Gujarat

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Gujarat (Gujarati: ગુજરાત) is the second-most industrialized state in the India (after Maharashtra). Gujarat borders Pakistan, and the states of Rajasthan to the north-east, Madhya Pradesh to the east, Maharashtra and the Union territories of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south. Many settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, have been found in Gujarat. The most important of these are the trade port of Lothal in south eastern Gujarat and Dholavira in western Gujarat.

The name of the state is derived from Gujjarātta (Gurjar Rāshtra), which means the land of the Gujjars. It is believed that a tribe of Gujjars migrated to India around the 5th century. Gujarat's coastal cities, chiefly Bharuch, served as ports and trading centres for the Maurya and Gupta empires. After the collapse of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century, Gujarat flourished as an independent Hindu kingdom. The Maitraka dynasty, descended from a Gupta general, ruled from the 6th to the 8th centuries from their capital at Vallabhi, although they were ruled briefly by Harshavardhana during the 7th century. In 775 the first Parsi (Zoroastrian) refugees arrived in Gujarat from Iran. The Arab rulers of Sindh sacked Vallabhi in 770, bringing the Maitraka dynasty to an end. A branch of the Pratihara clan ruled Gujarat after the eighth century.

Jats in Gujarat

Ethnically there are four groups of people who came to inhabit this land at different points of time and now form the majority here. These are Jats, Ahirs, Rabaris and Harijans. The Jats came from a place in Iran called Half (to be known latter as Jat) and they were herders by occupation. Around five hundred years ago they came to Kutch and Sind in search of new grazing pastures and settled there. Those who joined agriculture called themselves Garasia Jats and those who continued their ancestral occupation were known as Dhanetah Jats, and those who chose to study the Koran became Fakirani Jats. [1]

Kachchha-desa in Gujarat is also known Jartra–desa, the modern Kutch.[2]

The jats of Gujarat have many similarities with those of Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. A few villages in Gujarat were jats live are Rampura, Motidhani, Nani Dhani etc. These villages are near about Deesa and Palanpur and the gotras found there are Jakhar, Jyani, Godara, Lunayach, Tada, Siyol, Bhari, Nain, Dhaka etc. The Jats of Gujarat are wealthy and landlords. The Banaskantha district has many Jat villages where a sizable population lives. The Jat population of these villages is about about 30000. These villages are near about national highway 15 and 8. [3] Gujarat state has a sizable Hindu Jat population. There are about 3000 families dwelling in Ahmedabad. 60 % of these people are engaged in Industrial works, such as Mills, Factories and shops. 20 % are in middle level jobs or small-scale industries. Balance 20 % are either in higher-level jobs are middle level Industries. Some Jat families are mill owners also. [4]

The Jats in Gujarat have come from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Patels and Chaudharys of Gujarat consider themselves to be Jats of Gujarat. They are settled mainly in Mehsana district and surrounding areas. The Sagar Milk Dairy is their creation. The Chaudharys of Gujarat are also known as Anjana. The gotras of many of the Chaudharys of Gujarat are similar to those of Jats of North India. They have following gotras as given in list below. The way they are written in Gujarati is given in brackets. [5]

List of Jat gotras

Antal - Utpal (Uplana), Atwal (Ant), Bhatti (Bhatiya), Balagand/Balagan, Chauhan, Chawan, Chahar (Chauhan), Dal,Dhaka, Dhal (Del), Dhaliwal, Dhariwal (Dholiya), Gaur, Goru (Gaur, Gor), Godara-Godha (Goda), Gulia (Galia), Henga, Haga (Hun), Katariya (Katotariya), Maan (Manar), Mahla, Mahlawat (Mahiya), Nauhwar (Nauwar), Pallwal (Pilatar), Parihar (Parihar, Padhiyar), Pauniya (Paun), Pawar (Parmar), Punia (Pooliya), Rathor (Rathor, Rathod), Rawat (Rawat) Sikarwar, Sakarwar (Sakariya), Singhmar (Singh), Sirohi, Saroha (Siroha), Solanki, Solgi (Solanki)

Note: - The above list comparing the Gotras is based on VP Desai’s book “Bharat ke chaudhary” (Bharatna Anjana). VP Desai has mentioned that this caste had done great struggle for the freedom of India and they ruled India for about ten centuries democratically. [6]

Reference

  1. ↑ Tour my India
  2. ↑ History and culture of the Indian peoples, - Vol. IV- The age of Imperial Kanauj, pp 103
  3. ↑ A thread on Jatland
  4. ↑ Mahaveer Singh Verma: Jat Veer Smarika 1992 – “Jat Samaj Ahmedabad”
  5. ↑ Mahaveer Singh Verma: Jat Veer Smarika 1992 – “Jat Samaj Ahmedabad”
  6. ↑ VP Desai:“Bharat ke chaudhary” (Bharatna Anjana)

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