| Rajput clan: Kachwaha | |
| Vansh | Suryavansha |
| Descended from: | Koshal (later Gird) |
| Sub-clans: | List of the 71 sub-clans |
| Ruled in | Dhundhar |
| Princely states: | Narwar Jaipur State Alwar Maihar States, established by sub-clans |
Kachwaha (which also has numerous variant spellings) are a Suryavanshi Kshatriya clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur (Jainagara) which was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727. The Maharaja of Jaipur is regarded as the head of the extended Kachwaha clan.
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The Kachhawas belongs to the Suryavanshi lineage, which claims descent from the Surya (Sun Dynasty) or Suryavansha of the ancient Kshatriyas. They are descent from Raghav (Raghuvanshi) as they claim descent from Kusha eldest of the twin sons of Rama, belongs to Raghav (Raghuvanshi) clan, hero of the Ramayana, to whom patrilineal descent from Surya is in turn ascribed.
T.H. Hendley states in his Rulers of India and the Chiefs of Rajputana (1897) that the Kachwaha clan is believed to have settled in an early era at Rohtas (Rahatas) on the son river in present-day Bihar. He notes however, that their notable seats of power were Kutwar, Gwalior, Dubkhund, Simhapaniya and Narwar (Nalapura), all in present-day Madhya Pradesh. This second westward migration to Madhaya Pradesh is said to have been initiated under Raja Nala, the legendary founder of Narwar.
Many historians state that the Kacchapaghatas, like the Chandellas and Paramaras, originated as tributaries of the preceding powers of the region. They point out that it was only following the downfall, in the 8th-10th century, of Kannauj (the regional seat-of-power, following the break-up of Harsha's empire), that the Kacchapaghata state emerged as a principal power in the Chambal[1] valley of present-day Madhya Pradesh. This view is largely supported by archaeological artifacts[1] and Kacchapaghata coinage (minted in Gupta-fashion)[2] discovered in Madya pradesh, as also by inscriptions of Gopasetra.[3]
According to Rudolf Hoernle (1905), Kachhwahas are related to the Gurjara-Pratiharas. He identifies similarities between the names of the line ruling kings of Kanauj (mid 10th) century with the recorded line of eight Kachwaha rulers of Gwalior (based on the sas-bahu' inscription of Mahipal).[4]
After Sumitra, Madhubramh, Kanh, Devanik, and Isha Singh ruled Narwar. The Sas-Bahu inscription is dated to 1093 AD and it gives the genealogy of the ruling family up to Mahipal who died sometime before 1104 AD.[5]
The present Maharajah of Jaipur is Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur, who was crowned on 27 of April, 2011.[6]