The bhalla clan is actually descended from mainly brahmins who took to the sword in the 11th century. As turkish and muslims hordes started sacking punjab from Afghanistan, they were forcibly converting hindus. The brahmins, were their favorite group to pick on since , they were typically hindu, using a weapon was considered a sin and most of the their time was spent in prayers, and engaging in mathematics and sciences. A group of brahmins from the "bhalwaj gotra" in the doab region consisting of Jalandhar, presentday Amritsar and Ludhiana, renounced their priestly duties in order to save themselves from the Turks . They took to the sword and reasoned that in order save their religion , they had to fight. They changed their gotra name, to 'bhalla' , which means for "for a persons benefit". Overtime 1000 years , it came to be known as a khatri warrior, but it is known not to many , this name arose from a group of priest who had enough of islamic tyranny.