Kshatriya Rajput

Rajput Chivalry

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Hunnic(huns) Cavalry, 1870s engraving after a drawing by Johann Nepomuk Geiger (1805-1880).

The chivalry of the Rajput and the influence of the fair in the formation of rajput character is depicted here. It is taken from the annals of Jaisalmer, the most remote of the States of Rajasthan, and situated in the heart of the desert, of which it is an oasis.

Rao Raningdeo Bhati was lord of Pugal, a fief of Jaisalmer. His heir, named Sadhu Bhati, was the terror of the desert, carrying his raids even to the valley of the Indus, and on the east to Nagore. Returning from a foray, with a train of captured camels and horses he passed by Aurint where dwelt Manik Rao, the chief of the Mohils, whose rule extended over 1140 villages.

Being invited to partake of the hospitality or the Mohil, the heir of Pugal attracted the favourable regards of the old chieftain's daughter. She loved him for the dangers he had passed. Although betrothed to the heir of the Rathore of Mundore, she signified her wish to renounce the throne to be the bride of the chieftain of Pugal; and in spite of the dangers he provoked, and contrary to the Mohil chief's advice, Sadhu, as a gallant rajput, dared not reject the overture, and he promised "to accept the coco (Sriphala)" if sent in form to Pugal. In due time it came, and the nuptials were solemnized at Aurint. The dower was splendid; gems of high price, vessels of gold and silver, a golden bull, and a train of thirteen dewadharis (lamp holders).

Arankanwal (Aranya means forest in Sanskrit, Kamal is Lotus), the slighted heir of Mandore, determined on revenge, and with four thousand Rathores planted himself in the path of Sadhu's return, aided by the Sankhla Mehraj, whose son Sadhu had slain. Though entreated to add four thousand Mohils to his escort, Sadhu deemed his own gallant band of seven hundred Bhatis sufficient to convey his bride to his desert abode, and with difficulty accepted fifty, led by Meghraj, the brother of the bride. The rivals encountered at Chondan, where Sadhu had halted to repose; but the brave Rathore scorned the advantage of numbers, and a series of single combats ensued, with all the forms of chivalry. The first who entered the lists was Jeytanga, of the Pahoo clan, a kin of Sadhu. The Rathores came upon him by surprise while he was reposing on the ground, his saddle-cloth for his couch, and the bridle of his steed twisted round his arm. He was soon recognized by the Sankhla, who had often encountered his prowess, on which he expatiated to Arankanwal, who sent an attendant to awake him; but the gallant Panchkalyan (for such was the name of his steed. Panchkalyan is a chestnut with four white legs and a white nose) had already performed this service, and they found him upbraiding white legs for treading upon him.

Like a true Rajput, Jeytanga received the hostile message, and sent the envoy back with his compliments, and a request for some amal or Opium, as he had lost his own supply. With all courtesy this was sent, and prepared by the domestics of his antagonist; after taking which he lay down to enjoy the customary siesta. As soon as he awoke, he prepared for the combat, girt on his armour, and having reminded Panch Kalyan of the fields he had won, and telling him to bear him well that day, he mounted and advanced.

The son of Chonda, Arankanwal, admiring his sangfroid, and the address with which he guided his steed, commanded Jodha Chauhan, the leader of his party, to encounter the Pahu Bhati. "Their two-edged swords soon clashed in combat"; but the gigantic Chauhan fell beneath the Bhati, who, warmed with the fight, plunged amidst his foes, encountering all he deemed worthy of his assault.

The fray thus begun, single combats and actions of equal parties followed, the rivals looking on. At length Sadhu mounted: twice he charged the Rathore ranks, carrying death on his lance; each time he returned for the applause of his bride, who beheld the battle from her palki (palanquin). Six hundred of his foes had fallen, and nearly half his own warriors. He bade her a last adieu, while she exhorted him to the fight, saying, "she would witness his deeds, and if he fell, would follow him even in death." Now he singled out his rival Arankanwal who was alike eager to end the strife and blot out his disgrace in his blood. They met: some seconds were lost in a courteous contention, each yielding to his rival the first blow, at length dealt out by Sadhu on the neck of the disappointed Rathore. It was returned with the rapidity of lightning, and the daughter of the Mohil saw the steel descend on the head of her lover. Both fell prostrate to the earth: but Sadhu's soul had sped; the Rathore had only swooned.

With the fall of the leaders the battle ceased; and the fair cause of strife, Karamdevi, at once a virgin, a wife, and a widow, prepared to follow her affianced. The pile was prepared on the field of battle; and taking her lord in her embrace, she gave herself up to the devouring flames. The old Bhati, Rao of Pugal, had a tank excavated on this spot for her putravadhu (daughter-in-law), which is still called after the heroine, "the lake of Karamdevi." This encounter took place in Samvat 1402, A.D. 1406. The brunt of the battle fell on the Sankhlas, and only twenty-five out of three hundred and fifty left the field with their leader, Mehraj, himself severely wounded. The rejected Lover had four brothers dangerously hurt; and in six months the wounds of Arankanwal opened afresh and he died, and the rites to the manes of these rivals in love, the chaumasa of Sadhu, and the duadasa of Arankanwal were celebrated on the same day.

Predominantly consisted of cavalry. They bred high quality horses, such as Marwari and Kathiawari. Rajputs fought with cocked wrist and rarely used the tip of the sword to inflict a wound. Sirohi sword was very well liked by rajput. Padmanabh, in his Kanhadade-Prabandh, describes Rajput warriors: They bathed the horses in the sacred water of Ganga. Then they offered them Kamal Puja. On their backs they put with sandal the impressions of their hands... They put over them five types of armour, namely, war armour, saddles acting as armour, armour in the form of plates, steel armour, and armour woven out of cotton. Now what was the type of Kshatriyas who rode these horses? Those, who were above twenty-five and less than fifty in age,... shot arrows with speed and were the most heroic. (Their) moustaches went up to their ears, and beards reached the navel. They were liberal and warlike. Their thoughts were good ... They regarded wives of others as their sisters. They stood firm in battle, and struck after first challenging the enemy. They died after having killed first. They donned and used (all the) sixty-six weapons. If any one (of the enemy ranks) fell down they regarded the fallen person as a corpse and saluted it.

Early Paramara Chronology

949 AD: First known Paramara copperplate found at Harsola. Mentions Paramara Siyaka as a feudatory of Rashtrakuta Akalavarsha. It mentions the Paramaras as being of the same clan (kula) as the Rashtrakutas.
975, 986 AD: Vakpati Munja assumes Rashtrakuta name Amoghavarsha and titles Srivallabha and Prathvivallabha, indicating that he regarded himself as being a successor of the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta.

Thus, there is no mention of the Agnikunda legend in the early records; the Paramaras appear as a branch of Rashtrakutas, as proposed by D.C. Ganguli.

Chronology: Gradual Evolution of the Myth

1005 AD: Padmagupta writes the fictional Navasahasanka-charita during the rule of the Parmar king Sindhuraj (c.995-1055) of Dhara. This is the first mention of the legend wherein the first Paramara is created from an Agnikinda by Vashista.
1000-1055 AD: Bhoja: no mention of Agnikunda in his copperplates or inscriptions.
1042 AD: Vasantgarh inscription mentiones Paramara origin from Agnikunda.
1070-1093 AD: Udayaditya, Udayapur prashasti mentions Paramara origin from Agnikunda.
uncertain date: The Prathviraj Raso is composed, the oldest copies of which do not mention the Agnikunda legend. It is attributed to poet Chanderbardai who lived during the rule of Prithviraj Chauhan (1165 to 1192), however the language of available manuscripts appears to be much more recent.
Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazl (1551-1602) mentions creation of a Dhanji from an Agnikunda, somewhere in the Deccan, to fight Buddhism. That fire-born warrior goes to Malava (Malwa) and establishes his rule. When Puraraj, fifth in line from him, dies childless, a Paramara is selected to succeed him.
16th-17th century: Agnikunda legend inserted into the Prithviraj Raso, where three clans, Pratihar, Chalukya and Panwar, are mentions as having been created from the Agnikunda. The legend is not present in the Udaipur manuscript of 1585 CE.
Uncertain date: Agnikunda legend in Bhavishya Purana. It mentions four clans: Paramara, Chauhan, Chalukya and Parihara, as having been created from fire to annihilate the Buddhists during the time of Ashoka.
1832 AD: James Tod presents his theory that the Agnikunda legend symbolizes the elevation of Sakas, Hunas etc. to the status of being Kshattriyas; by implication, all the Rajaputs are descendants of central Asian invaders.
1954 AD: Tod's view is repeated by A. L. Basham in his "The wonder that was India". By now, the view becomes accepted.
One version of the story of Agni kula origins is that four warriors, Agnikul, Yadaukul, Suryakul and Odak, whose names are given to the Rajput clans, sprang from the sacred fire (Agni-kunda) in a ceremony performed by Sage Vashishtha near Mount Abu. Sage Vashishta undertook this Yagya to develop warriors who could help the ordinary mortals against the demons.

There is another myth which states Rajputs were descendants of Rishabh, the founding Jain Tirthankara.

Rajputs reside mainly in northern, western, eastern and central states of India. Rajasthan, which has a very high concentration of Rajputs, is located in northwestern India, near the Khyber Pass route used by most foreign invasions of India, including the Arabs, Afghans, Turks, Mughals, and other Islamic invaders of the Middle Ages. In his New History of India, Stanley Wolpert wrote "The Rajputs were the vanguard of Hindu India in the face of the Islamic onslaught." Rajputs live in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra.

Social hierarchy

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Rajputs supported Brahmins as scholars and priests. However, Rajputs had their own family priests, known as the Purohits. Some scions of noble Rajput families would officiate themselves as priests in their Hindu temples.The Bargujar and Gaur Brahmins(the highest catogory of Brahmins), were considered equal in status ,and have common roots, as per Ibbetson. Other example, the Sisodia kings of Mewar considered themselves as the regents of the Eklingji, a manifestation of Shiva, and serve as the high priest of the deity as well as ruler of the state. Rajput is a name employed in two ways: to indicate members of the Ksatriya (warrior) Hindu caste; ; to denote particularly inhabitants of Rajputana (roughly corresponding to the Indian province of Rajasthan). From the 7th to the 12th centuries Rajput chiefs ruled much of northern and western India until they were subdued by Muslim invaders c. ad 1200. Under the Mughals a modus vivendi was struck and many Hindu Rajputs served in the Mughal army. Rajputs were recruited to the East India Company's sepoy forces as infantry and cavalry from an early period and Rajputs (and Brahmins) from Bihar and Oudh, because of their fine physique, became the principal recruits sought by the Bengal army prior to the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Many were also recruited by the Bombay army. After the mutiny the emphasis shifted away from these traditional sources of recruits towards the Punjab but Rajputs were still recruited, especially those from the Himalayan region, notably the Garhwal, Kumaon, and Dogra hills. The hillmen usually found their way into the 17th Dogra Regiment, the 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles, the 19th Hyderabad (Kumaon) Regiment, and into Dogra companies in Punjabi regiments. Rajputs from Rajasthan usually entered the 6th Rajputana Regiment (which included battalions from the old Bombay army) and the 7th Rajput Regiment (which also recruited in the traditional areas of Bihar and Oudh and which embraced the debris of many of the regiments of the old Bengal army). Recruitment was conducted with great care: the Dogra recruitment handbook lists 420 subdivisions of Rajputs suitable for recruitment ranked in four grades. Many Rajputs also served in the armies of princely states; cavalrymen from these forces served with the British and Indian army forces in many campaigns, especially during the two world wars.

The Rajput Rule of India

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Rajput kings are mainly remembered as warriors and as influential rulers. They also played an important role in the emergence of modern-day society in northern India. Rajput rulers were also prolific builders of beautiful palaces. Archaeological evidence and contemporary texts suggest that the Indian society had achieved significant prosperity during the Rajput rule. Most of the archaeological remains in several regions of the Indian subcontinent are from the Rajput period.

It was also a period of spread of literacy. Numerous inscriptions from this period have been found. A significant fraction of them are by people who were unaffiliated with the nobles, suggesting that education was spreading among the common people. The literature composed in this period is in Sanskrit and in Apabhramshas which constitutes a large segment of the classical Indian literature. The Paramara king Bhoj of Dhara was not only a patron of scholars, but was himself a distinguished and prolific scholar. His Samarangana-sutradhara deals with architecture and Raja-Martanda is a famous commentary on Yoga-sutra. The intermarriage among the Rajput clans interlinked different regions of India, making it easier for the trade and scholarship to flow from one part of the country to another. Rajput kings were very secular in character and permitted all faiths to flourish in their domains. Rajputs practice Vedic, Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakti and occasionally Jain traditions; they supported Buddhists, Zoroastrians and Sufi traditions as well. The vast majority of Rajputs practice Hinduism. There are some Rajputs who follow the Sikh panth, and they often intermarry with Hindu Rajputs even today.

Rajput Shakha(Clan Tree)

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Suryavanshi Rajput kula, Rathore, is divided into these shakha: Dhandhul, Bhadail, Khokra, Jodha etc; Similarly Guhilote cula is subdivided into these shakha: Aharya (at Doongarpur), Sisodiya (at Mewar), Peeparra (at Marwar), etc.

Each shakha has its Gotra Acharya, a genealogical creed, describing the essential peculiarities, religious tenets and pristine locale of the clan. It is a touchstone of affinities and guardian of the laws of intermarriage.

Rathore Gotra Acharya -- Gautam gotra, Mardwunduni Shakha, Shukra-Acharya Guru, Garroopata Agni, Pankhini Devi. Parihar Gotra Acharya -- Kaushal gotra.

These twelve of 36 clans of rajputs further subdivide:

Gehlote, Parmara, Chauhan, Solanki, Rathore, Tanwar/ Tomar/ Tuar, Bargujar, Parihaar,chib Jhala, Yadu, Katchwaha, Gor.

Rest of the 24 clans are 'Eka' and do not divide further:

Sengar, Balla, Khurwur, Chawura, Dahima, Dahiya, Byce, Gherwal, Nikumpa, Dewut, Johya, Sikerwar, Dabia, Doda, Mori, Mokarra, Abhirra, Kalchoruk, Agnipala, Aswariya, Hool, Manutwal, Mallia and Chhahil, .

Origin of rajput

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The Rajputs (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a king") are a community in subcontinent. ^[1] While present-day Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been the main centers of the Rajputs, their clans have had a long and significant presence in other states. Rajputs are the major Hindu caste present in Madhya Pradesh. Their dominance exists in Bihar, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Gujrat as well. This page examines certain facts regarding the origins of the Rajputs, based on information gathered from
inscriptions, copper-plates, contemporary Prashastis and texts.

Bhagwan Ram and Lakshmana are referred to as Rajaputra in Ramayana. Bhagwan Buddha was also referred to as Rajaputra in Buddhist texts. The first Rajputs kingdoms are attested in the 6th century, and the Rajputs rose to prominence in Indian history in the ninth and tenth centuries. ^[2] Threre is no mentioning of rajputs in ancient books.The rajput clan system and the traditional view of their origins is elaborated upon in Rajput clans while other hypotheses, ascribing to them a Scythian (Saka/Huna/Avars//Gurjar)and Kushans origin who came to India and settled here.Later, they entirely mixed themselves in the Indian society and almost lost their individuality. ^[3]

Abhimanyu's son Parikshit is called Rajaputra in Bhagvat Purana. Rajaputras have also been referred to in Kautilya's (350-283 B.C) Arthashashtra, Kalidasa's (1st century B.C) Malvikagnimitra, Asvaghosha's (80-150 A.D.) Saundarananda, Banbhatta's (7th century A.D.) Harshacharita and Kadambari and Kalhana's (12th century A.D.) Rajatarangini. Damodarpur copper-plate inscription of Kumaragupta III (533 A.D) records that the Governor of Bhukti of Pundravardhana, Rajaputra-Dev-Bhattaraka, was a son of the emperor, bearing the title Uparika Maharaja and 'rendering his homage to the king'. Rajputra are also mentioned in Sumandala Copper Plate inscription of Prithvigraha, Gupta era (570 A.D). There are Rajputra references in many Licchavi inscriptions (Recorded in D.R. Regimi's, Inscriptions of Ancient Nepal, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 0-391-02559-7). Rajputra Vajraratha, Babharuvarma, and Deshavarma are mentioned in the inscriptions of Sikubahi (Shankhamul) which describe the reigns of Licchavi kings Gangadeva (567-573 A.D) and Amshuvarma (605-621 A.D) respectively. The inscriptions of Sanga mentions the name of Rajputra Vikramasena, Gnoli inscription mentions Rajaputra Jayadeva, inscription of Deopatan mentions Rajputra Shurasena, and the inscriptions of Adeshwar mentions the Rajaputras Nandavarma, Jishnuvarma and Bhimavarma.

In 606 A.D. King Harshavardhana of Kannauj was crowned as Rajaputra Siladitya. Following excerpt from Page 146, of Advanced History of India written by R.C. Majumdar, H.C. Raychaudhuri, and Kaukinkar Datta, ISBN 0333 90298 X:

It is however, certain that Harsha found himself at the head of the kingdom of his brother as well as that of his brother-in-law. But he contended himself at first with the modest title of Rajaputra Siladitya. Apshad inscription of Adityasena (8th century A.D) mentions Madhavagupta who is identical with Madhavgupta, the Malawa Rajaputra of Bana's Harshacharita. Nadol Plates of 1161 A.D. mention Rajaputra Kirtipal, the progenitor of Songara (Svarnagiri) Chauhan dynasty of Jalore. Delhi Shivalik Pillar inscription, dating to A.D. 1163 of Chauhan King Virgharaj IV (Bisaldev) refers to his Mahamantri (Chief Minister) as Rajaputra Sallakshanpal.

The Rajputs did not originate as a tribe or a single community. They emerge from history as a collection of clans ruling different regions. The term Rajput as it is used today refers to the set of intermarrying royal clans. Two lists of 36 clans are found in Kumarpala Charita and the Prithviraj Raso compiled in Rajasthan region. Some of these clans are still quite well known (Parmara, Rever, Chalukya, Parihar, Chauhan, Rathore, Rawat, Thakore), some others are not as common (Gohil, Chapotkat, Kalchuri etc), while yet other names are hard to identify; apparently, with the loss of their domains and status, they dropped out of history. Any speculations as to the origins of the Rajputs has to be presaged with the caveat that in general, no single origin-theory can be held to be authoritative. The traditional occupations of the Rajput are war and agriculture. Many scholars have pointed out that these areas lend themselves uniquely to the ingress of groups that were not formerly affiliated with those professions. The gradual accommodation of the new entrants into the social and family circle of the traditional community is the essential quid pro quo of the sanskritization that the aspirant community essays. This phenomenon of gradual inclusion has indubitably obtained in the case of the Rajputs.

2. The Agni-kunda Legend

The Agni-kunda legend is the best-known traditional account that deals with the origin of the rajputs. This account begins with the puranic legend wherein the traditional kshatriyas of the land were exterminated by Parashurama, an avatar of Vishnu. Later, sage Vasishta performed a great Yagya or fire-sacrifice, to seek from the gods a provision for the defense of righteousness on earth. In answer to his prayer, one or more youths arose from the very flames of the sacrificial fire, according to different versions of the legend.

Sometime during 16-17th century, the legend came to be applied to the Parihars (Gurjar Pratihaar), Chauhans (Chahamanas), , Jadouns Solankis (Chalukyas), and Paramaras (Parmars) clans. The Parihar at Kannauj, Chauhans at Ajmer in central Rajasthan, the Solankis in Gujarat, and the Paramaras at Mount Abu.

3. Evolution of the legend

A large number of inscriptions and texts have come to light since the mid-19th century that allow us to trace the evolution of this legend in detail.

The Agnikunda story is first found in the Nava-sahasanka-charita by Padmagupta, a fictional romance where the hero is identifiable as Sindhuraja, the patron of the author Padmagupta. This work mentions that the progenitor of the Paramaras was created from fire by sage Vashishtha. During the period of decline of the Paramaras of Dhar, the story finds mention in several royal inscriptions. Later, the story is expanded to include two or three other Rajput clans. Eventually, some scholars proposed that all of the Rajputs were created from the Agnikunda.

4. Suryavanshi

Suryavanshi rajputs trace their lineage to the Vedic Sun - Surya. Lord Rama was also born in this lineage. Suryavanshi rajputs ruled over Mewar, Marwar, Amber, etc. Bargujar rajputs, a suryavansh lineage once ruled the entire rajasthan then called gujardes, this made their clan named after it. later in history the territory of jaipur was ruled by Bargujar rajputs. The Jhalas ruled much of north western Rajasthan ,Gujarat,and united province

5. Chandravanshi

Somvanshi/Chandravanshi rajputs descended from Som (the vedic deity Soma or Moon). Chandravanshi are from the same line which bifurcated at King Yadu when his father banished him from becoming the king. Gujarat, Jaisalmer was ruled by Chandravanshi rajputs, Lord Krishna belongs to this clan.

6. Agnivanshi

Agnivanshi rajputs have a mythological belief that they originated from fire. Bundi, Kotah, Jalore, Sirohi, Delhi were ruled by Agnivanshi rajputs. In reality Agnivanshi rajputs are also a sub-division of Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi rajputs.

Each vansha is divided into many cula and each cula is further divided into many shakha.