Research on history of Jat clans

[narenderkharb]

There's a difference. Pashto is a language and Pashtun is an ethnicity. The Pashto language is indeed spoken by many non-Pashtuns residing in Pashtun areas. Many Sikh communities (khatri businessman) in Afghanistan speak fluent Pashto as do many other ethnic groups including Hazaras and Tajiks.

But the link states that 100% population of Bannu is ethnically Pashtun, so that made me think that there is little chance of Jats residing there as of now.

No Pashtun /Pactyns is not Ethnicty it is just a term for the people living in ancient pakhta /pactya province more like a term Punjabi for people of Punjab .A majority of Pactyns are ethnically Scythian Jats.

[lrburdak]

Jaspreet ji has raised very pertinent question. We need help of some research fellow from Afghanistan who can clear these doubts. The author H. W. Bellew has enlisted all clans of Afghanistan and then interpreted to which group or caste they belong to.

I take some content from his book page-14:

Warashpun or Ashpun comprises the following sections :

Abulfarah. Aokri. Bai. Bahman*. Balmir*.

Band*. Barshori. Chaki*. [Wiki]Chalak[/Wiki]*. Chani*.

Chalapi. Damar*. Darbi. Dargai. Dargani.

Dorh*. Dotani. Dreplara. Fatah. Gharan*.

Ghori*. Gurbuzi. Hamadani. Hasan. Hiran*.

Ibrahim. Ismail. Jaki. [Wiki]Khaki[/Wiki]. Khodo.

Kodi*. [Wiki]Lali[/Wiki]*. Lashkari. Maghzi*. Mala*.

Naso. Niazi. Pae*. Ramdeo*. Samar*.

[Page-14]:

Seo*. Shahmalik. Shakhi. Shamsher. Sibati*.
Sikri*. Tajo*. Tarklanri. Tari. Uzbak.
Yahya*. Yusuf*. Zarbani. Zmari*.

Of the above, those marked* are all distinctly Rajput and Indian in name.

Bahman and Balmir = Baman and Balmi mercantile Rajput clans.

Band = Bhand, a minstrel clan of the Hindu.

Chaki and Chalaki are apparently the same, and represent the Chaluk or Solanki Agnikula Rajput.

Damar is the Damara of the Rajataringini, and probably a clan of the Rahtor.

Dorh or Dor is the Doda Rajput.

Gharan and Ghori are apparently the same, and represent the Rajput Gor.

Hiran is the Erana a branch of the Agar mercantile Rajput.

Ibrahim and Ismail are probably Muhammadan substitutes for the Indian names Brahman and Simala the latter of which is a well-known Rajput clan.

Jaki is apparently the Hindu Jat [Wiki]Jakhar[/Wiki],

Maghzi and Pae stand for the Magrasah and Paha clans of the Gahlot Rajput.

Samar and Sibati are the Sumra and [Wiki]Sipat[/Wiki] Rajput.

Sikri is the [Wiki]Sikarwal[/Wiki] or Sikar Rajput.

Tari is the name of a Brahman tribe of Northern India.

Yahya is the Musalman form of [Wiki]Johya[/Wiki] Rajput ;

Yusuf is of Isap the native form of the Aspasioi and Aspioi of the ancient Greek writers.

Zmari is a corruption of the Hindu Maisari.
#############################

It is clear from above that the clan names are not exactly as in Hindi but differ as per local language. Author has correlated these clans as per his knowledge. Most likely the Jats or Rajputs and even Brahmans also find mention in these clans who were converted to Muslims.

A large number of clans are classified as - mercantile Rajput clans.

This fact also need clrification from some local persons from Afghanistan.

[lrburdak]

Manda or Mandak clan

Mandak (मंडक) (Mandaka) clan is found in Afghanistan.([Wiki]An Inquiry Into the Ethnography of Afghanistan[/Wiki] By H. W. Bellew, The Oriental University Institute, Woking, 1891, p.119)

Bhim Singh Dahiya writes that The ancient [Wiki]Manda[/Wiki]s are even now a clan of the Jats in India. It is they who gave the first historical empire of the Jats in the western plateau of Iran. They are named in the Puranas also. The Vishnu Purana mentions them as Mandakas. By removing the suffix 'ka' the name appears in its old and present form.([Wiki]Jats the Ancient Rulers (A clan study)/The Mandas[/Wiki],p.127)

[narenderkharb]

Pactya /Pakhta of Afghanistan find mention even in Rigveda. A majority of Pactyns/Pakhtans/Pashtuns are ethically Scythian Jats who rode with their swift horses .For their horses They were also called Aswgan (people with horse) that later changed to Afgan/afghan.
So a Pashtun can be Afghan Pashtun and Jat at the same time.

[narenderkharb]

Sometime back even A C Choudhary a Punjabi Khatri leader of Haryana called himself a Pashtun/Pathan because he earlier lived in that area.

[swaich]

No ,..Pashtun/Pactyns is not an ethnic term

It is more a term assoscated with a region ,a term like Punjabi, for the people living in Punjab.

Pashtuns/Pactyns were/are people who lived in ancient province of Pactya /Pakhta of Afghanistan that find mention even in Rigveda. A majority of Pactyns/Pakhtans/Pashtuns are ethically Scythian Jats who rode with their swift horses .For their horses They were also called Aswgan (people with horse) that later changed to Afgan/afghan.
So a Pashtun can be Afghan Pashtun and Jat at the same time.

Sir, with all due respect, the Pakhtuns dont agree with that for sure. Their name might have started out from a region, as you rightly pointed out but it later metamorphosed into an ethnicity as the community grew bigger and absorbed other groups.

I think we would find this phenomenon in many other groups that took their name from one region but later the name stuck as an ethnicity.

[swaich]

Sometime back even A C Choudhary a Punjabi Khatri leader of Haryana called himself a Pashtun/Pathan because he earlier lived in that area.

Sir in that case he would be incorrect. The Pakhtuns have their own tribal structure sub-divided into groups and certainly no Khatri, Rajput or Jat tribe is part of that structure. This structure is in a way much similar to Jats. So there might be a common link to these two groups but I believe at some point these two groups with predominantly Scythian ancestry diverged from each other, forming their own identities.

[narenderkharb]

Jaspreet ji has raised very pertinent question. We need help of some research fellow from Afghanistan who can clear these doubts. The author H. W. Bellew has enlisted all clans of Afghanistan and then interpreted to which group or caste they belong to.

I take some content from his book page-14:

Warashpun or Ashpun comprises the following sections :

Abulfarah. Aokri. Bai. Bahman*. Balmir*.

Band*........



This fact also need clrification from some local persons from Afghanistan.

Warashpun and Ashpun are a way of saying clan name in afghanistan like Virkzai ,Burdakzai ...etc....where zai is replaced with Pun/Pauna This is just a persian word for son or descendent .

So real clan is Warash or waraich????? another Ash/Ashe may be famous Asine/asenoi of Greek or may be asiag of Indiian Jats who were responsible for overthrowing of Greek strapy in this part..

[narenderkharb]

Sir, with all due respect, the Pakhtuns dont agree with that for sure.

I agree and there are reasons for that .

Their name might have started out from a region, as you rightly pointed out but it later metamorphosed into an ethnicity as the community grew bigger and absorbed other groups.

I think we would find this phenomenon in many other groups that took their name from one region but later the name stuck as an ethnicity.

I really doubt that as I don't know any such case .

[narenderkharb]

Sir in that case he would be incorrect. The Pakhtuns have their own tribal structure sub-divided into groups and certainly no Khatri, Rajput or Jat tribe is part of that structure. This structure is in a way much similar to Jats. So there might be a common link to these two groups but I believe at some point these two groups with predominantly Scythian ancestry diverged from each other, forming their own identities.

What I know for sure is that .... Jat is Parental identity

However it is true some new identities born of out of this mother race have deviated to an extent where a comparison between them is meaningless today.

[narenderkharb]

Friend,

I happened to read a reference in this regard about twenty years back in a book perhaps by a forein author couple. As and when I am in a position to lay my hands on the book again, I will put exact page no and other relevant information here.

To the best of my memory, Madan/Madaan Muslim Jats who rear buffaloes and camels are found in Pakistan boarding Afganistan, Afghanistan and neighbouring region of Iraq Iran as per description found in a book authored by a German couple who wrote a research book on the Jats of Pakistan.

Perhaps the book was:

By von Sigrid Westphal-Hellbusch und Heinz Westphal: Zur geschichte und kultur Jat

Publishers Berlin : Duncker, & Humblot, 1968

I have this book with me let me find and post this reference here.

[DrRajpalSingh]

I have this book with me let me find and post this reference here.

Friend,

It is a great relief to learn about the availability of the book with you to cross check the reference under discussion. I had managed to get one copy of the English edition of the book published from Pakistan. But a friend of mine borrowed it from me and both of us forgot it at that point.

I am first looking out for the present address of the friend and then try to find out the whereabouts of the book.

Thanks.

[lrburdak]

Warashpun and Ashpun are a way of saying clan name in afghanistan like Virkzai ,Burdakzai ...etc....where zai is replaced with Pun/Pauna This is just a persian word for son or descendent .

So real clan is Warash or waraich????? another Ash/Ashe may be famous Asine/asenoi of Greek or may be asiag of Indiian Jats who were responsible for overthrowing of Greek strapy in this part..

Narendra Ji Ashangi is a section of Bahlol. H. W. Bellew (p.120) has identified Ashangi for [Wiki]Ashyag[/Wiki] Hindu tribe of the great desert of Jesalmer. [Wiki]Asiagh[/Wiki] is a Jat clan.

[narenderkharb]

Narendra Ji Ashangi is a section of Bahlol. H. W. Bellew (p.120) has identified Ashangi for Ashyag Hindu tribe of the great desert of Jesalmer. Asiagh is a Jat clan.

Thanks for giving Bellew viewpoint here ..In such remote times historians often resort to guesswork based on similarity of names. Assine and Passine two tribes of Yeuhzhi conderacy were quite famous and I went with BS Dhaiya while identifying Ashine with Asiag .Can you give more information about Bahlol from this book ?

From my view point H Bellew should have compared Ashangi with Sanghel Jats rather with Ashyag jats that bear more similarity.

I read somewhere Alani who were recorded formerly messagete by Romans drive their origin from assine let me find a reference for that .

[lrburdak]

See [Wiki]An Inquiry Into the Ethnography of Afghanistan/Page 101-125[/Wiki]

Go to Page-120

Bahlol sections are —

Ashangi. Aykam. Babul. Balam. Banda. Batani. Bilal. Burti. Cayamat. Darman. Darvesh. Gega. Ghorki. Hamal. Hybat. Jogi. Kamal. Kati. Kharman. Khormang. Ladi. Langar. Lela. Malai. Malikshahi. Manda. Masura. Merat. Nanak. Nasiri. Naurang. Panji. Payo. Rozi. Salimki. Sandar. Sarmat. Shamak. Shingi. Shumi. Sura. Tano. Thano. Tokhi. Totya. Udi, etc.

Of these names clans with Jat connection are:

Ashangi for Ashyag Hindu tribe of the great desert of Jesalmer. Comment: Equivalent Jat = [Wiki]Ashyag [/Wiki]

Langar stands for Langaha Chaluk, or Solanki. Comment: Equivalent Jat = [Wiki]Langar [/Wiki]

Nanak for Nanwag Rajput, or Nau Naga Jat. Comment: Equivalent Jat = [Wiki]Nau Naga [/Wiki]

Rozi for Rosya Chohan. Comment: Equivalent Jat = [Wiki]Rose [/Wiki]

Shingi for Singali Rajput. Comment: Equivalent Jat = [Wiki]Singala [/Wiki]

[swaich]

What I know for sure is that .... Jat is Parental identity

However it is true some new identities born of out of this mother race have deviated to an extent where a comparison between them is meaningless today.

Sir could you throw some light on the reasons you think so? Couldnt it be that Jats as an identity emerged later after the original Scythian horde had mixed with several Dravidian and more native populations in the plains? Whereas the Pashtuns had continued to mix with the more northern tribes and thus formed a different identity? So some tribes from the original scythian groups could have kept their tribal affiliations and surnames whereas other would have finished or mixed with local ones to give rise to new groups within the Jat fold.

I know that Jats is often correlated with the Getae or Messegate too but how valid a correlation is that? And some historians also say Jats to be a early modern South Asian identity rather than an ancient one.

[narenderkharb]

Sir could you throw some light on the reasons you think so? Couldnt it be that Jats as an identity emerged later after the original Scythian horde had mixed with several Dravidian and more native populations in the plains? Whereas the Pashtuns had continued to mix with the more northern tribes and thus formed a different identity?

Scythian didn't came in a single group but in a series of waves . Every single group of that wave is named Jat /Jetae in their earler history and other identity for that group is always modern for that you can check earlier history of central asia,Iran ,Bactria-Soghadia region.

Had they been assigned Jat identity on Indian soils they might have been called by someother name in their earlier history not a name like Jetae or Messegate.

I know that Jats is often correlated with the Getae or Messegate too but how valid a correlation is that? And some historians also say Jats to be a early modern Asian identity rather than an ancient one.

Jats are certainly of the same stock and name as Jetae or MesseJate and those historians who say it is early modern identity have not gone in depth in to ancient History of this region .I can not blame them as many of references meant for Jats were taken for other groups in a confusion that we are going to clear in our findings.

[DrRajpalSingh]

Scythian didn't came in a single group but in a series of waves . Every single group of that wave is named Jat /Jetae in their earler history and other identity for that group is always modern for that you can check earlier history of central asia,Iran ,Bactria-Soghadia region.

Had they been assigned Jat identity on Indian soils they might have been called by someother name in their earlier history not a name like Jetae or Messegate.



Jats are certainly of the same stock and name as Jetae or MesseJate and those historians who say it is early modern identity have not gone in depth in to ancient History of this region .I can not blame them as many of references meant for Jats were taken for other groups in a confusion that we are going to clear in our findings.

You are absolutely right in your findings. This is evidenced from the study of ancient regional histories encompassing the present central Asian countries and also of Iran-Iraq, Afghanistan, China and India that Jetae, Messejate and many more names denoting Jat nomenclature lived there much before the Greek invasion on some of the countries of the region.

[swaich]

Scythian didn't came in a single group but in a series of waves . Every single group of that wave is named Jat /Jetae in their earler history and other identity for that group is always modern for that you can check earlier history of central asia,Iran ,Bactria-Soghadia region.

Had they been assigned Jat identity on Indian soils they might have been called by someother name in their earlier history not a name like Jetae or Messegate.



Jats are certainly of the same stock and name as Jetae or MesseJate and those historians who say it is early modern identity have not gone in depth in to ancient History of this region .I can not blame them as many of references meant for Jats were taken for other groups in a confusion that we are going to clear in our findings.

Sir, thanks for the illuminating post. Another related question. Some Jat gotras are similar to Rajput gotras - Bhatti, Chauhan, Panwar etc. Does this signify that some Rajput groups were absorbed into the Jat fold? And for such mixing to happen in times when tribal demarcations were stringent, one can assume certain similarity in origins of Jats and Rajputs. So, are Rajputs too of Scythian stock?

[lrburdak]

Jats have clans common with Rajputs to a great extent and also with Gujars. Some clans are common with Brahmans also. This means Jats existed much earlier than the rest of the castes. Hence we find its components in all other Castes. From my analysis of clans in Afghanistan I find that these clans are found in Rajasthan and in Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. This shows that from Malwa to Afghanistan there was to and from movement of people.