Kachha

Kachha (काछा) Kachhi (कछी) Kutchi (कछी) gotra Jats are found in Maharashtra. and Gujarat.

Mention by Panini

Kaksha (काक्ष) is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi.

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Kachhi = Cachinna (Pliny.vi.32)

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions Arabia.... There are also the port of Gobœa, the desert islands called Bragæ, the nation of the Thaludæi, the region of Dabanegoris, Mount Orsa, with a harbour, the gulf of Duatus, with numerous islands, Mount Tricoryphos²⁶, the region of Cardaleon, and the islands called Solanades, Cachinna, and that of the Ichthyophagi.

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26 Or the mountain "with the Three Peaks."

History

They are mentioned by Cunningham in an inscription at the Buddhist Stupa of Sanchi of the Ashoka period as under:

No. 114. — Dhama Rakhitasa Kāchhupathasa bhichhuno dānam.

" Gift of Dharma Rakshita, the mendicant monk, of Kātyaprastha."

The Muslim Jats of Kutch are a cattle breeding nomadic Muslim community. They are one of a number of communities of Maldhari pastoral nomads found in the Banni Grasslands Reserve region of Kutch.

The Jat, or Jath in Kutch claim descent from Hindu Jats of the Indus delta region of Sindh, in Pakistan, where a good members of the tribe still reside. Those who remain in Sindh are referred to as the Sindhi Jats. From there, they moved into the Bani region in search of pastorage. With the partition of India, the Jats of Kutch have lost all contact with their kinsmen in Sindh. They appear to be distinct from the Jat community of North India and Pakistan.

The Jats are a Maldhari cattle hearding group, and are mainly distributed in Kutch and Saurashtra region. They have three territorial divisions,

• 1.Halai Jat (found in Jamnagar and Porbandar),
• 2.Verai Jat (Banaskantha District), and
• 3. Kutchi Jat (found in Kutch District).

The Kutchi are further subdivided into the Dhanetah, Girasia and Fakirani, the latter consider themselves superior to the other two, and are strictly endogenous. They are further divided into clans like the Badajang, Podani, Aamar, Vangayi, while the Girasia are divided into the Mudrag, Bhallad and Hallayi. All these clans, except the Fakirani, enjoy equal status. The Saurashtra Jat, known as Malaks, maintain a system of Gotra exogamy.

In Mahabharata

The Mahabharata Tribe - Kaksha (काक्ष)/ (Kaccha) (कच्छ), Both Kaksha and Kaccha are mentioned twice in the 'geography' (VI. 10.47 and 55), and denote the dry grasslands of the Rann of Kutch, being mentioned between Dvaipeya and Samudra niskuta (people living on the sea-shore). Occupied by cowherds, Gopalakaksha.

उपावृश्चानुपावृश्च सुराष्ट्राः केकयास तदा

कुट्टापरान्ता थवैधेयाः काक्षाः सामुथ्र निष्कुटाः (VI. 10.47)

कच्छा गॊपाल कच्छाश च लाङ्गलाः परवल्लकाः

किराता बर्बराः सिथ्धा विथेहास ताम्रलिङ्गकाः (VI. 10.55)

The Mahabharata Tribe - Kaccha (कच्छ) may be identified with present Jat Gotra - Kachha (काछा) who live in Maharashtra.

कच्छ

ठाकुर देशराज लिखते हैं कि बंगला विश्व-कोष में उनके कच्छ में अवस्थित होने का वर्णन है - नागेन्द्रनाथ वसु द्वारा सम्पादित बंगला विश्व-कोष की सातवीं जिल्द में लिखा है -

“कच्छ के जाट सैनिक होते हैं। वह बर्छा अधिक पसन्द करते हैं। अपने सरदार की आज्ञा को मानना अपना कर्तव्य समझते हैं। अपने देश की रक्षा के लिए इन्हीं सरदारों की अध्यक्षता में लड़ने को तत्पर रहते हैं। जाट नौजवान अपने सरदारों के पास सैनिक-शिक्षा पाता है। वे ऊंची भूमि पर बसना पसन्द करते हैं।”

References

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