History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c14.12

v1.c14.12

It does not appear that these restrictions were imposed solely because the Jats and Lohanas were troublesome and riotous and committed robberies on the roads as perhaps it might at first sight appear. For the restrictions given above explain at once the meaning of the whole story of this prohibition. It seems that the Jats and the Lohanas claimed to be Kshatriyas and to have all their privileges, viz. wearing the sword, riding a horse, having a red turban while the orthodox Hindu population denied these claims. It is easy to surmise, that during the preceding period of Buddhistic supremacy, many castes had thrown away Vedic practices and rites and had thus forfeited their title to be treated as Dvijas or Aryans. Now we have already seen that the Jats were Vaiśyas of Vedic times, and their occupation was agriculture which was not then exclusively the occupation of the Śūdras. The Lohanas appear to have been originally Kshatriyas, but they had during Buddhistic times become peaceful traders. Yet both must have kept up Kshatriya pretensions as every one naturally desires to raise himself up in social position. As Hinduism now gathered strength, Hindu society began to confirm each caste in the status which it held by its practices. The Jats who were agriculturists and who had lost entire touch with Vedic rites, became Śūdras in public estimation and were confirmed in that position and the Lohanas who now followed trade the profession of Vaiśyas became Vaiśyas in the Hindu view and were therefore confined to that status. Both appear to have practised widow marriage which was repugnant to the orthodox Hindu and the rigid Kshatriyas who did not practise it and this was a further reason in the confirmation of Lohanas as Vaiśyas and the Jats as Śūdras. These two races have still kept up their martial instinct but the historian cannot but observe that the gathering of strength by Hindu orthodoxy led to the demartializing of certain races which had an unfvourable influence on the future course of events.