Rawal (also spelled Raval) or Raol is a regional variation of the Hindi princely ruler title Raja/Radjah (literally 'king' [1] ) used in some princely states in Rajputana and Western India (notably Gujarat), and is now also used as a caste designation or surname by several communities in Southern Asia.
The term "Rawal" derives from the Sanskrit title "Rājakula". The related term Maharawal, which derives from the Sanskrit title "Mahārājakula", [2] means "Great Rawal". [3]
As a surname, "Rawal" is found among multiple communities in India.
Singh is a title, middle name, or surname that means "lion" in various South Asian and Southeast Asian communities. Traditionally used by the Hindu Kshatriya community, it was later mandated in the late 17th century by Guru Gobind Singh for all male Sikhs as well, in part as a rejection of caste-based prejudice and to emulate Rajput naming conventions. As a surname or a middle name, it is now found throughout the world across communities and religious groups, becoming more of a generic, caste-neutral, decorative name—similar to names such as Kumar and Lal.
Rājpūt, also called Thākur, is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The term Rajput covers various patrilineal clans historically associated with warriorhood: several clans claim Rajput status, although not all claims are universally accepted. According to modern scholars, almost all Rajput clans originated from peasant or pastoral communities.
Muslim Rajputs or Musalman Rajpoots are the descendants of Rajputs in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent who generally are followers of Islam. 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.
Pradhan is generally ministerial title of Sanskrit origin used in the Indian subcontinent. The Sanskrit pradhāna translates to "major" or "prime"; however, the more modern Hindi definitions provided by the Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary also include "chief" and "leader". The precise interpretation can differ significantly by region. The style was somewhat abandoned by many Indian princely states during the Mughal era in favor of Persian styles such as Wasir and Diwan. Pradhan is also a surname mainly in Nepal, India etc.
Jaisal Singh (1113–1168) was the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer, ruling from 1156 to 1168 CE. Singh was a Rajput chief of the Bhati clan who lived during the 12th century, Singh rose to power in 1143 by defeating his nephew, Rawal Bhojdeo of Lodhruva, in battle and seizing his nephew's position as Rawal. In 1156, Singh founded the city of Jaisalmer and became the Rawal of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer. Singh's descendants ruled Jaisalmer as Rawal, and later as Maharawal, until India's independence in 1947. Singh is also claimed to be the ancestor of the Phulkian dynasty and other notable families and individuals.
The Gurjar are an agricultural ethnic community, residing mainly in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were traditionally involved in agriculture, pastoral and nomadic activities and formed a large heterogeneous group. The historical role of Gurjars has been quite diverse in society: at one end they have been found related to several kingdoms and, at the other end, some are still nomads with no land of their own.
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.
Bhumihar, also locally called Bhuinhar and Babhan, is a Hindu caste mainly found in Bihar, the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, and Nepal.
Charan is a caste in South Asia natively residing in the Rajasthan and Gujarat states of India, as well as the Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. Historically, Charans have been engaged in diverse occupations like bards, poets, historians, pastoralists, agriculturalists and also administrators, jagirdars and warriors and some even as traders.
The Sunar is a caste in India and Nepal.The Sunar community work as traders of gold or as goldsmiths. The community is primarily Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and found all over India and Nepal.
The Pothohar Plateau is a plateau and historical sub-region in northern parts of the Punjab region, present-day Punjab, Pakistan. Ethnic Poharis are the native people of the area and are subdivided into many tribes and clans (Baradari).
The Kandera, Golandāz, Hawāidar, Bāṇadhāra (बाणधार) is a Hindu community found mainly in the northern and central regions of India. They belong to the Kshatriya varna. In earlier times, they were archers and warriors. Later, they also became involved in roles such as cannon operators, firework crafters, and the production of gunpowder and iron missiles. The term "काण्डेरा" (Kandera) is derived from the Sanskrit word "काण्डीर" (Kāṇḍīra), which means "an archer".
The Mori Kingdom, also known as the Later Mauryas, was a kingdom that ruled over southwestern Rajasthan and northern Malwa in India. The kingdom was established in the 7th century, and reigned for a period of about 120 years. The Mori Rajputs controlled the Chittor Fort, and were a powerful military regime in this region before the rise of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty.
Thakur is a historical feudal title of the Indian subcontinent. It is also used as a surname in the present day. The female variant of the title is Thakurani or Thakurain, and is also used to describe the wife of a Thakur.
The Jat people, also spelt Jaat and Jatt, are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, many Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and subsequently into the Delhi Territory, northeastern Rajputana, and the western Gangetic Plain in the 17th and 18th centuries. Of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths, they are now found mostly in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and the Pakistani regions of Sindh, Punjab and AJK.
Ravana Rajput is an Indian upper caste. Ravana Rajputs, a sub-set of Rajput clan and they are culturally similar to Rajput but have historically faced caste discrimination. They are among the castes known as Darogas. It is the only caste to protect the princely states of the warrior race, which is known as Ravana Rajput. This name came to existence in 1912 in the Jodhpur city progeny under the patronage of Sir Pratap Singh Rai Bahadur, the regent of the Marwar state.
Modern historians agree that Rajputs consisted of a mix of various different social groups and different varnas. Rajputisation explains the process by which such diverse communities coalesced into the Rajput community.
Rawal is a surname of various Indian and Nepali communities. It is mainly found among the Rajputs and Chhetri Nepali Hindus. It was also used as a title before the name by some Rajput rulers. Notable people with include: