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'''Rajputs''' (from the ] ] compound ''{{IAST|rājaputra}}'', "son of a king") are a prominent social group of ], ] and ]. They claim descent from the ancient royal dynasties of the region. Within the Hindu ], Rajputs constitute one of the principal groups belonging to the ] ]. A '''Rajput''' ( ]: {{Unicode|राजपूत}} ''rājput'', from ] राजपुत्र ''rāja-putra'', "son of a king") is a hindu ] caste. The Rajputs trace their origins to the royal Rajput dynasties. It is estimated that currently there are 40 million Rajputs.
<!--Census breakdown is
These are estimates from an evengeligacal organization.
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==Definition==
Rajput dynasties played a prominent role in the history of ]. They developed an ethos of warlike chivalry that served as the benchmark for other Indian communities as the latter ascended to regional dominance. This martial ethos did not preclude patronage of the arts: distinctive forms of painting and architecture developed under the aegis of Rajput courts, and ] found support. Thus, the Rajputs have contributed directly and indirectly to many facets of the Indian crasis.
Rajputs are a sub-group of hindu ] varna. They have a hindu ] (an endogamus group within the ] social system). Rajputs are literally sons-of-kings. They are divided into 36 major clans, names of which are recorded in several texts including the ''Kumarpala Charita'' of Jayasimha, and '']'' of ].


==Origins and Geographical Presence==
==Demographics==
Rajputs predominantly belong to three lineages: the ] (Solar Race), the ] (Lunar Race), and the '']'' (Fire Born). Some scholars also include ''Rishi vanshi'', ''Nag Vanshi'' and ''Vayu Vanshi'' as separate classes.
].]]
The 1931 census of ] 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.


Suryavanshi rajputs ruled over ], ] and ]. ], ], ], ], ] were ruled by Agnivanshi rajputs. ] and ] are from the same line which bifurcated at king yadu {{fact}} when his father banished him from becoming the king. ], ] was ruled by Chandravanshi rajputs.
The 1931 census reported a total of 10.7 million people self-describing as Rajput. Of this population, about 8.6 million people also self-described as being ], about 2.1 million as being ] and about 50,000 as being ] by religion. The ] (being approximately present-day ] and ] combined) reported the largest population of Rajputs, at 3,756,936. Next came the undivided province of ] with 2,351,650. The (then united) province of ] & ], corrosponding to the present-day states of Bihar, Orissa and ], reported a Rajput population of 1,412,440. ], which was almost co-terminus with the present-day state of ], reported a figure of 669,516. The ] reported a figure of 506,087, the ] of ] of 393,076, the ] of 388,942, the ] of 352,016, the ] of ] of 256,020, and the Western India States Agency of 227,137 Rajputs. The undivided province of ] (including present-day ] reported a figure of 156,978 Rajputs. The ]s of ] and ] reported figures of 94,893 and 88,434 respectively.


===Rajput Clan Structure===
Rajputs typically speak whatever languages are spoken by the general population of the areas they live in. ], ], ], and dialects of these languages are the major native languages (mother tongues) of the Rajputs.
Suryavanshi trace their lineage to the Vedic Sun - Surya. Lord ] was also born in this lineage. Somvanshi to ] (the vedic deity Soma or Moon) and Agnivanshi orginated from fire. The Yaduvanshi trace there lineage to Lord ].


Each ] is divided into many ] and each ] is further divided into many ]. For a pictorial description please see page 27 of
==Origins==
{{main|Origin of Rajputs}}
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 ] that the aspirant community essays. This phenomenon of gradual inclusion has indubitably obtained in the case of the Rajputs, with certain ] and ] dynasties being among the most recent to venture the claim of affiliation with the Rajput community. In view of this, to seek a single and common, definitive origin for every present-day Rajput is widely recognised as being an exercise in futility. We present both traditional legends and some scholarly speculations made by researchers on the origin of the Rajputs.


Some Suryavanshi rajputs are: ]s, which are divided into these ] : ], ], ], ] etc; Guhilotes, which are subdivided into these shakha: ] (at ]), ] (at ]), ] (at ]), etc.
====Legendary accounts====
{{main|Rajput clans}}
As ]s, the Rajputs regard themselves as being descended from the ] warrior class. Legend ascribes to the Rajputs an origin stemming from certain ] deities; every Rajput must eventually belong to one of three great patrilineages, being:
*the ] lineage, claiming descent from ], the ] Fire-god;
*the ] lineage, claiming descent from ], the ] Sun-god;
*the ] lineage, claiming descent from ], the ] Moon-god.
Some scholars also count '']'', ''Rishivanshi'' and ''Vayuvanshi'' as traditional lineages. The ''Yaduvanshi'' lineage, claiming descent from the ] god ], are in fact a major sept of the ''Chandravanshi'' lineage.


Agnivanshi rajputs are: ], which are divided into these ]: ], ], ], ] etc. Similarly there are various shakha in ], ] and rest of the 12 clans described below.
The aforementioned three patrilineages (''vanshas'') sub-divide into 36 main clans (''kulas''), which in turn divide into numerous branches (''shakhas'') to create the intricate ] 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 ] 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 '']'' of ].


Each ] has its ], a genealogical creed, describing the essential peculiarities, religious tenets and pristine locale of the clan. It is a touchstone of affinities and guardian of the laws of intermarriage.
Among the legends mentioned above, the one which addresses the origin of the '']'' Rajputs is particularly interesting, not least because they were the earliest to rise to political prominence. This legend begins with the ] legend wherein the traditional '']s'' of the land were exterminated by ], an ] of ]. Later, the legend says, sage ] 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. In some versions of the legend, ''all'' the Rajput lineages rose thus from the sacred flames.


Rathore Gotra Acharya -- ''Gautam gotra, Mardwunduni Shakha, Shukra-Acharya Guru, Garroopata Agni, Pankhini Devi''.
====Scientific View====

Many scholars view the ''Agni kunda'' (fire-sacrifice) legend as suggesting, in an allegorical manner, the possibility that people who were not hitherto regarded as kshatriyas/Rajputs could come to be regarded as such after the customary fire-sacrifice based purificatory rituals. Many scholarly speculations on the origin of the Rajputs have been based on this legend. ] uses it as a basis for speculating upon a ] origin for the Rajputs. He suggests that Scythian (], ]) tribes which invaded India in the ] and disappeared into the population soon afterwards were the forbears of present-day Rajputs. Many modern historians tend to agree with this assessment, which according to some scholars, finds evidence in anthropological research.<ref></ref>
These twelve of 36 ] of ] further subdivide:
*],],], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ].

Rest of the 24 clans are 'Eka' and do not divide further:
* ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

===Myths===
One version of the story of ''Agni kula'' origins is that four warriors, Agnikul, Yadaukul, Suryakul and Odak, whose names are given to the Rajput clans, sprang from the sacred fire (]) in a ceremony performed by ] ] near ] . Sage Vashishta undertook this Yagya to develop warriors who could help the ordinary mortals against the demons.

There is another myth which states Rajputs were descendants of ], the founding ] ].

Modern Historians tend to view rajputs as descendants of ] pastoral people. This theory has been sustantiated by anthropological research which has yielded compelling proofs of them being scythic.Evidence has been traced to their geneology too.Many Rajputs who call themselves of ] lineage too have been found to be of same scythic stock somewhat similar to ] following ] customs (like circumcision on 8th day) {{fact}} who like Rajputs also trace their lineage from Jadon ,nothing to do with yaduvansh of lord ]


Rajputs reside mainly in ], ], ] and central ] of India.
], which has a very high concentration of ], is located in northwestern ], near the ] route used by most foreign invasions of India, including the Arabs, Afghans, Turks, Mughals, and other Islamic invaders of the Middle Ages. In his ''New History of India'', ] wrote "The Rajputs were the vanguard of Hindu India in the face of the Islamic onslaught." Rajputs live in ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

==The Rajput Rule of India==


==Political history==
], Rajasthan, which was built by ] Rajputs]] ], Rajasthan, which was built by ] Rajputs]]
Rajput kings are mainly remembered as warriors and as influential rulers. They also played an important role in the emergence of modern-day society in northern India.
{{main|History of Rajputs}}
Rajput history, being a part of broader ]n history, can be classified easily into several distinct periods.


Archaeological evidence and contemporary texts suggest that the Indian society had achieved significant prosperity during the Rajput rule. Most of the archaeological remains in several regions of the ] are from the Rajput period.
===Early history===
The ], who ruled ] in the 6th and 7th centuries and were displaced by an Arab army led by ], are sometimes held to have been Rajputs. According to some sources, ], an Arab who invaded ] in the 8th century, also attacked ], and was defeated by ]. Certain other invasions by murauding ''"Yavvanas"'' are also recorded in this era. By this time, the appelation ''"Yavvana"'' (literally: "Ionian/Greek") was used in connection to any tribe that emerged from the west and north-west of present-day ]. 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 ]s. ] of ] defeated one such ''Yavvana'' invasion in the 8th century and the Pratiharas rebuffed another in the 9th century.


It was also a period of spread of literacy. Numerous inscriptions from this period have been found. A significant fraction of them are by people who were unaffiliated with the nobles, suggesting that education was spreading among the common people. The literature composed in this period is in ] and in ]s which constitutes a large segment of the classical Indian literature. The ] king ] of ] was not only a patron of scholars, but was himself a distinguished and prolific scholar. His ] deals with architecture and ] is a famous commentary on ]-].
===The Rajput period (7th-11th centuries AD)===
The first Rajput kingdoms are attested to in the ] and it was in the 9th and 10th centuries that the Rajputs rose to prominence in ]. The four '']'' clans, namely, the ]s (Pariharas), ]s (Chaulukyas), ]s (Parmars) and ]s (Chahamanas), rose to prominence first.


The intermarriage among the Rajput clans interlinked different regions of India, making it easier for the trade and scholarship to flow from one part of the country to another.
====Major kingdoms====
'''The ]s''' established their rule over ] and ruled from ] in the 8th century. One branch of the clan established a state in nearby ], where they held sway until they were supplanted by the ]s in the 14th century. Around 816 AD, the Pratiharas of Ujjaini conquered ], from which city they ruled much of northern India for a century. They went into decline after ] invasions in the early 10th century. The Kachwahas, Chandelas and Tomaras all originate as vassals of the Pratihara kingdom.


Rajput kings were very secular in character and permitted all faiths to flourish in their domains. Rajputs practice ], ], ], ] and occasionally ] traditions; they supported Buddhists, ] and Sufi traditions as well.
'''The ]s''' were descended from the ]s 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 displaced by the ] and ] clans.


The vast majority of Rajputs practice Hinduism. There are some Rajputs who follow the ] panth, and they often intermarry with Hindu Rajputs even today.
'''The ]s''' 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. ], 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 ] in 1305.


'''The ]s''' 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 ] which became their capital. In the 12th century, they captured Delhi from the Tomaras. Their most famous ruler was ], who won the ] against an invading muslim army but lost the ] the following year. This loss heralded a prolonged period of muslim rule over northern India.


===Social hierarchy===
'''Other early states:''' The '']'' and '']'' Rajputs later established independent states. The Guhilots (later known as the ]s) established the state of ] in the 8th century. This state was founded by Bappa Rawal, who ruled from ]. The ] clan established a state in present-day ]. They are credited with having founded (c.736) the city of Dhiliki, later known as ]. The ] clan ruled ] after the 10th century, occupying the fortress of ]; they later built the famous temples at ].
Rajputs supported ] as scholars and priests. However, Rajputs had their own family priests, known as the ]s. Some ]s of noble Rajput families would officiate themselves as priests in their Hindu temples. For example, the ] kings of ] considered themselves as the regents of the ], a manifestation of ], and serve as the high priest of the deity as well as ruler of the state.


====Legacy====
The organization of ] finally crystallized in this period. Intermarriage among the Rajput clans interlinked the various regions of India, 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 ] and in the ]s, constitutes a substantial segment of classical Indian literature. The early 11th century saw the reign of the ] king ], Paramara ruler of Malwa. He was not only a patron of literature and the arts but was himself a distinguished writer. His '']'' deals with architecture and his ''Raja-Martanda'' is a famous commentary on the ]-]s. Many major monuments of northern and central India, including those at Khajuraho, date from this period.


==Character==
===Islamic invasions (''c.''11th-16th centuries)===
The Rajput ethos is martial in spirit, fiercely proud, loyal and independent, and emphasizes lineage and tradition. Rajput ] is legendary, an ideal they embodied by choosing death before dishonour. Rajput warriors were often known to fight until the last man. The practice of '']'' and '']'' was followed only in rajput communities.
The fertile and prosperous plains of ] 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 ]-]-] warlords who repeatedly invaded the subcontinent. In his ''New History of India'', ] wrote "The Rajputs were the vanguard of Hindu India in the face of the Islamic onslaught."


===Jauhar===
Within 15 years of the death of the ], the caliph ] sent a sea expedition to raid ] and ] on the ] coast. Other unsuccessful raiding expeditions to ] took place in ] and ] AD. Indeed, within a hundred years after ]'s death, Muslim armies had overrun much of ] as far as the ]. However, it was not until ''c.''1000 AD that they could establish any foothold in India.
When the outcome of a battle was against the Rajputs, ''jauhar'' would be committed by Rajput women and children in the night and next morning men would commit ''saka''. Brahmin priests would chant Vedic ]s and Rajput women wearing their marriage dresses, along with their young children, would embrace ] flames.


===Saka===
In the early 11th century, ] conquered the Hindu ] kingdom in ]. His raids into northern India weakened the ] kingdom, which was drastically reduced in size and came under the control of the ]s. In 1018 AD, Mahmud sacked the city of ], seat of the ] kingdom, but withdrew immediately to Ghazni, being interested in booty rather than empire. In the ensuing chaos, the ] dynasty established a modest state centered around Kannauj, ruling for about a hundred years. They were defeated by ] in 1194 AD, when the city was sacked by the latter.
The next morning after taking a bath, the men would wear ] and apply the ash from the ] ] ''of their wives and children'' on their foreheads and put a ] leaf in their mouth. Then the palace gates would be opened and men would ride out for complete annhilation of the enemy or themselves. Rajput men and women could not be captured alive.


When ]s fought against other ]s there were never any '']'' or ''saka'' because the defeated were treated with dignity. However, history records very few instances wherein a Rajput king sued for peace after a battle reversal and the Muslims initially agreed to the peace terms, only for the Rajputs, and their women and children, to be slaughtered upon surrender and once the ''pols'' or gates of their mighty fortresses were opened. One example of this is war between Puran Mal of ] and Sher Shah Suri. The opposite is true for wars between Marathas and Rajputs, where even after battle reversals, no jauhars took place in Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, a nearby state centered around present-day ] was ruled successively by the ] and ] clans. ], ruler of Delhi, defeated ] at the ] (1191 AD). Muhammad returned the following year and defeated Prithviraj at the ] (1192 AD). In this battle, as in many others of this era, rampant internecine conflict among Rajput kingdoms facilitated the victory of the invaders.
], ancient home of the ] rulers of ] in ]]]
] witnessed several heroic battles between Rajputs and Muslim invaders. Three different times did its womenfolk perform '']''.]]
]
] from ] by Rajput rulers serving as mughal officers in that province.]]
====Later Rajput states====
] proved to be the last Rajput ruler of ]. The Chauhans, led by Govinda, grandson of Prithviraj, later established a small state centered around ] in present-day ]. The ] sept of the Chauhan clan later ruled ], while and ] sept of the same clan established their rule over the ] region in the mid-13th century. The Tomaras later established themselves at ], 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 ] AD. Some surviving members of the Gahadvala dynasty are said to have refugeed to the western desert, formed the ] clan, and later founded the state of ]. The ] clan came to rule ] (later ]) with their capital at ].


==Rajput Armies==
Other relocations surmised to have occurred in this period include the emigration of Rajput clans to the ]s. The ] clan, the Chauhans of Chamba and certain Rajput clans of ] are counted among this number.
Predominantly consisted of cavalry. They bred high quality horses, such as ] and ]. Rajputs fought with cocked wrist and rarely used the tip of the sword to inflict a wound. Sirohi sword was very well liked by rajputs.


====Conflict with the Sultanate====
The ] was founded by ], Muhammad of Ghor's successor, in the early 13th century. Sultan ] (1296-1316) conquered ] (1297), ] (1305), ] (1301), ] (1303) and ] (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 ]s, the saga of ] and the '']'' 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.


==Rajputs and Invasions of India==
Ala-ud-din Khilji delegated the administration of the newly conquered areas to his principal Rajput collaborator, Maldeo Songara, ruler of ]; the latter was soon displaced by his son-in-law ], a scion of the lately displaced ] clan, who re-established the state of ] ''c.''1326 AD. Mewar was to emerge as a leading Rajput state, after ] expanded his kingdom at the expense of the sultanates of ] and ].
The Rajputs suffered the brunt of the aggression from various ]-]-] warlords who repeatedly invaded the Indian subcontinent, then known as ]. Hindustan was one of the most economically prosperous regions in the world till 18-th century and had grabbed the attention of several neighbouring ] kingdoms.


===Organization of Indian kingdoms during invasions===
===Mughal era (16th-18th c.)===
] Agency and Ajmer-Merwara province, 1909]]
The Delhi sultanate was extinguished when ] defeated ] at the ] in ]. ], ruler of Mewar, rallied an army to challenge Babur. He was betrayed by one of his Rajput generals, and was defeated by ] at the ] on ], ]. However, it was not until the reign of ] that the structure of relations between the Mughal imperium and the Rajput states took definitive shape.
] describes in Chapter X of his book, ''The Indian Empire, Its People, History And Products'', the organization of Indian kings and how they fought these invaders.


:Within a hundred years after his (Muhammad's) death, his followers had invaded the countries of ] as far as the ]. Here there progress was stayed and Islam had to consolidate itself during three more centuries before it grew strong enough to grasp the rich prize of ]. But almost from first the Arabs had fixed eager eyes upon that wealthy country. Fifteen years after the death of prophet, Usman sent a sea expedition to ] and ] on the ] coast (] ? AD). Other raids towards ] took place in ] and ] with no results.
'''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 ], son of her late husband's foe. The help arrived, but too late; Chittor as reduced by Bahadur Shah. This is the occasion for the second of the three '']s'' 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.


:The armies of Islam had carried the crescent from the ] westwards, through ], ] and ], to distant ] and ], before they obtained a foothold in ]. This long delay was due, not only to the daring of individual tribes, such as ] Rajputs, just mentioned but to the military organization of the ] Kingdoms.
====Mughal-Rajput alliance====
Babur's son ] was an ineffectual ruler who perforce spend long periods in exile. His son was made of a different mettle; ] consolidated his inheritence 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 ]s 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 give a daughter to Akbar; they pioneered a trend that soon turned pervasive and played no small role in extending Rajput influence across the ], from ] to ] to the ]. Indeed, two successive mughal emperors, ] and ], were born to Rajput mothers.


:Each of these groups of kingdoms, alike in the north and in the south, had a certain power of coherence to oppose to a foreign invader; while the large number of groups and units rendered conquest a very tedious process. For even when the overlord or central authority was vanquished, the separate units had to be defeated in detail, and each state supplied a nucleus for subsequent revolt. We have seen how the brilliant attempt in ], to found a lasting Muhammedan dynasty in ], failed. Three centuries later, the utmost efforts of two great Musalman invaders (''Mahmud of Ghazni and Mohammed Ghori'') from the north-west only succeeded in annexing a small portion of the frontier ] Province between ] and ] A.D. The ] power in ] was not completely broken till the battle of ] in ]; and within a hundred years, in ], the great Hindu revival had commenced which under the form of Maratha confederacy, was destined to break up the Mughal Empire in India. That Empire, even in the north of India, had only been consolidated by Akbar's policy of incorporating Hindu chiefs into his government(]-]). Up to Akbar's time, and even during the earlier years of his reign a series of Rajput wars had challenged the Muhammadan supremacy. In less than two centuries after his death, the succesor of Akbar was a puppet in the hand of the ] ]s at ].
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.
] of ],<br> immortal Rajput hero]]
====Rana Pratap====
'''Third Jauhar:''' However, these relations were not universally approbated. ], 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 ] finally fell to Akbar in ]. 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.


:The popular notion that ] fell an easy prey to the Musalmans is opposed to the historical facts. Muhammadan rule in ] consists of a series of invasions and partial conquests, during eleven centuries, from Usman's raid, ''circ''.647, to Ahmad Shah's tempest of invasion in ] A.D.
Prior to this event, Mewar's ruler, Udai Singh, had retired to the nearby hills; he was succeeded while in exile by his son ] as head of the ] clan. Even in exile, the Sisodias did not rest; they harassed the mughal administrators of the land enough to cause them to make accommodatory overtures. ], 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 ] on ], ] and was forced to withdraw to the ] ranges. However, he carried out a relentless guerilla struggle from his hideout in those hills, and never gave in to the mughal power. After Pratap's death, his son Amar Singh continued the struggle for some time, but finally entered into alliance with the mughals. He thus regained control of his state as a vassal of the mughals.


:At no time was Islam triumphant throughout the whole of ]. ] dynasties always ruled over large areas. At the height of the Muhammadan power, the ] princes paid tribute, and sent agents to the Imperial court. But even this modified supremacy of ] lasted for little over a century (1578-1707). Before the end of that brief period the ]s had begun the work of reconquest. The native chivalry of ] was closing in upon ] from the south; the religious confederation of the ]s was growing into a military power on the north-west. The ]s had combined the fighting powers of the low-castes with the statesmen ship of the ]s, and were subjecting the Muhammadan kingdoms throughout all ] to tribute. So far as can now be estimated, the advance of the English power at the beginning of the present century alone saved the Mughal Empire from passing to the ]s.
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 ]. 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.


===Partial list of Rajputs who fought the invaders===
===Maratha and British suzerainty (18th-20th c.)===
The ]s of the ] 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 ], who annexed the fort and town of ] 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 ] administration for protection. After the ] (1817-1818), 18 states in the ] region, of which 15 were ruled by Rajputs, entered into "subsidiary alliance" with the ] and became ]s under the ]. The British took direct control of Ajmer, which became the province of ]. A vast number of other Rajput states in central and western India made a similar transition. Most od them were placed under the authority of the ] and the various states' agencies of ].


====] ]====
The British colonial officials in general were very impressed by the military qualities of the Rajputs. In his ''Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan'' ] writes:
] fort in Rajasthan was the site of several battles between the Rajputs and the Islamic invaders.]]
:''"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. . . ".''
Muslims started attacking India within a few decades of the birth of Islam. For a few hundred years they had no success. ] was able to defeat ] in ] but was routed by ]. ] attacked ], which was ruled by ] Rajputs, via ]. Bappa, of ] dynasty, was a commander in Mori army and so was Dahir's son. Bappa defeated and pursued ] through ] and back to ]. After this resounding defeat of the caliphate at the hands of Bappa, for next few hundred years there were no more Islamic incursions into India. (note Muslim historians rarely recorded the defeats of their kings) {{ref|bappa}}
When India gained its independence in 1947, the Rajput states acceded unto the ]. They were all merged into the ] before 1950.


Then ] started his raids and was successful in looting ].
==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 ] 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 herioc 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 ] 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. The historic fort of Chittor, seat of the ] kingdom of ], was the site of the three most famous ''Jauhars'' recorded in history.
] attacked ] multiple times. First time he was routed in present day ] by Rajputs. ]-II was not even a teen yet and his mother organized the defences of ]. Battle was fought at ] near ] and ] was resoundingly defeated. After this defeat he never entered ] through ]. In first battle of ] in ] ] captured ] and ] begged for his life. ] allowed him to go despite his generals asking him not to do so. Following year ] came again. ] advanced with his army and sent a letter to ]. In this letter ] was asked to return as he had been defeated the previous year and was spared his life. ] replied that he was in ] on the orders of his brother, Ghiasuddin, and that he could only retreat after he got a word from his brother. This letter was sent in the evening and ] moved his camp back a few kilometers. On receiving this letter and seeing ] move his camp back ] assumed that ] was not interested in fighting. ] also knew that ] did not fight in the night and only started fighting after sun had come up. (This is an ancient ] practice e.g ] was also fought mostly in day time). He attacked in the early morning hours when ] and his army were sleeping and was able to win this war. {{ref|chauhan}}


====] ]====
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 daggars and coconuts (page-453). The ''Karga Shapna'' ritual, performed during the annual ] festival, was another affirmation of the Rajput's reverence for his sword.
]
]'s descendant, ] ruled ]. ] was ruled by another branch of ]s, the ]s. ] usurped ] from his father-in-law, ], by killing him in cold blood. In ] ]'s ] general Ulugh Khan sought to quell ] resistance in ] and besieged ] and sacked the temple at ]. Ulugh Khan had broken the ] of ] and was carrying it back to ]. ], ruler of ], attacked and defeated Ulugh Khan. His son ] and ] ] were the generals who commandeered Kanhad Dev's army. They captured the fragments of the ]. ] had the ] washed in ]jal and had the fragments placed at various ] ]s around ]. One of ]'s generals was a neo-Muslim, Muhammad Shah, who had helped ]. This general later went and stayed with ] in ]. ] wanted him dead, and asked ] to hand him over. ] replied that he knows how to draw his sword, and anyone who has taken shelter in his fort would not be turned over. ] did not consider ] king of ]. ] attacked ] in ], but his armies were defeated. He finally came himself in 1301, and there was a long siege. ] was very well prepared. When the fort did not fall after repeated bloody skirmishes ] resorted to diplomacy. ] was very suspicious but he heeded to his councillors who told him that sword is not always the best recourse. Ratipal and Ranmal, who were close confidants of ], were sent to the ] camp. Ranmal's father was hung by ] for treachery and his property was confiscated. Ranmal earned the trust of ] by being brave in battles that ] fought but perfidy was in his blood. ] bribed these two generals of ]'s army and consequently ] fell.


====],],] ]====
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 ] (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.''
] wanted to win ] because ]s of ] never accepted the rule of Islam. Another reason was ]. He laid a siege but ] would not fall. Then he requested ], husband of ], that if he is allowed a glimpse of Rani he would leave. By this time the situation inside the fort was getting bad. Rawal discussed this with his advisers and they agreed that they can show Padmini's face in a mirror to the ]. The meeting took place and afterwards out of courtesy when Ratan Singh was walking ] out of the palace, ]'s men captured ]. ] sent a message to the fort that Rawal can be spared by exchanging ]. Padmini discussed this with ], her maternal uncle, who was a ] rajput. Gora told her not to worry and that he would go and bring back ]. Padmini's nephew ] who was just sixteen also assured her. A message was sent from the fort to ] that Padmini would come with 700 of her servants in "palanquins" (palki in ]) and that no Muslim soldier should peek inside the palki to outrage the modesty of the women. Letter also said that before ] meets ] she would like to talk to Rawal. Khilji agreed. All the palki's had the best rajput warriors with two swords each. When Padmini's palki, which was occupied by Gora, reached Rawal's tent he asked Rawal to mount the horse and go back to the fort. Then Gora gave a signal and every rajput came out of the palki and attacked the Muslims who were cut to pieces. ] reached ]'s tent and was about to kill the sultan when ] moved his concubine in front of himself. Gora, being a rajput could not kill an innocent women and these few seconds were enough for ]'s guards to kill Gora from behind.


====] ]====
==Cognate communities==
], in ] ]]]
The mainstream Rajput community comprises of ]s belonging to the ] caste 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.
After Ratan Singh's death his successor ] tried to capture ] and fought a battle with Tughlaq near ]. He died along with his son Ari. His second son Ajay was severely wounded but was taken away from the battlefield by other soldiers and survived. Ajay was not a powerful ruler and his sons were likewise. Ajay knew that Ari had a son ] and he called ] to come to him. ], along with his mother came to see his uncle. Ajay said that he had grown weak and a dacoit, Munja Balicha, was wreaking havoc in Rana Ajay's domain. ] vowed that he would take care of Munja. ] took seven warriors with him and set out to finish Munja. ] at this stage was just a teenager. Munja was tracked. When Munja was riding with his band to plunder a village, ] stood in his way on his white steed. Munja asked him to leave the way or die. ] challenged him to a duel and seeing that Hammir was just a teenager Munja readily agreed. ] killed Munja and brought his head and put it at Rana Ajay's feet and told his uncle that Munja will never be a problem again. Rana Ajay realized Hammir should be the ruler and he coronated Hammir as the new ruler of ]. Ajay's sons were unhappy with this and decided to move to ]. Do note that ] was called ] at this time as ] had renamed it after his son and at Hammir's coronation was ruled by ]. Hammir captured ]. ] became very unhappy and launched a massive campaign against Hammir which he led himself. Hammir knew as soon as he captured ] that ] would attack him. He rallied all nearby rajput states to join him and they did. Battle was fought and ] was badly defeated and captured. After he paid a hefty fees and surrendered all of ]'s territory he was let go. After this defeat ] was never attacked by ].


====] ]====
'''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 ] ] of the ] 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 ]s; the Garasia community claim to be descended from such intermarriage. Some sections of the ] scheduled tribe of ] ascribe to themselves a similar heritage, as do the ] community of nomadic blacksmiths. Certain specific sections of the ] and ] communities also hold themselves to be of part-Rajput descent.
]]]


Later Rana Kumbha repeatedly defeated sultans of ] and ] and built 32 forts in ]. Even the combined armies of sultans of Malwa and Gujarat could not beat Kumbha. To commemorate his victory over these Muslim rulers of Malwa and Gujarat, Maharana Kumbha built the victory tower in 1440 A.D. The tower has nine-stories and is covered with exquisite sculputres of ] Gods and Godesses depicting episodes from ] and ].
'''Sikh Rajputs:''' The census of 1931 recorded the existence of 50,000 people who claimed to be both Rajput and ]. Occasional instances of inter-marriage between them and Hindu Rajputs are recorded.


====] ]====
'''Muslim Rajputs:''' The census of 1931 recorded a population of 2.1 million Muslim Rajputs in ], concentrated primarily in ] and the ] with smaller numbers in other places. In Panjab, ], and ], they made up the majority of those claiming to be Rajput. The great majority of Muslim Rajputs today live in ]. Detailed information on the community is available at the ] page.
In Kumbha's lineage was ] or Sanga. ], ruler of ], was defeated by Man Singh ] of ] but being a ] ], Man Singh out of magnanimity let Ibrahim go back to Delhi. Man Singh's descendants fought at ] along with ] against ] and showed exemplary bravery. Lodi was defeated by ] later. Now ] was having sleepless nights because of ]. ] sent about 1500 choice cavalry to attack ]. These were butchered by ]'s rajputs. ] wanted to discuss peace terms. For discussions ] sent his general ] (Shiladitya). ] won this general by promising him independent kingdom. ] came back and reported that ] does not want peace and he wants to fight. Fight started and ]'s army was being knocked out of the field and victory was certain for ]. At this juncture ] and his army just left the field and this tilted the war in favor of ] and he won.


====] ]====
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 ] district in ], ] are among those noted for maintaining a strict tradition of Muslim Rajput endogamy.<ref> "Marginal Muslim Communities In India", edited by M.K.A.Siddiqui (2004)</ref> Prominent Muslim Rajput personalities include ] ], former Chief of Staff, ]; General ], Pakistani military commander; ], British Olympic silver medalist for boxing and Rana Sehar Ali-Noor.
], Home of ] rulers of (], ])]]
], ]'s son was defeated by ], a ]. ] was forced to leave ] and he took refuge with ] king of ]. ] became ruler of ]. The ] of ] had not yet recovered from ]'s treacherous defeat. In ] the ]s were becoming very powerful. The ] king ] had extended his territory to within a couple of hundred kilometers of ]. ] attacked ]. ] came with a force of 40 thousand and ] had 60 thousand. In the evening ] sent forged letters to ]'s camp. In these letters it was stated that few generals from ]'s army were buying arms from ]'s army. This caused great consternation in ] who thought there is treachery and that some of his generals had crossed over to ]. ] left with 20 thousand men. In reality there was no treachery. Later when ]'s generals Kumpa (his progeny are ] ]s) and Jaita (his progeny are ] ]s) found out what happened they did not loose cool and decided they would not leave the field even though they just had 20 thousand men and had to face 60 thousand ]s of ]. Finally battle of ] was fought and ] was shocked by what he saw. ]'s top generals lost there lives and his army suffered heavy losses. After this ] commented that "for a few grains of ] ]] he had almost lost the entire kingdom of ]". It is a moot point now but had ] not retreated because of the fake letter ]s/Rajputs would have defeated ]. In my bhoomi (Rajasthan) ]s are considered the most stubborn, ]s the most brave and ]s the invincible warriors on the battlefield (Ranbanka ]).


====] ]====
==Famous Rajput people==
] of Udaipur]]
The Rajputs have contributed to many facets of Indian life, both historically and in the modern age. A few prominent Rajputs are mentioned below:


]'s son ] was born in the palace of a ] king, at ], who had given ] shelter when he was being pursued by ]. ] realized that he can never subdue Rajputs and become sole ruler of ]. He decided to pursue diplomacy and was able to convince the ] Rajput rulers of ](modern day ]) about a matrimonial alliance. King of ] agreed and Maan Kunwar became ]'s queen and the mother of Prince ], who later became the ] emperor ]. Soon other Rajput kingdoms in ] also gave their daughters to ]. This was the darkest period in the history of Rajputs.
'''Historical heroes'''
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]


Only two kings remained against this. The ]s of ] and ]s of ]. ] are ]s. Finally ] of ] and ] went and met ] that he should become friends with ]. ] some how agreed but one of his conditions of friendship was that no daughter of ]s would ever be asked to marry ]s and ] agreed. Surjan was very saddened by this friendship with ] and the fact that he could not help ] against ]. He felt so ashamed that he moved his residence to ] and made sure that ] in the holy city had no problems at the hands of Muslims. So there remained just the house of ] the sole bearer of Rajput pride in the face of immense opposition from ] as well as other rajputs who had sold there souls essentially to mughals by giving there daughters.
'''Modern age'''

* ], Prime Minister of India (Dec.2, 1989-Nov.10, 1990)
], the ] ruler of ], passed a law in his state that none of his followers will intermarry with Rajputs who have given their daughters to Muslims. This rule was followed by his loyal band of Rajputs, which included ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, ] and ]s. ] never accepted ] as ruler of ], and fought ] all his life. ] first tried diplomacy to win over ] but nothing worked. ] just said he has no intention to fight with ] but he cannot bow down to ] and accept him as the ruler. Some scholars argue that there is some chance that ] could have become friends with ] but in the siege of ] when ] killed 30,000 civilian, unarmed residents of ], because they refused to convert to ], left a lasting impression on ]'s mind and he decided he cannot bow to such an unjust and cruel human being as ] was. (People should note that when ] Kings fought with each other unarmed civilians were never killed in the loosing king's territory).
* ], Prime Minister of India (Nov.10, 1990-June 21, 1991)

* ], sometime leader of opposition, ]
Finally ] attacked ] at ]. Akbar's general was Man Singh ] of ], leading an army of 40 thousand men. ] had about 8 thousand men and some ] warriors. One of ]'s generals was Hakim Khan Sur, who was from the line of ], a ]. ]s are the only faction of Muslims that Rajputs do not mind befriending
* ], Vice-president of India.
because a ] would rather give his life then his word. During the first attack ]'s army routed the ] and ] ran for there life. ] decided to kill Man Singh, and ]'s horse ] put his front feet on the trunk of the elephant that Man Singh was riding and ] threw his lance. Man Singh ducked, and the elephant driver was killed. Finally the numerical superiority of the ] army was too much and the battle ended in a stalemate. When ] army entered the nearby town of ] they were so mortified that ] would attack them again that no one would venture out of the camp for months. They ran out of food and conditions were just miserable in the ] camp. They killed there own horses and ate them to survive. Finally help arrived many months later. ] was very unhappy with his generals and his army and he refused to see his generals for months.
* ], olympic silver medalist

Akbar kept sending expedition after expedition against ] but never succeeded. He lost lot of money and men in trying to defeat ]. For 30 years Pratap remained ahead of ] and in last ten years of his life was able to free most of his kingdom. The only fort ] could not recover was ] and that saddened him a lot. His son, ], won that fort after ]'s death.

It is said that somebody told ] that ] wanted to accept ] as the king. ] was very happy to hear this. One of ]'s general was Prthviraj ] who was a very good poet. He told ] this is a lie (incidentally Prithviraj's mother and ]'s mother were real sisters. ] and Prithviraj played together as kids in there maternal grandfather, Akshay Raj ]'s home who was a ] rajput). Prithviraj wrote this letter to ]:

:The hopes of the ] rest on the ] yet the ] forsakes them. But for ], all would be placed on the same level by ]; for our chiefs have lost their valour and our females their honour. ] is the broker in the market of our race; he has purchased all but the son of Udai (Singh II of ]); he is beyond his price. What true Rajput would part with honour for nine days (nauroza); yet how many have bartered it away? Will ] come to this market ...? Though ] (an affectionate name for ]) has squandered away wealth (on warfare), yet he has preserved this treasure. Despair has driven man to this market, to witness their dishonour: from such infamy the descendant of ] alone has been preserved. The world asks, from where does the concealed aid of ]emanate? None but the soul of manliness and his sword .. The broker in the market of men (]) will one day be surpassed; he cannot live forever. Then will our race come to ], for the seed of the Rajput to sow in our desolate lands. To him all look for its preservation, that its purity may again become resplendent. It is as much impossible for me to believe that ] has called ] his emperor as to see the sun rising in the west. Tell me where do I stand? Shall I use my sword on my neck or shall I continue my proud bearing?

Pratap replied to him:

:By my god ], ] would call the emperor ] alone and the sun would rise in the east. You may continue your proud bearing as long as ]'s sword dangles on the ] head. ] would be guilty of ]'s blood, if he was to tolerate ]. you would have the better of it, no doubt Prithviraj, in this wordy quarrel.

Prithviraj was overjoyed on getting this letter.

]'s son, Amar Singh, fought 17 wars with the ]s but he finally accepted them as rulers. At this time a large chunk of ]'s band of loyal Rajputs became disillusioned by the surrender and left ]. This group included ]s, ] ]s, ]s, ]s, ] and ]s. They are called "Rors" and settled mostly in ], with some in ]. Until today they do not intermarry with other Rajputs but "] permitting" with other Rors only.

====]====
] rulers of ]]]
In the Battle of ], ] opposed ]. The battle was fought on 15th April ], fifteen miles from ]. Jaswant could have attacked ] but he allowed Murad's armies to join ]. He was desirous of beating both mughal princes at once. This delay allowed ] to win over the mughal general, Kasim Khan, who was sent by ] to help ]. Kasim Khan defected as soon as the war started but 30,0000 ]s of ] decided that they would not leave the field. Some prominent generals in Maharaja's army were Mukund Singh ] of ] and ], Dayal Das ], Arjun ] of Rajgarh in ] province and Ratan Singh ] of ]. ] attacked both Aurangzeb and Murad and they barely escaped. According to ] in ''Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan:''
''"Ten thousand Muslims fell in the onset, which cost seventeen hundred ]s, besides ]s, ]s, Gaurs, and some of every clan of Rajwarra. ] and ] only escaped because their days were not yet numbered. Notwithstanding the immense superiority of the imperial princes, aided by numerous artillery served by Frenchmen, night alone put a stop to the contest of science, numbers, and artillery, against ] courage."''
==See also==
*]
*]


Finally the unequal contest ended and Aurangzeb named the place of victory Fatehabad. In this battle ] changed four horses and lost about half a dozen swords (they broke due to intense fighting) and he finally fell down half dead. Maharaja ordered him to be carried away. After his wounds healed he promptly rejoined Maharaja's army. ] further writes in ''Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan:''
==External links==
* ], Sixth Edition; 2005
* ]; 1911
*


''"], even in the moment of battle, worshipped the rising sun, and they sealed there faith in there blood; and none more liberally than the brave ]s of ] and ]. . . The annals of no nation on earth can furnish such an example, as an entire family, six royal brothers of ], stretched on the field, and all but one in death. Of all the deeds of heroism performed on this day, those of Ratan Singh ] of ], by universal consent, are pre-eminent, and are wreathed into immortal rhyme by the bard in the Raso Rao Ratan."''
==Notes==
<references/>


====] ]====
==References==
]]]
<!--works referred to in the article body; general reading suggestions go to the next section-->
When ] ] died he had no son and this gave ] a chance to appoint a ] as the ruler of ]. This upset ] Rajputs a lot. Two of ]'s queens were pregnant when he died. One queen gave birth to ] and other to Dalathamban. After Ajit's birth, ] generals, chief among them was ] (a ] ]) went to ] along with the queens and the infants, and asked ] that crown of ] should be given to ]. ] was very cunning and he had no intention of handing over the throne of ]. He suggested that Ajit should grow up in his ] but internally he wanted to kill them all.
*{{Harvard reference
] was founded by the ] clan of Rajputs.]] ] sensed this and they smuggled ] out of ] to the outskirts of the city. When ] army came to capture them in ], ] and his men attacked the ] and started riding out of ]. Raghunandan ] and others soaked the streets of ] in crimson by flowing the blood of ] pursuers. There were about three hundred Rajputs with ] and there were thousands of pursuing ]. Every so often 15 - 20 Rajputs would fall behind attack the ] pursuers and in the process get themselves killed but it allowed the forward party to create some distance between Ajit and the ]s. This continued till the evening by which time the ]s had given up and ] was left with just seven men out of three hundred he started with and reached ] along with Ajit Singh.
| Surname1 = Harlan
] was founded by the ] clan of Rajputs.]]
| Given1 = Lindsey
Thereby started the 30 year Rajput rebellion against Aurangzeb. ] and ] forces combined together and almost killed ] when he was trapped in the mountains of ] but the ] king out of magnanimity allowed ] to escape.
| Year = 1992
| Title = Religion and Rajput Women: The Ethic of Protection in Contemporary Narratives.
All the ]s were plundered by ]s and they started looting various treasuries of ] and ]. To crush them ] sent many expeditions but no success. These expeditions and drying up of revenue from trade routes running through ] had severe effect on his resources. In addition the lion of ], ], had freed almost all of ] and was at constant war with ]. ] had some Rajput ancestry.
| Publisher = University of California Press
| ID = ISBN 0520073398
}} .
*Kasturi, Malavika, '' Embattled Identities Rajput Lineages'', Oxford University Press (2002) ISBN 01956-5787-x
*M K A Siddiqui (ed.), ''Marginal Muslim Communities In India'', Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi (2004)
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Tod
| Given1 = James
| Surname2 = Crooke
| Given2 = William (Editor)
| Year = 1994
| Title = Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (2 vols.).
| Publisher = Trans-Atl
| ID = ISBN 8170691281
| Comment = The way Surjan Hada was befriended by Man Singh and Akbar and the conditions that Surjan laid down for this friendship are chronicled. Surjan's leaving ] and living in ] because of this friendship is also documented by ] in this book. Treachery against Rana Sanga is also described in this book. (Treachery against Rana Sanga: Annals of Mewar, Chapter IX Vol-I: Pages 243-246. Surjan Hada: Page 381-385 volume II).
}}.
*W.W. Hunter, ''The Indian empire, its people, history and products.'' First published: London, Trubner & Co., Ludgate Hill, 1886. ISBN 81-206-1581-6.
*{{1911}}


Finally, on his death-bed ] complained that his life had been a complete failure. He was the sole reason for Mughal empire's crumbling. His war campaigns had practically left the treasury dry for his progeny.
==Further reading==

Baron De Boigne payed tribute to rajput (rathaura) valor in his memoirs, which were published by his son in 18th century. De Boigne fought the rathaurs, as part of Mahadaji Scindia's army at Tonga, Lalsot and Medta.

==Protection of ]==
A point to note here is that lot of ] and some ] historians think that ]/]s did not do conversion of ]s by sword. The argument they give is that there are so many ]s still today in ]. This is completely wrong because most ] rulers in ] tried to convert as many as they could but it was the strength of Rajput sword and later ],] swords that kept Hinduism alive in ]. If there were no ]s, ]s , ]s in ], then ] would be just like ], ], ], or ] in terms of religion of the population.

The preservance of ] in India by the Rajput sword against the entire might of ] rulers is the most glorious achievement by a race in the annals of ] and every one should know this fact, more so ]s and most definitely each and every Rajput.

In his ''Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan'' ] wrote:
:"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. . . ".

==Prominent Rajput clans & their main centers==
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===Clans of Jammu and Himachal===
Rajput clans in ] and ]: Jaswal, Chambial, Mankotia, Sambial, Guleria, Dadwal, Jamwal, Chib, Katoch, Suketia, Kutlehria, Baloria, Charak, Bandral, Kahluria etc.

==]==

==References==
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*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Beck | Surname1 = Beck
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| Publisher = Kavi Prakashan | Publisher = Kavi Prakashan
| ID = ASIN B0000CPJC0 | ID = ASIN B0000CPJC0
| Comment = Very detailed description of Bhatti clan of Rajputs. Contains details on the siege of Jaisalmer and how proudly Jaisalmer was defended by Bhattis for eight consecutive years. | Comment = Very detailed description of Bhatti clan of rajputs. Contains details on the siege of Jaisalmer and how proudly Jaisalmer was defended by Bhattis for eight consecutive years.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Bhati
| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh
| Year = 2003
| Title = Bhati vamsa ka gauravamaya itihasa Vol I-II.
| Publisher = Ithihass Anusandhan Sansthan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur
| ID =
| Comment = History of ] clan of ]s.
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
Line 210: Line 303:
| Title = Maharaja Mansingh: the mystic monarch of Marwar. | Title = Maharaja Mansingh: the mystic monarch of Marwar.
| Publisher = Maharaja Man Singh Pustak Prakash, Jodhpur | Publisher = Maharaja Man Singh Pustak Prakash, Jodhpur
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Bhati
| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh
| Year = 1990
| Title = Maheca Rathaurom ka mula itihasa: Ravala Mallinatha ke vamsaja - Maheca, Baramera, Pokarana, Kotariya aura Khavariya Rathaurom ka sodhapurna itihasa.
| Publisher = Ratan Prakashan, Jodhpur
| ID =
| Comment = This book describes the ] ruler mallinath. His relationship with present ] and ] royal houses are described. Also his descendants created multiple ] ]s: Mahecha, Khavariya etc
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Bhati
| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh (Editor)
| Year = 1993
| Title = Mevara jagiradaram ri vigata : Maharana Amarasimha Dvi. evam Maharana Bhimasimha.
| Publisher = Pratap Shodh Pratishtan, Udaipur 313 001
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Bhati
| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh (Editor)
| Year = 2001
| Title = Svatantrya vira Rava Chandrasena: Jodhapura ka sasaka 1562-1581.
| Publisher = Rajasthani Shodh Sansthan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Bhati
| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh (Editor)
| Year = 2002
| Title = Vira siromani Rava Amarasimha Rathaura : Nagaura ka sasaka, 1638-1644.
| Publisher = Rajasthani Shodh Sansthan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur
| ID = | ID =
}}. }}.
Line 219: Line 345:
| Publisher = | Publisher =
| ID = | ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Chauhan
| Given1 = Dr. Bindhayaraj
| Year = 2003
| Title = Bharata ka Liyonidasa, Sonigira Virama de Chauhana, Jalaura: Lionidas of India Sonigira Viram de Chauhan.
| Publisher = Arjun Singh Songara publication, Sanchore, Jalore, Rajasthan
| ID =
| Comment = A very detailed description of the victory of Kanhad Dev and Biram Dev against Ulugh Khan and there subsequent war with Khilji. (Chapter 3, Page 40-51. Chapter 14&15, Page 70-92. Chapter 18&19, Page 103-112.)
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Chauhan
| Given1 = Dr. Lal Bhadur Singh
| Year = ISBN 81-7043-429-7
| Title = Rashtra-gaurava suravira Maharana Pratapa.
| Publisher = Atma Ram and Sons, New Delhi 110006
| ID = ISBN 81-7043-429-7
| Comment = Chauhan says on page 16 that Maharana proved these words of Lord ] "Kshatriya Tanu Dhari Samar Sakana | Kul Kalanka Tehi Pamar Jaana ||"
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
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| Publisher = | Publisher =
| ID = ISBN 8175738324 | ID = ISBN 8175738324
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Gehlote
| Given1 = Sukhvir Singh
| Year = 2000
| Title = Svatamtrata-premi Durgadasa Rathaura.
| Publisher = Navbharat Publications, ] 342 001, ]
| ID =
| Comment = Details of ]'s life. His saving of Ajit in Delhi (Chapter 3: Pages 35-38)
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Harlan
| Given1 = Lindsey
| Year = 1992
| Title = Religion and Rajput Women: The Ethic of Protection in Contemporary Narratives.
| Publisher = University of California Press
| ID = ISBN 0520073398
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
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| Publisher = Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi | Publisher = Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
| ID = ISBN 81-215-0570-2 | ID = ISBN 81-215-0570-2
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Khan
| Given1 = Rana Muhammad Sarwar
| Year = 2005
| Title = The Rajputs: History, Clans, Culture and Nobility
| Publisher = Eastern Book Corporation
| ID =
| Comment = 2 Vols.
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
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| ID = ISBN 81-8182-016-9 | ID = ISBN 81-8182-016-9
| Comment = Maharana Pratap's war strategy is discussed in detail. | Comment = Maharana Pratap's war strategy is discussed in detail.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Mishra
| Given1 = Jwalaprasad
| Year = 1914
| Title = Jati Bhaskara.
| Publisher = Khemaraj Shrikrishnadas
| ID =
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
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| ID = | ID =
| Comment = Lineage of Rathore rulers is provided starting with Rao Sheoji. | Comment = Lineage of Rathore rulers is provided starting with Rao Sheoji.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Nirala
| Given1 = ]
| Year = 1998
| Title = Maharana Pratapa
| Publisher =
| ID = ISBN 81-267-0836-0
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Ojha
| Given1 = Dr. Gauri Shankar Hira Chand
| Year = First edition 1936, Second revised edition 1999
| Title = Sirohi rajya ka itihasa.
| Publisher = Rajasthani Granthagar, Sojati gate, Jodhpur
| ID =
| Comment = Description of ] ]s and there kingdom.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Prakash
| Given1 = Ved
| Year = 2005
| Title = Vira Durgadasa Rathaurha.
| Publisher = Rajbhasha Pustak Pratishthan, Shivaji Marg, Delhi 110053
| ID = ISBN 81-88613-10-X
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Premchand
| Given1 = Munshi
| Year = 1998
| Title = Maharana Pratap.
| Publisher = Sahityasagar, Jaipur 302003
| ID =
| Comment = Maharana's life and battle of Haldighati described. Lot of couplets about Maharana composed in Maharana's time are also listed.
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
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| ID = | ID =
| Comment = Description of Padmini's Jauhar, Gora and Badal's bravery, Allauddin's treachery against Rana Ratan Singh. | Comment = Description of Padmini's Jauhar, Gora and Badal's bravery, Allauddin's treachery against Rana Ratan Singh.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Reu
| Given1 = Pt. Vishveshwar Nath
| Year = 2005
| Title = Maravara ka itihasa Vol I-II.
| Publisher = Rajasthani Granthagar, Sojati Gate, Jodhpur
| ID = ISBN 81-86103-46-5
| Comment = Description of Rathore rise in Marwar. Various wars are described. Battle of Sammel and Rathore rebellion against Aurangzeb are covered in great detail. (Rao Maldeo: Chapter 19 Vol I: Pages 116:144).
}}. }}.
</div> </div>
{{col-2}} {{col-2}}
<div class="references-small"> <div style="font-size: 75%">
*{{Harvard reference

| Surname1 = Sarada
| Given1 = Har Bilasa
| Year = 2000
| Title = Hindupati Maharana Sanga: sacitra.
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Sarada | Surname1 = Sarada
Line 361: Line 571:
| ID = ISBN 0891480854 | ID = ISBN 0891480854
| Comment = This book describes the battle of Sammel between Maldev's generals and Sher Shah Suri. (Volume 1. Page 163-169) | Comment = This book describes the battle of Sammel between Maldev's generals and Sher Shah Suri. (Volume 1. Page 163-169)
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Saraswat
| Given1 = Rawat
| Year = 1984
| Title = Prithviraja Rathaura.
| Publisher = Sahitya Akademi, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi, 110001
| ID =
| Comment = Life history of Prithviraj Rathore, a cousin of Maharana Pratap. He is famous for sending the couplet on hearing the rumour of Maharana's surrender in Akbar's court.
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
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| Publisher = Hope India Publications. | Publisher = Hope India Publications.
| ID = ISBN 817871003X | ID = ISBN 817871003X
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Sharma
| Given1 = Dr. Vasumati
| Year = 2000
| Title = ] rajavamsa ke riti-rivaja: 1600-1850.
| Publisher = Maharaja Man Singh Pustak Prakash, Jodhpur
| ID =
| Comment = Social customs of Marwar kings are described. Marriage ceremonies, festivals etc.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Sharma 'Chandra'
| Given1 = Yadavendra
| Year = 2000
| Title = Amara Simha Rathaura.
| Publisher =
| ID =
| Comment = Fiercely proud and brave Amar Singh Rathore's life is chronicled in this book.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Simha
| Given1 = Thakur Udainarain
| Year =
| Title = Kshatriya Vamshavali.
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
Line 422: Line 667:
| Publisher = Research Publishers, Merti Gate, Jodhpur 342 002 | Publisher = Research Publishers, Merti Gate, Jodhpur 342 002
| ID = ISBN 81-85310-00-9 | ID = ISBN 81-85310-00-9
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Solanki
| Given1 = Dr. Ram Singh
| Year = 1999
| Title = Rashtravira Durgadasa Rathaura.
| Publisher = Rajasthani Shodh Sansthan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur
| ID =
| Comment = Durga Das Rathore's life history.
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
Line 431: Line 685:
| ID = | ID =
| Comment = Life of Maharana Kumbha of ]. | Comment = Life of Maharana Kumbha of ].
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Somani
| Given1 = Ram Vallabha
| Year =
| Title = Maharana Pratapa : aitihasika adhyayana.
| Publisher =
| ID = ISBN 818523454X
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
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| Publisher = Manoj Publications, Delhi 110084 | Publisher = Manoj Publications, Delhi 110084
| ID = ISBN 81-8133-591-0 | ID = ISBN 81-8133-591-0
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Tod
| Given1 = James
| Surname2 = Crooke
| Given2 = William (Editor)
| Year = 1994
| Title = Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan (2 vols.).
| Publisher = Trans-Atl
| ID = ISBN 8170691281
| Comment = The way Surjan Hada was befriended by Man Singh and Akbar and the conditions that Surjan laid down for this friendship are chronicled. Surjan's leaving ] and living in ] because of this friendship is also documented by ] in this book. Treachery against Rana Sanga is also described in this book. (Treachery against Rana Sanga: Annals of Mewar, Chapter IX Vol-I: Pages 243-246. Surjan Hada: Page 381-385 volume II).
}}. }}.
*{{Harvard reference *{{Harvard reference
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| Publisher = | Publisher =
| ID = | ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Gogunda ki khyata
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Jalore: a history of greatest patriotic saga of Chauhan clan
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Maharana Pratapa: eka aise vira yoddha ki jivana-gatha jisane svatantrata ke lie apani akhiri samsa taka visala Mugala samrajya se janga ki
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Maravara ke thikanom ki puralekhiya sampada
| Publisher =
| ID =
| Comment = An excellent research book to figure out which clans tilled what piece of land in ] and how much revenue they had to provide to the Maharaja of Marwar.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Marwar-Jodhpur
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Panna dhaya : prabandha kavya
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Pranapala Durgadasa Rathaura
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Relations between Marwar and the Marathas, A.D. 1724-1843 A.D.
| Publisher =
| ID =
| Comment = Rathore and Maratha wars are described and how Ajmer proved to be a stumbling stone in the establishment of Maratha, Rathore confederacy.
}}.
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 =
| Given1 =
| Year =
| Title = Survey of Kheechi Chauhan history, with biographical notes
| Publisher =
| ID =
}}. }}.
</div> </div>
{{col-end}} {{col-end}}


===See also===
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===External links===
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Revision as of 10:39, 26 June 2006

File:Maharana Pratap.jpg
Maharana Pratap riding Chetak

A Rajput ( hi: राजपूत rājput, from Sanskrit राजपुत्र rāja-putra, "son of a king") is a hindu kshatriya caste. The Rajputs trace their origins to the royal Rajput dynasties. It is estimated that currently there are 40 million Rajputs.

Definition

Rajputs are a sub-group of hindu Kshatriya varna. They have a hindu Jati (an endogamus group within the Hindu social system). Rajputs are literally sons-of-kings. They are divided into 36 major clans, names of which are recorded in several texts including the Kumarpala Charita of Jayasimha, and Prithviraj Raso of Chandbardai.

Origins and Geographical Presence

Rajputs predominantly belong to three lineages: the Suryavanshi (Solar Race), the Chandravanshi (Lunar Race), and the Agni vanshi (Fire Born). Some scholars also include Rishi vanshi, Nag Vanshi and Vayu Vanshi as separate classes.

Suryavanshi rajputs ruled over Mewar, Marwar and Amber. Bundi, Kotah, Jalore, Sirohi, Delhi were ruled by Agnivanshi rajputs. Chandravanshi and Yaduvanshi 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.

Rajput Clan Structure

Suryavanshi trace their lineage to the Vedic Sun - Surya. Lord Rama was also born in this lineage. Somvanshi to Som (the vedic deity Soma or Moon) and Agnivanshi orginated from fire. The Yaduvanshi trace there lineage to Lord Krishan.

Each vansha is divided into many cula and each cula is further divided into many shakha. For a pictorial description please see page 27 of this book

Some Suryavanshi rajputs are: Rathores, which are divided into these shakha : Dhandhul, Bhadail, Khokra, Jodha etc; Guhilotes, which are subdivided into these shakha: Aharya (at Doongarpur), Sisodiya (at Mewar), Peeparra (at Marwar), etc.

Agnivanshi rajputs are: Chauhan, which are divided into these shakha: Hada, Kheechee, Deora, Songara etc. Similarly there are various shakha in Kacchwaha, Parihaar and rest of the 12 clans described below.

Each shakha has its Gotra Acharya, a genealogical creed, describing the essential peculiarities, religious tenets and pristine locale of the clan. It is a touchstone of affinities and guardian of the laws of intermarriage.

Rathore Gotra Acharya -- Gautam gotra, Mardwunduni Shakha, Shukra-Acharya Guru, Garroopata Agni, Pankhini Devi.

These twelve of 36 clans of rajputs further subdivide:

Rest of the 24 clans are 'Eka' and do not divide further:

Myths

One version of the story of Agni kula origins is that four warriors, Agnikul, Yadaukul, Suryakul and Odak, whose names are given to the Rajput clans, sprang from the sacred fire (Agni-kunda) in a ceremony performed by Sage Vashishtha near Mount Abu . Sage Vashishta undertook this Yagya to develop warriors who could help the ordinary mortals against the demons.

There is another myth which states Rajputs were descendants of Rishabh, the founding Jain Tirthankara.

Modern Historians tend to view rajputs as descendants of Scythic pastoral people. This theory has been sustantiated by anthropological research which has yielded compelling proofs of them being scythic.Evidence has been traced to their geneology too.Many Rajputs who call themselves of Yadav lineage too have been found to be of same scythic stock somewhat similar to Pathans following jewish customs (like circumcision on 8th day) who like Rajputs also trace their lineage from Jadon ,nothing to do with yaduvansh of lord Krishna


Rajputs reside mainly in northern, western, eastern and central states of India. Rajasthan, which has a very high concentration of Rajputs, is located in northwestern India, near the Khyber Pass route used by most foreign invasions of India, including the Arabs, Afghans, Turks, Mughals, and other Islamic invaders of the Middle Ages. In his New History of India, Stanley Wolpert wrote "The Rajputs were the vanguard of Hindu India in the face of the Islamic onslaught." Rajputs live in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra.

The Rajput Rule of India

During the centuries-long rule of northern India, the Rajputs constructed several magnificent palaces. Shown here is the Chandramahal in Jaipur, Rajasthan, which was built by Kachwaha Rajputs

Rajput kings are mainly remembered as warriors and as influential rulers. They also played an important role in the emergence of modern-day society in northern India.

Archaeological evidence and contemporary texts suggest that the Indian society had achieved significant prosperity during the Rajput rule. Most of the archaeological remains in several regions of the Indian subcontinent are from the Rajput period.

It was also a period of spread of literacy. Numerous inscriptions from this period have been found. A significant fraction of them are by people who were unaffiliated with the nobles, suggesting that education was spreading among the common people. The literature composed in this period is in Sanskrit and in Apabhramshas which constitutes a large segment of the classical Indian literature. The Paramara king Bhoj of Dhara was not only a patron of scholars, but was himself a distinguished and prolific scholar. His Samarangana-sutradhara deals with architecture and Raja-Martanda is a famous commentary on Yoga-sutra.

The intermarriage among the Rajput clans interlinked different regions of India, making it easier for the trade and scholarship to flow from one part of the country to another.

Rajput kings were very secular in character and permitted all faiths to flourish in their domains. Rajputs practice Vedic, Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakti and occasionally Jain traditions; they supported Buddhists, Zoroastrians and Sufi traditions as well.

The vast majority of Rajputs practice Hinduism. There are some Rajputs who follow the Sikh panth, and they often intermarry with Hindu Rajputs even today.


Social hierarchy

Rajputs supported Brahmins as scholars and priests. However, Rajputs had their own family priests, known as the Purohits. Some scions of noble Rajput families would officiate themselves as priests in their Hindu temples. For example, the Sisodia kings of Mewar considered themselves as the regents of the Eklingji, a manifestation of Shiva, and serve as the high priest of the deity as well as ruler of the state.


Character

The Rajput ethos is martial in spirit, fiercely proud, loyal and independent, and emphasizes lineage and tradition. Rajput patriotism is legendary, an ideal they embodied by choosing death before dishonour. Rajput warriors were often known to fight until the last man. The practice of jauhar and saka was followed only in rajput communities.

Jauhar

When the outcome of a battle was against the Rajputs, jauhar would be committed by Rajput women and children in the night and next morning men would commit saka. Brahmin priests would chant Vedic mantras and Rajput women wearing their marriage dresses, along with their young children, would embrace sandalwood flames.

Saka

The next morning after taking a bath, the men would wear kesariya and apply the ash from the maha samadhi of their wives and children on their foreheads and put a tulsi leaf in their mouth. Then the palace gates would be opened and men would ride out for complete annhilation of the enemy or themselves. Rajput men and women could not be captured alive.

When Hindus fought against other Hindus there were never any johars or saka because the defeated were treated with dignity. However, history records very few instances wherein a Rajput king sued for peace after a battle reversal and the Muslims initially agreed to the peace terms, only for the Rajputs, and their women and children, to be slaughtered upon surrender and once the pols or gates of their mighty fortresses were opened. One example of this is war between Puran Mal of Raisina and Sher Shah Suri. The opposite is true for wars between Marathas and Rajputs, where even after battle reversals, no jauhars took place in Rajasthan.

Rajput Armies

Predominantly consisted of cavalry. They bred high quality horses, such as Marwari and Kathiawari. Rajputs fought with cocked wrist and rarely used the tip of the sword to inflict a wound. Sirohi sword was very well liked by rajputs.


Rajputs and Invasions of India

The Rajputs suffered the brunt of the aggression from various Mongol-Turkic-Afghan warlords who repeatedly invaded the Indian subcontinent, then known as Hindustan. Hindustan was one of the most economically prosperous regions in the world till 18-th century and had grabbed the attention of several neighbouring Islamic kingdoms.

Organization of Indian kingdoms during invasions

Rajputana Agency and Ajmer-Merwara province, 1909

W.W. Hunter describes in Chapter X of his book, The Indian Empire, Its People, History And Products, the organization of Indian kings and how they fought these invaders.

Within a hundred years after his (Muhammad's) death, his followers had invaded the countries of Asia as far as the Hindu Kush. Here there progress was stayed and Islam had to consolidate itself during three more centuries before it grew strong enough to grasp the rich prize of India. But almost from first the Arabs had fixed eager eyes upon that wealthy country. Fifteen years after the death of prophet, Usman sent a sea expedition to Thana and Broach on the Bombay coast (647 ? AD). Other raids towards Sindh took place in 662 and 664 with no results.
The armies of Islam had carried the crescent from the Hindu Kush westwards, through Asia, Africa and Southern Europe, to distant Spain and Gaul, before they obtained a foothold in Punjab. This long delay was due, not only to the daring of individual tribes, such as Sindh Rajputs, just mentioned but to the military organization of the Hindu Kingdoms.
Each of these groups of kingdoms, alike in the north and in the south, had a certain power of coherence to oppose to a foreign invader; while the large number of groups and units rendered conquest a very tedious process. For even when the overlord or central authority was vanquished, the separate units had to be defeated in detail, and each state supplied a nucleus for subsequent revolt. We have seen how the brilliant attempt in 711, to found a lasting Muhammedan dynasty in Sindh, failed. Three centuries later, the utmost efforts of two great Musalman invaders (Mahmud of Ghazni and Mohammed Ghori) from the north-west only succeeded in annexing a small portion of the frontier Punjab Province between 977 and 1176 A.D. The Hindu power in Southern India was not completely broken till the battle of Talikot in 1565; and within a hundred years, in 1650, the great Hindu revival had commenced which under the form of Maratha confederacy, was destined to break up the Mughal Empire in India. That Empire, even in the north of India, had only been consolidated by Akbar's policy of incorporating Hindu chiefs into his government(1556-1605). Up to Akbar's time, and even during the earlier years of his reign a series of Rajput wars had challenged the Muhammadan supremacy. In less than two centuries after his death, the succesor of Akbar was a puppet in the hand of the Hindu marathas at Delhi.
The popular notion that India fell an easy prey to the Musalmans is opposed to the historical facts. Muhammadan rule in India consists of a series of invasions and partial conquests, during eleven centuries, from Usman's raid, circ.647, to Ahmad Shah's tempest of invasion in 1761 A.D.
At no time was Islam triumphant throughout the whole of India. Hindu dynasties always ruled over large areas. At the height of the Muhammadan power, the hindu princes paid tribute, and sent agents to the Imperial court. But even this modified supremacy of Delhi lasted for little over a century (1578-1707). Before the end of that brief period the Hindus had begun the work of reconquest. The native chivalry of Rajputana was closing in upon Delhi from the south; the religious confederation of the Sikhs was growing into a military power on the north-west. The Marathas had combined the fighting powers of the low-castes with the statesmen ship of the Brahmans, and were subjecting the Muhammadan kingdoms throughout all India to tribute. So far as can now be estimated, the advance of the English power at the beginning of the present century alone saved the Mughal Empire from passing to the Hindus.

Partial list of Rajputs who fought the invaders

Bappa Rawal बप्पा रावल

The Chittorgarh fort in Rajasthan was the site of several battles between the Rajputs and the Islamic invaders.

Muslims started attacking India within a few decades of the birth of Islam. For a few hundred years they had no success. Mohammed Bin Qasim was able to defeat Dahir in Sindh but was routed by Bappa Rawal. Qasim attacked Chittore, which was ruled by Mori Rajputs, via Mathura. Bappa, of guhilote dynasty, was a commander in Mori army and so was Dahir's son. Bappa defeated and pursued Bin Qasim through Saurashtra and back to Sindh. After this resounding defeat of the caliphate at the hands of Bappa, for next few hundred years there were no more Islamic incursions into India. (note Muslim historians rarely recorded the defeats of their kings)

Then Mahmud started his raids and was successful in looting Somnath.

Prithviraj Chauhan पृथविराज चौहान

Muhammad Ghori attacked India multiple times. First time he was routed in present day Gujarat by Rajputs. Mularaja-II was not even a teen yet and his mother organized the defences of Pattan. Battle was fought at Kayadara near Mount Abu and Ghori was resoundingly defeated. After this defeat he never entered India through Gujarat. In first battle of Taraori in 1191 Prithviraj Chauhan captured Ghori and Ghori begged for his life. Prithviraj allowed him to go despite his generals asking him not to do so. Following year Ghori came again. Prithviraj advanced with his army and sent a letter to Ghori. In this letter Ghori was asked to return as he had been defeated the previous year and was spared his life. Ghori replied that he was in India on the orders of his brother, Ghiasuddin, and that he could only retreat after he got a word from his brother. This letter was sent in the evening and Ghori moved his camp back a few kilometers. On receiving this letter and seeing Muhammad move his camp back Prithviraj assumed that Ghori was not interested in fighting. Ghori also knew that rajputs did not fight in the night and only started fighting after sun had come up. (This is an ancient Kshatriya practice e.g mahabharata was also fought mostly in day time). He attacked in the early morning hours when Prithviraj and his army were sleeping and was able to win this war.

Hammir Dev Chauhan हमीर देव चौहान

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Ranthambore fort of Chauhan dynasty

Prithviraj's descendant, Hammir Dev Chauhan ruled Ranthambore. Jalore was ruled by another branch of Chauhans, the Songaras. Ala ud din Khilji usurped Delhi from his father-in-law, Jalal-ud-din Khilji, by killing him in cold blood. In 1299 Ala ud din's mongol general Ulugh Khan sought to quell Hindu resistance in Gujarat and besieged Junagadh and sacked the temple at Somnath. Ulugh Khan had broken the shivalinga of Somnath and was carrying it back to Delhi. Kanhad Dev Songara, ruler of Jalore, attacked and defeated Ulugh Khan. His son Biramdeo and Jaitra Deora were the generals who commandeered Kanhad Dev's army. They captured the fragments of the Shivalinga. Kanhad had the shivalinga washed in Gangajal and had the fragments placed at various Shiva temples around Jalore. One of Ala ud din's generals was a neo-Muslim, Muhammad Shah, who had helped Kanhad Dev. This general later went and stayed with Hammir Deo in Ranthambore. Ala ud din wanted him dead, and asked Hammir to hand him over. Hammir replied that he knows how to draw his sword, and anyone who has taken shelter in his fort would not be turned over. Hammir did not consider Khilji king of India. Ala ud din attacked Ranthambore in 1299, but his armies were defeated. He finally came himself in 1301, and there was a long siege. Hammir was very well prepared. When the fort did not fall after repeated bloody skirmishes Khilji resorted to diplomacy. Hammir was very suspicious but he heeded to his councillors who told him that sword is not always the best recourse. Ratipal and Ranmal, who were close confidants of Hammir, were sent to the Khilji camp. Ranmal's father was hung by Hammir for treachery and his property was confiscated. Ranmal earned the trust of Hammir by being brave in battles that Hammir fought but perfidy was in his blood. Khilji bribed these two generals of Hammir's army and consequently Ranthambore fell.

Rawal Ratan Singh,Gora,Badal रावल रतन सिहँ

Palace of Queen Padmini

Khilji wanted to win Chittor because sisodiyas of Chittor never accepted the rule of Islam. Another reason was Rani Padmini. He laid a siege but Chittor would not fall. Then he requested Rawal Ratan Singh, husband of Rani Padmini, that if he is allowed a glimpse of Rani he would leave. By this time the situation inside the fort was getting bad. Rawal discussed this with his advisers and they agreed that they can show Padmini's face in a mirror to the sultan. The meeting took place and afterwards out of courtesy when Ratan Singh was walking Khilji out of the palace, Khilji's men captured Rawal Ratan Singh. Khilji sent a message to the fort that Rawal can be spared by exchanging Rani Padmini. Padmini discussed this with Gora, her maternal uncle, who was a Chauhan rajput. Gora told her not to worry and that he would go and bring back Rawal Ratan Singh. Padmini's nephew Badal who was just sixteen also assured her. A message was sent from the fort to Khilji that Padmini would come with 700 of her servants in "palanquins" (palki in hindi) and that no Muslim soldier should peek inside the palki to outrage the modesty of the women. Letter also said that before Padmini meets Khilji she would like to talk to Rawal. Khilji agreed. All the palki's had the best rajput warriors with two swords each. When Padmini's palki, which was occupied by Gora, reached Rawal's tent he asked Rawal to mount the horse and go back to the fort. Then Gora gave a signal and every rajput came out of the palki and attacked the Muslims who were cut to pieces. Gora reached Khilji's tent and was about to kill the sultan when Khilji moved his concubine in front of himself. Gora, being a rajput could not kill an innocent women and these few seconds were enough for Khilji's guards to kill Gora from behind.

Maharana Hammir महाराणा हमीर

Jag Niwas, the summer abode of the Ranas of Mewar, in Udaipur Rajasthan

After Ratan Singh's death his successor Laxman Singh tried to capture Chittor and fought a battle with Tughlaq near Chittor. He died along with his son Ari. His second son Ajay was severely wounded but was taken away from the battlefield by other soldiers and survived. Ajay was not a powerful ruler and his sons were likewise. Ajay knew that Ari had a son Hammir and he called Hammir to come to him. Hammir, along with his mother came to see his uncle. Ajay said that he had grown weak and a dacoit, Munja Balicha, was wreaking havoc in Rana Ajay's domain. Hammir vowed that he would take care of Munja. Hammir took seven warriors with him and set out to finish Munja. Hammir at this stage was just a teenager. Munja was tracked. When Munja was riding with his band to plunder a village, Hammir stood in his way on his white steed. Munja asked him to leave the way or die. Hammir challenged him to a duel and seeing that Hammir was just a teenager Munja readily agreed. Hammir killed Munja and brought his head and put it at Rana Ajay's feet and told his uncle that Munja will never be a problem again. Rana Ajay realized Hammir should be the ruler and he coronated Hammir as the new ruler of Mewar. Ajay's sons were unhappy with this and decided to move to Maharashtra. Do note that Chittor was called Khijarabad at this time as Ala ud din had renamed it after his son and at Hammir's coronation was ruled by Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Hammir captured Chittor. Tughlaq became very unhappy and launched a massive campaign against Hammir which he led himself. Hammir knew as soon as he captured Chittor that Tughlaq would attack him. He rallied all nearby rajput states to join him and they did. Battle was fought and Tughlaq was badly defeated and captured. After he paid a hefty fees and surrendered all of Mewar's territory he was let go. After this defeat Mewar was never attacked by Tughlaq.

Maharana Kumbha महाराणा कुँभा

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Vijay Sthamb (Victory Tower) built by Maharana Kumbha

Later Rana Kumbha repeatedly defeated sultans of Malwa and Gujarat and built 32 forts in Rajasthan. Even the combined armies of sultans of Malwa and Gujarat could not beat Kumbha. To commemorate his victory over these Muslim rulers of Malwa and Gujarat, Maharana Kumbha built the victory tower in 1440 A.D. The tower has nine-stories and is covered with exquisite sculputres of Hindu Gods and Godesses depicting episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Rana Sanga राणा सांगा

In Kumbha's lineage was Rana Sangram Singh or Sanga. Ibrahim Lodi, ruler of Delhi, was defeated by Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior but being a Hindu Kshatriya, Man Singh out of magnanimity let Ibrahim go back to Delhi. Man Singh's descendants fought at Haldighati along with Maharana Pratap against Akbar and showed exemplary bravery. Lodi was defeated by Babur later. Now Babur was having sleepless nights because of Sanga. Babur sent about 1500 choice cavalry to attack Sanga. These were butchered by Sanga's rajputs. Babur wanted to discuss peace terms. For discussions Sanga sent his general Silhadi (Shiladitya). Babur won this general by promising him independent kingdom. Silhadi came back and reported that Babur does not want peace and he wants to fight. Fight started and Babur's army was being knocked out of the field and victory was certain for Sanga. At this juncture Silhadi and his army just left the field and this tilted the war in favor of Babur and he won.

Rao Maldeo Rathore राव मालदेव राठौड़

Mehrangarh Fort, Home of Rathore rulers of (Rajasthan, India)

Humayun, Babur's son was defeated by Sher Shah Suri, a Pathan. Humayun was forced to leave India and he took refuge with Safavid king of Persia. Sher Shah became ruler of Delhi. The Sesodias of Mewar had not yet recovered from Rana Sanga's treacherous defeat. In Marwar the Rathores were becoming very powerful. The Rathore king Rao Maldeo had extended his territory to within a couple of hundred kilometers of Delhi. Sher Shah attacked Maldeo. Maldeo came with a force of 40 thousand and Sher Shah had 60 thousand. In the evening Sher Shah sent forged letters to Maldeo's camp. In these letters it was stated that few generals from Maldeo's army were buying arms from Sher Shah's army. This caused great consternation in Maldeo who thought there is treachery and that some of his generals had crossed over to Sher Shah. Maldeo left with 20 thousand men. In reality there was no treachery. Later when Maldeo's generals Kumpa (his progeny are Kumpawat rathores) and Jaita (his progeny are Jaitawat rathores) found out what happened they did not loose cool and decided they would not leave the field even though they just had 20 thousand men and had to face 60 thousand Pathans of Sher Shah. Finally battle of Sammel was fought and Sher Shah was shocked by what he saw. Sher Shah's top generals lost there lives and his army suffered heavy losses. After this Sher Shah commented that "for a few grains of bajra he had almost lost the entire kingdom of India". It is a moot point now but had Maldeo not retreated because of the fake letter Rathores/Rajputs would have defeated Sher Shah. In my bhoomi (Rajasthan) Deoras are considered the most stubborn, Hadas the most brave and Rathores the invincible warriors on the battlefield (Ranbanka Rathore).

Maharana Pratap महाराणा पृताप

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Maharana Pratap of Udaipur

Humayun's son Akbar was born in the palace of a Hindu king, at Amarkot, who had given Humayun shelter when he was being pursued by Sher Shah. Akbar realized that he can never subdue Rajputs and become sole ruler of India. He decided to pursue diplomacy and was able to convince the Kacchwaha Rajput rulers of Amber(modern day Jaipur) about a matrimonial alliance. King of Amber agreed and Maan Kunwar became Akbar's queen and the mother of Prince Salim, who later became the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Soon other Rajput kingdoms in Rajasthan also gave their daughters to Akbar. This was the darkest period in the history of Rajputs.

Only two kings remained against this. The sisodiyas of Mewar and Hadas of Ranthambore. Hada are Chauhans. Finally Kunwar Man Singh of Amber and Akbar went and met Surjan Hada that he should become friends with Akbar. Surjan some how agreed but one of his conditions of friendship was that no daughter of Hadas would ever be asked to marry mughals and Akbar agreed. Surjan was very saddened by this friendship with Akbar and the fact that he could not help Maharana Pratap against Akbar. He felt so ashamed that he moved his residence to Banaras and made sure that Hindus in the holy city had no problems at the hands of Muslims. So there remained just the house of Mewar the sole bearer of Rajput pride in the face of immense opposition from Mughals as well as other rajputs who had sold there souls essentially to mughals by giving there daughters.

Maharana Pratap, the Sesodia ruler of Mewar, passed a law in his state that none of his followers will intermarry with Rajputs who have given their daughters to Muslims. This rule was followed by his loyal band of Rajputs, which included Rathores, Chauhans, Sesodias, Parihars, Tomars, Kacchwaha and Jhalas. Maharana Pratap never accepted Akbar as ruler of India, and fought Akbar all his life. Akbar first tried diplomacy to win over Maharana Pratap but nothing worked. Pratap just said he has no intention to fight with Akbar but he cannot bow down to Akbar and accept him as the ruler. Some scholars argue that there is some chance that Maharana could have become friends with Akbar but in the siege of Chittor when Akbar killed 30,000 civilian, unarmed residents of Chittor, because they refused to convert to Islam, left a lasting impression on Maharana's mind and he decided he cannot bow to such an unjust and cruel human being as Akbar was. (People should note that when Hindu Kings fought with each other unarmed civilians were never killed in the loosing king's territory).

Finally Akbar attacked Maharana Pratap at Haldighati. Akbar's general was Man Singh Kacchwaha of Amber, leading an army of 40 thousand men. Maharana had about 8 thousand men and some Bhil warriors. One of Maharana's generals was Hakim Khan Sur, who was from the line of Sher Shah Suri, a pathan. Pathans are the only faction of Muslims that Rajputs do not mind befriending because a Pathan would rather give his life then his word. During the first attack Maharana Pratap's army routed the Mughals and Mughals ran for there life. Maharana Pratap decided to kill Man Singh, and Maharana Pratap's horse Chetak put his front feet on the trunk of the elephant that Man Singh was riding and Maharana threw his lance. Man Singh ducked, and the elephant driver was killed. Finally the numerical superiority of the Mughal army was too much and the battle ended in a stalemate. When Mughal army entered the nearby town of Gogunda they were so mortified that Maharana would attack them again that no one would venture out of the camp for months. They ran out of food and conditions were just miserable in the Mughal camp. They killed there own horses and ate them to survive. Finally help arrived many months later. Akbar was very unhappy with his generals and his army and he refused to see his generals for months.

Akbar kept sending expedition after expedition against Maharana Pratap but never succeeded. He lost lot of money and men in trying to defeat Maharana Pratap. For 30 years Pratap remained ahead of Akbar and in last ten years of his life was able to free most of his kingdom. The only fort Pratap could not recover was Chittor and that saddened him a lot. His son, Amar Singh, won that fort after Pratap's death.

It is said that somebody told Akbar that Pratap wanted to accept Akbar as the king. Akbar was very happy to hear this. One of Akbar's general was Prthviraj Rathore who was a very good poet. He told Akbar this is a lie (incidentally Prithviraj's mother and Pratap's mother were real sisters. Pratap and Prithviraj played together as kids in there maternal grandfather, Akshay Raj Songara's home who was a Chauhan rajput). Prithviraj wrote this letter to Pratap:

The hopes of the Hindu rest on the Hindu yet the Rana forsakes them. But for Pratap, all would be placed on the same level by Akbar; for our chiefs have lost their valour and our females their honour. Akbar is the broker in the market of our race; he has purchased all but the son of Udai (Singh II of Mewar); he is beyond his price. What true Rajput would part with honour for nine days (nauroza); yet how many have bartered it away? Will Chittor come to this market ...? Though Patta (an affectionate name for Pratap Singh) has squandered away wealth (on warfare), yet he has preserved this treasure. Despair has driven man to this market, to witness their dishonour: from such infamy the descendant of hammir alone has been preserved. The world asks, from where does the concealed aid of Pratap emanate? None but the soul of manliness and his sword .. The broker in the market of men (Akbar) will one day be surpassed; he cannot live forever. Then will our race come to Pratap, for the seed of the Rajput to sow in our desolate lands. To him all look for its preservation, that its purity may again become resplendent. It is as much impossible for me to believe that Pratap has called Akbar his emperor as to see the sun rising in the west. Tell me where do I stand? Shall I use my sword on my neck or shall I continue my proud bearing?

Pratap replied to him:

By my god Eklinga, Pratap would call the emperor Turk alone and the sun would rise in the east. You may continue your proud bearing as long as Pratap's sword dangles on the mughal head. Pratap would be guilty of Sanga's blood, if he was to tolerate Akbar. you would have the better of it, no doubt Prithviraj, in this wordy quarrel.

Prithviraj was overjoyed on getting this letter.

Maharana Pratap's son, Amar Singh, fought 17 wars with the Mughals but he finally accepted them as rulers. At this time a large chunk of Maharana Pratap's band of loyal Rajputs became disillusioned by the surrender and left Rajasthan. This group included Rathores, Deora Chauhans, Pariharas, Tomaras, Kacchwaha and Jhalas. They are called "Rors" and settled mostly in Haryana, with some in Uttar Pradesh. Until today they do not intermarry with other Rajputs but "gotra permitting" with other Rors only.

Maharaja Jaswant Singh

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Umaid Bhavan Palace is the abode of Rathore rulers of Marwar

In the Battle of Dharmatpur, Jaswant Singh opposed Aurangzeb. The battle was fought on 15th April 1658, fifteen miles from Ujjain. Jaswant could have attacked Aurangzeb but he allowed Murad's armies to join Aurangzeb. He was desirous of beating both mughal princes at once. This delay allowed Aurangzeb to win over the mughal general, Kasim Khan, who was sent by Shah Jahan to help Jaswant Singh. Kasim Khan defected as soon as the war started but 30,0000 rajputs of Jaswant decided that they would not leave the field. Some prominent generals in Maharaja's army were Mukund Singh Hara of Kotah and Bundi, Dayal Das Jhala, Arjun Gaur of Rajgarh in Ajmer province and Ratan Singh Rathore of Ratlam. Jaswant attacked both Aurangzeb and Murad and they barely escaped. According to James Tod in Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan:

"Ten thousand Muslims fell in the onset, which cost seventeen hundred Rathores, besides Guhilotes, Haras, Gaurs, and some of every clan of Rajwarra. Aurangzeb and Murad only escaped because their days were not yet numbered. Notwithstanding the immense superiority of the imperial princes, aided by numerous artillery served by Frenchmen, night alone put a stop to the contest of science, numbers, and artillery, against Rajput courage."

Finally the unequal contest ended and Aurangzeb named the place of victory Fatehabad. In this battle Durga Das Rathore changed four horses and lost about half a dozen swords (they broke due to intense fighting) and he finally fell down half dead. Maharaja ordered him to be carried away. After his wounds healed he promptly rejoined Maharaja's army. James Tod further writes in Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan:

"Rajputs, even in the moment of battle, worshipped the rising sun, and they sealed there faith in there blood; and none more liberally than the brave Haras of Kotah and Bundi. . . The annals of no nation on earth can furnish such an example, as an entire family, six royal brothers of Kotah, stretched on the field, and all but one in death. Of all the deeds of heroism performed on this day, those of Ratan Singh Rathore of Ratlam, by universal consent, are pre-eminent, and are wreathed into immortal rhyme by the bard in the Raso Rao Ratan."

Durga Das Rathore दुगॉदास राठौड़

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Durga Das Rathore

When Jaswant Singh Rathore died he had no son and this gave Aurangzeb a chance to appoint a Muslim as the ruler of Marwar. This upset Rathore Rajputs a lot. Two of Jaswant Singh's queens were pregnant when he died. One queen gave birth to Ajit Singh and other to Dalathamban. After Ajit's birth, Rathore generals, chief among them was Durga Das Rathore (a Karnot Rathore) went to Delhi along with the queens and the infants, and asked Aurangzeb that crown of Marwar should be given to Ajit Singh. Aurangzeb was very cunning and he had no intention of handing over the throne of Marwar. He suggested that Ajit should grow up in his harem but internally he wanted to kill them all.

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The Rajputs founded several cities of modern-day Rajasthan. The historical city of Jodhpur was founded by the Rathore clan of Rajputs.

Durga Das sensed this and they smuggled Ajit Singh out of Delhi to the outskirts of the city. When Mughal army came to capture them in Delhi, Durga Das and his men attacked the Mughals and started riding out of Delhi. Raghunandan Bhati and others soaked the streets of Delhi in crimson by flowing the blood of mughal pursuers. There were about three hundred Rajputs with Durga Das and there were thousands of pursuing Mughals. Every so often 15 - 20 Rajputs would fall behind attack the Mughal pursuers and in the process get themselves killed but it allowed the forward party to create some distance between Ajit and the Mughals. This continued till the evening by which time the Mughals had given up and Durga Das was left with just seven men out of three hundred he started with and reached Jaipur along with Ajit Singh.

The historical city of Jaisalmer was founded by the Bhati clan of Rajputs.

Thereby started the 30 year Rajput rebellion against Aurangzeb. Mewar and Marwar forces combined together and almost killed Aurangzeb when he was trapped in the mountains of Rajasthan but the Mewar king out of magnanimity allowed Aurangzeb to escape.

All the trade routes were plundered by Rajputs and they started looting various treasuries of Rajasthan and Gujarat. To crush them Aurangzeb sent many expeditions but no success. These expeditions and drying up of revenue from trade routes running through Rajasthan had severe effect on his resources. In addition the lion of Maharashtra, Shivaji, had freed almost all of Maharashtra and was at constant war with Aurangzeb. Shivaji had some Rajput ancestry.

Finally, on his death-bed Aurangzeb complained that his life had been a complete failure. He was the sole reason for Mughal empire's crumbling. His war campaigns had practically left the treasury dry for his progeny.

Baron De Boigne payed tribute to rajput (rathaura) valor in his memoirs, which were published by his son in 18th century. De Boigne fought the rathaurs, as part of Mahadaji Scindia's army at Tonga, Lalsot and Medta.

Protection of Hinduism

A point to note here is that lot of Muslims and some Hindu historians think that Islam/Muslims did not do conversion of Hindus by sword. The argument they give is that there are so many Hindus still today in India. This is completely wrong because most Muslim rulers in India tried to convert as many as they could but it was the strength of Rajput sword and later Maratha,Sikh swords that kept Hinduism alive in India. If there were no Rajputs, Marathas , Sikhs in India, then India would be just like Iraq, Iran, Turkey, or Pakistan in terms of religion of the population.

The preservance of Hinduism in India by the Rajput sword against the entire might of Islamic rulers is the most glorious achievement by a race in the annals of world history and every one should know this fact, more so Indians and most definitely each and every Rajput.

In his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan James Tod wrote:

"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. . . ".

Prominent Rajput clans & their main centers

Clans of Jammu and Himachal

Rajput clans in Jammu and Himachal Pradesh: Jaswal, Chambial, Mankotia, Sambial, Guleria, Dadwal, Jamwal, Chib, Katoch, Suketia, Kutlehria, Baloria, Charak, Bandral, Kahluria etc.

List of Famous Modern Day Rajputs

References

See also

External links

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