Rise of the Rajputs and Major Rajput Clans

At a Glance

• Period Eighth to twelfth century
• Origin Debated: mixed, foreign, indigenous, and the Agnikula legend
• Main states Gahadavalas, Paramaras, Chauhans, Chandellas, Kalachuris, Chalukyas of Gujarat
• Social basis The clan, with land held in groups of villages
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Early Medieval Period

Where Does It Fit?

This is the fifth topic of the category on the early medieval period. The previous topic covered the Senas of Bengal, and this topic moves to the clans that filled the gap left by the Pratihara collapse in the north and west. The next topic goes to south India and the Pallavas. Previous topic: Sena Dynasty of Bengal (11th–12th Century). The background is in Changes in the Varna System and Rise of Regional Identities.

Where Did the Rajputs Come From?

In short: the Rajputs were clan leaders who ruled many north Indian states from the eighth century, and scholars disagree about their origin.

The Rajputs were considered leaders of clans which dominated certain tracts of land and provided the core of the armed forces. The clan chiefs, most of them related to the ruler by blood, held that the state was ruled jointly by them. Some scholars see the Rajputs as of mixed origin, descended from foreigners such as the Shakas and Hunas, from indigenous tribes, and even from Brahmans. Many clans, traditionally numbering thirty-six, trace their descent to the solar and lunar families of the Kshatriyas mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Modern scholarship stresses a process, sometimes called Rajputization. Groups that had newly acquired power sought the status of Kshatriyas, sometimes claiming a mixed Brahman-Kshatriya status through a Brahman mother. In Rajasthan, tribal lands were colonised and Brahmans, traders and warriors settled, and irrigation by wells and bunds brought a better agrarian economy. Some cultivators became Rajputs, while others stayed Shudras.

What Is the Agnikula Legend?

The Agnikula legend, traced to the eleventh century, says the sage Vashishtha produced four Rajput clans from a sacrificial fire: the Pratiharas, the Solanki or Chalukyas, the Parmar or Pawar, and the Chahamana or Chauhan. Brahmans also wrote genealogies linking ruling families to ancient Kshatriya houses. The Gurjara-Pratiharas, reputed to be of Gurjara stock, were linked to Lakshmana, who acted as the doorkeeper (pratihara) of Rama. The Brahman-Rajput alliance had political and cultural results: the Rajputs, as champions of an expanding Hinduism, built grand temples and gave land to Brahman priests.

Which Rajput States Mattered?

The Gahadavalas and the Chauhans offered stout resistance to Ghaznavid raids. Prithviraj III came to the throne at about eleven in about 1177 and took the reins at sixteen. He expanded vigorously, failed against the Chalukyas of Gujarat, and then moved towards the Ganga valley, where he attacked Mahoba. Alha and Udal, the famous warriors, lost their lives in that struggle. The Chandel ruler is said to have been supported by Jai Chandra of Kanauj.

How Was Rajput Society Organised?

The basis of Rajput society was the clan, and each clan traced descent from a common ancestor, real or imagined. Clan settlements were often based on groups of 12, 24, 48 or 84 villages. A chief allotted land to sub-chiefs, who allotted it to warriors for the upkeep of their families and horses. A state was ruled by the rana or rawat together with chiefs who were usually blood brothers. Fiefs were held at the ruler’s pleasure in theory, but the Rajput idea of the sanctity of land meant they were rarely resumed, except in cases such as rebellion or absence of an heir.

The system had advantages and weaknesses. It gave a sense of brotherhood and equality among Rajputs, but it also made discipline hard. Feuds lasted for generations, and the tendency to form exclusive groups widened the gap between Rajput ruling groups and the non-Rajput majority. The Rajputs form only about ten per cent of the population of Rajasthan even today. They treated war as a sport, and the ideal ruler marched out after the Dussehra festival to invade his neighbours, so the people suffered.

What Did the Rajputs Contribute to Religion and Culture?

Most Rajput rulers were champions of Hinduism, though some patronised Jainism. They gave rich grants to Brahmans and temples and protected the privileges of Brahmans and the caste system. In return, Brahmans accepted the Rajputs as heirs of the old solar and lunar Kshatriya lines. The period from the tenth to the twelfth century was the climax of temple building in north India in the nagara style, with the temples of Khajuraho built mostly by the Chandellas. Rajput rulers also built palaces, forts and works of public benefit such as stepped wells. Ujjain and Dhara were famous centres of Sanskrit learning, and the Jain scholar Hemachandra wrote in Sanskrit and Apabhramsha.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• New ruling class The Rajputs dominated north India politics from the eighth century
• Social change Illustrates how groups gained Kshatriya status
• Prelims favourite Clan, capital and ruler matching, and the Agnikula four

What Came Next?

The next topic turns to south India, beginning with the Pallavas of Kanchi. Next topic: Pallava Dynasty of South India.

Key People and Terms

• Agnikula Fire-born legend of four Rajput clans
• Govind Chandra Greatest Gahadavala ruler
• Vigraharaja Chauhan king who founded Ajmer
• Prithviraj III Famous Chauhan king, young at accession
• Bhoja Paramara Learned king of Malwa
• Maan Honour, a Rajput trait

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask about origin, society or the failure to unite. These points add depth.

• Origin A process of claiming status, not a single ancestry
• Strength Clan loyalty and military skill
• Weakness Feuds, exclusivity and lack of common action against invaders