Buddhist Jat

Jats have not stuck to any particular religion in past. They may be found in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Muslim, and Christian. Any religion, which preached oneness of God and condemned superstitions and idol worship easily appealed to and was adopted by Jats in large numbers at different times.
Vedic to Buddhism
When Vedic Hinduism gave place to Pauranic idol worship religion began to be used by priests as a means of livelihood; superstitious and awe inspiring beliefs tales and rituals, were introduced in religion to frighten people into giving offerings to idols and priests who became self appointed agents of God; non Brahmins were debarred from studying Sanskrit and religious books to make them, easily exploitable and ignorant. Jats became Buddhists and remained so long after other people in India went back to Brahmanism consequent to the decline of Buddhism. Buddhist influence is still prevalent amongst the Jats. They don't eat meat, do not wear the sacred thread, and do not stick much for untouchability as other Indians do and respect saints. When Buddhism almost disappeared from. India, Jats became devotees of saints. Dhanna Bhagat, Haridas, Garib Das and Nishchal Das, who were Jats, became prominent saints at this stage.
Buddhism to again other religions
After the fall of Kushan Empire country was divided in to small states. There is not much information available about important Jat state in a period of two centuries following Kushan rule. Though we have knowledge about jat king Kharavela of Kalinga who became veru poerful after fall of mauryan rule adopted Jainism. This is clear from Hathigumpha inscription near Bhubaneswar in Orissa.
In the beginning of fifth century we find Jat ruler Maharaja Shalinder with his rule extending from Punjab to Malwa and Rajasthan. This is proved from the Pali inscription obtained from village Kanswa in Kota state in year 1820 AD. We get following information from this inscription: Maharaja Shalinder was the ruler Shalpur, known in the present by the name Sialkot. He established this state on his own power, which indicates that he was a monarch emerged from chieftain ship of a republic state. He had a powerful army full of strong warriors amongst whom he felt proud of glory of his caste. He had many small states under him and a rich treasury. He was a Kashyapvanshi (Suryavanshi) Taxak clan Jat. He had left Buddhism and adopted puranic religion and started vedic culture like performing yagyas etc.
Buddhism in Afghanistan
H. W. Bellew writes something about Buddhist Jats in Afghanistan that By this plan we shall, I think, be the better prepared to recognise in many of the existing tribes of Afghanistan the
modern representatives of the ancient nations of Ariana, and thus be enabled to form an accurately founded distinction between the old possessors and the later settlers; between the remains of subsequent dynastic invaders and the stragglers of transitory plunderers. And if a consequence of our inquiry is not to throw some new light upon the history of India in its connection with the Greek dominion and the Jata (Getic) invasion by which it was destroyed ; in connection with the relations of these Scythian conquerors with their kindred races of the earlier irruptions which peopled Northern India with the Brahman and the Kshatriya; in connection with their joint domination in Ariana — Buddhist Jata in the north. Brahman Kshatriya in the south ; and finally in connection with the struggles of these Indians of Ariana with the fire-worshipping Parthian under the long supremacy of the Arsaki dynasty, their participation under the Parthian flag in the wars against the Romans in Asia Minor....
H. W. Bellew writes that Katar, or Kator, is the same people as the Katoran or Katorman, who established a Turk dynasty which ruled contemporaneously in two branches at Kabul and Peshawar respectively, from the beginning of the fifth to the latter part of the ninth century, when, after losing much of their power and territory to the Tuar Rajput kings of Delhi, they were finally overthrown by them and the Ghaznavis. Under the rule of the Kator Yuechi (Getai or Jata) Buddhism was the religion of the country, but during the century or so of Tuar Rajput sovereignty, Brahminism was the dominant religion, till the Hindu was finally dispossessed by Sabaktagin, who founded the Ghaznavi Turk dynasty. The Shah Katori of Kashkar and Chitral, who, as above suggested, represent the Sakarauloi of Strabo, are the same people as the Katar of Kafiristan, the name of which country was formerly Kator ; at least in the time of Tamerlane, the beginning of the fifteenth century.
Buddhism in India
Ref-
Lord Buddha who propounded the doctrine of truth and non-violence, preached Buddhism in India and Asia, 2,600 years ago. And, these ruins of Buddhist culture, speak volumes about the glory and magnificence of the bygone Buddhist era. After witnessing the vast and elegant layout of the intricately-built-structures, Siddhartha Gauri marvelled at the true grandeur of the golden period when Buddhism was at its peak in India, promoting harmony and peace amongst different faiths. The site of that stupa made him very wistful and left him gasping for more information on such sites in India. While collecting information about such sites, he found too many of them across the country, mostly in Haryana. An idea occurred to him — to revive these degenerated structures to preserve and restore the Buddhist culture and Indian Heritage.
Buddhism in Haryana
Ref-
According to Siddhartha Gauri the best findings about Buddhism are in Haryana. There were as many as 14 such Buddhist sites in Haryana. His research further revealed that Buddhism was in full influence in Haryana from King Ashoka’s era tifi the rule of king Harsh Vardhana who ruled over a vast area of North India in the 7th century Buddhism dominated the area and it flourished and prevailed in Haryana uptifi the 14th century.
According to a report, Haryana was an important centre of Buddhism. The foundation of Buddhism inthe state was laid by Lord Buddha himself when he set his foot in Sugh village of Haryana, 5 km from
Yamunanagar. Lord Buddha delivered his sermon here. Though the structural evidence is lost, but coins and figurines depict a picture of Sugh as a centre of learning as important as Taxila and Patliputra of that time. Both the Chinese traveler Huen Tsang and Sanskrit grammarian Panini also rated Sugh as one of the highly civilized and developed villages of that time. The highly evolved people of different faiths- the Buddhist, Jains and Hindus, were engaged in their intellectual activities and lived harmoniously.
Siddharatha Gauri’s findings further revealed that nearly 300 forgotten Buddhist relics, including 53 in Madhya Pradesh, 14 in Haryana, 12 In Himachal Pradesh and one in Punjab, were also found. His best findings are In Haryana. There Is a Buddh Vihar at Adi Badri and Buddha stupas and monasteries at Chaneti, Topra and Sandhay villages - all in Yamunanagar district. Buddhists ruins have also been found at Amin in Kurukshetra, Assandh in Karnal district, at Agroha, Bhuna and Fatehabad villages in district Hisar, at Khokrakot in district Rohtak and at village Aherwan in district Palwal. The ancient sites of Amin in Kurukshetra and Khokrakot in district Rohtak have been listed on the official website of the
Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi. Asandh in Karnal has a remarkable history and is one of the tallest Stupas in North India which is 2,000 years old.
Buddhist sites with Jat connections
*Taxila
*Bharhut - Satna in Madhya Pradesh
*Deur Kothar - Rewa in Madhya Pradesh
*Dhauli - Bhubaneswar in Orissa
*Kalinga - Bhubaneswar in Orissa
*Yamunanagar - Haryana
*Sugh - Yamunanagar
*Chaneti - Yamunanagar
*Topra - Yamunanagar
*Sandhay - Yamunanagar
*Amin - Kurukshetra
*Assandh - Karnal
*Agroha -Hisar
*Bhuna - Hisar
*Fatehabad -Hisar
*Khokrakot - Rohtak
*Aherwan - Palwal

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu