who are jaiswal jain and their gotras

Jaiswal Jains are a Jain trading community of North India.

• They are mainly found around the Agra–Gwalior–Bundelkhand belt.
• “Jaiswal” is generally taken as “people from Jayas/Jais (Jayaswal → Jaiswal)”, a historical region/place.
• Most Jaiswal Jains traditionally follow Digambar Jain practice, though in some areas you may also find Shwetambar families using the Jaiswal surname.

Gotras of Jaiswal Jains

There is no single fixed or universal “Jaiswal Jain gotra list” for all regions. Important points:

1. Gotra is clan/lineage, used mainly to regulate marriage (no marriage in the same gotra, like brother–sister).
2. Among Digambar Jains (including many Jaiswals), gotra lists differ by:

- Region (e.g. Gwalior side vs. Uttar Pradesh vs. other cities) - Local samaj / community records

1. Some lineages count 84 gotras, some use smaller traditional sets, but the names and number vary.
2. Because of this variation, to know your exact gotra you must check:

- Your family elders - Old marriage lagna-patra / pedigree records - Community/samaj register (Jaiswal Jain Samaj of your city)

So:

• “Who are Jaiswal Jains?” → A North Indian Jain community, mainly merchant/vaishya background, linked with the region called Jayas/Jais, largely Digambar.
• “What are their gotras?” → Many different gotras exist, but there is no single, standard Jaiswal-Jain gotra list valid for everyone; it is specific to each regional samaj and family tradition.

You can read a brief explanation about Digambar Jaiswal Jain gotras here