TheJad people are a semi-nomadic tribe living in theGreat Himalayas mountain range in theHimachal Pradesh andUttarakhand states of India. They are primarily settled in the bordering region of Uttarakhand (Uttarkashi district), Himachal Pradesh (Kinnaur district) andTibet. They mainly practiced sheep rearing and were shrewd traders trading with the Tibet. They were also recognised as the rulers of theGartang Garh (one among the 52 Garhs or forts of theGarhwal Kingdom). They were entrusted by the King of Garhwal, with the important strategic task of securing the borders of Garhwal Kingdom from theBushahr kingdom of Himachal and theTibetan Empire.
The language they speak is critically endangered almost endemic to India. The language shares some similarities to theKinnauri andSpiti languages, which are also in theTibeto-Burman language family.[1]
The famous tourist attractionGartang Gali is near their village ofSang, Uttarakhand.
Jadhang village itself and the Jad people living in Jadhang andNelang valley are named after a man named Jadha, who was resettled here in 1849 byBritish adventurerFrederick Wilson. The settlement document of theGarhwal Kingdom, which administered this area, from that era reads,"Wilson invited certain Jadha from the upperPargana ofKunawar inBashahr state (now inHimachal Pradesh) to settle at Nilang, re-establish the hamlet of Jadhang and administered the area on behalf ofMaharaja Bhavani Shah [r. 1859-71 CE]." Wilson also built the Gartang Gali stairway.[2]
As of 2001[update], the Jad people were classified as aScheduled Tribe under theIndian government's reservation program ofpositive discrimination.[1]
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