Punjabi Think Tank: Jats are the Original Race of Sind Valley.

Jats appear to be the original race of Sindh valley, stretching from the mouth of Indus to as far as the valley of Peshawar. Descendants of Maharaja Sindhu are Sindhu gotra Jats. Sindhu river is named after Sindhu gotra Jats.

Sindh has been ruled by Balhara, Nehra, Panwar, Hala and Rai gotra of Jats. Hyderabad city of Sindh was founded by Nehra Jats. Nehra's were rulers of Nehrun state in Sindh at the time of the attack on Sindh by Muhammad bin Qasim in 710. Present Hyderabad city was settled on the land of Nehrun. The Hyderabad city was then named Nehrun Kot and was called the heart of the Mehran.

Traditionally Jats of Sindh consider their origin from the far northwest and claimed ancient Garh Gajni (modern Rawalpindi) as their original abode. Persian chronicler Firishta strengthened this view and informs us that Jats were originally living near the river of the Koh-i-Jud (Salt Range) in northwest Punjab. The Jats then occupied the Indus valley and settled themselves on both the banks of the Indus River.

By the fourth century region of Multan was under Jat control. Then they rose to the sovereign power and their ruler Jit Salindra, who promoted the renown of his race, started the Jat colonization in Punjab and fortified the town Salpur/Sorpur, near Multan.

In the seventh century, the Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang witnessed Jat settlement along the flat marshy lowlands which stretches to some thousand li. Ibn Hauqual mentions the area of their abode in between Mansura and Makran. By the end of the seventh century, Jats were thickly populated in Deybal region.

In the early eighth century, when the Arab commander Muhammad bin Qasim came to Sind, the Jats were living along both sides of the river Indus. Their main population was settled in the lower Sind, especially in the region of Brahmanabad (Mansura); Lohana (round the Brahmanabad) with their two territories Lakha, to the west of Lohana and Samma, to the south of Lohana; Nerun (modern Hyderabad); Dahlilah; Roar and Deybal. In the further east, their abode also extended in between Deybal, Kacheha (Qassa) and Kathiawar in Gujarat. In upper Sind, they were settled in Siwistan (Schwan) and Alor/Aror region.

Migration of Jats from Sindh.

As for the migration of Jats from Sind, it may be assumed that natural calamity and an increase in population compelled them to migrate from their original abode in search of livelihood. Hoernle has propounded the 'wedge theory' for the migration of most of the ancient tribes. This wedge theory tends us to believe that the Jats were among the first wave of the Aryans, and their first southeast migration took place from the Nort-West and established their rule at Sorpur in Multan regions. Further, they migrated towards the east and stretched their abode from Brahmanabad (Mansura) to Kathiawar. As Jataki, the peculiar dialect of the Jats, also proves that the Jats must have come from the NW Punjab and from other districts (e.g. Multan) dependent upon the great country of the Five Rivers. By the end of fifth and the beginning of the sixth century, their southward migration, second in line, took place and they reached Kota in Rajasthan, probably via Bikaner regions. From Kota, they migrated further east and established their rule at Malwa under the rule of Salichandra, son of Vira Chandra. Salichandra erected a minster (mindra) on banks of the river Taveli in Malwa. Probably after their defeat by Sultan Mahmud in 1027 AD, and later hard pressed by the Ghaznavi Turkish Commander, the Jats of Sind again migrated to Rajasthan and settled themselves in Bundi regions. The second inscription found at Bundi probably dates from circa samvat 1191 (1135 AD) possibly refers to the Jats as opponents of the Parmara rulers of Rajasthan.

Jats in Baluchistan.

According to Dr. Natthan Singh and Thakur Deshraj, Bal/Biloch is one of Jat gotras and Baluchistan gets its name from this clan.

According to Ram Swarup Joon, Gedown and Niel write that the forefathers, of Laumiri Baluchis, were Jats. According to Todd, in ancient times the boundaries of Jat kingdom of Sindhu, included parts of Baluchistan, Makran, Balorari and the Salt Ranges. People of Gill gotra came to known as Gilzai Pathans; Gill Jats at one time ruled the area of Hindukush Mountains. The last ruler of Ghazni was Subhag Sen. At the time of Alexander's invasion king, Chitra Verma ruled Baluchistan.

Sialkot and Quetta of Baluchistan were capitals of Madrak Kings. Makran province of Baluchistan belonged to the Jats. When King Sapur the second of Sasanian dynasty became friendly with Samudra Gupta, Sindhu and Makran provinces were given to the Jats.

According to Todd, in 1023, Umer Bin Moosaiw wrested Hirat and Kaikan from the Jats and made 3000 Jat soldiers prisoners. The Tawarikh Tibri by Sulaiman Nadvi also mentions this event. It states that a Jat Commander of Umer Bin Moosa refused to join the attack. But in spite of this, Umer was victorious despite heavy losses.

According to Thomson, Awans are a Jat race and were converted to Islam by Mahmud Ghaznavi. In several districts of Punjab, they are registered as Jats. Mr. Thomson in his Jehlum Settlement report adduces many strong reasons in support of his conclusion that the Awans are a Jat race who came from passes west of D.I.Khan. Griffin also agrees to the local Muslim origin of Awans while Cunningham holds that Janjuas and Awans are descended from Anu and calls them Anwan. Another scholar Wilson is of the view that Awans are of indigenous Hindu/Buddhist/Pagan/Animist origin. In the genealogical tree of the Nawabs of Kalabagh, who are regarded heads of the Awans, there are found several native names such as Rai, Harkaran, etc.

In Pakistan, Rajput and Jat tribes are so mixed up that it is difficult to distinguish one from the other at many places and in several cases. Some of the Rajput tribes are probably of Jat origin and vice versa. In southwest Punjab, the name Jat includes a most miscellaneous congeries of tribes of all sorts. Its significance tends to be occupational: to denote a body of cultivators or agriculturists. Even tribes which bear well-known Rajput names are often classified as Jats in Punjab. Anyway, the origin of both is the same as stated earlier. The Jats in ancient times inhabited the whole valley of the Indus down to Sindh. They now form a most numerous as well as the most important section of the agricultural population of Punjab. Beyond Punjab, Jats are chiefly found in Sind where they form a mass of the population. The main (Muslim) Rajput tribes of Punjab are Bhatti, Punwar, Chauhan, Minhas, Tiwana, Noon, Chib, Gheba, Jodhra, Janjua, Sial, and Wattu etc.

While the important (Muslim) Jat tribes are: Bajwa, Chatta, Cheema, Randhawa, Ghammon, Buta, Kahlon, Gil, Sehota, Taror, Waraich, Summa, Wahla, Bhutta, Malhi, Sukhera, Alpials, Dahas, Langah, Ranghar, Meo, Awan, Khokhar, Ghakkar, etc. But some of these Rajput tribes are classified are Jats and vice versa.

List of Jat clans compiled by census takers for 1911 census of India. The list is ordered by administrative divisions, starting with the Lahore Division, and only refers to Muslim Jats.

Please note that appearance of the particular tribe as Jat in the list does not in itself confirm that the tribe is Jat or otherwise. Identity tends to change with time, and some groups in the list may no longer wish to be considered as Jats.

This article is simply a reference point for anyone interested in the distribution of Jats tribes in the Punjab province of Pakistan, prior to the huge changes brought about by partition.

Lahore Division

Sialkot District