JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="http://ajax.microsoft.com/ajax/jquery.validate/1.7/jquery.validate.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.8.4/themes/ui-lightness/jquery-ui.css">
<table>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <th class='sortable'>click</th>
            <th class='sortable'>click</th>
            <th class='sortable'>click</th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>test​​</td>
            <td>test​​</td>
            <td>test​​</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>test​​</td>
            <td>test​​</td>
            <td>test​​</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

JavaScript

$('th.sortable').click(function() {
    var $th = $(this);
    $th.closest('table').find('td:nth-child(' + ($th.index() + 1) + ')')
        .css('background','yellow');
});