Jat Samaj : The Jat people are an ethnic group spread over Northern India, but also including large numbers living in the EU, US, Canada, Australia and UK. The Jat people have traditionally been mainly agriculturalists and members of the military. Historically, there have been many Jat kings and other leading figures, including several prominent political leaders in Pakistan and India, such as Choudhary Charan Singh, Chaudhary Bansi Lal and Chaudhari Devi Lal. Jats in India are found in Haryana, U.P. Punjab and Rajasthan in large numbers.
A large number of Jat people have served in the Indian Army, including in the Jat Regiment, Sikh Regiment, Rajputana Rifles and the Grenadiers, where they have won many of the highest military awards for gallantry and bravery. The Jat Regiment is one of the longest serving and most decorated infantry regiments of the Indian Army having won 24 battle honours between 1839 and 1947, along with numerous decorations of individual members. The Jat people are one of the most prosperous groups in India on a per-capita basis.
Origin of Jat People
The origin of the name Jat was considered by Sir Alexander Cunningham Arabic in form, as the early Arab writers called the Jat people Zaths. Archaeologists & writers have identified the Jat people with the ancient Getae and Scythian Massagetae. Sir Alexander Cunningham, former Director-General of the Archeological Survey of India, connected the name of the Scythian Xanthii. He considered the Jat people to be the Xanthi, who he also considered very likely to be called the Zaths (Jats) by early Arab writers.
The Hindu mythological account in Deva Samhita traces the origin of Jat people to Shiva's locks. The earliest attestation of the Jat people is in a Pali inscription dated to AD 541.
There are two main hypotheses, with general consensus amongst scholars on Indo-Scythian origin. The origin of the Jat people is discussed in terms of native Indo-Aryan ancestry and an intrusive Indo-Scythian admixture on the other.
Life and Culture
The Life and culture of Jats is full of diversity and mostly live in traditional fashion. Jat people have a history of being brave and ready fighters.They are fiercely independent in character and value their self respect more than anything, which is why they offered heavy resistance against any foreign force that treated them unjustly. They are known for their pride, bravery and readyness to sacrifice their lives in battle for their people. In the government of their villages, they appear much more democratic. they have less reverence for hereditary right and a preference for elected headmen.
Jat youth are more inclined to sports like Kabbadi and kushti. There is tradition of Akhadas and it has given various national and international level wrestlers. In these times Kushti and Kabaddi are sole source of entertainment in villages on occasions like Holi and Fagun. Leaving some Jats who are in service or in active politics or are in noble professions like legal , medical or engineering etc., most of the Jats are engaged in cultivation. They are born in villages and after primary education, acquaint themselves with agriculture and by the age of sixteen , they completely take over to this vocation with their parents.
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