Matharu
Matharus are considered to be one of the original Sikh (Jat and Tarkhan) Tribes found inPakistan.
Contents
Jat Gotras Namesake
- Matharu = Mathatræi (Pliny.vi.32).
Mention by Pliny
Pliny [1] mentions Arabia.........the Ilisanitæ, the Bachilitæ, the Samnæi, the Amitei, with the towns of Nessa55 and Cennesseris, the Zamareni, with the towns of Sagiatta and Canthace, the Bacascami, the town of Riphearma, the name by which they call barley, the Autei, the Ethravi, the Cyrei and the Mathatræi, the Helmodenes, with the town of Ebode, the Agacturi, dwelling in the mountains, with a town twenty miles distant, in which is a fountain called Ænuscabales56, which signifies "the town of the camels."
55 Agatharchides speaks of a town on the sea coast, which was so called from the multitude of ducks found there. The one here spoken of was in the interior, and cannot be the same.
56 Hardouin observes, that neither this word, nor the name Riphearma, above mentioned, has either a Hebrew or an Arabian origin.
History
Matharus are known to be of the same stock as the Jat and Kamboj castes as they are a purely Indo-Scythian tribe. A very proud and fiercely independent people, they are amongst the wealthiest and most educated clans of India.Scholars believe that have originated originally from Mathura & were original Jats from that region who emigrated to Punjab and took up carpentry along with Landowning & Farming.
Scholars such as H.A. Rose believe that they are descended from the Sakas, the Kushans and the Huns. According to the Manu Smriti, they (the Sakas) are originally of Kshatriya descent. In Sanskrit, they are known as Ayogavas, which is more akin to Vaishyas, but are considered degraded Kshatriyas.
Historically, Matharu's occupations have included landowning, farming, politics and military. In Punjab they originate from the regions of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Lahore and Ludhiana. MATHARU name features on one of the marble slabs on Harmandir Sahib's premises (AMRITSAR, India). It is told by family elders that Matharus also built battleships in olden times for attack and defense, and that a canon in the Ranthambore (RAJASTHAN, India) Fort also bears the name MATHARU. Matharus fought in the armies of Prithviraj Chauhan, a wise, brave and famous Warrior King of Ajmer, Rajasthan, who has the credit of unifying the embattled, beleaguered small and large kingdoms and fiefdoms of Rajasthan into one powerful force to reckon with.
Matharu were fierce Warriors. (Fought number of wars in History with Prithvi Raj & Jassa Singh Ramgharia).A spirited clan,they love to work hard and live well. Known for being a highly ambitious and progressive tribe, Matharus are now diversified into many other professions like Engineering, Science, medicine, research, Politics, law & entrepreneurship.
Distribution in Pakistan
Matharu - The Matharu claim Jadaun ancestry. They are found in Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and Patiala districts.
External Links
Notable persons
References
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