Mewat in
Haryana, lies between 26 degree and 30 degree North latitude and 76 degree and 78 degree
East longitude. It covers a portion of the Indo-Gangetic plain to the West of Yamuna river
and South-West of Delhi, in the Southern part of Haryana and North Eastern part of
Rajasthan.
Mewat - land of the Meos,
has its genesis in its tribal inhabitants, the Meo tribals, who are an agricultural
people.
The area is a distinct ethnic and
socio-cultural tract. The Meos, who trace their roots to the early Aryan invasion of
Northern India, call themselves Kshatriyas and have preserved their social and cultural
traits to a surprisingly large extent, unlike the other tribes of nearby areas.
During the reign of the Tughlak dynasty in
the 14th century A.D., these people embraced Islam but till today, they have maintained
their age-old distinctive ethno-cultural identity.
Historically, the region has been extremely
turbulent and has been subject to repeated invasions and resultant plundering throughout
the post-Vedic period, largely due to the situational peculiarity of the area and the
non-subjugative attitude of the people. The destruction and devastation over the centuries
resulted in backwardness and gross under-development of both the area and its proud
people.
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