Rise of Rajputs

Rise of Rajputs

• The warrior clan known as the Rajputs—meaning “son of a king” or “raja-putra”—claim to be descended from the Hindu warrior classes that once ruled northern India.
• They ruled from western, central, and northern India to some areas of Pakistan.

Rajput Dynasties

• Hindushahi Dynasty:

  • The Hindushahi dynasty governed a portion of Punjab and Afghanistan.
  • Jayapala was the first Rajput ruler of the region, having succeeded Bhimdev, the final Brahmin king. He was defeated by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1001 CE, and he then set himself on fire.
  • In the Battle of Waihind in 1008, his successor Anand Pal engaged Mahmud in combat again, but he also lost.
  • In 1024, Bhimpala, the last monarch, passed away. From 964 CE to 1026 CE, they were in power.

• Chauhan Dynasty:

  • With their stronghold at Ajmer, the Chauhans ruled over the eastern regions of modern-day Rajasthan between 956 and 1192 CE. 
  • Later, they expanded their domain to include portions of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
  • Simharaj, the founder of the city of Ajmer, established the dynasty.
  • Of all the Chauhan emperors, Prithviraj Chauhan was regarded as the greatest. 
  • The kingdom included Delhi, Ajmer(Rohilkhand), Kalinjar, Hansi, Kalpi, and Mahoba under his rule. 
  • He overthrew the Ghaznavid emperor of Punjab, Bhatinda, and vanquished Muhammad of Ghori in the first Tarain war (1191). Nevertheless, in the Tarain II fight of 1192, he lost.

• Solanki Dynasty:

  • Between 945 and 1297 CE, the Solankis imposed their dominion over the modern-day Indian state of Gujarat.
  • Mulraj’s reign saw the rise to prominence of their realm. They reigned from Anhilwara, which served as their capital.

• Paramara Dynasty:

  • The dynasty was founded by Upendra (Krishnaraja).
  • The most well-known king of this dynasty was Bhoja. He was also a distinguished scholar.
  • He founded the Bhoj Shala, a center for Sanskrit learning, and he built the city of Bhojpur.
  • The Paramaras supported Sanskrit intellectuals and poets.
  • Though they also supported Jain scholars, the majority of the Paramara rulers were Shaivites and built numerous Shiva temples.

• Chandela Dynasty:

  • Jayasakthi was the founder of this Rajput dynasty. Their capital was Mahoba, and they ruled over all of Bundelkhand.
  • Notably, the temples at the cultural center of Khajuraho have made the Chandelas famous for their art and architecture.
  • Following Alauddin Khalji’s conquest of Bundelkhand, the dynasty came to an end.

• Gahadavala Dynasty:

  • Starting in the latter half of the eleventh century CE, this Rajput dynasty governed the kingdom of Kannauj for around a century.
  • The Ghurid invasion, spearheaded by Qutb al-Din Aibak, challenged Jayachandra, the last strong king of the kingdom. The Battle of Chandawar in CE 1194 saw his defeat and death.

• Bundela Dynasty:

  • Hemkaran, a Rajput ruler, founded this dynasty in or around 1048 CE.
  • They took control of Bundelkhand in the sixteenth century CE.
  • The Bundela Dynasty ruled over the areas surrounding Orchha,  Madhya Pradesh.   
  • With the Mughals led by Aurangzeb taking control of Orchha, the Bundela dynasty was defeated.

• Tomara Dynasty:

  • In the eleventh century CE, Anangapala laid the foundation for Delhi, which was later incorporated into the Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty in 1164.
  • Even though Delhi eventually decisively joined the Chauhan empire, numismatic and relatively late literary evidence suggests that Tomara monarchs like Anangapala and Madanapala carried on with their feudatories until the Muslims’ ultimate capture of Delhi in 1192–1093.

Societies

• Clans constituted the core of Rajput society, which valued land, families, and honour (maan). The Rajputs shared a feeling of fraternity.
• Rajputs were known for forming exclusive groups and asserting their dominance over one another. As such, they were unwilling to share their brotherhood with the non-Rajputs under their rule.
• In Nava-Sahasanka-Charita, for instance, the Parmar court poet Padmagupta wrote that all Suryavamsi Rajputs—Parmars, Solankis, Chahmanas, and Pratiharas—rose from an Agnikund.

Economy

• Throughout India, several tiny towns developed starting in the eighth century and became regional trade hubs.
• Local marketplaces like Hatta (or haats) and Mandapika (or mandis) developed into significant hubs of commerce for the regional economies.
• The exchange of currency was commonplace, as was the barter system.

Numismatics

• Every coin had a picture on the front and the king’s name written in Nagari script on the back.
• Most coins had a depiction of Goddess Lakshmi on them. The first coins discovered that adhered to this pattern are Kalachuri coins.
• Later, even Muhammad Ghori released coins featuring the goddess Lakshmi. We also discover Ghurid coins featuring Nandi and Vishnu’s feet. The purpose of issuing these was to establish credibility with the broader audience.