Jats of Azad Kashmir
The Jat are one largest tribes in the Azad Kashmir, making up the majority of the population of Mirpur District, and forming a large part of the populations of Kotli and Bhimber district. According to the Census of India 1901, the total Jat population of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir was 148,000, of which 123,000 (83%) were Muslim. Most of them resided is areas that now form Azad Kashmir, although there were few villages in the Jammu and Kathua regions, most of whom immigrated to Pakistan.
Jats predominantly reside in the traditional Jat heartlands of Chakswari, Dadyal, the city of Mirpur and the countryside surrounding these areas, which all form part of the Mirpur district which is overwhelmingly Jat. The main Jat villages in or around the city of Mirpur are Ban Khurma, Chitterpury, Balah-Gala, Kalyal, Khambal, Purkhan, Sangot and Thathaal as well as many villages around the Chechian area. The Kotli, Dadyal and Chakswari Jats speak in a broad Pahari dialect, whilst those of Mirpur City and its immediate surrounds speak in a dialect which resembles the Punjabi/Pothwari spoken in the Jhelum area, the Bhimber Jats speak in Pahari dialect influenced by the Punjabi spoken in Gujrat District.
Main clans
The main Jat clans in the State are the:
- Bangial
- Badhan
- Dhamial
- Kalyal
- Kanyal
- Nagyal
- Nathyal
- Rachyal
- Ranyal
- Thathaal
- Mathyals,
- Punyals
- Rupyals
- (Aasar),
- (Manjaal)
- (Kanjal)
- (Karyal)
- Pakhreel
See also
- Muslim Jat of Punjab
- Ethnic groups of Azad Kashmir