The Annals of Rajputana

Col. James Todd’s Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan describes Rajputana through History, Geography, Mythology, Folklore, Veer Gathas, Traditions, Cultures, Heritage, Rules, Valour and its people. However, one must remember that he was commissioned to write the narrative and his resources are not based on historical evidence. However, it is worth a read and very interesting. The following excerpts are from his book. Please take note that Todd's accounts are based on hearsay, stories, and commissioned by royals and hence aren't treated as historically accurate. However, his book is important as it is the first English-language book to have extensive work done on Rajputana.

Rajputs are commonly believed to be people from Rajasthan; however, their branches have spread far and wide into Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and even parts of Bengal. The initial origination-based clans/tribes had been subdivided first in the book Prithvirajraso by Chand Bardai; however, James Todd, in his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, had made extensive research from various sources to conclude the subdivisions as follows.

The 36 Tribes of Rajputana (Land of the Rajputs)

1. Ishkvaku/ Ishku/ Suryavansh/ Raghuvansh

2. Indu/Soma/Chandravansh

3. Yadu Vansh

4. Twar

5. Rathores

6. Cushwaha/Kutchwaha

7. Pramara/Parmers/Punwars

8. Chahomans/Chauhans

9. Chalukya/Solanki

10. Parihars/Parihara

11. Chawura

12.Tak/Tauks/Takshak-Naga

13. Jitt/Jatt/Gete

14. Huns/Hoons

15. Kalti

16. Bhalla

17. Jhalla

18. Jaitwa/Kamari

19. Guhils

20. Sarvuya

21. Silars

22. Dabi

23. Gor

24. Doda/Dor

25. Gherwal

26. Birgoojur

27. Sehgar

28. Sikerwal

29. Byce

30. Dahiya

31. Johya

32. Mohil

33. Nicoompa

34. Rajpali

35. Dahima

36. Hool/Dahiryas

We are here by mentioning some tribes and their relevant info as found in the book.

Image result for yadu vansh

Puranic Lineages

Yadu Clan:

The Subdivisions of the Yadu Clan:

1. Yadu – from Kerowli, Rajasthan.

2. Bhatti/Bhattiyani – Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

3. Jareja – Kutch/Bhuj, Gujarat

4. Sumaitcha – Sindh, Now Pakistan.

5. Mudaicha

6. Bidmun

7. Budda

8. Soha

The last four tribes are believed to have merged with other tribes and lost their uniqueness with time; hence, the places of existence remain untraceable.

Suryakulas (Mewar, Marwar, Amber):

Marwar:

Genealogically, they claim that they are the descendants of Kush, the second son of Rama. However, they claim to be descendants of Rishi Kashyap from his wife Diti, mother to the tribe of Devtas. Seoji founded the Rathore Dynasty in Marwar on the ruins of the Pariharas of Mandore, which derives its name from its princess Mandodari, wife to Ravana. Rao Jodha had decided to move the dynasty from Madnore and founded Mehrangarh, the city of the sun, the present Jodhpur fort.

The Rathores have 24 sub tribes, some of which are as follows:

1. Dhandul

2. Bhadail

3. Chachit

4. Doohuria

5. Kokra

6. Baddora

7. Chajira

8. Ramdev

9. Kabria

10. Hatoondia

11. Malavat

12. Soondu

13. Kataicha

14. Muholi

15. Gogadeva

16. Mahaicha

17. Jaisingha

18. Moorsia

19. Jobsia

20. Jora

Meera Bai, the saint Poetess, Rao Dudha, Rao Maldeo Rathore, Jaimal Rathore, and Kalla Rathore (Chittor seize) are all from this clan.

Amber:

The dynasty at Amber is of the Kacchwaha Rajputs. They are also the lineage of Kush, as per their records; however, their pedigree trace back is very vague to conclude them as Suryavanshis. Notable are Bhagwan Das, Raja Man Singh, Harka Bai (wife to Akbar), Maan Bai (wife to Jehangir), Raja Jai Singh (founder of Jaipur)

Mewar:

The lineage claims to trace back to Rama’s eldest son Labh, who founded Lah-kot (present Lahore). The lineage of the Mewaris traces back to Kanaksen, who moved to Dwarka, Saurashtra, from Lah-Kot. After their expulsion from the Sultanate in Saurashtra, the clan moved to the Ahar Valley (Aravallis). Kanaksen wrestled dominance of the Pramaras and founded Birnagar in 144AD. Four generations hence, Vijay Sen founded Vijaypura (Present Dholka, Saurashtra) and Vidurba (Seehor). His capital was at Balabhipura/Balbhi, 10 miles northwest of Bhoonager.

It is after the sack of Balbhi around 524AD that the Guhilot branch moved to the Aravalllis near Kumbhalmer (Kumbhalgarh). Bappa Rawal established Chittorgarh as the capital, while Rana Kumbha extended the seat of power back to Kumbhalgarh. Rana Udai Singh shifted it to modern Udaipur.

The Mewar Royals used "Sen" after their name till the Guhilots started using Aditya, meaning sun, which was changed by Kal Bhoj to Rawat. The term Rana came much later, in the late 12th Century, from a Parihara prince of Mandore who surrendered both title and capital to the ruler of Mewar. Rawal is still used in the Dungerpura and Jaisalmer states.

Legend says that Shiladitya fell to the Sultan of Gajni (Present Khambat), and his pregnant queen, Parmer princess Pushpavati, escaped from Balbhi to the Aravallis, where he gave birth to Guha, and handed him to a Brahmin lady from Birnagar, Kamlavati. After Guha, the dynasty came to be known as the Guhilots. Guha, with the help of the Bhils, founded his empire. However, until the 8th generation from Guha after the Bhils assassinated Nagaditya, Bappa Rawal, his son became the founder of a new Mewar after a brief rule of the Mori-Parmer Rajputs.

The Sisodia branch springs from a prince of Chittor who had managed to hunt a hare (sissoo), a hard-to-catch animal. They are also known as Ranawat or the “Royal Blood”, but Seesodia made itself famous through its’ brave sons.

Rana Ratan Singh, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga, Rana Pratap Singh, Rana Raj Singh, and Patta are all Bravehearts from this dynasty. Presently, this dynasty is the oldest surviving dynasty in India. Shivaji Raje Bhosale's family is a direct offspring of one of Bappa Rawal's branches.

Bappa Rawal

AgniKulas (Parmers, Solankis and Chauhans):

The following tribes/Sub tribes are considered Agnikulas.

1. Parmers/Punwars

2. Pariharas

3. Chaluk

4. Solanki

5. Chauhans

Parmars:

The Parmers were the first Agnivanshis to become warriors from their original professions of trade. The family name moved all over Maheswar, Dhar, Mandu, Oojain (Ujjain), Chandrabhaga, Chittorgarh, Mt. Abu, Chanravati, Parmavati, Umarkot, Bekher, Lodurva, and Pattan, leaving its traces of names everywhere. However, the Parmars never became significant rulers like the Chauhans or Solankis.

The Prince of Umarkot, who had sheltered Humayun and in his fort Akbar was born, was also a Parmar Rajput.

The Rao of Bijoli (Bijolia, Rajasthan) was one of the 16 superior nobles in the court of Mewar’s Rana. They are regarded as “Dhar” Punwars and are the most respected clan of Punwars.

The Mori dynasty or Mauryas are also an offshoot of the Parmars, from the maternal side. They ruled Chittorgarh, along with the Parmars ruling Bhilwara, before Bappa Rawal’s rule.

There are 35 Sub Tribes of the Parmers. The chief ones are :

1. Mori/ Mauryas – Rulers of Chittorgarh before the Guhilots.

2. Soda- Sogdi of Alexander, Prince of Dhatt

3. Sankla – from Poogul, Marwar

4. Khyr – From Kyraloo

5. Umra/Sumra/ Amra – branch of Mahamadans

6. Vehil/Behil – Chandravati

7. Maipawut – The chiefs of Bijolia

8. Bulhar – The northern desserts.

9. Kaba – from Saurastra/ Sirowi

10. Omuta – From Malwa

Maharani Ajabdeh Baisa, wife to Rana Pratap Singh, and mother to Rana Amar Singh, was an offspring of the Punwar Rajputs of Bijolia. Ranisaheb Saibai Nimbalker Bhosale's family, too, was a part of the Panwar dynasty. She was the wife of Shivaji Raje Bhosale and the mother of Sambha Ji.

Chauhans:

The Chauhans were originally the chieftains of Ajmer, Rajasthan. They rose to power as prominent chieftains of the Hindu rulers of Delhi, and Prithviraj Chauhan, whose mother was a princess, was chosen to rule by his heirless maternal grandfather, thus uplifting the status of the Chauhans.

The Sub tribes of the Chauhans are:

1. Chauhans

2. Hada

3. Khichi

4. Songara

5. Deora

6. Pabia

7. Sanchora

8. Goelwal

9. Bhadoria

10. Nurbhan

11. Malani

12. Purbaii

13. Sura

14. Madrachetcha

15. Sanraetcha

16. Bhooratcha

17. Balatcha

18. Tussairah

19. Chacharah

20. Rosaiah

21. Chundu

22. Nacoompah

23. Bhawur

24. Bankut

Solankis:

Originating from Lahkut, they are sometimes believed to be actually subdivisions of the Rathore clan in Kanauj. In Mewar, they rank second as a class of chieftains from Roopangarh, only after the Chundawats.

The Subdivisions of Solankis are:

1. Bhagela – Bhagelkhand, Bandugarh, Pitapura, Adalauj

2. Beerpura – Lunawarra

3. Behila – Kubanpura in Mewar (Rao of Salumber)

4. Bhoorta

5. Kalachi – Baru, Tehra, Chahir in Jaisalmer.

6. Langaha- Multan

7. Togru- Muslim clan in Punjab

8. Briku

9. Surki – Dekkhan (Deccan)

10. Sirwureah- Girnar (chief rulers)

11. Raoka – Jaipur

12. Ranibia – Daisoori, Mewar

13. Kharura – Malwa

14. Tantia – Salumbari

15. Almetcha

16. Kulamor - Gujrat

Rakhi Tales

The year was 1535 CE. The Rajmata of Mewar, widow of Rana Sanga, was in a dilemma. On one hand was an attack from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat as a threat to her capital, Chittorgarh, and the throne of her beloved teenage son Vikramaditya. On the other hand, there was the son of her husband's archenemy, Humayun, who could be of some help. Rani Karnavati wrote a letter to Humayun, who was in the east at that time. Along with it, she sent a Rakhi, a thread of brotherhood, asking him, as a sister, for protection against the enemy. But the road was too long and time, of great essence. Humayun arrived at Chittorgarh, in response to her letter, keeping his end of the bargain but a little late. Rani Karnavati had already performed the Jauhar. They never met. Humayun established Rana Vikramaditya on the throne of Mewar, as he had promised as a brother, and returned to his post. Two dynasties, political rivals and sworn enemies, from Sanga-Babur to Pratap-Akbar and even Raj Singh-Aurangzeb, yet ...

A Journey Called PrAja

Love is a relationship based on trust and understanding. It is also a bond that is made up there. People often ask, "Why them?" I end up telling them some folklore. I end up telling them about how she actually was his shadow in the forests, in bad times. Because love passes all its tests in the worst times when you don't give up on each other. So, here's to My Pratap and His Ajabdeh! Ps. This is about the show Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap on Sony by Contilloe Starring Faisal Khan, Roshni Walia, Sharad Malhotra and Rachana Parulkar. This is NOT their real story. The show aired from 2013 to 2015. Ajabdeh, the simple, strong yet gentle samantputri, was starstruck seeing the down-to-earth Kunwar Pratap, the crown prince of Mewar. She was clueless that he held the key to her heart, her lost mala that destiny had chosen him for. Na na na na na Chan Chan Chan Chan na na na na! A comedy of errors followed, as she threw the pail of water on him, fumbled at his presen...

A Veranda Vendetta

“Outrage in Calcutta; Terrorist Raid, British Officer Murdered” Read the headlines of The Times on Tuesday, 9 th of December, 1930. 1930: A significant year 1930 was a very significant year in the history of India’s Freedom Struggle against the British Raj. The Indian National Congress went ahead to declare the 26 th of January as India’s Independence Day, celebrating it nationwide; the Civil Disobedience Movement was officially started by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, and Subhas Chandra Bose was arrested for participating in the same. On 18 th April, Surya Sen, better known as MasterDa, had done the unthinkable, raiding the British Armoury with his students and fellow teachers at Chittagong. He was still on the loose, yet to be found. In this year of growing protests against the colonisers, an incident emerged that shook the British at their old capital. The Bengal Volunteers Corps was a group of volunteers organised in the 1928 Calcutta sessi...

Bijolia: Her Home

Journey to Bijolia: Lost Kingdoms and Timeless Temples of Mewar Bijoliya translates to a stop between two cities. Nestled in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, Bijolia sits 55km from Bundi and 105km from Chittorgarh on the well-travelled Bundi-Chittorgarh road. Once part of Mewar, this seemingly sleepy town guards a rich and layered past: it was ruled from the 11th to the 13th century by the Punwars (or Parmar Rajputs) before falling under the Chauhan dynasty, who shifted the region’s capital to Bhilwara and constructed the imposing fort there. After a brief Chauhan rule, Bijolia was reclaimed by Rana Kumbha and became an integral part of the Mewar kingdom, with the Parmars serving as local Raos, representatives and stewards of the royal house. Despite its history and the famed Bijolia inscriptions (a treasure for historians), Bijolia has never found a seat on Rajasthan’s primary tourist circuit, especially if you’re venturing out by public transport or private car. While a handful of...

The Emperor's First Wife

Ruqaiya Sultana Begum was born to Babur's second surviving son, Hindal Mirza, and his wife, Sultanam Begum, in 1542 C.E., merely a few months after Hamida Banu gave birth to the heir Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar. She was well-versed in Persian, Urdu and Arabic and was attracted to poetry and music. Being a proud descendant of the Timurid clan, most of Rukaiya's childhood was spent in Kabul, near the Bagh E Babur, built by Babur himself. From early childhood, she had seen the struggle of her family to regain their lost power in Hind. In 1551 C.E., just after her father died young at a battle for Humayun, leaving her and her mother in the harem of the emperor, it was Hamida Banu who wanted the marriage of Rukaiya to her first cousin, Akbar. Theirs was the first in-house marriage of the Mughals, soon to be followed by many more in the generations to come. At the mere age of nine, she had married the crown prince, and when Humayun won back Lahore, she was fifteen. At the mere age ...

Chittorgarh: The First Jauhar

The concept of Jauhar holds a profound place in Rajputana history. It is a ritual where Rajput women willingly choose death by jumping into a fire altar, invoking the gods, and embracing honour rather than living under the humiliation of enemy conquest. Unlike Sati, Jauhar was never forced or compulsory; it was considered the most honourable death a Rajputani could choose when their men lost battles and the enemy laid siege. The Historical Setting: Jauhar Gate and Chittorgarh Fort Chittorgarh Fort once housed the palace of Rana Ratan Singh near the famed Vijay Stambh and his Jal Mahal at the fort’s main gate. When Alauddin Khilji invaded Chittor, much of this was destroyed. However, later ruler Rana Kumbha rebuilt the Jal Mahal and re-established the Jauhar Sthal to honour Queen Padmavati (also known as Padmini). Ratan Singh, who ruled Mewar during Khilji’s reign as Sultan of Delhi, was known to be a peace-loving monarch who enjoyed music and poetry. One of his court poets, Ragha...

Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538 - 1597)

I am back with another History post, this time it is on the wives and sons of Rana Udai Singh II of Mewar, his son and heir Maharana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh. This is a continuation of the Sisodia Family History I posted some time back. The information has been taken from Annals of Mewar by James Todd, Maharana Pratap by B.N. Rana, and Maharana Pratap by Rima Hooja. Udai Singh II was the son of Ranisa Karnawati and Rana Sangram Singh. He was born on 4th August 1 522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1 572 at Gogunda . He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 2 5 wives, apart from the many insignificant queens in his Rani Mahal. Here is a list of his main queens and their sons. Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara of Jalore was his chief queen and consort. Her son is Maharana Pratap. He was married to her before he went to war with Banbir, as her father, Akshayraj Rao, was a friend and ally of his father, Rana Sanga. Saj...

The Hidden One

In the grand fort of Daulatabad, a princess was born in 1638 to Emperor Aurangzeb and his cherished consort, Dilras Banu Begum. She was christened Zeb Un Nisa, her very name meaning “ornament of womankind.” The youngest of her sisters, Zeb Un Nisa, grew up surrounded by the opulence of the Mughal harem at the Red Fort, under the spiritual guidance of her Sufi uncle Dara Shikoh and her wise aunt Jahanara Begum. From her earliest days, she was captivated by poetry, spending hours immersed in literature, her mind dancing among the verses of Persian and Urdu poets. As she blossomed into adulthood, Zeb Un Nisa cultivated her own literary voice and gathered the greatest poets of the Mughal Empire in her private council. Adopting the pen name “Makhfi”, the Concealed One, she wove magic with her words, always returning to one intoxicating theme: Love. Her father, Emperor Aurangzeb, was the most powerful man in India, unyielding in his faith and rule, yet also deeply affectionate towards his ...

The Buddhist Empress of India

Many historians believe that although Devi was the first wife of Asoka, his Buddhist queen, Asandhimitra, was not the same person. However, some also theorise based on Buddhist and Jain stories that they were in fact the same person, and the reason for that is that they don't seem to appear in the timeline together. Devi disappears when Asandhimitra arrives at the scene rather abruptly to do her charitable work. Hence, I personally believe they were one and the same. This story, however, is a retelling of folklore and not history. Please do not consider this piece of fiction as history. The whole village of Vidisha Nagari was buzzing with activity. Every home was being cleaned, and cooking preparations were on. The youngest prince of Magadha was coming to a halt the night at their village on his way to Ujjain. Great unrest was reported at Ujjain, and the youngest prince, as the general of this region, was being sent by the emperor to solve the issue. The villagers were scared as th...

A Chivalrous Emnity

“Ranisa. Hukum” There was a hint of urgency in the maid in waiting’s voice as she rushed to the clearing where the tents were set up. Rani Pur Bai Solanki, the second queen, frowned at her sudden, alarming voice. “Hush, Rama, the children are...” She checked the children’s tent, alarmed. They slept during the day and stayed awake at night, because the forestland was not safe, neither from animals nor the enemies. “Ranisa, forgive me, it's Kunwarsa... He is back... but...” Pur Bai’s face lit up with a smile of hope that didn’t last long. “But?” “What is it? What’s wrong?” The Maharani of Mewar had walked out of her camp, with the other queens in tow. The maid bowed before her. “It’s Kunwarsa.” “He is back?” She frowned. He was not supposed to be back so early until his father reached Dholan. “So is Ranaji.” The maid looked scared. “There is a court called in an emergency. I came to inform you that Ranaji wanted everyone to be present.” “Jija...” Pur Bai could see the tension mountin...

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