--- In INDOLOGY@y..., ymalaiya@y... wrote:
> Lynken Ghose wrote:
>
> > Second of all, can anyone give me some detail about the caste
> >(could we translate "jati" for caste) of the Jats? Can they be
> >classified as farmers and therefore under the Vais'ya varn.a?
>
> The 4-division varna system, for all practical purposes, is
> meaningless today.
>
> Orthodox scholars would say that any community, which has not
> traditionally received the sacred thread, is shudra. However
> most farmers would say that they are kshatriyas.
>
> It has been said that Jats are descendants of the Yadavas.
> There are some Jat jamindar families that claim descent from
> Rajputs. Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, a jat, had wives
> from Rajput hill chief families, suggesting that he was
> accepted as an equal.
>
> There are a few books on the Jat community. I have "History of
Origin
> of Some Clans in India with special reference to Jats" by Mangal
Sen
> Jindal (ISBN 81-85341-08-6). The analysis is perhaps not very
> scholarly, but it is a nice compilation.
>
> Yashwant


There are other ( more thought out ) books and versions too.

See among others :

Jats - the ancient rulers - BS Dahiya, Sterling, New Delhi

The Jats : Origins, antiquities and migrations Dr. Hukam singh Pauria

Jat Ithihaas Thakur Deshraj

Jat Viron ka ithihas _ V S Ahlawat.

and many others.

The Jats did not accept the Varna system or the superiority of
Orthodox Brahminism.

It is also incorrect to make sweeping statements that they are
descendants of Rajputs or Yadhavas.

The above writers trace them and their gotras to antiquity, and there
are considerable arguments as to origins, some think they are
autochons to India, and some trace them from central asia.

The clans names( gotras) of the Jats, Rajputs,are basically the same.

one hypothesis is : that the lower or caste status was assigned by
orthodox writers as a form of denigration for their not accepting the
orthodox hindhuism, when Hinduism as we know is was being revived 7th
8th century.

Those who did so accept , were called Rajputs.

Regards

Ravi Chaudhary