agni purush

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The Rajputs (from the Sanskrit tatpurusha compound rajaputra, "son of a king") are a community in northern India and Gujarat. While present-day Rajasthan ,Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been the main centers of the Rajputs, their clans have had a long and significant presence in other states.Rajputs are the major Hindu caste present in Madhya Pradesh.Their dominance exists in Bihar,Uttrakhand ,Himachal Pradesh and Gujrat as well. This page examines certain facts regarding the origins of the Rajputs, based on information gathered from inscriptions, copper-plates, contemporary Prashastis and texts.

[edit] Rajput Origins

Bhagwan Ram and Lakshmana are referred to as Rajaputra in Ramayana. Bhagwan Buddha was also referred to as Rajaputra in Buddhist texts. Dr. Rhys Davids in his "Buddhism, Its History and Literature: Page 27" says about Lord Buddha:

Abhimanyu's son Parikshit is called Rajaputra in Bhagvat Purana. Rajaputras have also been referred to in Kautilya's (350-283 B.C) Arthashashtra, Kalidasa's (1st century B.C) Malvikagnimitra, Asvaghosha's (80-150 A.D.) Saundarananda, Banbhatta's (7th century A.D.) Harshacharita and Kadambari and Kalhana's (12th century A.D.) Rajatarangini. Damodarpur copper-plate inscription of Kumaragupta III (533 A.D) records that the Governor of Bhukti of Pundravardhana, Rajaputra-Dev-Bhattaraka, was a son of the emperor, bearing the title Uparika Maharaja and 'rendering his homage to the king'. Rajputra are also mentioned in Sumandala Copper Plate inscription of Prithvigraha, Gupta era (570 A.D). There are Rajputra references in many Licchavi inscriptions (Recorded in D.R. Regimi's, Inscriptions of Ancient Nepal, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 0391025597). Rajputra Vajraratha, Babharuvarma, and Deshavarma are mentioned in the inscriptions of Sikubahi (Shankhamul) which describe the reigns of Licchavi kings Gangadeva (567-573 A.D) and Amshuvarma (605-621 A.D) respectively. The inscriptions of Sanga mentions the name of Rajputra Vikramasena, Gnoli inscription mentions Rajaputra Jayadeva, inscription of Deopatan mentions Rajputra Shurasena, and the inscriptions of Adeshwar mentions the Rajaputras Nandavarma, Jishnuvarma and Bhimavarma.

In 606 A.D. King Harshavardhana of Kannauj was crowned as Rajaputra Siladitya. Following excerpt from Page 146, of Advanced History of India written by R.C. Majumdar, H.C. Raychaudhuri, and Kaukinkar Datta, ISBN 0333 90298 X:

It is however, certain that Harsha found himself at the head of the kingdom of his brother as well as that of his brother-in-law. But he contended himself at first with the modest title of Rajaputra Siladitya. Apshad inscription of Adityasena (8th century A.D) mentions Madhavagupta who is identical with Madhavgupta, the Malawa Rajaputra of Bana's Harshacharita. Nadol Plates of 1161 A.D. mention Rajaputra Kirtipal, the progenitor of Songara (Svarnagiri) Chauhan dynasty of Jalore. Delhi Shivalik Pillar inscription, dating to A.D. 1163 of Chauhan King Virgharaj IV (Bisaldev) refers to his Mahamantri (Chief Minister) as Rajaputra Sallakshanpal.

The Rajputs did not originate as a tribe or a single community. They emerge from history as a collection of clans ruling different regions. The term Rajput as it is used today refers to the set of intermarrying royal clans. Two lists of 36 clans are found in Kumarpala Charita and the Prithviraj Raso compiled in Rajasthan region. Some of these clans are still quite well known (Parmara, Rever, Chalukya, Parihar, Chauhan, Rathore, Rawat, Thakore), some others are not as common (Gohil, Chapotkat, Kalchuri etc), while yet other names are hard to identify; apparently, with the loss of their domains and status, they dropped out of history. Any speculations as to the origins of the Rajputs has to be presaged with the caveat that in general, no single origin-theory can be held to be authoritative. The traditional occupations of the Rajput are war and agriculture. Many scholars have pointed out that these areas lend themselves uniquely to the ingress of groups that were not formerly affiliated with those professions. The gradual accommodation of the new entrants into the social and family circle of the traditional community is the essential quid pro quo of the sanskritization that the aspirant community essays. This phenomenon of gradual inclusion has indubitably obtained in the case of the Rajputs.

[edit] The Agni-kunda Legend

The Agni-kunda legend is the best-known traditional account that deals with the origin of the rajputs. This account 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, one or more youths arose from the very flames of the sacrificial fire, according to different versions of the legend.

Sometime during 16-17th century, the legend came to be applied to the Parihars (Pratihaar), Chauhans (Chahamanas), Solankis (Chalukyas), and Paramaras (Parmars) clans. The Parihar at Kannauj, Chauhans at Ajmer in central Rajasthan, the Solankis in Gujarat, and the Paramaras at Mount Abu.

[edit] Evolution of the legend

A large number of inscriptions and texts have come to light since the mid-19th century that allow us to trace the evolution of this legend in detail.

The Agnikunda story is first found in the Nava-sahasanka-charita by Padmagupta, a fictional romance where the hero is identifiable as Sindhuraja, the patron of the author Padmagupta. This work mentions that the progenitor of the Paramaras was created from fire by sage Vashishtha. During the period of decline of the Paramaras of Dhar, the story finds mention in several royal inscriptions. Later, the story is expanded to include two or three other Rajput clans. Eventually, some scholars proposed that all of the Rajputs were created from the Agnikunda.

[edit] 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. Bargujar rajputs, a suryavansh lineage once ruled the entire rajasthan then called gujardes, this made their clan named after it. later in history the territory of jaipur was ruled by bargujar rajputs.

[edit] 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 Krishna.

[edit] 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.