Who am I?

Name: Kuldip Kumar Garhwal
Caste: Jat.
Religion: Hindu.
Family name: Garhwal.

Here is a history about my caste and family name.

Jats - Introduction
Jats are a Martial Race of India and Pakistan. A Jat, also known as Jatt, is a member of a large ethnic group though they are not a single socio-religious group. Jats live in the states of Punjab, Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan in India. The Jats are predominantly farmers and landowners, and Jats occupy many prominent positions in the fields of Government, Millitary, Academia, and Technology.

Jats are a brave, hardworking and independent minded people. Primarily agricultuarists, the Jats led a fairly autonomous political life. Even during the Mughal period, the rule of the state was limited.

Known for their military prowess, many Jats were recruited into the British-India army during World War I. Before that, they served as fighters in the Persian army. A large number of Jats serve is in the Indian Armed Forces and form one of the largest ethnic groups in the army.

The Green Revolution brought considerable prosperity to the Jats in the late 60s and 70s. The Jat regions in India are among the most prosperous on a per-capita basis. Today, many Jats are well read and some occupy high positions in academic and technical arenas.

Conservative by nature, the Jats rarely marry people from other ethnic groups. Great pride is placed in their ancestry. In fact, all the Jats in a particular village consider themselves to be the descendants of the man whom they believe founded it.

Source: http://www.jatland.com/home/Jats (Courtesy: Wikipedia.)

Origins of the Jats
There are numerous theories about the origin of the Jats, ranging from their sudden appearance from Shiva’s locks to their lineage in the Aryan race. Jats are commonly considered to be of Indo-Aryan stock in view of the similar physical features and common practices.

Both Sir Alexander Cunningham and Col Tod agreed in considering the Jats to be of Indo-Scythian stock. The former identified them with the Zanthi of Strabo and the Jatti of Pliny and Ptolemy ; and held that they probably entered the Punjab from their home on the Oxus very shortly after the Meds or Mands , who also were Indo-Scythians, and who moved into the Punjab about a century before Christ. The Jats seem to have first occupied the Indus valley as far down as Sindh, whither the Meds followed them about the begining of the present era.

But before the earliest Muslim invasion the Jats had spread into Punjab proper, where there were firmly established in the begining of the eleventh century. By the time of Babar, the Jats of the salt range had been in constant conflict with the Gakkhars, Awans and Janjuas. Tod classed the Jats as one of the great Rajput tribes; but here Cunningham differed from him holding the Rajputs to belong to the original Aryan stock,and the Jats to a late wave of immigrants from the north west, probably of Scythian race.

In 'Punjab Castes', Sir Denzil Ibbetson wrote: " .... the original Rajput and the original Jat entered India at different in its history. But if they do originally represent to seperate waves of immigration, it is atleast exceedingly probable, both from there almost identical physique and facial character and from the close communion which has always existed between them, that they belong to one and the same ethnic stock; and it is almost certain that the joint Jat Rajput stock contains not a few tribes of aboriginal descent, though it is probably in the main Aryo-Scythian, if Scythian be not Aryan."

Source: http://www.jatland.com/home/Origin_of_the_Jats (Courtesy: Wikipedia.)

History of 'Garhwals'
Garhwal gotra Jats are found in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Rajasthan they inhabit many villages in Sikar district. It is possible that people who came from Garhwal adopted their gotra based on it. Garhwal is a region and administrative division of Uttaranchal state, India, lying in the Himalayas. It is believed that Garhwal was named so because of the fact that it had 52 Garhs of 52 petty chieftainships, each chief with his own independent fortress (garh). Nearly 500 years ago, one of these chiefs, Ajai Pal, reduced all the minor principalities under his own sway, and founded the Garhwal kingdom.

According to Thakur Deshraj, during the period of Anangpal they were the rulers of Garhmukteshwar. One ancestor of Rajpal was Jat chieftain named Mukta Singh, who constructed the Garhmukteshwar fort. When Prithvi Raj became the ruler of Delhi he attacked Garhmukteshwar. There was a severe war and Garhwals were able to repel the army of Prithvi Raj Chauhan but the circumstances of that time forced them to move out from there and migrated to Rajasthan.

At Talawdi when there was war between Muhammad Ghori and Prithvi Raj, Jats attacked the army of Mughals but they did not support Prithvi Raj because he had occupied their state. One Jat warrior Puran Singh became General of the Army of Malkhan. Malkhan had become popular due to support of Puran Singh.

When Garhwals lost Garhmukteshwar, they came to Rajasthan and occupied ker, bhatiwar, Chhawsari etc near Jhunjhunu in 13th century. As per their bards when these people came to this place, Johiya, Mohiya Jats were the rulers of this area. Bhats have mentioned them as Tomars. When Muslim influence increased in this area they had wars with them as a result they moved from here to there. One of these groups moved to ‘Kuloth’, which was ruled by Chauhans. After a war they occupied Kuloth. Sardar Kurdaram who was a descendent of Garhwals of Kuloth had been tehsildar of Nawalgarh.

It is also said that due to war from inside of the fort they were called Garhwals. Those who fought war from out side the fort were called ‘Bahrola’ or ‘Barola’. Those who fought on the gate were called ‘Falsa’ (local name for gate). It shows that this gotra is title based.

It is also possible that they were Panduvansi or [[Kuntal]s. Bhats have mentioned them as Tomars and Tomars were also Panduvansi. Garhmukteshwar has also been mentioned in the Bhagvat Purana and the Mahabharata. It is said that it was a part of the ancient city of Hastinapur (the capital of the Kauravas). There was an ancient fort here, which was repaired by a Maratha leader named Mir Bhawan. The name of the place is derived from the great temple of Mukteshwar Mahadeva, dedicated to the goddess Ganga who is worshipped here in four temples, two situated on a high cliff and two blow it.

Source: http://www.jatland.com/home/Garhwal (Courtesy: Wikipedia.)