A History of Agriculture in India v2.c64.s1.9

v2.c64.s1.9

The followers of Nanak were humble workers and peasants. Cobblers, tanners, weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and farmers flocked to him. He freed them from the shackles of the caste-system and gave them social equality. The bulk of his followers were the Jats, the farmers of the Punjab, who are known for their expertise in agriculture. Khushwant Singh states, "The Jat was born the worker and the warrior. He tilled his land with his sword girded round his waist. He fought more battles for the defence of his homestead than the Kshatriya, for unlike the martial Kshatriya the Jat seldom fled from his village when the invaders came. And if the Jat was mal-treated or if his women were molested by the conqueror on his way to Hindustan, he settled his score by looting the invaders' caravans on their return journey and freeing the women he was taking back. The Punjabi Jat developed an attitude of indifference to worldly possessions and an instinct for gambling with his life against odds. At the same time he became conscious of his role in the defence of Hindustan. His brand of patriotism was at once hostile towards the foreigner and benign, even contemptuous, towards his own countrymen whose fate depended so much on his courage and fortitude.¹