HAND-BOOK ON
RAJPUTS
History and Origin • Geographical Distribution
• Religion, Custom, and Festivals •
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2019 with funding from
Public.Resource.Org
https://archive.org/details/handbookonrajputOOahbi
HAND-BOOK ON
RAJPUTS
History and Origin • Geographical Distribution
• Religion, Custom, and Festivals •
A. R BINGLEY
ASIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
NEW DELHI ★ CHENNAI * 2011
ASIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
* 6A SHAHPUR JAT, NEW DELHI - 110 049
Tel. : +91-11- 26491586, 26494059 Fax : Oil- 26494946
email : aes@aes.ind.in
* 2/15, 2nd FLOOR, ANSARI ROAD,
DARYAGANJ, NEW DELHI - 1100 02
Tel: +91- 11- 23262044
email : aesdg@aes.ind.in
* 19, (NEW NO. 40), BALAJI NAGAR FIRST STREET,
ROYAPETTAH, CHENNAI - 600 014
Tel. : +91- 44 - 28133040 / 28131391 Fax : 044 - 28131391
email: asianeds@md3.vsnl.net.in
www.aes.ind.in
Printed and Hand-Bound in India
First Published: 1899.
First AES Reprint: New Delhi, 1986.
Third AES Reprint: New Delhi, 2011.
ISBN: 8120602048
EAN: 9788120602045
Published by Gautam Jetley
For ASIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
6A, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi - 110 049.
Processed by AES Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi-110049
Printed at Chaudhry Offset Process, Delhi - 110051.
LIST OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL AUTHORITIES CONSULTED
IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS WORK.
- • -
Hindu Tribes and Castes—Sherring.
Ethnographical Handbook for the North-West Provinces and Oudh
—Crooke.
Notes on the Hindu Religion—Newell.
Notes on Rajputs—Newell.
Notes on Rajputana Rajputs—Prior.
Notes on Hinduism—Harris.
Hindu Mythology—Wilkins.
Ethnography of the Punjab—Ibbetson.
Gazetteer of the North-West Provinces.
Gazetteer of the Punjab.
Gazetteer of the Central Provinces.
Gazetteer of Oudh.
Census Reports of 1881 and 1891.
Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Encyclopaedia of India—Balfour.
I ndia—Strachey.
Indian Polity—Chesney.
The History of India—Talboys Wheeler.
A Student’s Manual of the History of India—Meadows Taylor,
History of the Rise and Progress of the Bengal Army—Broome,
Historical Records of the Bengal Army—Cardew.
A short History of the Indian People—Hunter.
Asiatic Studies—Lyall.
The Races of the North-West Provinces of India—Elliott.
Brahmanism and Hinduism—Monier Williams.
A Journey through the Kingdom of Oudh—Sleeman.
Akbar—Malleson.
Aurangzeb—Lane-Pool.
History of the Indian Mutiny—Kaye and Malleson.
History of the War in Afghanistan—Kaye.
Journal of the United Service Institution of India.
Treaties, Engagements, and Sanads— Aitchison,
The Annals of Rajasthan—Tod.
Essay on the languages, &c., of Nepal—Hodgson.
Reigions of Ihdia— Hopkins.
■ 1 ' .7 ittiflo ■ r • 'ft Inn m ifi*mt\ I
.
CONTENTS.
Chapter I. —History and Origin.
Chapter II.—Classification and Geographical Distribution
Chapter III.-— Religion, Customs, and Festivals.
Chapter IV.—‘Characteristics.
Chapter V.—Recruiting.
INDEX TO HAND-BOOK ON RAJPUTS,
CONTENTS.
—♦—
Chapter I.—History and Origin
Aryans, early history of— .
Aryan or Brahman priests, origin of—
Aryans, divided into four classes ,
Brahmanism and Buddhism
Imperial Service Troops
Invasion by Mahmud of Ghazni .
„ Graeco-Bactrian and Scythian
Kanouj, fall of— . . . .
Kshatriya caste •
Mabrattas in Rajputana
„ defeat of— .
Manu Code.
Mughal empire, creation of—
,, ,, decay of— .
Muhammadan conquest, influence on Rajputs
Musulman Rajputs in Punjab .
Native troops first raised
Rajputs of Hindustan and Rajputana
,, military services of— .
„ early Kingdom of— .
„ rebellion of—
„ subjection of— •
„ causes leading to enlistment of—
Solar and Lunar race .
Warrior class, origin of— .
»>
»»
M
»
>»
Chapter II.— Classification and Geographical Distribution
Rajput recruiting ground . .
Various clans, origin, history, location of Ahban, Amethiya
Bachhal, Bachhgoti, Baghel, Bais, Bandhalgoti, Banaphar, Bardsir, Bar
gala, Bargujar, Barhdliya, Barwar, Bhadauriya, BhaldSultdn, Bhatte
Bhirghubansi, Bisen, Bundelas .......
Chanddl, Chandrabansi, Chauhdn, Chaupat Khambh
Dhdkara, Dhdkaha, Dikhit, Dirgbansi, Dors, Donwar
Gahalwdr, Gahlot, Garg, Gaur, Gautam, Gaurdva ....
Hariobans, Indauliya.
Jddu, Jhalla, Janghdra, Janwar.
Kachwdha, Kdkan, Kalhans, Kanhpuriya, Karchuliya, Katheriya, Katiyar
Kausiks, Khichar, Kinwar.
Lautdmiya.
Pages.
. 1—24
L 2, 3, 4
2
3> 4
5
18
8
7
8
3
10
1 7
5
9
16
18
18
19, 20
19
21, 22, 23
6
I5> 16
8
20
7
2
25—139
29
29-32
32—58
59—65
65—72
72—80
81— 82
82— 88
89—101
102
11
Mahror, Monas..
Mdndwdk, Nanwag, Nikumbh.
Parihar, Palwar, Ponwar, Pundir .....
Raghubansi, Raikwars, Rathor, Rdvvats . . . ,
Sengar, Sirnet, Sikarwars, Solanki, Sombansi, Surajbansi, Sarw
Tank, Tarkhan, Tilaunta, Tonwar.
Udmattia, Ujjaini.
ar
Chapter III.— Religion, Customs and Religious Festivals
Brahmanism, definition of—.
Caste marks, description of—.
Ceremonies at birth.
,, ,, death ........
„ „ investiture of Janeo .....
„ „ marriage.
Festivals, dates of—.
Hinduism, definition of- 4 -.. .
Hindu religion, stages of— ......
„ ,, early deities of— .....
,, sects . . . .
Leave, period for ceremonies
Marriage prohibited in clans
„ seasons and days for—
Plurality of wives
Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism
Vedism, explanation of— .
Vishnu, incarnation of—
Worship, minor forms of— .
„ of Ganesh
,, of Surya
Chapter IV.— Characteristics .
Agriculture ....
Character generally
Clothing.
Cooking, process observed . .
Devotion, times for— . . .
Drugs, use of— ....
Educational qualities .
Female infanticide
Food, Western and Eastern Rajputs
Habits, personal ...»
Inheritance, laws of— .
Litigiousness ....
Marriage by widows .
Military instincts....
Morality ...
Punchayats.
Pages.
103, 104
105, 107
107—115
115—122
122—134
134-138
138—139
140
141
148
148
i55
I 5°
151
158
142
140
140
142
i 57
151
153
155
I 43> 144
140
143
146
145
146
163
172
163
167
165
168
166
167
169
164
168
172
173
169
17X
168
*73
Pages.
• ••
ill
Rajput women, position of—. 169
Sati and Johur, rites of—.170, 171
Thrift, habits of— ..163
Water, peculiarities regarding—.166
Chapter V.— Recruiting.. . . . Appendix.
Western Rajputs. A
Eastern „ . B
Recruiting grounds.. C
Fairs, Rajputana, North-Western Provinces and Oudh ... D
Index to recruiting regulations ........ E
'
'
> I
‘
CHAPTER I.
HISTORY AND ORIGIN.
The races of ancient India.
Our earliest glimpse of ancient India discloses two races struggling
for the soil. One was a fair-skinned, Sanskrit-speaking people of Aryan
lineage, who entered the country from the
North-West; the other a dark-complexion¬
ed race of lower type, the original inhabitants of the land, who were
either driven by the Aryans into the hills, or reduced by them to servitude
in the plains.
The original home of the Aryan race was on the banks of the Oxus in
Central Asia. From thence they migrated in two directions. One branch
moved north-west towards Europe, the other
The cradle of the Aryan races. . ,
south-east towards Persia and India. It is
with the latter that we are here concerned.
Crossing the Hindu Kush, the Aryans settled for some time in the
valleys of Afghanistan ; from thence they forced their way across the
mountains into India, and gradually settled in the Punjab about 2000 B. C.
We know very little of their manner of life, They roamed from one
river valley to another with their cattle, making long halts in favourable
situations, to raise the crops required for their food. They were constantly
Early conditions of life among at war, not only with the aboriginal tribes, but
the Aryans. a l so among themselves. At the head of each
tribe was a chief or Maharaja, but each house-father was a warrior, hus¬
bandman, and priest, offering up sacrifices to the gods direct, without the
intervention of a professional priesthood.
The earliest records of the Aryans are contained in the Vedas, a series
of hymns composed in the Sanskrit language from the 15th to the 10th
century B. C. by the Rishis, devout sages, devoted to religious meditation,
whose utterances were supposed to be inspired. The early Vedas must
have been composed while the Aryan tribes
were marching towards India; others after
their arrival on the banks of the Indus. During this advance the
race progressed from a loose confederacy of various tribes into several
well-knit nations, and extended its settlements from the Himalayas in the
The V£das.
north to the Vindhyas in the south, and throughout the whole of the river
systems of Upper India, as far to the east as the S6ne.
It has been explained that each head of a family conducted his own
religious rites, but in course of time many ceremonial observances were
added to the primitive religion, necessitating the service of a special priest¬
hood. It became the custom to call upon the Rishis to conduct the great
Origin of the Br&hmans or Aryan sacrifices, and to chant the Vedic hymns.
P nests ‘ The art of writing was at this time unknown,
and hymns and sacrificial phrases had to be handed down by word of
mouth, from father to son. It thus came about that certain families
became the hereditary owners of the liturgies required at the great
national festivals, and were called upon time after time to chant the tribal
battle hymns, to invoke the divine aid, and to appease the divine
wrath. These potent prayers were called Brahmas , and those who offered
them were Brahmans. By degrees the number of ministrants required for
a great sacrifice increased. Besides the high priests who superintended
the ceremonies, there were the celebrants who dressed the altars, slew the
victims, and poured out libations to the gods, while others chanted the Vedic
hymns and repeated the phrases appropriate to particular rites. In this
manner there arose a special priesthood—a class which was entrusted with
the conduct of religious offices, while the rest of the community carried on
their ordinary avocations of war, trade, and agriculture.
As the Aryan colonists spread east and south, subduing the aboriginal
races, they were to a large extent relieved from the burden of agricultural
labour through the compulsory employment of the conquered people. In
this manner there grew up a class of warriors freed from the toil of hus¬
bandry, who attended the Maharaja , and
Origin of the warrior class. , , ... T , . .
were always ready for battle. These kins¬
men and companions of the kings gradually formed themselves into a separ¬
ate class, and were referred to as Kshatriyas , z.e., 1 those connected with
the royal power,’ and eventually as Rajputs , or ‘those of royal descent.’
The incessant fighting which had formed the common lot of the Aryans
on their march eastward from the Indus, gradually ceased as the aboriginal
races were subdued. Members of the community who from family ties, or
Origin of the agricultural and from personal inclination, preferred war to
trading classes. the peaceful monotony of village life, had to
seek for adventure in the hills and forests of the unknown country to the
south of the Vindhyas. Distant expeditions were only undertaken by those
to whom war was a profession, while others, more peacefullv inclined
3
stayed at home, devoting themselves to agriculture and the manufacturing
arts.
Thus the Aryans, by a process of natural selection, gradually resolved
themselves into three classes :—
1. The Brahman or priestly caste* composed of the Rishis, their
The organisation into four descendants, and disciples, to which was en«
classes * trusted the expounding of the Vedas , and the
conduct of religious ceremonies,
2. The Kshatriya , i % e., Rajput or governing and military caste, com¬
posed of the Maharajas and their warrior kinsmen and companions,
whose duty it was to rule, fight, administer justice, and protect the
community in general.
3. The Vaisiya or trading and agricultural caste, which, assisted oy
the conquered aborigines, tilled the land, raised cattle, and manufactured
the arms, implements, and household utensils, required by the Aryan com¬
monwealths.
It must be remembered, however, that in the early days of the Aryan
settlements the line of separation between the three classes was far from
being sharply defined. The transfer of individuals and their families from
one to the other was not an uncommon occurrence, and numerous instances
are recorded of kings and warriors terminating their careers as Rishis
or saintly ascetics. Moreover in very early times the Maharajas often
combined the offices of the priesthood with kingly power, a custom which
in rare instances'}* has survived to the present day. In the same way it was
not unusual for the m6re adventurous Vaisiyas to abandon agriculture, and
join the ranks of the Kshatriyas.
In course of time these occupational distinctions developed into sepa¬
rate castes, and as intermarriage became first of all restricted, and after¬
wards prohibited, each caste devoted itself more strictly to its own hered¬
itary employment. All, however, were recognized as belonging to the
twice-born or Aryan race, all were permitted to attend the great national
sacrifices, and all worshipped the same gods.
* The term ‘caste’ is derived from the Portuguese casta, ‘a family; ’ but before the word
came to be extensively used in European languages, it had for some time been identified with
the Brdhmanic division of Hindu society into classes. The corresponding Sanskiit word is
Varna ‘colour.’ The three Aryan Varnas or castes were of light complexion. Brahmans
were said to be white, Kshatriyas ruddy, and Vaisiyas yellow : on the other hand, the Sudras
and Dasyus or aboriginals are described in the Vedas as black.
f The Rdna of Meywar can still perform the offices of High Priest when he attends the
temple of the tutelary deity of his race, without the assistance of Brihmans : and among the
Rajputs of the hills it is still not an uncommon thing for the Raja to promote a Girth or
labourer to a Rdthi or cultivator, and similarly a Rat hi to a Thakur or low-grade Rajptit.
4
4. Besides the three Aryan castes, but immeasurably beneath them,
there was the servile or Sudra ca^te, composed of captured aborigines
whose lives had been spared, and of the progeny of marriages between
Aryans of different castes and Aryans and the women of the country, all
of which, by the rigid exclusiveness of caste custom, came to be regarded
as degraded.
It must not be supposed, however, that Brahman supremacy was
accepted without protest. Their claims to recognition as a distinct Levite
class, of divine origin, and possessed of supernatural powers, were
rejected by the Kshatriyas, who insisted, with perfect truth, that many of
the Rishis who had composed the Vedas were kings and warriors rather
Resistance of the Kshatriyas to than priests, and that no authority for the
the pretensions of the Brahmans. pretensions of the Brahmans could be found
in the Vidic legends. There are traditions of a great struggle having
taken place between the Brahmans and the Kshatriyas, in which the former
were completely victorious. The details of this quarrel, however, are
obscure, for the Brahmans as exclusive custodians of the sacred writings,
took care to efface all reference to a struggle, which, from its very exist¬
ence, cast a doubt on their pretensions to a divinely appointed origin. It
may here be noticed that many of the Aryan tribes rejected the theory of
Brahminical supremacy. Thus the earlier settlements west of the Indus
never adopted the principle of caste; those between the Indus and the
i
The princip'e of caste not of Jumna accepted it, but in a modified form ;
universal acceptation. it was chiefly jn the tract watered by the
Jumna and the Ganges, from Delhi on the west to Ajudhya and Benares on
the east, that the Brahmans consolidated their influence, and became a
compact, learned, and influential body, the authors of Sanskrit literature,
and the lawgivers, scientists, and philosophers of the whole of the Hindu
world.
By the 5th century B. C. the original simplicity of the Vedic worship
had been replaced by a philosophical creed, accompanied by an elaborate
ritual. The early conception of a Supreme Being, made manifest through
the physical forces of Nature, gave way to the mystic triad of Brihma,
Vishnu, and Siva, the Maker, Preserver and Destroyer, with a tendency to
The change from V^dism to create new gods, to worship the elements in
Brahmanism. various personifications, and to embody the
attributes of each member of the Hindu Trinity in numerous avatars or
incarnations. The new religion puzzled the people without satisfying
them, while the growing arrogance of the Brahmans caused a universal
desire for a return to more primitive beliefs.
5
At this juncture, Sakya Muni, a prince of the Kshatriya caste, began
the great reformation which eventually developed into a new religion.
Universal charity, liberty, and equality, with the total rejection of caste,
formed the fundamental principles of the new
The Buddhist reformation. .
doctrine, and the personal character of Bud¬
dha, the ‘ Enlightened/ as he was named by his disciples, at once attract¬
ed a large following.
The growth of Buddhism was very rapid. By about 200 b. C. it had
become the State religion in Hindustan. From thence it spread north into
Nepal, and through Central Asia into China and Japan. At the same time
Buddhist missionaries carried their faith into Ceylon, and from thence it was
extended to Burma, Siam and Java. But though Brahmanism was materi-
The vitality of Brahmanism and ally modified by Buddhism, it was never
the decline of Budahism. displaced. Even in the 6th century, Buddhism
had commenced to decline, and before the Muhammadan faith had come
fairly upon the scene, it had entirely disappeared from India. For more
than *a thousand years the two religions had existed side by side, and
modern Hinduism is undoubtedly the product of both.
move-
About 400 B. c. the Brahmans, finding in Buddhism a religious
ment which threatened their spiritual authority, designed a code which,
besides maintaining their privileges, formed a definite authority on all
points connected with Hindu law and ritual. This celebrated work, called
the Code of Manu, and known also as the Dharma-Shastras, is a com-
The Dharma-Shdstras or Insti- pilation of the customary law current about
tutes of Mdnu. the 5th century B. C. in the Aryan princi¬
palities on the banks of the Ganges and Jumna. The Brahmans claimed
for it a divine origin, and ascribed it to Minu, the first Aryan man*. In it
the four-fold division of society is said to have been ordered by Brahma,
the Creator of the Universe. The Brdhmans are supposed to have emanat¬
ed from his head, the Kshatriyas from his arms, the Vaisiyas from his
thighs, and the Sudras from his feet. The code consists of a mass of
precepts religious and secular, rules for the administration of justice, and
special enactments with regard to purification and penance. It was
written with a view to stemming the tide of Buddhist reform by stringent
rules against the intermingling of castes by marriage, and by forbidding
the higher castes under severe penalties from eating, drinking or holding
social intercourse with any of those ranking beneath them.
The reaction in favour of Brahmanism began to have effect about
200 b. C. By the 8th century the Brahmans
had completely re-established their spiritual
The Bramnan revival.
6
authority. The simplicity of the Vedic faith was transformed beyond re¬
cognition. No efforts were spared to materialise the Hindu religion. The
gods were provided with wives. Caste was revived, no longer with the
four-fold division of the code of Manu, but with all the complicated
occupational subdivisions which exist to the present day. In all these
changes we trace the efforts of an astute priesthood to establish a
popular religion. No section of the community was forgotten. The
smouldering enmity of the Kshatriyas was appeased by attributing a
celestial origin to the ancestors of their ruling families. The Solar and
Lunar races of Ajudhya and Mathura were flattered by the elevation
of Rama and Krishna, their respective heroes, to the dignity of avatars, or
incarnations of the divine Vishnu. Aboriginal tribes were conciliated by
the adoption of their tribal divinities. Their totem* tree, and serpent
worship, though utterly at variance with the spirit of the Vedas, was affili¬
ated to the orthodox beliefs, and their princes and warriors were accorded
the status of Kshatriyas, as an inducement to accept the principle of caste.
Buddhism, in spite of the antagonistic nature of its doctrines, was disposed
of in a similar manner, and Buddha, whose whole life and teachings had
been a protest against the formalism of the Brdhmans, was absorbed
into the Hindu system, and, as an incarnation of Vishnu, was allotted a
place in the pantheon of minor gods. Thus step by step, by diplomacy and
adaptiveness, the Brdhmans consolidated their authority, and established
a religion which, having the Vedic faith of the Aryan race as its foundation,
has absorbed and assimilated a portion of each of the religious systems
which it successively displaced. Although the Brdhmans were suc¬
cessful in compelling the Kshatriyas in acknowledging their spiritual
authority, they rarely aspired to temporal rule. They preferred to delegate
the business of ruling as of fighting to the warrior race, reserving for
themselves the more congenial offices of priests, ministers, and confidential
advisers to their clients.
The early Rajput kingdoms.
Prior to the Muhammadan conquests, the whole of Northern India
was ruled by Rdjput princes. The capitals
of the Solar race were at Ajudhya in Oudh,
and at Kanouj on the Ganges, with tributary kingdoms at Mithila in Tirhut,
and at Rhotas on the Sone. The capitals of the Lunar race s em to have
varied. Indraprastha near Delhi was the principal seat of their power,
but Dwarika (in Kattiawar), Hastinapura (Hardwar), Mathura (Muttra),
* “ The ruder races of men are found divided into tribes, each of which is usually named
after some animal, vegetable, or thing, which is an object of veneration or worship to the
tribe. This animal, vegetable, or thing, is the totem or god of the tribe. From the tribe being
commonly named after its totem , the word is also freauently employed to signify merely the
tribal name.’’—Chamber’s Encyclopaedia.
7
Pr 2 g (Allahabad), Maheswar (on the Nerbudda), and Rdjgrdha (Rdjmahal)
were their principal cities at different times.
The primary division of the Kshatriya order was two-fold, and con-
Origin of the Solar and Lunar sisted of the Solar and Lunar races. To
races ‘ these were afterwards affiliated the four
Agnicula or fire-tribes. The legend of a Solar race at Ajudhya and
Kanouj is apparently an outgrowth of the worship of the Sun. The so-
called Lunar race had no real connection with the Moon, and the legend
of the race is only associated with that planet as an antithesis or antago¬
nism to the Sun. Even in Hindu legends the distinction appears as a
mere dream of the genealogists, without any authentic origin. From a
remote period, however, there was a traditional struggle for supremacy
between the Rajputs of the Ganges and the Jumna ; and when the hordes of
IsUm poured through the Khaibar into India, the Chauhans of Delhi were
The dissensions of the R&jput ^ feud with the Rathovs of Kanouj. The
P nnces - ultimate success of the Muhammadans was
in fact largely due to the dissensions and rivalries of the Hindu princes,
who could rarely bring themselves to forget their private differences in so
far as to combine against the invaders of their country.
In ancient days the Rijput principalities were India’s stoutest
Greek, Bactrian, and Scythian bulwarks against foreign invasion. Kshatriya
invasions 327 b.c. to 60 a.d. armies fought not only Alexander and his
victorious Greeks, but also the hordes of Scythians and Bactrians which
poured into India up to the end of the 1st century.
About the same time as Indian Buddhism was being crushed by the
Brdhmanic revival, Muhammad had founded a new faith in Arabia. In
7ii,or79 year's after his death, Hejaz, an officer of the Kaliph Omar,
despatched an expedition under his nephew Kasim for the conquest of
Invasion -of Sind by Arabs Sind. After captuiing the temple-fortress
from Baghdad in 711. of Dwarika, the Arabs laid siege to Br 4 h-
manabad,* which after the death of her husband, was bravely defended by
the Rdja’s widow. Scarcity of food drove the garrison to despair. The
Rdni and her entire bodyguard of Rajputs perished in a final sortie.
The example of their heroism, however, was not without fruit, for about 40
years later the Rdjputs succeeded in expelling the Arabs.
The next Muhammadan invasions were those of Mahmud of Ghazni,
whose conquests extended from Persia to the Ganges. He is said to have
led his armies into India no less than seventeen times.. In 1017, he sacked
Kanouj, Meerut, Muttra, Benares, and Kalinjar, threw down the temples,
and melted the gold and silver idols which they enshrined. Mahmud
* The ruins of Brdhmaoabad are about 44 miles north-east of Hyderabad,
8
was a fanatical Muslim, and having heard of the wealth and sanctity of the
great Siva temple at Somnath on the Kattiaw^r coast, determined to
Invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni, destroy it. Accompanied by 30,000 volun-
1017 and 1024. teers, lie left Ghazni in 1024, and marched
rapidly across the Sind desert to Somnath. The holy city was bravely
defended by Rija Bhim Deo and his Solanki RTjputs, but superiority
of numbers prevailed in the end, and the fortress was taken by storm,
5,000 of the garrison perishing in its defence. Mahmud not only des¬
troyed the great idol, but carried off the sandal wood gates of the temple
to his home. The victory, however, was dearly bought. The Muhamma¬
dan army was lost in the desert of Sind. Thousands perished of heat
and thirst in its sandy wastes, and only a remnant returned with their
leader to Ghazni.
The Ghaznivide dynasty was succeeded by that of the Afghans of
Ghor, which held India from 1186 to 1328. In 1191 Muhammad of 'Ghor
The R4jpAi victory at Thane- was utterly defeated at Narrain,* on the
sar in 1191. banks of the Saraswati, by Pirthiraj the
Chauhdn Rija of Delhi. The shame of this reverse rankled in the
Afghan’s mind. Returning two years later he crushed his foes in detail,
overcoming Pirthiraj at Thanesar in 1193, and Jaichand, the Rdthor
king of Kanouj, in the following year. So decisive was the defeat of the
latter, that after he had perished in the Ganges, his son with a gallant band
of followers cut his way through the Afghan
, „ , Tr . , . hosts, and abandoning his ancient home,
tion of the Rahtors to Marwar in established a new kingdom in Marwar, f
I1 94 - which survives to the present day.
After the fall of Kanouj the resistless tide of Muhammadan invasion
swept through the Punjab, and the valleys of the Ganges and Jumna,
carrying everything before it. All the Rdjput settlers in this vast tract
became subjects of the Afghan kings, and numbers were forcibly con¬
verted to the religion of their conquerors. It was only in Rdjputdna,
Bundelkhund, and the Jummoo and Kangra Hills, that they preserved
Subjection of the Rdjpto their religion and independence. There
throughout the Punjab plains and each prince ruled over his k’nsfolk and
Jumna UeyS ° f ^ ^ angGS a ° vassals, all acknowledging the R a of Chitor
or Meywar as their suzerain or over-lord.
During this period nearly the whole of India was subjected to Islam.
« The early Muhammadan invaders inspired the Rdjputs with peculiar
horror. The fanatical marauders overwhelmed the luxurious cities ot
* Narrain is about seven miles from Karnal.
f The Rathor State of Marwar is also known as Jodhpore, from the name of its capital.
9
Lahore, Delhi, and Kanouj, shouting for God and the Prophet, but caring
for nought save women and plunder. Their war-cry spread terror far and
wide. The Rdjput nobles and their retainers rode forth to take the field, or
manned the walls of their fortresses. The multitude flocked to the temples,
whilst Brahmans performed their sacrifices and incantations, and implored
The cruelty of the Muhamma- the gods for succour. It was a war of iron
dan invaders. _ i . . . . , ,
and rapine against gold and beauty. The
brown and hardy hosts of Central Asia scaled the walls, scimitar in hand,
or burst open the gates in overwhelming numbers. The fair-complexioned
Rajputs fought with chivalry and desperation, but they fought in vain.
A rush of mailed warriors, a clash of swords and spears, piles of dead and
dying round the gateway, and the city was left at the mercy of soldiers
who knew not howto pity or to spare. In a few moments licentious ruffi¬
ans were penetrating the recesses of zananas , and subjecting the inmates
to insults from which humanity recoils. They filled the streets with blood,
they threw down the temples, profaned the gods, and carried off young
men and maidens to sell as slaves in the bazaars of Kabul and Ghazni.”*
About 1303, Ala-ud-din Khiljif gathered up all his strength for the
destruction of the Rajput principalities. During his reign the two great
Rajput fortresses of Ranthambor and Chitor fell into the hands of the
Capture of Chitor by Ala-ud-din Musalmans. After a prolonged and heroic
Khilji, 1303. defence, the garrison of the latter preferred
to die rather than surrender. The men rushed on the swords of the
besiegers, while the Rdni and several thousand women performed the
horrible rite of johur , by immolating themselves on the funeral pyre,
in order to escape capture and pollution by their ruthless foes.
In 1321, a successful revolt introduced the Tughlak dynasty, which
lasted until 1398, when it was swept away by the Mughals under Timur
or Tamerlane, who marched through India committing frightful atrocities.
The Sayyads and Lodis succeeded the Tughlaks, and in 1526 Babar invaded
The Mughals under Bdbar con- India, and after crushing the forces of the
quer India, 1526. Delhi king at Panipat, founded the Mughal
Empire, which lasted, at any rate in name, until 1857.
While the power of the Lodi kings was on the wane, that of the Rajput
princes was increasing and had to a great extent become consolidated
under Sanga Rana, the celebrated R£jaof Chitor. So long as the Mughals
were the foes of the Lodi kings, the Rajputs regarded them as friends;
but when Bdbar assumed the imperial title, Rana Sanga summoned to his
* History of India, — Talboys Wheeler.
f Khilji is said to be the Turki word for a ‘swordsman.’ These^ Khiljis or Ghileais as
they are now called, form one oi the largest of the tribes of Afghanistan.
2
IO
aid all the bravest warriors of the Rdjput clans ; and exciting their patriot-
13 dbar crushes the Rdjput coali- isn ^ b y stirring appeals, and references to the
tion at Futtehpur-Sikri. chivalrous deeds of their forefathers, obtained
their immediate and enthusiastic support. All were convinced that once
overthrown, the Muhammadan power would rise no more, and the Hindu
faith would be restored. In 1526 the Rajput coalition, consisting of the
Rajas of Chitor, Malwa, Meywar and Ajmere, met Bdbar and his Mughals
at Futtehpur-Sikri. The Rdjputs fought with a valour and desperation
that astonished even Babar himself; but they sustained a crushing defeat
and fled.
From 1530, the year of Babar’s death, to 1555, when the throne of
Hindustan was reconquered by his son Humayun, the Rdjputs were per¬
petually at strife with Sher Shah and the Afghan settlers in Bengal. In
1556 Humayun died, and was succeeded by the famous Akbar, the
wisest and most capable of the Mughal Emperors. The latter
early realised that for his dynasty to keep its hold on India, it
must depend largely on the loyalty of Hindus, whose confidence he
Akbar’s conciliatory policy to- sought, and won, by a broadminded poiicy
wards his Hindu subjects. of conciliation and religious tolerance. He
was the first of the Muhammadan rulers of India who strove to bring
the whole of the continent under the sway of one sceptre, by enlisting
the sympathies of the various races included in his dominions. After a
series of brilliant campaigns, Kabul, Kandahar, and the whole of India as
far south as the Dekhan, was reduced to his authority. He then turned his
attention to R^jputana.
It was part of Akbar’s policy to win over the Rdjput princes by
confirming them in their possessions, which he allowed them to enjoy on
Akbar's marriages to Rdjpdt condition of their becoming his feudatories,
princesses. He further cemented his friendship with their
chiefs by marrying the daughters of the Rdjas of Jodhpore, Bikaneer, and
Jeypore. Only one of the Rdjp/jt princes proudly declined a matrimonial alli¬
ance with the Emperor—the haughty Udai Singh, Rdna of Meywar, who, as
the descendant of the Sun, regarded such a connection as a disgrace. Udai
Singh’s principal fortress was Chitor, which had indeed succumbed to
Ala-ud-din Khilji in 1303, but had since been repaired, and was again
regarded as impregnable.
“ The great stronghold of Chitor was garrisoned by 7,000 picked
Rdjputs, while Udai Singh, with a force of equal strength, retired to the
hills to await the issue of events. Akbar himself sat down before the
fortress but though he pressed the siege vigorously, the Rdjputs defended
II
Capture of Chitdr by Akbar.
themselves with equal constancy and courage. Never had Akbar met
such warriors. As their pertinacity increased, so likewise did his pride
and resolution. At length the breach was reported practicable, and orders
• were given for the assault. The operation
was to be personally directed by the Emperor,
from a lofty platform, which had been specially erected for the purpose.
As Akbar sat there, matchlock in hand, he observed the gallant Rdjputs
assembling in the breach, awaiting the onslaught of the Mughals. By the
light of torches, he easily recognised the Rajput general, and believing
him to be within range, fired, and killed him on the spot. This fortunate
shot, discharged when the parties were approaching one another, so
discouraged the Rdjputs, that at the critical moment they made but a
sorry defence.”* They rallied indeed subsequently, but it was too late.
When the day dawned, Chitor was in possession of Akbar. The brave
garrison after immolating their women and children, retired to their
temples, where, rejecting all offers of quarter, they perished to a man.
The marriage of Akbar to the daughters of Rdjput princes secured
the devotion of their families to his throne. Chief among his adherents
were Bhagwan Das, the R 3 ja of Jeypore, and his famous nephew Man
Singh, one of the most brilliant warriors of his day. During the reign
of Akbar and his immediate successors, the Rajput soldiery, from bitter
Akbar’s success in winning over enemies, became the thews and sinews of the
the R&jput soldiery. Mughal armies; and under their own leaders,
carried the banners of the Emperors from Kashmir to the Dekhan, and
from Kabul to Assam. They even fought their own brethren in the
imperial cause. In 1576, Man Singh of Jeypore attacked and defeated
Pertap Singh, Rdna of Meywar, who, like his obstinate father, Udai Singly
defied the authority of Akbar, from his fastnesses in the Aravulli Hills*
As a reward, the Emperor bestowed the government of the Punjab
upon Man Singh, and married his own son Selim to a lady of the
Rdj put’s family. Marriage indeed, was one of the most effectual means
employed by Akbar, to weld together his disunited empire. The Rajput
princes felt that their relationship to the heir of the throne, and often to
the throne itself, assured their position ; and when they came to consider
AkbaPs toleration, his justice, generosity, and the order and good govern¬
ment he established, they must have recog-
Akbar founds a new religion. ..... ..
nised in him something more than an ordinary
human being—something approaching to an incarnation of a deity—a
fancy which he fostered by representing himself as the attribute of their
favourite god, the divine Sun, which was the object of his daily worship.
* Akbar.— Malleson,
In 1579, Akbar's brother, the Governor of K&bul, revolted and invaded
the Punjab. His forces were opposed by those of Rdja Todar Mai and
Man Singh of Jeypore. These generals manoeuvred with great skill. Cau¬
tiously supporting their line of advance by a chain of fortified posts, they
R4jp<st troops reconquer Kdbul defeated the hill tribes near Jamrud, forced the
for Akbar in 1580. Khaibar Pass, and entered Kabul, of which
Man Singh was immediately appointed governor. It is interesting to note
that no objection seems to have been made by the Rdjputs to cross the
Indus or to serve in Afghanistan. Later on, Man Singh was transferred to
the government of Bengal, from which he conquered Orissa.
In 1644, the Emperor Shah Jahan despatched a large army for the
conquest of Balkh, under Ali Mardan and R£ja Jagat Singh, who brought
with him 14,000 Rajputs of his own clan. Despite the severe climate and
stupendous mountain passes they traversed, these brave Indian warriors
achieved splendid successes. The difficulty, however, was not so much
Shah jahdn employs his Rdjpdt how t0 take > as hoW to kee P this distant
feudatories in the conquest of region, separated from the rest of the empire
Balkh, 1644. , - . tt- , ir , ,
by the snowy ranges of the Hindu Kush,
inaccessible in winter, and exposed at all times to the attacks of the
hardy hill tribes. When Aurangzeb, a son of Shah Jahan, reached Balkh,
of which he had been appointed governor, he soon perceived the true
character of the country and its defenders, and, like a wise general, counselled
a retreat from a position which was obviously untenable. He made terms
with the Usbeg chiefs and began his homeward march. The retreat over
the mountains was attended with disaster. The hillmen hovered about
the flanks of the retreating Rajputs, cut off detached parties, and harassed
the column at every step. The baggage fell over precipices, and the
Hindu Kush was deep in snow. The army reached Kabul with a loss of
5,000 men, to say nothing of the horses, camels, and elephants, killed by
cold and exposure."*
In the struggle between the sons of Shah Jahan for their father’s
throne, the Rajputs espoused the cause of Dara, the Emperor’s eldest son.
The latter despatched the R 3 ja Jai Singh against his brother Shuja,
Governor of Bengal, and the Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Marwar against
his youngest brother Murad-Baksh, Viceroy of Guzer^t. Meanwhile,
Aurangzeb, the hero of the expedition to
of T D4ra 4 ind tS are°'defeated aU by Balkh, affecting the manners of a Muhammadan
Mtirdd Baksh and Aurangzeb on fakir* played a strictly subordinate part, and
the Nerbudda. J 1 ;
sympathised discreetly with his brother Murad
♦ Aurangzeb,— Lane-Pool.
*3
Bakshj whose forces he eventually joined. Dara's troops under Jaswant
Singh met them on the banks of the Nerbudda. Dara’s Mughals fled like
traitors at the commencement of the battle, leaving the Rajputs to fight it
out alone. They struggled desperately against fearful odds until only 600
of the 8,000 remained. “ The wounded remnant sadly returned with their
R£ja to his desert fastness in Marwar. There he was received with bitter
scorn. His high-mettled wife shut the castle gates in his face, saying
that a man so dishonoured should not enter her walls. I disown him as my
husband ; these eyes can never again behold him. If he could not van¬
quish, he should have died.” This was the true Rajput spirit, and the
fact that, the princess eventually became reconciled to her husband only
proves that though a daughter of the proud house of Chitdr, she was
after all, but a woman.”*
The news of Jaswant Singh’s defeat filled Dara with rage. He
resolved to wipe out the disgrace by a victory the glory of which should be
entirely his own. Hastily assembling a force of 100,000 horse, 20,000
foot, and 80 guns, he marched rapidly to the Chambal, and met the army
of his brothers at Simugarh. The month was June, and the soldiers on
both sides were fainting from the heat and the weight of their heavy
armour. Both armies were marshalled in line of battle. The artillery
was placed in front, the guns linked together by chains, so that the cavalry
might not charge through the intervals. Immediately behind them was a
line of camel-guns, worked on swivels from the animal’s backs, and fired
by the riders. Then came the infantry armed with matchlocks. The
mass of the army was composed of cavalry—the Mughals being armed with
scimitars, bows, and arrows, and the Rajputs with a pike or short lance.
The battle began with an artillery duel and the discharge of rockets and
grenades, to stampede the elephants and horses; then the infantry came
into action, while flights of arrows flew over their heads from the mounted
archers in rear. Victory at first inclined towards Dara. The legs of Murad
Baksh’s elephant were tied with chains, and Raja Ram Singh, who sur¬
rounded him with his Rajputs, hurled a spear at the prince, and tried to
The Rajpto at the battle of cut the g irths of his howdali. The Mughal
S£mugarh. wounded as he was, shot the Rdjput dead.
“The fallen Rajputs in yellow garb, and stained with their war-paint of
orange turmeric, were heaped about the elephants’ feet, and made the
ground yellow as a field of saffron. In another part of the field the
Rathor R£ja Rup Singh sprang from his horse, and having washed his
hands of life, cut his way through the Mughals, and throwing himself be¬
neath the elephant, strove to cut the girths of Aurangzeb's howdah, but was
• Aurangjwb.— Lane-Pool*
*4
killed in his heroic attempt. The Rdjputs had been slain in heaps and many
of their chiefs were dead, but the advantage was still on the side of Dara's
forces, for Murad Baksh and Aurangzeb were perilously hemmed in by
crowds of raving Rajputs, maddened with bhang, and furious at the death
of their leaders/'* It needed hardly anything to turn the balance of fortune
either way. At this crisis Dara committed a fatal mistake. Alarmed by
a rocket which struck his howdah, he dismounted from his elephant, which
up to then had been regarded as the standard of victory. It was as though
the sun had vanished at midday. A blind panic seized his army, and
every man fled for his life. In a brief moment the tide had turned. For
a terrible quarter of an hour Aurangzeb had steadily maintained his seaton
his sorely harassed elephant, and the reward of his valour was the imperial
throne. ‘Nothing succeeds his success/ The victory of Sdmugarh was the
signal for all the world to come and tender their homage to Aurangzeb. The
Rajputs were quick to make their peace with the conqueror. R£ja Jai
Singh gave in his adhesion at once, and the Mihdr^ja Jaswant Singh
presently followed his example, and tendered his fealty to the rising power.
The great battle of Sdmugarh has been described in detail, as it gives a
vivid picture of the bearing of the Rdjputs in action, at the time when
their martial qualities appear to have reached their zenith.
Aurangzeb was a .stern puritan. Nothing weighed for an instant in
his mind against his fealty to the principles of Isldm. For religion’s sake
he persecuted the Hindus and destroyed their temples; from religious
motives he waged unending wars in the Dekhan, not so much to enlarge
his empire as to bring the lands of heretical Shiahsf within the dominion
of orthodox Isldm. Up to 1668 there were no religious persecutions and
no religious disabilities, but on the death of R£ja Jai Singh of Jeypore,
and Rdja Jaswant Singh of Marvvar, the most powerful of the friendly
Rdjput princes, the Emperor found himself free to carry out that repres¬
sive policy towards Hindus, which had long been his most cherished
desire.
In 1677 Aurangzeb revived the jaziah or poll-tax on Hindus, and
gave mortal offence to every prince in Rdjputdna by his injudicious
attempt to kidnap the sons of Raja Jaswant Singh on their return from
* Aurangzeb— Lane-Pool.
f Muhammadans are divided into several sects, the two chief being the Sunnis and Shiahs
Of these, the Sunnis may be looked on as representing the orthodox faith, and recognise
Abu-Bakr as Muhammad’s successor in preference to Ali, who married Fatima the Prophet's
daughter. The Shiahs are followers of Ali, and declare that the essence of the Mussulman
religion is a knowledge of the true Imam or leader, a point which the Sunnis consider un¬
important.
!5
Kabul, of which their father had been the governor. Aurangzeb’s intention
Aurangz^b revives the poll-tax was n0 ^ ou bt to convert the young princes
GnHintiusaiKi attempts to kid. to Isldm, but his projects were frustrated by
the loyalty and pride of the Rdjputs, which
forbade such ignominy to their hereditary chiefs. They repudiated the
poll-tax, concealed the princes, and broke into open rebellion. The
Emperor marched atonceupon Rj£jput<lna and found the leading states
Oodeypore (Meywar) and Jodhpore (Marwar) united against him, and only
Rdja Ram Singh of Jeypore (Ambar) loyal to the empire.
The Rdjputs kept 25,000 horse in the field, mostly Rathors of Jodhpore,
and although frequently driven into the mountains, were never really
subdued. At one time they seemed to be on the point of victory. The
Emperor's three sons were ravaging the Rajput country with the bulk
of his forces, while he himself remained at
The Rdiput rebellion. . , .
A]mere with hardly a thousand men. While
there he learnt that his younger son Akbar had joined hands with the
Rdjputs, had proclaimed himself Emperor, and was marching to capture
his father at the head of a considerable army. Aurangzeb’s presence of
%
mind did not desert him in this crisis. He wrote a letter congratulating the
rebel prince upon his success in deceiving the Rajputs and luring them to
their destruction , and contrived that this compromising epistle should be
intercepted by one of the rebellious R£jas. The effect of this plot surpas¬
sed his brightest hopes. The Rdjputs melted away, and the repentant
Mughals flocked back to the imperial standards.
The Rdj put insurrection, though checked, was still very far from being
suppressed. The insults which had been offered to their chiefs and to their
religion, and the ruthless severity of Aurangzeb’s campaigns in their country,
left a sore which nothing but time could heal. A race which had been the
right hand of the Mughals was now hopelessly alienated, and never again
served the throne without distrust. The war went on. The cities were in
the hands of the Mughals, who ravaged the rich lands of Meywar; but the
mountain defiles were thronged with implacable Rajputs, who never lost an
opportunity of dealing a blow at the invaders. At last, weary of the struggle,
an honourable peace was concluded. The hated jaziah was not so much
as named in the treaty, and Jaswant Singh's son, the young Rdja of Jodhpore,
was installed with honour in his father’s principalities.
Even these concessions did not appease the indignant Rajputs, and
all RijpuUna, until the end of the reign, was in a state of perpetual
revolt. But for his poll-tax, and his interference with their inborn sense of
_. honour, Aurangzeb might have employed the
The loyalty of the Rajputs all- . , .
enated ior ever by the religious Rajputs in the conquest of the Dekhan, as
persecution of Aurangzeb. , ir.i ij 1 j
his father and grand-father had employed
them in Afghanistan and Central Asia. As it was, he alienated them for
ever. No Rdjput would stir a finger to help the Mughal. The Dekhan
had to be subdued without their aid, and in the religious persecutions
w’hich had caused their revolt, two new nations sprang into existence—
the Mahrattas and the Sikhs, both of which were soon after destined to
subdue their Muhammadan oppressors.
The break up of the Mughal Empire began in 1707, shortly after the
death of Aurangzeb. Provincial governors and feudatory states asserted
their independence, and in the general dis-
Decay of the Mughal Empire. . . . . ~ .. .
memberment of their dominions, the Delhi
Emperors became mere puppets in the hands of a Mahratta confederacy.
By 1772, the Mahrattas had occupied Delhi, and subdued the greater part
of Northern India, including some portions of the Punjab.
While the crumbling authority of the Emperors was being directed
with barbarous cruelty against the Sikhs, the princes of Rijputdna were
shaking off the Mughal yoke. By 1715 they were practically free, and
The R&jputs Shake off the had commenced to ravage the territories of
Mughal yoke, 1715. their old oppressors, raiding to the very
gates of Dehli.
Throughout the early part of the eighteenth century Rdjput^na was
desolated by civil wars. Taking advantage of these disputes, the Mah¬
rattas established themselves at A] mere, from which they levied tribute
The Mahrattas establish them. fr°m a11 the R % at States and fostered dis-
selves in R&jputdna. putes which furnished them with a pretext to
scour the country for plunder. The lands were left uncultivated, trade
languished, and through the weakening of the authority of their princess,
the Rdjput nobles became insolent and unruly. To counteract the turbu¬
lence of their vassals, the Rdjas began to entertain corps of foreign mer-
The princes of lUjputdna raise cenaries consisting of Arabs, Sindis, Rohillas,
corps of mercenaries as a check an d Hindustanis, who at a later period deeene-
against the turbulence of their ... r &
nobles. rated into Pindiris, or bands of independent
marauders. u These hired companies were entirely composed of infantry,
and were partially drilled and disciplined. They received their orders
direct from the Rdja or his officers of State, by whom they were entrusted
with the performance of all important duties. They soon formed a com-
plete barrier between the princes and their subjects, and became objects
of jealousy and strife.”
Meanwhile the growing power of the Jats and Mahrattas compelled the
Rajput chieftains to form a league against them, for the preservation of their
political existence. In 1787 the Rdjas of Marwar and Jeypore united
The Rdjputs defeat the Mah- their forces, and met the Mahrattas at Tonga,
rattas at Tonga in 1787. where a decisive action dook place. Despis¬
ing discipline, the Rdjput horsemen charged through the battalions of De
Boigne,* sabred his artillerymen, and forced Scindia to seek refuge in flight.
The Mahrattas, however, were not long in repairing this loss. In 1791 De
Boigne collected a powerful force and a numerous artillery, and met the
De Boigne defeats the Rdjputs Rdjputs at Pattan and Mairta, on the northern
at J attan and A.airta, 1791. border of Jeypore. In these sanguinary ac¬
tions Rajput courage was heroically but fruitlessly displayed against
European tactics and discipline ; they were utterly defeated, and com®
pelled to restore Ajmere to the Mahrattas, besides paying them an indem¬
nity of 60 lakhs.
From 1795 to 1805 the Mahrattas were at war with the British, by
whom they were crushingly defeated ; but from 1805 to 1815, while the
latter were engaged in a struggle with Napoleon, Rdjputdna was aban*
doned to the Mahrattas, and independent bands of foreign mercenaries,
whose leaders founded principalities-]* and assumed the titles of Rdja and
Nawdb. Hosts of these marauders under the name of Pinddris settled in
, , Mdlwa, whence they plundered the whole of
Rajputana ts overrun by bands
of Pinddris until their dispersion Rdjputdna and the adjoining British districts.
,n l8l7< In 1817, two British armies entered Mdlwa
for the purpose of exterminating these freebooters. Many of them were
slain ; some perished in the jungles ; while others surrendered and settled
down as peaceful cultivators. In 1818 the Mahratta power was finally
The R4jp.it princes acknow crushed, and peace was restored to India,
ledge the British supremacy. ^he Rajputs were delivered from their
oppressors, and their princes became feudatories of the British whom
they have served ever since with the same loyalty and good faith as
* The Comte de Boigne was a Savoyard and had served in the French, Russian, and Indian
Armies. He was an able administrator, and raised an efficient and well-equipped army for his
patron Scindia, which was composed of Afghans,^ Rohillas, Hindustanis, and Mahrattas, com¬
manded and drilled by Europeans.—Annals of Rajasthan Tod.
t The principal Pindari leader was Amir Khan who at onetime maintained 52 battalions
of infantry, 150 guns, and a large force of Pathan cavalry. He afterwards came to terms with
the British Government, which allowed him to retain the small principality of Tonk in RdjpG-
tana with the title of Nawab, on his disbanding his troops, and giving up his artillery,
3
i8
characterised their relations with Akbar and Shah Jahan. The organiza¬
tion of Imperial Service Troops has now enabled the princes of Rijputdna
to render to the suzerain power that military
service which won such renown for their
Imperial Service Troops.
ancestors, and is so thoroughly in accord wich the martial traditions of
their race.
Such, briefly, is the history of the Rajput race. If much has been said
regarding Rijputina, and but little regarding the Punjab and Hindustan,
it must be remembered that it was only in Rajputanaand the Kangra Hills
that the Rdjputs preserved their nationality and freedom.
Upper India, and more especially the Punjab, has from time immemorial
borne the first shock of each wave of invasion from the north. There
the fanatical hordes of Pathdns and Mughals generally succeeded in
forcing their religion on the Hindu princes and warriors whose territories
n , „ , they conquered. For this reason the Rajputs
Reason for the preponderance J L
of Musalmdn R&jputs in the of the Punjab nearly all accepted Isldm, and
** un ^ b ' those who preserved the faith of their fathers
were either the inhabitants of remote districts, like the Jummooand Kangra
Hills,.where natural obstacles separated them from the tracks of invaders,
or of the southern and eastern portions of the province, where they were
more or less protected by the powerful principalities of Rijputdna.
In Hindustdn, after the capture of Kanouj and Benares by Muhammad
Ghori in 1194, the centre of Rdjput influence was shifted from the banks
of the Ganges to the borders of the Bikaneer desert. The remnants of the
principal clans sought refuge in Rdjputdna and the Doab, A few
humbled and dispirited, retained their former possessions by abject
Influence of the Muhammadan submission to their conquerors. Others, scorn,
conquest on the Rdjputs of Hin- ing to remain as servants where they had
formerly been rulers, fled across the Ganges
into Oudh, which was then an unknown country, covered with im¬
penetrable forests and jungles. In course of time these scattered colonies
developed into separate clans, and many strengthened their position by
absorbing the aboriginal races which they had subdued. The history
of these Rdjput colonies is dimly preserved in their tribal legends, which
form a vague record of fights with aborigines, struggles among themselves,
and occasional revolts against the Muhammadan Governors. In the 16th
and 17th centuries the number of these clans was increased by the immigra¬
tion of adventurers from Rdjputana, upon whom the Delhi Emperors had
bestowed grants of land, in recognition of their military services. In course
of time, though hating the Muhammadans as aliens in race and religion, the
*9
Rajput chiefs accepted the fact that employment under the Emperors was
the source of all honours and rewards, and as a natural consequence we" find
that from about the 17th century bands of Purbiah* Rijputs were largely
employed as mercenaries in most of the Mughal armies. The nature of their
service, however, was essentially different from that of their brethren of
Rijputdna. The latter served the Mughals
Difference between the military ,, r , , ,
service rendered to the Mughals mo.c as allies than as feudatories, each R 3 ja
by the Rd;puts of Rajputana and leading his own contingent, over which he ex-
the Rajputs of Hindustan. . °
ercised supreme and unquestioned authority.
The position of the Purbiah Rdjputs was one of greater dependence. The
tribal organization was no doubt preserved, but the clans, besides being
smaller and of minor political importance, were generally employed by one
of the Mansabdars , or great Muhammadan nobles, their service being to
them rather than to the Mughal Emperors. Intrigues at the Delhi Court
caused constant changes in the personnel of provincial governments, and
the Purbiah Rdjputs, unbound by any considerations but their own interests,
naturally shifted their allegiance from one employer to another, each tribal
chief acting according to his own inclination and judgment. The Rajputs
of Hindustan were thus accustomed to mercenary service long before the
arrival of European settlers in India, and when the anarchy which ensued
on the breaking up of the Mughal Empire compelled the latter to raise
troops for the protection of their ports and factories, they were among
the first to seek employment in their armies. At first these levies
were unorganized, each man providing his own weapons and equipment.
The idea of giving them discipline originated with the French, but other
nations and the Native Princes were not slow to follow their example, and
by the middle of the 18th century the Madras and Bombay settlements
possessed a considerable force of well-trained topasses t and sepoy
armed, drilled, and equipped like Europeans.
After the re-capture of Calcutta in 1757 from Suraj-ud-Dowla, it was
decided to form a similar force in Bengal, and early in that year Clive raised
r . t . the 1st Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry,
Raising of native troops in LIie & ’
Bengal. l 0 n°- known as the Lai Pal tun, § because it
was the first native corps to be dressed in red.
* The Raipiits of Rajputana are sometimes called Des, Rdjputsto d.st.nguish the", from
the eastern or Purbiah RAjputs "'ho, among themselves, are more often called Chhatns or
Thakurs. In Rajputana a T/Mur is a Rajput landholder or petty chieftam
t Topasses were Portuguese half-cas es and native Christians, enlisted by the East
India Company, and so called because they wore topis or hats. , -
t Sepoy is a corruption of the Hindustani word sipaht, a soldier. In the Frencn Army
native sofdiers are still called spahis, a term which isJ clearly of Indian origin.
$ The word pultun is a corruption of the French peloton a sq
20
Nearly all the warlike races of Northern India were represented in the
new battalions, for owing to the Muhammadan conquest of Bengal the
Constitution of the corpe first lower provinces were overrun by bands of
raised in Bengal. military adventurers from Oudh, the Punjab,
and even from beyond the Indus. It was from men of this stamp that
Clive selected his first recruits, and in the corps raised at this time near
Calcutta were to be found Pathans, Rohillas, Jats, Rajputs, and Brdhmans.
The majority of the men, however, were Musalmans, but as most of
our early campaigns were directed against Muhammadan princes, it was
considered expedient to gradually replace them by Hindus. It thus came
about that the ranks of the Bengal regiments were filled almost entirely
by Rdjputs and Brdhmans from Behar, Oudh, and the Dodb, until our
military service became* practically the monopoly of these classes. The
Rijputs of these districts were for the most part mercenaries, willing to
enter the service of any leader, in any cause, provided they were fairly
treated and regularly paid. For this reason, service under the British
colours was peculiarly attractive. The Fast India Company gave high pay
_ , • , , j . and liberal pensions, their forces were almost
Causes which led to the enlist- 1
ment of Rdjputs and other classes invariably victorious ; and though European
of high caste Hindus. ..... . . , , . , . , .
discipline was stricter than that to which they
had been previously accustomed, the Rdjputs were quick to recognize its
value in the field, and the immense advantage which it conferred on the
British armies over the unorganized rabbles of the native princes. Other
reasons tended to encourage the enlistment of high caste Hindus. They
were docile and quick to learn their drill, while their natural cleanliness, fine
physique, and soldierly bearing, made them more popular with the majority
of their officers than the truculent Muhammadans to whom pipeclay and
discipline were abhorrent.
Rajputs have served in our ranks from Plassey to the present day.
They have taken part in almost every campaign undertaken by the Indian
armies. Under Forde they defeated the French at Condore. Under Monro
at Buxar they routed the forces of the Nawab of Oudh. Under Lake they
took part in the brilliant series of victories which destroyed the power of
Mahrattas. The 2nd Battalion of the 15th Native Infantry,*the oldest of our
Rdjput regiments, took part in every action of this campaign, and carries,
to this day, an honorary standard bearing the words ‘ Lake and Victory '
granted for distinguished service. An interesting anecdote may here be
given to illustrate the esprit de corps and devotion of the Rdj put soldier.
“At the first siege of Bhurtpur in 1805, this regiment behaved with cons-
• Now the and (Queen’s Own) Bengal Lignt Infantry.
21
picuous gallantry. Their colours had been planted on one of the bastions,
and before the regiment was recalled, had
The esprit de corps of these been completely riddled with shot. On the
classes. L
occasion of new ones being presented, an order
was given to burn the old ones; before the order could be accomplished,
however, the sepoys tore the fragments into ribands. The circumstance
was thought little of at the time, and was soon forgotten, but at the 2nd siege
of Bhurtpur in 1824, the regiment was again employed, and for a second
time after an interval of 20 years, ascended “ its imminent and deadly
breach/’ Just as the hour of danger arrived, a shred of the old colours,
which had been carefully preserved as a sacred relic, was produced and tied
round the new ones, and a solemn vow uttered by each sepoy that he would
do his utmost to earn, when fighting round the new colours, as high a re¬
putation as his predecessors, who had fallen in defending the old ones.”*
The troops selected for the conquest of Java in 1814 included a
division of Bengal troops. <( It was composed of volunteers from every
Their readiness for foreign ser. regiment and was a remarkably fine body of
vice * men. Bengal sepoys are mostly Rijputs, who
next to Brdhmans, are of the highest caste of Hindus. To those there¬
fore who are unacquainted with their religious prejudices, and the conse¬
quent hardships and privations they endure on boardship, it is surprising
to see them come forward to make such sacrifices when not bound to do
so by the conditions of their enlistment.t There cannot be a stronger
proof of their attachment to the service.”
RAjputs took part in the Nepal campaign and in the victories and dis¬
asters of the first Afghan War, including the defence and relief of Jalalabad.
Referring to their behaviour in the battle which took place in 1841, outside
the ramparts of Kandahar, General Nott wrote as follows:—“Our troops
carried the enemy’s positions in gallant style:
The gallantry in Afghanistan. . J
it was the finest thing I ever saw. These
8,000 Afghans could not stand our 1,200 men for an hour; and yet the cry
of all the Press is that our sepoys cannot cope with Pathdns, I would at
any time lead 1,000 Bengal sepoys against 5,000 Afghans.”
In the Sikh Wars, Rdjputs helped us to win the Punjab. The bearing
of the 33rd. 47th, and 59th Native Infantry! in the battle of Sobraon is thus
described :— “ Gloving at a firm, steady pace, these regiments never fired a
shot till they had passed the barriers opposed to them ; they advanced rapidly
# Asiatic Register, 1839.
f Native troops were not enlisted for general service until 1856.
$ Now the 4th, 7th and 8tb Rajputs,
22
*
to the attack of the enemies' batteries, entered the fortified position after a
severe struggle, and sweeping through the in-
Their bravery in the Sikh Wars. . r . ..
terior of the camp, drove the Sikhs in confu¬
sion before them."* After the battle of Chillianwalla, on the 13th January
1849, the 70th Native Infantryt was complimented by Lord Gough for its
valour in recapturing the colours of the 56th Native Infantry which had
fallen into the hands of the enemy. At Gujrat the regiment captured 3
Sikh standards, and again greatly distinguished itself.
The Mutiny.
In 1857 the great bulk of the Bengal Army, forgetful of the glorious
traditions of a century of splendid service, forswore their allegiance, and
broke into open revolt. It would here be out of place to discuss the
political and other circumstances which led
to the Mutiny, but mention must be made
of the heroic devotion of the faithful few “ who remained true to their
colours at a time when the overthrow of the British dominion in India
appeared to be almost inevitable."
1
The native troops of the gallant garrison which defended the Residen¬
cy at Lucknow was composed of some Sikhs ana the loyal remnants of the
13th, 48th, and 71st Native Infantry, whose conduct is thus referred to by Sir
William Inglis :—“ It is difficult to praise too highly the fidelity and gallantry
of these men. They were exposed to a most galling fire of round shot
and musketry which materially decreased their numbers. They were
Gallantry and fidelity in defence near the enemy that conversation could
of the Lucknow Residency. be carried on between them; and every
effort, persuasion, promise, and threat, was alternately resorted to, in
vain, to seduce them from their allegiance. They vied with their
European comrades in the work of the trenches, in the ardour of their
courage, and in their resolution to defend to the last the spot of ground
assigned to them."J If further proofs were wanted of their staunch and
loyal conduct, it may be mentioned that “the casualties among the native
soldiers of the Lucknow garrison amounted to more than their whole
strength, owing to the number that were wounded more than once."§
On the raising of the siege, the gallant survivors of this faithful band
were formed into a corps called the Regiment of Lucknow, |! m which
Hindustanis of all castes were represented, the Rdjputs, howeve prepon¬
derating.'
* Historical Records of the Bengal Army,— Cardew.
f Now the nth Bengal Infantry!
+ History of the Indian Mutiny —Kaye and Malleson.'
§ Lucknow and Oudh in the Mutiny .—McLeod Innes,
| Now the 16th Bengal Infantry.
23
During the Mutiny, the 70th Native Infantry* stationed at Barrackpur>
volunteered for service against the revolted regiments. They received
the thanks of the Governor-General for their loyalty, but were not sent at
once against the enemy. The Calcutta Cress of the time having hinted that
the regiment had not volunteered in good faith, the men begged to be sent
Loyal regiments volunteer for t° China, and their offer was shortly after-
service in China. wards accepted. Two other Bengal battal¬
ions, the 47th+ and the 65th,t having followed the example of the 70th, the
th ree corps were formed into an Indian Brigade and were employed at
Hongkong, Canton, and other places, where they gained a high reputation
for steadiness and exemplary conduct.
In the Afghan War of 1878-80, the Hindustani regiments were mostly
employed on the lines of communication. Among them the 11 th Bengal
Infantry specially distinguished itself by the successful defence of Ali Khel
against a large force of Musazai tribesmen.
The 2nd Afghan War. . . ' ... , f ,
J lie soldier-bkc bearing ol the regiment
during this action, and the steadiness of all ranks under lire, was
favourably noticed in despatches, j
The Rajputs who took part in the Egyptian Campaign of 1882, includ¬
ing the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, were mostly in the ranks of the 7th Bengal
Inlantry. “The regiment formed part of the Indian Contingent which
advanced at dawn on the 13th September 1882, along the southern bank
of the freshwater canal, and carried the
The Egyptian Campaign, *SS enem y’ s batteries on that Hank at the point
of the bayonet. After the action the regiment was ordered to Zagazig,
which was reached after a most arduous march. The battalion had been
under arms for 17 hours and had covered 27 miles, besides taking part in
a general action."!
The last important campaign in which Rdjputs had an opportunity ol
showing their mettle, was the Burmese War of 1885* At Minhla while the
2 nd Bengal Infantry turned the enemy's right flank, the 1 ith Bengal
Infantry gallantly broke through a thorny sciecn, toie over the entrench¬
ments and breastwork of carts and bamboos
Burma, 1SS5. w hich concealed the enemy, and dislodged
them from the village of Yima. The column then advanced against the
Minhla fort, which w as carried with the greatest gallantry. I la. thanks
* Now the 11 th Rdjputs.
' } Now the 7th Rajputs and loth Jdts.
| Historical Records of the Bengal Arm j.—Cardew,
of Major-General Prendergast, C. B., v. c., were communicated to both
regiments in the following words:—‘‘Convey to the officers and men of
the 2nd and nth Bengal Infantry my great satisfaction at their gallant
conduct in the action fought to-day. The brilliant leading of the officers
and the dashing onslaught of the men prevailed against the undisciplined
bravery of the Burmans, who broke and fled, leaving six guns as trophies
to the victors. The nth Bengal Infantry bore the brunt of the contest."*
Under the present organization of the Hindustani infantry into class
regiments, a great impetus has been given to esprit de race. To each
regiment is now entrusted the military reputation of the class which it
represents, and in this we have a moral factor which cannot fail to be a
powerful incentive to efficiency. To no class
General observations.
are these observations more applicable than
the Rdjputs. Soldiers by tradition, and taught by their religion to regard
the profession of arms as their legitimate occupation, they form a military
caste which should hold its own, and bear favourable comparison with the
most warlike of the races now serving under our colours.
* Historical Records of the Bengal Army.— Cardew.
CHAPTER II.
-.
CLASSIFICATION AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.
As has already been noticed in Chapter I, the Kshatriyas or Rajputs
were primarily divided into two great nations—the Surya or Solar race
of Ajudhya, and the Yadu or Lunar race of Delhi and Hastinapur. The
mythical ancestor of the former was Rama, and from his two eldest sons,
Lava and Kush, are descended the reigning families of Meywar, Jeypore,
D . .... , . Marwar, and Bikaneer. The founder of the
into Solar, Lunar, and Agnicular Yadu race was Krishna, and from him are
tribeS ’ sprung the rulers of Jeysalmere and many of
the petty principalities of Kutch and Kattiawar. The four Agnicular*
or fire tribes which were absorbed into the Kshatriya order about the
8 th century, are generally considered to have been “ Scythian invaders
who sided with the Brahmans in their struggles against the Bactrians
and Buddhists, and whose warlike merits, timely aid, and sub¬
sequent conformity to Hinduism, secured their recognition as Rajputs,
and got them enrolled as ‘ fire-born/ in contradistinction to those who
claimed the sun and moon as their ancestorsTf
The triple division of Solar, Lunar, and Agnicular Rajputs was
subsequently changed by secessions and subdivisions, into numerous
clans and septs, of which thirty-six were called “royal/' and singled out
for special distinction on account of their power and numbers. Of
these many no longer exist, and in the following list their names are
shown in italics, in order to distinguish them from those whose repre¬
sentatives are still to be found.
The thirty-six Royal Races.
Surya or Solar race.
Chaluk or Solanki.
Gohil.
S^ngarh.
S< 5 m or Lunar race.
Parihara.
Jaitwar or Kamari,
Sakarwar.
Gahlot or Grahilot.
Chawura.
Silar.
Bais.
Yadu, Indu, Jadu or
Jadon.
Tuar or Tonwar.
Tak or Takshak.
Sarwaiya.
Dahia.
Jit, Get, or Jat.
Dabi.
Johya.
Rdthor.
Han or Hun.
Gaur.
Mohil.
Kachwaha.
Katti.
Dor or Doda.
Nikumpa.
Pramara or Pdnwar.
Balia.
Gaharwal.
Rajpali.
Chauhan.
Jhalla.
Bargujar.
Dahima.
* Derived from agni ‘ fire ' and kula 4 a race.’
f -Cyclopaedia of India— Balfour,
4
26
11 Scattered over Northern India are numerous clans of Rajputs
more or less connected with the royal races which from intermarriage
with them and with one another, and also by reason of local association,
have established for themselves the position of separate tribes bearing
The Rajputs of Oudh and the their own distinctive names. Such as can
North-West Provinces. trace their Rajput lineage and are of
undoubted purity of descent are recognized as belonging to the great
Kshatriya brotherhood, and frequently intermarry with the ancient
houses on the other hand certain clans of Oudh and the North-West
Provinces which are probably connected with aboriginal races are looked
down on by the blue-blooded Rdjputs of Rdjasthan, who regard them
as spurious, and thus practically disown them.
“ The natural feeling of a Hindu is to yield feudal obedience and
in return to receive protection from his natural lord or leader, and the
latter, according to Aryan usage, must be a Rajput. In ancient India
every man was necessarily a soldier, and every soldier was according to
the Vedas a Kshatriya. Such a thing as a
Mixed origin of the Kshatriyas. &
brahman or Ahir king was an utter
anomaly, and if by chance or by force any low-caste man succeeded in
rising to power, a fabulous Rajput origin was at once devised for him,
and his descendants admitted into the soldier brotherhood. Several
foreign elements were thus united to form the Chhatri caste, and the
profession of arms, with its absorbing passions, welded them into one
race.”t
The Rdjputs of Oudh and the eastern portion of the North-West
Provinces may be divided into three classes—
Origin of the
Eastern or
Hindustani
Rajputs.
(1) Clans such as the Bisen, Gaharwar, and Chandel whose
settlements date from the prehistoric period, when a Solar
dynasty ruled over Ajudhya.
(2) Those descended from clans which after their defeat by
the MuSalmans under the Ghoris in Upper India, fled into
the terra incognita across the Ganges, where hidden
by forests and jungles, they sought refuge from the
vengeance of their conquerors. These settlements were all
made from about 1200 to 1450, and are represented by the
Chaukdns ) Dikhits , Raikhwdrs , Janwars and Gautams .
* Gazetteer of Oudh.
f Hindu Tribes and Castes.— Shirting.
2 7
( 3 ) Those descended from bands of adventurers or single leaders
who as time went on entered the service of the Delhi
Emperors and acquired tracts of country either by direct
grants from their rulers, or by the sword. These colonies,
which are comparatively recent, were mostly established
from 1415 to 1700, and are represented by the Sengars ,
Gahlois, Gaurs, and Parihars .*
When the fall of Kanouj in 1194 shifted the centre of Rajput
influence from the banks of the Ganges to Rajputana, the scattered
Reasons for their mixed origin. R4 jp fits "'ho remained, and the colonists
who afterwards joined them, frequently con¬
tracted irregular alliances with the women of non-Aryan races
in their midst. 1 hey thus lost the purity of their race, and only retained
their status as Kshatriyas by the connivance and good will of the
Brahmans, who thereby obtained an influence and a hold on them, which
survives to the present day.
The attraction of numerous aboriginal chiefs into the fold of
Hinduism by the subtlety and adaptiveness of the Brdbmans, led to a
further admixture of the Rajput races. “The Brdhmans found the
natives illiterate and without faith, but fierce and proud. They saw
The Brahmans bestow Kshatriya die barbarians had vacant minds
rank on the aboriginal chieftains ready to receive their doctrines but spirits
who accept Hinduism. _ ) ^
not apt to stoop to degradation, and they
acted accordingly. To the earliest and most distinguished of their
converts they communicated, in defiance of their creed, the lofty rank and
honours of the Kshatriya ; while to the rank and file of their followers
suitable positions were allotted in the innumerable subdivisions of the
Sudra.’T Clans of this lineage can generally be traced by their names,
which are often identical with those of hunting and pastoral races such
as the Barwcir , Khangar , Gujar , Chamar-Gaur , Domwar, Ndgbansi ,
and Baheliya.
The ranks of the Kshatriyas were also recruited from another
source. Brdhmans, like their Rajput neighbours, occasionally condes¬
cended to ally themselves with the women of low-caste tribes. In
theory the progeny of such malalliances were outcasts, but in practice
* Ethnographical Handbook for the North-West Provinces and Oudh.— Crooke,
t Essays on the Languages, etc., of Nepal.— Brian Hodgson .
28
the Brahman father, in utter defiance of Hindu usage, often bestowed
The ranks of the Rdjpdts re- u P on his bastard offspring, the rank of the
cruited by bastard Brahmans. second order of Hinduism. Thus from the
illegitimate progeny of Brahmans sprang several of the Rajput tribes
of Oudh such as the Kanhpuria , Bandhalgoti , and Chaupat Khamb.
The two processes above described were repeated in Nepal
in the 12th century, and are still going on, as in the case of
the Khasiyas of the hills, and the Singrauli Raja of Mirzapur, who
within the present generation has developed from an aboriginal Kharwdr
into a Benbans Rajput. Sleeman,* writing in 1842, states that “ Basis
became Rajputs by giving their daughters to Ponwdrs and other Rajput
clans, when by robbery and murder they had acquired wealth and landed
property. These Basis f call themselves Rawats and are considered to
be Rajputs since they have acquired landed possessions by the ruin of
the old proprietors.”
As has already been noticed, the term Rajput is more a social than
an ethnic one, and the Rajputs are really descended from a number of
tribes of various stock and origin, some Aryan, some Scythian, and some
aboriginal, which on accepting the supremacy of the Brahmans were
The constitution of the Rajput accorded the second place in the hierarchy
°f Hindu rank. They are moreover often
derived from congeries of various races which, from being collected
under the leadership of a Chhatri warrior, were granted a tribal name
and in course of time borrowed the pedigree of their founder, as a con¬
venient explanation of their lineage.
Rank among Rajputs.
Taking the Rajputs as a whole, those of the west rank higher than
those of the east. Their well known proverb Ptirab ki beti aur
pachhim ka beta ,” indicates the common
custom among them of marrying their
daughters to members of western clans ranking higher than them¬
selves. Thus the Oudh Rdjputs look down on the Th^kurs of Behar
and acknowledge the Mainpuri Chauhdns , Bhadaunyas, and Rdthors
a? their superiors; while these in their turn look up to their brethren
in Rijputdna as ranking above them in the social scale.
“ A Journey through the Kingdom of Oudh.”
f Pasts are a tribe of agriculturists, toddy makers, watchmen, and thieves ,
at one time robbers by profession, and were formerly Thugs and ooisnnJ
well. Previous to the annexation of Oudh the great Rajput landlords mairft!' j f as
gangs of Pdsis to fight the revenue authorities and plunder their neighbours Thevt
armed with bows and arrows, and gave considerable trouble in the Mutiny ’ 7 ere aU
29
It will be seen from the two maps at the end of this volume that
the Rajput recruiting ground extends from
Geographical distribution. . ,
the Himalayas in the north to the Vindhyas
and Nerbudda in the south; and from Guzerat, Bikaneer and the
Sutlej on the west, to the Sone and Behar on the east. This vast tract
may be conveniently divided into two areas separated by the Jumna and
the Chambal rivers—
Area I is occupied by the Desi or Western Rdjputs and includes
portions of the Punjdb, the whole of Rdjputana, Guzerat,
Kattiawar and Kutch.*
Area II is occupied by the Purbiah. or Eastern Rijputs, and
includes the whole of Hindustan, t.e., the North-West Pro¬
vinces, Oudh, Behar, and the Gwalior and Rewah States.
Many Rdjput tribes are found in both of these areas, but some are
peculiar to one or the other. In the following pages will be found a
short account of each of the principal clans, which for convenience of
reference have been described in alphabetical order. Map i indi¬
cates the geographical distribution of the Western Rdjputs inhab¬
iting Area I : Map 2 that of the Eastern Rdjputs included in Area II.
An index number is allotted to each clan by which its location may
easily be traced.
As explained in Chapter IV, the establishment of messes among
certain classes of Rajputs, depends almost entirely upon the social
relations of the septs to which they belong. Members of clans which
habitually intermarry, will also, as a general rule, eat at the same chauka
or cooking place ; for this reason it has been considered advisable to
include a table of marriages in the account given of each clan.
AHBAN.
Shown in map as /.
The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit ahi a snake.
The clan claims to be the oldest in Oudh, and to be descended from two
, . . brothers of the Chawura clan called God!
Traditional origin. 0 ^ J
and bopi, who came from Anhalwarra
Pattan, on a pilgrimage to Gya, early in the first century.
* Guzerat, Kattiawar and Kutch are however not included in the coloured portion cn
the n.sp although belonging to this area, they furnish no recruits for the army.
30
History.
The Chawuras of Shaurastra or Guzerat belonged neither to the
Solar nor Lunar race, and it is consequently supposed that they must
have been Scythians. They must have been established in India at a
very remote period, for we find that the Gdhlots intermarried with them
while they were rulers of Balabhi. Their capital was at Deobander,
near Somnath on the coast of Kattiawar. It is probable that the Oudh
colony founded in the ist century by Sopi and Gopi, was reinforced by
refugees from Anhalwarra Pattan on the destruction of that city in 1298
by Ald-ud-din Khilji. The two Ahban brothers settled at Gopamau
and Bhurwara in the Kheri district, and were powerful land-owners
during the reigns of Humayun and Akbar. A branch of the family was
converted to Isldm towards the end of the 15th century, by a
Muhammadan saint called Kdla Pahar. Ahbans are noted for their
willingness to deceive, and the ease with which they are deceived them¬
selves. The cunning, treachery, and
sluggishness of the clan is proverbial. In
the unsettled times which preceded the British dominion, they were
famed for their ill luck, which arose from the fact that they always hesi¬
tated about taking sides in civil wars till the contest was almost decided
and then invariably took the wrong one. At the battle of Buxar in 1764,
the Ahban Raja Man Singh having delayed to join his sovereign till it was
too late, presumed to oppose the march of the victorious English by his
raw levies. At the first charge his men fled, the Raja tumbled off his
horse, and was bayonetted by a British soldier. At the annexation of
Oudh, Rdja Lone Singh Ahban was treated wifh marked generosity,
which was repaid by the blackest ingratitude. He was tried after the
Mutiny for selling the British fugitives from Shahjahanpur to the
rebel Government for Rs. 8,000, and was sentenced to transportation for
life, and forfeiture of his estates.
The Ahban clan is peculiar to Oudh. It has a male population of
3,000, found chiefly in the Hardoi and
Kheri districts.
The Ahbans have a tribal divinity called Addnu who is supposed
to have assisted the brothers Gopi and Sopi. The Muhammadan
Ahbans dine on the same floor as their
Hindu brethren, but a line is drawn to
separate the former from the latter.
The Ahbans are divided into two septs—
Triba divisions. | Ahbans proper. J Kunwar Ahbans.
Geographical distribution.
Religion.
3 *
The Ahbans intermarry with the following clans
1
G've their daughters to
Take wives from
Rathor.
Gaharwar.
Kachwaha.
Chandel.
Chauhan.
Raikwar.
Ponwar.
Janwar.
Katheriya.
Gaur.
Gautam.
Sombansi.
Bdchal.
Dhakre.
Chamar-Gaur.
Nikumbh.
Sakarwar.
Sombansi.
Dh&kre.
Nikumbh.
Amethiya.
Shown in Map as 2.
The title of this clan is derived from the name of a village in the
Lucknow district called -Amethi. They are generally supposed to be
a sept of the Chamar-Gaurs (q. v.), a tradition which they preserve
by the worship of the ranpi or curriers scraper. The clan is supposed
to have been originally settled at Kalinjar in Bundelkhund, whence they
emigrated into Oudh, under Raipdl Singh,
Traditional origin and history. ...... r ^ ,
about the time 01 lamerlanes invasion.
His descendants say that he was sent by the Delhi Emperor to suppress
a rebellion in Oudh, and that he defeated and slew Balbhadra Sen, and
a number of his Bisen followers. Raipal Singh who was wounded in the
shoulder by a musket ball, was recompensed by a * khilat and the title
of Rdja of Amethi. Towards the end of the r2th century three Ame¬
thiya brothers, named Dingur Sdh, Rdm Singh, and Lohang, led their
clan from Amethi to Jugdispur, and drove out the Musalmans from
their villages. The clan is divided into two branches—the Amethiyas of
Kumhrdwan in Rai Bareli, and the Amethiyas of Unsdri in Bara-
* A khilat is a dress of honour.
32
Banki. The latter, though the junior of the two, seems to Jhave always
been the most important. The heads of the clan are the Rdjas of
Kumhriwdn and Unsari.
Amethiyas are found in the Gorakhpur, Rai Bareli, and Bara-
Banki districts of Oudh and the North-
Geographical distribution.
West Provinces, and have a male popula¬
tion of 5,000.
'I he principal deity of the Amethiyas is
Durga. They are of the Bharaddwaj
gotra.
Amethiyas contract marriages with Rijputs of the following
clans -
Religion.
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Tilokchand Bais.
Bhale Sultdn.
Chauhan.
Kalhans.
Bhadauriya.
Janwar.
Kachwdha.
Kdnhpuriya.
Jdddn.
Gautam.
Bdndhalgoti.
Sdmbansi.
Surajbansi.
Bachhal.
Shown in map as j.
The title of this clan is said to be derived from baclihna ( to distri¬
bute.’ The Bdchhals are said to be of the Chandrabansi or Lunar race,
and claim descent from a mythical personage called Rdja Vena. Their
earliest settlements were in Rohilkhund, where they were the dominant
race until 1174, when the Muhammadans and Katheriya Rdjputs in¬
vaded their territories, and drove them into the jungles. It has been
suggested that the founder of the clan was
Rdja Bairat of Barkhar in the Kheri dis¬
trict, who is said to have entertained the five Panddvas * during their exile
from Hastinapur. The principal incident of their sojourn was the pas¬
sion conceived by Kichaka, the brother-in-law of the Rdja, for Drapaudi
# The feuds of the Panddvas and Kauravas, scions of a Rajput race inhabiting the
neighbourhood of Delhi, are described in the Mahabharata.
Traditional origin and history.
33
the beautiful wife of the Panddva brothers. After being insulted by
Kichaka, Drapaudi appealed for protection to Bhim, the strongest of
her five husbands. The latter had a tremendous fight with the former,
and after defeating him, pounded his body into pieces and kneaded it
into a ball, in order that it might bethought that the deed was the work
of a demon. It is curious to note that the Pharoahs of Egypt were con¬
temporaries of this R£ja Bairat. The Bachhals of these early times
were an enterprizing race, and constructed several canals, of which
traces can be found to the present day. When the Muhammadans
assisted by the treacherous Katheriyas had driven the Bachhals across
the Deoha river in Pillibhit, the latter made a successful stand, and
managed to retain a small territory between that river and the forests
of the Tarai. In the last great fight with their enemies, the twelve
principal Bdchhal Ranas were slain, but one of their wives, who was preg¬
nant, escaped, and from her son was descended Chhdbi Singh, a celebrated
robber chief, who established himself at Nagohi, in the Shahjahanpur dis¬
trict, about the time of Akbar. An attack on the escort of a lady of the
Emperor’s household attracted the notice of that monarch, and caused
him to issue orders for Chhdbi Singh’s apprehension. The Rdjput,
how r ever, succeeded in conciliating the Mughal, and was given a jdghir
of the whole of the lands he occupied. In the reign of Shdh Jahdn, a
Bdchhal chief was employed by the Emperor in quelling an insurrection
in Mdnikpur. He defeated the rebels, and returning rapidly to Delhi,
entered the presence w'ith his clothes covered with blood. The court¬
iers were shocked at the Rdjput’s want of manners, but the Emperor,
taking no notice of the matter, good humourediy addressed him as
Chhipi Khan , u the gore-besprinkled chieftain,” a title which he after¬
wards adopted. Chhipi Khan appears to have rebelled soon afterwards,
for in the reign of Alamgir his fort at Kamp in the Kheri district was
besieged by a contingent of Rajputana Chauhdns who formed part of the
Imperial army. The Bachhals held out gallantly for 18 months, but
at the end of that time the MughaKran a mine into the interior of the
fort, by which they entered it at night, and put the entire garrison to
the sword. During the 18th century the Bachhals lost all their
former prestige, and degenerated into robbers and dacoits. The Bd-
chhals of Azamgarh are of aboriginal origin and themselves admit that
their ancestor was a Rdj-Bhar. In the Muttra district, the Sissodiyas
of Gaurua or impure descent are usually called Bdchhal , from the
Bachhban at Sehi where their Guru always resides. I hey say they
emigrated from Chitor 700 or 800 years ago, but it is more probable
that their move took place after AlH-ud-din’s famous siege in 1303.
5
34
Bdchhals are found chiefly in the Bulandshahr, Muttra, Morad-
_ abad, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur, and Kheri dis-
Geographical distribution. „ _
tricts of Oudh and the North-West Prov¬
inces. The clan has a. male population_ot 11,000.
Bdchhals contract marriages with Rajputs of the following
clans :—
V- <D
3 JC
D-K>
cc ***
(jo
X
rt
X
n .
1 1
"3
CQ
Bhadauriya.
^Kachwdha.
f Bhdtti.
I
Bargujar.
Chandarbansi.
Gdhldt.
Chauhdn.
Ponwdr.
Kachw&ha.
Chhonkar.
Bais.
t.Gaur.
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
1
^Chauhdn.
/
1
)
•
1 £
^Janwdr.
•
V-
a.
a
Cl,
Rdthor.
c
Janghard.
c
Bhadauriya.
x .
a '
• *—»
X
Katheriya.
'x
rt
X
Katiyar.
J§
(fj
Pon wdr.
(f)
Kachwdha.
■0
r Chauhdn.
^Gaur.
H
Rdthor.
C
•
a j,
L-i 1_
Nikumbh.
=3 <D J.
CuX
-Stf
(7)
Jan war.
Ponwar.
Bargala.
Bhald Sultdn.
Jais.
•x ^ Jaiswdr.
Jarauliya.
j Bais.
^Gaur.
V-
Xi
et
X
V)
c
Jt
"a
CQ
Bachhg6ti or Rajkumar.
Shown in map as 4.
The title of this clan is derived from Vatsa or Batsa, the name of
the Rishi who founded the gotra to which the tribe belongs. They
claim descent from some Mainpuri Chauhdns who fled from Delhi about
1200, under a leader named Bari£r Singh, in order to escape from the
vengeance of Muhammad Ghori. The fugitives settled in theSultanpur
35
district of Oudh, and as their clan had been specially singled out for
extirpation by the Musalmans, they changed their name to Bachhgoti
in order to better escape recognition. Another story is that Rdna
_ . . Sangat, great nephew of Pirtbirdj Chau-
Traditional origin and history. r . r
han, aspired to the hand of a young bride
and the only condition on which she would agree to marry him was that
in the event of a son being born, he should succeed to the family title.
The Rdna accepted this proviso, and in due time the young Rdni bore
him a son, which so discomfited his 22 sons by former marriages, that
they abandoned their home, and dispersed all over the country to seek
their fortunes. One of these sons was Baridr Singh who according to
another tradition is said to have joined Muhammad Ghori at Mainpuri,
and served him as an officer in his campaign against the Bhars, re¬
ceiving the conquered country as a reward for his exertions. It is
probable that Baridr Singh entered the service of the Bilkhariya Rdja
Rdm Deo, and after marrying his daughter, possessed himself of his
estates. Bariar Singh left three sons'—Asal Singh, Gajraj Singh, Ghdtam
Deo, and Rdj Sdh. The Rdja of Kurwar, the head of the Hindu Bachh-
gotis, and the Diwan of Hassanpur-Bandhua, the chief of the Muhammadan
branch, are both descendants of Rdj Sdh. Early in the 17th century
thfe offspring of Bariir Singh and his retainers, finding themselves
cramped for space on the right bank of the Gumti, crossed over into
Fyzabad, and established six colonies in that district. These Fyzabad
Rdjkuinars were notoriously turbulent, and gave great trouble to the
Muhammadan authorities. Besides despoiling their neighbours, they
were often at feud with one another, and several sanguinary actions
took place between different septs of the tribe. Towards the early
part of the century the headship of the clan devolved upon the Thdku-
rdin Darido Kunwar, the widow of Rdja Mddho Singh, a lady of extra¬
ordinary ability, who not only held her own for 25 years, but after the
fashion of the Oudh landholders of that time, added greatly 'to her
estates and possessions. She was succeeded by her husband's nephew
Rustam Sdh, who rendered the British Government excellent service
in the Mutiny, and gave shelter and safe convoy to Benares to a party
of the Sultdnpur fugitives, for which he was rewarded by the title of
Rdja. The Bachhgotis proper generally wear caps to distinguish them
from their Rdjkumar and Rajwar brethren who as a rule wear turbans.
v
Rdjkumdrs and Bachhgotis are found chiefly in the Jaunpur^
Sultanpur, Allahabad, Fyzabad and Par-
Geographical distribution. tab g a rh districts of Oudh and the North-
36
West Provinces. The Bachhgotis have a male population of 19,000,
and the Rajkumars of about 13,000.
Religion.
The favourite deity of the Bachhgotis
is the goddess Durga.
The principal septs of the clan are as follows : —
Tribal divisions.
Bachhgoti proper.
Rljkumdr.
Rdjw&r.
Bachhgotis contract marriages with Rijputs of the following
clans:—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Surajbansi.
Gargbansi.
Sdmbansi.
Raghubansi.
Sirn^t.
Kath Bais.
Kalhans.
Bhald Sult£n.
Kdnhpuriya.
SurWcLr.
Tildkchandi Bais.
RaikweLr.
Bandhalgdti.
P&lwdr.
Nikumbh.
Dirgbansi.
Chaupat Khambh.
T^sahiya.
Bilkhdriya (Dikhit).
BaghEl.
Shown in map as 5.
The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit Vyaghra, ‘a
.. tiger/ which was probably the tribal
Traditional origin. . .
totem. Tod traces their title and descent
from B£gh Rao, or Vyaghra Deva, son of Rai Jai Singh, one of the
Solanki or Chalukya rulers of Anhalwara Pattan in Rajputana. It is said
that Baghils claim descent from a tiger, and protect it whenever they
can.
37
The BaghSls emigrated from Palgarh in Guzerat about 1300 years
ago, and settled in the upper valleys of the Sone, and Tons, under
Vyaghra Deva. This district is now called Baghelkhund, and includes
the Rewah State, where they are numerous and powerful.
During the reign of Jai Chand, Raja of Kanouj, a Baghel colony
Settlements in the North-West from Madhogarh settled under Bhairu Par*
Provinces * tib in the Farrukhabad district. The
small Baghtl communities in Banda and Allahabad are probably
offshoots from Rewah.
True Baghels are not found in Rajputana, although their kinsmen
the Solankis are fairly numerous. Their
Geographical distribution. ...
principal settlements are in the Rewah
State, where they furnish the reigning family, and in the Farrukhabad
and Allahabad districts of the North-West Provinces. Their total male
population amounts to about 5,000.
Religion.
The favourite Bagh .61 divinity is Ram
Chand ra.
Tribal divisions.
The clan is divided into two gotrar—
the Bharaddwaj and the Kaysap
Bhdghels intermarry with the following clans:—
In Rewah,
In North-West
Provinces.
Give daughters to
Take wives from
Give daughters to
Take wives from
Sisodiya.
Sisodiya.
]&d<5n.
Jkdo'n.
Chandel.
Chandel.
Chauhan.
Rathor..
Gahar war.
Gaharwar.
Kchwah£,
Kachwaha.
Kachwdha.
Kachw^ha.
Tonwar.
Tonwar.
Parlhar.
Parfhar.
Chauh&n.
Chauhan.
Hara.
Hara.
Bhadauriya.
Bhadauriya.
Rlthor.
Rathor.
Dikhit.
Dikhit.
3 8
Bais.
S/ionn in map as 6.
The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit Vaisiya, ‘an
occupier of tin* soil.’ It ranks as one of the 36 royal races, but is pro¬
bably only a sub-division of the Suryavansi. The Bais claim descent
. . from their tribal hero Salivahana, the
Traditional origin.
mythical son of a snake, who about 55 A.D.
conquered the celebrated Raja Vikramajit of Ujjain. The tribal
symbol is the cobra, and it has been suggested that this snake tote-
mism indicates an intermixture with aborigines; it may, however, with
almost equal probability, indicate a Fakshak or Scythian origin.
The original home of the Bais was at Mangi Rattan in the Dekhan,
but towards the middle of the 13th century the immediate ancestors
of the clan emigrated from thence into Oudh. The story of their
adventures is very romantic. About 1250 the Gautam Raja of Argal
refused to pay tribute to the King of Delhi, and utterly defeated the
troops sent against him by the Muhammadan Governor of Oudh.
Soon after this victory, his Rdni, without his knowledge, and with
only a very small escort, went secretly to bathe in the Ganges at Buxar,
The Governor of Oudh hearing of this, sent men to the ghat to capture
her. II cr escort was dispersed, and she was on the point of being carried
off, when lifting the curtains of her litter, she cried out: “Is there no
Kshatriya who will rescue me from the barbarian and save my honour? ”
Abhai Chand and Nirbhai Chand, two Bais Rajputs from Mangi Rattan,
heard her, came to her rescue, beat off her assailants, and guarded her
litter till she arrived in safety at Argal. Nirbhai Chand died of his
wounds, but Abhai Chand recovered, and the Raja, in gratitude
for his gallant conduct, though he was of a clan inferior to his own,
gave him his daughter in marriage, and bestowed on her as a dowry all
the Gautam lands to the north of the Ganges. Me also conferred on his
son-in-law the title of Rao which is still the
History.
highest dignity among the Bais. Abhai
Chand fixed his home at Dundhiya Khera on the Ganges, and the title
and estates descended in an unbroken line through seven generations
to Tilok Chand, the great Bais hero, from whom the senior branch
take their name, to distinguish themfrom minor septs of the same
tribe. To this day the marriage of a Bais with a Gautam is
considered peculiarly lucky. Tilok Chand who lived about 1400
extended the Bais dominion-all over the neighbouring country, and it is
39
from his victories that the limits of Eaiswdra became definitely fixed.
The Tilokchandi is probably the only sept of the Bais clan which
can claim to be of pure descent. As the Bais Raos extended their
authority, numbers of military adventurers joined their service, and
in course of time came to be regarded as genuine members of the tribe.
It is related thatTilok Chand, in addition to his two legitimate wives,
had no less than 300 concubines, and a family described as innumerable.
Feeling themselves disgraced by their husband’s conduct, the legitimate
Ranis deserted him. This gave rise to the distinction of B/iitariya and
Bahariya— the latter being the children of pure Rajput blood, while the
former were the offspring of low caste concubines. The most important
distinction among the Bais is that between the Tilokchandi and the
Kath-Bais. The Tilokchandi are rarely met with outside Baiswara and
regard all other Bais as Kath Bais or impure. The Bais of Mirzapur
area spurious sept. The Bais of Rohilkhund emigrated into that
district from Baiswdra about the time of Akbar. The Bar's of the
Mainpuri district emigrated from Dundldya Khera in the 15th century.
The Bais clan has a male population of 147,000. It is practically un¬
known in Rajputana, but is scattered throughout the Farukhabad, Main¬
puri, Budaun, Cawnpore, Fatehpore, Banda, Hamirpur, Allahabad,
_ Benares, Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Gazipur, Bal-
lia, Gorakhpur, Basti, 'Azamgarh, Lucknow,
Unao, Rai Bareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Fyzabad. Gonda. Bahraich, Partab-
garh, and Barabanki districts of Oudh and the North-West Provinces.
Religion.
The Bais worship Debi. The tribal totem or symbol is the cobra.
They perpetuate the tradition of a serpent
origin, and assert that no snake has or
ever can destroy one of the clan ; for the same reason no Bais will
even kill a cobra.
The Bais clan is divided into 360 sub-divisions, of which the most
important are noted below :—
Rao. 4
Raja
Sainbaisi.
Naihastha. f Branches of the Tilokchandi
Chotbhaiya. I sept.
Gudaraha.
Madhour. J
Kath-Bais.
| Tilsari.
Chak Bais.
Nan wag.
Bhanwag.
Bach.
i Parsariya.
B ij honiya.
B hetkariya.
Gargbansi.
40
The Bais intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Chauhan.
Am^thiya.
Rathor.
Bisdn.
Bhadauriya,
Bachhgoti.
Kachwaha
Bdndhalgoti.
Bagh^l.
Chanddl.
Katiyar.
Dikhit.
Tonwar.
Raghubansi.
Parihar,
Gahlot.
Sengar.
Gautam.
Dikhit.
Kalhans.
Gaharwar.
Khichar.
Raikwar.
Kanhpuriya.
Jan war.
Karchuliya.
The Bats being a very scattered tribe, comprising many septs
differing in social grade, their marriages with other clans vary greatly.
The Tilokchandi Bais are the only ones who can marry into superior
clans like Chauhans and Kachwahas ; the other septs generally marry
into third grade clans, and if they aspire to more illustrious alliances,
have to pay very dearly for the privilege.
The Tilokchandi Bais have some curious customs. None of the
Sainhaisi branch will ride mares. The reason given is that their
famous ancestor Raja Miturjit, when on a visit to Delhi, was insulted by
the Rajas of Jeypore and Marwar, and challenged them to fight. Miturjit
appeared on the field on a mare, which ran away with him. Stopping
her with great trouble, he pronounced a curse on her, and o anyone of
his race who would thenceforth ride a mare. Miturjit then unmounted,
Tribal peculiarities. and returning to the field on foot, wounded
both his antagonists. After this exploit he
was taken into high favour at the Delhi court, and led his Bais contin¬
gent in an expedition to Kabul. Bais females can never wear cotton
clothes of any colour but white, and above the feet and ankles their orna-
4i
ments must be made of gold. The Bat's pride themselves on being the
most enterprising, the wealthiest, the best housed, and the best dressed
people in Oudh.
Bandhalgoti.
Shown in map as y.
The clan takes its name'from Pandhu, one of -its ancestors, and
claims descent from Suda Rai, a scion of the reigning family of Jeyporc
who came to Ajudhya on a pilgrimage
about 900 years ago, and settled in the
Sultanour district. This would make them a branch of the Solar race.
Traditional origin.
On his way to Ajudhya, Suda Rai passed through Amethi, which
was then held by a Bhar Raja. Having performed his devotions at
the shrine of Debi, he fell asleep, and dreamt that the goddess appeared
before him and promised that he and his descendants should become
the lords of the territory in which he was a temporary sojourner.
Prepared to further to the utmost the fulfilment of this vision, he deter¬
mined to abide in his future domain, and relinquishing his uncompleted
pilgrimage, entered the service of the Bhar Raja. His innate worth
soon manifested itself in many ways, and secured his elevation to the
post of minister. Soon after, his Bhar master, as a crowning act of
favour, offered him his daughter in marriage; but a Sttrajbans Rajput
though he might condescend to serve an aboriginal barbarian, might not
... sully his lineage by a misalliance, and Suda
H ’.story. J to j
Rai contemptuously declined the honour.
The Bhar chief, in offended pride, at once dismissed him, and Suda Rai
returned to his home in Marwar. But his interest in the promised land
had been awakened; he collected a picked band of followers, and
marched to the conquest of Amethi. Ihe Bhars were defeated with
great slaughter, and the Surajhans occupied their territory. The
descendants of Suda Rai ruled over Amethi for 6 generations, when
the line threatened to become extinct. Through the intercessions,
however, of a Hindu saint, the Raja at last obtained an heir, who was
called Bandhu. It is from him that the clan derives its name. The
clan increased in power and numbers, but we know very little of its
history until 1743, when Raja Gurdatt Singh, the head of the tribe at
that period, distinguished himself by his defiance of the Nawab Safdar
Jang, who besieged and captured his fort of Raipur. In the
Mutiny, the Bandhalgoti Raja, Madho Singh of Amethi, distinguished
himself by the protection and kindness he afforded to some fugitives
from Sultanpur, who were endeavouring to make their way to Allahabad ;
nevertheless he afterwards warmly espoused the rebel cause, nor did
6
42
he tender his submission until his fort was surrounded by a British
force under Sir Colin Campbell. It is stated by some authorities that
the descent from Suda Rai is a pure invention and that the clan is
really descended from a Brahman called Chuchu Pande by a woman of
the Dorn or Dhakar caste. In proof of this assertion it is said that the
Bandhalgotis still make offerings to th e banka, or bamboo splitter, made
use of by their maternal ancestors. This is, however, explained away
by the elision of the final a , which transforms the banka of the Dhakar
bamboo-cutter, into the bdnk or poniard of the Rajput. Moreover, this
explanation strengthens the claim of the clan to a western origin, for the
poniard, the professed object of their reverence, is the symbol of Mar-
war, the very state from which Suda Rai is represented to have come.
The heads of the clan are the Raja of Amethi, and the Talukdar of
Sh6hgarh in the Sultanpur district.
The Bandhalgoti clan is not represented in either Rajputana or
Geographical distribution. the Pun jab. In Oudh it has a male popula-
tion of 6,000, and is practically confined to
the district of Sultanpur.
RcligioD . The Bandhalgotis worship Durga
and Indra.
The Bandhalgotis are divided into the following septs
Bikram Shahi. | Sultan Shahi.
Tribal divisions. The Bikram Shahi rank highest of
the two.
Bandhalgotis intermarry with the following clans
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Surajbansi.
Bachhgoti.
Sombausi.
Rajkumar.
Kalhans.
Raj war.
Kausik.
Bisdn.
Gaharwar.
Dikhit.
Kanhpuriya.
Raghubansi.
Tilokchandi Bais.
Bhale Sultan.
Sirnet.
Gargbansi.
Bisen.
Kath-Bais.
Gahlot.
Bilkhariya.
43
Banaphar.
Shown in map as 8.
A small tribe of the Jadubansi or Lunar race formerly estab¬
lished at Mahoba in Bundelkhund. They were either vassals or allies
of the Chandels } and fought for them against the Chauhdns y in the
Chauhdn-Chandel war. In the final battle,
Traditional origin and history.
which resulted in the defeat of the latter,
the Banaphar heroes Alhal and Udal covered themseives with glory,
but failed to save their allies from destruction. After this catastrophe
the clan dispersed, and is now very much scattered and reduced in cir¬
cumstances.
Bandphars are found chiefly in the Hamirpur, Banda, Jalaun,
Benares, and Ghazipur districts of the
Geographical distribution. .
North-West Provinces. They have a male
population of 2,900.
The favourite deity of the clan is the goddess Debi. Bandphars
Religion. belong to the Kassyap gotra.
Bandphars c ontract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Gautam.
Bais.
Dilchit.
Raghubansi.
Bais.
Sombansi.
Chanddl.
Gautam.
Gdharwar.
Surwar.
Raghubansi.
Gaur.
Sdmbansi.
Ndndwak.
Monas.
Bachhgoti.
Baghd.
Si met.
Riwat.
44
Baresari or Baresir.
Shown in map as g.
This clan is a sept of the Jadons ( q . v.) They are of local impor¬
tance in Agra, where they have a population of 2,000 males. The Tha-
Traditional origin, history and kur of Dhimsari is the head of the tribe,
distribution. During the Mutiny the Baresaris greatly
distinguished themselves by their efforts to protect life and property,
and maintain order. The clan is losing status through marrying with
Gaurua or widow-marrying Rajputs.
Baresaris contract marriages with members of the following clans :
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Indauliya.
Indauliya.
Chauhln.
Chauh&n.
Kac’nwdha.
Kachwdha.
Sikarwar.
Gaurua.
Bargala.
Traditional origin and history.
Shown in map as 10 *
This clan is a spurious branch of the Jadubansi or Lunar race. It
is ranked as Gaurua or impure, because it permits karao or
widow marriage, Bargalas claim des¬
cent from two brothers named Drigpdl and
Bhatp^l who are said to have been emigrants from Indore in Malwa,
and to have held important commands in the royal forces at Delhi in the
attack on Pirthir^j. They are ah ill-conducted tribe, and lost most
of their villages for rebellion in 1857. As a general rule enlistments
from this clan are undesirable.
■ 1
Bargalas are found chiefly in th* Gurgaon and Bulandshahr dis¬
tricts of the* Panjab and the North-West
Provinces. They have a male population
Geographical distribution.
of 5,400.
45
Bar galas contract marriages with members of the following clans :
Give their daughters to
Take wires from
Bhal£sult£n.
Jais.
Bdchhal.
Jaiswar.
Jaiswar.
Jarauliya.
Gaurua.
Bargujar.
Traditional crip-in.
Shown in map as //.
The name of this clan is derived from the Hindi bara ( great/ and
gujar , the title of a well known tribe
of herdsmen, with which it is probably
connected. It is one of the 36 royal races, and, like the Gahlot ) claims
descent from Lava, the eldest son of Rama of Ajudhya.
Very little is known of the traditions of this clan. They were ex¬
pelled from Rdjputana by the Kachwdhas , which accounts for their
very small numbers in the west. They are said to have fought with
distinction in the wars of Pirthiraj, the
Chauhdn Rdja of Delhi, but their subse¬
quent history has been lost, as the majority of the clan have either be¬
come Muhammadans, or have been dispersed throughout the North-West
Provinces.
History.
After their expulsion from Jeypore by the Kachwdhas t the Bargujars
settled at Anupshahr in the Bulandshahr district, where they intermar¬
ried with the aboriginal Dors, and expelled the Mewatis and Bhars.
The Aligarh branch trace their descent from a Surajbans Rdja called
Raj deo who built the fort of Raj or in Jeypore. His great grandson
married a daughter of Pirthiraj, the Chauhdn Raja of Delhi, and the
emigration of the Bargujars dates from the time of their son Partab
Bargiiar settlement, in Ondh Singh, who was sent by his grandfather to
and the North-West Provinces. conquer Kumaun. On his way, when pas*
sing through the Bulandshahr district, he exterminated the Mewatis by
a stratagem suggested by a Kahar woman. As a reward, he was given
a large territory by the Dor Rdja of Koel, which was supplemented by
a further grant from Pirthiraj after the successful termination of the
46
conquest of Kumaun. A number of Bargujars were converted to
Islam in the time of Ala-ud-din Khilji, but they still retain many of
their Hindu customs.
The Bargujar population of RajputAna only numbers about 2,200
males. They are found chiefly in Jevpore
Geographical distribution. . , TT .
and Ulwar and in the Ourgaon and hussar
districts of the Punjab. The Bargujars of the North-West Provinces
have a male population of 17,000. They have settlements in the
Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Etah, Budaun, and Moradabad districts.
Religion.
The Bargujars , being of the Solar race, worship Rama ; but in
the North-West Provinces the tribal divinity is a figure representing a
Kaharin, or female bearer, which they paint on their doors and worship,
in memory of the woman who by her
Si
timely advice gave their ancestor, Partab
Singh, his first footing in the province. The Bargujars of Rajputana
have no sub-divisions, but in the North-West Provinces, whether
Musalmans or Hindus, they are divided into the following septs which
adopted their Muhammadan appellations
in the reign of Jahangir.
Tribal divisions.
U1 Khdn.
Ahmad Khani.
Bikram Khdni.
Kamdl Khini.
Bai Mani.
Bargujars intermarry with the following clans :
In RAjp^tAna.
In the North-West Provinces.
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Gahlot.
Ponvvar.
Gahlot.
Bachal.
Rathor.
Tonwar.
Bhatti.
Bhal.
Tonwar.
Chauhan.
Chauhan
Jais.
Kachwaha.
Gaur.
Pundir.
jaiswar.
Chauhan
Ponwar.
Jarauliya.
Gaur.
Tonwar.
Chhonkar.
Janghdra.
Bangar.
Katheriya.
Bardsari.
Katiyar.
Dhakre.
Bais.
Indauliya.
Rathor.
Parihar.
Sakarwar.
Solaaki.
Jaddn.
47
Barheliya.
Shown in map as 12.
The name of this tribe is derived from Bahralla, a village in the
Bara Banki district of Oudh, to which they emigrated, probably in the
17th century, from either Dehli or Mungi Pattan in the Dekhan.
The Barheliyas claim to be of Surajbansi origin, but are really an off¬
shoot of the Bais ; the connexion, however, is now denied, as they have
found it convenient to intermarry with the latter. The head of the
clan is the Rdja of Surajpur in Bara Banki.
The clan is practically confined to the Bara Banki district of Oudh
„ .. and has a male population of nearly 2,ooo.
Geographical distribution. J
Religion.
The favourite tribal deity is the goddess Debi. Like the Bais ,
Barheliyas venerate snakes and will on
no account destroy them.
Barheliyas contract marriages with members of the following
clans
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Amethiya.
Chauh&n.
Bais.
Bis£n.
Chauhin.
Katb*Bais.
Kdnhpuriya.
Janwdr.
Ponwar.
Barwar, Birwar, Berwar.
Shown in map as 13.
Two explanations are given by this clan as to the derivation of the
tribal name. According to one account they are Tonwars, who emigrat¬
ed from Bernagar near Delhi, under a leader named Garakdeo, about the
beginning of the 15th century. According to another legend Bar-
war is connected with Bara ‘ a pulse cake ’ and Kh anda ‘broken’,
because at a feast given by another clan, their ancestors were
treacherously slaughtered on the calling out of the words “ bara
khanda chalao “ pass round the broken pulse cakes,” which had
* Khanda also means a sword, the true significance of the sentence was thus entirely
different.
48
previously been agreed upon as a signal. To this day, at marriage and
other festivals, Barwars will neither take broken bara cakes from
their hosts, nor offer them to their guests.
The Barwars of Fyzabad describe themselves as of Tilohchandi
Bais origin, and like the latter claim
Traditional origin and history. . .
Mangi rattan in the Dekhan as the home of
their ancestors, who, according to their account, settled in Oudh about
300 years ago, under two brothers named Bariar Singh and Chahu Singh.
The former is said to be the ancestor of the Barwars proper, and the
latter of their sept the Chahus. The sacred place of the clan is
Ram Ghat on the Gogra, which was selected by their chief DiIasi Singh,
in consequence of their being excluded from Ajudhya by the enmity of
the Surajbans Thakurs. There is a Bhuinhdr branch of the Barwars ,
and though the Bhuinhar and Kshatriya sections ignore one another,
their neighbours regard them as of the same stock.
Barwars are found chiefly in the Ballia, Basti, Azamgarh, and
Fyzabad districts of Oudh and the North-West Provinces. They have
a male population of 9.500.
Barwars have a special tribal deity called Kariya Dorta whose
effigy is worshipped at a village called Chitawan in Fyzabad. They
belong to the Kassyap and Bharaddwaj gotras.
The clan is divided into the following septs-:—
Tribal divisions. | Barwar proper. | Chahus.
Barwars contract marriages with members of the following clans :_
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Gargbansi.
Pal war.
Raghubansi.
Kinwar.
Palw4r.
Kath-Bais.
Jan war.
Hayobans.
Bhal£ Sultdn.
Ujjaini.
Kath-Bais.
Nikumbh.
Hayobans.
Doowar.
Ujjaini.
Sengar.
Kinwar.
Bis^n.
Raghdbansi.
49
Bhadauriya.
Shown in map as 14.
This famous and loyal clan derives its title from the village of
Bhadawar in Gwalior, which was the capital of their tribal territory
The founder of the clan was probably Manika Rai, a Chauhan o
Ajmere, who established himself with his followers on the banks of
the Chambal towards the close of the 7th century. About 1246 this
Chauhan colony was all but exterminated by some foe unspecified.
The sole survivor was a pregnant Rani of Raj? Rdut Sal. Flying across
the Jumna, she gave birth to a boy named Rajju, who, about 1259,
when only 12 years old, appeared before the Emperor Nasir-ud-din
at Dehli, and obtained leave to eject some Meo marauders from Pand-
hat in the Agra district. His efforts proved successful, and he was
rewarded by the grant of the Bhadawar principality.
In the reign of Akbar (1556-1605) the Bhadauriya Raja was
given the title of Mahendra , which is still borne by the head of the
clan. Some years later his son became a Mansabdar of 1,000, and
fought with his contingent in Guzerat. In the reigns of Jahangir
and Shah Jahan (1605-58) two Bhadauriya Rajas served with their
clansmen in Afghanistan, and became great favourites of the Mughal
Emperors, who enriched them at the expense of the Chauhans. In
the reign of Aurangzeb, Raja Maha Singh of Bhadawar served
with distinction against the Bundelas and- Yusufzais, and his son
was made Governor of Chitor in Rajputana. About the time of the
Mughal decline, the clan became extremely powerful; but about 1748
they were attacked by Mahrattas and Jats, who annexed a great
part of their territories. Shortly after, the Bhadauriya Raja resumed
possession of his lands, and made friends with the Mahratta court
of Gwalior. The Raja, however, incurred the wrath of Scindia for
giving assistance to his friend the Rana of Gohad, and the clan
remained in poor circumstances until the Mahratta war of 1803, when
the Bhadauriyas declared for the British, and sent a contingent to
assist in the capture of Gwalior. To punish their loyalty to the
British during Monson's disastrous retreat, Holkar detached a force
of 20,000 men to ravage the Bhadauriya country, but the clansmen
held their own until a British force came to their assistance. In 1808,
much of the territory conquered during the first Mahratta war was
restored to Scindia, who promptly cancelled the rent-free grant which
had been given to the Bhadawar Rajas by the British. On consider¬
ation of the loyalty of the family, and to compensate for these losses, it
5 °
was decided to grant the Rajas Rs. 24,000 per annum, an allowance
which is continued to this day. The seat of the Raja is now at Nand-
gdon in the Agra district. Although the rise of the Bhadawar Rajas
only dates from the 16th century, their achievements and illustrious
marriages have raised them greatly in the estimation of the neigh¬
bouring Rajput princes, and they take precedence of the Chauhdn
Rijas of Pertapner and Malnpuri.
The Bhadaunyas of Oudh and the North-West Provinces number
16,000 males, and they are numerous in
the Gwalior State. They are found chiefly
in the Agra, Etawah, and Cawnpore districts.
Geographical distribution.
The Bhadauriyas have six sub-divisions—
Athbaiya.
Kulhaiya.
Mainu.
Tasseli.
C'nandarseniya.
Raut.
Tribal sub-divisions.
The Raut sub-division ranks highest. The Tasseli and Mainu
have a little Meo blood in their veins. The
Bhadauriyas are undoubtedly of Chauhdn
origin, but since the two clans began to find intermarriage convenient,
this relationship has been denied, as marriage within the clan is pro¬
hibited among pure blooded Rajputs.
Bhadauriyas intermarry with the following clans
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Chauhdn.
Chauhan.
Rdthor.
Rathor.
Kachwaha.
Chandd!.
Sirnet.
Ponwar.
Tonwar.
Gautam.
Raghubansi.
Gahlot.
Gdharwar.
Dikhit.
5 *
The Bhadauriyas love their country along the banks of the
rp •< t , . . . Chambal and take more readily to service
1 ribal characteristics. . # J
in the Gwalior Army than in ours. There
are nevertheless a good many in the ranks of our regiments, and
efforts should be made to enlist more, for they are renowned for
their valour, and are less troubled by caste prejudices than many of the
Rajputs of Oudh and the North-West Provinces.
Bhal£ SultAn.
Shown in map as 75.
The name of this clan is derived from Bhala, ‘a javelin/ and
Sultan ‘a lord,’ the title of “lord of the lance ” having bestowed upon
one of the ancestors of the clan by Shahab-pd-din Ghori. The
Bhale Sidtans of Bulandshahr are a debased branch of the Solankii
probably connected with the RAjas of Bhal in GuzeFat. Their ancestor,
Sarang Deo, took service under Pirthiraj
Traditional origin and history.
Chauhan , and was killed in the attack on
Kanouj. As a reward, his descendants received lands in Bulandshahr,
which were added to by Shahab-ud-din Ghori for the assistance rendered
him* by their leader, Hamir Singh, upon whom he bestowed the title
above described.
The Bhaie Sultans of Oudh give a totally different account of
their origin. They say they are descended from Rai Dudhrich, a cadet
of the great Tilokcliandi Bats family, who turned Muhammadan. It
is stated by some that they are sprung from Rai Barihar, a Bais
Rajput, whose descendants expelled the aboriginal Bhars, while others
deny their Rajput ancestry and say that they are simply Baris (torch
bearers) who were ennobled for their bravery by Raja Tilok Chand .
It is probable that they are one of the mixed Rajput tribes.
Bhale Sultans are unknown in RajputAna and the Punjab. In
Oudh and the North-West Provinces
Geographical distribution. they have a male population of 9,000 and
are found chiefly in the Sultanpur and Bulandshahr districts.
The Bulandshahr Bhale Sultans worship RAm Chandra and
Vishnu; those of Oudh Debi. The latter
Rehglon ‘ regard sugarcane fields, tiled houses,
and pucca wells, as unlucky, and never have them in or about their
villages.
52
The Bhale Sultans intermarry with the following clans :—
In Bulandshahr.
In Oudh,
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Bargujar.
Bargujar.
Kalhans.
Raghubansi.
Jarauliya.
Jaiswar.
Kanhpuriya.
Gargbansi
Bais.
Bais.
Amethiya.
Chandauri
Kachwaha.
Kachwdha.
Band halgot.
Bisdn.
Chauhan,
Bargala.
Raikwar.
Ton war.
Jais.
Pundir.
Gaur.
Chandarbansi.
BhAtti.
Their traditional origin.
Shown i?i map as 16.
The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit bhatta , ‘a
d.' It is really a sept of the Jadus , but
is of far greater importance than the parent
stock, and therefore needs a separate description. The Bhatti is the
largest and most widely distributed Rajput tribe in the Punjab. Its
members are the modern representatives of Krishna, and the heads of
the Lunar race. At a very early period the Bhattis were driven from
India across the Indus, but they afterwards returned and settled in
the Punjab. The Bhatti kingdom extended from the Salt Range to
Kashmir, their capital being at Gaznipur near Rawal Pindi. About
the 2nd century B.c. they were driven across the Jhelum by Indo-
Scythian invaders, who followed them up, and dispersed them south
of the Sutlej. The Bhittis, however, retained their hold on Kashmir
until 1339. The clan have a tradition that they crossed the Indus
about 700 years ago under a chief called Bhatti, who had two sons—
Dusal and Jaisal. Dusal founded Bhattiana, i. e ., Sirsa and Hissar,
and Jaisal, Jaisalmere. Though deprived of their principalities in the
Punjab, they left numerous settlements in that province, some of which
may be traced by the names of certain places such as Bhattinda
and Bhatner. Most of the Rajputs of the Punjab plains are of Bhatti
53
origin. The Rdthors emigrated from Kanouj to Bikaneer in 11Q4, and
treacherously possessed themselves of a portion of the Bhdtti territory.
The Bhattis of the North-West Provinces claim to be Jadons
Bhdtti settlements in Oudh and who returned from beyond the Indus in
the North-Western Provinces. the ?t h or 8th century. A considerable
number were forcibly converted to Islam by Ala-ud- din Khilji in
the 14th century. The Bulandshahr colony claim to have settled
there, under the protection of Pirthiraj, after expelling the aboriginal
Meos.
In Rajputana, the Bhattis are found in Meywar, Marwar, Jaisalmeer
and Bikanir, and number ^r.ooo males
Geographical distribution. , ’ , TTT '
In the North-West Provinces Bhdtti
settlements are found in Bulandshahr, Etah, and Bareilly, with a male
population of 5,000.
The principal septs of the clan are as follows :—
In Rajputan?
In Oudh and the North-West
Provinces,
Kelan.
Bhatti.
Kbidnh.
jaiswar.
Jaisaimeria.
Pugalliya.
Maldot.
Arjanot.
The Muhammadan Bhattis of Haridna and the Doab are called
Rdng liars.
The Bhattis intermarry with the following clans :—
Rajpt5tAna.
Oudh and the North-West Pro¬
vinces.
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Gahlot.
Rathor.
Rathor.
Bargujar.
Parihar.
Pariha.
Parihar.
Dhakre.
Rathor.
Gahlot.
Gahlot.
Pundir.
Chauhan.
Tonwar.
Kachwaha.
Jarauliya.
Jaiswar.
Bais.
Gaur.
Janghara.
Katheriya.
Chandarbansi.
Bhulesultan.
Chhonka r.
54
The Bhdttis are clean and fair complexioned, and though rathet
short, are sturdy and well set up. They will not eat pig. Being of the
Lunar race their favourite god is Krishna, and they consequently belong
to the Vaishndva sect, The tribal divinity is Karniji.
Bhirghubansi.
Shown in map as /y.
This clan claims descent from a Rajput adventurer named Na“
rautam Rai, who accepted service as a baid or family physician to the
Seori Raja of Bhataur in the Benares district, on his return from a pil-
~ .... . . . . ,. , grimage to Gaya. By fair means or foul
1 raditional origin and history. o » J J
Narautam Rai succeeded his master, and
like a great many other Rajput heroes married the daughter of Raja
Banar, a mythical ruler of Benares. Two sons, Bhao Rai and Bhantu Rai,
were the result of this union, and their descendants are now the principal
representatives of the clan.
Bhirghubansis are almost entirely confined to the Benares district of
~ the North-West Provinces. They have a
Geographical distribution. J
male population of 5,000.
The tribal divinity is the goddess Debi. The clan belongs to the
Religion. Savaran gotra. The Bhirghubansis are
divided into the following septs:—
Tribal divisions.
Bhirghubansi proper.
Badhauliya.
Bhirghubansis contract marriages with members of most of the clans
Marriages. belonging to the Benares district.
Bisen.
Shown in map as 18.
The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit visva ( entire *
and sdna an ‘army'. They claim descent from a Hindu adventurer
called Mayura Bhatta, and through him
from a famous Rishi called Jamadagni.
Traditional origin.
At a remote age, Mayura Bhatta left Benares with a few followers
to wrest a kingdom from the aboriginal tribes. He settled at first in
the Azamgarh district, and then, crossing the Gogra, obtained a victory
over several Bhar chiefs, by which he greatly increased his, territories.
He is said to have had three sons by wives of different caste—one by a
History. Rajputni, another by a Bhuinharin, and a third
by a Brahmani. This fact, if true, shows that Mayura Bhatta lived at a
time when the laws of caste were either ignored or unknown, Certain
55
classes of Bisens claim to be the descendants of emigrants from Tikari
near Delhi. The clan is much divided, which leads us to infer that the
title of Bisen was assumed by a congerie of various tribes. The head of
the clan is the Raja of Majhauli in Gorakhpur.
The Bisen clan is not represented in Rajputana. In Oudh and the
North-West Provinces it has a male population of 51,000, and is found
Geographical distribution. chiefly in the Allahabad, Benares. Mirza-
pur, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Ballia, Gorakhpur,
Basti, Azamgarh, Fyzabad, Gonda and Bahraich districts,
The Bisen are divided into two houses—the Bisens of Majhauli, and
the Bise'ns of Deorhi, and are further separated into the five follow ing
gotras :—
Tribal div isions.
Parasar.
Bharraddwaj.
Sandil.
Atri.
Batas.
The Bisens intermarry with the following clans : —
Bis£ns of Majhauli.
Bislns of
Deorhi.
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Chauhd n.
Surajbansi.
Bais.
Chandel.
Bhadauriya.
Sirnet.
Bhale-Sultdn.
Kanhpuriya.
Rathor.
Kausik.
Kath Bais.
Parihar.
Bandhalgoti.
Chauhan.
Gaharwar.
Sombansi.
Bachhgot.
Kanhpuriya.
Bundelas.
Shown in map as 19 .
A Rajput tribe, generally considered to be of spurious descent. Po¬
pular tradition ascribes the origin of the name Biindeia to Raja Pancham,
a descendant of the Gaharwar Rajas of Benares and Kantit in Mirzapur,
who being expelled from his kingdom by his brother, retired to the
shrine of Bindachal, and became a votary of Bhawani. While residing
there, he resolved to offer himself up as a sacrifice to that deity, and in
56
Traditional origin.
pursuance of his vow, had already inflicted a wound on his person, when
suddenly Bhawani appeared and restrained him. In reward for his de¬
votion she promised him that his kingdom should be restored, and di¬
rected that in commemoration of the drop of blood (bund) which flowed
from his wound, his descendants should be called Bundelas. Needless to
say, this story is completely apocryphal, and was fabricated merely to
conceal an ignoble parentage. It is probable that the founder of the clan
was Hardeo, an illegitimate son of one of the
Gaharwar Rajas of Kantit. Accompanied
by a slave girl he took up his residence nearOrchha, where the Khangar
Raja of Karar asked for his daughter in marriage. Hardeo consented
on condition that he should come with all his brethren and feast with
him. The Khangars accepted the invitation, and were all treacherously
poisoned. The Gaharwars then took possession of their country, and
the name of Bundela or Bandelet was given to the offspring of Hardeo
and his concubine, as they were the sons of a bandi or slave girl. The
Bundelas are universally regarded [as spurious Rajputs, from which
it may be inferred that the clan originated in a congerie of various ad¬
venturers who flocked into Bundelkhund about the 14th century, after
the Chandels had been humiliated by the Chauhans ) and they in their
turn had been forced to yield to the Musalmans.
The Bundelas first settled at Kalinjar, Kalpi, and Mahoni. In the
14th century their Raja Mai khan founded Orcha. From his time the
Bundelas became the most powerful of the tribes to the west of the
Jumna, and gave their name to the tract now known as Bundelkhund,
Most of the leading Bundela families claim descent from the 12 sons
of Rudr Partap, the son of Raja Malkhan. By 1608 the Bundelas had
become very numerous, and were divided into 3 kingdoms—Orcha, Chan-
deri, and Mahoba. In that year, Bir Singh Deo, the Raja of Orcha, in-,
curred the wrath of Akbar by waylaying and murdering Abu Fazl, the
favourite minister of the Emperor, when he was passing through Bundel¬
khund on his way from the Dekhan to Delhi. It is said that the murder
was committed at the instigation of Selim, afterwards known as Jahan¬
gir ; at any rate Bir Singh Deo rose to great favour at court on Jahangir’s
accession to the throne. Soon after the accession of Shah Jahan in 1627, the
Bundelas of Orcha revolted, but were defeated by the Muhammadans, who
confiscated their territory. Meanwhile Champat Rai of Mahoba frustrated
all the efforts of the Mughals to reduce him to submission. Although three
large armies were sent against him, he held out in the rugged country
bordering on the Betwa, where by the celerity of his movements he defied
57
the attempts of the Musalman leaders to capture him. Wearied of the
struggle, the Mughals at last withdrew. When the principal portion of
their troops had retired, Champat Rai rapidly assembled his adherents,
and began to make reprisals by driving in the imperial outposts, attack¬
ing convoys, and harassing their minor garrisons by night attacks, until
at length, emboldened by these successes, he met the Mughals in the open
field, and totally routed them near Orcha. After various fruitless expe¬
ditions, a peace was concluded about 1640, by which the Delhi court
acknowledged the independence of the Orcha State. In the struggle
between the sons of Shah Jahan for their father’s throne, the Bundelas of
Orcha espoused the cause of Ddra, while those of Mahoba, under Cham¬
pat Rai, took service under Aurangzeb, and fought for him at the bat¬
tle of S^mugarh (1658). Chhatarsal, the son of Champat Rai, induced the
Hindu princes of Malwa and Bundelkhund to unite in a league to resist
the proselytising efforts of Aurangzeb. In this he was partly success¬
ful. With consummate skill he avoided a general action but wasted the
country held by his enemies, cut off the convoys from the Dekhan, and
by ambuscades and an intimate knowledge of the country, managed to
cutoff or elude the imperial troops. After a series of victories Chhatar¬
sal possessed himself of the fortress of Garhakota near Saugor, and
the whole of the country to the east and south of the Chambal as far as
Rewah. in 1707, he was confirmed in these possessions by the Emperor
Bahadur Shah. Seven years later, Muhammad Khan, the Path^n Gov¬
ernor of Farrukhabad, made a raid into Bundelkhund, defeated the Bun -
delas, and forced Chhatarsal to call in the Mahrattas to his assistance.
The latter restored him to his possessions, and in gratitude Chhatarsal
bestowed upon them Kalpi, Saugor, Jhansi, and Garhakota, on the ex¬
press condition that his heirs and successors should be maintained in
possession of the rest. The descendants of Chhatarsal still hold the
independent principalities of Charkhari, Ajaigarh, Bijawar, Panna, and
Orcha. The State of Chhatarpur was also formerly ruled by Bundelas ,
but the present dynasty is descended from a Ponwar adventurer who dis¬
possessed his master early in the present century. Bundelas are not
found in Rajputana. In the North-West Provinces they have a male
, population of 4,800, chiefly located in the
Geographical distribution. T/ . _ ’ „ . [ ,
Jhansi and Lahtpur districts. They form
the principal portion of the inhabitants of the small native states in¬
cluded in the Bundelkhund Ageny .
BundSlas worship Krisnna, but are inclined to Shakta worship as
Religion. th3y icverence Durga.
S
58
Marriages.
Tribal peculiarities.
Bundelas intermarry with Dhanderes and Ponwars. The Port-
wars rank a shade higher in caste than the
Bundelas ) and the chief of the latter are
consequently anxious to take their daughters in marriage.
The Bundelas have always been a turbulent and troublesome race,
averse to labour, and ever ready to quarrel with each other or their
rulers, if they happen to think themselves aggrieved. Speaking of their
petty Rajas before the Mutiny, Sleeman states ‘‘there is hardly a single
chief of the Hindu military class in Bundelkhund who does not keep a
gang of robbers of some kind or other, and
consider it a valuable and legitimate source
of revenue."* In 1857 the Bundelas plundered the country and roamed
about in organized gangs, and the recent revival of dacoity in Bundelkhund
shows that they have not altogether abandoned their old pursuits.
ChandEl.
Shown in map as 20.
The name of this clan is a corruption of the Sanskrit chandra ) ‘the
moon/ The tribal legend is that their ancestor Chandra Brahm was the
son of Chandra the Moon God, by Hemavati, the daughter of Hemraj the
Traditional origin Brahman parohit of the Gaharwar Raja
of Benares. The legend was no doubt in¬
vented to conceal some impurity of origin.f
Chandra Brahm was a distinguished warrior. He took Benares,
and founded the two great fortresses of Mahoba and Kalinjar in Bun¬
delkhund, which were the principal cities of the Chandel dynasty which
ruled over Bundelkhund up to the beginning of the 12th century. It
had been predicted that the Chandel sovereigns would lose their property
as soon as they abandoned the title of Brahm. In 1184, Parmal Deo,
the reigning Raja, discarded this affix, and was defeated and deposed by
Prithiraj, the Chauhan king of Delhi. The Chauhan-Chandel war is a
favourite theme for the poems of Hindu bards. A series of battles
took place which lasted 18 days, in which
the celebrated Banaphar heroes, Alhal
and Udal, performed prodigies of valour for their Chandel over-
lords but without success. The Chanddl army numbering 110,000
men was completely destroyed. After the capture of Mahoba the
Chandtts repaired to Kalinjar, which was taken from them early in
the 13th century by Kutub-ud-din Aibeg. After these defeats the
* A Journey through the kingdom of Oudh.
f This is confirmed by the fact that the term Chndtl is generally held to mean ‘an outcast 1
History.
59
remnants of the ChandSl clan were scattered, and a portion fled into
Oudh. A band of Chandil refugees settled at Kanouj, whence they mi¬
grated to Shiurajpur, in the Cawnpore district, at the bidding of one of
the early Muhammadan Emperors. The Unao settlement was formed by
colonists from Chanderi in the Dekhan in the reign of Alamgir. Up to
the time of the Mutiny, the head of the clan was the Raja of Shiuraj¬
pur. The Mirzapore Chand 41 s are closely connected with aboriginal
Seoris; the Oudh branch with aboriginal Bhars.
The Chandels are not found in Rajputana. In Oudh and the North-
West Provinces they number 38,000 males, and have settlements in the
Shahjahanpur, Cawnpore, Benares, Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Ballia, Gorakh-
_ . pur, Azamgarh, Unao, and Hardoi dis-
Geographical distribution. .
tricts.
The special divinities of the Chandel are Mahadeo and Debi. The
former is worshipped by the men, and the
Religion. , , ,
latter by the women of the clan.
The Chandel intermarry with the following clans:
Qive their daughters to
Take wives from
1
Baghdl.
Bhadauriya.
Parihar.
Bdchhal.
Chauhdn.
Janghdra.
Gaharwar.
Gaur.
Ahban.
Gaur.
Raikwar.
Sakarwar.
Bachhal.
Katheriya.
Janwar.
Nikumbh.
Chamar-Gaur.
Gdhlot.
Dhakrd.
Katiyar.
Sakarwar.
Bais.
Bais.
Ujjaini.
Dhakre.
Bisen.
Sengar.
Gahlot.
S<5mbansi.
Bachhgoti.
Katheriya.
Ponwar.
Ponwar.
Bandhalgoti.
Kausik.
Dirgbans.
Kanhpuriya.
Donwar.
Khichar.
Sirnet.
Chandrabansi.
Shown in map as 21.
The title of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit chandru y * the
moon/ Like the appellation SSmbansi , it
Traditional origin and history. ^ as CQme to re p rese nt a distinct tribe
The clan is small and unimportant, and of no historical interest.
6o
The Chandrabansi are only found in the Bulandshahr and Aligarh
districts of the North-West Provinces.
Geographical distribution. .
They have a male population of 3,000.
Many Chandra bans is are Vaishndvas,
Religion. .
but like most Rajputs reverence Rail,
Debi, or Durga.
The Chandrabansi intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Gaur.
Gaur.
Bachhal.
Bhald Sultdn.
Bachhal.
Gahlot.
Bhald Sultan.
Chauhdn.
Bargujar.
Pundir.
Ton war.
Kachw&ha.
Chauhan.
Shown in map as 22.
The derivation of the title of this clan is doubtful. Some authori¬
ties suggest that it comes from the Sanskrit chaturbdha 4 four-armed ’ ;
Tod states that it is a corruption of chaturanga, ‘quadriform’ because
Anhal, the founder of the race, was so shaped. It is stated by the spuri¬
ous Chauhans of Bijnor that their tribal name is derived from chau
‘four' and hdn ‘loss’ because when
Traditional origin.
crossing the Indus in 1 580 as part of Raja
Man S ingh’s army for the recovery of Kabul, they lost the four requisites
of Hindu communion—religion ( dharm), ceremonies ( riti) ) piety ( diya)
and duties (karma). The Chauhans are one of the agnicular or fire
tribes, and a detailed account of their origin will be found on page in,
under the heading of Ponwar.
The Chauhans of Delhi were the hereditary foes of the Rathors
of Kanouj. The last of the Chauhan Maharajas of Delhi was Pirthi-
raj, who was defeated, and either killed or carried off to Ghazni as
a captive in 1193, by Muhammad Shahab-ud-din] Ghori. The ruling
families of Kotah, Boondi, and Sirohi belong toThis clan. The Haras
of Boondi (a Chauhan sept) were originally vassals of Meywar but be¬
came independent in the time of Akbar, to whom they tendered thejr
6i
tribal allegiance. The Haras greatly distinguished themselves in the
Mughal cause, but unlike the Kachwahas of Jeypore always served
in India, as they had stipulated in their treaty with Akbar that they
should never be required to cross the Indus. In the reign of Jahangir,
Rao Ratan of Boondee alone remained faithful to the Emperor at a time
when all the other Rajput princes had joined in the rebellion of his son
Khurm. With his two sons Madho and Heri, Rao Ratan gained a
complete victory over the insurgents at Burhanpur. As a reward, the
Emperor bestowed the principality of Kotah upon Heri, the younger
son, which thenceforth became independent.
On the death of Aurangzeb, a contest took place between his sons
Shah Alum and Azim for the throne. Their armies met near Dholpur.
In the sanguinary battle which ensued,
the Haras of Kotah sided with Prince
Azim, while the Haras of Boondee remained faithful to the cause
of Shah Alum. The latter triumphed, and as a reward bestowed the
title of Rao Raja on the princes of Boondee. The rivalry which com¬
menced between the two Hara principalities at Dholpur led to con¬
stant feuds between the two states, which lasted throughout the 18th
century. In 1804 when the ill-fated army of Monson traversed Central
India to attack the Mahrattas under Holkar, the Kotah State, trusting
to the invincibility of the British arms, co-operated with men and sup¬
plies; but when Monson in his retreat demanded admission to the Kotah
fort, he met with a decided refusal. The Regent offered to cover the
British retreat with the Kotah troops, and to furnish the army with pro¬
visions, but he utterly declined to allow a panic-stricken force to enter
within his walls. This was interpreted by Monson as an act of treachery,
but a greater wrong was never inflicted, for besides supplying him with
money and supplies, the Kotah troops fought manfully against the
Mahrattas, without thought of the consequences which their action might
bring upon themselves.
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces, the clan is very scattered.
The Mainpuri Chauhdns are supposed to have settled there in the
Chauhfin settlements in Oudh I2th century under the leadership of
and the North-West Provinces. p)£ 0 Brahm, a descendant of Pirthi-
rdj, the last of the Chauhan kings of Delhi. The Oudh Chauhdns
claim origin from Mainpuri, but have lost rank through inferior marri¬
ages. The Unao Chauhdns are often called Kushmao Chauhdns to
distinguish them from their brethren of the Dodb, and their country
is locally known as Chauhana . The Chauhdns of Bijnor, Moradabad,
6 2
and Gorakhpur are admittedly of doubtful origin. The Bareilly Chau -
bans claim to have emigrated into the district in 1550. after expelling
the Bhils. The principal Chauhdn families in the North-West Pro¬
vinces are those of Mainpuri, Rajor, Partapner, and Ch^knagar, all of
which claim descent from Pirthiraj who according to the Muhammadan
historians was killed in action, but according to Chauhdn tradition
died in captivity at Ghazni. As a proof of the vitality of this legend,
it may be mentioned that at the capture of Ghazni in 1842, many Chau,'
han sepoys sought out and professed to find the Chhatri or monument
of their great ancestor within the fort.
The Chauhans of Rajputana number 42,000 males and are found in
Meywar, Dungarpur, Marwar, Sirohee,Bikaneer, Jeypore, Ulwar, Boondee,
Kotah, and in the Gurgaon and Rohtak districts of the Punjab. In
the North-West Provinces their male population amounts to 220,000.
They are found in the Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Buland-
shahr, Aligarh, Muttra, Agra, Farukhabad,
Geographical distribution. . . _ ..
Mainpuri, Etawah, Etah, Bareilly, Bijnor,
Moradabad, Shahjahanpur, Cawnpore, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Lucknow,
Unao, Rai Bareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Kheri, Fyzabad, Gonda, Bahraich,
Sultanpur, Partabgarh and Bara Banki districts.
The favourite Chauhdn deity is Maha-
g ° deo. In Rajputana, the tribal divinities
are Goga, Sakambari-Mata, and Asdpurna.
Chauhans are divided into the following principal septs which in
the North-West Provinces are called als. Each al professes to be
descended from one of the 23 sons of Rajd Lakhansi.
In Rajputana.
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces.
Purbiya.
Mori.
Bijai.
Karaodari.
GolbdI.
Tak.
Dhundhoti.
Hdra.
Kanji.
Gal.
Bhadauriya.
Hara.
Khichi.
Deoraya.
Barha.
Sonigirra.
Khichi.
Bhadauriya.
Kopla.
Chaleya,
Nirbhan.
Deora.
Siydhiya.
Ndhariya.
Dhandera.
Golwdl.
Khera.
Avel.
Chitha.
Puya.
Shiunagara.
Bagore.
Deora.
Bdli.
Sanchora.
Bhahu.
Bandphar.
6 3
The Khichi, Narbdn, Nikumbh, Thun , Bhadauriya } Bachhgoti, Raj -
kumar } Hdra } Bilkhariya , Chirariya and Bandhalgoti are generally
considered to be sub-divisions of the Chauhdns. Tod enumerates 24
sakhas of Chauhdns in Rajputana, but many have been degraded and
are now Baniyas, while others have become Muhammadans. The
Kaimkhani , Ladkhani, Kardrkhani y Nimkhdni y and Amkhani Musal-
raans were Chauhdns ) who abandoned Hinduism to save their lands
from confiscation.
The Chauhdns intermarry with the following clans :—
In RAjputAna.
In Oudh and the North-West Prov¬
inces.
Give their daughters to
Kachw&ha ...
RAthor
Tdnwar
Bargujar
Gaur
JAdu ... ..
Gahlot ...
Sisodiya ...
Jhalia ...
Take wives from
Give their daughters to
Ponwars, and
Rail the clans to
which they give
their daughters.
Kachwdha
Bhadauriya
Rcithor
C Bisen
Bandhalgoti .
Bhald Sult&n .
Bais
x
a
x
O
Cu
o
c n Raikwar
5 ;
'<: _
® Gaur
x
<
^ Surajbans
Vw
Kalhans
Barheliya
Take wives from
Kachwdha.
Bhadauriya.
Rathor.
Chamar Gaur,
Tildkchandi Bais.
Katiyar.
Jadon.
Parihar.
Kath Bais.
Ahban.
Palwar.
Raotar.
tu
O
vs .
Z DC
DC X 1
X
V
Chaupat Khambh.
Shown in map as 23.
This clan furnishes an instance of the fact that the barriers which
separate Hindu castes, were at one time not so rigid as their traditions
would have us believe. The Chaupat-Khambh are now Rijputs
and as such intermarry with genuine Chhatri clans j but they and their
neighbours affirm that their ancestors were Brahmans who came from
6 4
beyond the Gogra, and settled in the Jaunpur district. They relate
that their leaders were two brothers
History. .
and that one of them, Baldeo, having
married a daughter of Rajk Jaichand of Kanouj, the other brother set
up a pillar ( khambh) to denote that the family was degenerate. The
history of the pillar is probably an invention to account for the name
which may simply mean ‘lost caste/ The mention of Rdja Jai
Chand in connection with one of the founders of their race, though
probably a fiction fabricated for the raising of their dignity, shows
how recent must be their appearance as Rajputs.
Geographical distribution.
population of 1,200.
Religion.
gotra.
Chaupat Khambhs are found only in
the Jaunpur district. They have a male
The favourite divinity of the clan is
Mahadeo. They are of the Kassyap
Chaupat Khambhs contract marriages with members of the follow¬
ing clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Raghubansi.
Bais.
Chanddl.
GAhldt. •
Gautam.
Dirgbansi.
Dhakara, DhAkra, or DhAkre.
Shown in map as 24.
The derivation of the title of this clan is unknown. They claim
Surajbansi origin, a pretension not generally admitted. Some are said
to be emigrants from the banks of the Nerbudda, but the main body
of the clan emigrated from Ajmere in the 16th century, and settled in
u . . .. ,. 4 . ... the Agra and Etawah districts of the
History and traditional origin.
North-West Provinces, where they ac¬
quired an evil reputation for thuggi and dacoity. They seem to have
maintained their power by a close alliance with the Bhadauriyas. The
clan gave a good deal of trouble in the Mutiny.
The Dhdkre clan is only found in the Agra District and is unknown
Geographical distribution. **** in the Pun j* b 0f ^jP^dna. It
has a male population of 6,500.
*5
The Dhakre intermarry with the following clans
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Gaur.
Gaur.
Chandel.
Chandel.
Ahban.
Ahban.
Janwar.
Janwar.
Ponwar.
Kath>Bais.
Kachwaha.
Gaharwar.
Nikumbh.
Dhekaha.
Geographical distribution.
Shown in map as 25.
This clan, like the Ujiaini , claims to be of Ponwar origin, and
TT . . say that their ancestors emigrated from
Delhi in the time of Raja Bhoj.
The Dhekaha are found chiefly in the Shahabad or Bhoj pur district
of Behar. Their exact numbers are not
stated in the Census Report, but their
male population is believed to amount to about 2,000.
The favourite deity of the clan is the goddess Devi, whom they
propitiate at births and marriages by the
sacrifice of a he-goat.
Dhekahas contract marriages with members of the following
clans:—
Religion.
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Donwar.
Lautamiya.
Lautamiya.
Surwar.
Tilaunta.
Gdhlot.
Dikhit.
Shown in map as 26.
The title of this clan is from the Sanskrit Dikshita ‘initiated*,
a title bestowed upon one of their ancestors by Raja Vikramajit of
Ujjain about 50 B. C. They claim to be
Surajbansis of Ajudhya.
The founder of this clan was Raja Durg Bhao who emigrated at
a remote period from Ajudhya to Guzerat, where his descendants took
Traditional origin.
66
the title of Durgbansis. Twenty-four generations later, Kalian Sah,
Durgbans received from Raja Vikramajit of Ujjain the title of Dikshita*
which thenceforth became tbe name of his clan. The Dikits remain¬
ed in Guzerat for several centuries, but in the nth century they entered
the service of the Rdthor monarchs of Kanouj who gave them land in
Banda. The Dikhits shared in the ruin of the Rdthors when their
capital Kanouj was taken by Shahab-ud-din Ghori in 1194, and the
clan was then broken up. The eldest branch retained the family estate
at Samoni in Banda, where they are found
lbt ° ry * to the present day. The Raja's second son
Udaibhan, founded the Oudh colony called Dikhitdna ; the third son
crossed the Gogra and the Rapti and settled at Bansi in Gorakhpur;
the fourth migrated east and founded the town of Bilkhar in Partab-
garh. The Dikhit dominions in Oudh were at one time very extensive,
and the clan held a high position among Rajputs. In 1556, Hemu
the Hindu general of the Pathan Muhammad Shah Adily, King of Bengal,
opposed the Mughals, under Akbar, at Panipat near Delhi. It was the
first time for years that a Hindu has been seen at the head of affairs,
and as a natural result, a vast number of Rajputs flocked to his standard.
This gave to the campaign something of the nature of a religious war,> the
consequence being that, after Akbar’s victory, a fear of forcible con¬
version to Islam spread over the whole country. This fear was pro¬
bably the immediate cause which prevented the Dikhit chief from
tendering his submission to the Mughals. Shortly afterwards, a Muham¬
madan army invested his fort, and forced him to decisive action. Clad
in armour, and dressed in saffron robes to indicate that they meant to win
or die, the Rajputs charged the Mughal infantry and scattered them.
Victory seemed certain, but at this juncture the imperial cavalry charged
the Rajputs before the latter had time to reform, and killed nearly all
their leaders. The Dikhits never recovered from this defeat, and from
that time began the decadence of the clan. In the Mutiny their
Raja Daya Shankar Singh remained loyal to the British Govern¬
ment and gave valuable assistance to the Civil authorities. The
Durgbansis of Jalaun are a branch of the Dikhits of Bilkhar, who entered
the district about 400 years ago, and drove out the Bhars at the request
of the Oudh Government.
The Dikhit clan Is not represented in Bajputana and the Punjab
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces it has a male population of
77,000, and is found in the Fatehpur, Banda
Geographical distribution. , T . _ ,,
Hamirpur, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Azam-
garh, Jalaun, Unao, and Rai Bareli districts.
* i.e. ‘ initiated ’
6 ;
I lie Dikhits intermarry with the following clans
Give their daughters to
o
<
<
£
tu
OS
O
<
X
X
J
w
Q
5 ?:
X
Baghel.
Parihar.
Gaharwar.
m
v.
Take wives from
o
a *
<
< x
X
< J *
£ M
OS
55
P
CQ
Baghel.
Parihar .
Gaharwar.
CQ
<
'o
Q
Parihar.
Chauhan.
Bhadauriya.
Kachwaha.
Hara.
IJdoR.
K
P
P
o
f Chauhan,
l
! Bhadauriya.
i
! Kaclnvaha.
•I
Sengar.
I Rathor
Lsombansi
^Bagh61.
Khfchar.
CQ
^ Sombans.
Q
Ponwar.
t Bison.
"Bisen
l
Gautam.
Chauhan.
Gahlot.
Gaharwar.
Raikwar.
Jan war.
Ponwar.
Sombansi.
Raghubansi.
Amethiya.
Kath-Bais.
Dirgbansi, Drigbansi, OR Durgbansi.
Shown in map as 2 7 -
This clan is really a sub-division of the Dikhits. It claims descent
from the Surajbans kings of Ajudhya. At a remote period a cadet of
the family name Durg Bhao is said to have emigrated to Guzerat, where
his descendants took the title of Durgbansi , i. e., children of Durg.
Several generations later, one of their chieftains named Kalyan Sah,
received the title of Dikhit (q. v .), which thenceforth became the
tribal name. About 550 years ago, a number of Dikhit adventurers
entered the service of Muhammad Tughlak and settled in Oudh. About
68
Traditional origin and history.
a century later their descendants were invited by the Muhammadan
authorities to expel the Bhars from Jaun-
pur. Their efforts were completely success¬
ful, and shortly afterwards this section of the clan reverted to its
old name of Durgbansi } in honour of one of Durg Sahai, one of their
principal leaders. It is stated that the title of Raja was conferred on
Harku Rai, their elected chief, by the Emperor Akbar, in recognition of
the valour displayed by the clan at a great tournament held at Allaha¬
bad. In the 18th century the Drigbansis were deprived of their
possessions by Balwant Singh, Raja of Benares, but regained them in
the annexation of the district by the British. Litigation and extravagance
led to the loss of most of their ancestral domains, and by the time of the
Mutiny the Dirgbansi Raj a was in very reduced circumstances. From his
antecedents, poverty, and relationship to the famous rebel Koer Singh,
he might well have been tempted to rebellion ; but on the contrary he
behaved with conspicuous loyalty, and was rewarded with considerable
estates and a title.
Dirgbansis are found chiefly in the Jaunpur District of the North-
West Provinces. They have a male
population of 7,600.
Geographical distribution.
The clan is addidted to Shakta worship and pays special reverence
to Durga. Like the Dikhits the Dirgbansis
belong to the Kassyap gotra.
Religion.
Dirgbansis contract marriages with members of the following
clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Sdmbansi.
Bisen....
Rajkumar.
Nikumbh.
Gaharwar.
Kath-Bais.
Raghubans,
Chuapat Khambh.
Nikumbh.
Gargbansi.
Bisen.
Chand^l.
Surajbansi.
Donwar.
Sirnet.
6 9
Dors.
Shown in map as 28.
The Dors give a curious account of the derivation of their tribal
name. They state that one of their kings offered his head to some local
goddess, and was thus called Dund, which
Traditional origin.
was afterwards corrupted into Dor . They
claim kinship with the Ponwars , and their name is certainly found in
the genealogical tables of that tribe.
History.
Th.e Dors are supposed to have emigrated from the middle to the
upper Doab, early in the 10th century. They appear to have held a large
tract of country between the Jumna and the Ganges, long anterior to
the Muhammadan invasions. Hardatta, a Dor chieftain, who founded
Meerut and built Hapur, preserved possession of his family domain at
Baran by becoming a convert to Islam, and paying a large ransom
to Mahmud of Ghazni. About the beginning of the 12th century,
the power of the Dors began to wane. 7 'hey were attacked by
Meos and Jats, who at last became such a source of trouble to the Dor
Raja, that he was glad to call in others
to aid him in restoring order. A large band
of Bargujars were on their way from Alwar to aid Pirthiraj in his
war with the Maboba Chandels. To Raja Partap Singh, the leader of the
party, was entrusted the duty of subduing the Meos, and after a long
and determined struggle he succeeded in driving them out. As a
reward the Dor Raja gave him his daughter in marriage, with a dowry
of 150 villages. The Bargujars remained nominal feudatories of the
Dors until 1193, when the latter were again attacked by the Musal mans
under Kutub-ud-din Aibeg, who captured Meerut and Baran. Chandra
Sen who was the Dor Raja at this time, repelled the attacks of the enemy
with great vigour, until betrayed by his kinsman Ajaipal, and a confiden¬
tial Brahman retainer. Chandra Sen perished in the assault of his fort,
but not before he had killed with an arrow Khwaja Lai Ali, the leader
of the Muhammadan troops. The power of the Dors rapidly declined
after this, and the clan has now but little influence and no land.
The Rajputana Dors are found in small number in Meywar and
Dungarpur. In tfte North-West Provinces they are chiefly settled in
the Meerut, Aligarh, Bulandshahr. Mo-
Geographical distribution. , , , ’ f ' . _ 9
radabad and Banda districts. Their total
male population is about 1,000. A few Dors are also scattered through¬
out the Saugor district of the Central Provinces.
70
Dors contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans:—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Gahlot.
Chamar-Gaur.
Tonwar.
Janghara.
Chauhan.
Gautam.
Bargujar.
Katheriya.
Chauhan.
Chauh&n.
Sdmwal.
Somwal.
Pundir..
Pundir.
jhotiyana.
Jhotiyana.
D6NWAR OR D6M WAR.
Shown in map as 29.
This clan is of doubtful origin, and it is probable that it is in some
way connected with the aboriginal Doms as the tribal title seems to indi¬
cate. Even in the 12th century their status as Rajputs was doubtful
{vide account of the Sirnet clan on page 125), and they are now o£ little
consideration among their Kshatriya brethren. There is a Bhuinhar
branch of the tribe, and both acknowledge descent from a common ances-
tor. The Donwar Rdjputs claim Don
History, #
Darauli in the Saran district as the ancient
seat of their race, and say they are descended from Mayura Bhatta, the
mythical progenitor of the Bisens of Majhauli ; the latter, however, dis¬
claim all connection with them. The Donwars at one time ruled over
a considerable portion of Tirhut. They are of dark complexion with
non-Aryan features, which seems to confirm the suspicion of their abori¬
ginal origin. If men of this clan are considered suitable for enlistment,
care should be taken to ascertain that they are Rajputs and not Bhuin-
hars. They are sometimes known as Rainiya } from the village of Raini
in Azamgarh.
Donwars are found chiefly in the Ghazipur, Ballia, Azamgarh, and
Gorakhpur districts of the North-West
Geographical distribution. Provinces. Their male population is not
stated in the last Census Report.
7 1
Religion.
goddess Durga.
Donwars are of the Batas and Kassyap
gotras. Their favourite deity is the
Donwars contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Pdnwar.
Kath-Bais.
Chand^l.
Dhekhaha,
P&lwar.
Kdkan.
Gahlot.
Nandwak.
Nikumbh.
Udmattia.
Drigbansi.
Kdkan.
Nandwak.
Udmattia.
Traditional origin.
Gahalwar or Gaharwar.
Shown in map as go.
The name of this clan is connected with the Sanskrit gah meaning
( a dweller in a cave or deep jungle.’ It is probable that they are of the
same stock as the Rathors ) the latter
having adopted Brahmanism at a time
when the Gaharwars stil adhered to Buddhism.
The early history of this clan is very obscure. They claim to be
descended from R 3 ja Jai Chand of Kanouj, but this must be a myth as
the Gaharwars furnished Kanouj with a dynasty previous to its being
occupied by Rathors . It is probable that they became incorporated
with the latter and were dispersed on the conquest of Kanouj by
Muhammad Shahab-ud-din Ghori in 1194. The Gaharwars of Cawnpore
even now derive their name from ghar bahar , because they were turned
out of house and home after the fall of Kanouj. In Farukhabad there is
a large and important colony founded in the
Hlstory ’ 12th century by two brothers called Man
and Mahesh. In Gorakhpur they claim to have come from Benares,
which is highly probable, as the kingdom of Kanouj extended as far as
7 2
that city. The head of the clan is the Gaharwar Raja of Kantit in
Mirzapur. The Ghazipur branch claim to be descended from a cadet of
this family who was given land in the district by one of the Delhi Em¬
perors.
The Gaharwar clan is peculiar to Oudh and the North-West
Provinces and is unknown in Rajputana
Geographical distribution. . . tj i 1 •
s r and the Punjab. It has a male population
of 28,000 and is found chiefly in the Farukhabad, Etah, Cawnpore,
Allahabad, Mirzapur, Ghazipur, and Hardoi districts.
Religion. The favourite Gaharwar deity is Durga.
The Gaharwars intermarry with the following clans : —
Give their daughters to
rS
*D
6 1
'Gaur.
Bais.
Chanddl.
Sombansi.
Dikhit.
Chauhan,
Rathor.
£ ^ Bhadauriya.
Kachwaha.
L
.O
VS
O
Q
J3
c
. fRaghubansi.
<4-» 1
'£ I Nikumbh.
JO I
^ Chandd.
Kausik.
in
a
W
Take wives from
js / Dhakrd.
in
O 1 Janwar.
Nikumbh,
Chanddl.
x>
'SB
O
Q
J: ^ Raikwar.
C 1 Gaur.
wj fHarihobans.
Banaphar.
o
V.
-*->
cn
•3
c
u
<D
Kath Bais.
£ ; Sakarwar,
w L
Gahlot or Sisodiya.
Shown in map as 3/.
This clan belongs to the Solar race. Its name is derived by some
from guha ‘a cave/ because one of the wives of the Rana of Meywar, es¬
caping from the sack of Balabhi in 524, took refuge among some Brah¬
mans, and was delivered of a son in a cave. The boy was called Goha
or ‘ cave-born ’ by his protectors, and his
descendants bear the title of Gohilot
Their traditional origin.
73
History.
Grahilot , or Gahlot. Others derive the name of the clan from gahla 1 a
slave girl/ in allusion to their real descent.
The Sisodiyas or Gahlots claim descent from Rama, king of Ajudh-
ya. The clan emigrated from Oudh in the 2nd century, and established
itself in Guzerat in 319. A Sisodiya dynasty founded Balabhi in Kattia-
war, and ruled over India and Ceylon for upwards of a thousand
years. After being driven out of Kattiawar by Scythian invaders from
the west, the clan settled at Ahdr near the
modern Oodeypore, from which they derive
their title of Ahariya. In the 12th century the ruling family was repre¬
sented by two brothers, one of whom settled at Dungarpur where his des¬
cendants still call themselves Ahariyas , and the other at Sisodha, which
gave a name to the principal section of the clan. The Gahlots have a
very curious tradition that the Ranas of Oodeypore are of Persian descent.
They state that Pratab Chand Gahlot ) the conqueror of Chitor, was
married to a granddaughter of the famous Persian monarch Nausher-
wan, whose wife was Marian, daughter of Maurice the Greek Emperor
of Byzantium. The Sisodiyas in ancient times were distinguished for
their unyielding hostility towards Islam. Their celebrated chieftain
Rana Sangar commanded the Rajput army which was defeated by the
Mughals under Babar at Futtehpur Sikri, and by their haughty refusals
to allow daughters of their house to marry the Mughal princes, they re¬
peatedly incurred the wrath of the Delhi Emperors.
Gahlot settlers established themselves in Etawah about 1325, where
Gahlot settlements in Oudh and they were assigned large grants of land by the
the North-West Provinces. Empercr Muhammad Tughlak. In 1189 a
Gahlot adventurer called Govind Rao assisted Prithiraj, the Chauhdn
Raja of Delhi, against Jai Chand, the Rdthor Raja of Kanouj. For his
services he received a grant of several villages in Farukhabad and Cawn-
pore, whence the clan spread itself all over Oudh and the North-West
Provinces, expelling the aboriginal Bhars and Koris.
The Gahlot and Sisodiya are numerous in Rajputana, where they
have a male population of 41,000. The Maharana of Oodeypore or Meywar
is the head of the clan, and ranks highest
among the Rajput princes. In Oudh and
the North-West Provinces the Gahlot only number about 2,000
males, and occupy a comparatively humble position owing to their
poverty, which has compelled them to seek wives from inferior clans.
In Rajputana the Gahlot and Sisodiya are found chiefly in Meywar; in
Oudh and the North-West Provinces their settlements are scattered
through the Mozaffarnagar, Meerut, Aligarh, Muttra, Agra, Etah, and
Cawnpore districts.
to
Geographical distribution.
74
The principal septs of the clan are as follows :—
Gahldt.
Sisodiya.
Ahara.
Manguliya.
Kailwa.
Mohar.
Tuberkiya.
Chandrawat.
Boranna.
Gohil.
Ranawat.
Sakhtawat.
Both in Rajputana and the North-West
Tribal divisions. Provinces the chief tribal divinity is
Mahadeo. The Gahlot belongs to the Kassyap gotra , and intermarry
with the following dans:—
RAjp^tIna.
Oudh and North-West Provinces.
Give their daughters to Take wives from
Kachwaha.
Kachwaha.
Jadu.
Jadu.
Chauhan.
Bhatti.
Rathor.
Chauhan,
Ponwar.
Rathor.
Bhatti.
Gaur.
Bargujar.
Ponwar.
Tonwar.
Bhatti.
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Chauhdn.
Bachal.
Kachwaha.
Dhakrd,
Pundir.
Bais.
Solanki.
Baresari.
Rathor.
Bhald Sultan.
Ponwar.
Chhokar.
Bargujar.
Indauliya.
Katheriya,
Jais.
Parihar.
Gaurahar.
Sakarwar.
Rawat,
Chanddl.
Puraj.
Bais.
Uriya.
Ujjaini.
Dikhit.
Raghubansi.
Parihar.
Nikumbh.
Chandel
Kansik.
Sengar.
Gautam.
Chauhan.
Don war.
Gautam.
Kakan.
Karchuliya.
Banaphar.
Raghubansi.
Barheliya.
75
Garg or Gargbansi.
Shown in map as 32.
The title of this clan is derived from Garg, the name of a famous
Hindu Ris/ii whom they claim as their an-
Traditionai origin and history. .
cestor. The latter is supposed to have
been summoned from Kanouj by Raja Dasrath, the father of Rama, to
aid him in the performance of the Aswame'da* or horse sacrifice. The
Gargbansis are now of little importance, and take a low place among
Rajputs. There is a Bhuinhar branch which is admittedly of the same
stock. The Garg Chhatris are generally regarded as inferior Bais ,
and should seldom be enlisted.
The Garg clan is only found in Oudh and the North-West Provin¬
ces. It has a male population of 5,000, and
Geographical distribution.
is scattered throughout the Azamgarh, Fyz-
abad, and Sultanpur districts.
The Garg intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Kalhans.
Barwar.
Surajbans.
Raikhwar.
Bisdn.
Kausik.
Gautam.
Kath-Bais.
Bandhalgoti.
Palwar.
Bhald Sultan.
Sirnet.
Kanhpuriya.
Sombans.
Gahlot.
Bachhgot.
Gaur,
Shown in map as 33.
This clan is supposed to take its tribal name from Gauda } one of
the ancient names of the western portion
Traditional origin. . . . . . . ,
ot Bengal, which was ruled over by a
dynasty of this race.
* See page 141,
76
Little is known of the history of the clan. They are believed to
have held Ajmere previous to its conquest by the Chauhdns . They
served with distinction in the wars of Pir-
Hlstory “ thiraj, and one of their leaders founded the
small Gaur state of Sapur in Rajputana which after surviving seven
centuries of Mughal domination, was annexed in 1809 by the Mahrattas
under Scindia.
The Gaur clan is very numerous in the North-West Provinces.
The Farukhabad settlement was founded about the 12th century, by
emigrants from Katehar in the Shahjahanpur district, led by two
brothers, Sarhe and Barhe. The Efawah branch state that they came
from Rupur, in Rajputana, as early as 650, expelled the Meos, and
prospered exceedingly until the beginning of the 12th century, when
thev were c r ushingly defeate i by the great B 1 nap heir heroes Alhal
and Udal. The Cawnpore colony claim descent from Raja Prithivi
Deo, who came from Garh Gijni to the court of Jai Chand, the
Gaur settlement' in Oudh and Rdthor king of Kanouj, whose daughter
the North-West Provinces. he married receiving land in the Kalpi and
Manikpur districts as her dowry. In one of his raids on the Meos, Pri¬
thivi Deo eaw and became enamoured of the daughter of Meo Raja,
and carried her off and married her. The Meos dissembling their wrath,
invited the Gaurs to a feast, and at a preconcerted signal murdered all
their guests except the two Ranis who escaped. The Meo Rani took
refuge with a Brahman, and the Rathorin with a Chamar; hence the two
great sub-divisions of Bdhman-Gaur and Chamar-Gaur. The latter as¬
serts its superiority over the former as being of pure Rajput blood by both
parents. It is, however, probable that the story was fabricated to con¬
ceal a connection with the low caste Chamars. The third sub-division of
the clan is the Bhat-Gaur , but the story of their* origin is unknown.
The Amethiyas of Oudh are a branch of the Chamar-Gaur and cherish
the memory of their traditional origin by worshipping the ranpi or
currier’s scraper. The Gaurahar of Budaun, Aligarh, and Etah are also
of Chamar-Gaur origin but have lost status by inferior marriages.
The Gaur of Rdjputdna only number 3,500 males and are found
c hiefly in Meywar and Jeypore. In Oudh and the North-West Provin-
_ . ces the Gaur have a male population of
Geographical distribution.
39,000 and are scattered through the
Farukhabad, Etawah, Etah, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Moradabad, Cawn¬
pore, Hamirpur, Unao, Sitapur, and Hardoi districts.
77
The principal septs of the Gaur are as follows : —
Untahir
Silhala
Tur
Dusena
Budaun
In Rajputana.
This is on the authority of
Tod. It is probable that
'many of these septs are
now extinct.
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces,.
Chamar-Gaur ... "}
Bahman-Gaur...
Bhal-Gaur
Amethiya
Gaurahar ... J
It is probable that
the four first named
hare connected with
Chamars, Brahmans,
and Bhats. and the
fifth with Ahirs.
The Gaur intermarry with the following clans:—
In Rajputana.
In Oudh and the North-West
Provinces.
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Give their daughters
to
Take wives from
Gahlot.
Kachwaha
Ponwar.
Dikhit.
Rathors.
Ponwar.
Baghdl.
Janwdr.
Tonwar.
Bargujar.
Bais.
Chand^I.
Kachwaha.
Tonwar.
Chanddl.
Kath-Bais.
Bargujar.
Chauhan.
Raikwar.
Gaharuar.
Chauhan.
Katiyar.
Dhakrd.
Sombansi.
Raikwar.
1
Nikumbh.
Ahban.
Dhakre.
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces the Bahman-Gaur and
Bhat-Gaur can contract alliances with the same clans as the Chamar-
Gaur , but have to pay heavily for the privilege.
Gautam.
Shown in map as 34.
Th is clan belongs to the Lunar race but is not one of the 36 royal
tribes. Their history goes back to the times when the restrictions of
caste were little regarded, for although admittedly Kshatriyas, the
Gautams claim a Brdhman called Siringhi as their ancestor, one of whose
descendants married a daughter of the
Traditional origin. Gahavwar Raja of Kanouj and received
as her dowry all the country from Allahabad to Hard war. From this
event the clan ceased to be Brahmans and became Kshatriyas, the head
of the family taking the title of Rdja of Argal, a village in the
Fatehpur district.
In the nth century the Gautam Rajas ruled over a considerable
tract of country on both banks of the Ganges. In 1183 they generously
bestowed several villages on Parmal, the Chandel Rdja of Mahoba, after
his defeat by Pirthiraj Chauhdn. About 1250 the Gautam Rdjas of
Argal refused to pay tribute to the Muhammadan kings of Dehli, and
their Governor in Oudh tried to seize the Gautam Rani while bathing in
the Ganges at Buxar. An account of how she was rescued by two
Bais adventurers will be found in the history of that clan. It is said
that the Rdja promised his son-in-law as a dowry all the villages whose
names the bride could pronounce without stopping to take breath.
She had already named 1,440, when the Rdja's son, seeing his heritage
slipping away from him, seized her by the throat, and prevented further
utterance. The 1,440 villages referred to, all on the left bank of the
Ganges, constituted what was afterwards known as Baiswara. In
1194 the Gautams were overwhelmed, along with their Rathor allies, by
the Musalmans under Muhammad Ghori. The clan gradually recover¬
ed its power, but in the reign of Humayun they participated in the
revolt of Sher Shah, which brought upon them the vengeance of the
Emperor. Branches of the clan settled in Gorakhpur, Unao, and Ghazi-
pur about 500 years ago. In Azamgarh they have mostly become
Muhammadans. The head of the clan is the Rdja of Argal in Fatehpur.
Geographical distribution.
The Gautam clan is not known in Rdjputdna. In Oudh and
the North-West Provinces it has a male population of 41,000 found
chiefly in the Budaun, Cawnpore, Fateh¬
pur, Banda, Hamirpur, Benares, Mirzapur,
Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Ballia, Gorakhpur, Basti, Azamgarh, Unao, and Si-
tapur districts.
The Gautams reverence Mahadeo. Their tribal divinity, however,
is Durga, who is represented by a sword, which is worshipped with
prayers and offerings. During the month
sacred to the goddess, all Gautams abstain
from shaving, the headmen of the clan live on milk and fruits, and all
sleep on the bare ground.
79
The Gautams are divided into the four following branches :—
Tribal divisions
Raja.
Rao.
Rana.
Rawat.
Gautams intermarry with the following clans:—
In the Doab.
| In Oudh.
Give daughters t 0
Take wives from
Give daughters to
Take wives from
Bhadauriya.
Dikhit.
Tilokchandi Bais.
Janwar.
Chauhan.
Chanddl.
Chauhan.
Raikhwar.
Kachwdha.
Kath-Bais.
Bhadauriya.
Dikhit,
Gahlot.
Khichar.
Amdthiya.
Dirgbans.
Rdthor.
Pan war.
Rathor.
Kath-Bais.
Jadon.
Bisdn.
Surajbansi.
Chanddl.
Parihar.
Kalhans.
Gaharwar.
Bais.
Sirnet.
Palwar.
Raj-Kumar.
Ahban.
Gaurava.
Shown in map as 35.
Gaurava, Gauraiya , and Gaurua are general terms applied to all
Rajputs who have lost rank by the practice of karao or widow
marriage. They should therefore hardly be regarded as a clan, but
rather as a collection of Rajputs of fallen grade.
Gaurdvas are found in the Agra, Muttra, Bulandshahr, and Delhi dis¬
tricts. They generally describe themselves
History and origin . . ,, , , . . ,
as belonging to the clans from which
their ancestors were originally expelled. For this reason it is almost
impossible to state their numbers.
Gaurdvas are divided into the following septs:—
Tarkar.
Bhal.
N&re.
Jasdwat.
Bargala.
Uriya.
Jais.
Indauliya.
Mahadwar.
] ait war.
Bachhal.
Bangar.
Porch.
8 o
Gaurdvas marry among themselves. A few clans of pure Rijputs
occasionally take wives from Gaurava septs.
Towards Delhi they are said to be parti¬
cularly quarrelsome, but sturdy in build and clannish in disposition.
Hariobans, Hayobans, Haiha, or Haihaya.
Shown in map as j6.
This clan belongs to the Lunar race, and though small in num¬
bers, takes high rank among the Rajputs of the eastern districts of the
North-West Provinces.
The fabled ancestor of the clan was a mythical personage called
Sahasra Arjun, who, though at one time possessed of a thousand arms,
is said to have lost all but two in various encounters with Parashu
Rdma, the champion of oppressed Brahmans. Eighteen centuries ago,
the Hayobans clan was extremely powerful, and held all the eastern parts
of what is now known as the Central Provinces. There they founded
the cities of Maheshwati, Raipur, and Ratanpur, and furnished the latter
with a dynasty which ruled over Chhatisgarh for 32 generations and
only became extinct towards the end of the century, after having previ¬
ously been deposed by the Mahrattas.
The Hayobans of the North-West Provinces claim descent from a
band of emigrants, who left Ratanpur about i,ooo years ago under the
leadership of Chandra Got, and settled on the banks of the Gogra at
Mdnjhi in Saran, whence they undertook a number of successful ex¬
peditions against the aboriginal Cherus.
History and traditional origin. \ .
I wo hundred years later their descendants
moved to Behea in Shahabad, where they remained for five centuries.
In 1528, the head of the clan, Raja Bhopat Deo, or one of his sons,
violated a Brahman woman named Maheni, who belonged to the house¬
hold of their Parohit or family priest. Maheni is said to have burnt
herself to death, and when dying to have imprecated the most fearful
curses on the Hayobans race. Soon after this the clan left Behea,
crossed the Gogra, and settled near Haldi in Ballia. It is from this place
that the Hayobans Rijas derive their title. The place of Maheni’s
death is still pointed out under a pipal tree near the railway at Behea,
The swarthy complexions and non-Aryan features of the Hayobans
Rajputs have led many authorities to suppose that they are really ab¬
original Tamils ; but it is very improbable that they would be permitted
to retain the high place they hold among Chhatris were there any
doubts as to the purity of their origin.
8i
In the North-West Provinces, the Hayobans are found chiefly
„ , . in Ballia: they are also scattered in small
Geographical distribution.
numbers throughout the Shahabad district
of Behar. They number about 1,500 males.
The Hayobans intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Ujjainis (Ponwars).
Ujjainis (Ponwars).
Gaharwar.
Lautamiya.
Sakarwar.
Kakan,
Indauliya or Indauriya.
Shown in map as 37.
This clan is believed to be a degenerate offshoot of the Tonwars ,
and claims to have emigrated into the Agra
district from Indore.
History.
Geographical distribution.
The clan is practically confined to the
neighbourhood of Agra and has a male
population of nearly 3,000.
Indauliyas intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Baresari.
Baresari.
Bargujar.
Bargujar.
Chauhdn.
Chauhan.
Kachwdha.
Kachhwaha.
Jadu, JAdon,
AND JaDUBANSI.
Shown in map as 38.
A famous clan belonging to the Lunar race. It claims descent
from Yadu, son of Yayati, fifth in descent
Traditional origin. f rom Krishna, the tribal hero. Tod des¬
cribes the Yadu as “ the most illustrious tribe in Ind/'*
* Annals of Rajasthan.
II
82
From the legends of the clan it would appear that the first of the
Jadu settlements were at Indrapr^stha and Dwarika. After the death
of Krishna the Jadus were driven out of India, founded Ghazni in
Afghanistan, and ruled over the whole of that country and portions of
Central Asia, as far north as Samarkand. The pressure of Graeco-
Bactrian and Muhammadan invasions forced
t0 y them back into the Punjab, and at a later
period they were driven across the Sutlej into the Bikaneer desert, where
they established themselves at Jeysalmeer. In the Punjab the Jadus
are known as Bhdttis , but comparatively few are Hindus, the majority
having accepted IsHm, shortly after the early Muhammadan conquests.
A large number of the Musaimins of eastern Rdjput^na are of Jadu
descent, and are known locally as Khanzadas or Meos .
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces where the Jddons have nu¬
merous settlements, the clan is divided. One branch calls itself Jddu-
bansi , to distinguish it from the Jddons of the Dodb, who have lost status
through practising karao or widow-marriage, and through violating
Rajput custom by marrying intoTheir own clan. The latter state that
while Arjuna was escorting the ladies of Krishna’s family from Hastina-
Jadonand Jadubansi settlements pur to Dwarika, a number of them fell into
in Oudh and the N.-W. Provinces, {-fog hands of the Bhils. They were
recovered some months later, but owing to doubts as to the paternity
of their children, the latter were regarded as inferior, and it is from
them that the endogamous Jddons are descended.
Inferior Jddons are often called Bdgri , which is used as a term of
reproach. The Jddons of Bulandshahr are known as Chhokazada or
descendants of a slave girl. The Baresari a Jddon sub-division found
in the Agra district, say that they were given that title, which corres¬
ponds to Bahadur , by the Emperor Akbar, for their services at the
siege of Chitor. The Jasawat y another Jddon sub-division of the Agra
district, describe themselves as emigrants from Jeysalmeer and Jeypore.
The head of the Jddon clan in the North-West Provinces is the Awa
Raja of Jalesar in Etah.
The Jddons , Jadus and Jadubansis number 9,000 males in Rijput^na,
Geographical attribution. * nd are found chief b in J^^er, Jeypore,
Bhurtpur, and Kerowlee, where they furnish
the ruling family. In Oudh and the North-West Provinces they have a
male population of 35,000, of which 26,000 are Jddons , and 19,000
Jddubansi . They are found in the Bulandshahr, Muttra, Agra, Etah,
and Aligarh districts.
The principal septs of the clan are as follows
In Rajputana.
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces.
Jadus (o£ Kerowlee).
Chhokar.
Jarecha (of Kutch-Bhuj).
Baresari.
Mudecha.
Bargala.
Bitman.
Jaiswar.
Soha.
Jasdwat,
Sumecha (now Musalmans of Sind).
Porch.
Uriya.
Nara.
The Jddons of Rdjputdna and of the North-West Provinces both
worship Krishna, and are consequently of the Vaishnava sect. Jddons
who are not endogamous and who do not
Marriages. >•
practice widow marriage rank high in the
social scale, but those who have adopted these customs are held in low
estimation, and are in fact hardly recognized as Rdjputs by tribes
of purer lineage. Jddons intermarry with the following clan :—
Rajputana.
Oudh and the N.-W. Provinces.
Give daughters to
Take wives from
Give their daughters
to
Take wives from
Gahlot.
Solanki.
Tonwar.
*
Rathor.
Baghel.
Chauhan.
Kachwaha.
Ratlior.
Ponwar.
Jhalla.
Chauhan.
Gahlot.
Bargujar.
Parihar.
Gahlot.
Rathor.
Ka hwaha.
Chauhan.
- Same.
8 4
Jhalla.
Shown in map as 39.
The history of this clan is very obscure. According to Tod, it
must have emigrated into RAjputAna from Northern India at the invi¬
tation of the Sissodiya Rinas of Meywar.
Traditional origin and history.
They furnish the ruling family of the petty
State of Jhallawar, and owe their present high status as Rijputs to the
valour and heroism of their ancestors. '‘A splendid act of self-devotion
of the Jhalla chief when Rina Partab of Meywar was oppressed with
the whole weight of Akbar’s power, obtained, with the gratitude of this
Prince, the highest honours he could confer—his daughter in marriage,
and a seat on his right hand.”*
The Jhalla clan is found only in Rdjputclna, and is most numerous
in Meywar and Jhallawar. It has a male
population of 2,900.
Jhallas are Vaishndvas and worship
Krishna,
The clan is dvided into the following septs
Tribal divisions. Jhalla proper. | Makhwana.
Jhallas contract marriages with RAjputs of the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Jadu.
Jadu.
Riithor.
Rathor,
Kachwaha.
G ographical distribution.
Religion.
JanghAra.
Shown in map as 40.
The designation of this clan is said to be derived from the Persian
Jang , 'a battle/ and the Hindi hara 'defeated/ because the tribe under
Prithiraj Chauhan was defeated by ShahAb-ud-din Ghori in 1193.
This explanation, however, is denied by
Traditional origin. , , 7 J
most of the clan, who say that their tribal
name is a corruption of jang 'war/ and ahdra, a local word indicating
hunger, meaning '‘the men who hunger for war.”
* Annals of R£jasth£n.
*5
The Janghdras were originally a sept of the Tomars , from whom
they parted in disgust on the latter being conquered by Chauhans. They
claim to have entered Rohilkhund under the chieftainship of one Dh 4 pu
^ ^ Dhim whose love of fighting must have
lSt0ry ’ been proverbial to judge from the follow¬
ing couplet which is still sung by women of the clan :—
“ Below is earth, above is Rom,
Between the two fights Dhapu Dam.”
The settlement in Rohilkhund probably took place about the 15th
century. The traditions of the clan, however, point to an earlier occu¬
pation. The Janghdras of Bareilly state that they ejected the Gwalas
in 1388, and the Ahirs in 1405. The Katehriya Rajputs are said to
have been expelled from Rohilkhund by this clan. The Janghdras
have always been turbulent and warlike ; they should furnish the
army with some excellent recruits.
Janghara are found in the Bareilly, Budaun, and Shahjahanpur
districts of the North-West Provinces.
Geographical distribution. . . . .
They have a male population of over 10,000.
The clan is divided into two principal septs :—
Bhur Janghdras. \ Tarai Janghdras.
The Bhur sept ranks higher than the Tarai . The ancestors of the
latter are stated to have lost grade
Tribal divisions. i ir u c .
through alliances with women of their own
clan. This sept now practises karao or widow marriage, and has
consequently fallen in status.
Janghdras contract marriages with Rajputs of the folk
o win o'
clans :
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Pundir.
Pundir.
Katheriya.
Katheriya.
Chauhdn.
Bargala.
Katiyar.
Bais.
Gdhlot.
Bhale Sultan.
Tonwar.
Jais.
Bargujar.
Jaiswar.
JBhatti.
Jarauliya.
86
JanwAr.
Shown in map as 41 .
The derivation of the title of this clan is very doubtful, ft is
possibly connected with jdnwar ‘an animal/ in allusion to a curious
tradition that one of their earliest Rajas while hunting saw a wolf pick
up a child and carry it off to his den. The Raja pursued it, and after
having followed up the winding passages of the cavern for some time,
came suddenly upon an open space, where he saw a venerable fakir*
sitting with the infant on his knees. Recognizing that the wolf was
nothing less than a jogi t who had assumed
Traditional origin and history.
that form, the Raja prostrated himself
before him in silent reverence. In return for his religious conduct,
the holy man blessed him and his offspring, and promised that no wolf
should ever prey on a Janwars child. The blessing is said to have
retained its full efficacy to the present day.
The Janwars claim as their ancestors, two Chauhan Rajputs named
Suraj and Dasu, who emigrated into Oudh either from Balabgarh near
Delhi, or from the banks of the Nerbudda, soon after the fall of Kanouj
in 1194.
Dasu settled in a tract of country between Hardoi and Unao
whence his descendants established themselves all over the latter dis¬
trict. The Janwars of Unao were ever a bloodthirsty and unscrupulous
race, and added largely to their possessions by the forcible retention of
their neighbours’ property. Jasa Singh, the head of this portion of the
clan, was a notorious character in the Mutiny. On the breaking out of
disturbances he was the first to turn against us ; he seized the FatehgarR
fugi tives and sent them in as prisoners to the Nana at Cawnpore, and
his followers were prominent among those who opposed General Have¬
lock's force at Unao. There Jasa Singh was mortally wounded. One
of his sons was afterwards hanged, and the whole of his estates were
confiscated. The family is now extinct.
The descendants of Suraj, the joint founder of the clan, went
further north, crossed the Gogra, and settled in Bahraich and Gonda
towards the middle of the 14th century. One of the most famous mem-
* The term fakir is applied generally “ to all ascetic and mendicant orders both Hindu
and Muhammadan. Professed ascetics are called Sddhus if Hindus, and Pirs if Muham¬
madans. They live on alms, and have generally in their hands the custody of petty shrines,
the menial service of village temples and mosques, and the guardianship of village cemet¬
eries. They usually let their hair grow long, and many smear themselves with dust and
ashes.-—Ethnographical Handbook— Ciooke.
f jFogis are Hindu devotees “who among other tenets maintain the practicability of
acquiring even in life command over elementary matter by certain ascetic practices.”
bers of this branch was Bariar Sah, who in 1374 was a risalddr in the
service of the Emperor Firoz Tughlak, and one of the leading pioneers
of the Rajput colonization of Oudh. Early in the reign of Jahangir
(1605—1627) one of his descendants, named Balram Das, founded the
town of Balrampur. The Janwdr Rajas of Balrampur were always
noted for the success with which they resisted the exactions of the
Lucknow court. When the Mutiny broke out, the Janwdr Raja alone
of all the chieftains of the Gonda district never wavered in his alle¬
giance to the British, and showed his loyalty by sending a powerful escort
of his own followers, to protect the civil officers at Secrora who were
at the mercy of the mutinous sepoys. On their arrival at Bahrampur, he
removed them to his fort at Pathankot, and sent them thence under a
guard to Gorakhpur. This loyal behaviour exposed him to the attacks
of the rebels, but he proved too strong for them, and in the trans-Gogra
campaign which terminated the Mutiny, Raja Dirgbijai Singh joined the
British force with his tribal levy, and assisted in the final defeat and
dispersion of the mutineers on the Nepal border.
The Janwdr clan is only found in Oudh and the North-West Pro-
_ vinces. It has a male population of 12,000,
Geographical distribution. . 1 1 . 1
and is settled chiefly in the Lucknow
Unao, Sitapur, Hardoi, and Gonda districts.
The chief object of worship with the Janwdrs is Bhawani. Their
sacred place of devotion is Debi Pattan in
the Gonda district.
Religion.
Janwdrs intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Bais.
Raghubansi.
Dikhit.
Gargbansi.
Kanhpuriya.
Chandel.
ChamarGaur.
Gaur.
Surajbans.
Chauhdn.
Kalhans.
Raikwar.
Sirnet.
Pal war.
Chandauriya.
Biwar.
Ponwar.
Jadon.
88
KachwAha.
Shown in map as 42.
The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit kachchapa
‘ relating to a tortoise ' which animal was probably the tribal god or
totem. Their enemies the Rdthors used to taunt them by insinuating
that their name of Kachwaha was derived
Traditional origin.
from kusa, c grass because their swords
would cut no deeper than one of its blades. The Kachwdhas claim
descent from Kusha, son of Rama, King of Ajudhya, who is said to have
first settled at Rohtas on the Sone, whence his descendants emigrated
to Narwar in Western Bundelkhund.
In the 2nd century the Kachwaha princes of Narwar adopted the
affix of Pal , which appears to have been the ordinary title of a Rajput
in early times ; eight centuries later they changed this epithet for Singh.
In 967, Sora Singh, Raja of Narwar, expelled his son Dhola Rai, who,
after ejecting the Minas and Bargvjars, founded the principality of
Dhundur or Ambar, now known as Jeypore, which became the State
capital in 1728. A Kachwaha dynasty ruled over Narwar and Gwalior
up to 1129, when Raja Tejpal left Gwalior to marry a daughter of the
Raja of Deora, and was so charmed by her society that he never return¬
ed. He was succeeded by his Parihdr nephew Paramal, and is gen¬
erally described in Kachwaha annals as “ the bridegroom prince/'' in
allusion to the romantic circumstance
History.
which caused him to abandon his throne.
After an interval of several centuries the Kachwaha princes of Dhun¬
dur or Ambar reobtained possession of Narwar, through the marriage
of their daughters to the Muhammadan Emperors. They owed their
greatness, as others their decline, to the rise of the Mughal power.
Raja Baharmal of Ambar was the first Rajput chief who paid homage
to Islam. His son Bhagwandas was an intimate friend of the Emperor
Akbar, and his name is execrated among Rajputs for having sullied the
purity of the race by bestowing his daughter in marriage on a Musal-
man. She married Selim, Akbar's eldest son, who succeeded his father
on the imperial throne under the title of Jahangir. Bhagwandas was
succeeded by his famous nephew Man Singh, one of the most bril¬
liant characters of Akbar’s court, who with his Kachwaha clansmen
subjugated Assam and Orissa, and quelled a formidable insurrection in
Kabul. The Ulwar State which is ruled over by a Kachwaha dynasty,
is composed of petty principalities which till the middle of the last century
owed allegiance to Jeypore and Bhurtpur. Its independence only dates
from 1803, when it was recognized by Lord Lake for services rendered
in the Mahratta War.
Adventurers from the Kachwaha kingdom of Gwalior emigrated to
Jalaun, where they settled in the Madhugarh tahsil, which was formerly
known as Kachwahagarh . In 1656 the Jalaun settlement established
Kachwaha settlements in the colonies in Etawah. The Kachwahas of
North-West Provinces. Bulandshahr state that their ancestors
migrated from Narwar to Ambar and thence to the Doab. The Raja
of Rampur in Jalaun is the head of the clan in the North-West
Provinces. The Kachwahas of Muzaffarnagar call themselves Jhotiyana
and are connected with the Kachwahas of the Doab.
In Rajputana the Kachwahas number 68,000 males. They are
found in Ulwar, Jeypore, and the two districts of the latter known as
Shaikhawatti and Tonwarwatti.* In the
North-West Provinces their male popu¬
lation amounts to 31,000. They are found chiefly in the Muzaffarnagar,
Meerut, Muttra, Agra, Etawah, Cawnpore and Jalaun districts. The
latter furnished some of the finest soldiers of the old native army.
Kachwahas are of the Gautam gotra and worship Ram Chandra.
In Rajputana their favourite deities are Jamwahi Mata, Durga,
and Jinmata; Krishna and Hanuman are
also worshipped under the local names of
Gopinathji and Balaji respectively. The tortoise is an object of
veneration to the clan and was probably the tribal totem.
The Kachwaha clan is divided into the 12 following kotris of
‘chambers,’ each of which claims descent from one of the 12 sons of
Prithivi, who was Raja of Jeypore about 1600, during the reign of
Sikandar Lodi.
Geographical distribution.
Religion.
Chatarbhojot.
Kalyanot.
Nathawat.
Balbhadarot.
Khangarot.
Sultanot.
Pachaenot.
Gogawat.
Khumbaw^t.
Khambani.
Sheobaranpota.
Banbirpota.
The Kachwahas of a portion of Jeypore are known as Shaikhawats
and their country as Shaikhawatti. They were ruled formerly by a
confederacy of petty chieftains related to the Rajas of Jeypore, whom
they acknowledged as their suzerains. They give the following curious
account of the origin of their name. At the commencement of the
fifteenth century, their chieftain Mokulsinghji, who was childless, was
accosted one day by a Musalman fakir called Shaikh Burhan, who
1 fc
Also called Torawatti,
go
demanded alms. The Rajput courteously granted his request, and
watched him with astonishment, as he drew a copious flow of milk from
a female buffalo, whose udders were known to be exhausted. After
witnessing this occurrence, the old chief, satisfied that the fakir was a
worker of miracles, prayed that through his intercessions he might no
longer remain childless. In due time his prayer was granted, and his
wife bore him a son who was called Shaikhaji, in accordance with the
fakir's injunctions. It was further ordained by the Pir* that the
child and his descendants should wear Muhammadan clothing, abstain
from pork, and only eat the flesh of animals
The Shaikhawat Kachwahas. ,
hallated in the orthodox fashion by a
Musalman. Four centuries have passed since the occurrence of this in¬
cident, but the Shaikhdwats still reverence the memory of Shaikh Burhan,
and obey the majority of his precepts. During the early part of the
century Jeypore and Shaikhawatti suffered from the exactions of
Mahrattas and Pindaris. The country was given up to rapine and
bloodshed, and the inhabitants raided without scruple into the adjoining
British districts. In 1834 it became necessary to despatch an expedition
or the restoration of order, and the Shaikhawatti chiefs were called
upon to “ raise a corps of their own marauders, with which to keep
the peace.Two years later, this corps, which was led by
British officers, was transformed into a brigade of all arms, and after
rendering excellent service in Rajputana, greatly distinguished itself
in the Sutlej campaign, and behaved with conspicuous loyalty in the
Mutiny. In 1861 the Shaikhawatti battalion was numbered the 13th,
and became one of the regular regiments of the Bengal Army. After
an interval of some years, the corps has returned to its old recruiting
grounds, and is now chiefly composed of the sturdy Rajputs of
Shaikhawatti, Jeypore, and Ulwar.
Kachwahas intermarry with the following clans:—
In RAjp^tAna.
V
In Oudh and the North-West
Provinces.
Give their daugh¬
ters to
Take wives from
Give their daugh¬
ters to
Take wives from
Ahban.
Rathor.
Ponwar.
Ton war.
Chauhan.
Gaur
Hara.
Rathor.
Chauhan.
Solanki.
Bhadauriya.
Chamar-Gaur.
Hara
Jadon.
Pari her.
Sis >diya.
Jhalla.
Sisodiya.
Gautam.
Jadus.
Chandel.
Tonwa.
Bargujar.
Bais.
Dikh
* A Pir is a Mahammadan Saint,
f Historical Records of the Bengal Army— Carder.
9i
Although the Kachwahas under Man Singh performed prodigies of
valour in the service of the Mughals, they did not enjoy as high a repu¬
tation for courage as the Haras and Rathors. “This may be attributed
partly to their having succumbed to the enervating vices of the neigh¬
bouring court of Delhi, and still more to the degradations which they
suffered at the hands of the Mahrattas, to which they were more exposed
than their western brethren.”*
Traditional origin and history.
Kakan.
Shown in map as 43.
Very little is known regarding the history of this clan. The only in¬
formation they can give as to their origin is that they belong to the Suraj-
bans stock, and are descended from a Rajput adventurer named Ratan
Rai, who emigrated into the Ghazipur dis¬
trict from Fvzabad, sometime in the 16th
century, and expelled the aboriginal Bhars. The Kakan of Azamgarh
fix their original home at a place called Kapri Kedar, somewhere in the
west, and say that they overcome the Suiris.
Kdkans are found chiefly in the Ghazipur, Ballia, and Azamgarh
districts of the North-West Provinces.
They have a male population of about
6,coo.
The favourite deity of the Kdkans is
the goddess Durga, They are of the
Bhargu gotra.
Kakans contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans :—
Geographical distribution.
Religion.
Give their daughters to
Take wives f roni
Bais.
Raghuban;i,
Palwar.
Gautam.
Nandwak.
Ujjaini.
Hayobans.
Bisen.
Birwar.
Don war.
Singhel.
Sengar.
Karchuliya.
Narauni.
Udmattia.
Bais.
Kalhans.
Shown in map as 44.
The traditional explanation of the name of this clan is that one of
their Rajas used to pet a kdld bans , or ‘ black swan but it is more likely
that the kala bans was the tribal totem.
Traditional origin. The legendary ancestor of the clan was one
* Annals of Rajasthan—Toe?.
92
Sahaj Sah, who sometime in the 14th century took service under
Malik Ain-ud-din, the Muhammadan Governor of Oudh, and was given
estates in the Gonda district as a reward.
History.
At this time Gonda was ruled by an aboriginal Dorn Raja called
Ugrasen, who had the temerity to ask for the hand of Sahaj Sah’s
daughter in marriage. The Rajput dissembled his rage at the indignity
offered him, and pretended to comply ; but when the Dorn came with his
followers to claim the bride, plied them with liquor until they were
insensible, and then murdered them. After this the Dorn kingdom was
taken possession of by the Kalhans who also established Bisen and
Bandhalgoti settlements in their territories,
which were then very thinly populated.
The Kalhans dynasty ruled in Gonda" until the 16th century, when, after
a career of unbridled oppression, Raja Uchal Narayan Singh brought
destruction upon his family by outraging the daughter of a Brahman
called Ratan Pande. Unable to obtain any reparation, the Brahman sat
at the ravisher’s door for 21 days, refusing food of any kind, until death
put an end to his sufferings. His wife died at the same time from grief.
Before his spirit fled, he pronounced a curse of utter extinction on the
family of his oppressor, modifying it only in favour of the family of the
younger Rani, who had shown him some kindness, and to whom he
promised that her descendants, the present Rajas of Babhnipair, should
succeed to a small raj . The Brahman’s curse was fulfilled; a few
months later one of the branches of the Sarju changed its course, over¬
threw the Raja's fortress, carried away everything in indiscriminate
ruin, and left not a member of his household alive except the junior
Rani, who shortly afterwards gave birth to a son. After this the
Kalhans country was divided among a number of clans, and the Rija
ceased to have any political power.
The Kalhans clan is not found in Rajputana or the Punjab. In
. . Oudh and the North-West Provinces it
Geographical distribution.
has a male population of 12,000, and is
found chiefly in the Basti, Gonda, and Bahraich districts.
The Kalhans worship Durga or Debi. The tribal deity is Ratan
„ . Pande, the Brahman whom their ancestor
Religion.
oppressed. At marriages and deaths his
spirit is propitiated by the sacrifice of a he-goat.
93
The Kalhans intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Sirnet.
Sirnet,
Surajbans.
Surajbans.
Gautam.
Gautam.
Chauh&n.
Rajkumar.
Amethiya.
Bachhgoti.
Tilokchandi Bais.
Bisen.
Sombansi.
Bhale Sultan.
Janwar
Gargbansi.
Kanhpuriya.
Shown in map as 45.
The name of this clan is derived from Kanhpur, a village on the
road from Salon to Partabgarh in Oudh. The clan claims descent from
. . Kanh, the Kshatriya son of a Brahman saint
Traditional origin.
called Sachh, who married a daughter of the
great Gaharwar Raja Manik Chand.
The Kanhpuriyas belong to the same wave of Hindu emigration as
the Bais } and probably settled in Oudh about the 13th century, where
they are now very numerous and powerful. Kanh, as his mother’s heir,
succeed to the throne of Manik Chand ; but having married a girl of the
TT . Bats clan, he abandoned Manikpur to her
History. r
relations, and founded the village of Kanh¬
pur, which is now the principal seat of the tribe. Sahas and Rahas, the
sons of Kanh, increased their father's possessions by driving out the
Bhars, whose kings, the brother Tilohi and Biloki, they killed in battle.
The head of the clan is the Raja of Tiloki, a village named after one of
these Bhar heroes. During the reigns of the early Mughal Emperors the
Kanhpuriyas were engaged in constant petty warfare against their
neighbours the Sombansis , Bisens y and Bais, and against the Muham¬
madan Imperial officials. In the time of Aurangzeb, the Kanhpuriya
Raja Balbhaddra Singh served in the Mughal armies against the
Mahrattas and the Jat Raja of Bhurtpur, and is said to have brought
the Raja of Sattara, in an iron cage, before his Imperial master. For
these services he was created a Maniabdar of 5,000,
94
The Kanhpuriya clan is found only in Oudh. It has a male
population of 10,000, and is settled chiefly
in the Rai Bareli, Sultan pur, and Partab-
Geogranhical distribution.
Religion.
garh districts.
he special divinity of the Kanhpiiriyas is'Mahesha Rakshaha, the
buffalo-demon, to which they sacrifice
buffaloes at religious festivals, more espe¬
cially when a wedding or a birth takes place in the Raja’s family.
The clan is divided into the two fol¬
lowing branches, descended from Sahas
and Rahas respectively—
Tiloi. [ Kaithanla.
Tribal divisions.
Kanhpiiriya s intermarry with the following clans :—
Clive their daughters to
j Take wives from
1, .
1 ilokchandi Bais.
Bhale Sultan.
B:\ghel.
Bachhgoti.
Bisen.
Bisi'n.
Som bansi.
Bi khariya.
S1 j r .1 j bansi.
Bandhalgoti.
Chauhan.
Raghubansi.
S irnet.
Kath Bais.
Gargbansi.
Pal war.
Jan war.
Nandwak.
Karchuliya.
Shown in map as 46.
The name of this clan is derived from kar ‘a hand’, and chaldana
< to make use of.' The title Karchuliya was bestowed on them by the
Emperor Ala-ud-din Khilji in the 14th century, to mark his appreciation
of their valour at the siege of Chitor. According to Sherring* the
Karchuliyas are descended from the Sissodiyas of Hamirpur, who were
themselves an offshoot of the royal clan of
Traditional origin and history. . , . . .
Meywar. I hey are said to have settled in
the Ballia district about the 15th century, under the leadership of a
chieftain named Hem Sah. It would appear, however, from local enqui¬
ries, that the Karchuliyas, or Karchuli as they are more generally
called, are of the same stock as the Hayobans, In Rewah the Hayobans
are actually called Karchuli , and vice versa. This would make them
members of the Chandrabansi or Lunar race.
* Hindu Tribes and Castes.
95
Karchuliyas are found chiefly in the Ballia, Ghazipur, and Gorakh¬
pur districts of the North-West Provinces, also in the Rewah State.
„ . The clan is not a large one. but its exact
Geographical distribution.
numbers cannot be stated as they are not
recorded in the last Census Report.
Karchuliyas contract marriages with Rajputs of the following
clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Ujjaini.
Lautamiya.
Baghel.
Nikumbh.
(
Katheriya.
Shown in map as yy.
This clan derives its title from Kattiawar, which is regarded as
the cradle of the race. It is more probable, however, that it is really a
'corruption of Katehar , the ancient name of Rohilkhund.
The Katheriyas are supposed to have invaded Rohilkhund about
1174. The Kattiawar origin may be dismissed as a fable. It is pro¬
bable that they were originally settled in Benares and Behar, and that
they travelled up the Doab and invaded Rohilkhund from the west,
ejecting the aboriginal tribes. It is said that when Prithiraj Chauhdn
was reigning at Delhi, and Jai Chand
History. , .
Rathor at kanouj, a Rajput of the Suraj -
bans race was forced to fly from Benares. The exile settled in Katehar,
and from him are descended the Katheriyas. The murder of their Raja,
Bhim Sen, at Delhi, transferred the allegiance of the clan from the
Chauhdns to the Rdthors. In 1184, after the capture of Mahoba, Prithi¬
raj sent a force against the Katheriyas which was defeated. There
seems to have been a fresh influx of Katheriyas from Behar about 1339,
for in that year two Rajputs of Benares, named Bijairaj and Ajairaj,
entered Rohilkhund with their followers, and conquered and expelled
the Ahirs and Bhuinhars.
Katheriyas are found chiefly in the Etah, Bareilly, Budaun,
Moradabad, and Shahjahanpur districts of
Geographical distribution. North-West Provinces. They have
male population of 21,000.
96
Katheriyas contract marriages with Rajputs of the following
clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Kachwaha.
Ahban.
Bhadauriya.
Ponwar.
Chauh^n.
Janghara.
Baghel.
Chandel.
Janghara.
Gaharwar.
Katiyar,
Raikwar.
Nikumbh.
Bais.
Ujjaini.
Katiyar.
Shown in map as 48.
This clan is said to have derived its title of Katiyars or 1 slaugh¬
terers/ from the ruthless manner in which they massacred all who
ventured to oppose them, They claim to be of Tonwar origin. The
Katiyars of Etah state that they emigrated into the district from
Jullundur, about three centuries ago. The Katiyars of Hardoi give a
totally different account of their origin. They state that they came
u . t . .. into Oudh from Sonoriya in Gwalior, under
Raja Devi Datta, towards the end of the
16th century, and settled on the banks of the Ganges in Farukhabad.
Thence they fought their way westward, subduing all the aboriginal
tribes they encountered. The head of the clan is the Raja of Dharam-
pur in Hardoi. The Etah Katiyars belong to the Bharaddwaj )
those of Hardoi to the Vaiyagar gotra .
Katiyars are found in the Etah, Bulandshahr, and Hardoi districts
„ . of Oudh and the North-West Provinces.
Geographical distribution.
The clan is known to be a small one, but
its exact numbers cannot be stated, as they were not recorded at the
last census.
97
Katiyars contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Chauhans.
Bachhal.
Bhadauriyas.
Nikumbh.
Rathor.
Bais.
Sdmbansi.
Gaur.
Katheriya.
Janghara.
Kausiks.
Shown in map as 49.
The tribal title of this clan is said to be derived from the name of
their ancestor Kusha or Kushika, whose son Gadhi was the reputed
founder of Gadhipur, a town which has been identified with the modern
Ghazipur. It is possible, however, that
Traditional origin. „ . , * . , .
Kausik is simply a corruption of the
Sanskrit kushika, ‘ squint-eyed/ a nick-name applied to some members of
this race. The clan claims to be of Sombansi descent.
History.
The Kausiks held their sway in the south-east of the Ballia district
and were long notorious for their turbulent character. When Ballia be¬
came part or the British dominions, all the Kausik estates w ere sold up
for arrears of revenue, and the clan acquir¬
ed an evil reputation for insubordination,
and the perpetration of violent crimes. During the disturbances of
1857-58, they gave much trouble. After the suppression of the Mutiny,
arrangements were made for the restoration of the Kausik lands to their
former owners, compensation being paid to existing proprietors. The
transfer has been attended with the happiest results. The Kausiks are
now among the most loyal and peaceful of the eastern Rajputs.
About 1350, a band of Kausik settlers from Baragaon in Ghazipur,
established themselves under Raja Dhur in Gorakhpur, whence they
pushed out colonies into Azamgarh and Basti. The Raja of Gopalpur
in Gorakhpur is now the head of the clan.
13
98
Kausiks are now found chiefly in the Ballia, Gorakhpur, and
Azamgarh districts of the North-West Pro-
Geographical distribution. . f
vinces. 1 hey have a male population or
nearly 10,000.
In ancient times the favourite god of the Kausiks was Indra.
They now worship Debi, and sacrifice a he-goat to her annually, and at the
births of sons. The clan takes its Gurus
gi ° ' or spiritual guides from a sect of mono¬
theists, peculiar to Ghazipur, called the Bheka Shahi. The name of
the tribal gotra is the same as that of the clan.
Kausiks contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Hayobans.
Hayobans.
Ujjaini.
Ujjaini.
Nikumbh.
Nikumbh.
Raghubansi.
Raghubansi.
Sirndt.
Bais.
Bisen.
Sengar.
Gautam.
Palwar.
Surajbansi.
Barwar.
Drigbansi.
Kin war.
Chauhan.
Karchuliya.
Gahawar.
Donwar.
Khichar.
Shown in map as go.
The title of this clan is probably derived from Khichidara, the
original home of Deogaj Singh, the founder of the race, who is said tc
have settled at Asothar in Fatehpur about 1543, and married the daughter
of the Raja of Aiihi. to whose possessions he afterwards succeeded.
The next member of the clan to attain any celebrity was one Aram
99
Singh, who after having been unjustly deprived of his property, became
History and traditional origin. a weaIth y man through the miraculous dis¬
covery of a hidden treasure while ploughing.
His successor Bhagwant Rai organized a successful insurrection
against one of the Muhammadan Emperors, but was finally killed by
treachery in 1760. A few years later the Khichars were deprived of
their possessions by Asaf-ud-daula, the Nawab Wazir of Oudh, who
however gave the Raja a small pension to compensate for his losses.
On the cession of the Fatehpur district to the British, the Raja was
guaranteed the continuance of the pension, and the guarantee wa s
ratified in 1805 by a sanad which fixed the grant at Rs. 7,500 per
annum, and declared it to be hereditary. The Khichar clan, which
once ruled a great portion of Fatehpur, is now reduced to a very low
ebb, and retains next to nothing of its once extensive possessions. The
head of the tribe is the Raja of Asothar.
Khichars are found chiefly in the Banda and Fatehpur districts
... of the North-West Provinces. They have
Geographical distribution. . J
a male population of about 2,000.
Khichars are inclined to Shakta worship, Debi being their prin-
. cipal goddess. They also appear to have
two local deities, Bajpharkarha Baba and
Gharram Baba. They are of the Gauta?n gotra ,
Khichars contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans:
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Tilokchandi Bais.
Bisen.
Rathor.
Kath-Bais.
Bhadauriya.
Sombansi.
Bisen
Chande.
Amethiya.
Dikhit.
Sombansi,
Surkhi.
Kachhwaha.
Gautam
Bargujar.
Sengar.
Gautam.
Surkhi.
Dikhit.
Kinwar.
Shown in map as 5/.
The title of this clan is said to be a corruption of the word Dankin ,
the name of a river near the early home of the race. They claim to be
xoo
of Dikhit origin, and state that they are descendants of R£ja Man
Dikhit who lived at Manchatur Asthan on the Jumna, and established
a kingdom at Padampur in the Carnatic. Two cadets of the family
took service, one with the Gaharwar Raja,
Traditional origin and history.
of Benares, the other with a Uautam
Bhuinhar. Each married a daughter of his patron. The descendants
of the former are the Kinwar Rajputs, while those of the latter are the
Kinwar Bhuinhars. Before accepting a recruit from this clan it should
be ascertained by careful enquiry whether he is a Rajput or a Bhuinhir,
as the latter are very fond of passing themselves off as the former.
Geographical distribution.
Kinwars are found in the Ballia, Gorakhpur, and Azamgarh districts
of the North-West Provinces, but are most
numerous in Shahabad and other portions
of Behar. They have a male population of about 4,000.
The favourite Kinwar divinity is the goddess Parrneshwari Debi,
to whom they sacrifice a he-goat on the
last day of the month of Sawan. They
are of the Kassyap gotra.
Religion.
Kinwars contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Barwar.
Barwar.
Ujjaini.
Ujjaini.
Nikumbh,
Nikumbh.
Bisen (of Deorhi).
Bisen (of Deorhi).
Hayobans.
Hayobans.
Karchuliya.
Karchuliya.
Sengar.
SengJ•
Bais.
Bais.
Kausik,
Kausik.
Sirnet
Mahrawar.
R£jkumar.
Sarwdr.
Surajbansi.
G&harwdr.
Monas.
101
LautAmiya.
Shown in map as 32.
Very little is known of the history of this clan, and no explanation
is obtainable as to the derivation of their tribal name. Their origin is
doubtful, and they are said to rank low among Rajputs. Their former
possessions, which at one time included a considerable portion
of the Ballia district, have passed into the hand of the Maharaja of
Dumraon. Many of the clan, however, still hold a good deal of land as
. lessees of the Raja, and owing to the pe-
Traditional origin and history. . r
culiar productiveness of the soil, have
acquired considerable wealth.
They are a sturdy independent race generally of fine physique,
and addicted to frays and feuds of a serious character. Not many
years ago the clan had the reputation of being closely associated with
certain gangs of dacoits and robbers; they nevertheless furnish the
army with some excellent soldiers.
Lautamiyas are found chiefly in the Ballia and Ghazipur
of the North-West Provinces,
Geographical distribution.
bhahabad and other portions of
They have a population of about 3,500 males.
districts
also in
Behar.
Religion.
addwdj gotra.
The favourite divinity of Lautamiyas is
the goddess Debi. They are of the Bhar-
Lautamiyas ' contract marriages with Rajputs of the following
clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Tilaunta.
Tilaunta.
Dhekaha.
Dhekaha.
Kachhaniya.
Kachhaniya.
Mahror.
Shown in map as jj.
The name of this clan is derived from Mehra ) zkahar or pdlki bearer.
They profess to be descended from Shiuraj Singh, a Kshatriya adven¬
turer who settled in Oudh in the 15th century under the protection of the
102
great Bats Raja Tilok Chand ; it is however very doubtful whether they
have any real claim to be considered Rajputs. According to tradition,
Tilok Chand was defeated on a certain occasion by his Musalman
enemies, and would have been killed but for the heroic devotion of his
dooly-bearers, who beat off his assailants
Hlstory ’ after his military followers had fled. As a
reward for their valour, the Raja changed their name from Mehra to
Mahror , and gave them the status of Rajputs, because on that day
“his Rajputs became women and his Kahars Rajputs/’ This anecdote
affords a striking example of how low-grade tribes, in spite of the
restrictions of caste, have occasionally risen from their humble estate
and obtained admittance into the Kshatriya or military order. Mahrors
should rarely be enlisted, as they are looked down upon by Rajputs of
purer descent.
Mahrors axe. found chiefly in the Unao and Ghazipur districts of
Oudh and the North-West Provinces.
Geographical distribution. . , . f , .
s v They have a male population ot about
2,000.
Tribal divisions. The clan is divided into two septs:—
Mahror proper. Gamel.
The Gamels are descendants of a Mahror father by an Ahir woman.
Mahrors contract marriages with members of the following clans
o o
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Gahlot.
Gahlot.
Janwar.
Janwar.
Monas.
Shown in ?nap as $4.
The title of this clan is derived from the natne of their gotra, Maun ,
which is peculiar to themselves. They claim to be the descendants of
emigrants from Ambar in Rdjput^na who settled at Bhadohi in the
Mirzapur district about 600 years ago, after expelling the aboriginal
Bhars. The founder of the clan was Sagar Rai, the father of three sons,
who at their parent’s death divided his property. A grandson of Sagar
Rai, named Jodh Rai, obtained a zamindari sanad from the Emperor.
Shah Jahan, but was killed not long afterwards, by the Governor of
Allahabad. Upon this, the Emperor is said to have given a fresh sanad
io3
to Jodh Rai’s widow, who delegated the management of her estates to a
~ ,. t . ... . .« relative of her husband's named Madan
Singh, The latter, in the usual fashion,
robbed his employer, and in course of time came to be regarded as the
actual head of the clan. On his death the zamind&ri was divided among
his sons. The Monas seem to have been a quiet, contented, and law
abiding race. About 1743 during the reign of the Emperor Muhammad
Shah, Jaswant Singh, a cadet of the principal Mona family, ousted
the rest of his kinsmen, and proclaimed himself Rija. He was support¬
ed in these proceedings by Muhammad Khan Bangash, the Afghan
Governor of Allahabad, who had married one of his sisters. About 1739
he was attacked by Ban Singh, one of the relations whom he had
robbed, supported by the Rdja of Partabgarh, who captured his fort
at Suridnwin, and carried him off as a prisoner. The Rija of Partab¬
garh had meanwhile become security for the payment cf the annual
revenue due from the Bhadohi estates. Arrears, however, rapidly
accumulated, and in 1748 the property passed into the hands of
Balwant Singh the R£ja of Benares, who in return paid up the claims
of the Imperial officials. After various disputes with the Naw^bs of
Oudh, Balwant Singh was confirmed in the possession of Bhadohi by
Shuja-ud-Daula in 1756. On the rebellion of Balwant Singh's son
Chet Singh, in 1781, his estates passed under British control. Bhadohi
now forms part of the family domains of the Maharaja of Benares. In
1857 the Monas assisted the rebels, for they had not forgotten how
they had been expelled from their lands in the previous century, and
they naturally looked upon the Mutiny as a favourable opportunity for
the resumption of their former possessions.
Monas are found in the Allahabad, Jaunpur, and Mirzapur districts
„ . of the North-West Provinces.
Geographical distribution. ,
have a male population of 7,6.00.
Monas contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans:—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
G dharwdr.
Bais.
Bachhgoti.
Bi ^dn.
Sombansi.
Bndn wdg.
Bilkhariya.
Baghel.
Palwdr.
Chandel.
Gargbansi.
The Monas of Bhadohi rank higher than the rest of the clan,
and occasionally intermarry with tribes of higher grade.
NandwAk.
Shown in map as 55.
The title of this clan is derived from the name of their ancestor
NAun Rao, a Kachwaha Rajput of Ulwar, who left his home early in the
16th century, on a pilgrimage to Gaya, and was attacked while passing
through the Jaunpur district by the Bhars. With the aid of the Governor
of Oudh, he expelled them, and established his authority over two per-
gunnahs which he named after Mandil GopAl and Barsathi, two Rishis
or Hindu saints, reverenced by himself and
Traditional origin and history.
his son. The Nandwaks built forts all
over the Jaunpur district, which were either destroyed or captured by
R 4 ja Balwant Singh of Benares during the last century. On the district
passing into the hands of the British, the Nandwaks were given back
their former possessions, but were unable to retain them, and their
land is now chiefly in the hands of Musalman officials.
Nandwaks are found on the Azamgarh, Jaunpur, and Mirzapur
districts of the North-West Provinces.
Geographical distributin .
The clan is a small one, and only numbers
about 5,000 males.
Religion.
Nandwaks mostly worship Mahabir and
Dtirga. They belong to the Kassyap gotra .
Nandwaks contract marriages with RAjputs of the following
clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Sombansi
Kath-Bais.
Drigbansi.
Chandel.
Rdjkumar.
Rdjkumdr.
NAnwag.
Shown in map as 56,
Very little is known of the history of this clan. They are possi-
. . . . bly connected with the Nandwaks. It is
Traditional origin and history. t . .
stated by Sherring that they settled in
105
Jaunpur in the middle of the last century with the sanction of R 4 ja
Balwant SingH of Benares.
Geographical distribution.
The Ndnwdg clan is practically restricted
to the Jaunpur district of the North-West
Provinces. It has a population of about 4,000 males.
Religion.
Ndnwdg s worship Debi. They are of
the Kausil gotra.
Ndnwags contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Bachhgoti.
Drigbansi.
Surwdr.
Surwdr.
S6nwdn.
Gautam.
Rathor.
Nikumbh.
Shown in map as 57.
The title of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit Nikhumhha ,
the * croton plant,’ The traditional ancestor of the clan was Kuvalayasva,
one of the Solar kings of Ajudhya, who having conquered the demon
Dhunda, acquired the title of Dhundumdri, and gave his name to
the country called Dhundhar or Jeypore.
Traditional origin and history. ,. . , . . ,
Here his descendants remained and were
known as Nikhumbhas. They appear to have been among the earliest
Aryan settlers in Rajputdna, and on being driven out of Ulwar and
Jeypore about 1450, settled in Oudh. It is stated by some authorities
that they are Kachwdhas\ this is probably a mistake, though it is
likely enough that they served the Kachwdhas after the latter had
taken possession of Jeypore. The Farrukhabad colony was established
towards the end of the 12th century by two Nikumbh adventurers
from Oudh called Man and Sahnfj, who were invited by the Raja of
Kanouj to expel the aboriginal Bhars. Their descendants rendered
valuable assistance to the Sombansi Raja of Sandi, who conferred on
them the title of Nikumbh or Nek-kdm, ‘ good service.’ The Sir net
clan is generally considered to be of the same stock as the Nikumbhs.
14
io6
The Nikumbhs are no longer found in Rajputina and the Punjab.
In the North-West Provinces they have a
male population of 8,000, and are settled in
the Farrukhabad, Jaunpur, Ballia, Azamgarh, and Hardoi districts.
Geographical distribution.
Religion.
principal divinity.
The Nikumbhs are inclined to Shakla
worship, the goddess Debi being their
Nikumbhs intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
o
• <r~*
U
- 4 -»
V)
*5
C *1
1-4 *
<D
IT
a
W
f Bisdn
Bais.
[ Digbansh
Harihoban.
Chauh4n.
Raghubansi.
Surajbansi.
Ujjaini.
Rajkumar.
o
u
rt
X
.
C 1
re
rC
re
rS=.
3
Chauhdn.
Bhadauriya.
Chandel
Ponwar.
Katiyar.
Bachhal.
t Sengar.
<0
U-*
Sombansi.
Vi
o
f Bais.
Barwar.
Gautam.
Kausik.
Sengar.
tn
•5
c •{
u Donwar.
4 —'
V)
a
w
Harihobans.
Gaharwar.
Ujjaini.
Raghubansi.
f Gaur.
*2 Bais.
CtJ
^ Dhakre.
c
-i Gaharwar.
T 3
K
re
-c
3 *
3
w.
Ui
03 i
tu, 1
■ anwar.
Sombansi.
I Ahban.
Parihar.
Shown in map as 58.
The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit Parinara )
_ . ‘repelling.’ It is one of the agnicular or fire
Traditional origin. 0
tribes, an account of the origin of 'which
will be found on page 111 under the heading pf Ponwar.
The founder of the race is said to have established himself at
Mandawar in Marwar, which was the ancient capital of the Parihars .
In 1194 the Rat ho r refugees from Kancuj found an asylum in Parihar
territory, but treacherously repaid the hospitality of their hosts by
History.
driving them out of their homes. A Parihar dynasty ruled over Gwalior
from 1129 to 1211. In 1196 the Gwalior
fortress was captured by Kutub-ud-din
Aibeg, but was retaken by the Hindus who held it till 1232, when the
Parihar dynasty became extinct. The story of how Paramal, the
Parihar nephew of Tejpal, (the Kachwaha Rdja of Gwalior) obtained
his uncle's throne, has already been given on page 89. The Parihdrs
say that they preceded the Chandels and Baghels in Bundelkhund and
Rewah.
There is a large Parihar colony in the Etawah district. They
inhabit the intricate and inaccessible network of ravines that abuts on
the Pdnchnadi or confluence of the Jumna, Chambal, Kdli-Sindh, Ku£ri,
and Pahuj. On the defeat of Aningpdl of Delhi, in the nth century,
the head of the clan, Sumit Rai, fled with his followers into this wild re¬
gion, to which he gave the name of Parihdra. The Parihdrs of the Dodb
Parihar settlements in Oudh have always been lawless and desperate,
and the North West Provinces. J n ear ]y days of the British dominion
they were notorious thugs and robbers, but the reputation of the clan
has now much improved, and they have recently increased in impor¬
tance through judicious marriages with Sengars and Chauhans. The
Parihars of Unao claim to be emigrants from Kashmir who settled in
Oudh in the reign of Humayun. The eastern Parihdrs are probably
colonists from the Dodb. The head of the clan in the North-West Pro¬
vinces is the self-styled R£ja of Malhajini in Etawah.
In Rajputana the Parihar clan is scattered and of little importance.
They number nearly 6,000 males and are found chiefly in Marwar and
Bikaneer. In Oudh and the North-West
Provinces they have a male population of
16,000, with settlements in the Agra, Etawah, Cawnpore, Hamirpur,
Jhansi, Jalaun and Unao districts.
Geographical distribution.
Religion.
In Rajputana the tribal divinities of the
Parihars are Gajan-mata, Chaonda-mata
and Lakhminath. In the North-West Provinces they mostly worship
Debi.
The principal Parihar septs are as follows: —
Parihar proper.
Ramawat.
Lulapota.
Juda.
Nadhat.
io8
Parih&rs intermarry with the following clans :—
In Rdjputdna.
In Qudh and the North-West Provinces.
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Give their
daughters to
Take wives rom
Rathor.
Bhatti.
Chauhan.
Chanddl.
J6dus.
Gahlot.
Rathor.
Gautam.
Kachwdha.
Rathor.
Kachwaha.
Dikhit.
Chauh&n.
Bhadauriya
Chauhdn.
Solanki.
Jaddn.
Kachwaha.
•
Ponwar.
Baghel.
Bais.
Raikhwar.
Jaiswar.
Nikumbh.
Gaharwar.
Sdngar.
Gaur.
Parihdrs are as a rule tall handsome men with athletic figures.
Tribal characteristics. In RdjpiitSna the X show special preference
for service in the cavalry. The Raj put^na
Parihdr differs from other Rajputs of that country in that he will not
eat pig.
Palwar.
Shown in map as $g.
The title of this clan is derived from Pali, a village in Hardoi
from which they are said to have emigrated about 600 years ago into
Fyzabad, They claim as their ancestor a Sombansi adventurer named
Pithraj Deo, whose descendants established a colony In Azamgarh early
in the 14th century. The Sombansis of Pali deny all connection with
the Palwars , and the latter have consequently invented a story that
io9
their ancestors came from Pali near Delhi, once the seat of a Sombansi
dynasty. The Palwars were a brave and
Traditional origin and history. . , ,
turbulent race, they had no Raja, but
the different branches of the clan always united for the achievement
of a common purpose. From their forts at Narani and Chahora on
the Gogra they levied blackmail from all comers, and defied the
efforts of the Lucknow Government to reduce them to order. When
Oudh was annexed, they showed unmistakable hostility towards the
British, and on the outbreak of the Mutiny, broke into open rebellion,
plundering and fighting in Fyzabad, Azamgarh, and Gorakhpur.
When the European fugitives from Fyzabad were escaping in boats
down the Gogra, they were stopped at Narani by Udit Narayan
Singh, the eldest son of the Palwar chief and were insulted and
robbed by his followers. On reaching Chahora, the fort occupied by
Madho Parshad, another Palwar leader, they received some show of
hospitality, and were handed over to an escort supplied by Maharaja
Man Singh. For the offence above mentioned, Udit Narayan Singh
was subsequently tried, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
Madho Parshad Singh, whose conduct at the outset was good,
was the first to unfurl the standard of rebellion. Assembling his clan,
he plundered the town of Manori, and attacked Azamgarh. The Palwars
then passed over into Gorakhpur and joined the rebel Nazim in that
district. Here they were defeated by our Gurkha allies under Jang
Bahadur. While en route to Lucknow, the latter attacked the small
fort of Berozpur in Fyzabad, which was bravely held by 34 Palwars who
were all killed at their posts. On the re-occupation of Fyzabad, the
Palwar chiefs postponed their surrender till the very last moment, but
the only one ever called to account for his misdeeds was Udit Narayan
Singh, to the circumstances of whose case allusion has dready been
made.
Palwars are found in the Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, and Fyzabad
districts of Oudh and the North-West
Geographical distribution. _ .
Provinces. I hey have a male population
of 9,800.
Palwars have much the same prejudices as the S 6 mbansis. They
Religion. worship snakes and during the month of
July they abstain from milk, give up wash¬
ing and shaving, and lie on the bare ground. They belong to the
Baydgar gotra .
I 10
Palwars contract marriages with members of the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Rajkumar.
Nikumbh.
Raj war.
Donwar.
Bachhgoti.
Barwar.
Gargbansi.
Chanddl.
Kanhpuriya.
Raghubansi.
Bhald-Sultan.
Bais.
Surajbansi.
Sombansi.
Raghubansi.
Ponwar, Panwar, Pramar or PuAr.
Shown in map as 60.
The name of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit Pramara ) or
‘ first striker’. It was the most powerful of the agnicular or fire tribes.
The legend of their origin is very curious. In ancient times the Brah¬
mans were sorely persecuted by demons, who in spite of the sanctity
of Mount Abu, desecrated their shrines, extinguished the sacrificial
flames, and rendered their offerings impure. The harassed Rishis
persevered, however, and reassembling round the cigni-kunda* rekindled
the sacred fire, and prayed to Mahadeo for assistance. The god at
once gave ear to their supplications, and there issued from the flames
a figure of peaceful mien whom the Brahmans appointed guardian
of the gate, hence his name of Prilhi-ka-dwara or Parihara ) 1 earth’s
door.’ After fresh invocations to the gods, a second figure came out
of the fire, and being fdrmed in the chalu ) or palm of the hand, was
Traditional origin. called Chalukya. A third figure appeared in
the same manner who was called Pramdra
or‘first striker/ as he was the first to go forth against the demons,
who, however, proved too strong for him. At the fourth incantation
* The Agni-kunda was the altar on which was kindled the agni or sacred flame.
111
a terrible figure emerged from the fire, lofty in stature, fierce in
aspect, clad in armour, and four armed, hence his name Chauhdn.
hortified with the blessings of the Brahmans, the latter was again des¬
patched against the powers of darkness, and this time prevailed. He
slew their leaders, and pursued the vanquished demons to the nethermost
depths of hell. Such is the mythical origin of the four agnicular or fire
tribes ; they were in all probability really Scythian mercenaries who
assisted the Brahmans against tlieir own people, and obtained recogni¬
tion as Kshatriyas as a reward for their services to Hinduism.
The glory of the Ponwars has departed, but they cherish the
memory of their former greatness At one time the clan ruled over the
whole of India from the Sutlej to the sea. There is an ancient saving
Histor y t that “ the world is the Pramars They
were predominant in Rajasthan at the time
of Alexander’s invasion, who found in their Raja, Chandragupta, one.
of his stoutest opponents. Their principal cities were Dhar, Ujjain
Chitor, Abu, and Chandravati. The Praindrs or Pudrs were expelled
from Chitor about 714 by the Gahlots. Their traditions now seem to
centre round Dhar, the Raja of which is a member of the tribe.
Ponwar colonies are scattered all over Oudh and the North-West
Provinces. They settled in Agra and Bulandshahr after their expul¬
sion from Ujjain by Shahab-ud-din Ghori in 1193. The Unao settle¬
ment dates from the time of Akbar, who gave the Ponwnrs land in the
district as a reward for their services at the siege of Chitor. From
Oudh they spread into Gorakhpur, where they dispossessed the Bisens.
The Ponwars settled extensively in Cawn-
Ponwar settlements in Oudh
and the North-West Provinces. pore, Azamgarh, and Ghazipur, where they
are known as Ujjainis. The head of the
Ujjainis is the Raja of Dumraon. The Ujjainis of Cawnpore profess
to be the descendants of Sur Sah Ponwar of Ujjain, who settled in the
district by invitation of his relative Jai Chand, the Rdthor Raja of
Kanouj, and drove out the aboriginal Bhars.
There is an inferior branch of the clan called Khidmatiya or Chobdar
which is of servile origin as indicated by its name, and descended from
a low caste woman. No high caste Hindu will eat anything touched by
them. It is stated that a thousand men of this sept formed the Emperor
Akbar's bodyguard, and though formerly notorious for their roguery,
were transformed by Mughal discipline into reliable household troops.
112
The Pomvars of Lalitpur and Banda are still somewhat addicted to
dacoity, and are described by Sleeman as “ needy, proud as Lucifer,
and always ready to eke out their means by robbery.”*
In Rajputana and the adjoining districts of the Punjab, the Ponwar
males number 24,000. They are found chiefly in Marwar, Meywar, Dhol-
pur, Jhindand Rohtak. The Ponwars of Dholpur, though numerous, have
lost some of the characteristics of true Rajputs, through association with
Jats and Bundelas. In Oudh and the North-
Geographical distribution. \xr t. n , jr .. . •
West Provinces, the Ponwar and Ujjaini
population amounts to 45,000 males. They are found chiefly in the
Meerut, Agra, Farukhabad, Moradabad, Shahjahanpur, Cawnpore, Ban¬
da, Lalitpur, Jaunpur, Ballia, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Unao, Sitapur,
Hardoi, Fyzabad, and Shahabad districts. A few Ponwars are also found
in Central India and Guzerat.
In Rajputana the favourite Ponwar divinity is Gajanmata. In
Religion. Oudh and the North-West Provinces
Ponwars workship Debi or Durga,—the
favourite god of most Rajputs.
Ponwars are divided into the following septs:—
In Rajputana, Central India and Guzerat.
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces.
Ponwar proper.
Soda.
Sankla.
Umeih (Central India).
Dhar Ponwar.
Raj Ponwar.
Ujjaini.
Khidmatiya h . , . . , ,
(an interior branch by a
or Chdbdar ) low Caste woma n*
Mulshi.
Solora.
Jaip&l.
Kargoah.
Kabbha.
Dor.
Bhail.
1
► (Guzerat).
* A Journey through the Kingdom of Oudh.
Ponwars and Ujjainis intermarry with the following clans :—
In RAjpt5tAna.
In Oudh, the North-West Provinces,
and Bhojepore.*
Give their daughters
to
Take wives from
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Kachwaha.
Gaur.
Rathor,
Gahlot.
Chauhan.
Solanki.
•-
Pari liar.
Jhalla.
Gahlot.
Chuhan.
Tonwar.
Rathor.
Rathor.
Chauhan.
Sombansi.
Kachwaha.
Dikhit.
"B isen.
Sirnet.
Rajkumar.
w
g Surajbans.
Raghubausi.
a
w Sikarwar.
Kalhans.
^Hariyobans.
Chamar-Gaui *
Nikumbh.
Raghubans/'.
Janwar.
Raikwar.
Ahban.
Gaharwar.
"Dikhit.
Nikumbh.
Barwar.
Hariyobans.
“T Kinwar.
0
a
CQ Raghubansi.
Sengar.
Sakarwar.
^Chanddl.
PUNDIR OR PURIR.
Shown in map as 61 .
This clan belongs to the ancient Dahima race, one of the 36 royal
tribes, of which Tod says : “ Seven centuries have swept away all re¬
collection of a tribe which once afforded one of the proudest themes
for the song of the bard/' The Pundirs were the most powerful
vassals of the Chauhans of Delhi, and at one time held the Lahore
frontier for Pirthiraj. The original home of the Punjab Pundirs
was Thanesar, and the country between Karnal and Umballa. They
were eventually dispossessed by the Chauhans under Rana Har Rai
# Bhojepore is a portion of the Shahabad district of Behar.
15
History.
and for the most part fled across the Jumna. The Pundirs of the Doab
state that their ancestors were emigrants
from Saharanpur. Their chief settlement
was in Aligarh. The Pundirs are described as a fine hardy race, and in
former times were much given to helping themselves from the property
of their neighbours. Confident in their power of combination, the
Pundirs used to resist the police and revenue authorities by open force.
They are still notorious cattle lifters, and are equally distinguished by
their pride. In the famine of 1860-61, they preferred to die in their
homes, rather than accept relief. The. Pundirs of Aligarh under their
leader Thakur Kundan Singh, were conspicuously loyal in the Mutiny.
They protected the Tahsildar of Sikandra Rao, and overawed the Mu¬
hammadan population of that town. In the end of August 1857, Kundan
Singh having been made Nazim of the tahsil y occupied Sikandra Rao with
1,500 followers, reinstated the Tahsildar y and maintained him in that
position till British authority was restored. He was rewarded by the
grant of two villages.
Pundirs are found in the Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, and Et-
Geographical distribution. awah districts, and have a male population
of 1 7,000.
Religion. Pundirs are mostly Shiva worshippers.
Pundirs contract marriages with members of the following clans:—
Give their daughters to
Ba gujar.
Janghara.
Ton war.
Chiuhan.
Jatu.
Pon war.
Indauliya.
1 ahlot.
Kachhwaha.
Take wives from
Bargrijar.
Janghara.
Tnnwar.
Chauhan.
Jatu.
Ponwar.
Indauliya.
Raghubansi.
Shown in map as 62.
This clan claims to be descended from Raghu, one of the Suraj-
bans kings of Ajudhya. The Raghubansis of the Doab say they came
from Ajudhya, with Kusha, son of Rama. Those of the Benares district
describe themselves as descendants of Deo Kumar who married a
daughter of Raja Banar, a celebrated ruler of Benares. The Ghazipur
colony is said to have settled there about 1543, during the reign of the
Emperor Sher Shah. At the permanent settlement of Bengal in 1791, the
Raghubansis were large landowners in Benares, but our revenue system
History. and the growing desire of bankers, mer¬
chants and lawyers to acquire land, has led
to the loss ot a considerable portion of their ancestral possessions. “ They
remain for the most part a proud aristocracy of cultivating tenants, ever
with a dangerously envious eye to the paternal estates, the possession
of which, however originally acquired, has been legalized according
to their ideas, far more completely than any decree of an alien judge
can the usurper’s. They are a very fine race and would make excel¬
lent soldiers but for the fact that many are bhagat ) i.e ., vegetarians,
which takes away from their military value. The outward sign of a
bhagat is the red tilak or forehead mark.
Raghubansis are found in the Benares, Mirzapur, Jaunpur,
Ghazipur, Azamgarh, and Sultanpur ais-
Geographical distribution r T ,, , „
tricts of Oudh and the North-West Pro¬
vinces. They have a male population of 32,000.
Raghubansis mostly worship Rama. They are of the Kassyap
golra, but some of their communities profess
Religion. ,
to beiong to the Vasisht.
Raghubansis contract marriages with members of the following
clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Bachhgoti.
Nikumbh.
Rajkumar.
Chaupat Khambh.
Rajwar.
Birwar.
Sirnet.
Nanwag.
Kahnpuria.
Chand^l.
Bandhalgoti.
Bisen.
Palwar.
Gaharwar.
Monas.
* Gazetteer of the North-West Provinces.
n6
Raikwars.
Shown in map as 6j.
The title of this clan is derived from Raika, the name of a village
in the Kashmir hills near Jummoo, which is claimed as the original home
of the tribe.
The Raikwars belong to the Solar race, and established themselves
in Oudh early in the 15th century. They
Traditional origin.
claim four Rdthor brothers as their ances¬
tors, and state that the latter emigrated from Guzerat to Kashmir, about
300 years before the clan moved into Oudh.
The founders of the clan were three brothers named Partab Sah,
Dunde Sah and Bhairwanand, who about 1414 took up their abode at
Ramnagar in the Bara Banki district. On Partab Sah’s death, his two
sons, Saldeo and Baldeo, persuaded their uncle Bhairwanand that in ac¬
cordance with the prophecy of a Pundit ,- it was necessary that he should
allow himself to be killed by them, in Order to ensure the prosperity of
his race. To this he obligingly consented. The brothers Saldeo and
Baldeo then entered the service of two Bhar Rajas, and managed their
estates so satisfactorily, that the Rajas in their pride began to resist the
Muhammadans. The Raikwars took advantage of the opportunity,
slew their patrons, and about 1450 possessed themselves of their
estates. Such is the origin of the two great Raikwar houses of
Ramnagar an/I Baunoi. In 1590, during the reign of Akbar, the Raikwar
chieftain, Harhardeo, was summoned to Delhi to explain a breach of
good manners in levying toll from a lady of the Imperial family as she
passed through his estates on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Sayyad Salar.
He, however, rendered the Emperor such valuable assistance in suppress¬
ing a rebellion in Kashmir, that the latter bestowed upon him large grants
\
of land in Bahraich, and the clan rose to high favour with the Mughals.
In 1751 the Raikwars seem to have headed a great Hindu movement to
shake off the Musalman yoke in Oudh. Had the insurrection broken
out at the time of the Rohilla invasion, it would have had every chance
of success. As it was, they delayed matters until after Safdar Jang, the
Nawab Wazir, had disposed of the Rohillas by diplomacy, the result
being that the Rajputs were defeated by the Musalmans with great
slaughter at Chheola Ghat, many of their Rajas being slain. After
this the Ramnagar and Baundi estates were confiscated and the Raik¬
wars remained in low circumstances until 1816, when they gradually
recovered their possessions. The power of the clan was at its height in
the thirty years which preceded the annexation of Oudh. It is yet a
/
117
mystery why this tribe turned so bitterly against the British in the
Mutiny. Of the rebel leaders, three—Narpat Singh of Ruia, Gurbaksh
Singh of Bhitauli, and Hardatt Singh of Baundi—were Raikwars. These
three chiefs led a force of 25,000 men even after the fall of Lucknow.
Baundi for months sheltered the Queen of Oudh and her paramour
Mammu Khan. Bhitauli was the head-quarters of the rebellion. In
Ruia theMoulviof Fyzabad ensconced himself, and under its walls lie the
remains of Adrian Hope, perhaps the most mourned of the English
soldiers who fell in the campaignsof 1857-58. There.are small Raikwar
colonies in Fyzabad, Gorakhpur, and Azamgarh, which were established
by emigrants from Oudh about seven generations ago.
The Raikwars are found chiefly in the Unao, Hardoi, Bahraich,
and Bara Banki distric ts of Oudh. They
have a male population of 13,000.
Geographical distribution.
Raikwars to this day make an annual pilgrimage in the village
of Chanda Sihali to worship a chabutra or platform erected to the
memory of their hero Bhairwanand, who gave up his life to ensure the
prosperity of his race. Unlike other Raj¬
puts, Raikwars cannot use tooth-brushes
made of the wood of the nim tree.
Religion.
Raikwars contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
r
&
z
<
CG
<
Di
<
CD
Chauhan.
Bhadauriya.
Sirnet.
Gargbansi.
Take wives from
Chanddl.
Bisen.
Janwar.
Gahlot.
V.
Bhale-Sultan.
Chandauriya.
Raotar.
Bachhgoti.
o
<
50
o
'•w
i
Dikhit.
Gahlot.
Mahror.
118
Give their daughters to
o
<
z
D
1
I
l
Dikhit.
Gaharwar.
Janwar,
Chauhan.
Chandel.
Take wives from
Bais.
Ahban.
Kitheriya,
Gaur.
Chanddl.
Sombansi
Chanddl.
Gaur.
Chauhan.
Tonwar.
Ahban.
Rathor.
Shown in map as 64.
The name of this celebrated clan is derived from the Sanskrit
rashtra kula , ‘a royal race/ The Rathors claim to be descended from
Rama, king of Ajudhya, which would make them a sept of the Solar
race. Their true origin, however, is lost in obscurity. It is not improb-
. . cble that the Rathors were Gaharwdrs
Their traditional origin. _
who adhered to Brahmanism when the rest
of the clan became Buddhists. The Gaharwdrs to this day claim to be
connected with the Rdthors, and there is evidence to prove that Kanouj
was governed by a Gaharwar dynasty, before the Rdthors took pos¬
session of the place.
In 1050 the Rdthors ejected the Tonwars from Kanouj, and
there founded a kingdom which rivalled Delhi in power and magni¬
ficence. In 1191 the Afghan Muhammad Ghori capture ’ Delhi, stormed
Kanouj, and defeated Raj Jai Chand at
1St ° ry ’ Benares, where he was drowned in crossing
the Ganges. After this crushing reverse, the Raja’s nephew Sheoji
emigrated with his vassals to Marwar and Bikaneer, where they seized
and established themselves on a portion of the B hdtti territory. There
the clan rapidly increased, and in less than three centuries regained its
ng
former prestige. The Maharaja of Jodhpore or Marwar is the head of the
Rdthor clan, which also furnishes the reigning families of Bikaneer and
Kishengarh, and the titular Raja of Rampur in Etah.
The Rdthors of Mainpuri and Etah settled there after the fall of
Kanouj. Parjan Pal, a descendant of Raja Jai Chand, founded Khor
near Shamsabad in the Farukhabad district, which was attacked by the
Musalmans under Shamsuddin Altamsh in 1236, and only captured after
a siege of 12 years. Being unable to make any impression on the
Rdllior fortress, a Muhammadan fakir suggested that a large head of
Rathor settlements in the Noith- c °ws should be driven up to the gates, be-
Western Provinces. hind which the besiegers might advance in
safety. The ruse was successful, and seeing that they could not repulse
the enemy without endangering the sacred kine, the Rdthors abandoned
the city, and retired by a postern gate. Rdthor refugees from Khor
settled in Budaun, Farukhabad, and Etah, whence they expelled the
aboriginal Mess and Bhars. The Azamgarh settlement was founded by
colonists from the Doab about 20 generations ago. The Raja of
Rampur in Etah, a lineal descendant of Jai Chand, is the head of the
clan in the North-West Provinces.
In Rajputana the Rdthors are the most numerous and powerful of
the Rajput clans, and are imbued with a strong national spirit. Their
male population amounts to 102,000. In the North-West Provinces they
number 35,000 males. The eastern settlements have fallen in social
status through intermarrying with inferior
Geographical distribution. „ . . . — ,
clans, but the Rathors or the Doab pride
themselves on the purity of their blood, and have pedigrees as flawless as
those of their western brethren. In Rajputana, Rdthors are found in
Meywar, Dungarpur, Marwar, Jaisulmeer, Bikaneer, Jeypore, and
Kishengarh. In the North-West Provinces they have settled in the
Farukhabad, Mainpuri, Etavvah, Etah, Bareilly, Budaun, Shahjahanpur,
Cawnpore, and Azamgarh districts.
The following are the principal Rdthor septs:—
Mallinath.
Bidr^wat.
J<5dha.
Bika.
Merthia.
Champawat.
K^ndalot.
The tribal divinities of the Rdthors are Har.umanji, Ramdeo, and
Nagnechi in Marwar; and Lakhminath, Chucterbhuj, Nagnechi and
Karniji in Bikanir. They are of the Kassyap gotra.
120
Rathors intermarry with the following clans:—
In RAjp^tAna.
In the North-Western Provinces.
G iva’their
daughters to
T ke wives from
Give their
daughters to
Take wives from
Kachwaha.
Kachwaha.
Kachwaha.
Kachwaha.
Bhatti.
Bhatti.
Chauhan.
Chauhan.
Gahlot.
Gahlot.
Bhadauriya.
Bhadauriya.
Jhalla.
Jadu.
Parihar.
Solanki.
Tonwar.
Chanddl.
Ponwar.
Parihar.
Dikhit.
Chauhan.
Tonwar
Jadu.
Jhalla.
Solanki.
Ponwar.
Chauhan.
Gaur.
Bargujar.
Ahban*
The Rathor of Rajputana is remarkable for his freedom from Hindu
prejudices. In Bikaneer he will eat food and drink water without
troubling to enquire by whom it is served. He will eat food cooked by
Brahmans, Banyas, Ahirs, Jats, Gujars, Nais, and the servant class,
and can dispense with a chauka or prepared cooking place. The
staunchness of the Rathor warrior has always been proverbial. The
Mughal Emperors owed half their conquests to the prowess of “the lakh
turwar RathorinR or ‘100,000 swords of the Rathors They still make
admirable soldiers, whether from Rajputana or the Doab, but the former
are very difficult to enlist, as the Rathors of Marwar will only serve in the
cavalry, while those of Bikaneer will not take service at all.
RAWATS.
Shown in map as 65.
The Rawats call themselves pure Bais ) but this is not generally
admitted by their neighbours, who say that they are fifth sons of Raja
Tilok Chand. The term ‘ fifth sons ' is the common Rajput eupheuism
for bastardsf. It is very probable that they are the offspring of
Tilok Chand by an Ahir woman. They themselves assert that about
250 years ago the aboriginal Sunars, taking advantage of some festi¬
vities at Bithur, their principal village in
lst ° ry * Unao, rose and massacred the whole clan,
only one woman, who proved pregnant, escaping. She was protected
by an Ahir, and in gratitude ca lied her son Rawat* Beni Singh. On
* Rawat is a tavourite title among Ahirs.
f See also page 28.
121
growing up to manhood Beni Singh entered the service of the Emperor
of Delhi. There he rose to favour, and obtaining permission to recover
his ancestral estate, led a force against the Sunars and massacred the
entire tribe while they were keeping up the festival of Kali Debi, thus
regaining his former possessions,
Rawats are found in the Unao and Fatehpur districts of Oudh.
The clan is not a large one, but its exact
numbers cannot be stated as they are not
recorded in the last Census Report. Rawats worship Debi, and belong
to the Bharaddwajgotra.
Geographical distribution.
Religion.
Rawats contract marriages with mem¬
bers of the following Rajput clans :—
Give their daughtsers to
Take wives from
Gaur.
Bais.
Chandel.
Banaphar.
Chauhan.
Janwar,
Kachvvaha.
Sengar.
Shown in map as 66.
The origin of this clan is unknown ; it is one of the 36 royal tribes
and like the Gauta?n claims descent from Singhi Rishi.
The Brahman Singhi Rishi was invited to the court of the Gahar -
war Raja of Kanouj, and married his daughter, receiving as her dowry a
grant of an immense number of villages, extending from Kanouj to Manik-
pur. Puran Deo, the grandson of Singhi Rishi, and founder of the Sengar
clan, emigrated to the Dekhan. Several
centuries later, the clan moved to Dhar in
Malwa, and thence to Bandhugarh in Rewah, and Jagmohanpur on the
Etawah border of Jalaun. There in 1065 was born Raja Bisukh Deo,
who married a daughter of Jai Chand, the Rdthor king of Kanouj.
After the fall of that city, the Sengars took possession of the greater
part of Etawah, and the river Basind was renamed the Sengar in their
honour. The Sengar colony in Oudh was established in 1527 when
the Emperor Babar was engaged in subduing the independent chieftains
of Hindustan. While so employed, many of the Afghan adventurers who
16
Traditional origin and history.
122
had served the preceding Lodi dynasty, came in and tendered their
services. Among these was Shaikh Bayazid, who was appointed Gov¬
ernor of Oudh. With the usual faithlessness of a Pathan, he shortly
afterwards revolted, and raised a considerable army to oppose the
Mughals. Among his followers were number of Sengar Rajputs
from Jagmohanpur, under two leaders called Jagat Sah and Gopal Singh,
after Shaikh Bayazid’s defeat, the Sengars settled down quietly in
Unao. Eleven generations later, the aboriginal Lodhs rose suddenly
against the Sengars , and murdered the majority of the clan. The fugi¬
tives fled to their brethren at Jagmohanpur, and returning thence in
force, recovered their possessions in Unao. Meanwhile Pathan settlers
had begun to encroach upon the lands of the Sengar colonists, and the
latter feeling themselves strong enough to oppose them, met them at
Bani, and after a great fight drove them across the Sai. The head of
the clan is the Raja of Jagmohanpur in Jalaun.
The Sengar clan is very little known in Rajputana. In Oudh and
the North-West Provinces it has a male
Geographical distribution. ,
population or 32,000, distributed throughout
the Etawah, Cawnpore, Jalaun, Ballia, and Unao districts.
Sengars intermarry with the following clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Chauhan.
Parihar.
•
CO
w
Bhadauriya.
Chamar-Gaur.
0
CO
$5
Rathor.
tri
O
Chandel.
>
O
S 5
0£
Q_
Kachwaha.
>
O
Gautam.
** "i
0 i
CU
c n
w
Sisodiya.
(->
Gaharwar
£
CO
U
•
x
Chandel.
Pan war.
H
CC
0
Ton war.
Gahlot.
£
oc
0
L Jadon.
Baghel.
X
Bisen.
Chauhan.
O
O
Janwdr.
Rathor.
§ -i
Bais.
0
Parihar.
L Sengar.
Tilokchandi Bais.
1*3
Give their daughters to
Bais.
Gahlot.
Harihobans.
Ujjaini.
Kausik.
x
Q
X>
O
Take wives from
Dikhit.
Sombansi.
Bisen.
Donwar.
•
tn
H
O
06
H
Z
06
Id
H
Cfl
<
w
L
Sirnet.
Rajkumar.
Surajbansi.
Parihar.
Kin war.
Raghubansi.
Sombansi.
Nikumbh.
Chauhan.
V)
H
O
•—«
OS
H
V)
Z
06
U
H
co
<
W
L
K£kan.
Kausik.
Nikumbh.
Sakarwar.
Harihobans.
Raghubans.
Sirn£t.
Shown in map as 6y.
Various accounts have been given of the origin of the title of this
clan. One authority derives it from sira, ‘a head/ and neta y a ( leader/
Another explanation is that one of their chiefs was in the habit of
wearing on his head a cloth of gold called net, and the Muhammadan
king in whose service he was, not choosing to recollect his Hindu name,
called him Sirnet, or ‘the man with the gold cloth on his head/ In the
Ghazipur districts the SirnSts call themselves Niknmbhs and say they got
the name from their custom of raising the
Traditional origin. ,
hand to the head without bowing, when
making obeisance to a superior. One of the Muhammadan Emperors,
annoyed by the apparent disrespect of some Nikumbh chiefs who were in
attendance at his court, ordered that before their entrance a sword should
124
be placed across the doorway in such a manner that they, on entering
the presence, should be forced to stoop. Some of the Nikunibh chiefs,
scorning to abandon their tribal customs, maintained their upright posi¬
tion and were decapitated. The Emperor, satisfied with this exhibition
of determination, permitted them in future to make their salarn in their
own fashion, and gave them the title of Struct, which is said to be a
corruption of the Persian sarnist, 1 head less/
The Sirndts claim descent from Bharata, the brother of Rama
of Ajudhya.
The founder of the clan was a Surajbans or Dikhit Rajput
named Chandra Sen, who, after incurring the wrath of some Muham¬
madan Emperor, was forgiven at the intercession of a friendly Brah¬
man, and, after his release, accompanied the latter to his home in the
country beyond the Gogra. After many adventures, Chandra Sen is said
to have settled in Gorakhpur towards the end of the 12th century, and
there established a kingdom which was called Satdsi because the cir¬
cuit of his territories extended to 87 has. As he appropriated land
eastwards, he became involved in hostilities with the Donwdr Rajputs.
They were on the point of compelling him to quit the district, when his
Brahman adviser suggested a stratagem which proved completely suc¬
cessful. Chandra Sen, being a pure Kshat-
riya, was deemed superior to the Donwars ,
who had sullied their lineage by intermarrying with Dorns and
Bhars. He therefore suggested that his daughter should marry the son
of the principal Domvar Raja, on condition of his being allowed to
retain a part of the country he had invaded. His proposal was gladly
accepted. Immense preparations were made for the wedding, and
Chandra Sen gained admission to the Donwar fort with a large body of
followers. Then, seizing his opportunity, he treacherously murdered
the Donwar chiefs, while his followers outside slaughtered as many of
the clan as they could find. The power of the Domoars was crippled
by this blow, and the Sirnets became one of the most powerful clans
in Gorakhpur.
History.
The Sirnet clan is found in the Gorakhpur and Basti districts of
the North-West Provinces, and has a male
population of nearly 10,000.
Geographical distribution.
The favourite Sirnet deity is the goddess Debi. The clan belongs
D .. . to the Bharaddwdj votra.
Religion. J &
125
Sirnets contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans:—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Kalhans.
Surajbans.
Surajbans.
Baghel.
Chauhan.
Bisdn.
Bhadauriya.
Rdjkumar.
Baghel.
Bachhgoti.
Kalhans.
Gautam.
Gaharwar.
Dikhit.
Kanhpuriya.
Amethiya.
SlKARWARS OR SAKARWARS.
Shown in map as 68.
The title of the clan is derived from Fatehpur-Sikri in the Agra
district, the present head-quarters of the
Traditional origin. . .
clan.. It is included by Tod amongst the
36 royal races and is supposed by some authorities to be a sept of the
Bargujars. Like the latter, the Sikarwars claim descent from Lava,
the son of Rama, king of Ajudhya.
According to tribal traditions it would seem that the Sikarwars on
leaving Ajudhya, made the tour of Northern India. From Oudh they
migrated to Lahore, by which perhaps is meant Lahawar in Gwalior; from
Lahawar to Rajor in Ulwar; from Rajor to Rupbas in Bhurtpur; and
from Rupbas to Fatehpur-Sikri. The migration from Gwalior territory
is said to have taken place about 600
HlSt ° ry ‘ years ago. Towards the end of the 12th
century, the tribe spread all over the Agra district, and must have
established colonies in Oudh and Gorakhpur, shortly after the invasion
of Shahab-ud-din Ghori. The Ghazipur and Azamgarh branches claim
to have emigrated from Fatehpur-Sikri, but say their ancestors
were Brahmans; they also claim a mythical personage called Raja
126
Gadh as their ancestor, and hence sometimes call themselves Gadiyas .
The Parbatiyas of the lower Himalayas are said to he a branch of
the Sikarwars .
Sikarwars are found in the Agra, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Azam-
garh and Hardoi districts of Oudh and the
Geographical distribution.
North-West Provinces, and have a male
population of 18,000. The clan is also numerous in the Gwalior State,
especially in the neighbourhood of the Chambal, where its members have
a high reputation for bravery.
Religion.
Sikarwars are of the Bharaddwdj gotra
and chiefly worship Mahad6o.
Sikarwars contract marriages with Rajputs of the following clans:—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
"Bhadauriya.
"Bhadauriya.
Chauhdn.
Chauhdn.
Jdddn.
Jdddn.
Dh&krd.
Dhdkrd.
Gahlot.
bD«
{ Gahlot.
•
Ponwar.
<
1-i
Ponwar
bJO
< -
Parihdr.
Parihar.
Pundir.
Pundir.
Ton war
JTonwar.
Bargujar.
Baresari.
L Indauliya.
i
"Hayobans.
•
'Hayobans.
u
tf)
Ujjaini.
cn
0
Ujjaini.
'*3 *
c
1*
Don war.
cn
#r 5
Donwar.
-4->
cn
cj
^Kinwar.
w
^Kinwar.
w
"Chauhdn.
r Bachhal.
•
JS
Bhadauriya.
Raikwar,
T3
a 1
O
Ponwar.
Dudh.
_A_
Jan war.
^Sdmbans.
Ahban.
(
^Gautam.
127
SOLANKI OR CHALUKYA.
Shown in map as 6y.
This clan is one of the four agnicular or fire tribes, of which an
account has been given on page in under the heading of Ponwar.
. . . . The title of Chalukya is derived from
Traditional origin.
challu , because the founder of the race
was formed in the challu or ‘hollow of the hand* when the Rishis sum¬
moned their four Kshatriya champions from the flames of the agni
kunda on Mount Abu.
The Solankis are said to have been settled on the banks of the
Ganges before the Rathors obtained possession of Kanouj, but according
to their own traditions they held Lahore up to about the 8th century.
They were among the first Rajputs to become Muhammadans, and were
the principal opponents of the Bhdttis
HlSt ° ry * when the latter first settled in the Bikaneer
desert. The Solankis were formerly princes of Kalyan near Bombay,
whence they established a dynasty which ruled over Amhalwara Pattan,
one of the richest and most warlike kingdoms in India, with dominions
extending from the Carnatic to the Himalayas. Their capital Anhalwara
Pattan was stormed by Mahmud of Ghazni, in 1024, but soon recovered
its former prosperity.
In the 8th century a band of Solanki adventurers left Tonk in
Solanki settlements in the Rajputana and settled under the leader-
North-West Provinces. ship of Raja Maldeo Sarmani in the Etah
district, where their descendants are still to be found, but in greatly
impoverished circumstances. The colony in Budaun is probably an
offshoot of the Etah settlement.
The Solankis are now a small clan, and in Rajputana their male
,. population only amounts to 7,000, They
are found chiefly in Marwar, Jeypore
Boondi and Rewah. In the North-West Provinces they number 8,000
males, and have settlements in Etah and Budaun.
The principal Solanki divinities are Krishna and Rama. The
tribal goddess in Rajputana is Char-
Religion.
bhujja.
The principal tribal divisions are as follows:—
Solanki proper.
Bhag 61 .
Khalatz.
Sojathia.
Rahallia.
Chandawat.
Bhutta.
Dhaien.
128
Certain septs are also found in Guzerat and the Dekhan.
Solankis intermarry with the following clans :—
Rajputana.
North
Give their daughters
Take wives
Give their
to
from
daughters to
Bhdtti.
Rathor.
Chauhan.
Jddu,
Fen war.
Bhadauriya.'
Rdtnor.
Kachwdha.
Pdnwar.
Parihar.
.
Take wives
from
Katiyar.
Tomar.
Rathor.
Bachhal.
Bais.
Gaur.
Pundir.
Bargujar.
Chauhan.
SGmbansi.
Shown in map as jo.
The title of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit So?na ) ( the moon/
from which the Sombansi like the Chandarbansi claim to be lineally
descended. From a generic name applied to all tribes belonging to the
Lunar race, Sombansi has come to be the title of a particular clan. The
same thing has happened in the case of the
Traditional origin. , ., . , ., . . , . r
Ciurajbansi , and it is probable from the
number of its gotras that the Sombansis of the present day are de¬
scended from remnants of various Kshatriya tribes, claiming a Lunar
origin, who banded themselves together for mutual protection, and
adopted the title of Sombansi as the distinctive appellation of their
brotherhood.
The Sombansis claim a mythical personage called Pur as the founder
of their clan. Their most ancient traditions attribute the northern shores
of the Ganges as their original home, but historical researches prove
that by the 13th century they were settled at Jhusi near Allahabad.
There the Sombansi Rdja Bhai Sen was visited by a Muhammadan fakir,
who ordered him to abandon his fort. On this demand being refused, the
fakir murdered the Rdja, but consoled his Rdni, who was pregnant at the
time, by assuring her that her unborn child w r ould become a warrior of
great renown. The Rdni then left Jhusi and settled near Partdbgarh in
Oudh, where in due time she gave birth to a son called Ldkhan Sen, who
about 1258, expelled the Bhar-s and the Raikwar Rijputs from the
district, and established a kingdom of his own. The sons of Ldkhan S 6 n
i 2 g
quarrelled over their heritage, and one of them secured the favour of the
Muhammadan Emperors by becoming a Musalmdn, and marrying a
lady of the Imperial family. In the reign of Akbar, R£ja Sultdn Sdh
served with his tribal contingent in the Mughal army then fighting in
the Dekhan. As a reward for his services, the paternal estate was con¬
ferred on him in jaghir tenure, the only condition of the grant being that
the Sombansis should escort the annual tribute of Bengal to Delhi.
One of Sultan Sdh’s successors, the Rdja Jai Singh, defeated and
captured a Bundela outlaw named Chatur Sdl, for which the Emperor
conferred upon him the privilege of wearing a topi in darbar in lieu of
the usual pagri. In the reign of the Emperor Muhammad Shah (1738-48)
Rdja Pirthipat Singh murdered the son of a Manikpur banker who had
enough influence at Delhi to obtain the issue of an order to Safdar Jang,
the Subadar of Oudh, to punish the murderer. This was eventually ac¬
complished by treachery, the Rdja being assassinated in darbar and his
estates confiscated. This was the end of the Partabgarh R£j, for the
property was shortly afterwards divided. The head of the clan is now the
Rdja of Bahlolpur. The Sombansis of Farrukhabad claim descent from
Randhir Singh, an adventurer from Oudh, who settled in the Dodb about
300 years ago. The Chand dynasty of Kumaun is an offshoot of a
younger branch of the Sombansis of Jhusi, from whom the Rautelas ) an¬
other tribe of hill Rajputs, also claim descent.
Sombansis have a male population of 43,000, which is scattered
. through the Farrukhabad, Bareilly, Shahia-
Geographical distribution. 0 ’ J J
hanpur, Allahabad, Jdunpur, Azamgarh,
Rai-Bareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Gonda, and Partabgarh districts of Oudh and
the North-West Provinces.
The Sombansis are snake-worshippers. During the Nag-Panchmi
festival in July-August, Sombansis give up
RellS1 ° n * shaving, wear dirty clothes, and abstain
from milk, meat and fish. Their favourite divinities are Mahad^o and Kali.
The Sombansis have as th$ir family heroes, five saints—four of them
princes of Sombansi blood, and the fifth a Gaharwar Raja of Benares.
The principal of these, Ala Rikh, gave his name to Alaukhpur, contracted
into Aror, ,and since named Partabgarh.
Sombansis are divided into the three following gotras:—
Baiyagar. 1 Sankirat. } Atri.
The Sombansis of Sandi in the Hardoi district rank higher than any
other branches of the clan.
Tribal divisions.
>7
i3°
Sombansis contract marriages with Rdjputs of the following
clans :—
Give their daughters to
'Chauh&n.
*5 Rathor.
2* KachweLha.
i^Bhadauriya.
Am^thiya.
Bais.
Bagh^l.
Gautam.
Kalhans.
Parihar.
Surajbansi.
Sirn^t.
Chauhdn.
^Kachw&ha.
• 4 -*
U
a
CU
Take wives from
f Raikwdr.
Katiyar.
Gaur.
BAchhal.
Bais.
o
& <{ Janwdr.
Chand^l.
Ponwdr.
Gaharwar.
Sakarwar.
Ahban.
Nikumbh.
Dikhit.
Bachgoti.
Rajkumar.
Raj war.
Bisdn.
Kanhpuriya.
Janwar.
Durgbansi.
Bandhalgoti.
^Nandwak.
tt
bxt |
•S-i
«4->
u
o3
CU
Surajbansi.
Shown in map as 7/.
The title of this clan is derived from the Sanskrit Surya , ‘the sun*
and vansha , ‘a race.’ The Solar traces claim descent from Ikshvaku, the
grandson of the sun, who founded Ajudhya and established the dynasty
from which sprang Rdma, the hero who was afterwards deified as an
incarnation of Vishnu. The modern Suraj -
bansi must not be confounded with the Solar
, 3 I
race of the epic period of Hinduism, as though admittedly connected
with the latter, it is probable that the existing clan originated in a
congerie of degraded members of various tribes claiming a Solar origin,
who banded themselves together for mutual protection, and gradually
formed a new sept, which adopted the title of Surajbansi as its dis¬
tinctive appellation.
All the Solar tribes except the Surajbansi claim descent from Ldva
and Kusha, the sons of Rama. The latter, however, claim Bharat, the
brother of Rama, as their ancestor, and state that he left Ajudhya to
assist his uncle, the ruler of an Aryan principality in the Himalayas or
Kashmir, in repelling an invasion of barbarians from China and Tibet.
Bharat never returned, and is credited with
Hl5tory ” having founded Srinagar in Garhwdl. The
Surajbansis of the Basti district are supposed to have come from
Kumaun under their chiefs Alak Deo and Tilak Deo, and to have expelled
the aboriginal Raj-Bhars and Tarus. There is a widely received
tradition among Rajputs that a Surajbansi leader named KanakSdn left
Ajudhya about 224 with a large following, and migrated westward
to Guzerat, and from thence to Chitor in Rajputana. The Surajbansis
of the Fyzabad district claim descent from Ldlji Singh, an adventurer
from Kumaun, who settled in the district about 350 years ago and entered
the service of a wealthy grain dealer. On the latter's death, Lalji Singh
seized his property and became a great landholder. There seems to be
an undoubted connection between the Surajbansis of the plains and
certain hill tribes of Garhwdl, Kumaun, and Nepal, who lay claim to a
Kshatriya origin. Besides the settlements made in prehistoric times by
Bhdrat, there is a tradition, confirmed by Tod in his Annals of Rajasthdn,
that towards the end of the 12th century a band of Sisodiya Rajputs of
the Surajbansi or Solar race escaped from Chitor, and after cutting
their way through the Muhammadan hosts, took refuge in the hills of
Nepal, where they were hospitably received by the aboriginal hill tribes.
To this day Khds Gurkhas often describe themselves as Surajbans
Rajputs, and the Malla Rajas of Nepal claim to be descended from
Ansuvarma, a member of the Surajbans family which ruled over Visali
near Patna, at the time of the Buddhist dominion. The Pahari Suraj¬
bansis of Khairagarh in the Kheri district, are emigrants from Kumaun
who were driven out of their native hills by the Gurkhas towards the
close of the 18th century. From about 1790 to 1830 they w r andered
about the border subsisting on the charity of their fellow Kshatriyas, and
fighting for the British against their old enemies the Nepalese. In 1830
132
the Sdrajbansis captured Khairagarh from the Banjaras, and on the
annexation of Oudh in 1856, were confirmed not only in their claim to
this property, but also to a perpetual pension of Rs. 2,400 per annum,
conferred upon the head of the clan in 1812, for services rendered to the
British Government in the Nepalese war.
The Surajbansi clan is found in the Bulandshahr, Mirzapur, Ghazi-
Geographical distribution. PUf ’ BaSti> Kheri ' F y zabad - and Bara Bank!
districts of Oudh and the North-West
Provinces, and has a male population of 23,000.
In the Western districts Sura]bansis are mostly Vaishnavas ; in the
Religion eastern portions of these provinces they
are addicted to Shdkfa worship, their
favourite divinity being Durga. They never use umbrellas, as to do so
would be an insult to their glorious ancestor the sun. Like the Bisdns
the Surajbansis have more than one gotra. This, among Rajputs, is
nearly always an indication of a mixed origin. Their divisions are as
follows :—
North of the Gogra.
South of the Gogra.
Savaran.
Bharadd waj.
K ssyap.
Surajbansis contract marriages with the following clans:_
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Rajkumar.
Bachgoti.
R&jwar.
Sirnet.
So'mbansi.
Bandhalgoti.
Palwar.
Gaharwar.
• fChauMn.
Gautam.
Gaharwar.
Sirnet.
. fChauhin.
.2 | Bargujar.
Tonwar.
0
® (janghtfra.
_c
rt
j=;
n
C
jd
9
CQ
Bargujar.
Tonwar.
Jangh£ra.
133
SURWAR OR SARWAR.
Shown in map as 72.
The title of this clan, like that of the Sarwariya Brahmans, seems
TT . to indicate that they emigrated at some
History. . J ° #
remote period from the districts beyond
the Sarju or Gogra. They state that they are Siirajbansis, and that
their original home was Bikaneer.
Surwars are found in the Benares, Mirzapur, and Jaunpur districts
of the North-Western Provinces. They
have a male population of 3,000.
Geographical distribution.
Religion.
Surwars worship Ram Chandra. They
belong to the Garg gotra.
Surwars contract marriages with the members of the followino
clans :—
Give their daughters to
Take \vive> from
Rajkumar.
Nanwag.
Bachgoti.
Dirgbansi.
Nanwag.
Raghubansi.
Dirgbansi.
Bisen.
TAnk or Tak.
Shown in may as 73.
This clan was at one time powerful in Rajputdna, but on being con¬
verted to Muhammadanism, their name was obliterated from the list of
Rajput tribes. They are, however, still found in certain portions of the
North-West Provinces, and claim to be Jadubansis and related to the
Jddon princes of Jeysalmeer and Kerowlee.
History. _ e . .
In former times they were noted for their
predatory habits. During the reign of Akbar, a band of Tank Rdjputs
plundered an Imperial convoy passing through the Mainpuri district,
and as a punishment, one of their leaders was forcibly converted to
IslAm.
Tdnk Rdjputs are found in small numbers in the Saharanpur,
Geographical attribution. ^oradabad Bijnor, Mozaffarnagar, Meerut]
Budaun, Bareilly, Mainpuri and Etah
*34
districts. Their exact numbers are not recorded in the Census Report.
Tanks intermarry with clans of the
highest grade.
Marriages.
Tarkan or Tarkar.
Shown in map as J 4 .
The title of this tribe is said to be a corruption of tark kiya
thrown aside/ because the founders of the clan, who were notorious
Brahman dacoits, were offered pardon if they would abandon their evil
courses. They did so, and to show how completely they had severed
from their old caste, they threw aside
Traditional Origin and history. ~ .
their Brahmanical Janeos ) hence their
name. They have thus no claim whatever to be considered Rajputs;
they claim affinity however, with the Dikhits , and say that these latter
excommunicated them for having adopted karao or widow marriage.
They are turbulent, of poor physique, and generally unsuitable for
enlistment. Among Rajputs they hold a very low place, being regarded
as Gauruas (q. v.)
Tarkans are found in the Muttra and Agra districts of the North-
„ . Western Provinces, and have a male
Geographical distribution. .
population of about 3,500.
Tarkans contract marriages with members of the following clans
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Bach ha!.
Bachhal.
Gaur.
Gaur.
J&don.
Indauliya.
Jangh&ra.
Baresari.
Kachwaha.
Indauliya.
Bare sari.
Tilaunta.
Shown in map as 75*
This is a small tribe of Tonwar origin. They ;,ay that their ances-
Hi story.
tors emigrated from Delhi into the Shaha-
bad district in the time of Rdja Bhoj,
*35
Considering its small numbers, the clan furnishes a good many recruits
to the Native Army.
.... T Haunt as are found only in the Shaha-
Geographical distribution. . „ _ .
bad district of Behar.
Tilauntas worship Debi. They are of
Religion.
the Kassyap gotra.
Tilauntas contract marriages with members of the following
clans:—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Chauhan.
Dhekaha.
Lautamiya.
Lautamiya.
Tonwar, Tomar, or Tuar.
Shown in map as j6.
The name of the clan is derived from the Sanskrit tomdra , 1 an iron
club. The Tonwar belong to the Lunar
Traditional origin. ,, , ,
race, and are usually reckoned among the
36 royal tribes.
The Tonwar were at one time very powerful, and furnished Delhi
and Kanouj with a celebrated dynasty. The last of the Tonwar Rajas
was AnangpiU, who abdicated in favour of his Chauhan grandson Pirthi-
raj, during whose reign the Musalmans conquered India. A Tonwar
dynasty ruled over Kanouj from 736 to 1050, when it was taken from
them by the Rathors , who compelled them to return to the neighbour¬
hood of Delhi. In the reign of A)a-ud-din
HlSt0ry * Khilji, a Tonwar Rajput, called Bir Singh
Deva, declared his independence, and founded the Tonwar kingdom of
Gwalior, which was a powerful and wealthy state up to the time of its
capture by Ibrahim Lodi in 1519* The Tonwar are now of little
account, but they still hold a portion of the Jeypore state called Tora-
watti,* and have a titular Raja who lives at Pattan, the principal town.
* Also called Tonwarwatti.
The Tonwars of Budaon are emigrants from Delhi who settled in
Tonwar settlements in Oudh Rohilkhand about 1202, during the reign
and the North-Western Pro- ^ & °
vinces. of Shahab-ud-din Ghori. The Bareilly
Tonwars came from Budaun in 1388, and expelled the aboriginal
Gwalas, Ahirs, and Bhils. Some of the Rajputs of Garhw^l claim to be
of Tonwar origin. The eastern settlements of the clan are probably
offshoots of the Budaon and Bareilly branches. The latter have now
almost entirely dispersed.
The Tonwar of Rajputana have a male population of 13,000. They
_ . are found chiefly in Meywar, Marwar,
Geographical distribution.
Jeypore, Dholpur, and Bikaneer, also in the
adjoining Punjab districts of Hissar, Nabha, and Patiala. In the
North-West Provinces and Oudh theynumber 18,000 males, and their
settlements are scattered through the Muttra, Farruknabad, Mainpuri,
Etawah, Etah, Budaon, and Sitapur districts.
The Tonwars belong to the Lunar race and are consequently
Krishna worshippers. In Rajputana their tribal divinities are Jogmaiya
or Sarung.
The principal septs of the Tonwars are as follows:—
In Rajputana
and
the Punj&b.
In Oudh, the North-
West Provinces, and the
Gwalior State.
Tonwar.
Nicoop.
Kallia.
Bajpanna.
J4tu.
Himkar.
Borahan.
Gawalera.
Bedgas.
Jasraiyah.
Jarroata.
Jerah.
The Tonwar proper of Tonwarwatti has three sub divisions, Asoji f
Udoji , and Kelorji. The Jatu sept through poverty have intermarried
with Jats and Gujars, and many families have been outcasted. This
is especially the case with those residing in the Hissar and Bhiwani
district who should be only enlisted after careful enquiry. A Tonwar
origin is claimed by several Mahratta chiefs.
i37
Vonwars intermarry with the following clans :—
In Rajputana.
In Oudh and the North-West Provinces.
Give their daughters
to
Take wives from
Give their daughters
to
Take wives from
Chauhan.
Chauhan.
Tilokchandi Bais.
Ah ban-
Kachwaha.
Gaur.
C uhan.
Gau
Rathor.
Ponwar.
Bhadauriya.
Bach;t.
Bargujar.
Rathor.
Janwar.
Rathor.
Kachwaha.
Ponwar.
Solanki.
Parihar.
Chauhan,
Parihar.
Bhadauriya.
Jadu.
Rathor.
Bhatti.
Kachwaha.
Udmattia.
History.
Shown in map as 77.
The title of this tribe is derived from the name of their supposed
ancestor, a Rishi named Udialak Muni. The clan professes to be
descended from Surajbans emigrants who
left Oodeypore about three centuries ago,
in the service of one of the early Muhammadan Emperors, and settled in
Azamgarh after expelling the aboriginal Bhars.
Udmattias are found in the Azamgarh and Gorakhpur districts of
the North-West Provinces. They have a
male population of 28,00a.
Udmattias worship Debi. They belong
to the Batas Gotra.
Geographical distribution.
Religion.
Udmattias contract marriages with members of the following
clan :—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Kakan.
Pachtoriya.
Bais.
Barhaiya.
18
! 3 8
UjJAINI.
Shown in tnap as y8.
The title of this clan is derived from the city of Ujjain in
Rajputana whence their ancestors migrated into Oudh, Behar, and the
eastern districts of the North-West Provinces, during the reign of Jai
Chand, the Rathor king of the Kanouj.
Traditional origin and history. „ c
They are really a sept of the Ronwars, of
whom an account has been given on page iii. Koer Singh of Jugdespur,
one of the three rebel leaders who showed marked military talent in the
Mutiny, was a Ujjaini ) and a near relative of the late Raja of Dumraon
the head of the clan.
Ujjainis are found chiefly in the Cawnpore, Ballia, and Azamgarh
districts of Oudh and the North-West Pro-
Geographical distribution. . , . pi . . j J* , • . t
vinces, and in the bhahabad district of
Behar. They have a population of about 3,000 males.
Ujjainis are of the Saunak gotra and are Shakta worshippers, their
principal deity being Kali.
Religion.
Ujjainis contract marriages with the following clans:—
Give their daughters to
Take wives from
Bisen.
Nikumbh.
Sirnet.
Barwar.
Rajkumar.
Hayobansi.
Surajbans.
Kinwar.
Raghubans.
Raghubans.
Sakarwar.
Sengar.
Kalhans.
Sakarwar.
Hayobans.
Chandel,
K«kan.
Narauni.
CHAPTER IIP
-♦-
RELIGION, CUSTOMS, AND RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS.
The religion of the Rajputs does not differ in any essential particu¬
lar from that of other classes of high caste Hindus. In Rdjputdna and the
Eastern Punjab it is of a simple type, closely resembling the primitive
faith of the Aryans, modified, however, by certain usages (such as the
worship of the Sun) introduced by Scythian tribes now included in the
Kshatriya caste. The nearer we approach to Ajudhva and Benares, the
more Is the Rdjput dominated by the ceremonial restrictions of the
Brdhman, and the more bigoted is the character of his beliefs. Ram
Chandar, Mahadeo, and Kali or Debi are perhaps his favourite div¬
inities ; but, as has been noted in Chapter II, nearly every Rdjput clan
has its own patron deity, to which its members pay special respect, and
look for protection and favour.
The Hindu religion may be said to have passed through the three
following stages, which will be briefly described—
i. Vedism. 2. Brahmanism. 3. Hinduism.
VEDISM.
The religion brought by the Aryans into India from their homes in
Central Asia was a simple form of Nature-worship. The deities of the early
Hindus were Surya, Agni, and Indra, or Sun, Fire, and Rain, the minor
divinities of the earth, air, and sky, being regarded merely as associates of
this elemental triad. The traditions of this primitive period are contained
in the Vedas , a series of hymns and texts expressing the wants and beliefs
of the people, and their manner of invoking and praising their gods. The
Vedic hymns contain no interdictions against widow-marriage or foreign
travel, nor do they insist upon child marriage, or the vexatious restrict ons
of caste, all of which owe their origin to the Brahmans. The gods of
the Vedic epoch were bright and friendly. There were no blood-drink¬
ing deities to propitiate. Sacrifice was merely a symbol, representing the
gratitude of the people to their divine protectors. The ordinary offer¬
ings consisted of the sacred homa , or rice, milk, butter, and cruds, with
140
animal sacrifices, particularly of the horse,* on occasions of special solem¬
nity.
Brahmanism.
The gradual formation of a special class devoted to religious medita¬
tion and austerities, led to the organization of a regular priesthood, who
officiated at the sacrifices, and moulded the vague Nature-worship of the
Vedas into a definite philosophical creed, made manifest by an elaborate
ritual. The deepest thinkers felt that all material things were permeated
by a d ivine spirit. This vague, mysterious, all-pervading power, which
was wholly unbound by limitations of personality, at last became real.
The breath of life received a name. They called it brahman , from the
Sanskrit brih ‘to expand/ because it expanded itself through space, diffus¬
ing itself everywhere and in every thing. The old Vedic triad disappear¬
ed. Agni, Indra, and Surya gave way to Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. In
other words, the forces of Nature were identified with a vague spiritual
power which, when manifested as a Creator, was called Brdii?na ; as a
Preserver, Vishnu; as a Destroyer, Siva; and found its human manifes¬
tation in the sacred order of Brdhmans, who were thus raised immeasur¬
ably above the rest of mankind. The Vedic idea of sacrifices was that they
were thanks-offerings to the gods ; but as Vedism developed into Brah¬
manism, the whole theory of sacrifice changed. It was considered that the
gods required to be nourished by the essence of the food offered up, and
that their worshippers should take advantage of their being pleased and
invigorated, to obtain from them the boons they desired. This idea was
further developed into a belief that super-human powers were to be at¬
tained by sacrifices, which as a natural result became more and more
complicated. According to the true theory of Brahmanism, all visible
forms on earth are emanations of the Almighty. Stones, rivers, plants,
and animals, are all progressive steps in the infinite evolution of His
Being. The highest earthly emanation is man, and the highest type
of man is the Brahman, who is the appointed mediator between gods and
humanity. In the Trimurti or Hindu Trinity, all three persons are equal,
and their functions interchangeable. All three are imbued with the same
divine essence, and as the latter is all-pervading, they maybe worshipped
through the medium of inferior gods, goddesses, ancestors, heroes, Brah¬
mans, animals, and plants.
* The Aswamedha or horse sacrifice was practised by the Solar Rajputs on the banks of
the Ganges and Sdrju 12 centuries b. c . “ It was a martial cha lenge which consisted in
letting the horse which >yas to crown the royal triumph at the year’s end go free to wander
at will over the face of the earth, its sponsor being bound to follow its hoofs, and to conquer
or conciliate the chiefs through whose territories it passed.” At the end of the year the horse
was brought back, “ led round the sacred fire and immolated with the sacred scimitar whilst
Br&hmans chanted the Vedic hymns. The carcase was then cut up and different portions of
the flesh committed to the flames, while the hotris or sacrificial priests recited appropriate
piAntras or texts.” —Encyclopaedia Britannica, and History of India —Talboys Wheeler ,
Hinduism.
We now arrive at the third stage of Hindu religious thought, and the
modern forms of Hindu worship. The main point of difference between
Brahmanism ar*d Hinduism is that the latter subordinates the worship of
the Creator Brahma to that of Vishnu, Siva, and the wives of these
divinities, allowing each sect to exalt its favourite god above and in place
of all others.
“ Hinduism is based on the idea of universal receptivity. It has, so to
speak, swallowed, digested, and assimilated, something from every creed.
It has opened its doors to all comers. It has welcomed all, from the highest
to the lowest, if only willing to admit the spiritual supremacy of Brahmans,
and conform to the usages of caste. In this manner it has held out the right
hand of- fellowship to fetish-worshipping aborigines; it has stooped to the
devil-worship of various savage tribes ; it has not scrupled to encourage
the adoration of the fish, the boar, the serpent, trees, plants, and stones;
it has permitted a descent to the most degrading cults of the Dravid-
ian races ; while at the same time it has ventured to rise to the
loftiest heights of philosophical speculation. It had artfully appropriated
Buddhism, and gradually superseded that competing system, by drawing
its adherents within the pale of its own communion/’*
Hindus are now divided into five principal sects:—
1. Shaivas or worshippers of Siva.
2. Vaishnavas, or worshippers of Vishnu.
3. Shiktas, or worshippers of the female personification of energy,
as typified by the wives of the gods.
4. Ganapatyap, or worshippers of Ganapatti or Ganesh, the god of
good fortune.
5. Sauras or worshippers of Surya, the Sun God. Of these, Shaktism
and the worship of Ganesh are both mere offshoots of
Shaivtsm; while Brdhmans, whether Shaivas or Vaishndvas f
both worship Surya or Suraj Narayan, invoking him daily in
the gaydtn , the most popular of the Vedic prayers. he
members of these various sects are tolerant of each other’s
creeds, and all appeal to the Puranas t as their special
* Brahman.sm and Hinduism —Monier Williams.
f The Puranas are so called because tlv y profess to teach what is ancient. They are
18 in number and are ascribed to a sage called Valmiki, the first Indian poet after the
Vddic epoch. “ It is probable, however, that they were really written by various authors
between the 8th and 15th centuries. In the present state of Hindu belief the Puranas exercise
a very general influence. Portions of them are publicly read and expounded by Br&hmans
to all classes of people ; observances of feasts and fasts are regulated by them, and temples,
towns, mountains and rivers, to which pilgrimages are made, owe their sanctity to the
legends they contain.”—Cyclopaedia of India.— Balfuur.
142
bible. All, however, show marked points of difference, some
of which will now be noticed. The great bulk of Rajputs
are either Sliaivas or Vaishndvas.
Shaivism or Siva-worship.
Siva is less human and far more mystical than the incarnated Vishnu.
He is generally worshipped as an omnipotent god who has replaced
Brahma the Creator, and granted new life to all created things, but only
through death and disintegration ; hence his title of ‘ Destroyer.' He is
not represented by the image of a man, but by a mystic symbol—the Jinga *
or phallus—the emblem of creative power, which is supposed to be in a
state of perpetual heat and excitement, and to require to be refreshed by
constant sprinklings of cold water, and the application of cooling b.ilva
leaves. Siva is also known as Rudra and Mahadeo, and his worship is
generally associated with Nandi, the sacred bull, and favourite attendant
of the god.
An important difference between Shaivas and Vaishnavas may here
be noticed. Siva-vvorshippers eat meat, a privilege which is generally
denied to the followers of Vishnu.
VAISHNAVISM OR ViSHNU-WORSHIP.
Vishnu is the most human and humane of the gods. He sympathises
with men’s trials, and condescends to be born of human parents- He
is usually represented by the complete image of a well-formed human
being, either that of Krishna or Rama (his two principal incarnations) which
every day is supposed to be roused from slumber, dressed, decorated with
jewels, fed with offerings of grain and sweetmeats, and then put to sleep
again like an ordinary man, while the remains of the food offered are
eagerly consumed by the priests. Vaishndvism is the most tolerant form of
Hinduism. It has an elastic creed, capable of adaptation to all varieties of
opinion and practice, and can proclaim Buddha, or any remarkable man,
to be an incarnation of the god. The chief characteristic of Vishnu is
his condescension in infusing his essence into animals and men, with the
object of delivering his worshippers from certain special dangers.
The incarnations of Vishnu are ten in number. In the first he
appeared as a fish ; in the second as a tortoise ; in the third as a boar ;
in the fourth as a man-lion ; in the fifth as a dwarf; in the sixth as
* “ The linga or phallus represents the male organ. The emblem—a plain column of stone,
or sometimes a cone of plastic mud—suggests no offensive ideas. The people call it Siva or
Mahddeva ."—Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology —Dowsort
143
Parashu or the axe-armed Rama, the champkm of the Brahmans, and
their saviour from their Kshatriya oppressors; in the seventh as the high¬
born Rama, king of Ajudhya, and hero of the Ramdyana of which an
account has already been given ; in the eighth as Krishna, a Kshatriya
of the Lunar race, who was brought up humbly among cowherds, and
whose life is described in the M ahdbhdrata ; in the ninth as the sceptical
Buddha. The tenth incarnation has yet to come. It is to take place
when the world is wholly depraved, when the god will appear in the
sky, to redeem the righteous, destroy the wicked, and restore the age of
purity.
Shaktism or goddess-worship.
S haktism, in the simplest acceptation of the term, is the worship of
Shdkti, or female force personified as a goddess. The male nature of the
Hindu triad was supposed to require to be supplemented by the associ¬
ation of each of the three gods with a Shdkti or type of female energy.
Thus Saraswati, the goddess of speech and learning, came to be regarded
as the Shdkti or consort of Brahma; Lakshmi the goddess of beauty and
fortune, as that of Vishnu ; and Parvati, daughter of the Himalayas, as
that of Siva.
Hindus, whether Shaivas or Vaishndvas , are separated into two
great classes. The first, called dakshina mdrgis or ‘ followers of the right
hand path/ are devoted to either Siva-Parvati or Vishnu-Lakshmi in their
double nature as male and female. The second, called vama mdrgis or
'followers of the left hand path', are addicted to mystic and secret rites,
and display special preference for the jemale or left hand side of each
deity. The bible of the latter is the Tantrus, which are believed to have
been directly revealed by Siva to his wife Parvati. It is these Shaktas
or left hand worshippers who devote themselves to the worship of Parvati
rather than Siva, and of Lakshmi rather than Vishnu : in the same way
the sect shows greater reverence for Radha and Sita—the two incarna¬
tions of Lakshmi — than foi Krishna and Rama, the contemporaneous
incarnations of her husband. Another favourite deity of the Shaktas is
Amba or Debi, the mother of the universe, the mighty mysterious force
whose function is to control and direct two distinct operations— vis., (i) the
working of the natural appetites and pas ions whether for the support of
the body by eating and drinking, or for the propagation of life through
sexual cohabitation ; and (2) the acquisition of supernatural faculties,
whetner for a man's own individual exaltation, or for annihilation of his
opponents.
144
Parvati under her other names of Debi, Kali, Bhawani, or Durga,
is the principal goddess of Shdktism. She is described as a terrible blood¬
drinking divinity, black in colour, fierce in temperament, besmeared with
gore, wreathed with skulls, and only to be propitiated by animal or even
human sacrifices. She was probably an aboriginal deity adopted by the
Brahmans to popularize Hinduism among the non-Aryan races.
The worship of Ganesh and village and household Deities.
Ganapatti or Ganesh is the god of good luck and the remover of
difficulties. He is considered as a kind of king of the demons, ruling
over good and bad alike, and controlling the malignant spirits who are
continually plotting against the peace of humanity. This deity is repre¬
sented by the grotesque figure of a short, fat, red-coloured man, with a
big belly, and the head of an elephant. No public festivals are held in
his honour, but his image is in every house, and he is always worshipped
prior to the commencement of important business.* On writing a book
his aid is always invoked, and his picture is frequently drawn over the
doors of shops and houses, to ensure success and good fortune to the
owners.
Under this heading a few of the minor godlings may be noticed.
Hanuman, the monkey god, is worshipped throughout India. He owes his
popularity to the fact that he assisted Rama to recover his wife Sita
from Ravana the Demon-King. The Aryans habitually referred to the
aboriginal tribes or Dasyus\ as (l black
Village gods. complexioned, flat-nosed, and monkey like
thus Hanuman, who was really an aboriginal chief who rendered Rama
valuable assistance in his expedition to Ceylon, was transformed by popu*
lar tradition first into a monkey general, and eventually into a monkey
god. Sitala Devi is the small-pox goddess, and is held in the utmost
dread. Bhuta are the spirits of men who have died violent deaths either
by accident, suicide, or capital punishment, without the, subsequent per¬
formance of proper funeral ceremonies. Preta are the spirits of deformed
and crippled persons. Pisdcha are demons created by men’s vices. All
these demons are propitiated by offerings of food and the incantation
of mantras. Nearly every village has two
or three divinities of its own. These are
Demons.
* According to Tod the Rdiputs of RdjputAna adore a goddess called Asapurna or the
‘fu'fi'lerof desires,’ who is invoked previous to any undertaking in much the same way as
Ganesh.
t Dasyu in Sanskrit means ‘a slave. *
145
generally deceased local celebrities, deified for the occasion, and worship¬
ped in the shape of a mound of earth or stone, at the foot of a pipal or
some other sacred tree.
The worship of Surya, the Sun god.
The adoration of Surya or Suraj Narayan is a Vedic survival of the
greatest antiquity. Although there are but few temples dedicated to his
service, he is worshipped by all Hindus, irrespective of sect. He is gener¬
ally regarded as a manifestation of all three persons of the Hindu Trinity.
In the east, at morning, he represents Brahma or Creation ; overhead at
noon, he typifies Vishnu or Preservation ; in the west at evening, Siva or
Destruction. The gayatri or morning prayer of the devout Hindu is an
invocation to the Sun's vivifying essence—“ let us meditate on the excel¬
lent glory of the divine Sun : may he enlighten our understanding.”
In Rdjputdna Har or the Sun is the patron of all who love war
and strong drink, and is especially the object of the Rdjput warrior's
devotion; blood and wine accordingly, are the chief oblations to this
god.” *
Minor forms of worship.
First and foremost comes the worship of the cow. “ Of all animals it
is the most sacred. Every part of its body is inhabited by some deity.
Every hair on its body is inviolable. All its excreta are hallowed. Any
spot which a cow has condescended to honour
The worship of the cow. , ., c ,
with the sacred deposit or her excrement is
for ever consecrated ground, and the filthiest place plastered with it is at
once cleansed and freed from pollution, while the ashes produced by
burning this substance are of such a holy nature that they not only make
clean all material things, but have only to be sprinkled over a sinner to
convert him into a saint.”t
Serpent-worship was practised originally by Scythians and aborigines
and was probably adopted from them by the
Brdhmans. Images of snakes are generally
found coiled round the Linga , or stretched out as a canopy over it.
Serpent-worship.
The trees, plants, and fruits reverenced by Hindus are the tulsi
or holy basil; the pipal; the bilva or bel;
Plant and tree worship. ,
the vata or banyan ; the amra or mango
the nim ; the lotus ; the cocoanut; and the kusa or sacred grass.
* Annals of Rdjasth&n.— Tod .
f Brihmanism and Hinduism .—Monier Williams.
19
146
River Worship.
The planets are worshipped and give names to the days of the week.
Thus Monday is named after Soma y the moon; Tuesday after Mangala
Mars ; Wednesday after Budh , Mercury;
Planet worship. ’ / \
I hursday after Vnhaspati ) Jupiter ; Friday
after Shukra, Venus; Saturday after Sant, Saturn; and Sunday after
Surya, the Sun god.
Many rivers are worshipped by Hindus. The Ganges is supposed
to flow from Vishnu’s foot, and to fall on Siva’s head. The river is con¬
sidered so sacred, that there is no sin, however heinous, which cannot be
atoned for by bathing in its sacred stream ; hence the traffic in Ganges
water, which is transported in small bottles to the most distant parts of
the country. The tribeni or confluence of the Ganges, Jumna and Sdras-
wati * at Allahabad, is one of the most popular
places of Hindu pilgrimage. The Ganges
lost its sanctity in 1895, when the Nerbudda replaced it as the holiest of
Indian rivers. The mere sight of the Nerbudda is said to purify the
soul from guilt. The dead may be cremated on both of its banks, where¬
as only the north bank of the Ganges should be used for this purpose.
It is well known that the Hindu doctrine with regard to a future
state is a belief in the transmigration of the soul. Most of the gods have
their own heavens, and as thousands of years may elapse between each of
his reappearances upon earth, the prayer of
the devout Hindu is that he may be permitted
to pass these periods of peace in the heaven of the deity which he has
selected as the object of his particular devotion.
Besides heavens of various degrees of felicity, Hindu mythology pro¬
vides a number of hells, of different degrees of horror, the roads to which are
long and painful, over burning sands, and pointed red-hot stones. Along
these, amidst showers of scalding water, and through caverns filled with
all sorts of terrifying objects, the Hindu
sinner threads his way to the judgment seat
of Yama, whose throne is surrounded by a terrible river called Vaitarani_
the Styx of the Hindu hell. Here he is tried by the God of Death, and
consigned to a heaven or a hell, according to his conduct during life.
All Hindus go through their daily devotions alone, either in their own
houses, or at any temple, tank, or stream in
convenient proximity to their homes.
* The Sdraswdti no longer exists, and its former course is merely indicated by a dry water
course. It ran at one time into the Indus, but since its disappearance is believed by Hindus to
flow under ground, and join the Ganges and Jumna at Allahabad. *
The Hindu heaven.
The Hindu hell.
Daily devotions.
Caste marks.
Shaivas, Vaishndvas, and Shdktas, the three principal sects of Hindus,
are recognisable one from the other by the peculiar caste marks, called
tildka or pundra, with which they decorate their foreheads. That of
Shaivas consists of three horizontal strokes,
made with the white ashes of burnt sub¬
stances, to represent the disintegrating forces of Siva ; that of Vaishndvas,
of three upright marks, close together, red or yellow in the centre and
white at the sides, to represent the footprint of Vishnu ; that of Shdktas,
of a small 1 semi-circular line above the eyebrows, with a small round patch
in the middle. The branding of the arms, breasts, etc., is also different
for each sect. Shaivas brand themselves with the sign of the trident and
linga, the weapon and symbol of Siva ; Vaishndvas with that of the club,
the discus, and the conch shell, the special attributes of Vishnu.
Shaivas and Vaishndvas both wear rosaries of beads round their necks.
The Shaiva rosary is a string of 32 or 64
rough berries of the rudrdksha tree, while that
of the Vaishndvas is made of the wood of the sacred tulsi plant, and
consists of 108 beads.
CUSTOMS.
Rosaries.
The principal phases in the life of a Rdjput are celebrated by twelve
appropriate ceremonies called Karams. These commence from a period
anterior to his birth, when the Kshatriya mother first indulges in the hope
of offspring, and continue through almost every incident of his career, until
the thirteenth day after ‘death, when his soul is supposed to wing its flight
to another world. Only the most important of these Karams need be
mentioned, viz., those relating to—
(a) Birth.
(h) Initiation into the twice born order by investiture with th ejando
or sacred thread, a ceremony resembling the Christian rite
of baptism.
(r) Marriage.
(i d) Death.
Ceremonies relating to Birth.
On the birth of a male child, the father or a relative at once summons
the parohit or family priest, and enquires of him whether the infant
was born at a propitious moment. The parohit , with many forms and
ceremonies, then consults the stars, keeping
jat Karam or birth. a no t e 0 f hi s observations for subsequent re¬
cord in the janam-patri, or horoscope, which is an elaborate statement of
14B
every art ar relating to the child's birth, parentage, ruling constel¬
lation- and future prospects.
If the parohit' 8 reply is favourable, the nai (family barber) is sent
round to summon relations and friends, who thereupon tender their con¬
gratulations to the family, while the parohit , assisted by five other Brah¬
mans, goes through the rites prescribed for the occasion.
After a week of feasting and rejoicing, the parohit is asked to fix
upon a propitious day for the naming of the child. This is done after
consultation of the janam-patri and other
Nam Karam or naming. . . ^
formalities requiring the attendance of Brah¬
mans.
About 40 days after birth the infant is carried outside the house
and mantras or sacred texts are repeated to Surya, the Sun God. When
the child is about two years old, an auspicious day is selected for the cere¬
mony of tonsure which is performed twice.
Mtiran or tonsure. . . .
On the first occasion the hair is entirely re¬
moved, but at the second shaving a small tuft called the churki or choti is
left at the top of the head.
If the infant is born in the 19th or lunar division of the zodiac * called
mul, the mother is secluded for 27 days, and the father is not permitted
to see his child except as a reflection in a mirror, or a vessel filled with
melted phi. Omission of this precaution would, it is considered, result in
the child’s death within a year. During this period no strangers are
admitted into the house, and the father neither shaves nor sends his
clothes to the wash. On the 27th day the parohit is sent for, and a most
elaborate ceremony is gone through, called the nd-paki puja y in which
many Brdhmans assist, involving the parents in great expense. The
parohit concludes the rite by announcing that the incubus of the ?nul or
unpropitious birth has been removed, and the establishment is at last
purified.
* “ The zodiac is an imaginary zone of the heavens within which lie the paths of the sun
moon, and principal planets. The zodiac of modern astronomers is divided into 12 signs
marked by 12 constellations. The Hindu zodiac is a lunar one and is divided into 27 man¬
sions called nakshatras, a word originally signifying stars in general, but appropriated to designate
certain small stellar groups marking the divisions of the lunar track. The 27 nakshatras are
supposed to correspond with the 27$ days in which the moon revolves round the earth. A
special nakshatra is appropriated to every occurrence in life. One is propitious to marriage-
another to entrance upon school life; a third, to the first ploughing ; a fourth, to laying the
foundations of a house. Festivals for the dead are appointed to be held under those that
include but one star .”—Encyclopedia Britannica.
149
On the birth of a daughter all feasting and rejoicing is dispensed with*
only the bare rites being observed. Among the higher clans of Rdjputs
the birth of a daughter is regarded as a positive misfortune.
Ceremonies relating to religious initiation or investiture
WITH THE Janeo.
The janeo or sacred thread is the emblem worn by the three highest
castes of Hindus to symbolize their second or spiritual birth, and to mark
the distinction between themselves and the
The ^faneo or sacred thread. 0 . T . • , f , . .
once-born Sudras. It consists or three strings
of spun cotton, varying in length, according to caste. The length of a
Rajput janeo is 95 chuas , a chua being the circumference of four fingers
of the right hand.
Once invested with this hallowed symbol, the Rijput never parts
with it. Thenceforth it serves as a constant reminder of his aristocratic
origin, and of his duties as a member of the warrior caste. It is usually
worn over the left shoulder and under the right arm, and its triple form
is supposed to symbolize Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the three persons of
the Hindu Trinity, and Earth, Air, and Heaven, the three worlds pervaded
by their essence. The janeo must always be made by Brihmans, and
should be' renewed once a month.
The investiture of a Rdjput with the janeo represents his formal
admission into the ranks of the twice-born. It usually takes place at the
same time as marriage, so that the two ceremonies are combined, and one
expenditure suffices for both. The Purbiah or Hindustani Rajput takes
almost as much pride in his janeo as a Brdhman, but in*R£jput£na and
the eastern districts of the Punjab, where
Upanyana or Initiation. Rajputs are freer from Brahmanical influ*
ences, they seldom wear the thread, and regard it more as the symbol of a
priest than of a warrior. The ceremony of initiation is rather elaborate.
At the moment of investiture, the officiating pundit whispers a verse from
the Vedas into the neophyte’s ear. The family parohit then addresses the
young Rdjput, and after inculcating various precepts for his religious and
moral conduct, dismisses him with an asirbad * or Brahmanical blessing.
Ceremonies relating to marriage.
Among Rajputs, the ceremonies attending the marriage rite are
even more elaborate than those relating to birth and 1 investiture
* Br&hmans are addressed by other castes with the respectful salutation of pailagi, “I
place myself humbly at your feet.” The Brahman in return bestows his asirbad or blessing—
“ may your riches increase.”
with the janco. It is the ambition of every Rdjput to add distinc¬
tion to his family pedigree by forming alliances with illustrious houses.
Owing, however, to their peculiar marriage customs, this is no easy
matter, and the higher the clan the greater the difficulty. In the first
place Rdjputs are exogamous, i.e they must marry into their own tribe,
but out of their own clan. Marriage within the clan is impossible, and in
fact would be regarded as incest. Besides this, although a Rdjput lad
may accept a bride from a clan inferior in status to his own, a similar
privilege is denied to the Rajput girl, whose husband must be her equal,
and if possible, her superior. The result of these restrictions is a surplus
of women in the higher septs, leading to a competition for husbands,
and an enormous increase in the cost of getting a daughter married. It
is this question of expense, that is the cause of the female infanticide
which is so prevalent among Rajputs. The field of matrimonial selection
is further limited by the fact that Rajputs, in common with most respect¬
able classes of Hindus, bar marriage within the following degrees of
kinship :—
Chachera or the family of the paternal uncle.
Mamera „ „ „ „ „ maternal uncle.
Phuphera „ „ „ ,, „ paternal aunt.
Mausera „ „ „ ,, „ maternal aunt.
A Rdjput, moreover, will never marry into any family with which
any of his own relations have contracted marriages within living memory.
When a Chhatri boy is about ii years old, his father deputes 2. ghata¬
ka or professional matchmaker to negotiate a promise of marriage with
the parents of a girl belonging to some suitable clan.f In making a selec¬
tion, caste equ&lity is considered of greater importance than wealth.
Nevertheless, says Sleeman,* “all is a matter of bargain and sale. Those
who have money must pay in proportion to their means in order to marry
their girls into families a shade higher in caste than themselves, or to
get brides from them, when such families are reduced to the necessity of
selling their daughters to inferiors." In some parts of northern India the
lagi or matchmaker is the nai or family barber ; but among the higher grade
clans he is more often a Brahman, who goes about from one family to
another until he discovers an eligible girl. The formalities gone through
in the case of a daughter are very much the same as for a son. The first
move is made by the girl's father who, when his daughter is about 8 years
old, inquires after a suitable lad among his
Barrzcha, Saggai, or Betrothal. f r j enc | s anc i relations. Haying made his
* A Journey through the Kingdom of Oudh.
f Many of the highest Rajput families in Rajputana obtain wives from the Hill Rajputs of
Kangra and Jummoo. This is partly due to the undoubted purity of their blood, and partly
to the beauty and fair complexions of their women.
choice, he proceeds to the boy’s village, accompanied by his nai ’ parohit y
and the ghataka , or lagi } and there arranges for an introduction to the
lad’s relations.
The emblem of marriage among Rdjputs is the cocoanut. It is
generally sent by the father of the bride to the father of the bridegroom,
and signifies that the former makes an offer of his daughter’s hand. If the
proposal is accepted, the cocoanut is retained; but if the alliance is
declined, it is returned, an insult which the bride’s family will never
forgive.
As soon as preliminaries have been settled, the lad’s father brings his
son dressed in his best clothes for inspection by the girl’s relations. The
next step in both cases is an investigation of genealogies and a verification
of the pedigrees of both parties. This is conducted by the family Bhats
or Char an j.* If these inquiries are satisfactory, a pundit is engaged to
scrutinise the boy’s janampatri , and the constellations are consulted to
decide whether the lunar mansions in which both parties were born com¬
bine propitiously. On a favourable reply being received, a tilalc or te'ka\
is affixed to the lad’s forehead, and the question of dowry or dahaez is
then gone into. As soon as this matter is disposed of, relations and friends
are informed of the engagement, and the betrothal called Saggai or
Barrie ha is complete.
In Rijputdna Saggai and the subsequent ceremony called Beeah are
more or less merged into one, and the ages of bride and bridegroom have
been fixed at 13 and 18 respectively. A regular scale of expenditure has
also been determined, suitable to the means of the parents. In Oudh and
the North-West Provinces it is still a point of honour among Rdjputs to
spare no expense over marriages. The most reckless extravagance is per¬
missible, and not only are the whole savings of a lifetime wasted over a
single wedding, but money is borrowed at the most exorbitant rates of
interest without thought of the ruin which such imprudence must inevitably
entad. This is a serious social evil, and is gradually reducing the Rdjput
yeoman of these provinces to the position of a dependent of the Banya
or Mahijan to whom he has mortgaged his ancestral property.}:
* The Bhat is generally a genealogist and historian; the Chdran is a bard and herald
and composes verses in honour of famous ancestors.
f Some tekas are marked with dhai or milk curds; others with a kind of red earth called
roli or sandur.
t A girl’s marriage costs from Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 to her father, and a boy’s from Rs. 70 to
Rs. 180 to his father ; so the average expenditure from both sides on a wedding is from Rs. 170
to Rs. 250. Among the wealthier classes the expenses of a wedding run to thousands.
The next step is to select an auspicious date for the Beeah or mar*
riage ceremony. This as a rule involves numerous references to the stars,
and every hitch in the proceedings has to be got over by propitiatory gifts
to the pundits. It is customary to notify the date finally decided on in
a letter written on yellow paper, which is called the lagan. This is sent
round to all the relations and friends of both families by the party receiv¬
ing the first intimation of the date from the pundits.
The most favourable season for marriages is the spring, but marriage
may take place in any of the following months, each of which possesses
peculiar attributes—
Magh, i.e., from about loth January to loth February.
Phagan, i.e., ,, „ ioth February to loth March.
Baisakh, i.e., „ „ ioth April to loth May.
Jeyt, i.e., „ „ ioth May to ioth June.
Asarh, i.e., „ „ ioth June to ioth July.
The month of Md&h is said to bring a wealthy wife ; Phagan , a good
manager; Baisakh and Jeyt. a dutiful help-
The marriage season. ..... r
mate ; while marriages in Asarh are reputed
to be very prolific.
In ancient days, constant wars made it very difficult for a Rdjput to
carry out all the ceremonies prescribed for
Special Rajput marriage days. .
the rite of marriage. Seven days were there¬
fore appointed on which weddings could be celebrated without the inter¬
ference of Brahmans. They are as follows :—
Janam Ashtmi, i.e , about 3rd September.
Deo-uthan, i.e., „ 20th November.
Charandi or Dolandi, i.e , „ 1st March.
Akatiz, i.e., „ 19th April.
Phalera Dhuj, i.e., „ 18th February.
Basant Panchmi, i.e., ,, 22nd January.
This custom is peculiar to Rdjputs, and is one which Brdhmans are
very loth to admit, as by it they can be totally ignored. It is well suited
to the necessities of a warlike race, and is freely made use of by soldiers
who are prevented by circumstances from obtaining leave during the
regular marriage season.
As soon as the actual date of the marriage is settled, friends and rela¬
tions are invited to take part in the Barat or wedding procession, and all
are asked to bring their retinues so as to add to the dignii ’ of the occasion.
On the morning of the bridegroom’s departure for the bride’s house, he
is dressed in yellow, adorned with jewels, wreathed in flowers and his feet
dyed red. He then mounts his palki, with his younger brother or cousin
as best man. Before starting, offerings are made at the village shrines,
The Barit or Marriage Proces- and a visit is paid to the village well. Here
s,on • the bridegroom’s mother pretends that she will
153
throw herself in unless her son repays her for the love and care bestowed
upon him since his birth. The lad thereupon seizes her, and swearing
eternal devotion, implores his mother to prolong her life for his sake. To
this she of course consents, and the Bardt having meanwhile formed up, a
start is made for the bride's house. It is generally arranged that the pro¬
cession should arrive towards evening, its approach being invariably an¬
nounced by the nai or family barber.
As the bridegroom’s party draws near, the bride's friends form them¬
selves into a procession, and with torches, drums, and singing, welcome
the arrival of the Bardt. After an exchange of salutations the bride¬
groom is ceremoniously conducted to the bride’s door, where he is received
by her relations. A religious ceremony follows, accompanied by a general
distribution of presents, and money is thrown out, and scrambled for by the
crowd outside. The bridegroom now returns to his camp, which is usually
pitched in a neighbouring tope of trees.
Meanwhile his father escorted by his pundit and nai proceeds to the
bride’s house with the wedding presents, and after they have been
inspected by the family, all retire to rest.
Suddenly the bride’s pundit , who is supposed to have been watching
the heavens, announces that the hour for the wedding has arrived.
This is the signal for general activity. The bride and bridegroom meet
once more, and after being seated opposite and near one another, the
ceremony of joining hands is gone through. As soon as this is finished,
the bride’s father bestows various gifts on his son-in-law, and presents
are received from the friends of the family who offer their congratulations
and good wishes. The concluding ceremonial, called the agnl puja ,
completes the marriage rite. A fire of mango
Beeah or marriage.
wood is lit with much ceremony, and the young
couple are made to stand up, facing east, with their garments tied
together. They then march round the sacred fire three times, each
circuit being made in seven steps, while the pundits chant prayers
and texts from the Vddas. Loud singing and beating of drums accompanies
almost every portion of the marriage ceremony, as a curious ide£
prevails that the efficacy of all religious rites is greatly enhanced by noise.
After three more days spent in feasting, rejoicing, and settling the
dowry accounts, the bride starts with her husband for his home. Here
she makes a stay of a few days, and then returns to her father's house
where she remains until old enough to cohabit with her husband.
20
i54
Gaona , Mukhlawa or home-taking.
Plurality of wives.
Concubinage.
The last of the ceremonies relating to marriage is the Gaona o r home¬
taking. This usually takes place when the
bridegroom is about 15 or 16 and the girl
about 12. A propitious day is selected, in consultation with the parohit>
and the husband then pays a short visit to his wife's family, which is made
the occasion for more rejoicing and feasting. The final leave is then taken,
and the young people start for home, this time to commence life together
in earnest. In the unavoidable absence of the bridegroom, the bride may
be taken home by either her husband’s father or brother.
Plurality of wives is permissible among western Rdjputs, and they
may be married either by the full, or among
clans which practice it, the irregular forms
called Shadi and Karao. Three or four wives are not uncommon, but
usually only one is bedta , or married by the orthodox rites.
Western Rajputs keep concubines, but the practice is not common
except in Rajputana. Three descriptions of concubinage are recog¬
nized. The first class consists of women called Khawas, generally Jatnis
or Gujarins, who are kept in the seclusion of the Zanana. Their offspring,
called Khawaswals or Suretwdls , are treated
as Rajputs, but are not allowed to put their
mouths to the hukah of an asl or pure born man, nor to actually eat off the
same dish, though the true Rajput will eat food cooked by them. The
second and third classes are called Daroghi and Goli. The former are
usually bought women who work about a Rajput’s house, but never leave it ;
the latter are generally of low caste, draw water from the wells, work in the
fields, and are, as their name implies, practically slaves. The male progeny
of the two last named are called Daroghas and Golas respectively. They
generally assume the name and clan of the master of the house, though, as
a matter of fact, they may be anybody’s children.
Ceremonies relating to death.
When death is approaching, a pundit is sent for. The sick man is
laid with his bedding on a layer of kusa grass on a spot which has pre¬
viously been leeped, or encircled by a ring of cowdung. A sprig of the
tulsi plant, a piece of gold, or a few drops of Ganges water are placed
in his mouth, failing which a little mud from a sacred stream may be plas¬
tered on his forehead. The object of these precautions is to detain the
Ceremonies on the approach of messengers of Yama, the God of Death, until
death ' the proper propitiatory ceremonies have been
carried out. A cow is then brought to the dying man’s side, and he is
made to grasp its tail, the idea being that by the sacred animal's assistance
i55
Kiria karams or funeral rites.
he will be safely transported across Vaitarani, the Styx of the Hindu
hell. The cow is of course presented to the pundit , w’ho, after repeating
appropriate mantras or texts, calls upon the dying man to repeat one
of the names of Vishnu, such as Ram, Narayan, or Hari. This done,
salvation is assured.*
After death, the body is covered with a white cloth, and is carried to
the burning place, which is generally on the banks of a stream. The
funeral rites are always conducted by Maha-Brdhmans, a despised sect,
specially entrusted with the performance of funeral rites. On the way,
the mourners chant various verses,t and on
arrival the body is shaved, washed, and either
decorated with flowers or plastered with Ganges mud. Clean clothes are
put on, and the corpse is then laid on the funeral pile facing north. The
latter, strictly speaking, should be constructed of till si and sandal-wood,
but as a matter of fact all descriptions of wood are used. Five pindas or
balls of rice are placed on the body. The eldest son of the deceased, or
his representative, now sets fire to the pile, reciting a text from the Rig
Veda. When the corpse is half burnt, a relative of the deceased should
crack the skull by a*blow, delivered with a stick, composed of some sacred
wood. By this the soul is supposed to be released from the body. Ob¬
lations of ghi and grain are offered up, and as soon as the cremation is
over, all purify themselves with ablutions, and again make oblations of
water and sesamum, muttering the name of the deceased.
If a man dies in a remote place, or if his body is not found, his son
should make an effigy of the deceased with Icusa grass, and then burn it
on a pile with similar rites. This procedure is very generally observed by
the relations of sepoys who die on service.
The period of mourning is ten days, during which the members of the
deceased’s family are not allowed to shave,
Period of mourning. , . f „ . ,
wear shoes, or eat cooked rood. Un the last
day, all near relatives should have their heads shaved.
On the third day after cremation, the bones and ashes, called Phul,
are collected and placed in a vessel, which is thrown into the Ganges, or
some acred river. If this cannot be done at once, the remains are
buried, pending a favourable opportunity for their disposal.
On the eleventh day after death, the Shraddha ceremonies com¬
mence. These are reverential offerings to ancestral spirits. Pindas of
rice, ghi, and sugar are scattered about, and a vessel of water is hung on
a pipal tree, for the use of the soul of the deceased until its final departure
for another world, which is supposed to take place on the thirteenth day.
* Needless to say these ceremonies would only be observed in full in the case of a man
dying at his home.
f They generally say “ Rant Ndm sachh hat “ the name of R&m is true.”
On this occasion, friends, kinsmen, and an odd* number of Brahmans must
be fed.
The Shrdddha ceremonies are repeated in a simple form every month
for a year, and afterwards twice a year—on the anniversary of the death,
and again in the month of September. Brahmans have to be fed on each
occasion. No marriage can take place in the family of the deceased until
after the che mas hi^ or six months after death. In Rijputina and the East¬
ern Punjab, the che mdshi rites are usually observed about three months
after cremation, so as to avoid the inconvenience which would be caused
by delaying marriages for the full period.
On the first anniversary of the death Brahmans and friends are feasted,
and a male calf is offered up by the chief mourner to the spirit of his
departed relative. He washes the animal and brands it with the impres¬
sion of a trident, the badge of Vishnu, and then sets it free to wander
about the country in the form of a Er£hmani bull.
There are certain occasions when Rdjputs and other orthodox Hindus
forego the observance of these rites. If a Rajput lad dies before he has
undergone the ceremony of tonsure, ot before he is five years old, his body
is buried instead of being burnt. In the same way, if the deceased child
be under a month old, the body is at once buried near the place of its
birth, generally in the angan or courtyard of the father's house.
Leave.
The amount of leave required by a Rdjput sepoy to enable him to
take part in any of the ceremonies previously described, will depend upon
the distance at which he is quartered from his home, and the proximity of
the latter to - a railway. The number of days granted must be sufficient to
cover the time spent in travelling to and fro, in addition to the minimum
period required for each rite, which is as follows ;—
Days.
{a) Jdtkaram (birth) ; Ndmkaram (naming) ... ... 3
{b) Upanydna (investiture with the jane'0) ... ... 3
(c) Bardt or Bccah (marriage) ... ... ... 1 of
When granting leave for these ceremonies, consideration must be
taken of the distance of the bridegroom’s house from that of the bride.
Allowing for a stay of 4 days and 6 days for the journey there and back
10 days’ leave will generally suffice.
( d) Gdona (home-taking) ... .... ... 10
(e) Kxria Karams (funeral rites) ... ... ...15
The period of leave should be reckoned from the date of death.
• It is usual to feed an odd number of Brdhmans on occasions of grief and mourning, and
an even number at weddings and other rejoicings.
f This period would not be sufficient for a Rdjputdna R&jput, who, owing to the distance
and inaccessibility of his home, would generally require about six weeks’ leave.
157
Hindu Festivals.
There are about 142 Hindu festivals during the year. An account
of the more important ones will be found below. Lists of festivals, show¬
ing the exact dates on which they fall, are published annually by Provincial
Governments, and copies can be obtained for reference on application to
the Civil authorities.
Name of festival.
Month in which it
usually falls.
Remarks.
Makdr Sankrant
January
The celestial sign Makar answers to Capri¬
corn. On that day the sun is said to
begin his journey northward. To the
early Aryans, living in a cold region, the
approach of spring was an occasion of
the greatest joy, and the commencement
of the sun’s northward progress could
not pass unmarked, for then opened the
auspicious half of the year. The sun
especially is worshipped at this festival.
Bathing in the sea is prescribed when¬
ever it is possible. Rejoicings abound
in public and in private. Great gather¬
ings take place, as at Allahabad, where
the Ganges and Jumna mingle; and at
Gunga-Sagar, where the Ganges meets
the Ocean.
Mauni Amdwas
January-February ...
A minor holiday. Persons observing this
festival do not speak to any one until
they have performed the ablutions pre¬
scribed for the occasion. Bathing may
take place in the nearest large river or
tank, but it should be carried out in the
Ganges, if possible, and especially at
Hardwar.
Basant Panchmi
January-February ...
A spring festival. In Bengal, Saraswdti,
goddess of arts and learning, is wor¬
shipped at this time. No reading or
writing is permissible, and the day is
observed as a holiday in all public offi¬
ces. Both sexes should wear basanti or
yellow clothing and celebrate the festival
with music and rejoicings.
Sheo-Rdtri, properly
Mdha-Siva-rdti, the
great night of Siva.
February-March ...
Commemorates the birth of Siva. A fast
is observed during the day and a vigil
is kept at night when the ling a or phal¬
lus (the emblem of Siva) is worshipped.*
*58
Name of festival.
Month in which it
usually falls.
Remarks.
Holi ...
Februarv-March ...
This festival, identified with the dola -
yatra , or the rocking of the image of
Krishna, is celebrated, especially in the
Upper Provinces as a kind of Hindu
Saturnalia or Carnival. Boys dance
about the streets, and inhabitants of
houses sprinkle the passers-bv with red
powder, use squirts, and play practical
jokes. Towards the close of the festival
about the night of full moon, a bonfire is
l.ghted, and games, representing the fro¬
lics of the young Krishna, take place
around the expiring embers. During
the Holi women are addressed with the
utmost familiarity, and indecent jests at
their expense are considered permissible.
Rdm Naumi
March-April
This is commemorative of the birthday
of Rama. It is kept as a strict fast.
The temples of Rama are illuminated
and his image adorned with costly orna¬
ments. The Ramdyana is read in the
temples, and nautches are kept up dur¬
ing the night. At noon of this day the
pujchi, (t.e., the Brahman who conducts
worship at a temple) exihibits a small
image of the god and-puts it into a
cradle. The assembly prostrates itself
before it. Acclamations arise all round ;
handfuls of red powder are flung in
token of joy; and all go home exulting.
Bais^khi-Amawas,
also called Satuahi
Amdwas.
April-May
A minor Hindu festival in which sattu or
ground barley and gram is distributed
to Brdhmans before the feast.
Dasehra-Jeth
May-June
Commemorates the birthday of Gunga,
goddess of the Ganges. On this day
all Hindus who are able to do so, bathe
in the Ganges, and give alms to the
Brahmans living on its banks. By so
doing they secure the benefits of dasehra ,
f.e., ten-removing sins; an attribute of
the goddess Gunga “who effaces ten
sins, however heinous, of such as bathe
in her holy waters.”
>59
Name of festival.
Month in which it
usually falls.
Remarks.
Nag-Panchmi
July-August
The festival is in honour of the Ndgas or
snake gods. The figure of a serpent is
made of clay, or drawn on the wall, and
worshipped. Living serpents are brought
and fed with milk and eggs. All this is
done to deprecate the wrath of the
venomous reptile.
Sitdla-Saptami
July-August
A minor festival, held two days after the
Nag Panchmi. It is observed in honour
of Sitala, the small-pox goddess. During
this festival only cold food can be taken.
Raksha-Bandhan ...
July-August
A minor Hindu festival on which Brah¬
mans Invoke protection for their clients
against all evils during the year by
binding coloured thread or silk round
1 their wrists.
Janam-Ashtmi, pro¬
perly Krishna-Ja-
nam Ashtmi.
August-September...
Celebrates in the birth of Krishna. It is
one of the greatest of the sacred seasons.
The worshippers fast the whole day. At
night they bathe, worship a clay image
of the infant Krishna and adorn it with
leaves of the tulsi plant. Next day is
a great festival for all keepers of cattle
as Krishna spent his boyhood among
cowherds.
Ganesha-Chatturthi
August-September...
A minor festival in commemoration of the
birthday of Ganesh, god of wisdom.
Clay figures of the deity are made, and
after being worshipped for a few days,
are thrown into the water.
Anant-Chaudas
August-September...
Commemorates the commencement of the
winter season.
Pitr-Paksh, properly
Pitri-Paksha or
the fortnight of the
Pitris or divine
fathers; also called
Mahaldya Amawas
September
This name is applied to the sixteen con¬
secutive lunar days which are devoted
to the performance of Shraddhas or cere¬
monies in honour of ancestors and de¬
ceased relatives.
x6o
Name of festival.
Month in which it
usually falls.
Remarks.
Dasehra, Naordtri,
Durga-Puja, or
Ram-Lila.
September-October
This is the longest and most important
of all Hindu festivals. It lasts ten days.
It is celebrated in various parts of India,
especially in Bengal, and is connected
with the autumn equinox. It nominally
commemorates the victory of Durga or
Kali, wife of Siva, over a buffalo-headed
demon. The form under which she is
adored is that of an image with ten
arms and a weapon in each hand, her
right leg resting on a lion, and her left
on the buffalo demon. This image is
worshipped daily until the end of the
festival, when it is cast into a river. The
fourth is the sacrificial day, on which
buffaloes, male goats, and sheep, are
decapitated before the idol, to which the
heads and blood of the victims are pre¬
sented as offerings. The tenth day is
called Dasa-hara or Dasehra. In Upper
India the Ram-Lila or sports of Rama
take place on the same days, as the
Durga Puja in Bengal. They comme¬
morate the victory gained by Rama over
Ravana, King of Ceylon. A pageant is
gone through consisting of an out-door
theatrical representation of the storming
of Ravana’s castle. Conspicuous in the
midst of the fortress is the giant himself,
a huge figure with many arms, each
grasping a weapon, and bristling with
fireworks. Beside him sits Sita, the
wife of Rdma, whom the giant has ab¬
ducted. Without stands the indignant
Rama, demanding restitution of his wife,
which being refused, the besiegers ad¬
vance to the attack. Conspicuous
among the assailants is Hanuman with
his army of men dressed up as monkeys.
The assault is at first repulsed, but is
speedily renewed, this time with success,
bita is rescued, and Ravana is on the
point of being captured, when he blows
up, thus finishing a tamdsha which is
much appreciated by natives of every
creed. J
Diwali or the feast of
lamps.
0 ctober- N ovember...
Commemorates the birth of Lakshmi, wife
of Vishnu, goddess of wealth and fortune.
Houses are freshly leeped. white-washed
i6i
Name of festival.
Month in which it
usually falls.
Remarks.
and illuminated. Gambling is permitted,
almost enjoined during the feast. Fire¬
works are displayed. The Banyas and
traders close their accounts for the year,
and gel new ledgers and books, which are
consecrated and worshipped. It is the
Hindu New Year’s Day. Thieves are
particularly active during this festival;
as they consider a successful robbery
committed then to be very auspicious,
and to promise good luck during the year
just commenced.
D£o-uthan-Ekadasi...
October-N ovember...
This festival commemorates the awaking
of Vishnu from four months’ sleep. The
image of the god is placed on a chair and
rocked.
Gunga-Asnan
November
The great festival of the Ganges held in
honour of Siva’s victory over the demon
Tripurasura. Large gatherings take
place at Gurmukhtesar, Bithur, Allah¬
abad, Sonepur, and other places. All
should bathe in the Ganges or some
sacred river.
Somwari-Amawas ...
Any month
The fifteenth of any Hindu month falling
on a Monday. It is observed as a
religious festival for bathing and giving
alms.
Suraj-Girhan
Any month
A day on which a solar eclipse occurs.
Chandar-Girhan
Any month
A day on which a lunar eclipse occurs.
21
CHAPTER IV.
General character.
CHARACTERISTICS.
‘‘The Rdj put race is the noblest and proudest in India. With the
exception of the Jews there is perhaps no people of higher antiquity or
purer descent. They form a military aristocracy of a feudal type. They
are brave and chivalrous, keenly sensitive to an affront, and especially
jealous of the honour of their women."* In disposition they are manly,
simple, and honest, and as a rule have none of the cunning and intrigue of
the Brdhman. The chief characteristics of the
true Rdjput are pride of race and inordinate
extravagance. In Rdjputdna he is easily recognised by his haughty bear¬
ing. There the chieftains of his tribe have ruled from time immemorial,
and he feels himself free, and a member of the ruling race. Among the
Rdjputs of Hindustan these peculiarities are very much modified, many
defects disappear, and there only remain those traits which in a soldier
command admiration and respect. “Indeed it is amongst the Rdjputs of
our Army that we find the best specimen of Hindu character, retaining its
individuality while divested of many of its faults. Here we acquire a
clearer conception than elsewhere of their high spirit when roused, their
enthusiastic courage and generous self-devotion, so singularly combined
with gentleness, and an almost boyish simplicity of character “f- In no
part of the world has the devotion of soldiers to their immediate chiefs
been more remarkable than among the Rdjputs. The Mutiny, no doubt,
was a striking example to the contrary, but even then “while some of the
sepoys fought against us with their whole heart, the bulk of them,
who had simply followed sheep-like some truculent and self-appointed
guide, felt that they were fighting in a bad cause, and against their habitual
leaders of whom they naturally stood in awe. Under such circumstances
their conduct in the field could not draw out their military qualities ill a
true light; whereas those who remained true to their salt were the real
representatives of the valour and fidelity of their race’bj
A Rajput is generally a frugal liver. His ambition, as a rule, is to save
as much money as he can until a marriage
occurs in his family, when his extravagance
knows no bounds. He however takes considerable pride in his appearance,
and spends a good deal of his pay on clothes. Rdjputdna Rdjputs are
more liberal and open handed than their brethren of Hindustan ; they feed
better, and are far less anxious to save.
* History of India —Talboys Wheeler.
f Hinduism— Harris.
Lucknow and Oudh in the Mhtiny— McLeod Ittnes,
Thriftiness.
163
In matters relating to food and cooking there is a marked difference
between the Rajputs of Rdjputina and the eastern Punjab and those of
Hindustan and Behar. The former will not only employ Brahmans as
their cooks, but Banyas, J£ts, Gujars, Ahirs, and Nais. They will all feed
out of the same dish, use the same cooking
The customs of the Western or .
Desi Rdjputs in matters relating utensils, and even dispense with a chauka
totheirfood. or p re p arec [ fireplace. They will take meat
halldled by a Musalman, and will eat each other’s cooked food whether
fresh or stale. Moreover their freedom from ceremonial restraints
enables them to dispense with the stripping, bathing, and other formalities,
which to a Hindustani Rdjput are indispensable preliminaries of a meal.
They are in fact as little troubled by Hindu prejudices as the Sikhs*
“ They slay buffaloes, hunt and eat the boar,* shoot ducks and wild fowlf,”
and owing to their being in the habit of feeding together in messes, they
require comparatively few cooking pots, and their wants on service
are easily satisfied.
Many of the Rdjputs of Oudh and the North-West Provinces are of
doubtful descent, and it is probable that the extreme exclusiveness of some
of the higher clans in matters relating to food and cooking, arises from a
fear of falling in grade through association with those whom they consider
to be their social inferiors. For this reason each man generally cooks
for himself; but as a matter of fact, there is
The customs of the Eastern or ,
Purbiah R&jputs in matters relat- no reason why any Rajput should not take
ing to their food. food p re p arec j by any Brahman, by any one of
his own clan, or any one of any clan which habitually intermarries with
his own. For example, the Tilokchandi Bats often take wives from the
Kanhpuria : any Tilokchandi Bats , therefore, should be able to eat at the
same chauka as any Kanhpuria ) all that is necessary being that each party
should be a bond fide member of the clan to which he professes.to belong.^
The establishment of messes is thus perfectly feasible so long as the men
are of the same or of allied clans , and matters are greatly facilitated by
the employment of Brahman cooks. The Rajputs of Hindustan, however,
have hitherto been too much under Brdhmanical influence to permit of
their cooking in common ; they would do so no doubt on service , but in the
* Except Parihars and Shaikhawat Kachwahas.
f Annals of Rajasthan— Tod .
+ In further illustration of this custom the following note has been communicated by the
Officer Commanding 8th Bengal Infantry. “ I find from enquiry that if a Rajput, say a Parihar ,
marries into a Gautam family, and this Gautani family marries into a Rdjkumar family, all
these three clans can cook and eat Kachi , i.e., food cooked in water together, provided they
are personally known to each other. They will not go beyond this ; for if the Rdjkumar
family marries into some other lower one, the Parihar will refuse to eat Kachi Cooked by the
lower-grade man, although the latter will eat food prepared by the Parihar. This holds good
with all Rajputs.”
Cooking.
lines they generally prefer to feed separately, in much the same fashion
as a Brahman. It must be remembered that all the food prejudices of
Hindus are with reference to what is called kachi khana, i. e ., food cooked
in water. Pakki khana or food cooked in ghi does not give them much
concern. All Rdjputs, .even those most susceptible to Brdhmanical in¬
fluence, can eat pakki cooked by Halwais,* * * § away from the chauka , and at
any time. Pakki generally takes the form of puris, and even in Benares
and Shahabad, where the Rdjputs are nearly as strict as the Brahmans,
they will buy these cakes in the bazaar, and eat them at any time, w ithout
bothering to take off their shoes, or going through the smallest ceremony, f
For cooking, a space is marked off, about five feet square, called the
chauka , within which is the chula or fireplace. The whole is then
leeped with mud or cowdung. The materials for the meal being placed
within the chauka , the Rdjput steps out¬
side, and purifies himself by washing his feet.
Before cooking he always bathes, and while in the water changes his
dhoti or loin-Cloth. If possible, he should immerse himself at least twice,
repeating certain prayers as he faces the east. While eating, the clean
dhoti is the only garment worn,I but a handkerchief may be thrown over
the shoulders, for wiping the face and hands. It is essential also to
wear the janeo,\ which indeed is never laid aside. Dinner over, the
chauka is left, hands and feet are again washed, and Pdn\\ and tobacco
may be indulged in. Should anyone not a Rajput touch the chauka
after it has been prepared, all the food within its limits is defiled, and
must be thrown away. As a rule, only one meal is eaten, about midday;
but sometimes another is taken towards sunset. All food is eaten with
the fingers, and only the right hand is used.
The articles of food which a Rdjput is permitted to enjoy vary accord¬
ing to circumstances. In Rdjputana and the eastern Punjab he will eat pig,
sheep, goat, deer, game-birds, and sometimes even the domestic fowl. Fish
he cannot indulge in, not because it is prohibited, but because it is seldom
* “ Halw&is, also called Mithaiyas, are Hindu confectioners. Their use of ghi in making
sweetmeats renders food prepared by them pure.”—“ Ethnographical Hand-book.”— Crooke.
f Among local prejudices relating to food may b** mentioned the following peculiarity
brought to notice by the Officer Commanding 16th Bengal Infantry. “ The clans of Baiswara
(roughly speaking Unao, Lucknow, and Rai Bareli,) will not intermarry, or eat at the same
chauka with the clans of Banodha ( i.e ., Fyzabad, Sultanpur, and Partabgarh.) Even men of the
same clan from opposite banks of the River Sai or the Chuab will not, as a rule, mess together.”
+ On service, or in a cold climate where exposure of the naked body would be likely to
cause sickness, clothes may be worn while cooking, provided they are made of wool. Bathing
under these circumstances would be limited to washing the face, feet, and hands.
§ Except among Western Rajput.
jj Pan or Pan Supari is a well known masticatory which to some extent takes the place
of opium, tobacco, and other narcotics. Slices of the areca nut are wrapped in the fresh
leaves of the betel-pepper vine, with a small quantity of quicklime. It has an aromatic and
astringent taste. AH classes, male and female, chew it, and they allege that it strengthens
the stomach, sweetens the breath, and preserves the teeth. It gives the lips, tongue, and teeth
a reddish tinge.” —Cyclopaedia of India— Balfour .
procurable. In Hindustan he will eat sheep, goat, deer, fish, and game¬
birds, but pig and the domestic fowl are
Food. ’ 1 &
generally held in abhorrence. Meat, how¬
ever, whether in Rdjputana or Hindustan, is too dear to be anything but
an occasional luxury ; the staple food of the Rajput is chapatis or
unleavened bread, rice, dal, spices, and all sorts of vegetables, except
turnips, beetroot, and onions. Nearly everything is cooked in ghi or
clarified butter, and various seasonings are added as a relish.
There is a marked difference between western and eastern Rajputs
in regard to what they drink. The Western Rajput has a decided
partiality for liquor, and “ the pidla or cup is a favourite with all who can
n , c ~ . ... . afford it. n * He will drink without hesita-
ern Rajput in matters relating to tion from the ordinary mashak or pakhal
?P y ' of a Muhammadan bhisti . Men of equal
grade will drink from each other’s lotahs , and a superior, though unable
to actually apply it to his lips, will take water without objection from
the earthenware vessel of an inferior. The material of the drinking vessel
is also a matter of indifference. It may be made of brass, iron, copper,
zinc, leather, or wood.
The Eastern Rdjput is far more particular in every way. He is
extremely abstemious, and as a rule takes nothing but water, milk, and
sherbets. He has a rooted aversion to the water skin, and can only drink
from mashaks made of canvas or goatskin, and carried by Hindu water-
carriers. Even these are seldom used, and
Customs of the Purbiah or .
Eastern Rdjputs in matters re- most regiments find it more convenient to
latmg to water-supply. provide themselves with zinc or copper
water tins, specially constructed for transport on mules. Each man has
his own brass lotah , and if it is lent to an inferior, it must be purified by
being passed through the fire before the owner can again make use of it.
Rajputs are ratner partial to drugs, and indulge in gdnja, bhang , post\
and opium. They are also addicted to the use of tobacco, which they both
chew and smoke. The Rdjputs of R3jput£na
Use of drugs. are large consumers of opium. “A Rajput,”
says Tod, “ is useless without his opium, and I have often dismissed their
men of business to refresh their intellects by a dose, for when its effects
are dissipating, they become 1 mere logs. Opium to the Rdjput is even
more necessary than food/’
Rajput cooking utensils are made of metal so that they may be readi¬
ly purified by scouring. In a regiment this duty is generally entrusted to
a special class of company servants called gurgas.
* Annals of R&jasthdn.— Tod.
t Bhang is a powerful stimulant extracted from wild hemp. Post is an infusion of poppy
heads.
The names of the different utensils anc
Cooking pots. .
their respective uses are as follows :—
Batlohi .—A vessel used for cooking rice and dal.
Tdwa .—An iron plate on which chapdtis are baked.
Thali.— -The brass platter in which atta is kneaded into chapdtis ,
and from which food is eaten after it has been cooked.
Lotah .—A brass drinking vessel.
Chamach .—A brass spoon for use with dal and rice.
Karhai or Karahi .—An iron vessel used for cooking vegetables
and puris , i.e., chapdtis made with phi instead of water.
Katori .—A small brass cup in which ghi is placed.*
The principal and never-omitted article of dress with a Rajput is the
dhoti or loin-cloth, of which there are always two. It is changed daily
while bathing before the mid-day meal, and is generally washed by the
wearer. Next the skin is worn a short jacket
called a mirzai , and over it another of thicker
material called an anga. In every case the opening is on the right side in
contradistinction to Muhammadan clothing, of which the opening is on the
left. This applies to all classes of Hindus. As a matter of fact, however,
there is a growing tendency to wear loose coats, of semi-European pattern
buttoning down the centre. In native undress, sepoys as a rule wear
white cotton blouses called kurtas. The head dress is invariably the
pagri or turban, which each clan ties in its own particular fashion. In
Oudh and the North-West Provinces caps are preferred to pagris by
certain classes of Rdjputs. The favourite colour of the Rajput is yellow,
and in ancient days the donning of a saffron coloured robe indicated that the
wearer intended to fight to the last, neither giving nor expecting quarter.
In the matter of education, Rajputs are a long way inferior to Brih-
mans. Few educated men spring from their ranks, and the vast majority
of our Rdjput recruits are absolutely illiterate
when they join. They generally manage after
a time to acquire enough of the Nagri or Kaithi character to indite a very
simple and not easily deciphered epistle to their homes, and to spell out
with difficulty a similar effusion from their friends.
Wherever the Rdjput has preserved his nationality and independence,
he accepts the Brdhman as a necessity, but declines to consider him as a
superior in aught but a spiritual sense. At sacrifices, marriages, deaths,
and for casting horoscopes, the Brdhman is indispensable. As a parohit
Education.
* Many of these cooking pots could be dispensed with by Western Rajputs.
or family priest his advice is sought for, especially by the women ; but
meddlesome interference is not tolerated, and his sphere of influence is
Religious observances. alwa y s restHctcd within reasonable bounds.
This is specially the case in Rdjputdna, where
the Rdjput “ worships his horse, his sword, and the sun, and attends more
to the martial songs of the bard than to the prayers and litanies of the
Brahman.”* The nearer we approach Ajudhya and Benares, the more
susceptible is the Rajput to Brdhmanical influence, and the more rigid his
adherence to the forms of the Hindu religion. Like the Brahman, the
Rijput performs his devotions alone, generally on the banks of the stream
or tank in most convenient proximity to his home. There are three daily
periods for devotion called tribal , one hour before and after sunrise, one
hour before and after noon, and one hour before and after sunset.
Persona! habits.
The Rajput except the Bhattis and Rath or s of Bikaneer, pays nearly
as much attention to his personal cleanliness as a Brahman. Daily
shavingt is almost a religious duty. A barber is always employed, and
the operation is gone through out of doors
Teeth are cleansed with a twig, generally of
the nim tree. After its application to the teeth the twig serves to clean
the tongue, a fresh twig being used on each occasion. No words can ex¬
press the abhorrence of a high caste Hindu for the European practice of
retaining a tooth brush after use, as saliva is of all things the most
utterly polluting. When a Purbiah Rajput visits the latrine, and goes into
the fields for purposes of nature, he invariably hangs his janeo over his
right ear, so that his business may be known to his neighbours
Taking them as a class, Rdjputs are remarkably free from debauchery.
They are rarely infected with venereal diseases, and considering the style
of clothing in use by both sexes, their morality is highly commendable.
Nudity is held in especial abhorrence and is
Morality. strictly prohibited. In marked contrast
with this however, is the extraordinary license they give to their tongues.
The grossest terms are used in conversation between men and women with¬
out exciting the least surprise. This may be attributed to that “ simplicity
which conceives that whatever can exist without blame may be named
without offence.^J
As has before been mentioned, an extreme sensitiveness on all points
relating to the honour of their women is a marked feature in the Rajput
character. Except in certain clans which have fallen in status, their
* Annals of Rajasthan —Toe?.
f The shaving here alluded to, refers to the armpits rather than to the face, for beards are
% Hinduism— Harris.
generally worn.
widows may not remarry, and as the honour of every family demands that
its daughters should be married into the highest possible clans, girls are
regarded as a burden, and female infanticide is regrettably common. For
Female infanticide among Raj* this- teason also, the higher the grade of
P^ tSi Rajput, the commoner is the crime, owing
to the greater difficulty of obtaining suitable husbands. Sleeman in his
‘ Journey through the Kingdom of Oudh” makes the following reference to
infanticide :— <( After the murder of every infant the family considers itself
an object of displeasure to the Deity, and on the 12th day after birth they
send for the parohit or family priest, and by suitable gratuities obtain abso¬
lution. This is necessary whether the family be rich or poor ; but when the
absolution is given, nothing more is thought or said about the matter. The
lower clans who can unite their daughters to those of higher grade commit
less murders of this kind than others, but all Rdjput clans are more or less
addicted to female infanticide. It is the dread of sinking- in substance
o
from loss of property, and in grade from loss of caste, that alone leads to
the destruction of female infants.”
Among Rdjputs, as with most classes of Hindus, the women do 1
„ . . , D n °t join in the society of the men, and are
Position or Rajput women, t J
not admitted to an equality with them.
Even when walking together, the woman always follows the man, al¬
though there maybe no obstacle to their walking abreast. The household
duties of a Rajputni do not differ from those of women of other classes.
She grinds the corn, cooks the food, spins, and brings in wood, fuel,
and water, but owing to her being secluded after the Muhammadan
fashion, she is not, except among the poorest classes, available for agri¬
cultural labour, and, unlike the Jdtni, can take no part in the outdoor work
of the fields. “ Altogether, Rajput females are a very unsatisfactory institu¬
tion, and this goes far to weigh down and give a comparatively bad name
to men who are often industrious enough.'”*
o
Certain classes of Rdjputs called Gaurua, and found chiefly in the
Eastern Punjab and the districts boidenng on the Jumna, practise what is
called kardo, or the marriage of widows with the brother of a deceased
husband. It is only younger brothers who form these connections, elder
KaMo or widow-marriage. brothers bein S P rohibited from marrying their
younger brother’s widow's. When the laws of
Mdnu were enacted, there appears to have been some doubt as to wffiether
kardo was permissible. From a consideration of all the discussions on
# Ethnology of India— Campbell,
169
the subject, it'appears that failure of issue was the point on which its
legality turned. All the modern schools of Hindu law prohibit the practice
entirely, and a Rdjput clan adopting it, is at once degraded and regarded
as impure. In Rdjputdna kardo was first practised by Chauhans in
Marwar, and is permissible among certain Ponwars , Parihars, Chauhans
and Rat hors, who are called Natrayat Rdjputs.
Rdjputs were formerly particularly addicted to Sati, or the self-immo¬
lation of widows on the husband's funeral pyres. Lord George Bentinck
suppressed the practice in British India in 1829; but the custom, though
happily now abandoned, lingered on for some years later in Rajput^na
and Bundelkhund. “ The slaughter of a wife at the obsequies of a deceased
husband seems to have been a Scythian custom. It was an outgrowth of
a belief in ghosts. The dead man was supposed to need the society of
his wife in the world of shades. The Aryans appear to have had no such
custom. If a man died childless, his widow
The Rdjput rit j of Sati.
was expected to bear a son to his nearest
kinsman ; but otherwise the widows of a Raja continued to live in the royal
residence, under the immediate protection of his successor. The original
distinction between the Scythian and Aryan usages is thus obvious. The
Scythians buried their dead ; the Aryans burned them. The Scythians
slaughtered a living female to enable her to accompany the dead man ;
the Aryans placed the widow in charge of the new head of the family.
Both usages found expression among the Rdjputs, The dead man was
burnt according to the Aryan fashion, but the living widow was burnt
with him, in order that she might accompany her husband to the world
of spirits. The rite of Sati as practised by the Rdjputs may thus be
described as a Scythic usage modified by Aryan culture. The female was
no longer slaughtered as an unwilling victim to the selfish sensuality of a
barbarian, but was the widow of a high-souled Rdjput, the reflex of his
chivalrous devotion, prepared to perish with him in order that she might
accompany her husband to a heaven of felicity. Agnt or fire was the
purifying deity, the divine messenger that carried the sacrifice to the
gods, and the sanctifying flame that bore the widow and her lord away to
the mansions of the Sun. In this manner the horrible rite so revolting to
civilization and humanity was imbued with an element of religion, and
elevated the distracted widow into a courageous and self-sacrificing he¬
roine. Such was the Rdjput rite of Sail. It was the expression of the
highest conjugal affection combined with the lowest state of female
degradation. The unhappy widow had no way of escape from a joyless
life of servitude except by the most horrible of sacrifices. The honour of
22
170
the family depended upon the heroism of the woman, and the widow was
too often condemned to the pain of martyrdom when the heroism was al¬
together wanting/’*
The R&jput rite of Johur.
Closely akin to the rite of Sati was the horrible sacrifice called Johur )
where the females were immolated on the occasion of a defeat, to preserve
them from pollution or captivity. At the
famous siege of Chitor in 1303, the Rajputs
being driven to the last extremity, determined to destroy their women
rather than they should fall into the hands of AlM-ud-din Khilji and his
Muhammadan soldiers. u They were conveyed to a great subterranean
retreat where, in chamoers impervious to the light of day, the funeral pyres
were lighted, and the R£m and several thousand women sought secu¬
rity from dishonour by committing themselves to the flames/’t Per¬
haps the most recent example of a sacrifice of this kind was in 1803,
when at the siege of the rock fortress of Gawalgarh in Berar, by Sir
Arthur Wellesley, the Rajputs forming the garrison, finding all hope of
saving the pjace to be vain, collected their wives and daughters, and hav¬
ing slain them, sallied forth to the attack of the besiegers with no other
hope but that of selling their lives dearly.
The Rdjputs are styled the royal race of India, of which they were,
for many centuries the rulers. The great Hindu families, descendants of
mighty potentates, are still in the main of Rdjput blood. Combining from
the earliest times the functions of ruling and fighting, no houses in India
can boast of longer pedigrees or more splendid histories. At the present
time the profession of arms is universally regarded as a natural and legitimate
one for members of this caste. The physique of the Rajput fits him
for the profession of a soldier. A fine up-standing muscular man, combin-
. . „ M>i . . ing as he does a love of athletic sports with
Love of the military profession, 0 . , L
physique, and skill in manly a military carriage, it is not surprising that
sports * amongst the younger members of a family,
the military profession should be very generally sought after. As has
been said before, the Bengal army was at one time almost entirely com¬
posed of this class, and the profession of arms has consequently become a
tradition among them. Though the Rdjputs of R£jput£na as a rule lack
the height of their brethren of Hindustan, they are generally sturdier and
often better limbed, and as far as physique is concerned, the former are
perhaps better suited for the cavalry, and the latter for the infantry.
Rajputs are extremely fond of wrestling, and exhibit great strength in
* History of India —Talboys Wheeler.
t Annals of R&jastbin— Tod.
I 7 I
weilding enormous clubs. They are also fond of single stick, running,
jumping, and indeed take kindly to all sports requiring skill and vigour.
The Rajputs of Hindustan are mostly yeomen, cultivating their own
lands ; but though nearly all are addicted to agriculture, there is among most
clans a rooted aversion to the actual handling of the plough, which is
considered a menial and degrading office, incompatible w T ith their status as
Kshatriyas. In Rajputana they despise all agricultural pursuits and leave
them to Jats, Gujars, Ahirs, and Minas. The Rijput of the Eastern
Punjab differs but little if at all from the Rajput of R^jputina. He is an
. inefficient husbandman, and much prefers
The RajDut as an agriculturist.
the care of cattle, whether his own or other
people’s, to agriculture. He still retains his pride of birth which leads him
to look down on the Jat, who is immeasurably his superior in industry.
He has an innate instinct for cattle-lifting, and has reduced this pursuit
from a romantic pastime to an absolute science.
Family life.
It is a general custom among Rdjputs, subject of course to exceptions,
for brothers to live together so long as their father is alive, and to separate
at his death. * We may thus find four or five brothers with their families
living in separate houses arranged round a
common courtyard, the whole forming but one
household. The general practice among the yeoman classes which furnish
the majority of our sowars and sepoys is for the elder brothers to remain
at home, cultivating the ancestral lands, while the younger ones take service
in the army and police, and contribute to the family purse by savings from
their pay, and the pensions granted to them on retirement. The death
of an elder brother often compels a soldier to ask for his discharge, not from
any dissatisfaction with the service, but simply in order to enable him to
look after his land. The establishment of an Active Reserve has done
much to lessen this difficulty, and has on many occasions enabled the
sepoy to retain his connection with the army, without sacrificing his
agricultural interests.
The main laws of inheritance among RAjputs are as follows. Succes¬
sion goes first to the sons and their male offspring, i.e., if a son dies,
the share which he would take goes to his sons, and so on. If a son
dies leaving a widow, she takes a life interest in the share which would
have come to him. Thus the nearer male descendants do not exclude
the more remote, but all share according to the position which they occupy
in relation to the deceased. In the absence
Laws of inheritance. 0 f sons widow takes a life interest in the
deceased’s estate, but where sons succeed, she has a claim to suitable
172
Litigiousnes 3 ,
maintenance only. On the death of a widow, or in her absence, or on her
remarriage,* the father, if alive, succeeds. This of course rarely happens, as
it is not often that the son separates from the father during his life time,
and still less often does a separated son obtain a separate part of the
family land on partition before his father's death. Daughters and their
issue have no customary right to succeed ; they are only entitled to main¬
tenance, and to be suitably .betrothed and married.
Litigiousness is one of the peculiar characteristics of Rajputs as of
other classes of Hindus. A determination to prosecute a case to its far¬
thest limits, in spite of adverse decisions and friendly counsels, is a com¬
mon cause of ruin to the Rajput suitor.
Rather than abandon his cause he will appeal
from court to court, until his expenses far exceed the amount for which
he is contending. This love of litigation is productive of much per¬
jury.
Panchayats now play a less important part in the social regulations
of the people than they did in former times. A panchdyat may be describ¬
ed as a court of arbitration for the settlement of disputes, which are also
cognizable by law, without having recourse to the courts for justice. It
generally consists of from three or five per¬
sons, one of whom acts as chairman, decisions
being arrived at by the opinion of the majority. A panchdyat deals
generally with caste matters, and, though it has no legal authority, is a
powerful tribunal, whose decisions are seldom appealed against. It
passes sentences of various degrees of severity. Sometimes the offender
is ordered to give a feast to his brotherhood, sometimes to pay a fine,
and if refractory, may be excluded from social intercourse with his caste
fellows. In grave cases he may incur the most terrible penalty of all—total
excommunication.
Next to caste there is no institution in India more permanent than
the village community, which dates back to the time of the early Aryan
settlements. In Northern India, the headman of every village is called a
Lumbardar . He is a recognized official, and is directly responsible to the
Zaildar or Tahsildar for the collection of the revenue due from the village
and its lands. The typical village is divided into wards, each of which
is in charge of elders, who form the panchdyat or village council. Grazing
grounds are held in common ; the income derived from grazing dues
hearth-fees, and the rent paid by persons
cultivating the common lands are credited
Panchayats.
The village community.
* Among Gaurva Rajputs only.
*73
to a general fund; and certain common charges, such as the cost of
entertaining subordinate officials, travellers, and beggars, are debited
against it, forming a primitive system of local self-government. The
panchayat settle all questions relative to the general well-being of the
village, they audit the accounts of the village fund, and all matters affect¬
ing the community as a body, such as breaking up jungle land and cutting
down trees, must invariably be submitted to their decision. The zamin *
dars or landholders consider themselves immeasurably superior to the
traders and village menials, the distinctive sign of whose inferiority is their
liability to pay hearth-fees.
Village menials are divided into two classes—those connected with
. agriculture, such as the blacksmith, carpenter.
Village menials. r ’
and charndr ,* and those connected with house¬
hold matters, such as the weaver, potter, waterman, + barber, dhobi> and
sweeper. They are paid chiefly in kind, receiving a certain fixed percent¬
age of the yield of each harvest, and eke out a scanty subsistence by
pursuing their special callings.
* The Chamdr is a leather dresser. He skins animals and acts as a village drudge and
watchman. He is of course an outcast, but is not quite so degraded as the Bhangi or
sweeper, for he will not act as a scavenger.
t The waterman of the higher castes is the Kahar or dooli-bearer. His social position
is not a high one, but he is regarded as a person of respectability Brahmans and Rajputs
can take water from his handstand he is even permitted to prepare their chapatis up to the
point when they are placed on the fire for baking. In a R&jput^regiment most of the Native
Officers’ servants are Kahars.
CHAPTER V-
RECRUITING.
Fighting capacity depends not only on race but also on hereditary
instinct and social status, therefore it is essential that every effort should
be made to obtain the very best men of that class which a regiment may
enlist.
Men of good class will not enlist unless their own class be represented
j in thd regiment, and if once a good recruit¬
ing connection be established, little, if any,
difficulty will be experienced in obtaining recruits of the same stamp in
the future ; and the converse equally applies, for where the companies are
commanded by native officers, who, as regards race and breeding, are not
altogether desirable, they will naturally try to bring into the regiment
men of their own kind, who in their turn are eventually promoted to be
non-commissioned and native officers, and a ring, very difficult to break
through, thus becomes established, which acts as a powerful deterrent to
the good class whom it may be desired to introduce into the regiment.
It is an inducement to a good man to enlist in a regiment, where
he knows he will be surrounded by men who know him and come from his
neighbourhood, for it at once places him in touch with his home and
belongings, and if he be unable to obtain leave or furlough, those who
do on their return bring him news of his home, he is consequently more
likely to be happy and contented, his interests are in the company, and a
spirit of esprit de corps becomes engendered in him—a powerful factor
in the efficiency of every regiment.
Selection of recruiting party.
The men composing the party should be of the same tribe and sub¬
division or clan as it is desired to recruit from,
and, if possible, of the same district. The
strength of the party should be regulated by the number of recruits required,
probably £ to i would be a sufficient proportion, and in this way the work
is more likely to be quickly and consequently economically performed.
The native officer or non-commissioned officer in charge of the party
should be a good man as a recruiter, possess-
Commander of the party. e( j 0 f f- ac t and likely to treat recruits consider¬
ately. A native officer of influence and property in the district, it is desired
to recruit from, would be the best, and a regiment possessing such a one
w ould probably monopolize the best recruits from his neighbourhood ; for
*75
the men have the advantage of knowing under whom they are going to
serve, and feel their interests will consequently be looked after. Recruit¬
ing parties should not be away from their regiments on this duty for more
than three months, as the men are apt to become stale, and disheartened if
from any cause they are unable to obtain recruits.
A non-commissioned officer, with hopes of promotion, has everything
to gain by bringing good recruits, and this incentive will cause him to work
all the harder.
There are many non-commissioned officers and men in regiments
of good class, who, though they do not shine as particularly smart soldiers,
still have the faculty of procuring good recruits whenever detailed fur the
duty, where others of equally good class, though much smarter soldiers,
fail to obtain the same stamp of man ; this is probably due to their social
qualifications and a taking manner, which enables them to induce men to
enlist, for there can be no doubt that where difficulty may exist in procuring
men of a certain class, they are prevailed on to enlist by the tales of
pleasant times before them, good pay, little work, etc., etc.
However good the commander of the party may be, he is likely to fail
f th t unless supported by good men, who should be
generally of active habits and a genial dis¬
position, and the selection might be left to him unless they happen to be
men known as good recruiters, who have previously done good service; he
is responsible to the Commanding Officer for his work, and would know
the men most likely to give him the best assistance.
A really good recruiter is invaluable and as worthy of reward, if not
more so, than a soldier who excels in his
Reward to recruiters. . . . , , ,
military duties, when it is considered how
the regiment benefits by his efforts ; for 'as the material is so will the
regiment be, and no amount of training will make a man into a good
soldier if in the first instance he is a man of bad class.
Every encouragement should be given to men who do well on recruit¬
ing duty, an entry made in their sheet roll to this effect or such public
recognition as the Commanding Officer may deem best, so as to render
the duty a popular one; it is perhaps hardly politic to punish those who
do badly, though they need not be employed again, for, if men see they
are liable to punishment for failure, they are likely to be chary in volunteer¬
ing for the duty, through fear of failing to attain good results.
The men should be held responsible that the recruits they bring are
of the right stamp and what they represent
Responsibility of recruiters. themselves to be, for, though this may
iy6
possibly make the work slower, still It ensures better material finally, and
it should be impressed on the party that a few really good recruits of
the right sort are better than a number who only just come up to the
required standard.
Men returning from furlough and leave should be encouraged to
Recruiting by leave and fur- bring back a recruit or two with them, as
lough men. thus recruited singly by their friends, they are
likely to take more interest in the regiment, and are probably of finer
physique than if obtained in the ordinary way. But men expressing a
desire to bring recruits from their homes should be warned of the respon¬
sibility they incur in the matter of defraying the travelling expenses of
any who may be found unfit physically or for any other reason.
When it has been ascertained from the District Recruiting Officer
when and where the party are to present
System of working the party. ... , , ,
themselves, they should be warned to leave
their address at the post offices and police stations of the places through
which they pass, so that the District Recruiting Officer can at any time,
if necessary, communicate with them. They should work in twos and
threes and not singly. All recruits need not be taken to the District
Recruiting Officer, those obviously unfit from such defects as enlarged
spleen, defective vision, knock knees, prominent varicose veins or any
other noticeable physical defect can be rejected at once prior to his visit.
It is an important thing to examine recruits as near their homes as
possible, it thus saves them long marches and secures recruits who might
otherwise be lost to the service; it has the further advantages that final
rejections are reduced to a minimum, time and expense are saved, and
the discontent and trouble, entailed on rejected men having to return long
distances to their homes, is done away with.
The best season is from October to the end of May, April and May
being perhaps the best months. June some*
Seasons for recruiting Rdjputs. . *" .
times affords favourable results, though not
generally a good month. July, August, and September are bad months,
and recruiting during this period might almost be entirely suspended, for
ordinarily the country roads are knee deep in mud and slush, and it is
raining most of the time, thus hindering the movements of recruiters who
prefer to remain under shelter and keep dry, whilst recruits are equally
averse to moving long distances abroad in wet and mud; and in addition,
there is in many parts of the country a superstition about making journeys
in the monsoon, leaving their homes at this season being considered
unlucky.
177
After a recruit joins his regiment, the usual descriptive roll to verify
„ , his caste, etc,, is sent to the civil officer of
Verification of recruits.
his district, but it is necessary to establish
his identity, if possible, at the time of enlistment, for it sometimes happens
that a recruit having first possibly squared the village authorities to whom
his verification roll will be ultimately sent, misrepresents his caste and
enlists, though detection, sooner or later, is inevitable through the men of
his company, whose suspicions are sure to be aroused ; if, however,
recruiters be held responsible there is little likelihood of this.
The following valuable notes on the identification of Rajput recruits
have been furnished by Captain Newell, Dis-
Verification of a R&jput recruit. ^ ^
trict Recruiting Officer.
A Rajput should be asked the following questions :—
(r) What clan he belongs to and what district.
(2) What his gotra is.
(3) What clan his mother came from.
(4) From what clans male members of his family have taken
wives.
(5) Into what clans female members of his family have been
married.
(6) What food he will eat, by whom cooked, and from what
vessels he will drink.
If satisfactorily answered and the replies agree with the information
contained in the clan history and marriage tables, the recruit is a true
Rajput.
Sometimes a Brahman tries to pass himself off as a Rajput, but there
Difference between Brahmanand >s a difference in the ‘janeo ’ worn by both,
Rajput janeo. that 0 f Rajput is shorter, and is worn
only after he is married, whilst the Brahman always wears it. There is a
difference also in the knot, and some people can by examining it distinguish
a Rajput from a Brahman.
Among Eastern Rajputs smoking from the same 4 hukka’ is permis¬
sible only to those who can eat ‘ roti *
Eastern and Western Rdjputs. . , , . , . . . .. .
together, and drinking is prohibited.
Western Rajputs are much more lax in these observances, and can eat
food cooked by Jats, Ahirs, etc., whilst they can drink and smoke with
other castes.
With practice a Western Rajput can be easily recognised, but with a
Rajput from the extreme east, Arrah or Shahabad, it is more difficult, as the
mixture of blood and impurity of descent have destroyed the purity of the
type,
*3
Careful observation and practice can do wonders, and in a short time
an observant officer will, in nine cases out of ten, be able to distinguish
Rajputs, Brahmans, and Eastern and Western Muhammadans simply by
looking at them.
Clans to be enlisted.
One peculiarity of the country Rdjput is his simplicity. He is a
Race characteristics of the Rdj- straightforward, guileless, honest, gentle-
put * manly fellow and his manners betray him.
As a class Rajputs are comparatively speaking the straightest people in
the country and generally speak the truth.
They have not the astuteness of the Brahman, nor the deceit and
cunning of the bunniah, for whom they are no match, and in many cases
their money and lands pass into the hands of the money-lender.
These characteristics are mentioned, as in conversation with Rajputs
or Brahmans they are easily discerned, whilst conversation on various
topics brings out their racial characteristics in an extraordinary manner.
There is a considerable difference between the Western and Eastern
Rajputs, both in character, customs, and in¬
tensity of religious feeling; the former hav¬
ing fewer caste prejudices in regard to eating and drinking, and gene¬
rally the Rajputs of the West rank higher than those of the East. Mar¬
riage is the true test of the Rajput, and an intimate acquaintance with the
permissible clan marriages is therefore necessary to anyone enlisting them,
tables are given in the history of each clan in the text, showing to and
from what clans wives are given and taken.
The first test is that of exogamy; and endogamous Rajputs as well
as those that practise * karao' or widow
marriage (vide page 169) are looked down
upon and should not be enlisted, though any septs of a clan which are
exogamous should be enlisted.
For instance, among the Jadons or Jadubansis are many spurious
branches to be carefully avoided, but true
exogamous septs such as Bhatti, Chhoukar,
Bar£sari, and Jaiswar should be enlisted, and practically there seems no
reason why Rajputs, who are received in marriage by the higher clans,
should not be enlisted.
Gaurava is the general term applied to all Rdjputs who have lost
caste by practising ‘karao? and these should be avoided.
The Rdjputs from, Arrah and the east of Oudh are called “Bhojpuri-
yas,” as the country they live in is called Bhojpur; they are looked down
on by the Oudh men, as the majority are of low grade, a list of some of
these clans is given in Appendix B.
Exogamy.
Classes to enlist.
1 79
Character of Bhojpuriyas.
Buinhars.
Captain Newell, the District Recruiting Officer, says of them :—
i( I personally do not think much of these men, they have magnificent
physique, but are not generally credited with
valour. However, I doubt much whether their
want ot courage has been proved. They are very intelligent and make
smart soldiers, but are, however, tricky and more difficult to deal with thar
their western brethren."
(t With all their magnificent physique, I do not believe that they have
much stamina, but to give them their due a large number have always
been in our ranks, and many of them have distinguished themselves by
good and faithful service.
Buinhars are also mostly found in Bhojpur and should not be enlisted
in Rajput regiments unless kept in separate
companies ; they will all eat together. Captai n
Newell gives his opinion of them in the following words :—
“Thevare of magnificent physique, but their character is against
them. They are very tricky and intriguing, exceedingly litigious and
quarrelsome; it is impossible to get to like these men, there appears to be
no redeeming point about them, except their physique which is superb. A
regiment of these men on parade would certainly take the eye, they are
tall and heavily built, but I do not believe in them at all. I doubt whether
they possess either stamina or-courage, they make good wrestlers and tug
of war teams, but personally I do not think they are good for much else."
A tabulated statement of the Western and Eastern Rajputs, giving
their clans, sub-divisions, numbers, locality, and qualifications as soldiers,
will be found in Appendices A and B in numerical order.
A list of the various districts and their value from a recruiting point of
view is given in Appendix C, as well as
the principal clans found in each district.
Good recruits can be enlisted at fairs, the only thing against it being
the difficulty sometimes of verification, for
unless they happen to belong to the same dis¬
trict as the recruiters, the latter is unable to verify their caste and antece¬
dents, though they would of course be eventually detected after joining the
regiment; and in this case, after being fed for two or three days by the party,
the recruit may change his mind and bolt, knowing there is no probability of
his coming across them again. Many young men, however, attend fairs for
the express purpose of enlisting, because either their parents will not allow
them to enlist at home, or a party may not have visited the neighbourhood
lately.
Recruiting grounds.
Fairs.
i8o
Leading families of the district-
District Recruiting Officer.
of fairs in the Rajputana district is given in Appendix D, as
well as ome of the principal fairs in North-Western Provinces and Oudh.
The District Recruiting Officer should endeavour, as far as possible,
to gain the friendship and assistance of the
native princes and the leading and influential
men of the district. Retired native officers and soldiers can also assist to
a very great extent in recruiting, but it is necessary in the first instance to
be on a friendly footing with them and obtain their good will, and how
this can be best effected is a matter for the District Recruiting Officer
to decide; but showing an interest in their affairs, a respect for their
customs and listening readily to their troubles and grievances will go
far to produce the desired result, whilst visiting them and conversing on
current topics of interest about their history and traditions, etc., will do
much to render them willing to afford assistance when required.
He should strive to make himself popular and well known in the
district, and thoroughly acquainted with the
feelings and characteristics of the tribes
enlisted, by studying their customs, traditions, manners, etc., and by thus
showing a friendly and sympathetic interest in them and their affairs will
ingratiate himself with them and gain their respect and esteem.
In the cold weather the District Recruiting Officer is enabled to make
short tours in the district, and can thus keep
in touch with and superintend the parties
working at the time. Should the Medical Officer be living at some con¬
siderable distance from the place where the recruits are enlisted, the
District Recruiting Officer can often save them the trouble of going sb
far by a prior physical examination, the eyesight can be examined by test
cards, and those recruits suffering from any obvious physical defect rejected
on the spot.
In the case of regiments actually stationed in the district, or those
that are met with on tour, much good can be effected by a personal in¬
terview with the Commanding Officer, and by thus becoming acquainted
with the officers and native officers, studying the composition of the
regiment, looking at the recruits, and acquiring a general knowledge of
the men, the requirements of a regiment will be better understood, and
this all tends to make recruiting run smoothly and produce the best
results. Special sepoys of the regiment can also be interviewed and
recruiters selected.
If a District Recruiting Officer can succeed in obtaining employments
for the pensioners, of his district, it will have
a beneficial effect on recruiting generally and
Touring.
Employment of Pensioners.
conduce greatly to his popularity. It is a good plan to see the employer
and point out the advantages of taking pensioned sepoys, besides writing
to the different heads of civil departments.
The recruiting regulations and orders on the subject of recruiting
are laid down in Section XIX, Arm Regula¬
tions, India, Volume II, which has been
Regulations.
recently revised.
Note .—Much valuable information for the compilation of this Chap¬
ter has been furnished by Captain Newell, District Recruiting Officer,
whilst, in addition to the list of authorities already quoted at the beginning
of the book, the following authorities have been consulted :—
Precis of Orders and Notes on Gurkha Recruiting by Captain Vanstittart, l-5th
Gurkhas.
Notes on Sikhs by Captain W. R. Falcon, IV Sikhs.
Memorandum on Recruiting of the Regiments of the Bengal Command by Brigadier-
General G. E. Young.
■
'
.
■ ■ «> r I D » .‘1
AREA I.—WESTERN RAJPUTS, PAGE 29 OF TEXT.
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APPENDIX B
Clan9.
Bisen
(Si.ooo),
Bais
(147,000)
(royal race).
Sombansi
( 43 ,ooo).
Gautam
(41,000).
Gaur
(39,000).
Chandel
(38,000).
Dikhit
(33,ooo).
Sengar
(3a,ooo)
(royal race).
Surajbansi
(33,000).
Bachhgoti
(19,000)
or
Rajkumar
(13,000).
Bhadauriya
(16,000).
Pundits
(17,000)
(royal race)*
EASTERN RAjPOTS.
Area II.—Page 29 of text .
Sub-divisions.
Locality.
Qualifications
as
soldiers.
Remarks.
Parasar, Bharradwaj,
Sandil, Batas.
1
Benares and Gorakhpur divi¬
sions ; Allahabad, Fyzabad,
Gonda, BahTaich districts.
Good ...
Fide pages 55 * 56 . For
clan marriages. Raiah
of Majhauli Of Gorakh¬
pur, head of the clan.
Tilokchandi. Rao,
Raja, Sainbalsi,
Sept Naihasta, Chot*
bhaiya, Gudaraha,
Madnour.
Farrukhabad, Mainpuri, Bu-
daun districts; Allahabad,
Benares, Gorakhpur, Luck¬
now, Fyzabad divisions.
Do.
Pages 40-41. 360 sub¬
divisions, of which
Tilokchand sept takes
first place. Other septs
marry into 3rd grade
clans. Some 700 already
enlisted.
Baiyagar, Sankirat,
Atri.
Farrukhabad, Bareilly, Shah¬
jahanpur, Allahabad, Jaun-
pur, Azamgarh, Rai Barelli,
Sitapur, Hardoi, Gonda,
Partabgarh districts.
Do.
P age 130. Those of 'Sand!
in Hardoi rank highest.
Rajah, Rao, Rana,
Rawat,
Budaun district; Allahabad,
Benares, Gorakhpur divi¬
sions.
Do.
Pages 79-80. Raiah of
Argah, Fatehpur, head of
clan. Should be as¬
certained they are not
Rhuinhar Brahmans.
Chamar-Gaur, Bhat-
Gaur, Brahman-
Gaur, Amethiya,
Gaurahar.
Farrukhabad, Etawah, Etah,
Budaun, Shahjahanpur,
Moradabad, Cawnpore, Ha-
mirpur, Unao, Sitapur,
Hardoi districts.
Very good
Pages 77 78. Gaurahar
sept have lost status
through inferior marri¬
ages.
Shahjahanpur, Cawnpore
districts; Benares, Gorakh¬
pur divisions; Unao, Hardoi
districts.
Good ...
Pages 59-60.
Fatehpur, Banda, Hamirpur,
Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Azam¬
garh, Jalatrn, Unao, Rai
Barelli districts.
Do# mi
Page 68. Valuable assist¬
ance in mutiny.
Etawah, Cawnpore, Jalaon,
Balliah, Unao districts.
Very good ...
Page 133. Closfely allied
with 1 Bhadauriya.
Savaran, north of
Gogra; Bharradwaj,
south of Gogra;
Kassyap, south of
Gogra.
Bulatidshahr, Mirzapur, Gha¬
zipur Basti, Kheri, Fyzabad,
Barabanki districts.
Good ...
Pages 133 * 133 .
Bachhgoti proper,
Rajkumar/ Raj war.
Jaunpur, Snttaopar, Allah¬
abad, Fyzabad, Parjabgarh
districts.
Ml
Pages 34 * 35 .
Athbaiya, Kulhaiya,
Mamu, Tasseli,
Rant.
Agra, Etawah, Cawnpore
districts and Gwalior State.
Very good ...
Pages 40 - 5 ®. A loyal clan
not so troubled by caste
prejudices as other Rdj-
p6ts of Oudh. Serve
readily in Gwalior Army.
MtHI
Saharanpur, Muzaffamagar,
Etawah.
Good
1
Pages 114-115. Altgarh
Pundirs very loyalin the
mutiny.
iV
Area //.—Page 29 of text — contd.
Clans.
Sub-divisions.
Locality.
Qualifications
as
soldiers.
Remarks.
Sirkarwars
(18,000)
(royal race).
Agra, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur,
Azamgarh, Hardoi districts.
Very good
• • •
Pages 126-127. Should be
ascertained, they are not
Bhuinhar Brahmans.
Janwars
(12,000).
Lucknow division, Gouda
District.
Good
...
Page 88. Rajah of Gonda
loyal in the mutiny.
Khanpuriya
(10,000).
Tiioi, Kaithanla ...
Rai Barelli, Sultanpur, Par*
tabgarh.
Do,
• ••
Page 94.
BhalS Sultan
(9,000).
Sultanpur, Bulandshahr
districts.
Do.
• ••
Page 51. Give some 200
men to Rdjpfit Regi¬
ments.
Amethiya
(5,000).
Gorakhpur, Rai Barelli,
Barabanki.
Do.
• • •
Pages 31-32.
Gaharwar
(38,000),
• •
Farrukhabad, Etah, Cawnpore,
Allahabad, Mirzapur, Ghazi-
pur, Hardoi.
2nd grade, but
permissible.
Page 72.
Katheriya
(21,000).
Etah, Bareilly, Budaun,
Moradabad, Snahjahanpur.
2nd grade, but
permissible.
Page 96.
Dhakre
(6,500).
Agra district
Permissible
• • •
Page 65. Gave trouble in
the mutiny.
Bachhals
(11,000).
Bulandshahr, Muttra, Morad¬
abad, Shahjahanpur, Sita*
pur, Kheri districts.
2nd grade
• ••
Pages 33 - 34 .
Jhangara
(10,000).
Bhur clan Tarai, Jan-
ghara.
Bareilly, Budaun, Shah¬
jahanpur.
Ditto
• • •
Pages 85-86. Turbulent
and warlike tribe. Tarai
practises " Karao ” fallen
in status.
Raghubansi
(32,000).
Benares, Mirzapur, Jaunpur,
Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Sul¬
tanpur districts.
Permissible
• • •
Page 116,
Raikwars
(13,000).
Unao, Hardoi, Bahraich,
Barabanki.
Ditto
• ••
Page 118. Troublesome in
the mutiny.
Sirnet
(10,000).
Gorakhpur, Basti districts ...
Ditto
• • •
Page 124.
Kalhans
(ia,ooo).
Bahraich, Gonda, Basti
Ditto
• ••
Page 93.
Bandhalgoti
(6,000).
Bikram Shahi, Sultan
Shahi.
Sultanpur district
Ditto
Page 42.
Gargbansi
(5,000).
Azamgarh, Fyzabad, Sultan¬
pur,
Ditto
Ml
Page 76.
Nikumbh
(8,000),
Farrukhabad, Jaunpur, Ballia,
Azimgarh, Hardoi dis¬
tricts.
Ditto
Page 106.
Palwars
(9,800).
Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Fyz¬
abad.
Ditto
Ml
Page no.
[Ahbans
( 3 ,ooo).
Ahbans, Kunwar
Ahbans,
Oudh, Hardoi, Kheri dis¬
tricts.
Undesirable
Ml
ride page 3o. Cunning
and treacherous clan.
Bundelas
(4,800).
Jhansi, Lai itpur districts ...
Ditto
Ml
ride page 58. Turbulent
and troublesome race,
spurious descent.
Tarkhans
(3,500).
Muttra, Agra ...
Ditto
• ft
ride page 35. Turbulent,
poor physique, practise
** Karao.”
V
Area II.—Page 29 0) text —conoid.
Clans.
Kakans,
page 9a
(6,000).
Kausiks,
pages 98-99
(10,000).
Tilaunta,
page 13s.
Udmattia,
page 138
(28,000).
Lautamiya,
page ioa
(3.500) .
Dhekaha,
page 66
(3,000).
Donwar,
page 71.
Sarwar,
page 134
(3,ooo).
Nandwak,
page 105
(1,000).
Birwar,
page 48
(9.500) .
Mahrawar,
page ioa.
Sub-divisions.
Locality.
Jaunpur, Ballia, Ghazipur,
Azamgarh, Gorakhpur,
Mirzapur and Shahabad
districts. Generally known
as the Bhojpur district, the
great bulk of the clans resid¬
ing there being low grade
and of spurious descent.
Qualifications
as
soldiers.
Generally un¬
desirable as
soldiers,
though there
are a consider¬
able number
in the ranks
now.
Remarks.
Tilaunta and Lautamiya
have a good manyj men
enlisted.
For cescription of Bhoj-
puriyas —-vide the text.
'
' ■
.
m 1
APPENDIX C
Recruiting grounds showing clans in each district and value
of districts.
Division.
Meerut
Agr>
District.
Rohilkhund -«
r
Delhi
Dehra Dun
Saharanpur
Muzaffarnagar ...
Meerut
Bulandshahr
Aligarh
Muttra
Agra
Farrukhabad
Mainpuri
Etawah
Etah
Bareilly
Bijnor
Budaun
Moradabad
Shah jahan pur
Pilibhit
Delhi
Gurgaon
Karnal
Hissar
Roh
Clans.
_o
2
O
% oJ
™ 4)
C C
rt «
-C
s
crS
u
Pundir.
Kachwahas, Pundir
Ponwar, Kachwaha
cd
?
c
o
H
d
o'
<d
-G
JZ
u
ba Bargujar, Jadons, Jadubansi.
Bargala, Surajbansi, Bhal4
Sultan, Gaurava, Bachhals
Bargujar, Jadons, Jadubansi
Kachwaha, Tadon, Bachhals,
Gaurava, Tarkhan.
Ponwar, Kachwaha, Jadons,
Parihar, Bhadauriya, Sir-
karwars, Dhakr6, Tarkhan
Ponwar, Bais, Sombansi,
)• Gaur, Gaharwar, N ikumbh
Bais
Kachwaha, Parihar, Gaur,
Sengar, Bhadauriya, Pun¬
dir.
CTj
J Bargujar, Jadon, Solanki,
Bnatti, Gaur, Gaharwar,
Katheriya
Bhattis, Sombansi, Kathe¬
riya, Janghara.
o
J 5
■4-»
a
< cY
cd
J=
3
td
JZ
u
Tonwar, Bargujar, Solanki,
Bais, Gautam, Gaur,
Katheriya, Jhangara.
Ponwar, Bargujar, Gaur,
_ Katheriya, Bachhals.
Ponwar, Sombansi, Gaur,
Chandel, Katheriya,
Bachhals, Janghara.
Value.
Fair.
Do.
Very good.
Good.
Do.
Good, especially along
banks of the Cham-
bal.
Good.
Rohilkhund on the
l whole is a bad
ground, as a large
number of the R4j-
puts are spurious.
"1 Gaurava.
c
cd
J=
3
<fl
JZ
U
Bargala
Ponwar, Tonwar
Gurgaon very fair dis¬
trict.
Hissar and Rohtak
excellent districts,
furnishing some of the
best R6jputs in the
service. Punjab Cav¬
alry recruit from Roh¬
tak.
N.B .—The clans are given in the order of the Appendices A—B.
vm
Recruiting grounds showing clans in each district and value of
districts —contd.
District.
' Jeypore
• ••
Ulwar
Bikanir
<
• • •
Meywar
• ••
Marwar
• ••
Dholpur
Ml
Jaisalmeer
• «.
Sheikawatti,
wati.
Cawnpore
Tora-
Fatehpur
• • •
Banda
Hamirpur
...
Allahabad
...
Jhansi
...
Jalaun
...
f Lucknow
• M
Unao
• • •
I Rai Barelli
• • •
1
Sitapur
...
Hardoi
...
| Kheri
l
• ••
Division.
RAjp^tAna .. *<
Allahabad... K
Clans.
Chauhan, Rathor, Kachwahas,
Tonwar, Bargujars, Jadons, Solanki
Lucknow ...■<
Kachwaha, Bargujar.
Chauhan, Rathor, Tonwar, Parihar,
Bhattis.
Chauhan, Ponwar, Rathor, Tonwar,
Bhattis.
Chauhan, Ponwar, Rathor, Tonwar,
Parihar, Solanki, Bhatti.
Ponwar, Tonwar.
Rathor, Jadons, Bhattis.
Kachwahas.
Ponwar, Rathor, Kachwaha, Parihar
Gaur, Chandel, Sengar, Bhadauri-
ya, Gaharwar.
Dikhit, Chauhan ... ...
Ponwar, Dikhit, Bais ... ...
war throughout the division.
W
u
rt
s
C
cj
J .2
^ a
OQ
*\
c
rJ
V
ei
vj
1 Ponwar.
Parihar, Gaur, Chandel,
Dikhit, Sengar, Raikwars.
Sombansi, Dikhit, Kanh-
puriya.
Tonwar, Sombansi, Gaur,
Bachhals.
Sombansi, Gaur, Chandel,
Sirkarwars, Gaharwar,
Raikwar, Nikumbh,
Ahbans.
Surajbansi,
Ahbans.
Bachhals,
Value.
All the best clans live
in Rdjputina, but un¬
fortunately at present
the established con¬
nection with the dis¬
trict is small, only
some 35 recruits be¬
ing enlisted from
there in 1896.
Good.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Very good ground.
Parihars and Sengars
from here excellent
material.
Unao and Rai Barelli
form the Baiswara
country and furnishes
a large number of re¬
cruits.
Good district.
<heri and Sitapurhave
never furnished many
soldiers.
N.B.—The clans are given in the order of the Appendices A—B.
ix
Recruiting grounds showing clans in each district and value of
districts —concld.
Division.
District
Clans.
Value.
*
Fyzabad
i r
Ponwar, Bisen, Suraj-
bansi, Rajkumar, Garg-
bansi, Palwars.
Partabgarh, Sultanpur,
with the southern and
eastern slice of Fyz¬
abad comprises the
Gonda
-v
mhan, Bais.
_»
Bisen, Sombansi, Kathans.
“ Banandha ” dis¬
trict, a very good re-
Fyzabad ..."
Bahraich
Sultanpur
Bisen, Raikwar, Kalhans.
Bandhalgoti, Gargbansi.
cruiting ground.
Partabgarh
Barabanki
-C
U
Sombansi, Rajkumar,
Kanhpuriya.
Surajbansi, Raikwar,
Bahraich has never fur¬
nished many soldiers.
Gonda men are want-
*
^ Bisen, Amethiya.
ing in stamina.
Gorakhpur ...
•s *
c C
< v E
C D
'Ponwar, Dikhit, Sirkar-
wars, Sirnet, Palwar.
Gorakhpur..X
Basti
Azamgarh
~v
I!hauhan, Bi
Bais, Gautc
Chandel.
A
Surajbansi, Sirnet, Kal-
[ hans.
Rather, Sombansi, Dikhit,
Barabanki bad for the
Bais clan, but good
for the 4 clans men¬
tioned.
Bulk of the clans are
>
_ Sirkarwar, Raghubansi,
Gargbansi.
of spurious descent.
Benares
"S A
' Surajbansi, Gaharwar ...
East of Oudh. Exten¬
sive recruiting is not
Mirzapur
c 5
advocated.
Benares ...H
Jaunpur
► C § *3 «
£ J3j3
3 b/i
Ponwar, Rajkumar, Nik-
umbh.
In Ballia and Ghazipur
the physique of the
Thakur is very good
Ballia
2 rd
jSO on
Ponwar, Sengar, Nik-
umbh.
and as regards physi¬
que it is generally
good throughout these
w Ghazipur
J ea
„ Dikhit, Surajbansi, Sir-
karwars, Gaharwar.
districts (vide . re¬
marks on Bhojpuri-
yas).
iV.i?.—The clans are given in the order of the Appendices A.—B.
-
■ rf
APPENDIX D (x)
RAJPOtANA FAIRS AND TIRAtS (PILGRIMAGE).
State.
Place.
Occasion.
Approximate date.
Remarks.
Jodhpur or Mar
war.
Tilwarra
In honour of the god Malli...
March ...
For 15 days.
Pokarn
In honour of Ramdeoji ...
August
For 15 days.
Parbatsar
Rampurl ...
In honour of Tejaji, great
goddess of the Jats.
2nd October ...
24th October.
No tirit held on ac-
count of scarcity of
water.
Mandwa
Assemblage of 30,000 ...
December.
Blkanlr
Mtikfim
In honour of Jamaji
16th February ...
No tir&ts.
Guganmerl
18th— 19th September.
Deshnok ...
In honour of Karmjl, pat¬
roness of the Bikanlr Rathor
17th—18th October...
13 miles south of
Bikanir.
Alwar
Kol&th ...
Chuhar Sidh, Dehra
Pergunnah.
Bilali Bansur dis¬
trict.
In honour of a Meo saint
assemblage of 8e.ooo.
In honour of Sitla Devi
23rd November
February ...
March and April ...
18 miles west Of
Bikanir City.
8 miles north-west
of Alwar.
Largely attended.
Rajgarh
Jagarnath's festival ...
June
Tirkt.
Jeypore
Dausa ...
22nd January,
Madhopur
In honour of Parwarji Chauth
fdth January.
X 28th October.
Ditto
In honour of Chumkariji ...
( 12th March.
(,8th October.
Kurita (HJndaun
Tehsil).
Chaksu ...
In honour of Mahadeoji
Khundela.
4th February
12th March.
3 days* duration.
Nawai
In honour of Ranjhorji
3rd and 4th March.
Lohargarh between
Udepur and Sikar.
In honour of Malket
f 30th April
(. 25th September ...
| Tirkt.
Chandla
In honour of Mahabir ...
April.
Bailpur
In honour of Gukni Seriji
Mahadeo.
iSth April.
Diggi, Tehsil M&I-
pura.
Sai Tehsil
In honour cf Seri Kallanji ...
In honour of Mata Sunkbarji
26th April.
3rd September.
Budda
In honour of Khakali Mata
October.
Kishngarh m
Kishngarh
Do.
In honour of Tejaji Rewari
Balaji.
In honour of Bhan Sathmi ...
20th, aist, 32nd and
23rd September.
24th January.
Do.
In honour of Sil Sathmi ...
10th March.
Do.
Do.
In honour of Sindhara
Gangor.
Dasserah
20th March.
a8th March.
Salimabad in Fnp-
nagar Tehsil.
Sirsira
In honour of Janam Ashthmi
In honour of Tejaji
4th September.
20th September.
Adhor
In honour of Khadan Mataji
20th October.
Ajmer-Merwara
Ajmer
Beawar
Pushkar
In honour of Urs and Hazrat
Khwajah Sahib.
Called Teja-ka~Mela ...
20th January ...
19th September ...
19th November
6 days. 15,000 visit¬
ors.
3 days. 10,000 visit¬
ors.
5 days. 30,000 visit¬
ors.
2K
XU
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(June 96
7 8 C
8 2 °
8 6 C
SKETCH MAP OF HINDUSTAN
TO ILLUSTRATE
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRINCIPAL CLANS OF
m&si&m m eastern: rajputs.
The coloured portion indicates the approximate limits of Area II,
referred to on page 29 of text.
(1) = AhbAn.
(2) = Am^thiya.
(3) = BAcliha).
(4y = Bachh^dti or llajkumar.
(5) =« Bagh^l.
(6) = Bais.
(7) = Bandhalgoti.
(8) = BanAphar.
(9) = Bar^sari or Bar^sir,
(10) = Bargala.
(11) = Bargujar.
(12) = Barh41iya.
( 13) = Bar war, Birwar or Berwar.
(141 = Bliadauriya.
(15) = Blial^-Siiltaa.
(16) = Bhiitti.
(17) = Bhirghubansi.
(18) = Bisen.
(]9) = Bunddlas.
(20) = Chand^l.
(21) = Chandrabansi.
(22) = Chauhan.
(23) = Chaupat Khambh.
(24) = Dhakara, Dhakra, or Dhakre.
(25) = Dhekaha.
(26) = Dikhit.
(27) = Dirgbansi, Drigbansi, or
Dtirgbansi.
EXPLANATION OF SIGNS.
(28) = Dors.
(29; = D6nwar, or D6mwar.
(30) = OahalvrAr or GaharwAr.
(3J) = Gablbt or Sisodiya.
(32) - Garg or Gargbansi.
(33) = Gaur.
(34) = Gautam
( 35 ) _ GaurAva or Gaurua.
(36; = Harioban8, Hayobans,
Haiha or Haihdya.
(37) = Indauliya or Indaurxya.
(38) = JAdu, Jadbn, or Jadu-
bansi.
(40) = Janghiira.
(41) = JanwAr.
(42) = KachwAha.
(43) = Kalian.
(44) = Kalhans.
(45) = Kanhpuriya.
(46) = Karchuiiya.
(47) = Katheriya.
j ( 48 ) = Katiyar.
(49) = Kausik.
(50) = Khichar.
(51) =- Kin war.
(52) = Lautdmiva.
(53) = Mahror.
(55) = Nandwak.
(56) = NAnwAg.
(57) = Nikumbh.
(58) = Parihar.
(59) = Pal war.
(60) = Podwut. PAnwaj, Prsmnr t>r
Puar.
(61) = Pundir or Purir.
i<wx _ Raghubansi.
(63) = Raia »—
(641 = RAtRor.
(65) = RAwat.
(661 = SAngar.
(67) = Sirnet.
(68) = Sikarwar or fiakarwar.
(69) = Solanki or Chalukya.
(70) = Sbmbansi.
(71) = Siirajbansi.
(72) — Snrwar or Sarwar.
(73) — TAnk or TAk.
(74) = TarkAn or Tarkar.
(75) -= Tilaunta.
(76) = Ton war, TuAr, or Tomar.
(77) = Udmattia.
(78) = Ujjaini.
(54) = Monas.
No notice has been taken of the Rajputs of Kumaun, Garhwal, Nepal, Behar (east of the S6ne), Tirhut, and
the Central Provinces (south of the Nerbudda), as they are not enlisted in Rajput regiments.
'■ ^ r
SKETCH HAP
OF THE
PUNJAB, RAJPUTANA, AND ADJACENT COUNTRIES
TO ILLUSTRATE
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRINCIPAL. CLANS OF
DESI OR WESTERN RAJPUTS.
The coloured portion indicates the approximate limits of Area I,
referred to on page 29 of text.
—-— o her xt ""
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EXPLANATION OF SIGNS.
<rx> = Places at which battles or
u/ sieges have taken place
— Clans to which the ruling
family of the State belong
(10) = BargrUa
(11) = Bargujar.
(16) = Bhdtti.
(22) = Chauhan
(28) = Dors
(31) = Sisodiya or Gahldt
GaurAva or Gaurtia
Jddu Jadon, and Jdduban&i.
Jhalla
Kachwaha
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Ponwar, Pan war, Pramar,
or Puar.
RAthor
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Ton war, TuAr or Jomar
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P.eg NO. 7, ML —Mar. y>».—
Miles
Scale 1 lncK = 64 "Miles
ffK/n>unraffmfJieJ at Survey of Iruhn OfHomt. CalcmMi-.
N° U\ 7 -\,,B 6 .
1 ° i° 9 ° V 7 |° 60 50 40 *° 20 10
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