ORIGIN OF RAJPUTS : (A

THEORY OF ORIGIN OR MYTH)

Shubham pandey1

Abstract
This article analyses the origin of Rajputs.Rajput is a Hindu
Kshatriya caste which has been involved in fighting and ruling
since the time immemorial.The Hindu epic Mahabharata
Praises the Kshatriya “fighting”clan for its bravery it states that
Kshatriya always saves people like a father who sustains and
supports his son,and for that reason a Kshatriya is honoured
and praised everywhere all the time2.The origin of RAJPUT
remains a moot point among many historians. The different
historians have their own theory regarding the emergence of
rajput.As, the period around 6the century AD marked a major
transformation in the socio-economic, political, religious and
caste configuration of the subcontinent3.The different historians
have attempts to trace the Rajputs to foreign
immigrants,Agnikula myth , indigenous origin,Assimilation of
different groups,etc.These are the points which increased the
confusion regarding its birth.4

INTRODUCTION

Etymologically, the Sanskrit lexicon Rajaputra,meaning “son of

the king,”is a combination of two Sanskrit roots: raja “king”and
putra “son”from where the Hindi word Rajput has been derived.
1
Student, department of history, ramjas college.
2
Hiltebeitel A (2009) Rethinking India’s oral and classi-cal epics: Draupadi among Rajputs,
Muslims, and Dalits. University of Chicago Press
3
Bingley A.H ,A handbook on Rajputs , New Delhi: Asian Educational Services , 2006 , 3-20.
4
Vaidya C.V , Early history of RAJPUT,Gyan publishing House,1924 , 50-90.

1
Rajput rulers ruled much of northern and western India from the
7th to the 12th centuries, until they were overthrown by Muslim
invaders in 1200 AD.They also patronised the painting like
Rajasthani painting and Pahari painting build temples etc.They
were the warriors who fought in the battles and took care of the
governing functions. The Rajputs originated from western,
eastern, northern India and from some parts of Pakistan. 5
There are various types of sources for study of origin of rajputs
but we mainly focus on literary sources like Harshcharita of
Banabhatta,D.C.Sircar puts forth that in Kalhana’s
Rajatarangini the term rajaputra is used in the sense of a mere
landowner.The Rajput refer as ‘horse rider’(Jagapati) who
acquire a large estate in Chachnama of Ali kufi. They are
considered as the defender of barbaric Invision of the west.In
Bhudeva's Arijit Pracha, they are referred as feudal
landholders who acquire large estates.The mythical stories for
the origin of Rajput are also found in the Prithviraj Raso of
Chand Bardai. Further, the Bhaskaracharya Siddhanta
Shiromani,Karpuramanjari,kavyamimamsa by Rajasekhara,
Aparajitprachha by Bhatta Bhuvanadeva etc are the texts
which provide a major evidence.6Further the appearance of
Rajput as as mercenary soldiers is proved as 7th CE from the
reference in the Bakhshali Manuscript found in North-western
Frontier Province and subsequently in Chachnama.
Lekhapaddhati , document from Gujarat and Western Marwar
region refer to assignment of land grants in the reference to the
military service.
The origin of Rajput is surrounded by mystery. Scholars are
hardly in unison over the origin and a number of views are in
currency to their origin.

5
History of Rajputs: Rajput Provinces of India –An Empirical Study:- dr. c k katrappa
6
Chattopadhya,Brajadulal,The making of early medieval India , Oxford university
press,1994,59-92.

2
THEORY OF AGNIKULA: A MYTH

In the Prithviraj Raso,there are references of

chalukya,parmar,and Chachnama having their origins from the
first pit ofVashistha. According to. Raso, Vishvamitra, Agastya
Vashistha,and other sages began a great sacrifices at Mt Abu
As, Demons(Daitya) interludes it and then Vashistha created
from the sacrificial pit ,three Warrier in succession : Partihara ( )
,Solanki,and Parmaras. Although, none of them are able to
remove thedemons completely. Later , this story is linked to the
Ramayana.The modern scholars who believe in the Agnikula
origin of the Rajputs are: Watson, Forbes, Camphel, D. R.
Bhandarkar etc. They believe that all the so-called agnikula
Rajputs are of Gurjara stock. However, the Gurjara origin of the
Rajputs is being criticised by many scholars who argue that the
Gurjara is not only the name of a people but also a country and
of all the people who inhabited it, to whichever caste or clan
they might have belonged.
Partial Bhatia ,argues that Gujarat isn't only the name but also
the country and of all the people who inhabited it , to whichever
casteor clan they might have belonged.
There is a statement regarding the same myth as the story of
Agnikula ,a story in a poet's brain and being misconstrued by
another poet finally commanding.7

PROCESSUAL THEORY:

B. D. Chattopadhyaya examines the emergence of the

Rajputs as a process,which in different periods and different
regions was not almost alike but differed in context of time and
7
Sharma , Early Chauhan Dynasty , S.Chand and co.,1959, 3-9.

3
place. According to him, their emergence should not be looked
in terms of ancestry.He suggests that the process of the
emergence of Rajputs in early medieval records is found linked
with political, economic and social developments. B D
chattopadhyaya emphasis on the theory of indigenous .
DR.Bhandarkar “ in syllogistic form argue that , 1st the Rajput
are the descendants of Gujarat, 2ndd the Gujarat are
foreigners, and therefore,3rd the Rajput are the descendants of
foreigners.”Also, most of the scholars refused the Claim that
the generally accepted view of Rajput that ,they are the
representative of vedic Kshatriyas.8

Thirty six Royal clan of Rajput family:

Almost all the contemporary texts provided, the number of the

Rajput clans is 36. The whole list is provided by Prithvirajraso,
Kumarapalacharita,Varnaratnakar and by an ancient work
from a Jaina temple in Marwar.
Col. James Tod has studied the clan names of the above
sources and prepared his own list removing some vernacular
errors.
However, the comparison of the above list with those of original
literary texts reveals that Tod had also included the tribal
groups of foreign origin and eventhose Rajput clans which had
originated quite later as sub-clans.It isalso noted that the list of
36 clans mentioned in all the literary texts are dissimilar. Some
of the listed clan are as follows
Gohila,Rathoda,Kotpala,Taka,sathavara,Kalachchhuraka,Kavini
sa,Rajapalayam,Nikumbhavara,Dhanya-palaka,Mata,kamasha,
Ganda,Haritata,Hula,Kotpala,Yautika,Kakutstha etc.The texts

8
Banerjee Anil Chandra,”Rajput studies”,A Mukherjee and Brother,Calcutta,1944,15-35.

4
like kumarapalacarita, Varnaratnakara and Rajtarangini too
refer to the the number of thirty -six .9

THEORY OF FOREIGN DESCENT:

This theory says that the Rajputs are descendants of the races
like Sakas, Kushans, Hunas etc.This theory was given by
James Tod.The main arguments of Colonel Tod behind the
foreign origins of Rajputs were that these peoples worshipped
fire and fire was the main deity of Saks and Hunas.Dr Vincent
Smith, William Crooks supported this theory.Sir Vincent Smith ,
forward the same theory. He said that the process of
Rajputization.Wars with native population led to the elimination
of some but many of them mixed with the general population.
As, the Virgil and Chivalrous people can't be denied and their
importance doesn't diminish by the supposed descent in their
ancestry.Dr D.R. Bhandarkar in his paper, has attempted to
prove that the Chauhans are descendants of a foreign tribe
called the Khazars and originally they belonged to some
priestly section.10He has based his theory on a coin of
Vasudeva whom he identifies as Vasudeva, the founder of the
Shakambhari line of the Chauhans.

THEORY OF FAVOURABLE CONDITION:

B. N. S. Yadav has traced the emergence of the early Rajput

clans in Rajasthan and Gujarat during the period of political and
social confusion and chaos which may be characterised by a
declining economy following the invasions and settlements of
9
Tod James,”Annals and antiquities of Rajput or central and western Rajput states of India ''
,London, New York, Milford,Oxford University press , 1920, 55-67,70- 90.
10
'Foreign elements in the Hindu population by bhandarkar.

5
the foreigners and collapse of the Gupta empire. The rising
feudal tendencies, according to him, created favourable
circumstances for the emergence of ruling landed aristocracy
connected intimately with land. Attached to this background, he
traced out the rise of the military clans of the Gurjaras,
Guhilots, Chahamanas, Chapas etc11. in northern India during
650-750 CE. However, their rise as independent ruling clans
may be traced back to the 8th century, when Gurjara-Pratiharas
as the first Rajput ruling clan established their hold over Kanauj
and other regions in northern India.
According to Sihalo , the decline of the Gupta Dynasty built
favourable conditions . This condition include independence of
smaller rulers,Invasion of hunas,etc.

BRAHMAKSHTRA THEORY:

Brahma-ksatra was a transitional status which once acquired

wasn't,however , entirely given up , and explanations continued
to be given for the supposedly authentic transition from the
brahmana to the kshatriya status. It is often considered a
channel of open access to the group of one community move
toward another. BD Chattopadhya marked this process as an
open status during early mediaeval period.A transitional status.
If we accepted, on the strength of their relatively latest records ,
that both the Guhilas and the Chamanas were originally of
Brahmanical descent , although no claims to such descent
have been made in their early records but within a period the
status was being projected in order to legitimise their new
kshatriya role. It was a wide currency in India which was seized

11
Satyasrey Singh Ranjit , “ the studies in Rajput history origins of chalukya “ , 1937,5-15.

6
upon buy the new royal families before they could formulate a
claim to a pure kshatriya origin.
The evidence of a compression between two Pratihara
inscription of ninth century from the Jodhpur area mentioned
about the birth of Pratihara Brahmanas and Partihara Ksatriyas.
The. Harichandra in the second dated 861AD ,marked the
brahmana wife is dropped from. genealogical list. So, the
different stages in the formulation of genealogical claims reveal
a political process,it being that of upward mobility from initial
feudatory position.12

THEORY OF VAMSA (descender):

The ancient text provides description about the solar and lunar
Kshatriyas. The solar and lunar origins of the Rajput are
mentioned in the Mahabharata and piranhas. Example- the
early family of Chandelle traced their descendent from the
moon identifying them as the lunar race of Kshatriyas.In Raso's
book,We find the evidence of the same from his account.13
The Gwalior Inscription is very important that states that the
imperial family of Pratihara were descended from Lakshamna (
brother of Ram) , the hero of the solar race . As, Lakshman
being Ram pratihara or door keeper.The Harsha stone
inscription give the line of Chamanas from one Guvan and to
our mind clearly convey that this clan is solar in descent.
Hammers Mahamaya’s inscription of Ajmer museum
declares that the Chachanama were descended from the sun,
Solanki and Chalukya of Badami , described as belonging to
lunar eclipse.

12
Chattopadhya, Brajadulal,”the making of early medival India”,Oxford University
press,1994,70-75.
13
Tod James,”Annals and antiquities of Rajput or central and western Rajput states of India ''
,London, New York, Milford,Oxford University press , 1920

7
 OTHER THEORIES RELATED TO ORIGIN

Agrarian and Territorial settlement: The colonisation of new

areas resulted in the expansion of a number of settlements and
also of agrarian economy. The Rajput territorial expansion by
suppression of tribal settlements of Bhlis,Pulindars, Sabaras.
The Guhilas kingdom was founded on the settlement of 7th
Bhola.
Shakambhari ( capital of Chamanas) came out of Colonisation.
In Rajput politics , “ many are undergoing a process of change
from tribalism” said by BD Chattopadhya. Meds, Hunas etc
assimilated into the Rajput clan from tribes.
According to CV Vaidya “ the Rajputs have been the
descendents of vedic Aryans . None but vedic vedic Aryan
could have fought so valiantly in defence of the ancestral faith
emerged.”Further, the mobilisation of group from one region to
another.Colonial expansion and agricultural surplus economy
lead to the emergence of various new group who got
assimilated via the process of Rajputization.
The two important pointers to the process of the emergence of
Rajputs in early medieval records. As at one level the
colonisation of new areas. The epigraphical, archaeological
remains , historical- geographical study marked the similar
trend. Secondly, the mobility of Rajput status. It means there is
a wider difference between ancient and modern kshatriya. The
term Rajputras mentioned in the ancient text means the mixed
caste.14

14
Seesodi Jessrajsinghji,”The Rajputs : a fighting race”, East and West ,London , 1915, 35-41

8
METHODOLOGY
I have read multiple book regarding the topic of origin of
rajputs in groceries Context. Some basic books like “Hand
book on Rajput”by A H Bingley , “The making of early
medieval india” by BD Chattopadhya, “ Annals and
Antiquities of Rajasthan” by James Tod , and many others
are mentioned in the footnote. I do a lot of research and focus
on different approaches to study the origin of rajputs. I took
much content from the book I have mentioned above.from
today's point of view knowing the ancestral past of rajputs is
very crucial .we must keep in mind that today's understanding
of the term Rajput is very different from vedic period.the
assimilation of various tribes in group of new Rajput clans.
Also,their many more interesting theories can wide the view of
reader. In this article i mainly focused on theory related to
origins.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion we can say that The emergence of the Rajputs

has to be understood in reality not in terms of the mythological
traditions of the Agnikula and solar and lunar dynastic origins. It
should be regarded as a process in terms of the political, social
and economic developments in the history of early medieval
northern India. B. D. Chattopadhya’s contention of the origin of
the Rajput seems juxtaposed in the light of the evidence of the
contemporary epigraphs. The origin of the Rajputs has to be
traced from different strata of indigenous population including
the Kshatriyas, Brahmanas and some tribes including the
aboriginal ones.In In last we can say that being a student of

9
history we should always keep in mind that we should always
question things and not believe everything that is said.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my special thanks to my teacher DR

Prashant Arwey , who gave me the golden opportunity to do
this wonderful Assignment. This assignment helped me in
doing a lot of research and I came to know about so many new
things.This work has generated a passion for reading in me.

Then ,I would like to thanks my parent and friends who have

helped me with their valuable suggestions and guidance has
been helpful in various phase of completion of this project.

Lastly, I would like to thank again all the people who I have
mentioned above.
REFERENCES:

● Hiltebeitel A (2009) Rethinking India’s oral and

classi-cal epics: Draupadi among Rajputs, Muslims,
and Dalits. University of Chicago Press.

● Bingley A.H ,A handbook on Rajputs , New Delhi:

Asian Educational Services , 2006 , 3-20

● Vaidya C.V , Early history of RAJPUT,Gyan publishing

House,1924 , 50-90.

10
● History of Rajputs: Rajput Provinces of India –An
Empirical Study:- dr. c k katrappa.

● chattopadhyay,Brajadulal,The making of early

medieval India , Oxford university press,1994,59-92.

● Sharma , Early Chauhan Dynasty , S.Chand and

co.,1959, 3-9.

● Banerjee Anil Chandra,”Rajput studies”,A Mukherjee

and Brother,Calcutta,1944,15-35.

● Tod James,”Annals and antiquities of Rajput or

central and western Rajput states of India '' ,London,
New York, Milford,Oxford University press , 1920,
55-67,70- 90.
● 'Foreign elements in the Hindu population by bhandarkar.

● Satyasrey Singh Ranjit , “ the studies in Rajput history

origins of chalukya “ , 1937,5-15.

● Chattopadhya, Brajadulal,”the making of early medival

India”,Oxford University press,1994,70-75.

● Seesodi Jessrajsinghji,”The Rajputs : a fighting race”,

East and West ,London , 1915, 35-41.

11