Antal

For people named Antal, see Antal (surname).

Antal (also Andhak, Aundh, or Anlak), known in classical writings as the Amateans ( /ˌæməˈtiːənz/) or Antixenes ( /ˌæntɨˈziːniːz/), is a gotra of Jats found in India.

History and origin

The Jat historian Thakur Deshraj identifies them with the amatae people of Sindh described by Megasthenes.

The leading figure of the twelve major Alvar poets of the Srivaisnavas is the female mystic saint Antal. Antal (literally "she who rules"), who is regarded by her disciples as a goddess, composed a number of devotional hymns addressed to Krishna, peppered with strains of strong social protest against the oppression of women and the lower castes. These hymns form the core of Srivaisnava liturgy. Because of the central role of Antal in the development of the Srivaisnava community, the sect accords a status to women that is markedly different from that of classical Brahminism.

Distribution

Antal jats mainly hail from villages Ali Pur Jattan, Balana, Chaur Mastpur, Lautan (Khurchanpur), Naneola, Ghiserpadi, Ratangarh in Kurukshetra District; Makhmailpur, Alipur, Khalaspur, Sular, Pur (Mandi), Hadana, Majauli in Patiala District and Soonkh in Ropar District, Punjab.