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Sakastan or Sakaistan or Sakasthan is a term indicating certain regions of the Indian subcontinent where the Scythians or Sakas settled around 100 BC. Sakastan region includes southern Afghanistan; Punjab, NWFP, and Sindh provinces of Pakistan; also includes Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab states of India. The use of the term Sakistan is a restrictive term, most likely of relatively recent origin, and does not find mention in any of the creditable historical accounts concerning the Indian subcontinent.
The Rajputs are considered to be descendents of Scythians who were a branch of the Indo-European Sakas, who migrated from southern Siberia into Bactria, Sogdiana, Kashmir and finally into Arachosia and then to various regions of the Indian subcontinet from the middle of the 2nd century BC to the 1st century BC. The Sakas also settled in areas of southern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, still called after them as Sakastan. The Sakas conquered and settled in the Indian subcontinent around 180 BC. They were accepted in Hinduism as Raj-put (children of the kings) caste of Kashatriyas after their support of Hindu crusade against Buddhism
Based on coins, inscriptions, archeology and early Indian/Buddhist/Chinese/Greek/Persian manuscripts dating back to 500 BC, historians and ethnographers since the 19th century (e.g. Cunningham, Tod, Rapson, Ibbetson, Elliot, Ephilstone, Dahiya, Dhillon, Banerjea, Sharma, Sinha, Puniya etc.) have shown that the traditional agrarian and artisan communities of the entire northwest (e.g. Jats, Gujars, Tarkhans, Khatris, Ghakkars, Rajputs, Awans, Khambos, Lohars, Yadavs, Ahirs, Meos, etc. including various BC groups) are descended from Scythian (or Saka) tribes of central Asia (an aggressive and expansionist old Iranian speaking culture) who settled western and north-western South Asia in successive waves between 5th century B.C. and 1st century AD. The capital-lion Saka inscriptions at Peshawar and Mathura state "Sarvasa Sakasthanasa puyae" (for the merit of the people of Sakasthana). Inscriptions and coins mentioning `Sakastan' are found all over the Saka core region of Rajasthan-Gujarat and surrounding tracts.
Ethnological information collected in colonial censuses shows that the majority (+65%) of the population of the west ("Sakasthan" including Rajasthan, Gujarat, northern Maharashtra, Punjab and western UP) is of Saka origin. Terms like "Sakasthana" and "Saka" appear on ancient Saka inscriptions and coins found as far as Mathura, Ujjain and Vidharba in western UP (former United Provinces), western MP (Malwa) and Maharashtra, respectively. Other major Saka cities and centers include Jodhpur, Jaipur, Sialkot, Jalandar, Taxila, Moga, Ropar, Patiala, Batinda, Peshawar, Kabul. Peshawar and Mathura were the twin capital of the Kushana Sakas.
The Sakas have left their deep imprint on the ethnic composition, ethos, cultural heritage, political institutions, social customs, dress, kinship patterns, folk dances and cuisine of the Punjab and other provinces of Sakasthan. These include : democratic-republican political systems and institutions, elected panchayat, sarpanch, thok, khaap, sarva khaap; kurta-pajama, uchkin, turban, salwar-kameez, ghagra; bhangra, giddha, dhol, tumbi, thadi-jathas; diet based on wheat, meat, onions, sour-milk (lassi), liqor; an ethos and tradition showing a high affinity for self-sacrifice and heroism, a strong sense of self-honor (ankh) and independence, strong work-ethic; a secular, unorthodox, mystical and humanistic outlook towards religion and spirituality, etc.
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