahangir), was born on the same day. Advised by his courtiers that Shaikhu's future bravery and success would be ensured if the child was fed by a woman whose own son was born on same day (which happens to be Dhulla Bhatti), Akbar gave that responsibility to Ladhi despite her connection to a man who had rebelled against the Mughal throne. This decision appears to have its basis in
realpolitik: Akbar perceived that Ladhi was resentful, that Bhatti might become the third generation of rebels and that Akbar's royal favour might offset this. A part of the royal patronage was that Bhatti attended school. Although, at that time, unaware of the fate of his ancestors, he refused to accept the strictures that were intended to mould him into a good citizen and objected to being a part of an establishment that was designed to produce elites. He left to engage instead in childish mischief-making., it is celebrated in the wider
Punjab region in remembrance of Dulla Bhatti A chance remark led to Ladhi having to explain the fate of Farid and Bijli to her son. Gaur says that this caused his general anti-authoritarian, rebellious nature to "crystallise" with the Akbar regime as its target, although not as a means of revenge specifically for the deaths of his relatives but in the wider sense of the sacrifices made by rural people generally. Bhatti saw this, says Gaur, as a "peasant class war".
Banditry Bhatti's class war took the form of social banditry, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Folklore gave him a legendary status for preventing girls from being abducted and sold as slaves. He arranged marriages for them and provided their
dowries. In one incident,
Prince Salim crossed over into Dulla Bhatti’s territory during a hunt. Releasing him, Bhatti argued that his conflict was with the emperor, not his son. On another occasion, it is also said that Akbar got away from his guards and was apprehended by the soldiers of Dulla Bhatti. Akbar posed as the Mughal court jester when brought before Dulla Bhatti, which allowed him to be freed. His efforts may have influenced Akbar's decision to pacify
Guru Arjan Dev, and through Guru Arjan Dev's influence the people of Bari Doab, by exempting the area from the requirement to provide land revenues. == Death and legacy ==