Caste mobility - 4

...Another example of upward caste mobility, are the Jats of upper northern India. The Jats are hardy farmers. At present they are landowning people in rural areas but they were not like this earlier. In 8^th and 9^th centuries they were treated as near untouchables. By 12^th century they came to acquire Shudra status. This was also the time of Delhi Sultanate, the Muslim rule in north India. With the advent of Muslim religion almost a third of Jats got converted to Muslim religion. It gave a real boost to Muslim religion and to Jats an occupation of soldiers with the Muslim rulers and also a tiller status with them. It looks like that they really disliked their Shudra status. Instead of improving their status by working with Muslims they chose a direct path of becoming Muslims outright. Now the Jats are dominating community in the Muslim state of Pakistan.

In 8^th century the Jats were ordered by Brahman king (the Brahmans could wield weapons and rule to save the dharma) of Sindh to go barefoot and do all other things applicable to untouchables. This would have reduced the nomadic Jats to the level of untouchables. We know that still in villages the untouchables are required to go barefoot this is an indication of their untouchable status. Had the situation prevailed for a long time say about 100 years or so; the now proud Jats would have become permanently untouchables – the lowest status people. As we know the lawmakers were the lawmakers. But fortunately for them the descent to fifth stratum was prevented by an event. The Muslim invaded the India for the first time. A young Muslim boy attacked the king of Sindh on the instruction of his king. And defeated and killed Brahman king. This was the king who gave the orders for Jats to go barefoot thus reducing them to untouchable level. However after the death of this Brahman king, the Sindh was ruled by Muslims and Jats were avoided the ignominy of going barefoot. They also joined the Kasim army and fought against Brahman king. Had this Brahman dynasty continued for 100 years the Jats would have become permanently untouchables. But the Muslim political interference stopped the logical course of action within a short period of time. The Jats were free again, back to their nomadic ways.....