History of the Jats/Preface
| Wikified by:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
1967 (Eng Tr by Lieutenant Colonel Dal Singh)
[Page-3]
[Page-3]: This book on the history of Jats is the product of my dedicated efforts of a life time. In the early days of my Army Service, in the first decade of twentieth century, I frequently heard disparaging remarks about the origin of the Jats, that they were not Kshatriyas , but Shudras: that they were a low form of Rajputs born of low caste women or excommunicated due to indulging in sacrilegious practices like widow marriage; that they were descendants of Huns and Scythians who invaded India in about 200 B.C.
On one hand were these remarks and on the other the fact that Jats are a fine people in all respects; they live in compact mass in the heart of India on the most fertile Indo Gangetic plain, that traditional abode of Aryans, they have typically Aryan features and complexion; they produce the best soldiers and sports men of India. The two[views] were incompatible. How could such a fine people be the third rate products of another people who were physically inferior and content with living on the arid lands of Rajasthan or the mere remnants of passing invaders.
I tried to find an answer to this dilemma in books on Indian History. To my dismay, I found that the history of this valiant and ancient Aryan race had been either destroyed or distorted beyond recognition and did not exist in any worth-while book form. Only brief references to the Jats were found in modern history books and encyclopedia, and these also denied to the Jats any ancient Aryan heritage and described them as descendants of foreign invaders. I was to learn later that these records were deliberate historical sabotage, first by Brahmin historians of Rajput era because of antagonism and later by British historians because it was their policy to sever Indian martial
[Page-4]
[Page-4]: races from their proud past so that their self respect did not make them resent subjugation.
Some early historians like Herodotus, Arrian, Abul Gazi, Todd and Qanungo did in their writings bring to light very important facts of the glorious past of the Jats. But these were neglected or deliberately discarded in the books produced later under the patronage of our English rulers and taught in our educational institutions. It is a matter of great regret that modern Indian historians have been mostly content with convenient copying. Little effort has been made by them towards research to lay bare these fallacies and rediscover the true past, not only of the Jats but also the rest of the Indians. Jats have unfortunately produced no eminent historian and few Jats have evinced interest in removing cobwebs of ignorance from their minds and know their true past. Jats are awaiting moral regeneration.
I took a pledge to discover the true past of the Jats. In spite of my meager education I embarked on the difficult task of writing a book on the history of Jats. With missionary zeal I carried out extensive tour of Jat area, interrogated thousands of people and studied numerous books including Viahnu Puran, Matshya Puran, Mahabharat, Majmul-ul-tawarikh, Waqiate Panj Hazar Sala, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan by Col.James Todd, Tarikh Tibri by Suleman Nadvi, History of the Jats by Kalka Ranjan Kanungo, Sikhan Dian Bara Mislan, Angrez-wa-Sikhan dian Laraian, Chief Gazetteer of Punjab, A hand book of the Jats by Bingley and the writings of Arrian, Herodotus, Bilhan Kabisar, Bana Kabisar, General Cunningham, Talvi, Doctor Kashi Prasad Jaiswal, Doctor Deshraj, Sir Henry Elliot and Dowson and Nagendra Nath Banner Jee.
After toiling for 9 years I wrote a book ‘Jat Kshatri’ in Urdu in 1937. I continued my studies and
[Page-5]
[Page-5]: in keeping with the times, produced a revised edition in Hindi ‘Jat Itihas’ in 1965. This volume is translation of the Hindi edition. Through this I hope my words will be conveyed to the better educated persons who may get the incentive to carry out more extensive research in this subject and make their contributions towards the historical emancipation of a noble race.
The most important factor in which I found the clue to, and a starting point for this book is the system of ‘Gotra [Sub Caste] in the Jat race. A Jat may change his religion or domicile but he sticks to his ‘Gotra’ even when he ceases to be called a Jat. For example, one can find Maliks not only amongst Jats but also Sikhs, Muslims and Christians in Europe and Russia. Same is true of numerous other 'Jat Gotras’. In most cases, in foreign countries, the pronunciation of ‘gotra’ has changed beyond recognition.
In India and adjacent countries, however, the gotras have survived in their original form in spite of changes in religion.And these gotras of the present day Jats find a proud place of mention in almost all the ancient Indian books and scriptures. Scattered like pearls, these show a continuous link as far back as the dawn of Indian history and civilization. These pearls, I have tried to gather and string together in the form of this book.
The above process of collation of facts has proved that Jats are the real descendants of the Chandarvanshi branch of earliest Aryans. only among Jats found eighteen basic gotras bearing the names of Aryan elders form in the first twenty generations of Chandra Vansh. These are Atre, Budhwar, Yadu, Proz, Vir Bhadra, Pon Bhadra, Brahma Bhadra, Jakh Bhadra, Atisur Bhadra, Kalhan Bhadra, Shavi, Takshak, Bachhak, Drehu, Dard and Anu (Olakh).
The word Jat has its origin in ancient Ya-Yati.
[Page-6]
[Page-6]: Most of the Jat Gotras have originated from the five tribes of Yayati and seven descendants of Raja Vir Bhadra. In due course of time they extended into central (Beru) Asia and Europe. Circumstances forced some of these to return to India.
Jats are therefore, the original inhabitants of India and a very large number of communities, who though no longer call themselves Jats have originated from them. These include all Ahirs, Gujars, and a large number of Rajputs, Pathans, Baluch, Iranians, Turks, Scandinavians, Germans, French, Italians, Greek and British who are originally Jats. This book mostly includes the history of Indian Jats and I myself therefore, do not consider it a comprehensive history of the whole Jat race.
A large population of the Jats lived in India before the invasion of Huns and Scythians. In fact Scythians themselves were Jats who had migrated out of India earlier and on return to India merged easily with their kith and kin. Jats as a race are much elder than the Rajputs. The word Rajput finds no mention in Mahabharat and other books of pre Mahabharat era. The fiction that Jats are degraded products of Rajputs has therefore no meaning. In their better days Jats have ruled extensive areas not only in India but in most of Asia and Europe.
Numerous sub castes eg. Sway, Takshak, Bachhak, Midh, Youdhia, Maurak, Mulch, Kath Malik, Jatrak Jatrana, Dahiya, Jakhar, Punia, Maan, Gill, Dhillon, Virk, Karskar, Bhatti, Sindhoo, Arh, Gandhar, Chieniema, Noohwal and Dard etc. find their mention as rulers in various parts of India in ancient times. These ‘gotras’ exist among Jats even today. Exploits of Midh Jat tribe, five thousand years before the reign of Duryodhana, have been noted in ‘Sindh Mujmal-al-Tawarikh Waqiat-e-Panj Hazar sala.’ A thousand years before the Mahabharat, in Shav[ Shiva], Bayu [Vayu] and Bhasane[Vishnu]
[Page-7]
[Page-7]: Puranas, Raja Ushinir and Raja Vir Bhadra have been mentioned as Jats. Eight major Jat gotras bear the names of the descendants of Raja Vir Bhadra. During the Mahabharata period, Northern India was known as the Jat country. In the Mahabharat, Sabha Prab, Bhisham Prab, Daron Prab and Karan Prab, a large number of states governed by Jats have been enumerated in the order of battle. In Karan Prab Raja Karan had addressed Raja Shil of Sialkot and twelve tribes as Jatika meaning Jat.
Little historical record exists of the period up to 22 years after Mahabharat.
The period from 1000 B.C. up to the rule of Harash Vardhana and even up to the reign of Gupta has been mentioned as dark age in modern history books. Actually this was the golden age of Jat Rule and an almost continuous record of historical events of this period is available. Fourteen generations of Dhillon Jats ruled Delhi from 800 B.C. Maurya was Jat dynasty. Maha Raja Kanishka, the Uchi, was also a Jat whose forefathers had earlier migrated out of India. Seven tribes which gave battle in Punjab to Alexander, itself contained a large number of Dahiya Jats.
Jats in their whole existence have never believed in idol worship. So, when Budhism came into being, it easily appealed to them (a reason for most of the Jats being non meat eaters even now). After the death of Raja Harsh Vardhana Jats lost power. Budhism also declined and more and more people adopted Pauranic faith and came under the influence of Brahmanism. Most of the Jats and their Ahir and Gurjar branches, however, stuck to Budhism and refused to accept Brahmanism. This was not favourable to the Brahmins. They staged the farce of Agni Kund (Purification by fire) and created Agnikul Rajputs amongst their believers.
[Page-8]
[Page-8]: They called them the real Akshatryas and excommunicated all others because, according to them the system of widow marriage practised by Jats, Ahirs and Gujars was sacrilegious. Widow marriage, however, is not only according to the dictates of the Shastras but is a civilised and humane custom is proudly practised by the Jats till today. By no stretch of imagination can it be called anti religious.A permanent rift was, nevertheless, thus created between Jats and Rajputs. Rajputs came into power and under their patronage, Brahmins, had a field day in destroying and distorting the history of the dissidents, Jats, Ahirs and Gujars.
In this book, I have tried to prove that Aryans who inhabit not only in Northern India but most of the countries from Black Sea to the Baltic are of one blood and heritage. In their long history, they have branched off in many directions. All groups, at different times, gained and lost power, conquered and were conquered and often disintegrated, adopted different religions, castes and professions, separated from and inter mixed with each other. Out of these, Jats of Yayati Stock, live in the largest single homogeneous mass round Delhi. At least 75 per cent of the non Jats like Chamars, Barbers and Jogis who live in this area are in fact Jats who adopted various trades. Being in possession of the best and most fertile lands from rivers Sindh and to the Ganges, the Jats did not feel the necessity of engaging themselves in warfare against non Aryans and to spread in the waste lands of Central and Southern India, and have thus maintained their homogeneity.
In addition to the Jats, the Ahirs who live in the contiguous areas are purely of Yayati Stock. Bhardwaj, Kaushik, Mudgil, and Kiroyans etc Brahmins are descendants of Yayati Jat Kings who took to penance and became Rishis. Gupta, Singhal, Dad, Deopura, Anras, Oswal, Katariya, Chochanis, etc, sub castes
[Page-9]
[Page-9]: found amongst Baniyas are of Yayati Vansa. A large number of Jat Gotras are found amongst Rajputs, Chandel, Dahiya, Malhi, Jakhar, Bhatti, Karwasra, Chhonkar, Johiya, Shyal, Tiwana, Janjoha, Dagur, Jhamat, Gondal, Ranjha, Noon, Khokhar, etc, are Jats of not too distant past, who amalgamated themselves into Rajputs and started calling themselves Rajputs.
This book therefore, is a history of not only the Jats but all the other communities I have mentioned. I hope this book serves to give all of them an insight into their past and leads to the union of their hearts.
Note - This preface page has been added by Dr Rajpal Singh
Back to Books on Jat History