Rajputs

According to Hindu mythology, the Rajput Rajasthan is descendants of the Kshatriyas or warriors of Vedic India. The emergence of Rajput warrior clans was in the 6th and 7 century. Rajput ancestry can be divided into two: the "sun" or suryavanshi-they are descended from Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana, and "Moon" or chandravanshi, who claimed descent from Krishna, the hero of the epic Mahabharata. Subsequent third clan was added that agnikula or fire-born, said to have arisen from the flames in a Offertyr fire at Mt Abu.

It is accepted that Rajput was divided into thirty-six races and twenty-one kingdoms. Rajput clans gave rise to dynasties like Sisodias of Mewar (Udaipur), the Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur), the Rathore of MARWARE (Jodhpur and Bikaner), the Hadas of Jhalwawar, Kota & Bundi, the Bhattis of Jaisalmer, the Shekhawats of Shekhawati and Chauhan of Ajmer.

The decrease in the Gupta empire, which held dominance in northern India for nearly 300 years until the early 5th century, was followed by a period of instability as various local chieftains sought to gain supremacy. Power rose and fell in northern India. Stability was only restored with the emergence of the Gurjara Partiharas, the earliest of the Rajput (from 'Rajputra', or Sons of Princes) dynasties which were later to hold the balance of power throughout Rajasthan.

The Rajput clans gave rise to dynasties such as Chauhan, Sisodias, Kachhwahas and Rathore. Chauhan of Agnikula Race emerged in the 12th century and were known for their heroism. Their territory included Sapadalksha empire that covered a large area, including day Jaipur, Ranthambore, part of Mewar, the western portion of Bundi district, Ajmer Kishangarh and even at a time, Delhi. Branches Chauhan also ruled territories know as Ananta (in present-day Shekhawati) and Saptasatabhumi.

The Sisodias of Suryavansa Tribe, originally from Gujarat, migrated to Rajasthan in the middle of the 7th century and reigned over Mewar, which included Udaipur and Chittorgarh. The Kachhwahas, originally from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, traveled west in the 12th century. They built the massive fort on Amber, and later moved the capital to Jaipur. Like Sisodias, they heard the Suryavansa Tribe. Also belongs Suryavansa Race, the Rathore (earlier known as Rastrakutas) rose from Kanauj, in Uttar Pradesh. Initially they settled in Pali, south of present-day Jodhpur, but later moved to Mandore in 1381 and ruled over MARWARE (Jodhpur). Later they began to build the fantastic Meherangarh (Continued) in Jodhpur. The Bhattis belonging to the Induvansa Race, driven from their homeland in Punjab by the Turks, installed themselves at Jaisalmer in the 1156th They remained more of less entrenched in their desert Kingdom until they were integrated in Rajasthan state after independence.

In spite of the Muslim rule up to the Punjab, the Rajput gained control of the heart of northern India. The Rajput who held the stage of feudal rulers before the coming of the Muslims were a brave and chivalrous race. The Rajput legend traces their ancestry to Bappa Rawal - the legendary founder of the race, which is said to have lived in the 8th century. In reality, although they were Kshatriyas in the Hindu caste system hierarchy, they seem to be genetically descended from Shaka and Hunas who had invaded northern India in the Gupta period and had subsequently settled in northern India, and because of their warlike attitudes and been absorbed as Kshatriyas into Hindu society. It is they who held the banner when the first Muslim invaders reached the Indian Heart Earth in the 12th century, i.e. around 1191 CE

The Rajput there until the 10th century was primarily local feudal lords the status of revenue collectors for their Gurjara-Pratihara lords, made themselves as independent rulers, after Ghaznavids storm had passed, and took over the former kingdoms of Gurjara-Pratiharas. The main Rajput kingdoms in the 11th and the 12th century was that of Cahamanas (Chouhans) in Eastern Punjab, Northern Rajasthan and Delhi. The Gahadwalas (Rathods) ruled the Ganges valley today's DP. The Paramaras ruled Malwa in central India and the Tomaras ruled from Gwaliar. The most powerful kingdoms were hose of Chouhans and Rathods - both of which unfortunately were incessantly at war with each other when the Muslim raiders came again in 1191 CE The Rajput, who was a brave and chivalrous race, held the stage of feudal rulers, before the coming of the Muslims.

The Gahadwalas (Rathods)

In the 11th century, i.e. in the post-Mahmud Ghazni era, the most powerful Hindu Kingdom in northern India was that of the Gahadwalas or Rathods there was a Rajput clan. The founder of the Gahadwala line was Chandradeva whose son Govindchandra Gahadwala was the most famous ruler of this line. Govindchandra was a wise king and ruled from Kannauj. Most of northern India, including the university town of Nalanda was a part of his kingdom. He stoutly defended his kingdom from further Muslims incursions. He instituted a tax for that purpose, which was called Turushka Danda (i.e. tax to combat Turushkas or Turks). His grandson was Jaichandra Gahadwala (Rathod) who played a tragic role in Indian history.

The Rajput Resistance to Muslim rule - Man Singh Tomar

Despite the imposition of Muslim rule in Delhi and UP (Uttar Pradesh) in the former kingdoms Prithiviraj Chauhan and Jaichand Rathod, the Muslim conquerors never exceeded the entire country. The Rajput dynasties as Tomaras of Gwaliar and Ranas of Mewad still continued to rule central India. Such a Rajput ruler you were Singh Tomar king of Gwaliar. Mon Singh put a stout resistance to the Lodis and he succeeded in halting the Muslim ruler Sikandar Lodi's southward in March at Gwaliar. While the Tomaras Gwaliar held back by the Muslims from advancing to Malwa, the Ranas of Mewad held the banner of Indian independence from Mewad in these trying times of Muslim aggression in India. In South Rajasthan especially Rajput had defiantly preserved their writ of summons to resist Delhi sultans. The center of this Rajput resistance was the kingdom at Chittor.

Maharana Pratap

Udai Singh's son was Maharana Pratap as head Rajput against Akbar's armies and preserved Rajput rule in Mewad. Rana Pratap was faced with the formidable challenge of renegade Rajput princes like Raja Todar Mon Mal and Raja Singh, who had joined forces with the Muslim rulers.

Battle of Haldighati

At the Battle of Haldighati fought between Maharana Pratap and Mughal, Rajput it was unable to overcome the combined strength of Mughal and the renegade Rajput princes who had acted as traitors. But Maharana Pratap who was badly wounded in battle, was saved by his wise horse Chetak, who took him in an unconscious state away from the battle scene. Although Maharana Pratap was not able to resist Muslims successfully, the saga of Rajput resistance to Muslim rule continued until the 17th century when the baton of the struggle for Indian Independence from Muslim tyranny was taken up by the next Maratha power, which brought about an end to Muslim domination in India.

According to the Rajput bards the Chauhan is one of the four Agnikula or 'fire sprung' tribes who were created by the gods in the anali kund or 'fountain of fire' on Mount Abu to fight Asura or demons. Chauhan is also one of the 36 (Royal) ruling races of the Rajput.

Chauhan dynasty flourished from the 8th to 12 century AD. It was one of the four main Rajput dynasties of that era, the others being Pratiharas, Paramaras and Chalukyas. The Chauhan dominated Delhi, Ajmer, and Ranthambhor. They were also prominent at Sirohi in the southwest of Rajputana, and at Bundi and Kota in the east. Inscriptions also associate them with Sambhar, the Salt Lake area in the Amber (later Jaipur) district. Chauhan policy was largely campaigns against the Chalukyas and the invading Muslim hordes. In the 11th century they founded the city Ajayameru (Ajmer) in the southern part of their empire, and in the 12th century captured Dhilika (the old name of Delhi) from the Tomaras and annexed some of their territory along the Yamuna River. Prithviraj III has become famous in folk tales and historical literature as the Chauhan king of Delhi who resisted the Muslim attack in the First Battle of TARAIN (1191). Armies from other Rajput kingdoms, including Mewar assisted him. However, Prithviraj was defeated in another battle at Tarain the following year. This failure ushered Muslim rule in northern India in the form of the slave dynasty, the first of the Delhi Sultanates.