Rajputs in Gujarat

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Rajput kingdoms of Gujarat in 10th century Gujarat in 10th century.jpg
Rajput kingdoms of Gujarat in 10th century
Rajput kingdoms of Gujarat in 12th century Gujarat in 12th century.jpg
Rajput kingdoms of Gujarat in 12th century

The Rajputs in Gujarat, or Gujarati Rajputs are members of the Rajput community living in the western Indian state of Gujarat. They ruled several dynasties and princely states during the British era. Some Rajput clans of Gujarat have origins from outside regions such as Rajasthan, while others are native to the region.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Society

In Gujarat, the highest ranking Rajputs were those who belonged to royal families of important kingdoms, with rank declining as the territories they ruled became smaller and smaller kingdoms, fiefs, and land tenures.

Geneology

The Rajputs in Gujarat maintain a distinct identity linguistically, yet studies have also proven for them to have had intermarriages with other communities in the region as the Kolis, [1] [2] which was commonly used to enhance or secure social status. [3]

History, clans, and dynasties

Solanki dynasty

Solanki dynasty map. Map of the Chaulukyas.png
Solanki dynasty map.

The Chaulukyas, also known as the Solankis, ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between the 10th and 12th centuries [4]

Jhala clan

Jhala is a Rajput clan fount in Jhalavad region of Gujarat which was ruled from 11th century by the Jhalas. [5]

Jadeja clan

The Jadejas are a Rajput clan of Gujarat who claim descent from Krishna. [6] [ need quotation to verify ]

Vaghela dynasty & clan

The Vaghela dynasty were an offshoot vassal clan connected to the Chaulukya dynasty, ruling Gujarat in the 13th century CE. Their capital was Dholka. They were the last Hindu dynasty to rule Gujarat before the Muslim conquest of the region. [7] [ page needed ]

Early members of the Vaghela family served the Chaulukyas in the 12th century CE, and claimed to be a branch of that dynasty. In the 13th century, during the reign of the weak Chaulukya king Bhima II, the Vaghela general Lavanaprasada and his son Viradhavala gained a large amount of power in the kingdom, although they continued to nominally acknowledge Chaulukya suzerainty. In the mid-1240s, Viradhavala's son Visaladeva usurped the throne, and his successors ruled Gujarat until Karna Vaghela was defeated by Nusrat Khan [8] of the Delhi Sultanate in 1304 CE, and lost Gujarat.

Chudasama dynasty

Uparkot fort rediscovered by Chudasama ruler Graharipu Uparkot Fort 19 Clicked by Hariom Raval.jpg
Uparkot fort rediscovered by Chudasama ruler Graharipu

The Chudasama dynasty ruled parts of the present-day Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India between the 9th and 15th centuries. Their capital was based in Junagadh and Vamanasthali, and they were later classified among the Rajput clans. [9]

Related Research Articles

The Vaghela dynasty ruled the Gujarat region in India in the 13th century CE, with their capital at Dholka. They were the last Hindu dynasty to rule Gujarat before the Muslim conquest of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chauhan Dynasty</span> Clan that ruled parts of northern India in the medieval period

Chauhan, a name derived from the historical Chahamanas, a clan name associated with various ruling Rajput families in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan from seventh century onwards.

Parmar, also known as Panwar or Pawar, is a Rajput clan found in Northern and Central India, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and North Maharashtra. The clan name is also used by Kōḷīs, Garoḍās, Līmaciyā Valands, Mōcīs, Tūrīs, Luhārs, Kansārās, Darajīs, Bhāvasārs, Cūnvāḷiyās, Ghañcīs, Harijans, Sōnīs, Sutārs, Dhobīs, Khavāsas, Rabārīs, Āhīrs, Sandhīs, Pīñjārās, Vāñjhās, Dhūḷadhōyās, Rāvaḷs, Vāgharīs, Bhīls, Āñjaṇās, Mer and Ḍhēḍhs.

Wadhwan, also spelled Vadhwan, is a city and a municipality in Surendranagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located on the banks of the Bhogavo River, around 3 km from Surendranagar and 111 km from Ahmedabad, Wadhwan is a known location for its old world royal charm and serene space with a life and culture of its own. It was historically the capital of Wadhwan State.

Gahlot is a clan of Jats and Rajputs. They ruled a number of kingdoms including Mewar, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, Shahpura, Bhavnagar, Palitana, Lathi and Vala. The variations of the name include Gehlot, or Guhila.

Solanki also known as Chaulukya is a clan name originally associated with the Rajputs in Northern India but which has also been borrowed by other communities such as the Saharias as a means of advancement by the process of sanskritisation. Other groups that use the name include the Bhils of Rajasthan, Koḷis, Ghān̄cīs, Kumbhārs, Bāroṭs, Kaḍiyās, Darjīs, Mocīs, Ḍheḍhs, and Bhangīs.

Muslim Rajputs or Musalman Rajpoots are the descendants of Rajputs in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent who generally are followers of Islam. Reportedly, they converted from Hinduism to Islam from the medieval period onwards, creating various dynasties and states while retaining Hindu surnames such as Chauhan. Today, Muslim Rajputs can be found mostly in present-day Northern India and Pakistan. They are further divided into different clans.

Rajput is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Rajput covers various patrilineal clans historically associated with warriorhood. All these Rajput clans are descended from the Vedic Kshatriyas. There are four major branches of Vedic Kshatriyas which are Suryavansh, Chandravansh, Agnivansh and Rishivansh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Rajasthan</span> Brief history of the Indian state of Rajasthan

The history of human settlement in the western Indian state of Rajasthan dates back to about 100,000 years ago. Around 5000 to 2000 BCE many regions of Rajasthan belonged as the site of the Indus Valley Civilization. Kalibangan is the main Indus site of Rajasthan, here fire altars have been discovered, similar to those found at Lothal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramara dynasty</span> 9th- to 14th-century dynasty of central India

The Paramara Dynasty ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th ccenturies.They belonged to the Parmar clan of Rajputs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koli people</span> Indian caste

The Koli is an Indian caste found in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir states in India. Koli is an agriculturist caste of Gujarat but in coastal areas they also work as fishermen along with agriculture. In the beginning of 20th century, the Koli caste was recognised as a denotified tribe under Criminal Tribes Act by the Indian Government because of their anti-social activities during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaulukya dynasty</span> Indian dynasty that ruled Gujarat from c. 940 to 1244

The Chaulukya dynasty, also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between c. 940 CE and c. 1244 CE. Their capital was located at Anahilavada. At times, their rule extended to the Malwa region in present-day Madhya Pradesh. The family is also known as the "Solanki dynasty" in the vernacular literature. They belonged to the Solanki clan of Rajputs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chudasama dynasty</span> Indian dynasty

The Chudasama dynasty, a Samma branch, ruled parts of the present-day Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India between the 9th and 15th centuries. Their capital was based in Junagadh and Vamanasthali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chahamanas of Shakambhari</span> Dynasty that ruled Sapadalaksha

The Chahamanas of Shakambhari, colloquially known as the Chauhans of Sambhar or Chauhans of Ajmer, were an Indian dynasty that ruled parts of the present-day Rajasthan and neighbouring areas in India, between the 6th and 12th centuries. The territory ruled by them was known as Sapadalaksha. They were the most prominent ruling family of the Chahamana (Chauhan) Rajput clan.

The Chahamanas of Jalor, also known as the Chauhans of Jalor in vernacular legends, were an Indian dynasty that ruled the area around Jalore in present-day Rajasthan between 1160 and 1311. They belonged to the Chahamana (Chauhan) clan of the Rajputs

The Guhilas of Medapata colloquially known as Guhilas of Mewar were a Rajput dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Mewar region in present-day Rajasthan state of India. The Guhila kings initially ruled as Gurjara-Pratihara feudatories between end of 8th and 9th centuries and later were independent in period of the early 10th century and allied themselves with the Rashtrakutas. Their capitals included Nagahrada (Nagda) and Aghata (Ahar). For this reason, they are also known as the Nagda-Ahar branch of the Guhilas.

Bhima II, also known as Bhola Bhima, was an Indian king who ruled parts of present-day Gujarat. He was a member of the Chaulukya dynasty. During his reign, the dynasty's power declined greatly as a result of rebellions by the feudatories as well as external invasions by the Ghurids, the Paramaras, and the Yadavas of Devagiri. The kingdom, however, was saved by his generals Arnoraja, Lavanaprasada and Viradhavala, whose family established the Vaghela dynasty.

Udaya-simha was an Indian king belonging to the Chahamana dynasty, who ruled the area around Javalipura. The most powerful king of his dynasty, he overthrew the Chaulukya suzerainty, and became a sovereign ruler. However, some years later, he faced an invasion from the Delhi Sultanate, and became a tributary to the Sultan Iltutmish.

Naiki Devi was the regent queen of Chaulukya dynasty during her son Mularaja II's infancy from 1175. She was a queen of the Chaulukya king Ajayapala.

References

  1. Shah 2012, p. 169
  2. Jaffrelot 2003, pp. 180–182
  3. Fuller 1975, pp. 293–295
  4. Hermann Kulke (2004). A History of India. Psychology Press. p. 117. ISBN   978-0-415-32919-4. When Gurjara Pratiharas power declined after the sacking of Kannauj by the Rashtrakutkas in the early tenth century many Rajput princes declared their independence and founded their own kingdoms, some of which grew to importance in the subsequent two centuries. The better known among these dynasties were the Chaulukyas or Solankis of Kathiawar and Gujarat, the Chahamanas (i.e. Chauhan) of eastern Rajasthan (Ajmer and Jodhpur), and the Tomaras who had founded Delhi (Dhillika) in 736 but had then been displaced by the Chauhans in the twelfth century.
  5. Jhala, Angma; Jhala, Jayasinhji (24 April 2017). Genealogy, Archive, Image: Interpreting Dynastic History in Western India, c.1090-2016. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN   978-3-11-053945-5.
  6. Saxena, Anisha (2018). "Jakh, Jacks, or Yakṣa?: Multiple Identities and Histories of Jakh Gods in Kachchh". Asian Ethnology. 77 (1–2): 103. JSTOR   26604835.
  7. Mitra, Sudipta (2005). Gir Forest and the Saga of the Asiatic Lion. Indus Publishing. ISBN   978-81-7387-183-2.
  8. Kuzhippalli Skaria Mathew (1986). Portuguese and the Sultanate of Gujarat, 1500–1573. p. 98.
  9. J Chaube (1975). History of Gujarat Kingdom, 1458–1537. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. p. 16. ISBN   9780883865736.

Sources