Tuesday 26 January 2016

THE SCYTHIANS AND THE JUTTS

There is enough evidence to support the view that Jutus of Panjab are descendants of Asian Scythians. The Asian steppe, the original home of the Scythian is a large land mass extending from southern Siberia in the east to an area around the Black Sea in the west. Although clusters of trees may be found in this region it is mainly grassland suitable for nomadic way of life. This steppeland of Eurasia provides a vast grazing land.

Herodotus, the Greek Historian, based on his personal observations and oral history narrated to him, wrote about the customs and traditions of the Scythians. During the 7 th century BC, Massagetac, who were dominant in the region north of the Oxus River, attacked the Scythians who decided to head west in search of better grazing lands.

The Scythians did not leave any written record or cities, “ in the end these brutal warriors rode out of history as they entered it, without a word for they had no writing. All they left were footnotes in Greek history- and some of the finest gold art in the world.

When the Scythians were forced to move west, they in their turn evicted the Cimmerians and forced them into Asia Minor . It seems that around 700 B.C., the Scythians were occupied the steepe of Southern Russia . The Russian Cossacks like the “Jutts” of Panjab are also of Scythian descent. “What men! They are real Scythians! Napoleon is said to have exclaimed at the sight of a thundering charge by Cossack cavalry, as his tattered forces fought end-less years after their barbaric domination of central Russia had been ended; the magnificent Scythian warriors of the Pontic Steppes lived on – as a byword for ferocity and daring.

The Scythians had physical features suggesting their origin to be Indo-European rather than Turco-Mongoloid. They spoke some Indo-European language. Initially, their religion was Shamanism. The average Scythian was a superb horseman, tall and sturdy. In the course of time the Scythian tribes combined to form confederacies but they remained ruggedly individualistic; that is the reason no famous or strong kids emerged from among them.

They generally did not admit other's authority or superiority and tried to maintain equality of status among them; that is one reason, their Indian descendants i.e. the Juttus of Panjab were not easily influenced by the Brahmanic Caste system of the Hindu society. They ate a wholesome diet of grain, meat, and milk. Since they were nomadic and were on the move most of the time, they hardly had any time for personal grooming. They had full beard and hair was considered a proud symbol of masculinity. Their dress consisted of long coats, boots wherein they tucked their trousers and wore tall pointed caps not unlike the modern day turbans.

The Scythians considered owning a horse, a status symbol; the wealthy among them had many horses in their possession. The horse enabled them to launch swift and effective raids on the enemy, and also to take care of a larger herd, and cover long distances in the vast steppe grazing land. According to B.S. Mahal the Scythians “lived a life of rugged individualist, went about the steppe as he wished, made his own decisions, brooked nonsense from no one and more than that he held no man as his superior. Between him and his extended family they lived a life of isolation from other kindred nomads and for that reason alone he was to lack skills of interpersonal relationships. He was to owe allegiance to no outsider. But that is not to say that he were not to enter into alliances, called hordes, to wage territorial wars or raids to loot. However, these alliances were essentially makeshift and were to come and go.” It is interesting to note that the modern Jutts of Punjab have many traits and characteristics similar to the Scythians namely a streak of extreme independence which has its downside too.

The Scythian left behind no texts. The information about Scythians is obtained by studying their archeologic burial sites (kurgans). Since they lived in close proximity of various domesticated animals, they had tattoos of animal shapes such as stags, oxen, sheep, etc on their body and wore them with pride. Mummified bodies recovered from kurgans and the artifacts found along with them shed light to their beliefs and customs. Being Shaman they believed that life was a transitory state and that the spirits could be called up later. The chiefs and tribal leaders were buried with elaborate ceremonies involving much dancing and singing. The dead were elaborately dressed and their important possessions such as weapons, gold, jewelry, utensils etc. were buried along with them as if to prepare them for an afterlife journey. Some of the chiefs had their horses also buried along with them. According to Herodotus, when a Scythian king died, his wives were buried along with him. The mounds were erected at the gravesite. In today's Panjab a small memorial is raised at the gravesite of an important elder and it is called Jathera which is venerated by the descendants of the deceased.

According to Ainsworth the Scythians “looming on horseback 8 ft above the ground, screaming maniacally, capable of unleashing repetitive and deadly fights of triple-edged arrows, they must have seemed the very embodiment of horror to those who had to stand and fight them. Nor were such fears unwarranted, for Scythian warriors regularly beheaded their enemies and sometimes even skinned them whole. If an enemy were known personally, his skull might receive a special treatment: sawn through below the eyes, it would be cleaned and painstakingly fashioned into richly appointed drinking vessel. Not surprisingly, Scythian ceremonies especially royal funerals, were drenched in blood: sometimes these drinking vessels were filled with enemy blood, mixed wine and after arrowheads were dipped into it, the concoction was imbibed by the Scythian chieftain. It is interesting to note that these thundering, ferocious, illiterate horsemen were appreciating the beauty of beautifully carved golden objects such as breastplates, chalices, combs, scabbards, etc. They also love music and played the lyre. They danced with great vigor under the influence of marijuana. On such occasions, story telling, telling jokes and bragging about the past glory of the tribe was common. As Ainsworth says, “blood and gold, bestiality and beauty, myth and fact, these are the strands that bind the curious paradox of the lost Scythians” and he further asks, “ what forces conspired to infuse these barbarous nomads with a deep and clearly delightful appreciation of beautifully crafted gold?”

The Scythians had great mobility which was essential for a nomadic people. They practically lived in the horse saddle. They carried their possessions in tents mounted on wagons carried by oxen. The conical tents were made of reeds and animal felt. Since they were occupying a very fertile grazing land, they had to use extreme measures to ward off other tribes; perhaps barbarity was a necessity for them.

In 670 B.C., Partatua , the Scythian king subjugated the Assyrians. In 650 B.C. his son Madyes marched up to Egypt and extracted heavy tribune from the Egyptian Pharaoh. Darius the Great had a vast empire at this time but his northern frontier was insecure because of the presence of the Scythians in that region. In 514 B.C., Darius with a 700,000- man Persian force decided to subdue the masters of the Russian steppe. According to Ainsworth, “the Persian force was very neatly consumed in what must be considered one of the most remarkable examples of tactical wizardly in military history.” The Scythians did not allow Darius and his troops to ever surprise them; they retreated just over the horizon while practicing “scorch earth” policy. After two years of fruitless effort “ Darius challenged the courage of the phantoms he sought to destroy by sending on ahead a message in which he commanded the Scythians to fight or surrender.” Their succinct reply was: “Go weep.” This is probably the second most succinct reply in response to the demand of surrender in a battle; the most succinct was “nuts” sent by Americans to the Gernans' demand for surrender in the battle of the bulge during World War II. At last in 512 B.C. with his troops exhausted and his supply lines becoming dangerously thin, Darius withdrew, leaving the Scythians in control of Russian steppe. The Scythians defeated Zopyrion, one of Alexander's top generals in 330 B.C. Alexander during his foray into Panjab had recruited some Scythian mercenaries who remained behind after Alexander withdrew from Panjab. In 310 B.C., the Scythians defeated the Caucasians at Thatis River .

By this time the Scythians were divided into the Royal Scythians (or Western Scythians ) who controlled the Russian Steppe and their eastern brothers. The Scythians like other nomads were wanderers with a love for open spaces. They led simple, healthy lives and were content to live in felt tents. They built no cities and left no monuments. But for their Kurgans, their history would never be known.

In the end another nomadic people Sarmatians defeated the nomadic Scythian. The Sarmatians, like the Scythians and Parthians were excellent horsemen and gallant fighters. They occupied lands north of the Kirghiz steppe. Ethnically they were closely related to Scythians but they were politically better organized. In 310 B.C., the Scythians were thinly spread and tired because of their engagement with the Macedonians. At this critical time for the Scythians, the Sarmatians swooped down from the north and ousted the Scythians from steppe.

Scythians dispersed helter skelter. Some of them joined the Greeks, others blended with the Persians. Some retreating Scythians tried to move east to the land of their ancestors in the eastern steppe. The Scythians scattered into various minor Asiatic kingdoms, and also into Chinese Turkestan. The Scythians eventually gave up their nomadic way of life, became more sedentary and adopted a settled way of life. Most of them turned to cultivation and became farmers in their newly adopted lands.

The Indus is a gigantic river in which empty rivers like Kabul River and also Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej . Coming east from the cold and barren Sulaiman range, Indus valley presented a lush green sight; no wonder many newcomers to India , including the Scythians decided to settle this region. They either came through the Khyber Pass or via Baluchistan through the Bolan Pass.

The main migration of Scythians into India occurred during 50 B.C. to A.D 50, although they have been trickling into Panjab since 4 th century B.C. After their arrival into India , they became Buddhist but eventually adopted the religion of their Aryan neighbors. Some Scythians tribes such as Medii, Xanthii, Jati and Getae entered India from southern Afghanistan through the Bolan Pass. It is from these Scythians immigrant, it seems that most of the Jutts of Panjab have descended. According to some authorities e.g. H.S. Pawar quoted by B.S. Mahal, migration to the Scythians also occurred westward up to the Scandavian and Baltic countries; no wonder gotras such as Mann. Gill. More, Dhillon, Virk, etc are found to be common in the countries of the west. The shift from pastoralism to agriculture occurred because their new found land was not suitable for grazing and a nomadic way of life. It seems fair to conclude that most of the Juttus of Panjab are the progeny of the steppe Scythians. Since the settlement of Jutts preceded Islam and Sikhims, the Juttus gotras are common among the Sikh Juttus, Muslims Juttus and Hindu Jaats of Panjab and Haryana. After settling in Panjab, the Scythians may have given up their nomadic ways but some of their characteristic are still present in the modern Jutts namely individualism, bravery, frankness and a kind of naiveté. As already mentioned some of the Jutts adopted Islam in the 7 th -8 th century AD; others accepted Sikhism in the 15 th century AD while the remaining melded into the majority Hindu community.

Since the subject of our narrative P.S. Gill was a Jutt. It is easy to understand and appreciate his actions, thoughts and beliefs. P.S. Gill was first an Indian, then a Panjabi, then a Sikh and finally a Jutt. Later he became an American and a Californian. But always remember he was, to begin with, a Scythian.

To understand P.S. Gill completely it will be necessary to briefly review the history of the Sikhs and its impact on the lives of Sikh Californians in the early twentieth century.

It should be mentioned that Present is evanescent, and Future is unknown but the Past whether of individuals or nations or tribes is etched is stone. Even God cannot change the Past. Knowledge of the Past is important to understand the Present and plan for the future. While we speak, Present is already becoming past. Remember “Present” is “Past” of the “Future,” it is something to think about.

Jats Serbs Croats


Where do the Jats come into this? Now, the Jats are generally held to be of Scythian descent. The Jat-Sikhs are also of Saka descent, for indeed the very name "Sikh" is derived from "Saka" (Sara 1978). Noted historian Satya Shrava notes, "The Jats are none other than the Massagetae (Great Getae) mentioned in Diodorus as an off-spring of the ancient Saka tribe.... a fact now well-known" (Shrava 1981, p.2-3). Eminent scholars like Tod, Toynbee, Trevaskis, Keene, Kephart, Dhillon, Dahiya, Prakash and Bingley directly or indirectly connected Jat, Goths and Scythians. Thus, the famed Anglo-American historian Toynbee notes:
"It may not be fantastic to conjecture that the Tuetonic-speaking Goths and Gauts of Scandinavia may have been descended from a fragment of the same Indo-European-speaking tribe as the homonymous Getae and Thyssagetae and Massagetae of the Eurasian Steppe who are represented today by the Jats of the Panjab." (Toynbee 1934, p.435).
Furthermore, some scholars hold that the Scythians and Iranics originated in the Punjab and from thence migrated across the world. Whatever the details of the original home of the Iranoid race itself, all scholars agree that the Jats, Serbs and Croats predominantly belong to the same ethnic stock. - See more at: http://www.iranchamber.com/history/articles/common_origin_croats_serbs_jats.php#sthash.4e3fGSzb.dpuf

Monday 25 January 2016

The Roma Gypsies Descended From Jatt Tribes In North India

Thd Roma (the so-called Gypsies of Europe, Russia, Central and Middle Asia and the Americas) are mainly the descendents of the Rajputs and the Jats of Nsrth India, comprising the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Union Territory of Delhi and adjacent parts of Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. The ancestors of the Roma were forced to migrate to foreign lands after the Muslim invasions started during llth to 13th centuries A.D. The emigrants were not only Rajputs, but also Jats and Khatris (Kshatriyas), the rulers of principalities or the heads of republics and the fighter and warrior class. ln order to be self-sufficient and to allow inner mobility they attracted men and women from all the population groups which included Lobanas, Ranjaras and Tandas (classed under traders), Saudagars (horse dealers), Lohars (ironsmiths), Munition makers, priests Gujjars (from Sanskrit word 'gocar"cow grazers) etc. In the inimitable words  of Mr. S,S. Ray, a former governor of Punjab, the Roma are the first NRls (Non-resident Indians). Whenever one talks of the Roma of Europe etc., one at once erroneously connects them with the so-called gypsies of India

The word gypsy used in dealing with tribes is employed in purely conventional sense of vagrant' and should not be taken in any way to suggest their connection with the I the Roma of Europe etc. All over India, there are nomad castes or tribes who are gypsy like in their mode of life habits, trades and character but they use the dialects of the districts whence they come or where they are found, differing entirely from one another and in no way resembling the Romani people and their language. The Roma people possess distinctive North Indian cultural and physical traits and all speak Romani language which has its base in Sanskrit. Most of their customs, habits and modes of life and living strikingly resemble the people of Punjab and its surrounding areas that they can aptly be called our close cousins.

The writer Dr. W. R. Rishi an ex-IFS, is an authority on Roma Studies. Primarily a scholar of Russian languages, he is the author of the first ever published Russian-Hindi Dictionary which has a Dr. W. R. Rishi forward by Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. He has been awarded Padamshri for his contribution in the field of Linguistics; Shromani Sahitkar by Punjab Govt. and the Soviet Land Nehru Award. He is the Honorary President of International Romani Union, Director of the Indian Institute of Romani Studies and Editor of journal on ROMA. He is also available on the world’s INTERNET Web, with the details of his book on ROMA. Those who have connection with INTERNET and are interested to get authentic information about the Roma can contact at No.  http://www.aloha.net/bohem/rishroma.html
They are called by different names in different countries: Manush (a Sanskrit word) in France, Sinti (Sindhi ?) in Germany, Tsigani in the former USSR, Bulgaria etc., Multani in Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union, Zotts (Jats) in Middle Asia, Kale (Black) and Gitano in Spain, Kalderash (kaltarash makers of machines) in some of other countries, Badguljiye in Yugoslavia etc.
To denote themselves as a close-knit nationality, they have adopted for themselves the name Roma (singular is Rom) and hate to be referred to as Gypsies. With the passage of time, the names of their gods and goddesses have changed but the ideas and the ideals symbolised by them are the same and so are many of the rituals connected with them. Now, for example, St. Sarah. is the Goddess of Fate and Fortune of the Roma. The idol of St. Sarah is enshrined in the crypt of the church of St. Maries de la Mer, a village on the Mediterranean Sea coast in the south of France. A fair is held from 23rd May to 25th May every year when the Roma from all countries of the world come to pay homage to their Goddess. They burn candles and offer clothes etc. to their Goddess. ln the evening the idol of St.Sarah is taken in a pro- cession to the Sea coast followed by huge crowds of Roma singing and chanting "Vive St. Sarah". Symbolic immersion, of the idol in the Mediterranean waters is performed, the statue being brought back and placed once again in the crypt of the church. St. Sarah is none else than the Indian Goddess Durga whose idol is taken in a procession during the Durga pooja (worship) in October every year in India and is, thereafter, immersed in the nearby river or pond. perhaps the Roma do not immerse the idol of St. Sarah and are content only with its symbolic immersion because it is not only costly but also difficult to make a new one every year. But they continue to follow the Indian rituals to this day.' On further research it was found that St. Sarah is in fact Sati Sara (Sati sar) Indian goddess Uma (consort of Lord Siva) who is also worshipped on various occasions in different forms and names such as Bhadrakali (Kali), Shyama (Black Goddess), Durga, Kalhana's Raj Trangini and Nilmata.

The Romani language also belongs to the new Indian languages of India (or lndo- Aryan) branch of the lndo-European family of languages' ln other words, Romani may be regarded as an Indian language spoken outside India, which like other vernaculars has assumed some- thing resembling 'its present form after the break-up of the older synthetic system. Romani language can be called a dialect of Punjabi language spoken outside India. Romani has an influence of the Rajasthani language but it is closer to Punjabi language and contains a large number of words which are the same in the Punjabi language. Professor Saip Jusuf of erstwhile Yugoslavia says. "We, today's Roma, originating from our ancient land, India, have carried our old Punjabi language from which the present Romani language is strengthened, as a dialect of Punjabi, through different parts of the world and to this have been added the words of languages of those among whom we have lived for many years." The affinity between the two languages - Punjabi and Romani is so close that with a little knowledge of the structure of Romani language' a person knowing Punjabi language can easily understand the Romani language and vice versa. The PunJabi University, Patiala, has already published my research work entitled "Roma - The Punjabi Emigrants to Europe, the USSR, the Americas etc." and the Language Department of Punjab has published my Romani-Punjabi-English Dictionary and Romani-Punjabi- English Conversation Book.
The Roma have migrated fro northern India. Their ABO (a syste of classifying blood groups by which different sets of people can be identified) frequencies also strongly support such an origin. The distribution of blood groups among the Roma corresponds to that of the high military castes in India, and are characterised not by the high percentage of group B alone but by the most stable distribution of the percentage of ABO that may be found in India and Europe. To highlight these affinities between the Romani people and their Indian counterparts, the Roma first organised themselves in 1971, when the First World Romani Congress was held in London. The Second Congress was held at Geneva in '1978 when they passed a resolution formally declaring themselves as persons of Indian origin. The 3rd Romani Congress was held in '1981 at Gottingen (W.Germany) and here they recalled the genocide of half a million of Roma by the Nazis. This was admitted by the then German Chancellor Schmidt officially and he promised to help them as much as possible. The fourth World Romani Congress was held at Warsaw (Poland) in 1990. In India also, the Indian Institute of Romani Studies was formally inaugurated by late Giani Zail Singh, the then Chief Minister of Punjab, at Chandigarh on the 24 December, 1973, before a distinguished gathering and the student community at the Panjab University campus at Chandigarh in 1976. More than 60 prominent Roma delegates participated in this Festival. The Roma kissed the sacred soil of India and were able to meet their Indian phralas (brethren). People of India also got the opportunity to see, with their own eyes, their Roma phralas who till today have preserved Indian language and culture which their ancestors carried to distant lands.

 Shrimati lndira Gandhi and the late Shri Fakhrrudin Ali Ahmed the then President, met the Romani delegates. Shrimati Indira Gandhi was with them for more than an hour, and called them the messengers of peace. She also added that she has been taking interest in the Roma since her childhood. The second International Roma Festival was also held at Chandigarh from 29th to 31st October, 1083. Top Roma leaders and artistes from several countries participated in it. The festival was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister, Shrimati lndira Gandhi. Welcoming the Roma delegates and artistes to their ancestral land, she declared that she felt a deep kinship with the Roma people.
Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister (at that time a Member of Parliament) was the Chief Guest at the Festival. Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and Master Rahul Gandhi also graced the occasion with their presence.
 The Festival had a great impact and helped the Roma to get better social, economic and political status in the countries of their present residence.
ln the guiding note received. from the Union Ministry of Education about the establishment of the North Zonal Cultural Centre at Patiala in Punjab, it is emphasized together the " Selection of images characterising Punjabi's contribution to India's  culture :
 In this context, the project would emphasize separate identities as well as similarities in a sense that would symbolize our unity in diversity. This could be illustrate by the evolution of art forms, the basic unity of dance movements and the subsequent changes and improvisations. In this connection, Roma culture could be not only one of the crucial projections but also illustrate the impact of the Zone on World Culture. "
Nehru Roma House and Museum has since been established in a spacious hall in the Shivalik Public School in Sector 41, Chandigarh. lt has been dedicated to Jawaharlal Nehru who was the first Prime Minister of India to meet the Roma in Yugoslavia during one of his visits. Jawaharlal Nehru, during his visit to Yugoslavia, expressed a desire to get in touch with the Roma, he organized this contact and was there too. "Nehru was very happy about this meeting", says Mr. Alesh Bebler, an important social and political personality of Yugoslavia, in his report to the President of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia.

Nehru Roma House and Museum at Chandigarh houses valuable material on the life and culture of the Roma viz. rare books, journals in different languages of the world e.g. English, Romani, Russian, German, French,' Serbo-Croat, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, Hindi, Punjabi etc., audio visual cassettes, photographs, slides, gramophone records and C.D's. This material, which I had been collecting for the last about 20 years, has been donated by me. The Nehru Roma House and Museum has since become a pilgrimage centre for the Roma of the world and a unique research centre for Romanologues.
Thus it is a matter of deep delight that our mutual efforts have brought our long separated brethren closer to the ethnic and cultural stream of their homeland. They feel proud to have their old link with Punjab as we also feel joyous of establishing our kinship with the enterprising Roma people.  
- See more at: http://www.punjabmonitor.com/2013/04/roma-punjabi-emigrants-abroad.html#sthash.rLWmsztn.dpuf

The Sikh Scythians

The Scythian tribes called Jats had over-run parts of Northern India by 200 A.D. However since their numerical strength was minute it was only a matter of time before they were culturally absorbed into Hindu India. The Jat tribes adopted Hinduism but fiercely retained their tribal customs.  If one travels in Sikh Jat villages one is struck by the persistence  of cultural artifacts which are completely alien to Hindu tradition. And then there is the very distinctive Jat look – very tall males and females, light golden brown skin color,  and children who have a tawny blonde hair color until they are about two years old.  The latter is a dead give-away of Scythian racial heritage.
The Hindus who were aghast that the Scythian converts did not adhere completely to Hindu customs and social constructs,  invented the mythology that the Jat tribes were Khastryias (the Hindu Warrior Caste)  who had been made into Sudras (untouchables) by the gods for some transgression.
With the coming of the muslim invaders into India, the forcible conversions of Hindus in  Northern India led to many Scythian tribes converting to Islam due to social pressure,  material inducements  or plain physical coercion. With the coming of Guru Nanak, the majority of Hindu Jat clans adopted Sikhism en mass and voluntarily. The conversion process was very simple. The Clan Chief changed his religion and the clansmen followed willingly. It is called clan loyalty.  There was a quality of Sikhism which instantly appealed to the Jat Clans who had very long tribal and racial memories. It was the fierce independence of the religion, the equality of females,  the over-powering and transcending Word providing a direct channel  to the ether. And with the sanction of the Sikh Religion, the long war to assert the supremacy of the Khalsa Knighthood  started.  A hidden, silent and brutal little war  which is continuing on today.  It may have something to do with Scythian racial memories.  But you will not know anything about this, unless you study and understand a secret racial revisionist history.
Note: (1) Jat clans in India outside of the Sikh Jat clans are not truly Scythian. Racially they have been absorbed by the Hindu castes and only retain Scythian tribal clan names.
(2)  Due to the historical prestige of the Jats many non-jats adopted Jat clan names such as : Mann, Bhullar, Sidhu etc. These personages are not racially Scythian.

Major Jat Sikh Scythian Clans
The major Scythian Sikh clans are:  Bhullar, Dhillon, Mann, Bains, Ghuman, Bhattal, Brar, Sidhu, Grewal, Dhaliwal, Sandhu, Virk and Gill.
Historical Aside:  The Grewal clan considered their females to be so beautiful that they would not permit them to marry outside the clan. In response to the on-going resentment of other Jat (Scythian) clans, the Grewal (pronounced Garehvaal) clans formally met in convention in 1912 to debate and resolve this prickly issue and decided by resolution to continue the policy. Even today, if one travels through pure Grewal villages, one is struck by the beauty of Grewal village girls.  The Grewal clans also buttressed their Hawkish attitudes by not permitting females to work in the farm fields and constructing their villages as forts with high walls.

Racial Memories

So today, the original Scythians are either Hindus, Moslems or Sikhs. The Hindu Jat tribes have largely inter-married with the native Hindu populations along caste lines and thus lost any memory of lineage and for that matter they do not contain any significant Scythian genetic material.  The Scythians who converted to Islam lost heir culture and language and memories which were supplanted by the idea of the Ummah – universal muslim brotherhood.  They also lost their genetic pool over time since marriage in Islam had less restrictions and social barriers.
The Sikh Scythian tribes located in a small part of India  maintained their racial memories. Firstly the Sikh Jat Clans had very distinctive looks and they have always been aware of this. Secondly they have always almost without exception married into other Scythian Sikh clans (this has changed after 1984).  Lastly Sikhism which accorded with Scythian tribal ideology very well,   helped buttress their conception of  Jats being a race separate and apart.

The Twelve Misals Started By Jatt Sikhs

In the eighteenth century Sikhs were very successful in establishing twelve principalities or confederacies called Misals (Misal is a Arabic word means alike or equal [4]). At least nine of these Misals were founded by the Jats. The history of each of the Misals founded in the eighteenth century by the Jats is briefly described below [6, 7, 15-17].

Bhangi Misal

This powerful Misal of the Sikhs was founded by Bhim Singh of the Jat background. The name "Bhangi" is derived from the members of the confederacy who made use of Bhang, an intoxicating drug manufactured from hemp [7, 16]. Bhim Singh was succeeded by his nephew named Hari Singh belonging to the Dhillon clan of the Jats. Hari Singh's sons, Jhanda Singh and Ganda Singh played an instrumental role in strengthening the Misl. Also, they are credited for constructing the Bhangi fort at Amritsar (the holy city of the Sikhs in Punjab) and enlarging and beautifying the town with many noble edifices [7] in the later part of the eighteenth century.

Kanhya Misal

The first chief of this Misal was Jai Singh, a Jat of the Sandhu clan belonging to a village named Kanah, fifteen miles from Lahore (now in Pakistan) [7, 16]. The name of the Misal is derived from the name of Jai Singh's village and one time the Misal was the strongest of the Sikh confederacies north of the river Sutlej in Punjab [7].

Nakai Misal

The chief of this Misal was Hira Singh, a Jat of the Sandhu clan [7, 16]. The area lying between Lahore and Gogaira (now both in Pakistan) was called Naka country and during the middle of the eighteenth century A.D., Hira Singh took possession of it; thus the Misal became known as Nakai Misal.

Singhpuria Misal

This is also known as the Fyzulpuria Misal after a village near Amritsar (Punjab) called Fyzullapur. The Misal was founded by a Jat landlord named Kapur Singh Virk who later on was popularly known as Nawab Kapur Singh Virk [7]. He died at Amritsar in A.D. 1753.

Krora Singhia Misal

Sometimes it is also known as the Panjgarhia Misal, from the village of its first chief, Karora Singh. Karora Singh belonged to the Jat background [7] and the Misal was popularly known after his name.

Nishanwala Misal

Two Jats named Sangat Singh and Mohar Singh were the founder of this Misal [7]. These two warriors were the standard-bearers of the assembled Khalsa (baptized Sikh or pure) army, hence, the name Nishanwala was given to this Misal.

Sukerchakia Misal

This Misal was founded by Charat Singh, a Jat of the Sandhawalia clan and grandfather of the Maharaja (great King) Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Sikh empire of the nineteenth century [7]. The Misal is named after the native village of Charat Singh, called Sukerchak in Amritsar district of Punjab or Manjha country [15].

Phulkia Misal

As per Latif [7], the chief of this Misal was a Jat named Phul of the Sandhu (Sidhu?) clan; thus the Misal is known by his name. Phul had seven sons who became the ancestors of the royal families of Patiala, Nabha, and Jhind States (now in modern Punjab).

Ramgarhia Misal

Latif [7] wrote, "The founder of the Misal was Khoshal Singh, a Jat of Mouza Guga near Amritsar, Punjab. After his death he was succeeded by Nodh Singh of Sahangi also near Amritsar. Three most daring brothers named Jassa Singh, Mali Singh, and Tara Singh of Tarkhan (carpenter) background and belonging to Mouza Sarsang in the Lahore district (now in Pakistan) became devout followers of Nodh Singh. After the death of Nodh Singh, Jassa Singh became the chief of the Misal. The Misal seized the fort of Ram Raouni (Fortalice of God) and then renamed it Ramgarh (God's Fort [17])". Later on the Misal was popularly known as the Ramgarhia Misal. The largest Bunga with two watchtowers, at the Complex of the Harmandar Sahib was built by the Ramgarhia Misl. The Bunga served as home base for the Ramgarhias during the yearly visits to the Temple and also as a military barracks from which the Ramgarhias could defend the Sacred Site. A gaint block of granite called the 'Coronation Stone' of the Grand Mughals is located in the second floor of the Bunga in the open balcony area. During the period when the Sikhs controlled Delhi the stone on which Emperors were installed and from which they read their edicts was removed from the Lal Killa and carted to Amritsar. This is said to be the very same stone from which the death sentences for Guru Tegh Bahadur and Banda Bahadur were pronounced.

Misaldars select a Punjab ka Maharaja

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a Jat of the Sandhawalia clan and of the Sukerchakia Misal integrated all the Misals and ultimately established the Sikh empire in the North-West India, which ended with the British takeover in 1849. One time the Sikh empire embraced the whole of the undivided Punjab (prior to the creation of Pakistan), Kashmir, and a part of Tibet. Even though Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a Jat and a Sikh, during his rule he treated every individual and community very fairly which won him the admiration of people inside and outside his empire.
Members of his government belonged to the different communities of his empire. For example, his Foreign Minister was a Muslim and his Treasurer, a Hindu. Commanders of his army were Sikhs, Jat Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, French, Italian, and Americans. French and Italian Generals of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army had fought in the battle of Waterloo alongside Napoleon and later on joined the Sikh army. These Generals were Allard, Court, and Ventura [6]. Two of his famous Punjabi Generals were Hari Singh Nalwa and Sham Singh Attariwala (a Jat of the Sidhu clan [16]). Maharaja Ranjit Singh also employed several Western medical doctors and artists. According to Cunningham [6] in 1844 the estimated revenue of the Sikh Kingdom was 32.475 million in 1844 rupees and the breakdown for the army's forces was:
Infantry (92,000)
Cavalry (31,800)
Field Artillery (384 Guns)
Ranjit Singh was the only ruler in South Asia who could have opposed British rule in India but he had befriended the British with which he entered into peace treaties. He died on June 27, 1839 and was succeeded by his son Kharak Singh. A year later on November 5, 1840 Kharak Singh also passed away (said to have been poisoned by the Dogra Brothers) and on the same day that his son Nau Nihal Singh became the de facto Maharaja, he was wounded in a suspicious freak accident while returning from his father's funeral, rushed from the scene and locked away from his family and friends by his father's Vasir, Dylan Singh Dogra (a Rajput who had declared allegance to Maharaja Ranjit Singh but did not, himself, become a Sikh). When the other Sikh courtiers finally forced the doors open to the chambers where Kanvar-Maharaja Nau Nihal Singh was held, he was found dead and in a much worse condition than when he was carried away on a palki with only minor injuries. Dylan Singh Dogra would now abandon the court of the Mahrani who wished to wait for the imminant birth of the Kanvar's child and move to the camp of Sher Singh, Kharak Singh's half-brother who was soon, after laying seige to The Lahore Darbar, proclaimed Maharaja of the Sikh Kingdom only to be assassinated a few years later along with his son and the treacherous Dogra Vazir.
Finally, the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Dalip Singh, became the ruler of the Sikh Kingdom and in A.D. 1849, after two failed Anglo-Sikh wars, his Kingdom became a part of the British Empire. The young Dalip Singh was taken to England by the British authorities and became a close friend of Queen Victoria's family. Interestingly, General Sir MacMunn [14] wrote, "Then was the Punjab annexed and the boy, Dalip Singh, eventually sent to be brought up in England with ample revenues. To him his friend, Colonel Sleeman, the famous Indian political officer, wrote, "I see you are going to live in Kent (district in South-East England). You will be among your own people there, for you are a Jat and the men of Kent are Jats from Jutland", and no doubt he was speaking ethnological truth". Dalip Singh died in Paris on October 22, 1893 [18].

Description of the Jats Sikhs by British Military Officers

During British rule in India, the government periodically assigned the task, of producing handbooks to recruit new Sikhs for military service, to various military officers: Captain Falcon, R.W. [1] (A.D. 1896), Captain Bingley, A.H. [3] (A.D. 1899), and Major Barstow, A.E. [2] (A.D. 1928). Some of the descriptions of the Jat Sikhs given in the these Military documents are as follows:
"The Sikh Jat is generally tall and muscular, with well shaped limbs, erect carriage, and strongly marked and handsome features. The Jat Sikhs have always been famous for their fine physique and are surpassed by no race in India for high-bred looks, smartness, and soldierly bearing. They make admirable soldiers, when well led, inferior to no native race in India, with more dogged courage than dash, steady in the field, and trustworthy in difficult circumstances. The mass of Jat Sikh population may fairly be said to be contented and law-abiding [2]".
"The Jats of the Punjab proper (in modern Punjab almost all of them belong to the Sikh faith) have been truly described as the backbone of the province by character and physique, as well as by numbers and locality. They are stalwart sturdy yeomen, of great independence, industry, and agricultural skill, and collectively form perhaps the finest peasantry in India.
Sturdy independence, and patient vigorous labour, are perhaps the strongest characteristics of the Jat Sikhs. The typical Jat Sikh is faithful and true to his employer, seldom shows insubordination, and with a good deal of self-esteem has a higher standard of honour than is common among most Orientals [3]" …tribes (clans) of the Jats from whom sprang the Sikh, these are typical Jats of the Punjab, which include those great Sikh Jat tribes (clans), who have made the race so renowned in recent history, occupying… …and great Sikh states of the eastern plains [1]".

Jat Sikh soldiers in World War I & II

A large number of Sikh soldiers fought on the side of Great Britain during both the First and Second World Wars. The recruitment policy concerning the Sikh soldiers into the British India Army appears to have been heavily biased towards the Jat Sikhs. For example, three handbooks [1-3] produced for the British India Government basically covered material concerning the Jat Sikhs and explicitly made statements such as follows:
Captain Falcon, R.W. [1], pp. 81, 106: "…if military service is made the exclusive right of Jat Sikhs and a few outcasts, still the Jat must ever be the main source for recruits, as he far and away outnumbers the other people, and possesses as a class qualities which no other people can claim. If, too, a Sikh belonging to a good Sikh tehsil (sub-district), does not give the name of a well known Jat Sikh tribe (clan) as his, he is pretty sure not to be a Jat…".
Captain Bingley, A.H. [3], pp. 111: "…a man will say he is a zamindar (landlord) or Jat and that he ploughs, to which fact the horniness of the palms of his hands will certify, he may be claiming to be a Jat…".
Major Barstow, A.E. [2], pp. 180-181 and 2: "…Jat Sikhs sent a very high percentage of their eligible men to army. Units whose standard prewar (World War I) were 5 feet 9 in. with proportionate chest development were through force of circumstances obliged to take men at 5 feet 3 in., and moreover instead of maintaining a Jat Sikh standard were required to open their ranks to every kind of…. Out of ten Punjabis, nine live in villages and…; it is from these plains, from the great tribe of Jats, that our recruits are obtained".
Professor Joyce Pettigrew [20] added, "the army (British India Army) had recruited only Jats (Jat Sikhs) and had been closed as an occupation to…".
Furthermore, Philip Mason [22] says "Most Sikhs-particularly in the army-are descended from Hindus who were Jats by race before their conversion (to Sikhism)…. They make good soldiers…".
British military officers appear to have regularly used the term "Jat Sikhs", for example, General Sir MacMunn [14] on page 4 of his book wrote regarding the arrival of the British Indian Army in France during World War I, "The martial races shall stride across the stage… …as they swung through Marseilles (France) with half the girls of France on their arms… …that Marseilles that went beside itself to see the smoke stacks and masts of the mighty. Armada that brought the Army of India. The Jat Sikhs mighty and curled of bears, kin perhaps of the men of Kent (a district in England), the Jutes from Jutland…".