Meo

For ethnic group see Meo People

Meo (मेव) is a Muslim Jat clan found in Pakistan. Meo clan is found in Afghanistan.

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Meo = Mæotici (Pliny.vi.7)
• Meo = Mieotis (Pliny.vi.7)

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Meo = Maeotis Lake (Anabasis by Arrian, p. 202, 203, 274, 370.)

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions The Cimmerian Bosporus....The length of the peninsula¹ which projects between the Euxine and Lake Mæotis, is not more than sixty-seven miles and a half, and the width across never less than two jugera:² it has the name of Eion.³ The shores of the Bosporus then take a curve both on the side of Europe and of Asia, thus forming the Mæotis.

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1 The peninsula on which Taman or Timoutarakan is situate.

2 The jugerum was 100 Grecian or 104 Roman feet in length.

3 Signifying in Greek the "sea-shore."

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions Lake Mieotis and the adjoining nations....We then come to the river Tanais³, which discharges itself into the sea by two mouths, and the banks of which are inhabited by the Sarmatæ, the descendants of the Medi, it is said, a people divided into numerous tribes. The first of these are the Sauromatæ Gynæcocratumeni⁴ the husbands of the Amazons.

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3 Or Don. It flows into the Sea of Azof by two larger mouths and several smaller ones. Strabo says that the distance between the two larger mouths is sixty stadia. several smaller ones. Strabo says that the distance between the two larger mouths is sixty stadia.

4 From the Greek γυναικοκρατουμενοὶ, "ruled over by women." It is not improbable that this name was given by some geographer to these Sarmatian tribes on finding them, at the period of his visit, in subjection to the rule of a queen. Parisot remarks, that this passage affords an instance of the little care bestowed by Pliny upon procuring the best and most correct information, for that the Roman writers had long repudiated the use of the term "Sauromatæ." He also takes Pliny to task for his allusion to these tribes as coupling with the Amazons, the existence of such a people being in his time generally disbelieved.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions Lake Mieotis and the adjoining nations.... There are some writers who state that there are the following nations dwelling around the Mæotis, as far as the Ceraunian mountains;¹³ at a short distance from the shore, the Napitæ, and beyond them, the Essedones, who join up to the Colchians, and dwell upon the summits of the mountains:

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13 The Ceraunian mountains were a range belonging to the Caucasian chain, and situate at its eastern extremity; the relation of this range to the chain has been variously stated by the different writers.

History

James Tod writes that The warriors assembled under Visaladeva Chauhan against the Islam invader included the Meo ruler - with Mohes the lord of Mewat. The Meo race of Mewat is well known ; all are Muhammadans now.

शिवि गण

शिवि गण ने राजस्थान में जाकर सिरोही (शिवि रोही) और मेवाड़ तक में अपना शिवि जनपद बसाया था; जिसके मुद्रांक हमें उत्खनन में मिलते हैं. इसी नाम की एक जाति वहां पर वर्तमान में भी शिरवी कहलाती है. संभवत: मद्र-देश (स्यालकोट) से प्रवाजित होने के ही कारण उन्हीं का एक नाम मद्र से बिगड़ कर मेड और मेव तक भी हो गया है. शायद मेवाड़ नाम शिवि जनपद का होने के कारण हुआ होगा.

Distribution in Pakistan

According to 1911 census the Meo were the principal Muslim Jat clan in Dera Ghazi Khan District with population of Meo (524) .

References

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