| The joos {JEWS} of Kashmir | | | | buried in and around this nomans land which spread on |
| By prof Ghulam Mohyuddin Wani | | | | few hectares,By the time two were gronw up to |
| The BIRTH PALCE | | | | remember the events much of it was grabed by the |
| They were born in a small village ,deep in the | | | | greedy in the area and it was only half of the original |
| Hamaliyan woods.Once only sparrows and quils used | | | | land demarcated there.They remembered the tussel |
| to inhabit .The area had a thick forests around its | | | | between a man who had fortunes and the rest of the |
| upper hilly terrain and the bushes and dense trees | | | | villages on a piece of land . |
| used to appear a woody environment.Early in the | | | | KOEL ANTHROPOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF |
| morning mothers or grand mothers shall wake up their | | | | WORK |
| elder male child to let her be helped to milk their | | | | The village had four sections ,the khawajas or the |
| cows.Thses cows were retained at home ducring the | | | | joos now called as wanis.They were most read and |
| summer when rest of the livestock used to go for | | | | bussinesss persons of the village.They had come from |
| grazing to the high land pastures.T | | | | the village Pattan .The history could not be traced |
| hese cows retained used to be sent to a | | | | whether it was the patten few kms from Srinagar or |
| village grazer generally called DOOMB nor | | | | from the Pattan near Abittabad en route to Gilgit.Quite |
| Ganiaee,who used to graze all left over cows and | | | | often the rest of the tribes of the village used to |
| weak calves who were retained in the village during | | | | tauant us as Jews.It was said we are the forgotten |
| summer.The grazer or the doom used to have a small | | | | tribe of Isreal commonly known as “verlorene |
| hut in the grazing area itself which was a km away | | | | tribe”.I can put forth the genology upto few |
| from the village,Every household used to bring their | | | | generation which I recored in my notes from one of |
| milking cows to the doom every morning where from | | | | the uncle,who had the distinction of obtaining first |
| he will take them to the pastures.There used to be a | | | | division in Matric in those days and it was he who |
| co=lateral villge at the foothills of the mountins | | | | bulit a knowledge center in this village during his early |
| surrounding Koel called Mukam now a separate village | | | | days.The primery school is now high school and a |
| . | | | | block education office with a girls high school is flanking |
| GRAZING OF COWS | | | | it .A few private schools too have come up now. |
| Although my elder brother used to trace | | | | History of joos of koel |
| these animals early in the morning to the grazer ,but | | | | There is historical records of one Fateh joo having |
| later when I was grown up he refused to do so and | | | | migrated to this village koel.Fateh joo had three sons |
| this duty was shielded by me willingly.This was my first | | | | ,namely Salamon joo,Habib joo and Manawar joo.The |
| love with the cows.I remember the cow used to lick | | | | tribe had a grand havali consisiting of 16 bed rooms |
| my hair ,I chirshed it and never knew that it was the | | | | besides kichen,prayer room and cowshed and horse |
| trace of minreals which attacted her to my hair.I was | | | | stables.The family used to bring things like dry |
| very found of nurshing the cows. | | | | ffruits,wool and woollens fron the erstwhile soviet |
| COWS AND QUACK | | | | states,china and sell them in Amritsar.From here they |
| Once my cows felt ill I used to trace | | | | will take jute made garments ,cloth and other materials |
| every known or unknown quack to see them and see | | | | like tea,sugar and others to the Isqardu and Gilgit areas |
| to it they are cured.Many of my cows died in my lap | | | | which were the border districs of the kashmir |
| as when in agony iInever left them alone to die.I knew | | | | state.These khawaias had links with their brotheren in |
| the signs of their parturition much earlier in my school | | | | Srinagar capital .The commercial merchandice used to |
| days and used to watch they do not eat then. | | | | travel in carvans from Amritsar via Jummu TO |
| COWS AND PASTURES | | | | Srinagar and from Srinagar to Bandipure in the big |
| All most each well to do family had one or few | | | | boats and from there to Gilgit by ponies . |
| cows.The intercavling period of a cow was 2years as | | | | DAK BANGLOES AND THE TRAVEL |
| such one or ther cow used to be in the highland | | | | The whole route had well established resthouse which |
| pasture every alternate year from june to | | | | used to be called Dahk Baglow after the british has |
| septmber.This was infact the breeding season for | | | | conqurered the state.The transport was the |
| these cows.They used to gain weight in early weeks | | | | horses.The dynasty of joos or wanis was well net |
| of june –july ,get conceived in August-september to | | | | having a system of arthies at Amritsar and Srinagar |
| deliver a calf somewhere in next april-May.This was | | | | who used to send their merchandice to the Gilgit |
| the season when green fodder in their vegetable | | | | through them.The arthies used to have small |
| gardns or in the vicinity of the hills was available. | | | | resthouses for the incoming business partners near |
| THE GREAT CHINAR AND DEEDBABSAEB | | | | these merchandice stores or godams.The whole route |
| Large chinars around a spring of fresh water | | | | had arrangements for the watering and feeding of |
| used to give a scred appearance.Few centuries ago | | | | horses beside the men.I have witnessed excellent |
| some saint had rested here for few days and prayed | | | | water tight bottles having a jacket inside and a woollen |
| God in isolation.The whole areas gave a inspiring look | | | | cover outside the wooden bottle which was used to |
| even when the two were born .By then a mosque has | | | | have water in the higher ranches and place where |
| been built by the villagers around this shrine called by | | | | perhaps the water was not available or the water |
| as Dedbabsahib. | | | | was impure.If searched in our earstwhile havalies we |
| THE MOSQUE AND THE SHRINE | | | | may find a few such devices even today.I have |
| This was a place where old ladies shall bring omans | | | | preserved a horse back carpet type in my house out |
| and distribute free rice cooked with garlic called as | | | | of many documents and items preserved. |
| taher in the name of God but its distribution was here | | | | DYNASTY OF ANCIENT JOOS IN KASHMIR. |
| underneath a big Chinar tree,All those dead used to be | | | | |