Jakhar

Jakhar (Devanagari: जाखड, IAST: unicode|Jākhaḍ) is a "gotra" or clan of Jats found in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and in particular Rajasthan.

Etymology

The word "Jakhar" comes from the apical ancestor of the clan, king Jakhbhadra.

Origin

Jakhars are considered to be the descendants of King Jakhbhadra. The historian Ram Swarup Joon has given the chronology of Virabhadra, obtained from the records of the Bards of Dholpur, in his book ‘History of the Jats’ (1938, 1967) as under: [Ram Swarup Joon: History of the Jats (1938, 1967) ]

In the branch of Puru there was ‘Sanyati’ whose son was Virabhadra. Virabhadra had four sons 1. Pon Bhadra 2. Kalhan bhadra 3. Atisur Bhadra and 4. Jakh Bhadra. Jakhhadra is the originator of Jakhar gotra. Jakhbhadra’s descendants Jakhars moved to Punjab and Kashmir

They belong to the "Satwat Vansh" of Kshatriyas. W. Crook in his book, "Castes of Northwest provinces and Avadh", has mentioned that the king of Dwaraka had a huge bow and arrow and he proposed that whoever broke it, would be given a status above the king. The king of the Jakhar clan, Jakhbhadra tried but failed. The failure made him leave his state and settle in Bikaner, that was known as Jangladesh. There is also a mention of this by Pandit Amichand Sharma in his book "Jat Varna Mimansa". The Jakhar king made his capital at Reni (modern-day Taranagar). Thakur Deshraj, Jat Itihas (Hindi), Maharaja Suraj Mal Smarak Shiksha Sansthan, Delhi, 1934, 2nd edition 1992 page 594-95. ]

The Jat historian Hukum Singh Panwar (Pauria) [Hukum Singh Panwar(Pauria), The Jats - Their Origin, Antiquity & Migrations, 1993 Publisher - Manthan Publications, Rohtak, Haryana, ISBN 81-85235-22-8, p. 150-151 ] writes that Jakhar is derived from Yaksha. This tribe Jakhar claim Jakha or Jakhu, known as Yaksha or Yakshu in Sanskrit, to be their most ancient eponymous progenitor. [Yoginder Pal Shastri, op. cit., p. 468] [Amichand Sharma, Jat Varna mimansa, v.s. 1967] Hukum Singh Panwar further writes that Yakshas were one of the tribes who fought the last battle of "Dasrajna War" (the battle of ten kings) under the leadership of Dasa Raja named Bheda against Bharatas tribes on the banks of Yamuna. The other tribes were Ajas, Sigrus, Alinas, Pakthas, Bhalana, Sivas, and Visanin. [Hukum Singh Panwar(Pauria), The Jats - Their Origin, Antiquity & Migrations, 1993 Publisher - Manthan Publications, Rohtak, Haryana, ISBN 81-85235-22-8, p. 150-151 ] [Buddha Prakash, op. cit., p. 77] M.L. Bhargava writes that after the defeat on the Yamuna River they migrated to the Oxus (Geek name) valley and gave the name to valley as Jaksha or Jaaksha. He opines that Budakhsis and their city Badakshan are known after the combined name of Bheda, the leader of the Yakshas and that of the latter, Bheda is also a Jat clan. [M.L. Bhargava, Geography of the Rigvedic India, Lucknow, 1964, p. 129] [Hukum Singh Panwar(Pauria), The Jats - Their Origin, Antiquity & Migrations, 1993 Publisher - Manthan Publications, Rohtak, Haryana, ISBN 81-85235-22-8, p. 150-151 ]

At a later date, the Jakhars established a kingdom, the ruins of which can be found at Madhauli, which was in the princely state of Jaipur, probably near the border with Marwar. Thakur Deshraj, Jat Itihas (Hindi), Maharaja Suraj Mal Smarak Shiksha Sansthan, Delhi, 1934, 2nd edition 1992 page 594-95. ]

Jakhars during the Middle Ages

Fatehpur,Shekhawati was ruled by Muslims during the Middle Ages. There was a war between the Muslims and the Jakhar Jats near Madhauli. Thakur Deshraj, Jat Itihas (Hindi), Maharaja Suraj Mal Smarak Shiksha Sansthan, Delhi, 1934, 2nd edition 1992 page 594-95. ]

The Jakhars of Punjab and Haryana

One Jakhar chieftain, Lada Singh ruled a place known as Ladan in the present-day Rohtak district in Haryana. Many Jakhar chieftains have ruled in parts of the Punjab region besides Rajasthan. Thakur Deshraj, Jat Itihas (Hindi), Maharaja Suraj Mal Smarak Shiksha Sansthan, Delhi, 1934, 2nd edition 1992 page 594-95. ] In haryana they are mainly located near the district jhajjar.They have 32 villages in this district,majorily Salhawas,Ladan,Dhaniya,Bhurawas etc.

Jakhars today

In the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, the Jakhar clan are mainly landowners.

Distribution in Jhunjhunu district

The Jakhar people are found in following villages in Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan:
Dhamora,
Guda gor ji ka,
Bharunda

Distribution in Sikar district

The Jakhar people are found in following villages in Sikar district in Rajasthan:
badhadar,
bari,
bhadwasi,
bhauj ki dhani,
bhikanwasi,chaukdi,
chudi miyan,dasa ki dhani gokulpura,
gokulpura,
gyanpura,
hardayalpura,
haripura,
Jana Via-Losal,jakhar ki dhani,jakhar ki dhani malikpura,
jankipura,
jerthi,
jetpura,
kasi ka bas,
Katrathal,
laxmangarh,
Mundwara,~ Puranabas
rahanawa,
salwadi,
sankhoo,
sewa,
sikar,
sutot
salamsingh ki dhani
Birodi Badi

Villages in Churu district

Lalgarh,

Distribution in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal district,
Harda district

Distribution In Uttar Pradesh

Meerut district
Villages-Pillona;Khalidpur

Famous Jakhars

*Balram Jakhar - Governor Madhya Pradesh
*Geetika Jakhar - Wrestler
*Ramavtar Singh Jakhar - International Volleyball Player
* Bhanwar Lal Jakhar - Journalist

References