Jat

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Categories: Social groups of India | Social groups of Pakistan

This page refers to the Jat people of India and Pakistan. For other uses of "Jat", see Jat (disambiguation).


A Jat (also Jatt) is a member of a large ethnic group who live in the states of Punjab, Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan in India. The Jats are predominantly farmers and landowners, and Jats occupy many prominent positions in the fields of government, military, academia, and technology.

They are the largest group in northwest India, belonging to various clans and more than 500 gotras. They are not a homogeneous ethnic group living in a particular area and speaking a single language or following a single religion. Jats may be Sikhs, Hindus, or Muslims. In Kashmir the Jats are Muslim and speak the Pothohari/Mirpuri language. In Pakistan, they are Muslim and speak Urdu and Punjabi, and in India, they are Sikhs and Hindus and speak Punjabi, Hindi, Rajasthani, and Haryanvi.

The Jats also have a strong military tradition, and many Jats were recruited into the British India army during World War I. Large number of Jats serve in the Indian Army, including the Jat Regiment, Rajputana Rifles, The Grenadiers, and others.

The Green Revolution brought considerable prosperity to the Jat farmers and landowners in the late 1960s and 1970s, especially in the Punjab. The Jat regions in India are among the most prosperous on a per-capita basis.

The Maharajas of Bharatpur and Dholpur in Rajasthan were Jats, as were the Ranas (kings) of Gohad in Madhya Pradesh.

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Jat origins

The origin of Jats has several theories ranging from their sudden appearance from Shiva's Jattas (locks) to their lineage in the Aryan race, some point to their Indo-Scythian or Saka origins. Both Sir Alexander Cunningham and Colonel James Tod agreed in considering the Jats to be of Indo-Scythian stock. Cunningham identified them with the Zanthi of Strabo and the Jatti of Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy; and held that they probably entered the Punjab from their home on the Oxus. The Jats seem to have first occupied the Indus valley as far down as Sindh.

By the 10th century, the Jats had already spread into the Punjab where there were firmly established in the beginning of the eleventh century. By the time of Babar, the Jats of the salt range had been in constant conflict with the Gakkhars, Awans and Janjuas. Tod classed the Jats as one of the great Rajput tribes with Cunningham claiming the Rajput to belong to the original Aryan stock, and the Jats to a late wave of immigrants from the north west, probably of Scythian race.

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History

Whatever their origin, in the eighteenth century, with decline of Mughal empire, the Jats became a force that could not be ignored.

The Bamraulia Jats founded the kingdom of Gohad, near Gwalior, in 1505. In 1669 the Jats of Mathura rose in opposition to Aurangzeb's rule, under the leadership of Gokula, Zamindar of Tilpat and killed the Imperial Faujdar Abdun-Nabi. It took more than a year for the powerful Mughal forces to subdue the Jats. Gokula was killed and his family converted to Islam. However, Jats once again rose in rebellion in 1685 under the leadership of Raja Ram, and Akbar's tomb in Sikandra was plundered in 1688. Finally the Jats were defeated and Raja Ram slain in 1691. In the disorder following Aurangzeb's death in 1707, Jat resistance resumed, organised under the leadership of Churaman. Badan Singh, Churaman's nephew, established a kingdom headquartered at Deeg (known as Bharatpur after its later capital) and extended his rule over of Agra and Mathura.

Badan Singh’s adopted son and successor was Maharaja Suraj Mal. Maharaja Suraj Mal, described as the "Plato of Jat tribes" and "Jat Ulysses", extended his kingdom to include Agra, Mathura, Dholpur, Mainpuri, Hathras, Aligarh, Etawah, Meerut, Rohtak, Farrukhnagar, Mewat, Rewari and Gurgaon. He was described as the greatest warrior and the ablest statesman that the Jats have produced. He moved the capital from Deeg to Bharatpur after 1733. Great Rustam, a Jat king of the Sogariya clan, laid the foundation of the modern city of Bharatpur and after him, control passed to his son Khemkaran and then to Maharaja Suraj Mal. Khemkaran was a great warrior, he was able to kill two tigers running in different directions, at the same time. He was then awarded with the title Faujdar, which is still used by all Sogariyas. The beautiful palace and gardens at Deeg and the Bharatpur fort, both built by Maharaja Suraj Mal, symbolised the coming of age of the Jat state. Maharaja Suraj Mal died on 25 December, 1763.

The Bamraulia Jat Maharanas of Gohad resisted the Maratha assaults of the 18th century, and twice occupied the strategic fortress of Gwalior (1740–1756 and 1780–1783). The Maharanas allied with the British against the Marathas, and in a British-brokered deal exchanged Gohad for Dholpur in 1806.

In the mid-18th century the Dalal Jats of Mandoti, Haryana built the mud fort of Kuchesar in Uttar Pradesh.

By the 19th century, Jats ruled the states of Bharatpur, Dholpur, Gohad (Bhind),Kuchesar, Bahadurgarh, Mursan etc. and others.The Jats established a reputation of being determined, sturdy, fierce fighters. Their background makes them simple, hard working, honest and loyal – the essential qualities of good soldiers.

Known for their military prowess, Jats have always been part of imperial armies. They forced the Amir of Baghdad to run for his life in 837 AD, and ruled there for 15 years. They served as fighters in the Persian army against the Romans and led successful campaigns. The Jats were classified as a "Martial Race" by the British and were recruited in large numbers in the British army. A large number of Jats serve in the Indian Armed Forces today and form one of the largest ethnic groups in the army.

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Genetics

A recent study of the genetics of the people of Indian Punjab[1] (where about 40% or more of the population are Jats) suggest that the Jats are similar to other populations of the Indus Valley in terms of Y-snp groupings. Also Jats seem to share many common haplotypes with German, Slavic, Baltic, Iranian and Central Asians [2].Unusually, Jat groups share only two haplotypes, one of which is also shared with Turks (Turkey), and have no matches with neighbouring Pakistani populations (except Sindh). This haplotype shared between the two Jat groups may be part of the Indo-Aryan (or Indo-European) genetic contribution to these populations, where as the haplotypes shared with other eurasian populations may be due to the contribution of Indo-European Scythians (Saka, Massagetae), or White Huns. (These groups may of course all be branches of one larger ethnic complex.)

As for relationship between Croats, Ukrainians and Jats, they do seem to share haplogroups R1a1,J2 and R1b which are present in many Slavic populations, however Croats and Ukrainians also contain E and I haplogroups which are absent in Jats.Also their mtdna is completly different.

As to mtdna,Jats contain haplogroups typical of NW Indians,that is haplogroups typical of North India ,Pakistan and West Asia.This suggests that, at least for mtdna,there is very little connection with Central Asian or NW Europe populations; even though Jats share many male Y SNP markers with these populations.Hence this suggests that there has been male migration in or out of the Jat population in historical times.Alternatively,the formation of the Jat population may have occurred in West Asia or North India. Hence Jats are very similar to other North Indian groups.

  • FS Application of Y-chromosomal STR Haplotypes to Forensic Genetics[3]
  • Aryan-migration Genetics [4]
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Jat Gotras (clans)

A : Abusaria, Achara, Aftab, Ahlawat, Agre, Ajmeria, Andhak, Asiagh, Atwal, Aulakh, Aujla,

B : Bachhal, Badesha, Badyal, Bhatoa, Bains, Bajwa, Bajya, Balhara, Balyan, Bamraulia, Bana, Barjati, Barola, Baswan, Bassi, Batar, Beniwal, Benning, Bhadare, Bhadiar, Bhadu, Bhalotia, Bhambu, Bhari, Bhati, Bhatti, Bhichar, Bhukar, Bhullar, Billing, Budania, Budhwar, Burdak, Buttar,

C : Chahal, Chahar, Chauhan Chandel, Cheema, Chhillar, Chheena, Chowdhury, Chatha,

D : Dabas, Dagur, Dandiwal, Dalal, Dangi, Deo, Deol, Deshwal, Dhaliwal, Dhankhar, Dhanoa, Dhama, Dharan, Dharni, Dhatarwal, Dhaulya, Dhaurelia, Dhillon, Dhindsa, Dholia, Dudi, Duhan,

F : Fageria, Faugat, Faujdar,

G : Gahlot, Gandhar, Ghatwala, Garewal, Ghumman, Gill, Gauria, Gehlawat, Godara, Ghick, Gora Gosal, Grewal, Gulia, Guram, Gurm,

H : Hayer, Hundal,

I : Indolia,

J : Jakhar, Janghu, Janu, Jatrana, Jatri, Jawanda, Jhajharia, Jhammat, Jhutti, Johal, Johiya

K : Kadian, Kajala, Kakran, Kaler, Kalkhande, Khalia, Kang, Kisana, Kaswan, Kataria, Katewa, Kehal, Khainwar, Khakh, Kharb, Khehra, Kherwa, Khichad, Khirwar, Khinger, Khokhar, Khoye Maurya, Kooner, Kuhar, Kular, Kularia, Kulhari, Kundu, Kuntal, Kahloon,

L Lalli : Lakra, Lamba, Lather, Langrial, Lakhan

M : Maan, Madra, Malik, Mandiwal, Mede Meel, Moond, Motsara,

N : Naga, Nagra, Nagauria, Nauhwar, Nehra, Nijjar, Nitharwal

O : Ohlan, Ola,

P : Pachar, Pachehra, Palsania, Parihar, Pannu, Panwar, Phogat, Pilania, Punia, Punial, Purwar, Purewal,

R : Rajawat, Rajian, Rana, Ranu, Ranwa, Rathi, Rasoda Rawala Rehal, Repswal, Romana, Rulania, Randhawa

S : Saharan, Sandhu, Sangwan, Sanghera, Saroha, Sehrawat, Seen, Sehwag, sejwal, Sekhon, Seoran, Shokeen, Seokhand, Sidhu, Sikarwar, Sinsinwar, Sansanwal, Sirohi, Sunda, Soban, Solanki

T : Tanwar, Tarar, Tatla, Tatran, Taxak, Tevatia Thenua, Thathiala, Thori Tiwana, Tokas, Tomara, Tungs

U : Uppal, Udar

V : Vanar, Virk, Vaince, Vijayrania

W : Wahla, Waraich

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Famous Jat people

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Books on Jat History

  • Dr. Ajay Kumar Agnihotri (1985) : Gohad ke Jaton ka Itihas(Hindi)
  • Bal Kishan Dabas : Political and Social History of the Jats,Sanjay Prakashan, 2001,ISBN 8174530452
  • Bhim Singh Dahiya, IRS : Jats the Ancient Rulers, Dahinam Publishers, Sonepat, Haryana
  • Bhim Singh Dahiya,IRS: History of Hindustan: Dahinam Publishers, Sonepat, Haryana, (Translated from Persian by Alexander Dow, ESQ. Edited by B.S.Dahiya)
  • Bhim Singh Dahiya,IRS: Aryan Tribes and the Rig Veda, 1991, Dahinam Publishers, 16-B Sujan Singh Park, Sonepat, Haryan, India
  • Dharampal Singh Dudee: Indian Army History France To Kargil 2001
  • Dharampal Singh Dudee: Navin Jat History, Shaheed Dham Trust Bhiwani, Haryana, India
  • Dilip Singh Ahlawat: Jat Viron ka Itihas
  • Dr Kanungo: History of the Jats
  • Dr Natthan Singh: Jat-Itihas, Jat Samaj Kalyan Parishad, Gwalior, 2004
  • Hukum Singh Panwar (Pauria): THE JATS: Their Origin, Antiquity & Migrations,Manthan Publications, Rohtak, Haryana,ISBN 81-85235-22-8
  • K. Natwar Singh : Maharaja Suraj Mal
  • Dr.Prakash Chandra Chandawat: Maharaja Suraj Mal Aur Unka Yug (1745-1763) (in Hindi), Jaypal Agencies, Agra, 1982
  • Raj Pal Singh: Rise of the Jat power, Harman Pub. House, ISBN 8185151059
  • Aadhunik Jat Itihas : Dharmpal Singh Dudee & Dr Mahinder Singh Arya. Jaypal agency Agra 1998
  • Ram Swaroop Joon: History of the Jats
  • Shashi Prabha Gupta: Demographic Differentials among the Rajputs and the Jats : A Socio-Biological Study of Rural Haryana, Classical Pub.House, ISBN 8170541808
  • Thakur Deshraj: Jat Itihas (Hindi), Maharaja Suraj Mal Smarak Shiksha Sansthan, Delhi, 1934.
  • Girish Chandra Dwivedi: The Jats- Their role in the Mughal Empire. ISBN- 81-7031-150-0. Surajmal Educational Society, New Delhi India
  • Dr. Atal Singh Khokkar: Jaton ki Utpati evam Vistar, 2002, Jaipal Agencies, 31-1 Subashpuram, Agra, UP, India 282007
  • Chaudhary Kabul Singh: Sarv Khap Ithihaas, 1976,( History of the Jat Republic) Shoram, Muzzafarnagar, U.P. India
  • Nihal Singh Arya- Sarv Khap Panchayat ka Rastriya Parakram, 1991,( The national role of the Jat Republic of Haryana) Arya mandal, B 11 Om Mandal, Nangloi,New Delhi, India
  • Dr Vir Singh : The Jats- Their Role and Contribution to the Socio Economic Life and Polity of North and North West India, 2004, ISBN 81-88629-16-2, Surajmal Educational Society, D K Publishers, New Delhi, India, http;// www.dkpd.com
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External links