Origin of Rajputs
Encyclopedia
The Rajput
s (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a king") are a community of the Indian subcontinent
. Rajputs are the descendents of warriors of the Kshatriya
subdivision of Indian society who claim descent through one of three dynasties: Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi, and Agnivanshi.
Chandravanshi Rajputs claim descent from Chandra
(the Vedic
moon deity). Gujarat and Jaisalmer
were ruled by Chandravanshi Rajputs. Agnivanshi Rajputs claim descent from Agni
, the Vedic
god of fire. Bundi
, Kotah, Jalore
, Sirohi
, and Delhi
were ruled by Agnivanshi Rajputs. The Suryavanshi claim descent from the sun god Surya
. Suryavanshi Rajputs had territories in Northern India: in Bengal
, Uttar Pradesh
, and Rajasthan
.
, an important Hindu
religious text. Bhagwan Ram and Lakshmana are referred to as being Rajputs in the Ramayana
, an ancient Sanskrit epic poem
. Buddha
was also referred to as Rajput in Buddhist texts.
Rajaputras were referred to in Arthashastra
by Kautilya (350–283 BC), the play Mālavikāgnimitram
by Kālidāsa
(1st century BC), Soundaranand by Aśvaghoṣa
(80–150 AD), Harshacharita and Kadambari
by Bāṇabhaṭṭa
(7th century AD), and Rajatarangini
by Kalhana
(12th century AD).
An inscribed copper plate found at the village of Damodarpur, from the era of Kumaragupta III (533 AD), records that Rajaputra-Dev-Bhattaraka, the Governor of the territorial division of Pundravardhana
, was a son of the emperor, who bore the title "Uparika Maharaja" (viceroy) and "render[ed] his homage to the king". Rajputs are also mentioned in the Sumandala copper plate inscription of Prithvigraha, which also dates to the Gupta Empire
(570 AD). There are Rajput references in many Licchavi inscriptions; the Licchavi Kingdom was extant in Nepal
from around 400 to 750 AD. Rajputs named Vajraratha, Babharuvarma, and Deshavarma are mentioned in inscriptions found at Sikubahi (Shankhamul), which describe the reigns of Licchavi kings Gangadeva (567–573 AD) and Amshuvarma
(605–621 AD). The inscriptions of Sanga mention the name of Rajputra Vikramasena. The Gnoli inscription mentions Rajaputra Jayadeva. The inscription at Deopatan mentions Rajputra Shurasena, and the inscriptions of Adeshwar mention the Rajaputras Nandavarma, Jishnuvarma, and Bhimavarma.
, an Avatar
of Vishnu
. Later, the sage Vasishtha performed a great yagya (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 flames of the sacrificial fire.
Sometime during 16–17th century, the legend came to be applied to the Parihar
(Gurjara Pratihara), Chauhan
s (Chahamanas), Solanki
s (Chalukyas), and Paramara (Parmar) clans.
, the story is mentioned 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.
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a king") are a community of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. Rajputs are the descendents of warriors of the Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
subdivision of Indian society who claim descent through one of three dynasties: Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi, and Agnivanshi.
Chandravanshi Rajputs claim descent from Chandra
Chandra
In Hinduism, Chandra is a lunar deity and a Graha. Chandra is also identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma . The Soma name refers particularly to the juice of sap in the plants and thus makes the Moon the lord of plants and vegetation. He is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and...
(the Vedic
Vedic
Vedic may refer to:* the Vedas, the oldest preserved Indic texts** Vedic Sanskrit, the language of these texts** Vedic period, during which these texts were produced** Vedic pantheon of gods mentioned in Vedas/vedic period...
moon deity). Gujarat and Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
were ruled by Chandravanshi Rajputs. Agnivanshi Rajputs claim descent from Agni
Agni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
, the Vedic
Vedic
Vedic may refer to:* the Vedas, the oldest preserved Indic texts** Vedic Sanskrit, the language of these texts** Vedic period, during which these texts were produced** Vedic pantheon of gods mentioned in Vedas/vedic period...
god of fire. Bundi
Bundi
Bundi is a city and a municipality of approximately 88,000 inhabitants in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India. It is of particular architectural note for its ornate forts, palaces, and stepwell reservoirs known as baoris...
, Kotah, Jalore
Jalore
Jalor, also known as Jalore , is a city in Rajasthan state of western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalor District.- Geography :...
, Sirohi
Sirohi
Sirohi is a city in southern Rajasthan state in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirohi District, and was formerly the capital of the princely state of the same name. Nearest railway station to Sirohi is Sirohi Road station.-Geography:...
, and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
were ruled by Agnivanshi Rajputs. The Suryavanshi claim descent from the sun god Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
. Suryavanshi Rajputs had territories in Northern India: in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
.
Ancient texts
Abhimanyu's son Parikshit is called Rajput in Bhagavata PuranaBhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
, an important Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religious text. Bhagwan Ram and Lakshmana are referred to as being Rajputs in the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, an ancient Sanskrit epic poem
Indian epic poetry
Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya . The Ramayana and Mahabharata, originally composed in Sanskrit and translated thereafter into many other Indian languages, are some of the oldest surviving epic poems on earth and form part of...
. Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
was also referred to as Rajput in Buddhist texts.
Rajaputras were referred to in Arthashastra
Arthashastra
The Arthashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy which identifies its author by the names Kautilya and , who are traditionally identified with The Arthashastra (IAST: Arthaśāstra) is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and...
by Kautilya (350–283 BC), the play Mālavikāgnimitram
Malavikagnimitram
Mālavikāgnimitram is a Sanskrit play by Kālidāsa. It is his first play.The play tells the story of the love of King Agnimitra, the Shunga king of Vidisha , for the beautiful hand-maiden of his chief queen. He falls in love with the picture of an exiled servant girl named Mālavikā...
by Kālidāsa
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
(1st century BC), Soundaranand by Aśvaghoṣa
Asvaghosa
' was an Indian philosopher-poet, born in Saketa in northern India to a Brahmin family. He is believed to have been the first Sanskrit dramatist, and is considered the greatest Indian poet prior to Kālidāsa. He was the most famous in a group of Buddhist court writers, whose epics rivaled the...
(80–150 AD), Harshacharita and Kadambari
Kadambari
Kādambari is a romantic novel in Sanskrit. It was substantially composed by Bānabhatta in the first half of the 7th century, who did not survive to see it through completion. The novel was completed by Banabhatta's son Bhushanabhatta, according to the plan laid out by his late father...
by Bāṇabhaṭṭa
Banabhatta
Bāṇabhaṭṭa , also known as Bāṇa, was a Sanskrit scholar and poet of India. He was the Asthana Kavi in the court of King Harshavardhana, who reigned in the years c. 606–647 CE in north India...
(7th century AD), and Rajatarangini
Rajatarangini
The Rājatarangiṇī is a metrical chronicle of North west of the Indian subcontinent particularly the kings of Kashmir from earliest time written in Sanskrit by Kalhaṇa. The Rājatarangiṇī often has been erroneously referred to as the River of the Kings. In reality what Kalhana means by Rājatarangiṇī...
by Kalhana
Kalhana
Kalhana , a Kashmiri, was the author of Rajatarangini , an account of the history of Kashmir. He wrote the work in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149. All information regarding his life has to be deduced from his own writing, a major scholar of which is Mark Aurel Stein...
(12th century AD).
An inscribed copper plate found at the village of Damodarpur, from the era of Kumaragupta III (533 AD), records that Rajaputra-Dev-Bhattaraka, the Governor of the territorial division of Pundravardhana
Pundravardhana
This article is about the historical territory. For the Mahabharata kingdom see Pundra KingdomPundravardhana , was a territory located in North Bengal in ancient times, home of the Pundra, a group of people speaking languages not of the Indo-European family.-Etymology:There are several theories...
, was a son of the emperor, who bore the title "Uparika Maharaja" (viceroy) and "render[ed] his homage to the king". Rajputs are also mentioned in the Sumandala copper plate inscription of Prithvigraha, which also dates to the Gupta Empire
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
(570 AD). There are Rajput references in many Licchavi inscriptions; the Licchavi Kingdom was extant in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
from around 400 to 750 AD. Rajputs named Vajraratha, Babharuvarma, and Deshavarma are mentioned in inscriptions found at Sikubahi (Shankhamul), which describe the reigns of Licchavi kings Gangadeva (567–573 AD) and Amshuvarma
Amshuvarma
Aṃshuvarmā was a monarch of the Nepali kingdom of Licchavi between 605 and 621. He is credited with opening trade routes to Tibet, though he is most famous for one of his daughters, Bhrikuti, who married a Tibetan ruler named Tsrong-tsong Gompo . She was instrumental in spreading Buddhism...
(605–621 AD). The inscriptions of Sanga mention the name of Rajputra Vikramasena. The Gnoli inscription mentions Rajaputra Jayadeva. The inscription at Deopatan mentions Rajputra Shurasena, and the inscriptions of Adeshwar mention the Rajaputras Nandavarma, Jishnuvarma, and Bhimavarma.
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 (warriors) were exterminated by ParashuramaParashurama
Parashurama , is the sixth avatar of Vishnu and belongs to the treta yuga, and is the son of a Brahmin father Jamadagni and mother Renuka. He is considered one of the seven immortal human. He received an axe after undertaking a terrible penance to please Shiva, from whom he learned the methods of...
, an Avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. Later, the sage Vasishtha performed a great yagya (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 flames of the sacrificial fire.
Sometime during 16–17th century, the legend came to be applied to the Parihar
Parihar
Parihar is a clan which is part of many communities including Rajputs, Gurjars and Jats. According to the Handbook on Rajputs by famous British historian A. H...
(Gurjara Pratihara), Chauhan
Chauhan
Chauhan, Chouhan or Chohan , , - is a clan who ruled parts of northern India in the Middle Ages. The clan is most famous for Rajput King Maharaja Prithviraj Chauhan...
s (Chahamanas), Solanki
Solanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
s (Chalukyas), and Paramara (Parmar) clans.
Evolution of the legend
A number of inscriptions and texts have come to light since the mid-19th century that allowed researchers trace the evolution of this legend. The story is first found in the Nava-sahasanka-charita by Padmagupta, a fictional romance where the hero is identifiable as the Paramara king Sindhuraja, the patron of the author. This work mentions that the progenitor of the Paramaras was created from fire by the sage Vashishtha. During the period of decline of the Paramaras of DharDhar
Dhār is located in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dhar District. The town is located west of Mhow, above sea level...
, the story is mentioned 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.
Historiography
- 949 AD: First known Paramara copperplateHarsola copperplateThe origin of the Rajputs has been one of the most speculated topic in Indian history. The Harsola copperplate grants of 949 CE are one of the most important documents that shed light on origin of the Paramara dynasty, and hence on the origin of Rajputs...
found at HarsolaHarsola copperplateThe origin of the Rajputs has been one of the most speculated topic in Indian history. The Harsola copperplate grants of 949 CE are one of the most important documents that shed light on origin of the Paramara dynasty, and hence on the origin of Rajputs...
. Mentions ParamaraParamaraParamara is a Maratha, Gurjar,& Rajput clan of India.The Paramara clan belongs to the Agnivansha of Rajputs ancient Kshatriyas...
Siyaka as a feudatory of the RashtrakutaRashtrakutaThe Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. Rastrakutas in inscriptions represented as descendants of Satyaki, a Yadava well known...
ruler Akalavarsha. It mentions the Paramaras as being of the same clan (kula) as the Rashtrakutas. - 975, 986 AD: Vakpati Munja assumes the Rashtrakuta name AmoghavarshaAmoghavarshaAmoghavarsha I was a Rashtrakuta emperor, the greatest ruler of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, and one of the great emperors of India. His nominal reign of 64 years is the longest precisely dated monarchical reign on record in India and one of the longest documented reigns of all monarchy since...
and the titles Srivallabha and Prathvivallabha, indicating that he regarded himself as being a successor of the Rashtrakutas of ManyakhetaManyakhetaManyakheta on the banks of Kagina River in Gulbarga district, Karnataka state was the capital of Rashtrakutas from . It is 40 km from Gulbarga city. The capital was moved from Mayurkhandi in Bidar district to Mānyakheṭa during the rule of Amoghavarsha I...
. 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. - 1005 AD: Padmagupta writes the fictional Navasahasanka-charita during the rule of the Parmar king Sindhuraj of Dhara (c.995–1055). This is the first mention of the legend wherein the first Paramara is created from an Agnikinda by Vashistha.
- 1000–1055 AD: BhojaBhojaBhoja was a philosopher king and polymath of medieval India, who ruled the kingdom of Malwa in central India from about 1000 to 1050 CE. Also known as Raja Bhoja Of Dhar, he belonged to the Paramara dynasty...
: no mention of the Agnikunda in his copperplates or inscriptions. - 1042 AD: Vasantgarh inscription mentions a Paramara origin from Agnikunda.
- 1070–1093 AD: Udayaditya, Udayapur Prashasti mentions a Paramara origin from Agnikunda.
- uncertain date: The epic poem Prithviraj RasoPrithviraj RasoThe Prithviraj Raso or Prithvirajaraso is an epic poem composed by court poet, Chand Bardai, on the life of Prithviraj III, a Chauhan king who ruled Ajmer and Delhi between 1165 and 1192.Chand Bardai claimed to be contemporary of Prithviraj Chauhan.The historicity of Prithviraj Raso was proved...
is composed, the oldest copies of which do not mention the Agnikunda legend. It is attributed to the 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-AkbariAin-i-AkbariThe Ain-i-Akbari or the "Institutes of Akbar", is a 16th century, detailed document recording the administration of emperor Akbar's empire, written by his vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak...
by Abul FazlAbu'l-Fazl ibn MubarakShaikh Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak also known as Abu'l-Fazl, Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami was the vizier of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, and author of the Akbarnama, the official history of Akbar's reign in three volumes, and a Persian translation of the Bible...
(1551–1602) mentions creation of a Dhanji from an Agnikunda, somewhere in the Deccan, to fight BuddhismBuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. 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: The Agnikunda legend inserted into the Prithviraj Raso, where three clans, Pratihar, Chalukya, and Paramara, are mentioned as having been created from the Agnikunda. The legend is not present in the Udaipur manuscript of 1585.
- 1832 AD: James TodJames TodLieutenant-Colonel James Tod was an English officer of the British East India Company and an Oriental scholar.Tod was born in London and educated in Scotland, later joining the East India Company as a military officer. He travelled to India in 1799 as a cadet in the Bengal Army where he rose...
presents his theory that the Agnikunda legend symbolizes the elevation of Sakas, Hunas, and others to the status of Kshatriyas; by implication, all Rajaputs are descendants of Central Asian invaders. - 1954 AD: Tod's view is repeated by A. L. Basham in his book The Wonder That was IndiaThe Wonder That was IndiaThe Wonder That was India : a survey of the culture of the Indian sub-continent before the coming of the Muslims, is a book on Indian history written by A.L. Basham and published in 1954. The second edition of the first volume by Basham was published in 1963 and reprinted several times.There is...
. By now, the view becomes accepted. - Uncertain date: The Agnikunda legend in the Bhavishya PuranaBhavishya PuranaThe Bhavishya Purana is one of the eighteen major Hindu Puranas. It is written in Sanskrit and attributed to Rishi Vyasa, the compiler of the Vedas. The title Bhavishya Purana signifies a work that contains prophecies regarding the future...
mentions four clans: Paramara, Chauhan, Chalukya, and Parihara, as having been created from fire to annihilate Buddhists during the time of AshokaAshokaAshok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
. - One version of the legend is that four warriors, Agnikul, YadavYadavYādav refers to an umbrella group of traditionally non-elite pastoral communities, or castes, in India and Nepal which since the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has claimed descent from the mythological King Yadu as a part of a movement of social and political resurgence.The term 'Yadav' now...
kul, Suryakul, and Odak, whose names are given to Rajput clans, sprang from the sacred fire (Agni-kunda) in a ceremony performed by the sage Vasistha near Mount Abu. Vasistha undertook this sacrifice to develop warriors who could help ordinary mortals against demons. - There is another myth which states the Rajputs were descendants of RishabhRishabha (Jain tirthankar)In Jainism, R̥ṣabha or Ādinātha , also known as the "Lord of Kesariya") was the first of the 24 Tīrthaṅkaras. According to Jain beliefs, R̥ṣabha founded the Ikshvaku dynasty and was the first Tīrthaṅkara of the present age...
, a founding Tirthankara of JainismJainismJainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
.
Sources
- 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.
- "Historiography, Religion, and State in Medieval India" By Satish Chandra, Published 1996 Har-Anand Publications ISBN 81-241-0035-7