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Rajasthan Tours

Rajputs

The Rajputs of Rajasthan, constituted a warrior aristocracy divided into a number of prominent clans, each of which regarded a princely state as its traditional patrimony, whose ruler was the social head of clan besides being the political ruler. Although the Rajputs never constituted more than a tenth of the total population, they have commanded the heights of the polity and the society in Rajasthan for nearly a thousand years. The princely state of Jaipur was thus ruled by the Kachachawa Rajputs, the Rathors ruled in Jodhpur and Bikaner, the Hadas in Kota, and the Sisodia in Mewar (Udaipur). While the Maharajas, Rajas and Thakurs had special courtiers, singers, and other servants to entertain and serve them, the common Rajput was normally engaged in soldiering, agriculture and also employed in the royal households of the former. However all Rajputs trace their ancestry to the ruling clans of the country. Their way of life is refined and courteous as well as abrasive and dominating compared to other simple classes and castes of rural Rajasthan. As the Rajputs are devotees of Durga (Mother-goddess), their common form of greeting each other is Jai mata ji ki (victory and praise be of the mother Durga) and among the Thakurs and the erstwhile Rajas, the form of greeting is Khama Ghani which means forgive and be praised.
 

The rise of the Rajputs and the establishment of their Kingdoms is an important event in the History of India. After the fall of the Vardhana Dynasty, there was a prolonged absence of a strong central power and the centripetal tendencies dominated the political horizon. Many republics, nobles, foreign tribes like Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushans, Pahlavas, Huans, Kshatriyas and Brahmanas got involved in the process of caring small independent kingdoms. The one that proved victorious in this political gamble were the Rajputs – who captured power and politically dominated different parts of the country from the 7th – 12th century A.D. Hence this period is known as the rapt period in Indian History.

The word Rajput is derived from Sanskrit word ‘Rajputra’ which means the son of the King. Its extensive usage can be found in the ancient texts. References of Rajputra can be tracked back to the Rigveda, Yajurveda where it is used as a synonym for Rajan, Rajanya Kshatriya – those associated with chivalarous tasks, battles, defense and administration. This term is also used in Arthasastra of Chanakya, Dramas of Kalidas, Harshcharita and Kadambari of Banbhatt. Even Hieum – Tsang the Chinese traveler, who visited India at the time of Harsh Vardhana, refers to the Kings as Kshatriya and Rajputra.