Johal
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Johal (also known as Jovals, Jauvla, Jauhal Jauhla) is a prominent Jatt family clan originally from from North India. Most of the Johal clan/family members now reside in England, Canada, and United States. They are considered to be one of the most powerful and prominent Sikh families in Europe, Asia, and N. America.
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[edit] History
[edit] Lineage
Johals are direct descendent's of Hepthalites, also known as White Huns. White Huns were a division of the Massagetae, who invaded North India during A.D. 460-470. Thomas Watters (British Acting Consul General in Korea from (1887-1888) [51] writes "----country (North-West of India) was conquered by the Yeta (White Huns), i.e., the Yets or Gats apparently near the end of our fifth century. The Yeta, who were a powerful people in Central Asia, in the fifth century, are also said to have been of the Yue-Chi (Kushan) stock---". The leader of the White Huns called "Toramana" was throned in A.D. 495 and established his capital at Sakala (modern Sialkot, Punjab). According to Inscriptions, the full name of the king was Maharaja ("Great King) Toramana Shaha JAUVLA.
Later, In A.D. 510, Mihirakula succeeded his father as the "Great" king. Sir Cunningham says Jauvla was the name of their tribe or clan. According to him, the name of the Jabuli tribe of the White Huns is still preserved in Zabulistan (land of Jauvla) and their language called "Zauli" also still existed in the tenth century A.D. [45]. Furthermore, White Huns or Jauvla are the direct ancestors of dark-age times Jat clan name called "Jauhla" and modern days "Johals". Jat Sikhs called Johal could be found in several western countries, today.
In A.D. 520 Mihirakula succeeded his father Toramana Jauvla. In turn Mihirakula was succeeded by his son called Ajitanjaya and after the disintegration of their Indian empire the Jauvala or Johals secured for themselves Zabulistan or Jabulistan. It is interesting to note the remarks of Sir Cunningham [45] concerning the reading of a coin of White Huns "But in the two Pahlavi legends of the reverse I read on the left ----and to the right Zaulistan (Jaulistan)". This says it very well that the actual name is "Jaulistan" (land of Jauls or Johals) instead of "Zabulistan".[1]
[edit] Theory of origin
History shows that between the range of 1000 to 3000 years ago (1000 B.C. through 1000 A.D.), Central Asian tribes classified as Indo-Iranian/Indo-European/Indo-Aryan migrated into both Europe and South Asia. These tribal names stayed intact in some places which were settled such as India due to a strong tradition of heritage preservation. (Alternatively, these tribes may have originated from South Asia and spread into Central Asia)[2]
In general the Nordic and Celtic tribes went into Scandinavia and Northern Europe earlier, while the Slavic groups of tribes migrated into Northern Asia. Later on, such tribes as the Scythians, Alans, Sarmatians and the Huns also spread. Germanic tribes, perhaps as related to the Nordic, came latest in contemporary history. The Goths, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, etc. overran the faltering Roman Empire. All of these have presupposed common "Aryan" descent from the original Indo-European inhabitants of Central Asia. Indo-Iranian is the preferred term, as Iran translates literally to 'Aryan' and has the most ancient verifiable civilization of the Aryan groups.
Alexander The Great also introduced Greek influence into the South Asian region at around the same time as the Scythians. It is noteworthy that he skirmished with Scythians along the way (and is reputed to have built the Caspian Gates).
In contemporary scholarship, the Jats of Northern India (found today in the Punjab region of Pakistan and India) are opined to be from the Scythian, Saka, White Hun, Yuezhi, Parthian, Greco-Bactrian migrations/settlements/invasions into the region in the immediate period starting from a few centuries B.C. to a few centuries A.D. The history of the individual tribes would shed more light on their specific ancestry.
Historians, anthropologists, and military leaders alike from the British Empire remarked on the physical, cultural, and linguistic similarity between the Jatts and other Indo-European groups nearby such as the Pashtun of Afghanistan, or the Persians. The caucasian look as it was known at the time, though not predominating through the entire group as it did with the Pashtun or Persians, was common amongst the Jatts.
[edit] Religion
[edit] Sikh Johals
A few of Johals converted to Sikhism during the period of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, during his four journeys. As time passed, more and more converted to Sikhism but Sikhism became a "official" religion of Johals during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Punjab). Most of Johals now-a-days are Sikhs.
[edit] Others
Johals who belong to Anglicanism can be found in Great Britain, and Protestant Johals can be found in Germany, especially in Jutland.
[edit] Prominent Johals
- Darbara Singh-Former Chief Minister,Punjab
- Sardara Singh-Ex Vice Chairman Planning Commission Punjab
- Satwant Singh-IAS Municipal Commissioner,Jalandhar
- Dr. Kuldeep Singh Johal - Doctorate in Plant Pathology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, INDIA, Senior Mycologist, Fremont, California
- Asa Singh - Order of British Columbia, Canadian Billionaire, Chairman of Terminal Sawmill Group, University of British Columbia Board of Governors, Director of BC Children's Hospital
- Narinder Singh - Chairman of West Coast Panthers
- Piara Singh - Lord and Mayor of Leicester, UK
- Surinder K. - Lord and Mayor of Banbury, UK
- Guri - Professor of Plant Pathology, Purdue University
- Malkiat S. - Professor of Chemistry, Pomona College
- Aman - 2006 Young Artist Award Winner
- Sardara Singh - Ex-Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala
- Sal Johal - Professional Photographer for UNICEF
- Sarbjeet Singh - Sr. Software Solutions Architect, EMC Corporation
- Dr. Sukhi - Sr. Researcher at Multidisciplinary Assessment of Technology Centre for Healthcare (MATCH)
- Harjeet Singh - Founder and Chairman of "<5Pounds" Under Five Pounds, Inc., Youngest Millionare in Britain
- Amandeep Singh - Famous Asian Golfer
- Dr. D.S. Johal - President of G.N.D. University
- H.S. Johal - Chairman Planning Board of New Jersey
- Jaswinder Singh - Politician, Liberal Party of Canada
- Gurbux Singh - Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality, UK
- Gurcharan Singh - Mayor, Borough of Ealing, London, UK
- Revinder Kaur - First Woman Magistrate of Department for Constitutional Affairs of England
- Sr. G.S. - Former Production Manager for HEIC
- Sr. K.S. - Former Lead Software Architect for SAP AG
- Dr. M.S. - Professor, Zoology Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
- Dr. Amandeep Singh Johal - Physics:Third Order Elastic Constants, Queen Mary University, London, UK
- Bindy Johal - Canadian
- Amanpreet Kaur - American; surivivor of Mrs. Walkser's AP Chemistry class in MSR.
- Bill Johal - MD of Bee Services UK
[edit] References
- ^ History and Study of the Jats - Dr B.S. Dhillon - Scythians in India. Jatt World (2005-12-31). Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
- ^ Polarity and Temporality of High-Resolution Y-Chromosome Distributions in India Identify Both Indigenous and Exogenous Expansions and Reveal Minor Genetic Influence of Central Asian Pastoralists. The American Journal of Human Genetics (2005-07-26). Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
