Rajput
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Rajput (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a king") is a Caste among Hindus in India, Pakistan and Nepal. They claim descent from the ancient royal warrior dynasties of Kshatriyas in India and have roots to Rajputana,Which is known as Rajasthan after formation of this state in independent India.They are numerous in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Delhi in India. In Pakistan, Rajputs are found in Punjab, North West Frontier Province, and Sindh. Within the Hindu caste system, present day Rajputs constitute one of the principal groups belonging to the Kshatriya varna. A small number of Rajputs who practice Islam in India and Pakistan are also referred to Muslim Rajputs.The Rajputs ruled more then four hundred out of six hundred estimated number of princely states at the time of independence of India and Pakistan.Out of many princely states 108 were saluted states (Salute states).Rajputs ruled 69,Marhatas ruled 5,Sikhs ruled 4, and Jats ruled 3, Muslims and others ruled 27 of saluted states out of 108 in 1947. The Rajputs have always been martial.The Mughal and the British Government also accepted it and recruited them heavily in their army.
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[edit] Demographics
The 1931 census of British India was the last to record caste affiliation in a manner that provides reliable information on Rajput demographics. Any present-day estimates are speculative; they also vary widely. These figures are of interest as they denote the approximate spread and composition of the Rajput community.
The 1931 census reported a total of 12.8 million people self-describing as Rajput. The United Provinces (being approximately present-day Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand combined) reported the largest population of Rajputs, at 3,756,936. The (then united) province of Bihar & Orissa, corrosponding to the present-day states of Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand, reported a Rajput population of 1,412,440. Rajputana, which was almost co-terminus with the present-day state of Rajasthan, reported a figure of 669,516. The Central Provinces and Berar reported a figure of 506,087, the princely state of Gwalior of 393,076, the Central India Agency of 388,942, the Bombay Presidency of 352,016, the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir of 256,020, and the Western India States Agency of 227,137 Rajputs. The undivided province of Bengal (including present-day Bangladesh reported a figure of 156,978 Rajputs. The princely states of Baroda and Hyderabad reported figures of 94,893 and 88,434 respectively.The Rajput population is relatively low in number because of their destruction during ages in wars.
Rajputs typically speak whatever languages are spoken by the general population of the areas they live in. Hindi and Urdu are the primary languages, as most are situated in the "Hindi-speaking states" and Pakistan, but Gujarati and Punjabi are also spoken among Rajputs residing in Punjab region, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat in India and Pakistan.
The mainstream Rajput community is comprised of Hindus belonging to the Kshatriya varna and to a specific set of 36 clans. Several other communities identify themselves as being Rajput, typically claiming to be of partial Rajput descent. They are found both in the Hindu community and in other religious groups.
- Cognate Hindu communities
Certain Hindu communities claim partial descent from the Rajput community while holding social identities that set them apart from the main communion. The Garasia Scheduled tribe of the Aravalli hills are among these. Many Rajputs perforce fled to the hills at various points in history, where they are said to have occasionally intermarried with the Bhils; the Garasia community claim to be descended from such intermarriage. Some sections of the Gaddi scheduled tribe of Himachal Pradesh ascribe to themselves a similar heritage, as do the Gadia Lohar community of nomadic blacksmiths. Certain specific sections of the Jain and Marwari communities also hold themselves to be of part-Rajput descent. Clans and tribes belonging to Oad community also claim its lineage as being that of Rajputs.
The census of 1931 recorded the existence of 50,000 people who claimed to be both Rajput and Sikh. Occasional instances of inter-marriage between them and Hindu Rajputs are recorded particularly those claming a common Gujjar ancestry.
The census of 1931 recorded a population of 2.1 million Muslim Rajputs in British India, concentrated primarily in Panjab and the United Provinces with smaller numbers in other places. In Panjab, Sindh, and Kashmir, they made up the majority of those claiming to be Rajput. The great majority of Muslim Rajputs today live in Pakistan. The Muslim Rajputs trace their lineages back to Hindu Rajputs who converted to Islam. Kasturi (2002:2) affirms that one or more branches in a stratified clan lineage could indeed be Muslim. However, there is no inter-marriage or other clan relations between Muslim and Non-Muslim Rajputs; however, Muslim Rajputs may intermarry with Muslims of other communities. Nevertheless, Muslim Rajputs usually marry amongst themselves, and only seldom depart from the custom of endogamy. The Thukrai community of East Champaran district in Bihar, India are among those noted for maintaining a strict tradition of Muslim Rajput endogamy.[1] Prominent Muslim Rajput personalities include, Raja Alla Ditta Khan An Activist of Khilafat movement and Ex. soldier of WWI in Royal Indian Army, Raja Sajjawal Khan, Zaildar and renowned personality of Mirpur Jammur Kashmir, Gen. Asif Nawaz Janjua, Ex. chief of army staff Pakistan, General Iftikhar Janjua, Pakistani military commander; Amir Khan, British Olympic silver medalist for boxing and Rana Sehar Ali-Noor.
[edit] Origins
The traditional occupations of the Rajput are war and agriculture. As many scholars have pointed out, 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. We present both traditional legends and some scholarly works made by researchers on the origin of the Rajputs. According to Pouranic legends Khstriyas were born from Hands of Vishnu while Brahmins from the mouth and Vaishyas from stomoche and Shudras from feet.
[edit] Legendary
As Kshatriyas, the Rajputs regard themselves as being descended from the vedic warrior class the Kshatriyas.To differentiate them from ordinary Kshatriyas word Rajput was used, which literally means "son of a King". Legend ascribes to the Rajputs an origin stemming every Rajput must eventually belong to one of three great patrilineages, being:
- The Suryavanshi lineage, claiming descent from Surya. The Sun Dynasty is oldest among Kshatriyas. The first person of this dynasty was "Vivaswan", who by the meaning of his name is considered to be "Surya". Ikshvaku was first important king of this dynasty.Other important kings were Kakutsth Harishchandra, Sagar, Dileepa, Bhagiratha, Raghu Dashratha and Rama. Poet Kalidasa wrote the great epic Raghuvamsa.
- The Chandravanshi lineage, claiming descent from Som which literally means "Moon". This Lunar Dynasty is also old but younger then Sun Dynasty. Som was the first king of this dynasty. Other important kings were Pururawa, Nahush, Yayati, Dushyant, Bharata, Kuru, Shantanu and Yudhishthir. Yadu was eldest son of Yayati and Yadavs claim descent from Yadu.Krishna was also born in this dynasty of Yadu. Harivamsa gives details of this dynasty.
- The Agnivanshi lineage, claims descent from four persons who were born from fire or by the influence of Ved Mantras. According to Pouranic legend as found in Bhavishya Purana,an yagna was held at Mount Abu, at the time of emperor Ashoka's sons. From the influence of Mantras of the four Vedas four Kshatriyas were born. They were
1.Pramar (Paramara), 2.Chaphani (Chauhan), 3.Chu (Chalukya), 4.Pariharak (Pratihar). But since fire cannot produce warriors, it should be understood that four persons were either reconverted into Hinduism or revitalized to fight against invaders.They could not be of foreign origin because India was fighting against Indo-Greek Kings at that time.Pusyamitra Sunga and his son Agnimitra were Brahmins. They are known for reviving Hinduism. This theory of origin has produced much controvesy. However only four clans out of many Rajput clans considered to be Agnivanshi
Some scholars also count Nagavanshi, Rishivanshi and Vayuvanshi as traditional lineages. The Yaduvanshi lineage, claiming descent from the Hindu god Krishna, are in fact a major sept of the Chandravanshi lineage.
The aforementioned three patrilineages (vanshas) sub-divide into 36 main clans (kulas), which in turn divide into numerous branches (shakhas) to create the intricate clan system of the Rajputs. The principle of patrilineage is staunchly adhered to in determining one's place in the system and a strong consciousness of clan and lineage is an essential part of the Rajput character. As the 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica states, this tradition of common ancestry permits an indigent Rajput yeoman to consider himself as well-born as any powerful landholder of his clan, and superior to any high official of the professional classes. Authoritative listings of the 36 Rajput clans are to be found in the Kumārpāla Charita of Jayasimha and the Prithvirāj Rāso of Chandbardai.
Among the legends mentioned above, the one which addresses the origin of the Agnivanshi Rajputs is particularly interesting, not least because they were the earliest to rise to political prominence. This legend begins with the puranic legend wherein the traditional kshatriyas of the land were exterminated by Parashurama, an avatara of Vishnu. Later, the legend says, sage Vasishta performed a great Yajna or fire-sacrifice, to seek from the Gods a provision for the defense of righteousness on earth. In answer to his prayer, a youth arose from the very flames of the sacrifice -- the first Agnivanshi Rajput. According to Bhavishya Purana an yagna was held at Mount Abu during the time of Ashoka's sons. This produced four warriors and an elephant.The Agnikunda legend is explained in Agnivansha.
[edit] Historical
In the past many scholars viewed the Agni kunda (fire-sacrifice) legend as suggesting, in an allegorical manner, the possibility that people who were not hitherto regarded as kshatriyas could come to be regarded as such after the customary fire-sacrifice based purificatory rituals. Subsequent scholarly works on the origin of the Rajputs have been supportive of this view. James Tod pioneered this view and suggested that Scythian (Gujjar, Saka, Huna) tribes which invaded India in the 6th century AD and disappeared into the population soon afterwards were the forbears of present-day Rajputs. He offered sociological and historical evidence to back his view. Many later historians have accepted the views of Tod, including Rapson, Ibbetson, Elliot, Ephilstone, Dahiya, Dhillon, Banerjea, Sharma, Sinha, Shrava, Puniya etc. These all tend to agree with his assessment, which according to some scholars, is supported by anthropological research.[2] Because today direct archaeological sources for tracing the origin of Rajputs are available, many scholars take the view that alternative accounts based on the Puranas or folklore are mistaken.But the views of col Todd and other historians are also disputed.It is not possible that entire Kshatriya Varna was finished and only invading tribes became Rajputs.The chances of thease invading tribes mixing among Hindus including Rajputs are there but the majority constituted by ancient Kshatriya dynasties.Agnikunda legend also explains this.Out of many Rajput clans only four clans are considered to be Agnivanshi.It might be possible that some persons were purified.But who were they and what was the necessacity of purification is silent.
[edit] History
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[edit] Early History (6th to 8th c.)
The Rai Dynasty, who ruled Sindh in the 6th and 7th centuries and were displaced by an Arab army led by Bin Qasim, are sometimes held to have been Rajputs. According to some sources, Bin Qasim, an Arab who invaded Sindh in the 8th century, also attacked Chittorgarh, and was defeated by Bappa Rawal. Certain other invasions by marauding "Yavvanas" are also recorded in this era. By this time, the appellation "Yavvana" (literally: "Ionian/Greek") was used in connection to any tribe that emerged from the west and north-west of present-day Pakistan. These invasions may therefore have been a continuation of the usual invasions into India by warlike but less civilized tribes from the north-west, and not a reference to the Greeks or Indo-Greeks. Lalitaditya of Kashmir defeated one such Yavvana invasion in the 8th century and the Pratiharas rebuffed another in the 9th century.
[edit] Rajput kingdoms (8th to 11th c.)
The first Rajput kingdoms are attested to in the 7th century and it was during the 9th, 10th & 11th centuries that the Rajputs rose to prominence in Indian history. The four Agnivanshi clans, namely, the Pratiharas (Pariharas), Solankis (Chaulukyas), Paramaras (Parmars) and Rahevars (Rever), Chauhans (Chahamanas), rose to prominence first.But there were other Rajputs also who rose to prominance.
The Guhilote dynasty of Chittor established their rule in 8th century CE.Bappa Rawal of this dynasty established his rule in 734 CE at Chittor. Chittor, ( Sanskrit name Chitrakuta) was then ruled by Mori clan of Rajputs. Maan Mori was their last king at Chittor. It is believed the word Mori is corruption of Maurya, the famous dynasty. Rajput is believed to be a corruption of Rajputra.
The Gurjara Pratiharas established their rule over Malwa and ruled from Bhinmal and afterwords Ujjaini in the 8th & 9th century. One branch of the clan established a state in Mandore[1], Marwar in 6th and 7th century where they held sway until they were supplanted by the Rathores in the 14th century. Around 816 AD, the Pratiharas of Ujjaini conquered Kannauj, from which city they ruled much of northern India for a century. They went into decline after Rashtrakuta invasions in the early 10th century. The Bargujars, Kachwahas, Chandelas and Tomaras all originate as vassals of the Pratihara kingdom. (See Gujjars).
The Solankis were descended from the Chalukyas who ruled much of peninsular India between the 6th and 12th centuries. In the 10th century, a local branch of the clan established control over Gujarat and ruled a state centered around the town of Patan. They went into decline in the 13th century and were identified as the Vaghelas or Baghel as known in Madhaya Pradesh.
The Paramaras were near neighbours of the Solankis. They originated as feudatories of the Rashtrakutas and rose to power in the 10th century. They ruled Malwa and the area at the border between present-day Gujarat and Rajasthan. Bhoja, celebrated king of Malwa, belonged to this dynasty. In the 12th century, the Paramaras declined in power due to conflict with the Solankis and succumbed to attack from the Delhi sultanate in 1305.
The Rever's originated as "Suryavanshi" of The State of Tarangagadh. The sword of Rever is known in the history of war in 11th century. They ruled Taranga and the area at the border between present-day Gujarat and Rajasthan belonged to this dynasty.
The Chandelas In the early 10th century, the Chandelas ruled the fortress-city of Kalinjar. A dynastic struggle (c.912-914 AD) among the Pratiharas provided them with the opportunity to extend their domain. They captured the strategic fortress of Gwalior (c.950) under the leadership of Dhanga (ruled 950-1008). Dhanga's grandson Vidyadhara (1017-29) expanded the Chandela kingdom to its greatest extent, from the Chambal River in the northwest to the Narmada River in the south, thus covering a large portion of the present-day state of Madhya Pradesh.
The Tomars originated as feudatories of the Pratiharas and rose to power in the wake of the decline of that power. Tomars established the Delhi (c.736) Kingdom and founded the city of Dhillika modern Delhi. Their most famous ruler was Anangpal. The Tomara clan established a state in present-day Haryana.
The Chauhans originated as feudatories of the Pratiharas and rose to power in the wake of the decline of that power. Their state was initially centered around Sambhar in present-day Rajasthan. In the 11th century, they founded the city of Ajmer which became their capital. In the 12th century, they captured Delhi from the Tomaras. Their most famous ruler was Prithviraj Chauhan, who won the First Battle of Tarain against an invading Muslim army but lost the second battle of Tarain the following year. This loss heralded a prolonged period of Muslim rule over northern India.
The Kachwaha or Kushwaha dynasty of Suryavanshi Rajputs was established in eleventh century AD in Dhundhar. The area later known as Jaipur state.
The Rathore or Rathod dynasties.
The Guhilots (later known as the Sisodias) established the state of Mewar in the 8th century. This state was founded by Bappa Rawal, who ruled from Chittorgarh.
The Bhati kingdoms of Jaisalmer, Pugal, Bhatner, Patiala etc.
The Jadeja are a clan of Yaduvanshi Rajputs. They ruled as kings and princes, dominating much of Kathiawar and Kutch in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat for several centuries. Jadejas - are a major branch of the Lunar or Chandravanshi line of Rajputs, who trace their origin and fame to Lord Krishna, and are amongst the original 36 Royal Dynasties of old. The Jadeja dynasties ruled vast areas of land, and had many kingdoms, notably Kutch, Nawanagar (Jamnagar), Rajkot, Morbi/Morvi, Dhrol etc. Before their rule over Kutch, four brothers names Ashpat, Gajpat, Narpat and Bhupat each held rule over areas such as parts of Afghanistan, Sindh, Girnar (from whom the Chudasama Clan started) and Jaisalmer, from where the Bhati branch emerged.
The Jadeja clans that played major roles in helping to conquer Nawanagar from the Jethwa Rajputs, by aiding Jam Rawal were known as the BHAYAAD or 'brotherhood', and were notably from senior branches of Jadeja clans such as those hailing from Sevak Dhunia.
Jadejas belong to the Atri Gotra, and have Mata Ashapura and Momai Mata as their presiding deities.
The Thakial established the Bhimber state in northern punjab at the foothills of Kashmir. The Chib Chand, took over the kingdom, when he married the only daughter of the last Thakial raja.
Other early states: The Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi Rajputs later established independent states. The Chandela clan ruled Bundelkhand after the 10th century, occupying the fortress of Kalinjar; they later built the famous temples at Khajuraho.
The organization of Rajput clan finally crystallized in this period. Intermarriage among the Rajput clans interlinked the various regions of India and Pakistan, facilitating the flow of trade and scholarship. Archaeological evidence and contemporary texts suggest that Indian society achieved significant prosperity during this era.
The literature composed in this period, both in Sanskrit and in the Apabhramshas, constitutes a substantial segment of classical Indian literature. The early 11th century saw the reign of the polymath king Bhoja, Paramara ruler of Malwa. He was not only a patron of literature and the arts but was himself a distinguished writer. His Samarangana-sutradhara deals with architecture and his Raja-Martanda is a famous commentary on the Yoga-sutras. Many major monuments of northern and central India, including those at Khajuraho, date from this period.
[edit] Islamic invasions (11th to 12th c.)
The fertile and prosperous plains of northern India had always been the destination of choice for streams of invaders coming from the north-west. The last of these waves of invasions were of tribes who had previously converted to Islam. Due to geographic reasons, Rajput-ruled states suffered the brunt of aggression from various Mongol-Turkic-Afghan warlords who repeatedly invaded the subcontinent. In his New History of India, Stanley Wolpert wrote "The Rajputs were the vanguard of Hindu India in the face of the Islamic onslaught."
Within 15 years of the death of the Muhammad, the caliph Usman sent a sea expedition to raid Thana and Broach on the Bombay coast. Other unsuccessful raiding expeditions to Sindh took place in 662 and 664 AD. Indeed, within a hundred years after Muhammad's death, Muslim armies had overrun much of Asia as far as the Hindu Kush. However, it was not until c.1000 AD that they could establish any foothold in India.
In the early 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni conquered the Hindu Shahi kingdom in the Punjab. His raids into northern India weakened the Pratihara kingdom, which was drastically reduced in size and came under the control of the Chandelas. In 1018 AD, Mahmud sacked the city of Kannauj, seat of the Pratihara kingdom, but withdrew immediately to Ghazni, being interested in booty rather than empire. In the ensuing chaos, the Gahadvala dynasty established a modest state centered around Kannauj, ruling for about a hundred years. They were defeated by Muhammad of Ghor in 1194 AD, when the city was sacked by the latter.
Meanwhile, a nearby state centered around present-day Delhi was ruled successively by the Tomara and Chauhan clans. Prithiviraj III, ruler of Delhi, defeated Muhammad of Ghor at the First Battle of Tarain (1191 AD). Muhammad returned the following year and defeated Prithviraj at the Second Battle of Tarain (1192 AD). In this battle, as in many others of this era, rampant internecine conflict among Rajput kingdoms facilitated the victory of the invaders.
[edit] Medieval Rajput States (12th to 16th c.)
Prithviraj Chauhan proved to be the last Rajput ruler of Delhi. The Chauhans, led by Govinda, grandson of Prithviraj, later established a small state centered around Ranthambore in present-day Rajasthan. The Songara sept of the Chauhan clan later ruled Jalore, while and Hada sept of the same clan established their rule over the Hadoti region in the mid-13th century. The Rever Maharaja Ranavghansinh ruled Taranga, while region in the 11th century. The Tomaras later established themselves at Gwalior, and the ruler Man Singh built the fortress which still stands there. As we have seen, Muhammad's armies brought down the Gahadvala kingdom of Kannauj in 1194 AD. Some surviving members of the Gahadvala dynasty are said to have refugeed to the western desert, formed the Rathore clan, and later founded the state of Marwar. The Kachwaha clan came to rule Dhundhar (later Jaipur) with their capital at Amber.
Other relocations surmised to have occurred in this period include the emigration of Rajput clans to the Himalayas. The Katoch clan, the Chauhans of Chamba and certain clans of Uttarakhand and Nepal are counted among this number.
[edit] Conflict with the Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was founded by Qutb ud din Aybak, Muhammad of Ghor's successor, in the early 13th century. Sultan Alauddin Khilji (1296-1316) conquered Gujarat (1297), Malwa (1305), Ranthambore (1301), Chittorgarh (1303) Jalore and Bhinmal (1311), all after long sieges and fierce resistance from their Rajput defenders.
First Jauhar: In particular, the siege of Chittor (1303), its brave defence by the Guhilas, the saga of Rani Padmini and the Jauhar she led are the stuff of immortal legend. This incident has had a defining impact upon the Rajput character and is detailed in a succeeding section.
Ala-ud-din Khilji delegated the administration of the newly conquered areas to his principal Rajput collaborator, Maldeo Songara, ruler of Jalore; the latter was soon displaced by his son-in-law Hammir, a scion of the lately displaced Guhila clan, who re-established the state of Mewar c.1326 AD. Mewar was to emerge as a leading Rajput state, after Rana Kumbha expanded his kingdom at the expense of the sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat.
[edit] Mughal Era (16th-18th c.)
The Delhi sultanate was extinguished when Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. Rana Sanga, ruler of Mewar, rallied an army to challenge Babur. He was betrayed by one of his Rajput generals, and was defeated by Babur at the Battle of Khanua on March 16, 1527. However, it was not until the reign of Akbar that the structure of relations between the Mughal imperium and the Rajput states took definitive shape.
Second Jauhar: Rana Sanga died soon after the battle of Khanua; shortly afterwards, Mewar came under the regency of his widow, Rani Karmavati. The kingdom was menaced by Bahadur Shah, ruler of Gujarat. According to one romantic legend of dubious veracity, Karmavati importuned the assistance of Humayun, son of her late husband's foe. The help arrived, but too late; Chittor was reduced by Bahadur Shah. This is the occasion for the second of the three Jauhars performed at Chittor. Karmavati led the ladies of the citadel into death by fire, while the menfolk sallied out to meet the besieging Muslim army in a hopeless fight to the death.
[edit] Mughal-Rajput Alliance
Babur's son Humayun was an ineffectual ruler who was forced to spend long periods in exile. His son Akbar, however, was made of a different mettle. Akbar consolidated his inheritance and expanded what had been the "Delhi sultanate" into a wide empire. A main factor in this success was indubitably his co-option of native Rajput chiefs into his empire-building project; his reign countenanced, for the first time, the involvement of Hindus in the affairs of the empire. The Rajput chiefs collaborated with alacrity, an alliance cemented by marriage, with numerous Rajput noblewomen being wed to mughal grandees. The Kachwahas were the first to extend matrimonial alliances with Akbar; they pioneered a trend that soon turned pervasive and played no small role in extending Rajput influence across the Indian sub-continent, from Bengal to Afghanistan to the Deccan. Indeed, two successive mughal emperors, Jehangir and Shah Jehan, were born to Rajput mothers.
Rajput chiefs served as mughal officers and administrators across the mughal empire and enjoyed much influence in the government. In this period, the aristocratic image of the Rajputs can be said to have finally crystallized; consequently, caste-divisions became rigid. The trend of political relations between Rajput states and the central power was the precursor for similar relations between them and the British.
[edit] Maharana Pratap
Third Jauhar: However, these relations were not universally approbated. Mewar, which justly enjoys a unique position in the Rajput mind, held out and valiantly gave battle to Akbar. After a brave struggle, Mewar's chief citadel of Chittor finally fell to Akbar in 1568. The third (and last) Jauhar of Chittor transpired on this occasion. When the fall of the citadel became imminent, the ladies of the fort committed collective self-immolation and the men sallied out of the fort to meet the invading muslim army in a hopeless fight to an honourable death.
Prior to this event, Mewar's ruler, Rana Udai Singh II, had retired to the nearby hills; where he founded a new town Udaipur named after him. He was succeeded while in exile by his son Rana Pratap as head of the Sisodia clan. Even in exile, the Sisodias did not rest; under the able leadership of Rana Pratap Singh, they harassed the mughal administrators of the land enough to cause them to make accommodatory overtures. Rana Pratap, a present-day Rajput icon, rebuffed every such overtures of friendship from Akbar, and rallied an army to meet the mughal forces. He was defeated at the battle of Haldighati on June 21, 1576 and was forced to withdraw to the Aravalli ranges. However, he carried out a relentless guerilla struggle from his hideout in those hills, and never gave in to the mughal power. By the time of his death, Rana Pratap Singh had reconquered nearly all of his kingdom from the Mughals, except for the fortress of Chittor. After Pratap's death, his son Amar Singh continued the struggle for 18 years, and faced constant attacks from Mughals but finally entered into alliance with the mughals but with certain exemptions. He thus regained control of his state as a vassal of the mughals.
The Sisodias rulers of Mewar were famously the last Rajput dynasty to enter into alliance with the Mughals. The Rajput states thereafter remained loyal to the mughal empire for over two centuries, until it was supplanted by the British Raj. Indeed, even as late as in the early 19th century, Rajput courts rarely failed to formally affirm their loyalty to the (by now entirely powerless) mughal emperor in all their official communiques and documents.
[edit] Maratha and British Suzerainty (18th to 20th c.)
The Marathas of the Deccan rose to power in the 18th century. They conquered the major portion of India during this period, including the Rajput states of central and western India. Jodhpur was conquered by Sindhia, who annexed the fort and town of Ajmer and levied a tribute of 60,000 rupees. James Tod, whose personal observation pertains to this period, records that internecine disputes, succession wars and the relentless exaction of levies by the Marathas left the Rajput states immiserated, and that the Rajput states repeatedly petitioned the British administration for protection. After the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818), 18 states in the Rajputana region, of which 15 were ruled by Rajputs, entered into "subsidiary alliance" with the HEIC and became princely states under the British Raj. The British took direct control of Ajmer, which became the province of Ajmer-Merwara. A vast number of other Rajput states in central and western India made a similar transition. Most of them were placed under the authority of the Central India Agency and the various states' agencies of Kathiawar.
The British colonial officials in general were very impressed by the military qualities of the Rajputs. In his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan James Tod writes:
- "What nation on earth could have maintained the semblance of civilization, the spirit or the customs of their forefathers, during so many centuries of overwhelming depression, but one of such singular character as the Rajpoot? . . . Rajast’han exhibits the sole example in the history of mankind, of a people withstanding every outrage barbarity could inflict, or human nature sustain, from a foe whose religion commands annihilation; and bent to the earth, yet rising buoyant from the pressure, and making calamity a whetstone to courage. . . . Not an iota of their religion or customs have they lost. . . ".
When India gained its independence in 1947, the Rajput states acceded unto the dominion of India and dominion of Pakistan. They were all merged into the union of India before 1950.
[edit] Culture and Ethos
The Rajput ethos is martial in spirit, fiercely proud and independent, and emphasizes lineage and tradition. Rajput patriotism is legendary, an ideal they embodied with a sometimes fanatical zeal, often choosing death before dishonour. Rajput warriors were often known to fight until the last man.
All recorded instances of jauhar and "Saka" have featured Rajput defenders of a fort, resisting the invasion of a Muslim force. On several occasions when defeat in such an engagement became certain, the Rajput defenders of the fort scripted a final act of heroism that rendered the incident an immortal inspiration and afforded the invaders only an exceedingly hollow, inglorious victory. In such incidents, the ladies of the fort would commit collective self-immolation. Wearing their wedding dresses, and holding their young children by the hand, the ladies would commit their chastity to the flames of a massive, collective pyre, thereby escaping molestation and dishonour at the hands of the invading army. As the memorial of their heroic act, the ladies would leave only the imprint of the palm of their right hands on wet clay, which have become objects of veneration. This immolation would occur during the night, to the accompaniment of Vedic chants. Early the next morning, after taking a bath, the men would wear saffron-coloured garments, apply the ash from the pyres of their wives and children on their foreheads and put a tulsi leaf in their mouth. Then the gates would be opened and men would ride out for one final, heroic, hopeless battle, dying gloriously on the field of honour. This fight till death of men is called "Saka" The historic fort of Chittor, seat of the Sisodia kingdom of Mewar, was the site of the three most famous Jauhars recorded in history.
The Rajput lifestyle was designed to foster a martial spirit. Tod (1829) describes at length the bond between the Rajputs and their swords. The double-edged scimitar known as the khanda was a popular weapon among the Rajputs of that era. On special occasions, a primary chief would break up a meeting of his vassal chiefs with khanda nariyal, the distribution of daggers and coconuts (page-453). The Karga Shapna ritual, performed during the annual Navaratri festival, was another affirmation of the Rajput's reverence for his sword.
By the late 19th century, there was a shift from an emphasis on questions regarding the political relations amongst the Rajputs to a concern with kinship (Kasturi 2002:2). According to Harlan (1992:27), many Rajputs of Rajasthan are nostalgic about their past and keenly conscious of their genealogy, emphasizing a Rajput ethos that is martial in spirit, with a fierce pride in lineage and tradition. These are indeed the timeless values of the Rajput community, as the Encyclopedia Britannica (1911 edition) affirms in its resume of the contemporary social values of the community;
- The tradition of common ancestry permits a poor Rajput yeoman to consider himself as well born as any powerful landholder of his clan, and superior to any high official of the professional classes. No race in India can boast of finer feats of arms or brighter deeds of chivalry, and they form one of the main recruiting fields for the Indian army of the day. They consider any occupation other than that of arms or government derogatory to their dignity, and consequently during the long period of peace which has followed the establishment of the British rule in India, they have been content to stay idle at home instead of taking up any of the other professions in which they might have come to the front.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Review of the book "Marginal Muslim Communities In India", edited by M.K.A.Siddiqui (2004)
- ^ Rajputs: A Scythian people?
[edit] Further References
- Harlan, Lindsey (1992), Religion and Rajput Women: The Ethic of Protection in Contemporary Narratives., University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-07339-8 [2].
- Kasturi, Malavika, Embattled Identities Rajput Lineages, Oxford University Press (2002) ISBN 0-19-565787-X
- M K A Siddiqui (ed.), Marginal Muslim Communities In India, Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi (2004)
- Tod, James & William (Editor) Crooke (1994), Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (2 vols.)., Trans-Atl, ISBN 81-7069-128-1.
- W.W. Hunter, The Indian empire, its people, history and products. First published: London, Trubner & Co., Ludgate Hill, 1886. ISBN 81-206-1581-6.This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- Dasharatha Sharma Rajasthan through the Ages a comprehensive and authentic history of Rajasthan, prepared under the orders of the Government of Rajasthan. First published 1966 by Rajasthan Archives.
[edit] Further reading
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[edit] External links
- The Historic Mandore of the Pratihara (Parihar) [3]
- Rajputs Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition; 2005
- Rajput Encyclopedia Britannica; 1911
- British Association of Rajputs
- Yahoo Group of Rajput World
- RajputIndia.com
- The Mewar Encyclopedia
- Ek Tha Raja
- Kota Chauhan Clan
- Jodhpur Rathore Clan
- Origin of Rajputs
- Rajput Vansh and Clans
- Rewa Baghel Clan
- Marwari Horse
- Maheronline a resource for Maher community worldwide
- The Mair Rajputs of Punjab
- "Sikh Rajputs" in Punjab and Haryana
- "The Times of India" (Newspaper) - India's 'Rajput diplomacy' in Nepal
- Indian Princely States
- Vallabh Bhai Integrated states
