08-27-2006, 10:44 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-NANDIBUM+Aug 27 2006, 10:38 PM-->QUOTE(NANDIBUM @ Aug 27 2006, 10:38 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Gulleria and Digvijay ji
This is taken from a rajput site that explains the antiquity of rajputs in crystal clear terms by stating rajputs are decendants of Huns.
http://www.rajputindia.com/resources/showa...&PagePosition=1
WorldHistoryPlus.com - Rajputs
-Â News Desk [ Friday, August 18, 2006 ]
Rajputana is the collective name by which Rajput dynasties and statelets are known.
The Rajputs were military lords, important in Northern India from the 8th to the 12th centuries more for their disunited hegemony than for any specific state they created, although they did found many states, especially in Rajasthan. They claimed proudly to belong to the warrior kshatriya caste. Rajasthani is related to the other Indo-European languages of India. Rajputana is the collective name by which Rajput dynasties and statelets are known. Often it is used interchangeably with Rajasthan.
The Guptas were assailed by the Ephthalites, known to the Indians as Huna (ca450). The Ephthalites were contained but under a king called Toramana they formed a state (ca500) antagonistic to the Guptas, who eventually drove Toramana's son, Mihirakula, to Kashmir, where he gained infamy for his cruelties. The Huna were the antecessors of the Rajputs.
The downfall of the Gupta empire gave way to different dynasties in Gujarat, Bengal, Nepal, Kamarupa (modern Assam), and Orissa. In 606, Harsha formed a kingdom centered in Kanauj (on the Ganges River west of Delhi). Harsha tried but could not subdue the successor states of the Huna.
After Harsha's death in 647, his empire came apart. The Rajputs gradually and piecemeal extended their rule over northern India as far as Bengal. Early Rajasthani Hindu architecture can be seen in the Surya temple at Osian (ca800) and in the Nakti Mati temple at Bhavanipura (9th century).
The Gurjara Pratihara dynasty formed the strongest of the Rajput states, originally based in Gujarat but later extensive to Kanauj. Other Rajput dynasties and principalities (9th-11th centuries) were the Tomara (founders of Dhillikai, later Delhi), the Guhillas of Mewar, the Paramaras of Malwa, the Cahamanas of eastern Rajasthan, the Gahadavalas of Varanasi, the Kalachuris of Tripuri, the Chandellas of Bihar, Gwalior, and Jaunpur.
The Chandellas (11th century), whose imposing temples in Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), with their incredibly erotic sculptures (probably Tantric, on which see Bengal), reveal a more emollient side to the Rajputs. Khajuraho is a World Heritage Site.
During the 7th and 8th centuries, the Chalukyas were hegemonic in Central India. Together with the Kashmiri ruler Lalitaditya, they contained the Arabs who in 724 had gained a firm foothold in Sind (southern Pakistan). The Chalukyas were displaced in the central Deccan by the Rashtrakutas of Northern India. The Rashtrakutas warred indecisively with the Rajputs. In the early 10th century, the Rashtrakutas sacked Kanauj and broke the power of the Gurjara Pratihara.
During the 11th century the Rajput statelets were raided by Cholas from Southern India and by the Afghans Ghaznavids. During the 12th century, the Ghaznavids were dispossessed by the Ghurids, who defeated an allied Rajput army led by Prithviraj at Tarain in 1192. Ghurid generals founded the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century.
After the crucial weakening of the Delhi Sultanate by Timur's devastating raid (1390), the Rajputs had a resurgence in Mewar, which fell to Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty. Rajputs served the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire as soldiers and administrators and either won for themselves or were awarded princely realms which they held on to literally suicidal extremes. In a gory war ceremony known as jauhar or ghaujar, Rajput warriors went out to face certain death in battle, when the odds were insuperable, while their women flung themselves and their children into flames. This did not always happen.
After the Muslim invasions, Rajputs states were all in the modern state of Rajasthan. Their rulers usually adopted the title of maharaja and their wives were known as maharanis. In the 13th century, there existed Chittor or Chittogarh. In 1459, Rao Jodha founded Jodhpur, formerly known as Marwar with its capital at Mandore. One of his descendants, Rao Bikaji, founded Bikaner in 1488. Babur granted the Rajputs the territory of Amber. The grandest Jain temple was built in 1439 with white marble to huge dimensions in a remote, arid valley between Jodhpur and Amber.
In 1568, Chittogarh, which had resisted many sieges and fallen more than once, was definitely captured by the Mughal emperor Akbar (1556-1605). However, the Maharana Udai Singh escaped the slaughter and founded an autonomous state in Udaipur. In 1570, Akbar granted Jaisalmer to a Rajput clan.
The Mughal Jahangir (1605-1628) endowed Udaipur with the territory of Chittogarh. He also created the two Rajput principalities of Kota and Bundi. Bharatpur was formed around 1650 in the time of emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658), who granted Kota to Rao Madhu Singh.
In 1727, the ruler of the territory of Amber moved his capital to a site which he named Jaipur, extensive to all his princedom, designed to a grid pattern with spacious avenues. By then the Mughal Empire was in rapid decline--after reaching a peak of extension with Aurangzeb (1658-1707)--and the Rajput lord Pratap Singh formed Alwar independent of Jaipur ca1750.
When the Rajputs had to face British fire arms they gradually came to terms and became tributaries of British India. This happened during the first three decades of the 19th century in a quick and grab-as-can-grab way. For instance, Jaipur and Jaisalmer, widely separated from each other, became British dependencies in 1818, but Bharatpur, which was closer than the other two to the heart of British power in Uttar Pradesh, fell in 1825.
The British let the maharajas keep their titles and revenues, which they squandered in any way irresponsible royal figureheads can imagine. Rajasthan was impoverished during British colonial rule, but then so was Bihar. All of these former Rajputs states have impressive fortresses and palaces, especially notable in Jaipur, Chittogarh, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer.
[right][snapback]56304[/snapback][/right]
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Nandibum,
This website is as misguided as you. Did you even read my reply to you? You are wasting your energies buddy.
-Digvijay
This is taken from a rajput site that explains the antiquity of rajputs in crystal clear terms by stating rajputs are decendants of Huns.
http://www.rajputindia.com/resources/showa...&PagePosition=1
WorldHistoryPlus.com - Rajputs
-Â News Desk [ Friday, August 18, 2006 ]
Rajputana is the collective name by which Rajput dynasties and statelets are known.
The Rajputs were military lords, important in Northern India from the 8th to the 12th centuries more for their disunited hegemony than for any specific state they created, although they did found many states, especially in Rajasthan. They claimed proudly to belong to the warrior kshatriya caste. Rajasthani is related to the other Indo-European languages of India. Rajputana is the collective name by which Rajput dynasties and statelets are known. Often it is used interchangeably with Rajasthan.
The Guptas were assailed by the Ephthalites, known to the Indians as Huna (ca450). The Ephthalites were contained but under a king called Toramana they formed a state (ca500) antagonistic to the Guptas, who eventually drove Toramana's son, Mihirakula, to Kashmir, where he gained infamy for his cruelties. The Huna were the antecessors of the Rajputs.
The downfall of the Gupta empire gave way to different dynasties in Gujarat, Bengal, Nepal, Kamarupa (modern Assam), and Orissa. In 606, Harsha formed a kingdom centered in Kanauj (on the Ganges River west of Delhi). Harsha tried but could not subdue the successor states of the Huna.
After Harsha's death in 647, his empire came apart. The Rajputs gradually and piecemeal extended their rule over northern India as far as Bengal. Early Rajasthani Hindu architecture can be seen in the Surya temple at Osian (ca800) and in the Nakti Mati temple at Bhavanipura (9th century).
The Gurjara Pratihara dynasty formed the strongest of the Rajput states, originally based in Gujarat but later extensive to Kanauj. Other Rajput dynasties and principalities (9th-11th centuries) were the Tomara (founders of Dhillikai, later Delhi), the Guhillas of Mewar, the Paramaras of Malwa, the Cahamanas of eastern Rajasthan, the Gahadavalas of Varanasi, the Kalachuris of Tripuri, the Chandellas of Bihar, Gwalior, and Jaunpur.
The Chandellas (11th century), whose imposing temples in Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), with their incredibly erotic sculptures (probably Tantric, on which see Bengal), reveal a more emollient side to the Rajputs. Khajuraho is a World Heritage Site.
During the 7th and 8th centuries, the Chalukyas were hegemonic in Central India. Together with the Kashmiri ruler Lalitaditya, they contained the Arabs who in 724 had gained a firm foothold in Sind (southern Pakistan). The Chalukyas were displaced in the central Deccan by the Rashtrakutas of Northern India. The Rashtrakutas warred indecisively with the Rajputs. In the early 10th century, the Rashtrakutas sacked Kanauj and broke the power of the Gurjara Pratihara.
During the 11th century the Rajput statelets were raided by Cholas from Southern India and by the Afghans Ghaznavids. During the 12th century, the Ghaznavids were dispossessed by the Ghurids, who defeated an allied Rajput army led by Prithviraj at Tarain in 1192. Ghurid generals founded the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century.
After the crucial weakening of the Delhi Sultanate by Timur's devastating raid (1390), the Rajputs had a resurgence in Mewar, which fell to Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty. Rajputs served the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire as soldiers and administrators and either won for themselves or were awarded princely realms which they held on to literally suicidal extremes. In a gory war ceremony known as jauhar or ghaujar, Rajput warriors went out to face certain death in battle, when the odds were insuperable, while their women flung themselves and their children into flames. This did not always happen.
After the Muslim invasions, Rajputs states were all in the modern state of Rajasthan. Their rulers usually adopted the title of maharaja and their wives were known as maharanis. In the 13th century, there existed Chittor or Chittogarh. In 1459, Rao Jodha founded Jodhpur, formerly known as Marwar with its capital at Mandore. One of his descendants, Rao Bikaji, founded Bikaner in 1488. Babur granted the Rajputs the territory of Amber. The grandest Jain temple was built in 1439 with white marble to huge dimensions in a remote, arid valley between Jodhpur and Amber.
In 1568, Chittogarh, which had resisted many sieges and fallen more than once, was definitely captured by the Mughal emperor Akbar (1556-1605). However, the Maharana Udai Singh escaped the slaughter and founded an autonomous state in Udaipur. In 1570, Akbar granted Jaisalmer to a Rajput clan.
The Mughal Jahangir (1605-1628) endowed Udaipur with the territory of Chittogarh. He also created the two Rajput principalities of Kota and Bundi. Bharatpur was formed around 1650 in the time of emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658), who granted Kota to Rao Madhu Singh.
In 1727, the ruler of the territory of Amber moved his capital to a site which he named Jaipur, extensive to all his princedom, designed to a grid pattern with spacious avenues. By then the Mughal Empire was in rapid decline--after reaching a peak of extension with Aurangzeb (1658-1707)--and the Rajput lord Pratap Singh formed Alwar independent of Jaipur ca1750.
When the Rajputs had to face British fire arms they gradually came to terms and became tributaries of British India. This happened during the first three decades of the 19th century in a quick and grab-as-can-grab way. For instance, Jaipur and Jaisalmer, widely separated from each other, became British dependencies in 1818, but Bharatpur, which was closer than the other two to the heart of British power in Uttar Pradesh, fell in 1825.
The British let the maharajas keep their titles and revenues, which they squandered in any way irresponsible royal figureheads can imagine. Rajasthan was impoverished during British colonial rule, but then so was Bihar. All of these former Rajputs states have impressive fortresses and palaces, especially notable in Jaipur, Chittogarh, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer.
[right][snapback]56304[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Nandibum,
This website is as misguided as you. Did you even read my reply to you? You are wasting your energies buddy.
-Digvijay