Bharhaich
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Barhaich or Varaich or " Baraich " is a gotra of Jats / Rajputs found in Rajasthan and Punjab in India.
These people came to be known as Bharhaich because they lived and ruled in Bharoch. According to Epigraphica Indica, Volume I, page29, a rock inscription Chamak Harsati Balaghat mentions that the Bharhaich Jats performed 10 Ashwamedha Yagnyas and, constructed 10 ghats in Banaras (now Varanasi)
According to Sir Denzil Ibbeston ( Census of the Punjab published in 1883 ) Reprinted as " Punjab Castes " page 70 , " The Baraich sprung from Jewish Descent " . furthermore the Tribe moved further east towards Punjab planes in times of Ghazni and settled in Present day Gujarat .
At present these Baraich are settled in Punjab. Further information on the Jewish Link can be found on http://www.jewishgen.org/galicia/surdex/si_bp.htm
According, to coins and copper plates found near village Janghat of Farrukhabad and various places in the Punjab, details of which are available in " India in the Cauvery" and "District Inscriptions in the Central Provinces of India".
These Jats / Rajputs ruled over Shergarh, they also ruled over Nagaur and other cites till 275 AD.
Inscriptions of their times are in Sanskrit.
According to Xuanzang, they lived in the Northwest parts of India as independent rulers and their religion was Buddhism.
In or about the 10th century A.D. they moved down to the river Jhelum in large numbers and settled down there. Till the 13th century AD they continued to fight with the Gakhar, Janjoha and the Gujars. Even to day they occupy a very compact area comprising 360 villages in a region called Jatat.
In the days of Feroz Shah Tughlaq a leader of these Jats named Heriya, joined Islam. A village founded by him is known as Hariyawala. After him all the Jats of this gotra joined Islam. Sagarh and Mard gotras are branches of this gotra.
[edit] References
- Ram Swaroop Joon: History of Jats, India
