Origins and Geographical Presence

Origins and Geographical Presence

Rajputs are indigenous to India. Historians have wrongly tried to identify rajputs as descendants of Aryan Invaders, Scythians, Huns etc. Genetic research shows, there was never any aryan invasion of India. In addition Indian castes have no genetic influx from "foreigners". Geneticists, Sanghamitra Sahoo and Toomas Kivisild, in a 2006 paper (click the paper to read it), have concluded:

. . . chromosomal data consistently suggest a largely South Asian origin for Indian caste communities and therefore argue against any major influx, from regions north and west of India (from so called cradle of civilization), of people associated either with the development of agriculture or the spread of the Indo-Aryan language family.

Anthropologist, Sir Herbert Risley, writes on Page 60 of his book, People of India:

. . . we have good historical reason for believing that the scythian invaders of India came from a region occupied exclusively by broad headed races and must themselves have belonged to that type. They were by all accounts, nations or, hordes of horsemen with broad faces and high cheek bones, and short and sturdy of stature, . . . . In their original homes in central Asia steppes their manner of life was that of pastoral nomads, and their instincts were of the predatory order. It seems therefore prima facie unlikely that there descendants are to be looked for among tribes who are essentially of the long headed type (Rajputs), settled agriculturists with no tradition of nomadic or marauding past.

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

Suryavanshi

Suryavanshi rajputs trace their lineage to the Vedic Sun - Surya. Lord Rama was also born in this lineage. Suryavanshi rajputs ruled over Mewar, Marwar, Amber, etc.

Chandravanshi

Somvanshi/Chandravanshi rajputs descended from Som (the vedic deity Soma or Moon). Chandravanshi and Yaduvanshi are from the same line which bifurcated at King Yadu when his father banished him from becoming the king. Gujarat, Jaisalmer was ruled by Chandravanshi rajputs. The Yaduvanshi trace there lineage to Lord Krishn.

Agnivanshi

Agnivanshi rajputs have a mythological belief that they originated from fire. Bundi, Kotah, Jalore, Sirohi, Delhi were ruled by Agnivanshi rajputs. In reality Agnivanshi rajputs are also a sub-division of Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi rajputs.

Each vansha is divided into many cula and each cula is further divided into many shakha. For a pictorial description please see the figure:

Rajput Shakha(Clan Tree)

For example Suryavanshi rajput cula, Rathore, is divided into these shakha: Dhandhul, Bhadail, Khokra, Jodha etc; Similarly Guhilote cula is subdivided into these shakha: Aharya (at Doongarpur), Sisodiya (at Mewar), Peeparra (at Marwar), etc.

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

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

These twelve of 36 clans of rajputs further subdivide:

• Gehlote, Parmara, Chauhan, Solanki, Rathore, Tanwar/ Tomar/ Tuar, BirGoojur, Parihaar, Jhala, Yadu, Katchwaha, Gor.

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

• Sengar, Balla, Khurwur, Chawura, Dahima, Dahiya, Byce, Gherwal, Nikumpa, Dewut, Johya, Sikerwal, Dabia, Doda, Mori, Mokarra, Abhirra, Kalchoruk, Agnipala, Aswariya, Hool, Manutwal, Mallia and Chhahil.

Myths

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

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

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