History of the Jats/Chapter VII
| Wikified by:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
1967 (Eng Tr by Lieutenant Colonel Dal Singh)
Various fables about origin
Having understood the back ground of Jat race, the reader will now be in a position to see through the shallowness of the various fables recorded in modern history books about the Origin of Jats.
In this chapter I will take these one by one and analyze these in detail. It will necessarily involve some repetition of what has been written in earlier chapters.
Fable I
Fable I - Jut means a farmer I.e. The people who took to farming came to be known as Juts or Jats. I know of no language in which Jut means a farmer. Secondly, the present Jats from a very small percentage of farmers in India who constitute 80 percent of the total population? So, why not call 80 percent of Indians as Jats.
Fable II
Fable II- Ancestors of Jat race wore long hair (Jata) that is why they came to be known as Jats.
A study of the ancient status and scriptures will reveal that all the Aryans used to wear long hair. This was probably because of their having come from cold regions. Warmer climate of India put it out of vogue. The 'Choti' worn by Hindus is a symbol of
History of the Jats, End of Page-124
the long hair of their ancestors.
According to the Ramayana 'Aranya Khand' when Ram Chandra Ji and Lakshman Ji were going in exile they applied the milk of the Banyan tree to their hair. Lord Krishna is said to have caught Kansa by his long hair and thrown him down.
So, it is true that ancestors of Jats wore long hair but the word Jat could not have originated from 'Jata' else, all the descendants of the Aryans should be called Jats.
Fable III
Fable III - the Jats were born out of Shiv Ji's Jata (long hair).
There is an element of truth in this. To take it literally it would however be against the laws of nature for no human being can be born out of anyone's hair.
A parallel of the saying is that River Ganges flows out of Shiv Ji's Jata.
The origin of these sayings has been amply elucidated in chapter II.
The Ganga River flows into the plains from the region, which was known as Shiv Ji Jata. This very area was the stronghold of Chandravanshi Aryans, the ancestor of Jats.
Fable IV
Fable IV - the Jats is the descendants of foreign invaders like Huns and Scythians.
Firstly, let us ask the originators and believers of this theory as to whom used to live in the present Jat areas, say Haryana, before the invasion of Huns and Scythians? Secondly, how it is that only non-Jat writer of modern history books know this fact? The Jats themselves neither know it nor acknowledge it. After all, it was not too long age that Huns and Scythians invaded India, and if they were the ancestors of Jats, they couldn't have so quickly forgotten their ancestry. Thirdly, it has already been mentioned that the great Scythian historian Abul Gazi has himself stated that Scythians who were earlier known as Shiheen because of their being inhabited on the banks of River Shihoon are Chandravanshi or Yayati Vanshi of
History of the Jats, End of Page-125
Jats, descendants of Ahileja and of Atre gotra.
Neug Nu, a Chinese historian writes that in about 200 BC, two Turkish tribes clashed with each other.
Of these two, the Uti or Uchi tribe was defeated. When they were returning west, they were intercepted by another tribe called Daushan. The Uchi tribe got split into two groups. One of these settled on the borders of Tibet and the other on the banks of Sihoon River. The later came to be known as Shiheens and then Scythians. They named one of the areas in Turkistan as Jug Jat.
In Iran they named a territory Jateli. These people were originally Jats. When they invaded India some of their remnants merged with the Jats because of their common ancestry.
But all Jats are not their descendants as has been supposed.
Fable V
Fable V - Parsurama, the great Brahmin warrior defeated Kshatriyas 21 times and exterminated all Kshatriya males. Kshatriya women then conceived through illegal intercourse with the Brahmins. The progeny who were thus born were called Jathras and later Jats.
This is the height of presumption and a glaring example of naked malignancy of Jats by Brahmins because of their frustration due to their failure to convert Jats to Pauranic faith.
Parsurama is said to have been a Rishi in the Ramayana era. He is said to have waged war against King Sahasra Bahu for he had insulted Parsuram's father, and defeated him. After this incident he became vain till Ram Chandra Ji during Sitaji's Swayamwara knocked down his pride. But at no time did Parsurama or the rest of the Brahmins rise to the martial height of being able to exterminate Kshatriyas from the Indian soil. Moreover, whereas Brahmins are found in all shapes and colors, Jats have till today preserved their Aryan purity in physical features. The former having
History of the Jats, End of Page-126
produced the later, sounds incongruous.
There are numerous examples in the old scriptures of inter convertibility of Varnas and Inter-Varna marriage, some of which are quoted below.
In the Vedic era, Suryavanshi King Mandhata had two sons Harat and Amrikh. Harat did tapasya and became a Brahman. The Harat Gotra Brahmins are his descendants (Vayu purana Chapter III, Ansha 14).
Rishi Lalali who was the son of a Vaish became a Brahmin (Vayu Puran). Chandravanshi king Hasti had a son named Kuru whose son was Ajmil and his son Medhavi. The descendants of Madhavi's sons Kirayan and Mudgil became Brahmins (Vayu Puran).
Chandravanshi Raja Kosaksambha had a son Gadh, whose son Vishwamitra performed Tapasya on the banks of River Kaushaki for a hundred years.
His descendants are Kaushik Brahmins (Vayu Puran).
The Kshatriya King Devdas had a son called Mitra; His son Som Maitra's descendants are Maittrayana Brahmins (Vayu Puran)
According to book 'Vedic Sammati' Garg Brahmins are of the Mangol race.
In the 14th generation of King Yayati, was born king Bhardwaj. He did Tapasya and became a Brahman Rishi (Todd's Rajasthan).
Rishi Sharangi married a prostitute. His sons were Rishi Vashishta, Rishi Ganishta and Rishi Nabha. (Vayu Puran). There are Brahmins gotras associated with each one of these at present.
History of the Jats, End of Page-127
Rishi Jamdagni married a Kshatriya princess. His son was Parsuram,
The mother of Kalakh and Kubakh Rishis was a maidservant.
The famous scholar Vidur was also the son of the maidservant of Vichitra Virya.
These examples however don't prove the Brahmins to be illegal products of various people, nor does the other anecdote make the Jats the illegal sons of Brahmins.
Fable VI
Fable VI - Jats are those discarded Rajputs who adopted the sacrilegious custom of widow marriage.
As will be described in Chapter VII, the word Rajput did not exist before 8th Century AD, whereas a large number of present, Jat Gotras have been mentioned in the order of battle of Mahabharat.
The word Rajput was coined at the time of the Agni Kund ceremony staged by Brahmins on Mount Abu, and defined those Jats and Gujars who at the instance of the Brahmins gave up Buddhism and accepted Pauranic Mat (orthodox Hinduism).
Thus Jats being the by-products of Rajputs is out of question.
Secondly, widow marriage is no sacrilege. It is a civilised and humane custom, it is practiced by people all over the world. The only exceptions are Indian Brahmins and Rajputs who look upon widows the unfortunate victims of fate, as evil beings.
Moreover, the custom of widow re-marriage is an ancient Aryan custom.
There are numerous instances of these in our old scriptures. Some of these are quoted below.
Sanction Of Hindu Scriptures For Widow Marriage
1. O seminiferous man, thou Maketh the widow
History of the Jats, End of Page-128
fortunate by producing 10 children from her (Rig Ved Surg 5 Adhaya- 10).
2. "Devar" (Younger brother of the husband) is he, who will eventually became next husband of a widow though he may be younger or elder brother of deceased husband or having higher dignity to him, (Athrva Ved Surg 1 Adhaya 2/3).
3. O Widow, forget thou thy deceased husband, and marry with the other entitled person who may be desirous of such re-marriage. (Yajur Ved Adhaya 6, 1-14).
4. The elder or younger brother or a person having higher status to them in six lineages of the deceased husband should marry his widow and produce children. (Manu Smrti Adhaya 9, Shalok 54, 58 and 58).
5. A woman on becoming widow is allowed to remarry at par with the men. (Preaching of Rishi Baithan Paian).
6. The widow of 16 years age must remarry, this is her right. (Rishi Kashyap)
7. The widows of four 'Varnas' (castes) should marry themselves within their respective castes, otherwise corruption will prevail. (Rishi Jabli).
8. Shri Ram Chandra Ji pointed out-
"Oh Bali, Sugreev (Your younger brother) had married your wife Tara, believing you to be dead, because he was required to do so".
9. The Ranis 'Kunti' and 'Madri' gave birth to five sons after king Pandu became incapacitated. It has been mentioned in Mahabharata. That once Duryodhana had sarcastically remarked to the Pandus
History of the Jats, End of Page-129
that they were not the offspring of Pandu.
10. When 'King Nal' was missing for several years, the father of 'Rani Damayanti arranged for her re-marriage through 'SWAYAMVAR'(self selection of the husband by the girl) in which many kings like Ritu Bhan also participated. (MAHA-BHARATA Bhisham Parva Adhaya 7 shlok 23 and 24).
11. One Nag king remarried his daughter with Arjuna on the demise of her husband Sevdhas, (MAHABHARATA Bhisham Parv, and Adhyaya 91 Shalok 78).
12. King Dev Das remarried his widowed daughter. Bhavisya Puran Adhaya 8).
13. King Chandra Gupta II married the widow of his brother Rama Gupta who was killed by Chandra Gupta because of his cowardice and earned the praise of his people for it. (History of India).
14. The king of Chittor, named Hamir Singh who was the son of the famous king Bhim Sen and Rani Padmini, married the widowed daughter of Raja Maldev. Alla-ud-din Khilji had given the kingdom of Chittor to Raja Maldev and Hamir Singh was ruling Khilwar, a place surrounded by mountains. Hamir Singh was making plans to conquer Chittor. As a result of his marriage he succeeded in getting the throne of Chittor. (History of Todd (Urdu) by UFAQ P-612).
From the above quotations, it is quite clear that re-marriage of widows was prevalent from the olden days with the sanction of Shastras and Vedas the source of Hinduism.
This rite became defunct in certain classes due to the influence of PAURANIC MAT.
History of the Jats, End of Page-130
In later days widow marriage became a social necessity.
During Muslim rule the Hindus resorted to juvenile marriages as the means to preserve the chastity of unmarried girls- the custom of second marriage (Gona) on reaching of the couple to marriageable age after a number of years was introduced, as a corollary to early marriage.
The girl whose husband died prior to the ceremony of 'Gona' was called Bal Vidhwa. Such unfortunate girls were allowed to remarry the brothers or cousins of her deceased husband, where possible and the ceremony was called 'Punar Vivah' (Remarriage). The woman whose husband died after second marriage i.e. 'Gona'. was also allowed to remarry with the mutual consent of the affected families.
The widows, whose deceased husbands had no brothers, or cousins, or were unable to remarry due to some other reasons, were allowed to be married in another family or in a distant village according to the ceremony called 'Kareva'.
Though according to the Shastra "Nyog" is also allowed but in case of "Punar Vivah' (re-marriage) and 'KAREVA' the question of it does not arise.
History of the Jats, End of Page-131
References
Back to Books on Jat History