Jats are very hard-working, diligent, loyal members of a modest community that hails from different villages, towns, and cities in India but can be found all across the globe today. We are a multi-faceted group of people who range from farmers back home in the smallest of villages to powerful businessmen in the west. We share a similar heritage, regardless of our vastly diverse occupations, and through NAJC we hope to empower the members of our community who otherwise would not have the means to pursue their academic goals. The beauty of our community lies in the fact that while we once hailed from the same part of India, we have now laid our roots in so many different parts of the world and yet we can unite together through organizations such as NAJC in order to continue to empower the youth.
Brief Introduction to the Jat Community (please visit the Jatland website for more information)Although the Jats are not a single socio-religious group, as the term is commonly understood today, Jats live in Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi in North India. Though the common definition refers to only the Hindu Jats, a significant number of Jats are Sikhs and Muslims.
The Jats are not a homogeneous ethnic group living in a particular area and speaking a single language. Rather, they are a people who live scattered around the world among several ethnic groups, yet retain their own identity. This distinction is often based on occupation and heritage.
The Jats are primarily located in northwestern India and southern Pakistan, although there are some communities in Maldives, Russia, and Ukraine. However, their origin, history, and current dispersion are spread much wider. They are said to be of Indo-Aryan (or often, Indo-Scythian) descent.
Jats are a brave, hardworking and independent minded people. Primarily agriculturists, the Jats led a fairly autonomous political life. Even during the Mughal period, the rule of the state was limited. With the exception of Bharatpur, no Jat kingdoms were founded.
As per the Varna (Caste) system, the Jats are Kshatriyas or the warrior class. As they were outside the rigorous brahmanical social order, this position was not emphasized until the growth of the Arya Samaj among the Jats.
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 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.
The Hindu Jats' religious beliefs are usually non-orthodox. A large number came under the influence of the Arya Samaj in the early part of the 20th century. The Arya Samaji influence played a significant role in shaping the socio-religious identity.
