The Jad people are a semi-nomadic tribe living in the Great Himalayas mountain range in the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states of India. They are primarily settled in the bordering region of Uttarakhand (Uttarkashi district), Himachal Pradesh (Kinnaur district) and Tibet. They mainly practiced sheep rearing and were shrewd traders trading with the Tibet. They were also recognised as the rulers of the Gartang Garh (one among the 52 Garhs or forts of the Garhwal Kingdom). They were entrusted by the King of Garhwal, with the important strategic task of securing the borders of Garhwal Kingdom from the Bushahr kingdom of Himachal and the Tibetan Empire.
The language they speak is critically endangered almost endemic to India. The language shares some similarities to the Kinnauri and Spiti languages, which are also in the Tibeto-Burman language family.[1]
The famous tourist attraction Gartang Gali is near their village of Sang, Uttarakhand.