INTRODUCTION

Political changes in Indian history have been marked by dynastic shifts. Each dynasty has had its own genealogy and chronology which represented its rule in India. The structures of polities in ancient India have been generally identified by scholars in the context of centralization or decentralization. Centralized polities denoted unified rule over a vast area under one political power in contrast to decentralization which represented centrifugal regional tendencies. Themes such as state formation, structure of polity, nature of power and political control etc. have been a subject of historical studies. The aim of this Unit is to introduce the emergence of Rajputs in India in the form of regional political powers, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TERM “RAJPUT”

The term rajput is derived from Sanskrit root rajputra (son of the king). Prakrit forms of the term rajputra are variously known as rawat, rauta, raul and rawal. A transformation in connotation of the term is noticeable from 7th century CE onwards as it began to be used in literary texts in the sense of a landowner rather than “son of the king”. In the Harshacharita of Banabhatta (7th century CE) the term has been used in the sense of a noble or landowning chief. In Kadambari also it is used for persons of noble descent who were appointed by the king as local rulers. In the capacity of local rulers they might have naturally governed a large portion of land under them and, thus, played an active role in political and administrative system of the state. In Rajatarangini the term rajputra is used in the sense of a mere landowner, acclaiming birth from 36 clans of the Rajputs. The reference of 36 clans clearly denotes their existence by 12th century CE.

The term began to be more commonly used from 12th century onwards. The 12th century Aparajitprachha of Bhatta Bhuvanadeva, which describes the composition of a typical feudal order, refers to rajaputras as constituting a fairly large section of petty chiefs holding estates, each one of them constituting one or more villages. Among the ruling elites, rajputra covered a wide range: from actual son of a king to the lowest ranking landholders.