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			'''Rajputs''' (from the ] ] compound ''{{IAST\|rājaputra}}'', "son of a king") are people who belong to a loose grouping of clans or tribes originating in ] and ] that claim descent from the ancient royal dynasties of the region. Among ], Rajputs are the principal group generally regarded as belonging to the ] ] within the Hindu ].
	A '''Rajput''' ( ]: {{Unicode\|राजपूत}} ''rājput'', ]: {{Unicode\|راجپوت}} ''rāǧpwt'' from ] राजपुत्र ''rāja-putra'', "son of a king") is a ]. Rajputs claim descent from royal dynasties of India. Rajputs reside mainly in ], ], ] and central ] of India. It is estimated that there are 40 million Rajputs.
	<!--Census breakdown is
	These are estimates from an evengeligacal organization.
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			The use of the term ''{{IAST\|rājaputra}}'' is first found in the ]. Evidently, the use of the term "Rajput" originated in the areas that form the present-day states of ] (formerly named ]) and ] and spread only gradually to other parts of North India and Pakistan; the Kshatriyas of ] and eastern ] still do not generally self-describe as rajputs. The association of this term with ] and ] is definite; even in areas where the term is used widely, the people referred to as "Rajputs" tend to ascribe an origin in those areas to themselves.
	==Definition==
	The term ''Rajputra'' has been used since the time of ] and it refers to the descendants of the 36 major clans who ruled western and northern India. Names of these clans are mentioned in several texts including the ''Kumarpala Charita'' of Jayasimha and the '']'' of ].

			Rajput dynasties played a very prominent role in the history of northern India. Furthermore, the rajputs developed an ethos of warlike chivalry that served as the benchmark, in past centuries, for other Indian communities as they 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; a detailment of some of these should be of interest to historians, sociologists, political scientists and Indologists among others.
	The term Rajput ordinarily refers to the group's "]" which is an endogamus group within the traditional ] social system. The Rajputs are considered to be the descendants of the ] warriors, who were known as ]s in ]. However, Rajputs vary in profession from aristocrats to farmers.

			==Demographics==
	The ] kingdom of ] is currently ruled by a Rajput clan who are believed to be the descendants of Ranas of ].
			Rajputs in India are mostly ]. There are some Rajputs who follow the ] path, and they often intermarry with Hindu Rajputs. In Pakistan, and to a lesser extent also in India, there are many ] Rajputs (Siddiqui 2004) descended from Hindus who converted to Islam, who do not normally intermarry with Hindus or Sikhs of any caste, but who may intermarry with Muslims of any caste although they usually tend to marry other Muslim Rajputs.

			Neither the Indian census nor the Pakistani census has recorded caste affiliation since 1931 (except in the case of Backward or Scheduled Castes) and any estimates of those claiming Rajput lineage or caste are necessarily inexact. Estimates range around 40 million Indians claiming Rajput descent as of 2001.
	A number of sub-castes, or ''jatis'', claim to be Rajputs. Some of them have a historical basis for the claim. Some are considered to be descendants of the Rajputs but are not generally accepted by the main Rajput community (for example, Girasia). Some branches of ]'s and ]'s had rajput forefathers but none of them are considered Rajputs today.

			The ] census reported a total of 9,712,156 Rajputs in all of ]. Some 7.9 million were reported as Hindu and some 1.8 million as Muslim. Only 620,229 were living in ]. The largest clan were the Rahtor with 122,160 members.
	Ancient Rajput kings have permitted all faiths to flourish in their domains. Rajputs practice ], ], ], ] and occasionally ] traditions; they supported Buddhists, ] and Sufi traditions as well.

			The ] census reported a total of more than 11 million Rajputs, of whom some 9 million were Hindus, about 50,000 Sikhs, and 2.1 million Muslims.
	The vast majority of Rajputs practice Hinduism. There are some Rajputs also known as ''Jatts'' who follow the ] panth, and they often intermarry with Hindu Rajputs even today.

			Some Hindus believe that the Muslim faith is incompatible with the nature of a Rajput, which they conceive of as being determined by ] religious teachings concerning ], and thus believe that the people self-describing as ], who do not subscribe to those teachings, should instead be described as Muslim descendants of Rajputs. However, Muslim Rajputs do not concede that those Hindus have any authority to dictate to them what their identity is. For Muslim Rajputs, their Rajput identity is a matter of lineage and descent, not of a religiously prescribed caste role.
	==The Rajput Rule of India==

			In fact, there is no person or group possessing authority to either validate or invalidate anyone's claim to being a Rajput, so whether any particular individual or clan is or isn't Rajput is essentially a matter of self-identification by that individual or clan and of acceptance by others.
	], Rajasthan, which was built by ] Rajputs]]
	Rajput kings are mainly remembered as warriors and as influential rulers. They were responsible for emergence of the modern-day society in northern India.

	Archaeological evidences 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.

	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 in ] and in ]s 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 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.

			Most Rajputs are speakers of ], ], or ]. Rajputs of Rajasthan may speak ]. ] lists dialects particularly associated with Rajputs, ] (a Scheduled Tribe in Rajasthan, 100,000 speakers), ]/Gade Lohar (20,000 speakers in Pakistan and about 1,000 (nomadic blacksmiths) in Rajasthan) and the ] of ], a Scheduled Tribe of nomadic pastoralists (120,000 speakers, bilingual in Hindi).
	===Social hierarchy===
	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.

	==Origins==		==Origins==
			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 accomodation 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. However, we present both the traditional view and certain scholarly speculations made by researchers on the origin of the rajputs.
	The Rajputs are divided into 36 ], claiming three basic 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. House of ], ], ] are Suryavanshi rajputs. Rulers of ], ], ], ] are Agnivanshi. ] and ] are from the same line which bifurcated at king yadu when his father banished him from becoming the king. House of ] are yaduvanshi rajputs.

			====Traditional====
	The 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 ].
			{{main\|Rajput clans}}
			As ]s, the rajputs regard themselves as being descended from the ] warrior class. Legend ascribes to the Rajputs an origin springing 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 ''Nagavanshi'', ''Rishivanshi'' and ''Vayuvanshi'' as traditional lineages. The ''Yaduvanshi'' lineage, claiming descent from the ] god ], are in fact a great sept of the ''Chandravanshi'' lineage.

			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. Authoritative listings of the 36 rajput clans are to be found in the ''Kumārpāla Charita'' of Jayasimha and the '']'' of ].
	Each ] has many ] and each ] has ]. Rathores are divided into these ] : ], ], ], ] etc. Gehlote ] is subdivided into these shakhas: ] (at ]) , ] (at ]), ] (at ]) etc. ] are divided into these ]: ], ], ], ] etc. Similarly there are various shakha in ], ] and rest of the 12 clans described below. For a pictorial description please see page 27 of

			====Scholarly speculations====
	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.
			{{main\|Origin of Rajputs}}

			Among the origin-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 '']'' of the land were exterminated by ], an ] of ]. Later, sage ] performed a great ''Yagya'' or fire-sacrifice, to seek from the gods a provision for the defense of righteousness on earth. In answer to his prayer, 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 from the sacred flames in this manner.
	Rathore Gotra Acharya -- ''Gautam gotra, Mardwunduni Shakha, Shukra-Acharya Guru, Garroopata Agni, Pankhini Devi''.

			This legend is interesting in suggesting 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. This legend has been used as the basis for many scholarly speculations on the origin of the rajputs. ] uses this legend 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.{{ref\|Tod}}
	Twelve of 36 ] of ] further subdivide. These 12 are ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]. These 24 clans are 'Eka' and do not divide further. ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

			==Political history==
	===Myths===
			{{main\|History of Rajputs}}
	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 ].
			], Rajasthan, which was built by ] Rajputs]]
			Rajput history, being a part of the broader ]n, can be classified classified easily into several distinct periods.

			===Early history (7th-11th centuries AD)===
	==Character==
			The first Rajputs kingdoms are attested in the ], and the Rajputs rose to prominence in Indian history in the ninth and tenth centuries. The four '']'' clans, the ]s (Pariharas), ]s (Chahamanas), ]s (Chaulukyas), and ]s (Parmars), rose to prominence first. The Pratiharas established the first Rajput kingdom in ] in southwestern Rajasthan, with the Chauhans at ] in central Rajasthan, the Solankis in ], and the Paramaras in ]. The Rai dynasty ruled ] during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. Sindh was conquered by an Arab Muslim army of the ], led by Bin Qasim, in the 8th century. According to some sources, Bin Qasim also attacked ], and was defeated by ]. Certain other invasions by murauding ''"Yavvanas"'' are also recorded in this era. By this time, the terms ''"Yavvana"'' (literally: "Greek") was applied any tribe that resided to the west and north-west of present-day ]. ] of ] defeated one such invasion in the 8th century and the Pratiharas rebuffed another in the 9th century. The Pratiharas initially established themselves at ] and ruled ]. Later, they established themselves at ], from which they ruled much of northern India, from ] in the west to ] in the east, in the 9th century.
	The Rajput ethos is martial in spirit, fiercely proud and independent, and emphasizes lineage and tradition. Rajput ] 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. The practice of '']'' and '']'' was followed only in rajput communities. 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. 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 annhiliation 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.

			Archaeological evidences and contemporary texts suggest that the Indian society had achieved significant prosperity during the Rajput rule. Numerous inscriptions from this period have been found. The literature composed in this period in ] and in ]s constitutes a large segment of the classical Indian literature. The early 11th century also saw the reign of the ] king Bhoj, Paramara ruler of Malwa. He was not only a patron of scholars, but was himself a distinguished writer. His ] deals with architecture and ''Raja-Martanda'' is a famous commentary on ]-].
	Rajputs honour their word more then their life and are renowned for their loyalty.

			'''Early kingdoms:''' The ] organization first become crystallized in this period. Intermarriage among the Rajput clans interlinked the various regions of India, facilitating the flow of trade and scholarship. Clans claiming descent from the Solar and Lunar races, who were originally vassals of the other clans, later established independent states. The ]s (later called the ]s) established the state of ] (later ]) in the 8th century, under Bappa Rawal, who ruled from Chittorgarh. The ] clan came to rule ], with their capital at ], and later ]. The ] clan ruled ] after the tenth century, occupying the fortress-city of ] and building the famous temple-city of ]. The ]s established a state in ], founding the city of Dhiliki (later ]) in 736. The Kachwahas, Chandelas, and Tomaras were originally vassals of the Pratihara kingdom.
	], 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."

			===Islamic invasions (11th-16th c.)===
	==History==
	] fort in Rajasthan was the site of several battles between the Rajputs and the Islamic invaders.]]		] fort in Rajasthan was the site of several battles between the Rajputs and the Islamic invaders.]]
			In the early 11th century, ] conquered the Hindu ] kingdom in the ]. His raids into northern India weakened the Pratihara kingdom, which was drastically reduced in size and came under the control of the Chandelas. In 1018 AD, Mahmud sacked the city of ], seat of the ] kingdom. He later withdrew to Ghazni, being interested in loot rather than empire. In the ensuing chaos, the ] dynasty established a modest state centered around Kannauj, ruling for about a hundred years until they were defeated by ] in 1194 AD; the city was again sacked.
	The first Rajputs kingdoms are attested in the ], and the Rajputs rose to prominence in Indian history in the ninth and tenth centuries. The four '']'' clans, the ]s (Pariharas), ]s (Chahamanas), ]s (Chaulukyas), and ]s (Parmars), rose to prominence first. The Pratiharas established the first Rajput kingdom in ] in southwestern Rajasthan, with the Chauhans at ] in central Rajasthan, the Solankis in ], and the Paramaras in ]. The Rajput ] ruled ] during the 6th and 7th centuries. Sindh was conquered by an Arab Muslim army of the ], led by Bin Qasim, in the 8th century. Bin Qasim attacked ], and was defeated by ] ]. ] of ] defeated Arabs in the 8th century. The Pratiharas rebuffed another Arab invasion in the ninth century. Significant Muslim invasions were then not attempted until the eleventh century, largely due to the formidable reputation of the Rajput clans. The Pratiharas later established themselves at ] and ruled ], and afterwards at ] in the ]-] ], from which they ruled much of northern India, from ] in the west to ] in the east, in the ninth century. Clans claiming descent from the Solar and Lunar races, who were originally vassals of the other clans, later established independent states. The ]s (later called the ]s) established the state of ] (later ]), under Bappa Rawal, who ruled at Chittorgarh, which was given in dowry to Bappa in 734 for his bravery. The ] clan came to rule ], with their capital at ], and later ]. The ] clan ruled ] after the tenth century, occupying the fortress-city of ] and building the famous temple-city of ]. The ]s established a state in ], founding the city of Dhiliki (later ]) in 736. The Kachwahas, Chandelas, and Tomaras were originally vassals of the Pratihara kingdom.
	In the early 11th century, ] conquered the Hindu ] kingdom in the ], and his raids into northern India weakened the Pratihara kingdom, which was drastically reduced in size and came under the control of the Chandelas. Mahmud sacked temples across northern India, including the temple at ] in Gujarat, but his permanent conquests were limited to the Punjab, and Somnath was rebuilt after the raid. The early 11th century also saw the reign of the ] king Bhoj, the Paramara ruler of Malwa.
	The ]s, as the ] dynasty, reestablished the kingdom of Kannauj, ruling the Ganges plain from the late ] through the ], and conquering Marwar in the ]. The Rajputs fought each other in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. ], ruler of Delhi, crushed ] in ] at the ] and Ghori was captured. After Ghori begged for life he was let go despite strong resistance by Prithviraj's generals. Ghori treacherously defeated Prithviraj the following year at the ], and the attacks of Muhammad's armies brought down the Gahadvala kingdom of Kannauj in ]. The ] was founded by ], Muhammad of Ghor's successor, in first decade of the 13th century.

			Meanwhile, a nearby state centered around present-day ] was ruled successively by the ] and ] clans. The Rajputs fought each other in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. ], ruler of Delhi, defeated ] in ] at the ], who however defeated Prithviraj the following year at the ]. As we have seen, Muhammad's armies later brought down the Gahadvala kingdom of Kannauj in ] AD. Some surviving members of the Gahadvala family are said to have refugeed to the western desert, where they formed the ] clan and founded the state of ]. The Chauhans led by Govinda, grandson of Prithviraj III, later established themselves a small state at ]. The ] sept of the Chauhan clan later ruled the town of ], while and ] sept 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.
	The Chauhans reestablished themselves at ], led by Govinda, grandson of Prithviraj III. ] was ruled by another branch of Chauhans, the Songaras. Another branch of the Chauhans, the ]s, established a kingdom in ] in the mid-13th century.

	Sultan ] (1296-1316) conquered ] (1297) and ] (1305), and captured the fortresses of Ranthambore ~~(1301) by bribing generals~~ in ~~Hammir Deo Chauhan's army~~, ~~Mewar's capital~~ ] (~~1303~~) and ] (1311) after long sieges with fierce resistance from their Rajput defenders. ] ~~resestablished there supremacy within 50 years of~~ the ~~sack~~ of Chittor ~~under~~ ~~Maharana~~ ~~Hammir.~~ ~~Hammir~~ ~~defeated~~ ~~Muhammad~~ ~~Tughlaq~~ ~~and~~ ~~captured~~ ~~him.~~ ~~Tughlaq~~ ~~had~~ to ~~pay~~ ~~huge~~ ~~ransom~~ ~~and relenquish all~~ of ~~Mewar's~~ ~~lands~~. ~~After~~ ~~this~~ ~~Sultanate~~ ~~did~~ ~~not~~ ~~attack~~ ~~Chittor~~ ~~for~~ a ~~few~~ ~~hundred~~ ~~years.~~ ~~Rajputs~~ ~~reestablished~~ ~~their independence~~, ~~and~~ ~~the~~ ~~Rajput~~ ~~states~~ ~~were~~ ~~established~~ as ~~far~~ ~~east~~ as ] ~~and~~ ~~north~~ ~~into~~ the ~~]. The Tanwar~~, ~~Tomaras~~ established ~~themselves~~ at ], and the ~~ruler~~ ] ~~built the fortress which still stands there~~. ] emerged as the leading Rajput state, ~~and ]~~ expanded his kingdom at the expense of the sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat. The Delhi Sultanate recovered somewhat under the ]. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the ] on ], ], and the Rana Sangha rallied a Rajput army to challenge Babur. Babur, like his predecessors resorted to treachery and managed to bribe a general in Sanga's army and managed to defeat the Rajputs at the ] on ], ]. The Rajput rulers agreed to pay tribute to Babur, but most retained control of their states.		The ] was founded by ], Muhammad of Ghor's successor, in first decade of the 13th century. Sultan ] (1296-1316) conquered ] (1297) and ] (1305), and captured the fortresses of Ranthambore in 1301, ] (capital of Mewar) in 1303 and ] in 1311, all of these after long sieges with fierce resistance from their Rajput defenders. In particular, the seige of Chittor, its brave defence by the ]s, the saga of ] and the ''Jauhar'' she led are the stuff of immortal legend. Ala ud din Khilji delegated the administration of the conquered areas to his principal rajput collaborator, based at Jalore; the latter was soon displaced by his son-in-law ], a scion of the Guhila clan, who re-established the state of ] and was progenitor of the ] clan. ] emerged as the leading Rajput state; Rana Kumbha expanded his kingdom at the expense of the sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat.

			===Mughal era (16th-18th c.)===
	Humayun's successor ] consolidated control of the empire and sought to expand it by realising that wars with Rajputs will not allow him to rule India and he used marriage diplomacy. Kachwahas were the first to give a daughter to Akbar. This prompted Maharana Pratap to ban marraiges between his loyal rajputs with other rajputs of rajasthan. The Kachwaha rulers of ] and Rathore rulers of ] became tributaries of the empire. The Sisodias of Mewar and their vassals, the Hadas of Bundi, continued to refuse Mughal hegemony, and Akbar invaded ], capturing ] in ] after a long siege. The Sesodias of Mewar moved the capital to the more defensible location of ] and carried on fighting the Mughals. Akbar respected the martial prowess of the Rajputs, and he married a Rajput princess, and Rajput generals, particularly the Kachwahas of Jaipur, commanded some Mughal armies.
			] was founded by the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs.]]

			] defeated ] at the ] on ], ]. ] rallied an army to challenge Babur. He was betrayed by one of his rajput generals, and was defeated by ] at the ] on ], ]. While the rajput rulers had to submit to Babur, they retained control of their states. Babur's son Humayun was an ineffectual ruler and lived long periods in exile.
	] was founded by the ] clan of Rajputs.]]
	The Mughal emperor ], who was far less tolerant of Hinduism than his predecessors, put a Muslim on the throne of ] when Maharaja Jaswant Singh, ruler of Marwar, died without a child. This enraged the rathores. Ajit Singh, Jaswant Singh's son was born after his death. Marwar nobles asked Aurangzeb to give the throne back to Ajit but Aurangzeb refused and instead tried to kill the infant Ajit. Durgadas Rathore and others smuggled Ajit out of Delhi and did not let pursuing Mughals capture them and reached Jaipur safely. This started the 30 year rajput rebellion against Aurangzeb. This cemented all the Rajput clans into a bond of union, and a triple alliance was formed by the three states of Marwar, Mewar, and Jaipur, to throw off the Mughal yoke. One of the conditions of this alliance was that the rulers of Jodhpur and Jaipur should regain the privilege of marriage with the ruling Sesodia dynasty of Mewar, which they had forfeited by contracting alliances with the Mughal emperors, on the understanding that the offspring of Sesodia princesses should succeed to the state in preference to all other children. The quarrels arising from this stipulation lasted through many generations, and led to the invitation of ] help from the rival aspirants to power, and finally to the subjection of all the Rajput states to the Marathas. Jodhpur was conquered by ], who levied a tribute of 60,000 rupees, and took from it the fort and town of ]. Internecine disputes and succession wars disturbed the peace of the early years of the century, and the Rajput princes asked for ] protection from the Marathas during the ] of ]-]. At the conclusion of the war in 1818, 18 states in the ] region, of which 15 were ruled by Rajputs, became ]s of the ], while the British took direct control of Ajmer, which became the province of ]. A number of other Rajput states in central India, including ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], became princely states as well, and were placed under the authority of the ]. Rajput rulers of Rajputana and Central India acceded to newly-independent India after ], and Rajputana, renamed Rajasthan, became an Indian state in ].

			During this time, Mewar, which was under the regency of Rani Karmavati, widow of Rana Sanga, was menaced by Bahadur Shah, ruler of Gujarat. Karmavati importuned the assistance of Humayun, son of her late husband's foe. The help arrived too late; Chittor as reduced by Bahadur Shah. This is the occasion for the second of the three ''Jauhars'' performed at Chittor. Karmavati leads the ladies of the citadel into death by fire, while the menfolk sally out to meet the beseiging muslim army in a hopeless fight to the death.
	==Rajputs and Invasions of India==
	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.

			Humayun's son ] consolidated control of his inheritence and expanded what had been the "Delhi sultanate" into a wide empire. One main factor in this success was indubitably his co-option of native rajput chiefs into his empire-building project; his reign countenenced, for the first time, the involvement of Indians in the affairs of the empire. The rajput chiefs collaborated with alacrity, an alliance cemented by marriage alliance, 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 roile in extending rajput influence to the far corners of India, as also to the north-west frontier and to Afghanistan. Rajput chiefs served as mughal officers and administrators and enjoyed much influence in the government. Two successive mughal emperors, ] and ], were born to rajput mothers. The period is one where the rajput identity, as aristocrats, can be said to have finally crystallized, and 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.
	===Organization of Indian kingdoms during invasions===
	] Agency and Ajmer-Merwara province, 1909]]
	W.W. Hunter goes on to describe in Chapter X of his book, ''The Indian Empire, Its People, Histort And Products'', the organization of Indian kings and how they thwarted the invasions.

			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. However, after a brave struggle, during which the ladies of the fort perfomed ''Jauhar'' for the third and last time in the history of that citadel, ] finally fell to Akbar in ]. The ruler, Udai Singh, had however retired to the nearby hills prior to this event; he was succeeded, while in exile, by his son ] as head of the Sisodias. Even in exile, the Sisodias knew no rest, and harassed the mughal administrators of the land enough to cause them to make overtures. ], a present-day rajput icon, refused all such overtures of friendship and alliance from Akbar, and rallied an army to meet the mughal forces. He was defeated at the battle of ] on ], ]; however, he carried out a relentless guerilla struggle from his hideout in the Aravalli hills. He also banned marraiges between his loyal rajputs with other rajputs of rajasthan, who has entered into matrimonial alliance with the muslims. Rana Pratap's son, Amar Singh, entered into the vassalage of the mughals and thus regained control of his state. The rajputs remained loyal to the mughal dynasty and empire even until the 19th century; in all their official ''communiques'' and documents, the rajput courts rarely failed to formally affirm their loyalty to the (by now entirely powerless) mughal emperor.
	"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.

			===Maratha and British suzerainty (18th-20th c.)===
	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.
			Jodhpur was conquered by ], who levied a tribute of 60,000 rupees, and took from it the fort and town of ]. Internecine disputes and succession wars disturbed the peace of the early years of the 19th century, and the Rajput princes asked for ] protection from the Marathas during the ] of ]-]. At the conclusion of the war in 1818, 18 states in the ] region, of which 15 were ruled by Rajputs, became ]s of the ], while the British took direct control of Ajmer, which became the province of ]. A number of other Rajput states in central India, including ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], became princely states as well, and were placed under the authority of the ]. Rajput rulers of Rajputana and Central India acceded to newly-independent India after ], and Rajputana, renamed Rajasthan, became an Indian state in ].

			===Rajputs and invasions of India===
	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 dynsaty 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 ].
			{{main\|Rajputs and invasions of India}}
			Due to geographic reasons, rajput-ruled states suffered the brunt of aggression from various ]-]-] warlords who repeatedly invaded the Indian subcontinent. India was among the most prosperous regions in the world in that era, and had always been the prize for a string of invaders from the north-east. Incidentally, the last of these waves of invaders were of tribes who had previously converted to Islam. In his 1886 book, W.W. Hunter describes how the rajput kingdoms dealt with this aggression:
			:''"Within a hundred years after his (Muhammad's) death, his followers had invaded the countries of ] as far as the ]... almost from (the) first, the Arabs had fixed eager eyes upon (India). Fifteen years after the death of prophet, Usman sent a sea expedition to ] and ] on the ] coast (c.] AD?). Other raids towards ] took place in ] and ] with no results.''
			:''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....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 dynsaty in ], failed....(The mughal) 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 his ''Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan'' ] wrote:
	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.
			:''"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. . . ".''

			==Culture and ethos==
	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 cobmined 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 Rajput ethos is martial in spirit, fiercely proud and independent, and emphasizes lineage and tradition. Rajput ] 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. The practice of '']'' and '']'' was followed only in rajput communities. 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. The next morning after taking a bath, the men would wear saffron-coloured garments and apply the ash from the pyres 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 annhiliation 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. Rajputs honour their word more then their life and are renowned for their loyalty.

			], 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."
	===]===
	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 ] in ] but was routed by ]. Qasim 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 Bin Qasim 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 there kings) {{ref\|bappa}}

			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 the favorite weapon of the Rajput. On special occasions, a primary chief would break up a meeting of his chiefs with khanda nareal, or a distribution of swords and coconuts (453). In order to attain a greater bond with one's sword, Rajputs revered their swords and conducted the ritual of Karga Shapna during the annual festival of Navratri.
	Then Mahmud started his raids and was successful in looting ].

			===Clan, kinship and communities===
	===]===
			By the late nineteenth 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 lineages were linked to different networks, both sacred and profane. Branches on a stratified lineage could be either Hindu or Muslim (Kasturi 2002:2). Some of the Muslim Rajput groups like Thakurais of East Champaran in ], and some other Muslims of Rajput extraction are notable among ] for their descent from a prestigious Hindu caste. Their marginality is sometimes self-imposed as they want to retain their exclusivity by deciding not to marry among other Muslims and preserve their distinction (Siddiqui 2004). A number of sub-castes, or ''jatis'', claim to be Rajputs. Some of them have a historical basis for the claim. Some are considered to be descendants of the Rajputs but are not generally accepted by the main Rajput community (for example, Girasia). Some branches of ]'s and ]'s had rajput forefathers but none of them are considered Rajputs today.
	Ghori attacked many 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 Ghori was resoundingly defeated. After this defeat he never entered ] through ]. In first battle of ] (tarain is misspelledword) in ] ] captured Ghori and Ghori begged for his life. ] allowed him to go despite his generals asking him not to do so. Following year Ghori came again. ] 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 ] 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 Ghori move his camp back ] assumed that Ghori was not interested in fighting. Ghori 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}}

			==Famous Rajput people==
	===]===
			The rajputs have contributed to many facets of Indian life, both historically and in the modern age. A few rajput stalwarts are mentioned here.
	Prithviraj's descendant ] ruled ]. ] was ruled by another branch of ]s, the ]s. Ala ud din Khilji usurped ] from his father-in-law, Jalal-ud-din Khilji, by killing him in cold blood. In ] Ala ud din'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 Ala ud din's generals was a neo-Muslim, Muhammad Shah, who had helped ]. This general later went and stayed with ] in ]. Ala ud din 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 Ala king of India. Ala ud din 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 would not fall after repeated bloody skirmishes khilji 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 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 ] fought but perfidy was in his blood. Khilji bribed these two generals of ]'s army and consequently ] fell.

			'''Historical heroes'''
	===],],]===
			*]
	Khilji 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 sultan. The meeting took place and afterwards out of courtesy when Ratan Singh was walking Khilji out of the palace, Khilji's men captured ]. Khilji 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 ] and Sultan is not brave enough to stop him. Padmini's nephew ] 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 ]) 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. ] 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.
			*]
			*]
			*]
			*]
			*]

			'''Modern era'''
	===]===
			* ], Prime Minister of India (Dec.2, 1989-Nov.10, 1990)
	], in ] ]]]
			* ], Prime Minister of India (Nov.10, 1990-June 21, 1991)
	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 Ala ud din had renamed it after his son and at Hammir's coronation was ruled by Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Hammir captured ]. Tughlaq became very unhappy and launched a massive campaign against Hammir which he led himself. Hammir knew as soon as he captured ] 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 ]'s territory he was let go. After this defeat Mewar was never attacked by ].
			* ], Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha
			* ], Vice-president of India.
			* ], olympic silver medalist

			==See also==
	===]===
			*]
	]]]
			*]
			*]
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			*]

			==References==
	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 Hindu Gods and Godesses depicting episodes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.
			<!--works referred to in the article body; general reading suggestions go to the next section-->
			*{{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
			}} .
			*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.

	==~~=]=~~==		==External links==
			* ], Sixth Edition; 2005
	In Kumbha's lineage was ] or Sanga. Lodi was defeated by Man Singh ] of ] but being a Hindu Man Singh out of magnaninimity let Ibrahim go back to Delhi. Man Singh's descendants fought at ] 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 ] (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.
			* ]; 1911
			*

	===]===
	], Home of ] rulers of (], ])]]
	Humayun, Babur's son was defeated by SherShah Suri, a ]. Humayun was forced to leave India and Sher Shah became ruler of Delhi. The ] of ] were not yet recovered from ]'s treacherous defeat. In ] the ]s were becoming very powerful. The ] king Rao Maldeo had extended his territory to within a couple of hundred kilometers of ]. 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 ] ]s) 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 ] was fought and Sher Shah was shocked by what he saw. SherShah's top generals lost there lives and his army suffered heavy losses. After this Sher Shah commented that "for a few grains of ] ]] he had almost lost the entire kingdom of ]".It is a moot point now but had Maldeo not retreated because of the fake letter ]s/Rajputs would have defeated SherShah. In my bhoomi (Rajasthan) ]s are considered the most stubborn, ]s the most brave and ]s the invincible warriors on the battlefield (Ranbanka ]).

			==Further reading==
	===]===
			'''English books'''
	] of Udaipur]]

	Humayun's son Akbar was born in the palace of a Hindu king, at ], 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 ] Rajput rulers of ](modern day ]) about a matrimonial alliance. King of ] agreed and Jodhabai became Akbar's queen and the mother of Prince Salim, who later became the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Soon other Rajput kingdoms in ] also gave their daughters to Akbar. This was the darkest period in the history of Rajputs.

	Only two kings remained against this. The ]s of ] and ]s of Ranthambore. ] are ]s. Finally Man Singh of ] and Akbar went and met ] that he should become friends with Akbar and 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 ] against Akbar. 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 Mughals as well as other rajputs who had sold there souls essentially to mughals by giving there daughters.

	], 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 Akbar as ruler of India, and fought Akbar all his life. Akbar first tried diplomacy to win over ] 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 ] when Akbar killed 30,000 civilian, unarmed residents of ], 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 ] Kings fought with each other unarmed civilians were never killed in the loosing king's territory).

	Finally Akbar attacked ] at ]. Akbar's general was Man Singh ] of ], leading an army of 40 thousand men. Maharana had about 8 thousand men and some ] warriors. One of Maharana's generals was Hakim Khan Sur, who was from the line of SherShah 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 ]'s army routed the ] and Mughals ran for there life. Maharana Pratap decided to kill Man Singh, and Maharana Pratap's horse ] 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 ] 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 ] 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 ] and that saddened him a lot. His son, ], 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 ] 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 ]'s home who was a ] rajput). Prithviraj wrote this letter to Pratap:

	''The hopes of the ] rest on the ] 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 ]); 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 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 ], 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.

	]'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 ]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.

	===]===
	]]]
	After Akbar in his line, few generations later, came Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb did not like ], ruler of ]. When Jaswant Singh ] died he had no son and this gave Aurangzeb a chance to appoint a Muslim as the ruler of ]. This upset ] Rajputs a lot. Two of Jaswant Singh's queens were pregnant when Jaswant Singh 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 Aurangzeb that crown of ] should be given to ]. Aurangzeb was very cunning and he had no intention of handing over the throne of ]. He suggested that Ajit should grow up in his {{Harem\|harem]] but internally he wanted to kill them all. Durga Das sensed this and they smuggled ] out of ] to the outskirts of the city. When Mughal army came to capture them in Delhi ] and his men attacked the Mughals and started riding out of Delhi. Raghunandan ] 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 ] along with Ajit Singh.

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

	All the ]s were plundered by ]s and they started looting various treasuries of ] and ]. To crush them Aurangzeb 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 Aurangzeb. ] had some Rajput ancestry.

	] rulers of ]]] 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.

	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 ],] swords that kept Hinduism alive in India. If there were no ]s, ]s , ]s in India, then India 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 Islamic rulers is the most glorious achievement by a race in the annals of ] and every one should know this fact, more so Indians 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==
	{{col-begin}}
	{{col-3}}
	<div style="font-size: 75%">
	* ]
	** ]: ]
	*** ]: ]
	** ]: ]
	** ]: ]/]
	** ]: ]/]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	*** ]: ]/]
	*** ]
	** ]: ]/]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	*** ]: ]
	** ]: ]
	** ]: ]/]/]/]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	*** ]
	</div>
	{{col-2}}
	<div style="font-size: 75%">
	* ]
	** ]: ]
	*** ]: ]
	*** ]: ]/]
	*** ]: ]
	*** ]: ]
	*** ]
	** ]: Anahilawad (Patan) ]
	*** ]
	** ], ] (Parmar): ]/]
	** ] (Parihara): ], ]
	</div>
	{{col-3}}
	<div style="font-size: 75%">
	* ]
	** ]: ]
	** ]: ]
	** ]: ]/]/]
	** ]: ]
	** ]: ]
	** ]: ]/]
	** ]: ]
	** ]: ]
	** ]: ]
	*** ]: ]
	</div>
	{{col-end}}
	===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==
	{{col-begin}}		{{col-begin}}
	{{col-2}}		{{col-2}}
Line 243:		Line 173:
	\| 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 259:		Line 180:
	\| 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 301:		Line 189:
	\| 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
Line 335:		Line 205:
	\| 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
Line 386:		Line 239:
	\| 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
Line 403:		Line 265:
	\| 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
Line 420:		Line 274:
	\| 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
Line 489:		Line 309:
	\| 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 style="font-size: 75%">		<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 527:		Line 331:
	\| 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
Line 563:		Line 358:
	\| 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 623:		Line 392:
	\| 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 641:		Line 401:
	\| 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
Line 665:		Line 417:
	\| 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
Line 704:		Line 445:
	\| ID =		\| ID =
	}}.		}}.
			</div>
			{{col-end}}

			'''Hindi books'''
			{{col-begin}}
			{{col-2}}
			<div style="font-size: 75%">
	*{{Harvard reference		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Bhati
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh
	\| Year =		\| Year = 2003
	\| Title = ~~Gogunda~~ ki ~~khyata~~		\| Title = Bhati vamsa ka gauravamaya itihasa Vol I-II.
	\| Publisher =		\| Publisher = Ithihass Anusandhan Sansthan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur
	\| ID =		\| ID =
			\| Comment = History of ] clan of ]s.
	}}.		}}.
	*{{Harvard reference		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Bhati
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh
	\| Year =		\| Year = 1990
			\| Title = Maheca Rathaurom ka mula itihasa: Ravala Mallinatha ke vamsaja - Maheca, Baramera, Pokarana, Kotariya aura Khavariya Rathaurom ka sodhapurna itihasa.
	\| Title = Jalore: a history of greatest patriotic saga of Chauhan clan
	\| Publisher =		\| Publisher = Ratan Prakashan, Jodhpur
	\| ID =		\| 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		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Bhati
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh (Editor)
	\| Year =		\| Year = 1993
			\| Title = Mevara jagiradaram ri vigata : Maharana Amarasimha Dvi. evam Maharana Bhimasimha.
	\| 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 =		\| Publisher = Pratap Shodh Pratishtan, Udaipur 313 001
	\| ID =		\| ID =
	}}.		}}.
	*{{Harvard reference		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Bhati
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh (Editor)
	\| Year =		\| Year = 2001
	\| Title = ~~Maravara~~ ke ~~thikanom~~ ki ~~puralekhiya~~ ~~sampada~~		\| Title = Svatantrya vira Rava Chandrasena: Jodhapura ka sasaka 1562-1581.
	\| Publisher =		\| Publisher = Rajasthani Shodh Sansthan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur
	\| ID =		\| 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		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Bhati
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Dr. Hukam Singh (Editor)
	\| Year =		\| Year = 2002
	\| Title = ~~Marwar~~-~~Jodhpur~~		\| Title = Vira siromani Rava Amarasimha Rathaura : Nagaura ka sasaka, 1638-1644.
	\| Publisher =		\| Publisher = Rajasthani Shodh Sansthan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur
	\| ID =		\| ID =
	}}.		}}.
	*{{Harvard reference		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Chauhan
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Dr. Bindhayaraj
	\| Year =		\| Year = 2003
			\| Title = Bharata ka Liyonidasa, Sonigira Virama de Chauhana, Jalaura: Lionidas of India Sonigira Viram de Chauhan.
	\| Title = Panna dhaya : prabandha kavya
	\| Publisher =		\| 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
			\| 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)
			}}.
			</div>
			{{col-2}}
			<div style="font-size: 75%">
			*{{Harvard reference
			\| Surname1 = Mishra
			\| Given1 = Jwalaprasad
			\| Year = 1914
			\| Title = Jati Bhaskara.
			\| Publisher = Khemaraj Shrikrishnadas
			\| ID =
			}}.
			*{{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
			\| 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).
			}}.
			*{{Harvard reference
			\| Surname1 = Sarada
			\| Given1 = Har Bilasa
			\| Year = 2000
			\| Title = Hindupati Maharana Sanga: sacitra.
			\| Publisher =
	\| ID =		\| ID =
	}}.		}}.
	*{{Harvard reference		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Saraswat
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Rawat
	\| Year =		\| Year = 1984
	\| Title = ~~Pranapala Durgadasa~~ Rathaura		\| 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
			\| 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 =		\| Publisher =
	\| ID =		\| ID =
			\| Comment = Fiercely proud and brave Amar Singh Rathore's life is chronicled in this book.
	}}.		}}.
	*{{Harvard reference		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Simha
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Thakur Udainarain
	\| Year =		\| Year =
	\| Title = ~~Relations~~ ~~between Marwar and the Marathas, A~~.~~D. 1724-1843 A.D.~~		\| Title = Kshatriya Vamshavali.
	\| Publisher =		\| Publisher =
	\| ID =		\| 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		*{{Harvard reference
	\| Surname1 =		\| Surname1 = Solanki
	\| Given1 =		\| Given1 = Dr. Ram Singh
	\| Year =		\| Year = 1999
	\| Title = ~~Survey~~ of ~~Kheechi Chauhan history, with biographical notes~~		\| Title = Rashtravira Durgadasa Rathaura.
			\| Publisher = Rajasthani Shodh Sansthan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur
			\| ID =
			\| Comment = Durga Das Rathore's life history.
			}}.
			*{{Harvard reference
			\| Surname1 = Somani
			\| Given1 = Ram Vallabha
			\| Year =
			\| Title = Maharana Pratapa : aitihasika adhyayana.
	\| Publisher =		\| Publisher =
	\| ID =		\| ID = ISBN 818523454X
	}}.		}}.
	</div>		</div>
	{{col-end}}		{{col-end}}

	===See also===
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	===External links===
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"Rajputs" (anonymous, c.1860)
*From the collection of the British Library*

Rajputs (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a king") are people who belong to a loose grouping of clans or tribes originating in India and Pakistan that claim descent from the ancient royal dynasties of the region. Among Hindus, Rajputs are the principal group generally regarded as belonging to the Kshatriya varna within the Hindu caste system.

The use of the term rājaputra is first found in the 7th century AD. Evidently, the use of the term "Rajput" originated in the areas that form the present-day states of Rajasthan (formerly named Rajputana) and Gujarat and spread only gradually to other parts of North India and Pakistan; the Kshatriyas of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh still do not generally self-describe as rajputs. The association of this term with Rajasthan and Gujarat is definite; even in areas where the term is used widely, the people referred to as "Rajputs" tend to ascribe an origin in those areas to themselves.

Rajput dynasties played a very prominent role in the history of northern India. Furthermore, the rajputs developed an ethos of warlike chivalry that served as the benchmark, in past centuries, for other Indian communities as they 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 classical music found support. Thus, the rajputs have contributed directly and indirectly to many facets of the Indian crasis; a detailment of some of these should be of interest to historians, sociologists, political scientists and Indologists among others.

Demographics

Rajputs in India are mostly Hindus. There are some Rajputs who follow the Sikh path, and they often intermarry with Hindu Rajputs. In Pakistan, and to a lesser extent also in India, there are many Muslim Rajputs (Siddiqui 2004) descended from Hindus who converted to Islam, who do not normally intermarry with Hindus or Sikhs of any caste, but who may intermarry with Muslims of any caste although they usually tend to marry other Muslim Rajputs.

Neither the Indian census nor the Pakistani census has recorded caste affiliation since 1931 (except in the case of Backward or Scheduled Castes) and any estimates of those claiming Rajput lineage or caste are necessarily inexact. Estimates range around 40 million Indians claiming Rajput descent as of 2001.

The 1901 census reported a total of 9,712,156 Rajputs in all of British India. Some 7.9 million were reported as Hindu and some 1.8 million as Muslim. Only 620,229 were living in Rajputana. The largest clan were the Rahtor with 122,160 members.

The 1931 census reported a total of more than 11 million Rajputs, of whom some 9 million were Hindus, about 50,000 Sikhs, and 2.1 million Muslims.

Some Hindus believe that the Muslim faith is incompatible with the nature of a Rajput, which they conceive of as being determined by Brahmanical religious teachings concerning caste, and thus believe that the people self-describing as Muslim Rajputs, who do not subscribe to those teachings, should instead be described as Muslim descendants of Rajputs. However, Muslim Rajputs do not concede that those Hindus have any authority to dictate to them what their identity is. For Muslim Rajputs, their Rajput identity is a matter of lineage and descent, not of a religiously prescribed caste role.

In fact, there is no person or group possessing authority to either validate or invalidate anyone's claim to being a Rajput, so whether any particular individual or clan is or isn't Rajput is essentially a matter of self-identification by that individual or clan and of acceptance by others.

Most Rajputs are speakers of Hindi, Panjabi, or Gujarati. Rajputs of Rajasthan may speak Rajasthani languages. SIL lists dialects particularly associated with Rajputs, Rajput Garasia (a Scheduled Tribe in Rajasthan, 100,000 speakers), Loarki/Gade Lohar (20,000 speakers in Pakistan and about 1,000 (nomadic blacksmiths) in Rajasthan) and the Gaddi of Himachal Pradesh, a Scheduled Tribe of nomadic pastoralists (120,000 speakers, bilingual in Hindi).

Origins

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 accomodation of the new entrants into the social and family circle of the traditional community is the essential quid pro quo of the Sanskritization that the aspirant community essays. This phenomenon of gradual inclusion has indubitably obtained in the case of the Rajputs, with certain Jat and Maratha 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. However, we present both the traditional view and certain scholarly speculations made by researchers on the origin of the rajputs.

Traditional

Main article: Rajput clans

As Kshatriyas, the rajputs regard themselves as being descended from the vedic warrior class. Legend ascribes to the Rajputs an origin springing from certain Hindu deities; every rajput must eventually belong to one of three great patrilineages, being:

the Agnivanshi lineage, claiming descent from Agni, the Hindu Fire-god;
the Suryavanshi lineage, claiming descent from Surya, the Hindu Sun-god;
the Chandravanshi lineage, claiming descent from Chandra, the Hindu Moon-god.

Some scholars also count Nagavanshi, Rishivanshi and Vayuvanshi as traditional lineages. The Yaduvanshi lineage, claiming descent from the Hindu god Krishna, are in fact a great sept of the Chandravanshi lineage.

The aforementioned three patrilineages (vanshas) sub-divide into 36 main clans (kulas), which in turn divide into numerous branches (shakhas) to create the intricate clan system of the rajputs. The principle of patrilineage is staunchly adhered to in determining one's place in the system and a strong consciousness of clan and lineage is an essential part of the Rajput character. Authoritative listings of the 36 rajput clans are to be found in the Kumārpāla Charita of Jayasimha and the Prithvirāj Rāso of Chandbardai.

Scholarly speculations

Main article: Origin of Rajputs

Among the origin-legends mentioned above, the one which addresses the origin of the Agnivanshi rajputs is particularly interesting, not least because they were the earliest to rise to political prominence. This legend begins with the puranic legend wherein the traditional kshatriyas of the land were exterminated by Parashurama, an avatara of Vishnu. Later, sage Vasishta performed a great Yagya or fire-sacrifice, to seek from the gods a provision for the defense of righteousness on earth. In answer to his prayer, 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 from the sacred flames in this manner.

This legend is interesting in suggesting 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. This legend has been used as the basis for many scholarly speculations on the origin of the rajputs. James Tod uses this legend as a basis for speculating upon a Scythian origin for the Rajputs. He suggests that Scythian (Saka, Huna) tribes which invaded India in the 6th century AD and disappeared into the population soon afterwards were the forbears of present-day rajputs.

Political history

Main article: History of Rajputs

Rajput history, being a part of the broader north Indian, can be classified classified easily into several distinct periods.

Early history (7th-11th centuries AD)

The first Rajputs kingdoms are attested in the 7th century, and the Rajputs rose to prominence in Indian history in the ninth and tenth centuries. The four Agnivansha clans, the Pratiharas (Pariharas), Chauhans (Chahamanas), Solankis (Chaulukyas), and Paramaras (Parmars), rose to prominence first. The Pratiharas established the first Rajput kingdom in Marwar in southwestern Rajasthan, with the Chauhans at Ajmer in central Rajasthan, the Solankis in Gujarat, and the Paramaras in Malwa. The Rai dynasty ruled Sindh during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. Sindh was conquered by an Arab Muslim army of the Caliphate, led by Bin Qasim, in the 8th century. According to some sources, Bin Qasim also attacked Chittorgarh, and was defeated by Bappa Rawal. Certain other invasions by murauding "Yavvanas" are also recorded in this era. By this time, the terms "Yavvana" (literally: "Greek") was applied any tribe that resided to the west and north-west of present-day Pakistan. Lalitaditya of Kashmir defeated one such invasion in the 8th century and the Pratiharas rebuffed another in the 9th century. The Pratiharas initially established themselves at Ujjain and ruled Malwa. Later, they established themselves at Kannauj, from which they ruled much of northern India, from Kathiawar in the west to Magadha in the east, in the 9th century.

Archaeological evidences and contemporary texts suggest that the Indian society had achieved significant prosperity during the Rajput rule. Numerous inscriptions from this period have been found. The literature composed in this period in Sanskrit and in Apabhramshas constitutes a large segment of the classical Indian literature. The early 11th century also saw the reign of the polymath king Bhoj, Paramara ruler of Malwa. He was not only a patron of scholars, but was himself a distinguished writer. His Samarangana-sutradhara deals with architecture and Raja-Martanda is a famous commentary on Yoga-sutra.

Early kingdoms: The Rajput clan organization first become crystallized in this period. Intermarriage among the Rajput clans interlinked the various regions of India, facilitating the flow of trade and scholarship. Clans claiming descent from the Solar and Lunar races, who were originally vassals of the other clans, later established independent states. The Guhilas (later called the Sisodias) established the state of Mewar (later Udaipur) in the 8th century, under Bappa Rawal, who ruled from Chittorgarh. The Kachwaha clan came to rule Dhundhar, with their capital at Amber, and later Jaipur. The Chandela clan ruled Bundelkhand after the tenth century, occupying the fortress-city of Kalinjar and building the famous temple-city of Khajuraho. The Tomaras established a state in Haryana, founding the city of Dhiliki (later Delhi) in 736. The Kachwahas, Chandelas, and Tomaras were originally vassals of the Pratihara kingdom.

Islamic invasions (11th-16th c.)

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

In the early 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni conquered the Hindu Shahi kingdom in the Punjab. His raids into northern India weakened the Pratihara kingdom, which was drastically reduced in size and came under the control of the Chandelas. In 1018 AD, Mahmud sacked the city of Kannauj, seat of the Pratihara kingdom. He later withdrew to Ghazni, being interested in loot rather than empire. In the ensuing chaos, the Gahadvala dynasty established a modest state centered around Kannauj, ruling for about a hundred years until they were defeated by Muhammad of Ghor in 1194 AD; the city was again sacked.

Meanwhile, a nearby state centered around present-day Delhi was ruled successively by the Tomara and Chauhan clans. The Rajputs fought each other in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Prithiviraj III, ruler of Delhi, defeated Muhammad of Ghor in 1191 at the First Battle of Tarain, who however defeated Prithviraj the following year at the Second Battle of Tarain. As we have seen, Muhammad's armies later brought down the Gahadvala kingdom of Kannauj in 1194 AD. Some surviving members of the Gahadvala family are said to have refugeed to the western desert, where they formed the Rathore clan and founded the state of Marwar. The Chauhans led by Govinda, grandson of Prithviraj III, later established themselves a small state at Ranthambore. The Songara sept of the Chauhan clan later ruled the town of Jalore, while and Hada sept established their rule over the Hadoti region in the mid-13th century. The Tomaras later established themselves at Gwalior, and the ruler Man Singh built the fortress which still stands there.

The Delhi Sultanate was founded by Qutb ud din Aybak, Muhammad of Ghor's successor, in first decade of the 13th century. Sultan Ala ud din Khilji (1296-1316) conquered Gujarat (1297) and Malwa (1305), and captured the fortresses of Ranthambore in 1301, Chittorgarh (capital of Mewar) in 1303 and Jalor in 1311, all of these after long sieges with fierce resistance from their Rajput defenders. In particular, the seige of Chittor, its brave defence by the Guhilas, the saga of Rani Padmini and the Jauhar she led are the stuff of immortal legend. Ala ud din Khilji delegated the administration of the conquered areas to his principal rajput collaborator, based at Jalore; the latter was soon displaced by his son-in-law Hammir, a scion of the Guhila clan, who re-established the state of Mewar and was progenitor of the Sisodia clan. Mewar emerged as the leading Rajput state; Rana Kumbha expanded his kingdom at the expense of the sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat.

Mughal era (16th-18th c.)

File:Jaipur is called the pink city.jpg

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

Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat on April 21, 1526. Rana Sanga rallied an army to challenge Babur. He was betrayed by one of his rajput generals, and was defeated by Babur at the Battle of Khanua on March 16, 1527. While the rajput rulers had to submit to Babur, they retained control of their states. Babur's son Humayun was an ineffectual ruler and lived long periods in exile.

During this time, Mewar, which was under the regency of Rani Karmavati, widow of Rana Sanga, was menaced by Bahadur Shah, ruler of Gujarat. Karmavati importuned the assistance of Humayun, son of her late husband's foe. The help arrived too late; Chittor as reduced by Bahadur Shah. This is the occasion for the second of the three Jauhars performed at Chittor. Karmavati leads the ladies of the citadel into death by fire, while the menfolk sally out to meet the beseiging muslim army in a hopeless fight to the death.

Humayun's son Akbar consolidated control of his inheritence and expanded what had been the "Delhi sultanate" into a wide empire. One main factor in this success was indubitably his co-option of native rajput chiefs into his empire-building project; his reign countenenced, for the first time, the involvement of Indians in the affairs of the empire. The rajput chiefs collaborated with alacrity, an alliance cemented by marriage alliance, 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 roile in extending rajput influence to the far corners of India, as also to the north-west frontier and to Afghanistan. Rajput chiefs served as mughal officers and administrators and enjoyed much influence in the government. Two successive mughal emperors, Jehangir and Shah Jehan, were born to rajput mothers. The period is one where the rajput identity, as aristocrats, can be said to have finally crystallized, and 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.

However, these relations were not universally approbated. Mewar, which justly enjoys a unique position in the rajput mind, held out and valiantly gave battle to Akbar. However, after a brave struggle, during which the ladies of the fort perfomed Jauhar for the third and last time in the history of that citadel, Chittor finally fell to Akbar in 1568. The ruler, Udai Singh, had however retired to the nearby hills prior to this event; he was succeeded, while in exile, by his son Rana Pratap as head of the Sisodias. Even in exile, the Sisodias knew no rest, and harassed the mughal administrators of the land enough to cause them to make overtures. Rana Pratap, a present-day rajput icon, refused all such overtures of friendship and alliance from Akbar, and rallied an army to meet the mughal forces. He was defeated at the battle of Haldighati on June 21, 1576; however, he carried out a relentless guerilla struggle from his hideout in the Aravalli hills. He also banned marraiges between his loyal rajputs with other rajputs of rajasthan, who has entered into matrimonial alliance with the muslims. Rana Pratap's son, Amar Singh, entered into the vassalage of the mughals and thus regained control of his state. The rajputs remained loyal to the mughal dynasty and empire even until the 19th century; in all their official communiques and documents, the rajput courts rarely failed to formally affirm their loyalty to the (by now entirely powerless) mughal emperor.

Maratha and British suzerainty (18th-20th c.)

Jodhpur was conquered by Sindhia, who levied a tribute of 60,000 rupees, and took from it the fort and town of Ajmer. Internecine disputes and succession wars disturbed the peace of the early years of the 19th century, and the Rajput princes asked for British protection from the Marathas during the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-1818. At the conclusion of the war in 1818, 18 states in the Rajputana region, of which 15 were ruled by Rajputs, became princely states of the British Raj, while the British took direct control of Ajmer, which became the province of Ajmer-Merwara. A number of other Rajput states in central India, including Rewa, Ajaigarh, Barwani, Chhatarpur, Datia, Orchha, and Ratlam, became princely states as well, and were placed under the authority of the Central India Agency. Rajput rulers of Rajputana and Central India acceded to newly-independent India after 1947, and Rajputana, renamed Rajasthan, became an Indian state in 1950.

Rajputs and invasions of India

Main article: Rajputs and invasions of India

Due to geographic reasons, rajput-ruled states suffered the brunt of aggression from various Mongol-Turkic-Afghan warlords who repeatedly invaded the Indian subcontinent. India was among the most prosperous regions in the world in that era, and had always been the prize for a string of invaders from the north-east. Incidentally, the last of these waves of invaders were of tribes who had previously converted to Islam. In his 1886 book, W.W. Hunter describes how the rajput kingdoms dealt with this aggression:

"Within a hundred years after his (Muhammad's) death, his followers had invaded the countries of Asia as far as the Hindu Kush... almost from (the) first, the Arabs had fixed eager eyes upon (India). Fifteen years after the death of prophet, Usman sent a sea expedition to Thana and Broach on the Bombay coast (c.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 dynsaty in Sindh, failed....(The mughal) 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 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. . . ".

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. The practice of jauhar and saka was followed only in rajput communities. 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. The next morning after taking a bath, the men would wear saffron-coloured garments and apply the ash from the pyres 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 annhiliation 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. Rajputs honour their word more then their life and are renowned for their loyalty.

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."

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 the favorite weapon of the Rajput. On special occasions, a primary chief would break up a meeting of his chiefs with khanda nareal, or a distribution of swords and coconuts (453). In order to attain a greater bond with one's sword, Rajputs revered their swords and conducted the ritual of Karga Shapna during the annual festival of Navratri.

Clan, kinship and communities

By the late nineteenth 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 lineages were linked to different networks, both sacred and profane. Branches on a stratified lineage could be either Hindu or Muslim (Kasturi 2002:2). Some of the Muslim Rajput groups like Thakurais of East Champaran in Bihar, and some other Muslims of Rajput extraction are notable among Indian Muslims for their descent from a prestigious Hindu caste. Their marginality is sometimes self-imposed as they want to retain their exclusivity by deciding not to marry among other Muslims and preserve their distinction (Siddiqui 2004). A number of sub-castes, or jatis, claim to be Rajputs. Some of them have a historical basis for the claim. Some are considered to be descendants of the Rajputs but are not generally accepted by the main Rajput community (for example, Girasia). Some branches of Jain's and Marwari's had rajput forefathers but none of them are considered Rajputs today.

Famous Rajput people

The rajputs have contributed to many facets of Indian life, both historically and in the modern age. A few rajput stalwarts are mentioned here.

Historical heroes

Modern era

Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Prime Minister of India (Dec.2, 1989-Nov.10, 1990)
Chandra Shekhar, Prime Minister of India (Nov.10, 1990-June 21, 1991)
Jaswant Singh, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Vice-president of India.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, olympic silver medalist

References

Template:Harvard reference .
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) (review)
Template:Harvard reference.
W.W. Hunter, The Indian empire, its people, history and products. First published: London, Trubner & Co., Ludgate Hill, 1886. ISBN 81-206-1581-6.

External links

Rajputs Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition; 2005
Rajput Encyclopedia Britannica; 1911
British Association of Rajputs