03-05-2005, 06:37 AM
A theory that has been taken for granted is the view that the Rajputs are descendants of Huns etc, and the "agnikunda" of Abu, represented a rite by which the Brahmins elevated them to Kshatriyas, needs critical examination.
The view was presented by Tod in his "Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan" written in 1832, and through repeated uncritical acceptance by generations of historians, it is now taken for granted.
Since the work of Tod, a great deal of archaeological evidence has become available, which clearly show that Rajputs did not originate through the "Agnikunda" ceremony, and that some of the major Rajputs clans actually originated from the Karnataka region. However the established view is part of the text-books, and earlier historians are often cited to support the theory.
Let us see how the historians have themselves added to a myth which has gradually evolved.
As an example let us consider Basham. In "The wonder that was India", 1954, he writes:
"Hunas destroyed or dispersed the older marital tribes of Rajasthan and their place was taken by newcomers, probably acclimatized invaders, from whom most of the rajput clans of the middle ages were descended. ... and the Rajputs, in later times, the kshatriays par excellence, were no doubt largeley descended from such invaders."
I noticed that in "Early India - From The Origins to AD 1300" Romilla Thapar does not question the view even though it came out in 2002.
Let me identify the phases of this myth in reverse chronological order.
1. In the current phase, the view is that the Rajputs are descendants of the Huns etc, and agnikunda of Abu represented a purification ceremony.
2. The view represented by Bhavishya Purana is that FOUR rajput clans were created from the agni-kunda of Abu: Pramar (Paramar), Chapuhani (Chahaman or Chauhan), Shukla (Chalukya or Solanki) and Parihar. It says that they were created to annihilate the Buddhists during the time of Ashoka. It is not really possible to date Bhavisha Purana with any degree of certainly, but some part of it are of very late origin.
3. The view in Prathviraj Raso that Vasishtha created THREE rajput clans from the agni-kunda, Pratihar, Chalukya and Panwar (Parwar). The date of Prathviraj Raso as it is available to day, is very controversial, the language is too modern to be the composition of Chandabaradai during Pratviraj's period.
4. Going back further, we come to the Udaipur prashasti and some of the later records. The Udaipur prashasti (from Udaipur, Vidisha) which gives the geneology of the Parmars of Malava, mentions the legend that is frequently mentioned later in Parmara records. Accroding to this, Vishwamitra had taken the cow belonging to Vasishtha. Vasishtha created a warrior from the agnikund at Abu, who was named "Paramar" because he was to kill the others, to get the cow back. This undated prashasti is from the period of Parmar Udayaditya who ruled during 1070-1093. The same legend is given in Vasantgarh inscription of 1042 AD. Thus the original version of the legend applied ONLY to Parmars. It should be noted that Vasistha was the gotra of the Parmars.
5. We then come to the very origin of the Abu agnikunda legend. Padmagupta, who wrote Navasahasanka-charita in about 1005, in praise of his patron, Parmar Sindhuraj (about 995-1055), the predecessor of the famous Bhojadeva (about 1000-1055). There is no mention of the legend before Padmagupta. In fact, Parmar records prior to Sindhuraj point to another view of the origin of Parmars. I will mention about this view soon.
The Parmar copperplates and inscriptions are available in "Inscriptions of the Paramaras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghatas and two minor Dynasties", which is part 2 of the 3-part Vol III of Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, edited in 1974 by H.V. Trivedi (published in1991).
Yashwant
I have read a view that many of the Kuli Maratha clans in Maharashtra are descendants of Rajputs.
Based on what I have seen, it appears that to a considerable extent, reverse is true. Some of the Rajput clans originated from Maharashtra/Karnataka region with absolute certainty. Some of the others are, to the best of my knowledge, branches of clans that originated from Maharashtra/Karnataka.
Thus it appears that some of the Kuli Marathas are not Rajputs who settled in Maharashtra, rather they are relatives of their branches who settled in Rajasthan/Gujarat.
Rathore are same as Rashtrakuta. Solanki are same as Chalukya. I am quite certain that the Paramaras are a brach of Rathores, based on early Paramara copper-plates.
Consider this:
Rathor=Rashtrakuta: of Jodhpur, Bikaner etc. 24 branches.
Gahadaval: of Kannauj. Regarded to be a branch of Rathors.
Bundelas: of Orchha, Datia etc. Regarded to be a branch of Gahadvals
Chandellas: of Khajuraho/Mahoba. Some obscure connection with Gahadval.
Paramara: Of Dhar/Abu. 24 branches.
Solanki=Chalukya: of Anahilavad. 16 branches.
Baghela: of Rewa. A branch of Solanki.
Silar: Shilahar of Kolhapur.
Some Rajputs do not appear to have originated from
Maharashta/Karnataka: Gahlot, Tomar, Kachhvaha, Chauhan, Parihar,
Bhati. However they appear to have formed the modern Rajput community after the arrivals of the Karnatakas.
<b>We should note that emergence of Rajputs coincides with expansion of Rashtrakutas and Chalukyas into western/northern India.</b>
It is also interesting to note that around the same time lineages of Jain Bharratakas (Sarasvati-Gachchha-Balatkara-Gana as well as Pustaka-gachchha-Desiya-Gana) appeared in North India. Also, the Senas appeared in Bengal after having moved from Karnataka. Rajatarangini of Kalhana mentions about adaptation of Karnataka customs in Kashmir!
Yashwant
The view was presented by Tod in his "Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan" written in 1832, and through repeated uncritical acceptance by generations of historians, it is now taken for granted.
Since the work of Tod, a great deal of archaeological evidence has become available, which clearly show that Rajputs did not originate through the "Agnikunda" ceremony, and that some of the major Rajputs clans actually originated from the Karnataka region. However the established view is part of the text-books, and earlier historians are often cited to support the theory.
Let us see how the historians have themselves added to a myth which has gradually evolved.
As an example let us consider Basham. In "The wonder that was India", 1954, he writes:
"Hunas destroyed or dispersed the older marital tribes of Rajasthan and their place was taken by newcomers, probably acclimatized invaders, from whom most of the rajput clans of the middle ages were descended. ... and the Rajputs, in later times, the kshatriays par excellence, were no doubt largeley descended from such invaders."
I noticed that in "Early India - From The Origins to AD 1300" Romilla Thapar does not question the view even though it came out in 2002.
Let me identify the phases of this myth in reverse chronological order.
1. In the current phase, the view is that the Rajputs are descendants of the Huns etc, and agnikunda of Abu represented a purification ceremony.
2. The view represented by Bhavishya Purana is that FOUR rajput clans were created from the agni-kunda of Abu: Pramar (Paramar), Chapuhani (Chahaman or Chauhan), Shukla (Chalukya or Solanki) and Parihar. It says that they were created to annihilate the Buddhists during the time of Ashoka. It is not really possible to date Bhavisha Purana with any degree of certainly, but some part of it are of very late origin.
3. The view in Prathviraj Raso that Vasishtha created THREE rajput clans from the agni-kunda, Pratihar, Chalukya and Panwar (Parwar). The date of Prathviraj Raso as it is available to day, is very controversial, the language is too modern to be the composition of Chandabaradai during Pratviraj's period.
4. Going back further, we come to the Udaipur prashasti and some of the later records. The Udaipur prashasti (from Udaipur, Vidisha) which gives the geneology of the Parmars of Malava, mentions the legend that is frequently mentioned later in Parmara records. Accroding to this, Vishwamitra had taken the cow belonging to Vasishtha. Vasishtha created a warrior from the agnikund at Abu, who was named "Paramar" because he was to kill the others, to get the cow back. This undated prashasti is from the period of Parmar Udayaditya who ruled during 1070-1093. The same legend is given in Vasantgarh inscription of 1042 AD. Thus the original version of the legend applied ONLY to Parmars. It should be noted that Vasistha was the gotra of the Parmars.
5. We then come to the very origin of the Abu agnikunda legend. Padmagupta, who wrote Navasahasanka-charita in about 1005, in praise of his patron, Parmar Sindhuraj (about 995-1055), the predecessor of the famous Bhojadeva (about 1000-1055). There is no mention of the legend before Padmagupta. In fact, Parmar records prior to Sindhuraj point to another view of the origin of Parmars. I will mention about this view soon.
The Parmar copperplates and inscriptions are available in "Inscriptions of the Paramaras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghatas and two minor Dynasties", which is part 2 of the 3-part Vol III of Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, edited in 1974 by H.V. Trivedi (published in1991).
Yashwant
I have read a view that many of the Kuli Maratha clans in Maharashtra are descendants of Rajputs.
Based on what I have seen, it appears that to a considerable extent, reverse is true. Some of the Rajput clans originated from Maharashtra/Karnataka region with absolute certainty. Some of the others are, to the best of my knowledge, branches of clans that originated from Maharashtra/Karnataka.
Thus it appears that some of the Kuli Marathas are not Rajputs who settled in Maharashtra, rather they are relatives of their branches who settled in Rajasthan/Gujarat.
Rathore are same as Rashtrakuta. Solanki are same as Chalukya. I am quite certain that the Paramaras are a brach of Rathores, based on early Paramara copper-plates.
Consider this:
Rathor=Rashtrakuta: of Jodhpur, Bikaner etc. 24 branches.
Gahadaval: of Kannauj. Regarded to be a branch of Rathors.
Bundelas: of Orchha, Datia etc. Regarded to be a branch of Gahadvals
Chandellas: of Khajuraho/Mahoba. Some obscure connection with Gahadval.
Paramara: Of Dhar/Abu. 24 branches.
Solanki=Chalukya: of Anahilavad. 16 branches.
Baghela: of Rewa. A branch of Solanki.
Silar: Shilahar of Kolhapur.
Some Rajputs do not appear to have originated from
Maharashta/Karnataka: Gahlot, Tomar, Kachhvaha, Chauhan, Parihar,
Bhati. However they appear to have formed the modern Rajput community after the arrivals of the Karnatakas.
<b>We should note that emergence of Rajputs coincides with expansion of Rashtrakutas and Chalukyas into western/northern India.</b>
It is also interesting to note that around the same time lineages of Jain Bharratakas (Sarasvati-Gachchha-Balatkara-Gana as well as Pustaka-gachchha-Desiya-Gana) appeared in North India. Also, the Senas appeared in Bengal after having moved from Karnataka. Rajatarangini of Kalhana mentions about adaptation of Karnataka customs in Kashmir!
Yashwant