| Rao Bhati | |
| Succession: | Monarch of Bathinda |
| Successor: | Bhupat |
| Issue: | Bhupat |
| Religion: | Hindu |
| Dynasty: | Ancestor of the Bhati dynasty |
Rao Bhati was an ancient Hindu monarch (raja) who ruled during . He is considered the eponymous ancestor of the Bhati clan of Rajputs present in modern-day India and Pakistan. Bhati and his descendants claim direct descent from the Hindu mythological Yaduvanshi lineage of the Lunar dynasty. He is also the common ancestor of many notable individuals and families.
Bhati and his ancestors claimed direct descent from Yadu, the legendary king of the Hindu Yaduvanshi lineage, a branch of the Lunar dynasty in Hindu mythology. Sialkot (Salbahnpur), named for their ancestor Sálbán, a monarch who subjugated all of Punjab, is where the Bhati Rajputs claim to have resided.[1] Salivahan of Sialkot was Rao Bhati's grandfather and a semi-legendary emperor, he was according to some historians, the first of the Yaduvanshi Rajputs to settle in Punjab. According to some historical accounts, in CE, Salivahan defeated the Indo-Scythians in a battle near modern-day Multan, and in commemoration, he adopted the title 'Sakari', which meant 'foe of the Scythians'. He is also the common ancestor of many notable individuals and families.
Bhati was born in the Punjab region, in what is now Sialkot, during the 3rd century. His early life, according to historical sources, was in Punjab. Bhati was a monarch and the leader of a Yaduvanshi Yadu Rajput clan, which was named after Yadu, the legendary king in Hinduism. During his rule in the 3rd century, Bhati conquered and annexed territories from 14 princes in Punjab, including the area of what is now modern-day Lahore. He is also credited with establishing the modern city of Bathinda, Punjab, after he captured the area in the 3rd century.
During Bhati's rule, and in recognition of his achievements, the patronymic of his clan, which had previously been named Yadu after the same mythological king in Hinduism, was changed to Bhati. The Bhati Rajput clan was then named after him. Many of Bhati's descendants achieved notability. His descendant in the 12th century, Jaisal Singh, became the founder and Rawal of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer. Through his 17th-century descendant, Phul Sidhu, who was also a direct descendant of Jaisal Singh, he is the direct ancestor of the Phulkian dynasty royal families of Patiala, Nabha, Jind, and Faridkot, and their descendants.