Origin of Rajputs
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The Rajputs (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a king") are a community in northern India and Gujarat. While present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat have been the main centers of the Rajputs, their clans have had a long and significant presence in other states. This page examines certain facts regarding the origins of the Rajputs, based on information gathered from inscriptions, copper-plates, contemporary Prashastis and texts.
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[edit] Rajput Origins
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, 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.
[edit] 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 avatara 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 Chauhans (Chahamanas), Solankis (Chalukyas), and Paramaras (Parmars), Rahevars (Rever) clans. The Chauhans at Ajmer in central Rajasthan, the Solankis in Gujarat, and the Paramaras at Mount Abu.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 Chand 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- H.V. Trivedi, "Inscriptions of the Paramaras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghatas and two minor Dynasties", part 2 of the 3-part Vol III of Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, 1974 (published in 1991).
- A.K. Warder "An Introduction to Indian Historiography", Popular Prakashan 1972.
- Thakur Udaynarayan Singh , "Kshatriya Vamshavali" (in Hindi), Khemaraj Shrikrishnadas, 1989.
- Updendra Thakur, ""Some aspects of ancient Indian history and culture", Abhinav Prakashan, 1974.
- R.C. Majumdar, Ed., "The Age of Imperial Kanauj", The history and Culture of the Indian People, Vol. 4, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1955.
