![]() Map of Sindhi dialects; the Jats of Balochistan live and work in the Lasi, Lari, Kutchi, and Nummari regions | |
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab | |
Languages | |
Balochi, Sindhi, Saraiki and Jadgali | |
Religion | |
Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Baloch people • Sindhi Sammats |
The Jats of Balochistan are Muslim Jats of Indo-Aryan origin, usually from the Sindhi Jats, [1] Jadgals, [2] or Jamotes, [3] found in Balochistan, Pakistan, specifically in the Kacchi Plains, Las Bela, and Makran. [4] [5] However, regardless of their origins, they are still generally seen as Baloch. [6] They are estimated to be around 10% of the total population of Balochistan, making up the fourth largest ethnic group in the area. Many of these Jats are camel herders by trade. [7]
Jaths (pronounced with a soft 't') are considered distinct from Jats (pronounced with a hard 't') [8] who are farmers found in Central Sindh, the Kacchi Plains, and beyond. [9]
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By the time of the Umayyad conquest of Sind in the 8th century, Arab writers described agglomerations of native tribes throughout the newly conquered lands of Sind [10] and Makran. The Arabs referred to these tribes as "Zutts", an Arabic word derived from the word Jat, although this term was also applied to several other groups—such as the Sāyabija, Andāghar, and Qufs—not all of whom were necessarily ethnic Jats. [11] The Jats of Makran (with their name being synonymous with cameleers there) [12] reportedly reared fine-quality camels which were in demand as far as Khurasan; these camels were also presented to Caliph Mu'awiya. [13] These cameleers were included under the Zutt label.
The Jats were present in Makran and Lasbela before the migration of the Baloch from Kerman, Khorasan, and Sistan and Baluchistan in present-day Iran.[ citation needed ]
The major Jat (or Jath) tribes include:
Among Sindhis the tribes are Syed, Jokhia, Khaskheli , Palari , Bareja , Bhabra , Dhars , Sirhindi , Jamot and Mohanas.
...Bizanjo, Mengal, Sajdi and Zehri as Jadgal or Jats...
Other sub-castes of the Jat community living in Sindh include the Lasharis, Zuhranis, Malkanis, Lanjwanis, Pahores and Kalwars, among others.