Nagavanshi
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The Nagavanshi dynasty (Sanskrit:नाग वंशी) is one of the Kshatriya dynasties of India. It includes a number of Jats and Rajput clans but is dominant in Kerala. The group of people developed their Vansha according to their system of worship. The worshippers of Nāga were known as Nāgā or Nāgil. The descendants of Nagas were called Nagavanshi.
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[edit] History of Nagavansh
Lal Pradaman Singh has written the history of Nagavansh. He writes that Nāgas were originated from Kashyapa. The Nāgvanshis acquired the status of Devas due to their excellent qualities, behavior and actions. Purānas mention Nāgas along with devas. Purānas mention of many Nāga Kingdoms. In ancient times Nāgas were the rulers of entire India. During their peak period of rule they had sent armies to other countries also conquered them. In many places Indian Nāgas have been mentioned as ruling dynasties such as Tāk, Taxak, Tānak, Tushta etc. Apart from these there were many branches of Nāgas such as Karkotaka Vanshi, Shesha Vanshi, Vāsuki Vanshi, Ahi Vanshi, Manibhadra Vanshi etc. These branches further developed as sub branches such as Sind Vansh, Kushan Vansh, Vaish Vansh and Saindhav Vansh etc.
The group of people developed their Vansha according to their system of worship of Devas and Nāgas. In Devas the worshippers of Indra were known as Aindra, worshippers of Varun as Vārun, worshippers of Mitra as Maitreya or Mitrā, worshippers of Shiva as Shivi or Shaivya, worshippers of Marut as Mārut, worshippers of Gandharva as Gāndharva, worshippers of Shesha as Sheshma, worshippers of Karka as Karkotaka, worshippers of Nāga as Nāgā or Nāgil.
[edit] Nagavanshis in Kerala
The Nagavanshi dynasty also includes the famous warrior group of the Nairs who are also of Naga origin. The Nagavanshi is the Serpent dynasty. Serpents were worshipped by many castes in Kerala probably indicating the native Keralite origins of various Nair sub-castes.
[edit] Serpent worhship
The serpent worhship is one of the main religious practices in coastal Karnataka and Kerala, along with goddess(Bhagavathi, Korati, Kali, Bhadrakali) worhship and spirit worship where the declared lower castes and tribes took part in the past. In fact, you could find priests who could be some kind of Shamans from these communities for these worships. This could be contrasted with other Hindu Siva, Vishnu worships where the priests are exclusively Brahmins and in fact, many of these castes were barred from being part of it.
The Pullavar community was responsible for the ritualistic dance known as Sarpam Tullal during this worship. The similar dance known as Nagamandala was performed by a community called Baidya which was part of Billavas in coastal Karnataka.
[edit] Naga dynasties of Jats
According to historian RS Joon, Nagas had a number of ruling dynasties such as Takshak Nag, Bachak Nag, Kilkil Nag, Karkotaka, Kaliramna etc all of which are Jat gotras. Mathura, Padmavati and Kantipur were capitals of Naga dynasty. Nagas of Padmavati were called Taank, which is also a Jat gotra, and are found in 24 villages near Sonipat.
In chapter 29 of "India of the Dark Ages" the ancestor of Tanks is mentioned as Raja Gajvkatra. In chapter 42 of the same book it is mentioned that Malla Jat Republic extended from Eastern Punjab to the Ganga and Yodhya republic extended into Rajasthan. Nagpur belonged to the Nagas. Nagar Brahmins also originated from there.
The Pauranic prejudice in the story is understandable. The Jats who followed Buddhism were considered renegades and those who adopted Vaishnavism became staunch Hindus.
Naga gotra (clan) of Jats are found in Nagaur and Sikar districts of Rajasthan and Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh. The villages inhabited by Naga Jats in Sikar district are - Dujod, Kanwarpura, Rampura, Sikar. In Madhya Pradesh Naga Jats are found in Badwah and Khargone.
[edit] Genealogy of Nāga kshatriyas
The list of rulers in the genealogy of Nāga kshatriyas, as provided by Kishori Lal Faujdar, is as under:
Shesha, Vāsuki, Arāwati, Taxak,Tonk, Karkotak, Dhananjay, Kāliya, Manināth, Āyūraṇa (Pauniya), Pinjarak, Alāwat, Vāman, Nīl, Anīl, Kalmāsha, Shabal, Āryak, Ugrak Kalash, Pok, Sumand, Dīghamukh, Nimal Pindak, Shankh, Bāl Shiv, Vishtāvak, Imeguh, Nahusha, Pingala, Bahya Varṇa, Hastipad, Mundar, Pindak, Karal, Ashwatar, Kālīshak, Pahal, Tūn Danvartak, Shankhamukh, Kushmāndak, semak, Chindārak, Karvīr, Pushpadand, Vilvak, Pāndhūr, Mūshakād, Shankhasirā, Pūrṇāmadra, Haridrak, Aparājit, Jotik, Pannag, Srāvah, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra, Shankhapind, Virjā, Suvahu, Shālipind, Haritpind, Pithrak, Sumukh, Koṇaya Dashan, Kuthar, Kunjar, Prabhākar, Kusad, Halak, Kumudāksha, Tittar, Mahāsarp, Kadanm, Bahumūlak, Karkar, Kundaudar, Mahodara, Nambiar.
[edit] Nagavanshi kings in Mahabharata
Mahabharata counts following more Naga clans – Ahi, Shivatra, (Khet) Ashit, Serbhak, Sevridha, Astin, Kantat, Spaj, Anat, Kulik, Shankhapāl, Darvī, Achāswa, Ajgar, Āligī, Vilagī, Orīvisha, Karikrat, Kasṇīnla, Tirashcha Raji, Naimarat, Prīdākū, Prīdāmī, Rajju, Lohitāhī, Ratharvī, Vāhas, Serbhā.
The Nagavanshi kings had a symbol of Naga or serpent on their coins and flags. The coins of Nagavanshi rulers are still found at village Āhār in Bulandshar district in Uttar Pradesh. These coins depict symbols of Nagas on them. There is mention of Nagas in Mahabharata in a story in which Duryodan poisoned Bhima to kill and threw into Ganga River. When he was foating inriver he reached village Āhār where the Nagavanshi rulers took him out from Ganga River and gave treatment to cure. After treatment he was sent to Hastinapur.
Arjuna, the son of Pandu, was married to Nagavanshi princess Ulupi. This finds mention in Mahabharata. See also
[edit] References
- Lal Pradaman Singh: The history of Nagavansh.
- Kishori Lal Faujdar: Uttar Pradesh ke Madhyakalin Jatvansh aur Rajya, Jat Samaj, Monthly Magazine, Agra, September-October 1999.
- Ram Swarup Joon: History of the Jats, Rohtak, India (1938, 1967)
