Origin of Rajputs

Lecture on
Origin of Rajputs
BY :
DR. YOGESH MORAL

(ASSISTANT PROFESSOR)
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
CHAUDHARY CHARAN SINGH
UNIVERSITY, MEERUT
The Rajputs
● Origin of the Rajputs,
● Polity,
● Society and
● Culture under the Rajputs.
Rajputs-The Great Warriors
The Rajputs were great warriors. They

sacrificed their lives for the sake of their self
respect and pride. They preferred death to
cowardice. They deemed it a sin to attack an
unarmed person, old man, woman or the sick.
Treachery, deceit and diplomacy had no place
in their warfare. It was against their nature to
plunder villages or set fire to villages or
persecute people. The Rajputs used swords,
shields, spears, bow and arrows, camels,
horses and chariots etc. in wars. They had
built several forts for their defence.
Introduction
● The Rajputs (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a

king") are a community in subcontinent.
● A Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya (warrior)

groups of India.
● Rajputs rose to prominence during the 9th to 11th centuries. The four
Agnivanshi clans, namely the Partiharas, Solankis (Chaulukyas),
Paramaras (Parmars), and Chauhans (Chahamanas) rose to prominence
first.
● Rajputs ruled more than four hundred of the estimated six hundred
princley states at the time of India's independence in 1947.
THEORIES OF ORIGIN
Descendants of solar and lunar

Kshatriyas
Theory of
Agnikula
Theory of foreign
origin
A mixed race
Descendants of Solar and Lunar Kshatriyas
According to Pt. Gauri Shankar Ohja, C.V.Vaidya and Veda Vyasa, the
Rajputs were the descendants of the Vedic Aryans-Solar and Lunar
Kshatriyas.
Suryavanshi-
● Suryavanshi rajputs trace their lineage to the Vedic Sun - Surya. Lord
Rama was also born in this lineage.
● Suryavanshi rajputs ruled over Mewar, Marwar, Amber, etc. Bargujar

Suryavanshi rajputs trace their lineage to the Vedic Sun - Surya.
● Lord Rama was also born in this lineage. Suryavanshi rajputs ruled over
Mewar, Marwar, Amber, etc. Bargujar rajputs.
Chandravanshi-
● Somvanshi/Chandravanshi rajputs descended from Som (the vedic deity Soma

or Moon).
● ChandravanshiSomvanshi/Chandravanshi rajputs descended from Som (the

vedic deity Soma or Moon).
● Chandravanshi are from the same line which bifurcated at King Yadu
Somvanshi/Chandravanshi rajputs descended from Som (the vedic deity Soma
or Moon).
● Chandravanshi are from the same line which bifurcated at King Yadu when his
father banished him from becoming the king. Gujarat, Jaisalmer was ruled by
Chandravanshi rajputs, Lord Krishna belongs to this clan.
AGNIKULA THEORY
● Agnivanshi rajputs have a mythological belief that they

originated from fire.
● The theory of Agnikula origin of Rajputs is given in Prithvi Raj

Raso of Chand Bardai. According to this theory Kshatriyas of
the land were exterminated by Parashurama, an avatara of
Vishnu.
● However,the Brahmanas felt the need of a warrior class to

defend them.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, froem the agnikunda spang up 4
heroes from the very flames of the sacrificial fire and each
one of them created a separate rajput clan-
○ The Paramars,
○ The Chalukyas,
○ The Pratihars and
○ The Chauhans.
Bundi, Kotah, Jalore, Sirohi, Delhi were ruled by Agnivanshi

rajputs. In reality Agnivanshi rajputs are also a sub-division of
Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi rajputs.
Theory of Foreign Origin
● Col.Tod has rejected the theory of Agnikula origin of the

Rajputs.According to him, the Rajputs were the descendants of the
Sakas, Hunas, Kushanas and Gujaras.
● Col.Tod had been British resident in Rajput states for many years and
after a deep study about the Rajputs he wrote a ‘History of
Rajasthan'.
● According to him these clans settled in India and in due course of time
they were merged into Hindu society. He gave following arguments in
favour of this theory:
●
● Fire Worship was prevalent among the Sakas-Hunas.
● The Rajputs were warriors like them.
● Horse-worship, Ashvameda Yajna, weapon worship, drinking and
superstitions were common in them.
Rajputs-a mixed race
● According to Dr. V.A. Smith, Dasrath Sharma, Vishudhan

Pathak the Rajputs were a mixed race.
● Some of the Rajput clans were the descendants of the

foreigners like Sakas, Hunas and Kushana and some of the
Rajput clans are purely Indian.
● People of most diverse races were and are lumped together as

Rajputs.
● The Rajputs were war like the central Asian races and loved
Hindu civilization and culture too.
● The view of Dr.V.A. Smith seems to be the most plausible.

Some of the Rajput clans are descendants of foreign races and
Indian races. Infact they are the descendants of mixed races.
India in 8th century
● Polity,
● Society and
● Culture under the Rajputs.
👉
Rajput Polity
● King was the head of sate administration. He enjoyed all powers and adopted
many titles like Maharaja. Maharajadhiraja,Parmeshwar and Bharteshwar etc.
● Kinship was hereditary. King’s eldest son or Yuvraj ascended the throne after his
father.
● Several other officers assisted the king in running his day to day administration.
These officials were appointed by the king himself and most important of them
were
● Maha Amatya or Maha Mantri-head of all departments esp. the finance
● Senapati-commander in chief of armed forces
● Mahadandanayak- head of police department
● Sandhivigrahak- minister of foreign affairs
● Purohit- incharge of religious affairs
● Pratihar- incharge of royal household.
Provincial Administration
• The State was divided into Samanta, Bhukti, Vishya and Bhog
• Nagar rakshak- head of the city responsible for maintaining law
and order.
• Village Panchayat- village was the smallest unit of administration
administered by the panchayat.
• Feudal system- the most outstanding feature of Rajput polity. The
king used to grant jagirs to persons for their outstanding
acheivmments.They were called Thakurs or Bhokta. They
maintained a contingent of soldiers and helped the king during wars.
Society under the Rajputs
The Rajput Society was mainly divided into three classes:-

❑ First Category consisited of King, his family and other relatives. They lived a
life of luxury. Drinking, gambling and polygamy were quite in vogue in these
families. They had socail and matrimonial relations with royal families.
❑ The secocond category consisted of Feudal lords and Royal Courtiers. They
were quite rich and occupied high positions. They also indulge in drinking,
polygamy and slavery.
❑ The third category consisted of common people. Mostly they were
businessmen, peasants and slaves. They had to work very hard to earn their
living.
❑Rajputs were full of determination and always honoured their word.
❑Hospitality was the greatest quality of Rajput society. They would not hesitate
to risk their lives to protect a person, who has come to take shelter with them.
❑They were the followers and saviours of Hindu culture and civilization.
Position of Women
Rajput women possessed virtues like self respect, morality,

bravery and fearlessness. They jumped into fire (Jauhar) to save
their honour.
❖ There was no Purdah System.
❖Women were free to chose their life partners in Swayamavar.
❖ Women were well educated.
❖Enjoyed respectable position in the Society and participated in
important social activities.
❖However some social evils like female infanticide, practice of Sati,
Polygamy, and absence of widow marriage.
Caste System and Social Evils
Rajputs had firm faith in caste system. They believed in purty

of blood and established mariage alliances with the people of
their own caste. Society was divided into Brahmins,
Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras.
Rajputs supported Brahmins as scholars and priests.
However, Rajputs had their own family priests, known as the
Purohits.
The Rajput society was not free from social evils. They
consumed liquor, opium and other intoxicants. They indulged
in evils like gambling, dancing, prostitution and sensual
pleasures.
Lack of statesmanship, political farsightedness, sycophancy
and lust for power led them to their decline.
Culture
In spite of their being too busy in fighting war, the Rajputs

showed great interest in the development of Art, Architecture,
education and literature. The Rajput Rulers had a keen sense
of beauty in Art and Architecture which is seen in the artistic
excellence of their temples, forts and palaces.

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Lecture on

DR. YOGESH MORAL

The Rajputs were great warriors. They

● The Rajputs (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a

● A Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya (warrior)

Descendants of solar and lunar

● Suryavanshi rajputs ruled over Mewar, Marwar, Amber, etc. Bargujar

● Somvanshi/Chandravanshi rajputs descended from Som (the vedic deity Soma

● ChandravanshiSomvanshi/Chandravanshi rajputs descended from Som (the

● Agnivanshi rajputs have a mythological belief that they

● The theory of Agnikula origin of Rajputs is given in Prithvi Raj

● However,the Brahmanas felt the need of a warrior class to

Bundi, Kotah, Jalore, Sirohi, Delhi were ruled by Agnivanshi

● Col.Tod has rejected the theory of Agnikula origin of the

● According to Dr. V.A. Smith, Dasrath Sharma, Vishudhan

● Some of the Rajput clans were the descendants of the

● People of most diverse races were and are lumped together as

● The view of Dr.V.A. Smith seems to be the most plausible.

The Rajput Society was mainly divided into three classes:-

Rajput women possessed virtues like self respect, morality,

Rajputs had firm faith in caste system. They believed in purty

In spite of their being too busy in fighting war, the Rajputs

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