 Lion of Rajput The Rajputs of India are comprised of many different tribes. They were known for their valor and chivalry in battle. For centuries, they were India's line of defense against invaders. They proved their chivalry by fighting with honor and the mercy that they showed to the vanquished. When fighting against the hordes of Arabs, Moghuls, Afghans, and Turks, many preferred to die rather than to forsake their ancestors' faith (Hindu dharma) for Islam. While the nations of the Middle East fell in a matter of a few years to the rapid advance of Islam's new followers, the Rajput men and women refused to let them capture India for over 500 years. The heroism and sacrifice displayed by these tribes is undisputed in the chronicles of Indian history.
The concept of the Raja-putra, or "son of a king," is mentioned in Vedic literature. Rajput, a shortened version of Raja-putra, is a name that has come to be associated with various tribes that woul gain political importance in a given region. Because of the fluid social structure in early medieval India, a tribe could gain or lose Rajput status based on its political importance, its occupation, and its survival or extinction. Many tribes over the course of time became extinct because of war, or relocated to another location and changed their names. Traditionally, 36 "royal races," or raj-kul, were known as Rajputs. They were allegedly migrants to India from central Asia who mingled with the aboriginal tribes and were given Kshatriya, or warrior status by the priests. One of these newcomers were the Huns, commonly listed as one of the raj-kul. During the rule of the British, Lieutenant Colonel Tod visited Rajasthan and attempted to write a definitive list of the 36 Rajput tribes. However, everyone that he spoke to gave him varying lists of tribes. It can thus be concluded that a tribe that had furnished warriors or was politically dominant in a particular region can justly call itself a Rajput tribe. Of all the Rajput tribes, there are some that deserve special mention. First, there are the Suryavanshi (Solar) Rajputs who are said to have descended from Shri Ram Chander. Second, there are the Chandravanshi (Lunar), or Yaduvanshi Rajputs who are descendants of Shri Krishna's tribe. The most famous Chandravanshi tribe is the Bhatti tribe. There are also several Agni-kul, or tribes born of fire. Although different sources vary, the generally acknowledged Agni-kul are the Chauhans, Parmars, Chalukyas, and the Purihars. The name Chahamana was actually the original name of the Chauhans. The rest of the Rajput tribes are said to have been born of women. Some Rajput traditionsThe Rajput lifestyle was designed to foster a martial spirit. The festival of Rakhi, known as Lakhri in Punjab, is typically held in August. The rakhis, or bracelets, are tied to a brother's wrist by his sisters. The belief amongst Rajputs was that the bracelets would avert evil in battle and designated those who would make a proper return from battle (Tod i.463). This festival was and is still celebrated all over India. Tod described at length the bond between the Rajputs and their swords. The double-edged scimitar known as the khanda was the favorite weapon of the Rajput. On special occasions, a primary chief would break up a meeting of his chiefs with khanda nareal, or a distribution of swords and coconuts (453). In order to attain a greater bond with one's sword, Rajputs revered their swords and conducted the ritual of Karga Shapna during the annual festival of Navratri. More Rajput Clues Chattopadhyaya in his book explored the process of "Rajputization." This was a gradual evolution of several tribes into political dominance in a given area of Rajasthan. Citing Yadava's Society and Culture in Northern India, he mentioned the "Medas who are considered to have reached the Rajput status from a tribal background" (63). Another tribal group to eventually be considered Rajputs were the Huns. Several clues are to be found in a 1996 listing of Indian tribes. The "Merh" are listed as a subgroup of goldsmiths in Rajasthan along with the "Mair Rajputs" of Punjab (Singh 1787). The Doondari, Marwari, and Rajputana are groups of goldsmiths living in Delhi (1787-88). Doondar, Marwar, and Rajputana are all part of present-day Rajasthan. The Gehlot (Sisodia) Rajputs and Bhalla Rajputs are listed as allied clans to the goldsmiths, and hence, the Mair Rajputs (1788). Under the heading of "Merh Sonars" in Madhya Pradesh, the most common surnames are Chandravanshi, Chauhan, Dahiya, Pawar, Rathor, and Suryavanshi, and a group of the goldsmiths is called Ajmerji (Singh 1789). The first six are Rajput names and the last one, Ajmerji, refers to the Rajasthani city of Ajmer. It is another hint to the Merh Sonars' origins lying in Ajmer. Finally, it is a logical conclusion to relate the Merh Sonars of Madhya Pradesh to the Mair Rajputs of Punjab. Yet another source offers more evidence of the Mairs being politically dominant. A Mair (Meda) dynasty ruled the town of Ramgarh, which is about 67 kilometers east of Kota in Rajasthan, from the ninth or tenth centuries (Jain 439). Jain mentioned the kings Malaya Verma and Trisasa Varma as being of the Meda dynasty. Other Issues Although several Mair Rajput gothras may have Bhatti Rajput origins, I did not find nearly as many claims to Chauhan Rajput origins. It may be that some gothras are Chauhan branches but by many marriages between the Bhattis and Chauhans, the Chauhan origins have become obscured. A second more plausible explanation would be that many Mair Rajputs who were actually Chauhans listed themselves as Bhattis in the 1901 claims that were made. Many people tended to confuse different Rajput tribes with one another in the British censuses. Ibbetson also offers a helpful answer to this puzzling issue: "...the term Bhatti is commonly applied to any...Rajput from the direction [south] of the Satluj [River]" (145). Therefore, Mairs in Punjab who were originally associated with the Chauhans may have come to call themselves Bhattis because they had come from south of the Satluj River. Secondly, from the 1901 claims, it does not seem that the Mair Rajputs are descended from one common ancestor. From Tod's account of the Rajasthan Mairs, one can conclude that those clans who had married with the Bhattis and Chauhans may have left the region at the same time and eventually settled in Punjab. Unfortunately, these questions cannot be answered conclusively. Only time and further effort will tell which theory is true. 
Initiatives for Mair Rajput History We live in a unique era when vast amounts of knowledge are literally at our fingertips. With this is mind, I find it entirely feasible that the true, objective history of Mair Rajputs will be discovered piece by piece and put together within the next 10 years. To this end, the following initiatives will help us towards accomplishing this goal: - Translation of "Rajput Swarnkar Directory" by Dr. Gurcharan S. Sake from Gurmukhi to English and placing its entire contents on this website.
- Creation of Mair Rajput Yahoo group for the exchange of Mair Rajput history between like-minded individuals. To subscribe to this Yahoogroup, click here.
- DNA testing of various gothras to search for common links. Websites such as www.familytreedna.com offer such testing. It would be interesting to see, for example, if Gognas are truly Kachwaha (Suryavanshi) Rajputs. All it would take is a simple DNA test.
- Sponsor Master's or Ph.D. graduate student(s) at a reputable university in India who are studying anthropology/history. They will study the history of Mair Rajputs as a whole and on a gothra-by-gothra basis. They will be required to tour several states of India, including Rajasthan, and will need to have knowledge of the Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, and Sanskrit languages. They will trace the origins of the tribe and gothras as far back as possible.
- Redesign of this website. Webpage design has continued to evolve quickly, while this website has remained fairly simple.
- Create an Internet "web-based" network of Mair Rajput websites. There are many Mair Rajput associations all over the world. How come almost none of them have a website?
Done by a single individual, these items will take several years to complete. However, if all Mair Rajputs work together in a spirit of cooperation and share all of our information, we will one day have a clear idea of what our heritage is and will be able to leave future generations a precious gift. If you are interested in working on any of these initiatives or want to suggest others, please email me below. Rajesh Kumar Verma (Desor)
Illinois, USA
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 Remaining Tasks for Mair Rajputs This web site is only the beginning. More research must be done to confirm the findings that I have documented. Mair Rajputs must become motivated to do this. No, you will not gain anything financially by doing this. No, you will not gain any fame by doing this. But there are more important things in life than the pursuit of money and fame. Passing on your heritage to future generations is a more worthwhile goal. Your children will forget how much money you leave them. However, they will never forget what they are if you leave them with the gift of their ancestors' origins. I suggest collecting funds as soon as possible so that proper research is conducted in India at the university level on this subject. The Mair Rajput associations will have to help in this regard. This cannot be the effort of one individual only. It is time that Mairs question the "scholars" in India who write that our claims are unjustified. It is time that Mairs take advantage of the modern Information Age and assemble their complete history. Otherwise, the tremendous sacrifices that the ancient Mairs made while defending India and Sanatana Dharma will be forgotten. Go back to the Mair Rajput Home Page |
