intro:
blog is made to connect all of us with each other and to show what royals should look like;
Early history (6th to 8th centuries)
One of the Rajput King Akhand Pratap Singh came to Rajasthan and built a fort of Bathinda along the banks of Sutlej river and declared its Capital. He occupied the areas up to Peshawar. Rajputs remained in power in Punjab till 1010 ADRajput kingdoms (8th to 11th centuries)
The first Rajput kingdoms date back to the 7th century, and it was during the 9th to 11th centuries that the Rajputs rose to prominence.
Bappa Rawal of the Gahlot dynasty established his rule in 734 CE at Chittor. Chittor was until that time ruled by the Mori clan of Rajputs. Maan Mori was their last king at Chittor.[citation needed]
The Kachwahas or Kacchapghata dynasty were originally from Bihar; they founded Gwalior and Narwar in the 8th century. One of their descendants, Dulah Rai (grandson of Raja Isha Singh and son of Prince Sodh Dev of Narwar) established his rule in Dhundhar in the 11th century.
In 1156 Rawal Jaisal Bhati, the sixth in succession from Deoraj, founded the fort and city of Jaisalmer, and made it his capital as he moved from his former capital at Lodhruva (which is situated about 15 km to the north-west of Jaisalmer).
The imperial Pratiharas established their rule over Malwa and ruled from the cities of Bhinmal and Ujjain in the 8th and 9th centuries. One branch of the clan established a state in Mandore in the Marwar region in 6th and 7th centuries where they held sway until they were supplanted by the Rathores in the 14th century. Around 816 CE, the Pratiharas of Ujjain conquered Kannauj, and from this city they ruled much of northern India for a century. They went into decline after Rashtrakuta invasions in the early 10th century.
The Chandela clan ruled Bundelkhand after the 10th century, occupying Kalinjar Fort; they later built the temples at Khajuraho Group of Monuments.
The organization of Rajput clans 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 Apabhraṃśas, 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 a distinguished writer. His Samarangana Sutradhara deals with architecture and his Raja-Martanda is a commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Many major monuments of northern and central India, including those at Khajuraho, date from this period.
Islamic invasions (11th to 12th centuries):
a nearby state centered around present-day Delhi was ruled successively by the Tomara and Chauhan clans. Prithviraj Chauhan, ruler of Delhi, defeated Muhammad of Ghor at the First Battle of Tarain (1191 CE). Muhammad returned the following year and defeated Prithviraj at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 CE. In this battle, as in many others of this era, rampant internecine conflict among Rajput kingdoms facilitated the victory of the invaders.
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Mehrangarh Fort, the ancient home of the Rathore rulers of Marwar in Rajasthan.
Medieval Rajput states (12th to 16th centuries)
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 branch of the Chauhan clan later ruled Jalore, while the Hada branch established their rule over the Hadoti region in the mid-13th century. The Rever Maharaja Ranavghansinh ruled Taranga in the 11th century. The Tomaras later established themselves at Gwalior, and the ruler Man Singh built the fortress which still stands there. Muhammad's armies brought down the Gahadvala kingdom in 1194 CE. 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.
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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 Ala ud din Khilji conquered Gujarat (1297), Malwa (1305), Ranthambore (1301), Chittorgarh (1303), Jalore, and Bhinmal (1311). All were conquered after long sieges and fierce resistance from their Rajput defenders.The "First Jauhar" occurred during the siege of Chittor (1303). Jauhar is the mass self-immolation of the female population to avoid capture in time of war. Concurrently, the male population would perform Saka: a fight to the death against impossible odds. The defence of Chittor by the Guhilas, the sagas of Rani Padmini, and the memory of the Jauhar have had a defining impact upon the Rajput character.
Ala ud din Khilji delegated the administration of the newly conquered areas to his principal Rajput collaborator, Maldeo Songara, ruler of Jalore. Maldeo Songara 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 CE. 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.
Mughal era (16th–18th century)
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. Rana Sanga used traditional war tactics and weapons and Babur used modern tactics and cannons, the first example of their use in northern India. Overmatched, Sanga was defeated by Babur at the Battle of Khanua on March 16, 1527. However, it was not until the reign of Akbar fifteen years later that the structure of relations between the Mughal imperium and the Rajput states began to take definitive shape.
Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar
Main article: Pratap Singh of Mewar
Udaipur City Palace Udaipur remained the capital of Mewar after the fall of Chittor until its accession in independent India.
Prior to this event, Mewar's ruler, Rana Udai Singh II, had retired to the nearby hills where he founded the new town of Udaipur. He was succeeded while in exile by his son Pratap Singh of Mewar as head of the Sisodia clan. Under the able leadership of Pratap Singh, they harassed the Mughals enough to cause them to make accommodatory overtures. Pratap Singh, a present-day Rajput icon, rebuffed these overtures of friendship from Akbar and rallied an army to meet the Mughal forces. He was defeated by the Mughal forces at the battle of Haldighati in June 1576. He escaped and carried out a relentless guerilla struggle from his hideout in the hills, and by the time of his death, he had reconquered nearly all of his kingdom from the Mughals except for the fortress of Chittor and Mandal Garh. He died in 1597 CE.
After Rana pratap Singh's death, his son Rana Amar Singh continued the struggle for 18 years and faced constant attacks from Mughals. He fought eighteen wars during this period. Finally, he entered into a peace treaty with the Mughals but with certain exemptions: the Rana of Mewar did not have to attend the Mughal court personally, but the crown prince would attend the court, and it was not necessary for the Rana and the Sisodias to enter into marriage alliances with the Mughals. The treaty was signed by Rana Amar Singh and Prince Khurram Shihab-ud-din Muhammad (later Shah Jahan) in 1615 CE at Gogunda. Singh thus regained control of his state as a vassal of the Mughals. The Sisodias, rulers of Mewar, were the last Rajput dynasty to enter into an alliance with the Mughals.
The internal conflicts which existed among the Rajput communities were significant in enabling the Mughal invaders to achieve control over them, while nonetheless recognising the role of the Rajputs as a ruling class. European travellers of the period also documented this internal strife and, noting that the Rajputs ate meat and used opium, believed that those two traits explained their passionate nature.
ABOUT US:
Rajput is from the Sanskrit word Raja-Putra (son of a king).[1] The word is found in ancient texts, including the Vedas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. It was used by the ancient Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini in the 4th century BCE. The word Kshatriya ("warrior") was used for the Vedic community of warriors and rulers. To differentiate royal warriors from other Kshatriyas the word Rajputra was used. Rajputra eventually was shortened to Rajput; gradually it became a caste. Rajputs belong to one of three great patrilineages, which are Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi and Agnivanshi. Further, many Rajputs also claim patrilineage from Nagavanshi clan.
Suryavanshi lineage: the sun
The Suryavanshi, which means Sun Dynasty, claim descent from Surya, the solar deity. The Sun Dynasty is oldest among Kshatriyas. The first person of this dynasty was Vivasvan, which means the Fire Bird. Ikshvaku was the first important king of this dynasty. Other important kings were Kakutsth Harishchandra, Sagar, Dileepa, Bhagiratha, Raghu, Dashratha, and Rama. The poet Kalidasa wrote the great epic Raghuvaṃśa about the dynasty of Raghu. Rajput Suryavanshi clans that claim descent from Rama are the Rathores, Chattars, Jamwals,Jijs, Lohana, Raghav (surname), Pundirs, Sisodias, Hill Chauhans, Bargujars, Durgvanshi, Minhas (Manhas), Jhalas, Vardhans and the Kachwaha.
Chandravanshi lineage: the moon
Main article: Chandravanshi
The Chandravanshi, which means Moon Dynasty, claim descent from Chandra,
the lunar deity. This Lunar Dynasty is very ancient, but is younger
than the Sun Dynasty. Som was the first king of this dynasty. Other
important kings were Pururawa, Nahush, Yayati, Dushyant, Bharata, Kuru, Shantanu, and Yudhishthir. The ancient text Harivamsa gives details of this dynasty and the Suryavanshi.The Yaduvanshi lineage, claiming descent from the Hindu god Krishna and from Yadu, eldest son of Yayati, are a major sect of the Chandravanshi. Rajput Chandravanshi clans that claim descent from Krishna and Yadu are the Sainis of Punjab, Bhatti, Doad, Jadaun, Jadeja, Khanzada, Meos, Yadavs, Tanwar, Sulehria, Pathania and Katoch.
Agnivanshi lineage: fire
Main article: Agnivanshi
The Agnivanshi lineage claims descent from Agni,
the Vedic God of Fire. They were the earliest lineage to rise to
political prominence. The legend which addresses the origin of the
Agnivanshi Rajputs is disputed. According to Puranic legend, as found in
Bhavishya Purana (an ancient religious text), many but not all of the traditional kshatriyas of the land were exterminated by Parashurama, an avatar of Vishnu. The sage Vasishta performed a great a yagna (ritual of sacrifice) at Mount Abu, at the time of emperor Ashoka's sons (Ashoka died around 232 BCE). From the influence of mantras of the four Vedas, four kshatriyas were born. They were the founders of the four Agnivanshi clans:Only these four clans out of the many Rajput clans are considered to be Agnivanshi.
Consciousness of clan and lineage
Main article: Rajput clans
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.
Authoritative listings of the 36 Rajput clans are to be found in the Kumārpāla Charita of Jayasimha and the epic poem Prithvirāj Rāso of Chandbardai.Demographics
Languages
Rajputs typically speak whatever languages are spoken by the general population of the areas in which they live. Hindi and Rajasthani are the primary languages, as most are situated in Hindi-speaking states, but Gujarati is also spoken among Rajputs residing in Gujarat.[citation needed]Culture and ethos
Rajput lifestyle
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. Another affirmation of the Rajput's reverence for his sword was the Karga Shapna ("adoration of the sword") ritual, performed during the annual Navaratri festival, after which a Rajput is considered "free to indulge his passion for rapine and revenge".[16]By the late 19th century, there was a shift of focus among Rajputs from politics to a concern with kinship.[17] 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.[18]
to know more:
go to:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rajputs
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