152-564: Karni Mata ( Hindi : करणी माता, or Bhagwati Karniji Maharaj ), known by various names such as Bhagwati , Mehaai , Jagdamba , and Kiniyani is a Hindu Goddess of power and victory described as a warrior sage, who lived between 14th and 16th centuries in Western Rajasthan . Karni Mata is the tutelary deity of the Rajputs and Charans of northwestern India. As a Sagati, she is also worshipped as an incarnation of Hinglaj or Durga . She
304-513: A "clean" rank via social mobility in the Hindu Varna system serves as one of the explanations of the longevity of the unique Indian civilisation. Historian Janet Tiwary Kamphorst mentions the medieval tales on Pabuji depicting Rajput, Charan , Bhil and Rabari warriors fighting side by side as well as other medieval and contemporary texts show claims made by Nomadic tribes of the Thar desert to
456-540: A "divine master" in the "Hindu cosmic order". The writer also finds correlation between the increasing numbers of Hindu Rajput wives in Akbar's household and Hindu Rajputs as well as non-Rajput Hindus in his administration to the religious and political policy followed by him towards non-Muslims which included ending the prohibition on the construction of new temples of non -Muslim faiths like Hindu, Jain etc. In 1564 AD, Akbar had also stopped collection of jaziya from non-Muslims,
608-477: A "group of open status" since the eighth century, mostly illiterate warriors who claimed to be reincarnates of ancient Indian Kshatriyas – a claim that had no historical basis. Moreover, this unfounded Kshatriya status claim showed a sharp contrast to the classical varna of Kshatriyas as depicted in Hindu literature in which Kshatriyas are depicted as an educated and urbanite clan. Historian Thomas R. Metcalf mentions
760-475: A 15-year-old girl with a basket of food, he realised it was Karniji. He and his soldiers dismounted from their horses and camels and bowed before her, seeking blessings and prosperity for their line. Karniji directed Rao Shekha and his men to wait at the Kotri while she delivered the food to her father, Mehaji. Although Shekha insisted on proceeding with his expedition, Karniji insisted that they stay as guests and have
912-519: A boon would go against the principles of Dharma. However, Shekha persisted and asked Karniji to predict his death so that he could prevent it. Karniji warned him that she could not prevent events from taking place, but she did predict the conditions of his death. Vithoo Bhomji of Deshnoke recorded the forecast in Dingal verses: Translation: Shekha prayed, "Bhagwati, you are an avatar. Make me immortal, kindly grant me your protection." Thus, Karniji replied, "Who
1064-451: A clan was more important than allegiance to the wider Rajput social grouping, meaning that one clan would fight another. This and the internecine jostling for position that took place when a clan leader (raja) died meant that Rajput politics were fluid and prevented the formation of a coherent Rajput empire. The term "Rajput" has been used as an anachronistic designation for leading martial lineages of 11th and 12th centuries that confronted
1216-446: A clan-based community. An opinion asserts that the terms like rajputra and rāuta began to be more commonly used from 12th century onwards to denote a large number of people and a Rājaputra/Rajput caste established itself well before the thirteenth century. The reference to the clan structure of Rajputs in contemporary historical works like Rajatarangini by Kalhana along with other epigraphic evidences indicates their existence as
1368-471: A community by 12th century. While Rajatarangini puts the number of Rajput clans at 36, the Varna Ratnakara (1324) features a list of 72 Rajput clans including Chouhāna , Pamāra , Chandella , Kachchvāha , Guhilot , Gāndhavariyā , Baisvara , Bhaṭi etc. Historian Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya, based on his analysis of inscriptions (primarily from Rajasthan), believed that by the 12th century,
1520-573: A core vocabulary of native Prakrit and Sanskrit-derived words. However, Hindi is written in the Devanagari script and contains more direct tatsama Sanskrit -derived words than Urdu, whereas Urdu is written in the Perso-Arabic script and uses more Arabic and Persian loanwords compared to Hindi. Because of this, as well as the fact that the two registers share an identical grammar, a consensus of linguists consider them to be two standardised forms of
1672-547: A couple of generations they would gain acceptance as Hindu Rajputs. This process would get mirrored by communities in north India. This process of origin of the Rajput community resulted in hypergamy as well as female infanticide that was common in Hindu Rajput clans. Scholars refer to this as " Rajputisation ", which, like Sanskritisation , was a mode for upward mobility, but it differed from Sanskritisation in other attributes, like
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#17328527636511824-414: A few wayside villages. People in large numbers would gather around at these camps and pray to the goddess and ask for advice and blessings to overcome their woes and troubles. At one such village called Keliya, Karniji granted the boon of plentiful water in the village well which since then came to be known as Karnisar. Karniji lived at Sathika for two years after her wedding. Her exemplary pious life became
1976-516: A fortune as a moneylender to local jagirdars. Despite being prosperous and married thrice, Suwa was mocked for being childless. Thus he went and prayed to Karniji, who by then was known as a divine child, an incarnation of Shakti , and she blessed him. In due course, a son was born to Suwa. News of Bhagwati Karniji's miracles soon spread, and people came from far and wide in large numbers seeking her help. They returned healed and content, their prayers answered. Pugal, located 80 km west of Bikaner,
2128-636: A grand alliance of Rajput rulers and defeated the Mughal forces of Babur in early combat but was defeated at Khanwa through Mughal's use of Gunpowder which was unknown in Northern India at the time. His fierce rival Babur in his autobiography acknowledged him as the greatest Hindu king of that time along with Krishnadevaraya . After a few years Maldev Rathore of Marwar rose in power controlling almost whole portion of western and eastern Rajasthan . From 1200 CE, many Rajput groups moved eastwards towards
2280-437: A higher rank in the society. Thus, she says that it is said that "formerly all Rajputs were once Maldhari (cattle-keepers) or vice-versa, it is asserted that all nomadic peoples have Rajput ansa (essence) in their veins" Gradually, the term Rajput came to denote a social class , which was formed when the various tribal and nomadic groups became landed aristocrats, and transformed into the ruling class. These groups assumed
2432-462: A king") finds mention in some ancient Hindu scriptures like the Rigveda , Ramayana and Mahabharata . The word first appears in a sense other than its literal meaning in the 7th century Bakhshali manuscript from NWFP in reference to a mercenary soldier, while in the 8th century Chachnama of Sindh , it is used for elite horsemen. A late 11th century inscription from Mount Abu talks of "all
2584-580: A king"), also called Thakur , 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. Over time,
2736-534: A king". According to modern scholars, the word "rajput" meant 'horse soldier', 'trooper', 'headman of a village' or 'subordinate chief' before the 15th century. Individuals or groups with whom the word "rajput" was associated are generally considered varna–samkara ("mixed caste origin") and inferior to Kshatriya. Richard M. Eaton notes that the lineages in Rajasthan which had traditionally identified themselves as kshatriya began to call themselves Rajputs in
2888-579: A larger amount are still used in Urdu poetry written in the Devanagari script. Many words borrowed from Persian in turn were loanwords from Arabic (e.g. muśkil "difficult", havā "air", x(a)yāl "thought", kitāb "book"). Hindi also makes extensive use of loan translation ( calqueing ) and occasionally phono-semantic matching of English . Many Hindustani words were derived from Portuguese due to interaction with colonists and missionaries: Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit rājaputra meaning "son of
3040-529: A literary language in the 19th century. Earliest examples could be found as Prēm Sāgar by Lallu Lal , Batiyāl Pachīsī of Sadal Misra, and Rānī Kētakī Kī Kahānī of Insha Allah Khan which were published in Devanagari script during the early 19th century. John Gilchrist was principally known for his study of the Hindustani language , which was adopted as the lingua franca of northern India (including what
3192-408: A meal before leaving. Shekha expressed concern that there were around 140 men with him and it might not be possible to feed everyone at the moment. However, he instructed his warriors to take whatever was served and not embarrass the hostess by requesting a second helping. Karniji then began to serve the meals, and to the amazement of all present, the provisions available more than sufficed for each of
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#17328527636513344-461: A measure of stability, matrimonial between leading Rajput states and Mughals became rare. One of the most conspicuous event of Shah Jahan's period was rebellion of Bundela rajputs, which was crushed by prince Aurangzeb with iron hand. Aurangzeb had banned all Hindus from carrying weapons and riding horses but exempted the Rajputs. Akbar's diplomatic policy regarding the Rajputs was later damaged by
3496-523: A medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages. It
3648-755: A mixed caste that constituted a large section of "petty chiefs holding estates". Thus, the Rajputra covers all levels from the actual son of a king to the lowest level landholder. The term is used for a prince under the Chahamanas but for the lowest ranking "fief" holder under the Chalukyas . According to B.D Chattopadhyay, from 700 CE, north India's political and military landscape was dominated by large Kshatriya landowners called thakurs , some of whom were descended from pastoral tribes and central Asian invaders; they later came to be known as Rajputs. Andre Wink notes that
3800-407: A notion of eliteness and exclusivity. The legendary epic poem Prithviraj Raso , which depicts warriors from several different Rajput clans as associates of Prithviraj Chauhan , fostered a sense of unity among these clans. The text thus contributed to the consolidation of the Rajput identity by offering these clans a shared history. Despite these developments, migrant soldiers made new claims to
3952-410: A part of the process of Sanskritisation , new words are coined using Sanskrit components to be used as replacements for supposedly foreign vocabulary. Usually these neologisms are calques of English words already adopted into spoken Hindi. Some terms such as dūrbhāṣ "telephone", literally "far-speech" and dūrdarśan "television", literally "far-sight" have even gained some currency in formal Hindi in
4104-481: A region where defeated dynasties from the rest of India had regrouped and were competing for regional hegemony. It was during this period that Karniji recognized the need and opportunity to unite the Hindu polity under one banner, and found in the Rathores a means of achieving this objective. The prevalent insecurity and chaos of this time period put the social and economic life of common people in jeopardy. Karniji foresaw
4256-544: A second language. A Hindi proponent, Indian-born Paramananda Jha , was elected vice-president of Nepal. He took his oath of office in Hindi in July 2008. This created protests in the streets for 5 days; students burnt his effigies, and there was a general strike in 22 districts. Nepal Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that his oath in Hindi was invalid and he was kept "inactive" as vice-president. An "angry" Jha said, "I cannot be compelled to take
4408-509: A short while. There, the Charans and men of Rao Kanha came into conflict over the usage of a well by the herds of Charans. After an altercation, Rao Kanha's soldiers ran away and reported the incident to their chief. At the time, Rao Kanha was hosting Rao Ranmal , who was the son of Rao Chunda , the founder of the Rathore dynasties of Rajasthan. Ranmal was an ardent devotee of Karniji and paid homage to
4560-521: A simplified or pidginised variety such as Bazaar Hindustani or Haflong Hindi ). Outside India, several other languages are recognised officially as "Hindi" but do not refer to the Standard Hindi language described here and instead descend from other nearby languages, such as Awadhi and Bhojpuri . Such languages include Fiji Hindi , which has an official status in Fiji , and Caribbean Hindustani , which
4712-400: A source of inspiration to others. Like other villages in the Thar desert, Sathika also suffered from a scarcity of potable water. The village had only one well, which barely sufficed. Water shortages worsened with the arrival of a large herd of about 400 cows and 200 camels as gifts from Mehaji for his two daughters, Karniji and Gulab Bai. Understanding the situation, Karniji decided to leave
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4864-569: A standardised form of Hindustani separate from Urdu took form. In 1881, Bihar accepted Hindi as its sole official language, replacing Urdu, and thus became the first state of India to adopt Hindi. However, in 2014, Urdu was accorded second official language status in the state. After independence, the Government of India instituted the following conventions: On 14 September 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted Hindi written in
5016-486: A tax considered as discriminatory by several non-Muslims which also consisted of his Hindu Rajput officials. The ruling Sisodia Rajput family of Mewar made it a point of honour not to engage in matrimonial relationships with Mughals and thus claimed to stand apart from those Rajput clans who did so. Rana Pratap is renowned as a "Rajput icon" for firmly fighting with Akbar's forces for the cause of Mewar's freedom. Once Mewar had submitted and alliance of Rajputs reached
5168-992: A year later with an army of mounted archers and crushed Rajput forces on the same battlefield of Taraori , Prithviraj fled the battlefield but was caught near Sirsa and was executed by Ghurids. Following the battle, the Delhi Sultanate became prominent in the Delhi region. The Rajputs fought against Sultans of Delhi from Rajasthan and other adjoining areas. By first quarter of 14th century, Alauddin Khalji sacked key Rajput fortresses of Chittor (1303) , Ranthambor (1301) and other Rajput ruled kingdoms like Siwana and Jalore . However, Rajputs resurgence took place under Rana Hammir who defeated Tughlaq army of Muhammad bin Tughluq in Singoli in 1336 CE and recaptured Rajasthan from Delhi sultanate. In
5320-618: Is "manifestly biased". As per the historian Thomas R. Metcalf , Rajput Taluqdars in Oudh provided a large numbers of leaders to the revolt of 1857 in that region. Kunwar Singh, a Rajput Zamindar was an important leader in Bihar region in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . Historian Robert Stern points out that in Rajputana , although there were some revolts in the soldiers commanded by British officers
5472-642: Is a standard register of the Hindustani language; additionally, Indian media are widely viewed in Pakistan. A sizeable population in Afghanistan , especially in Kabul , can also speak and understand Hindi-Urdu due to the popularity and influence of Bollywood films, songs and actors in the region. Hindi is also spoken by a large population of Madheshis (people having roots in north-India but having migrated to Nepal over hundreds of years) of Nepal . Apart from this, Hindi
5624-427: Is also attributed with having a close relationship with the Rathore rulers, not only of Bikaner but also of Jodhpur. Throughout the history of both states, there are numerous accounts of the deity interceding on behalf of a ruler during times of battle, or in matters of alliance building. As Karni Singh , the last titular Maharaja of Bikaner , noted: "Karniji has always been important for the house of Bikaner. My father
5776-460: Is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of the Republic of India . Apart from the script and formal vocabulary, standard Hindi is mutually intelligible with standard Urdu , another recognised register of Hindustani, as both Hindi and Urdu share a core vocabulary base derived from Prakrit (a descendant of Sanskrit). Hindi is also spoken, to a lesser extent, in other parts of India (usually in
5928-409: Is an official language of Gujarat , along with Gujarati . It acts as an additional official language of West Bengal in blocks and sub-divisions with more than 10% of the population speaking Hindi. Similarly, Hindi is accorded the status of official language in the following Union Territories : Delhi , Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu . Although there
6080-542: Is based on the language that was spoken in the Ganges-Yamuna Doab ( Delhi , Meerut and Saharanpur ) called Khariboli ; the vernacular of Delhi and the surrounding region came to replace earlier prestige languages such as Awadhi and Braj . Standard Hindi was developed by supplanting foreign loanwords from the Hindustani language and replacing them with Sanskrit words, though Standard Hindi does continue to possess several Persian loanwords. Modern Hindi became
6232-611: Is believed to be an incarnation or avatar of the previous sagat . However, it is important to note that not all incarnate deities follow this genealogy and not all are considered to be forms of, or linked to, any previously known sagat . The conditions of the region (present day Rajasthan ) were unstable, with frequent internecine warfare between rival Hindu chiefs, mostly Rajputs , holding sway over small principalities. Muslim rulers who had conquered Delhi were expanding their territory throughout North India, with Sikander Lodi gaining control of Nagaur in Rajasthan. The arrival of
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6384-623: Is borrowed from Sanskrit as tatsam borrowings, especially in technical and academic fields. The formal Hindi standard, from which much of the Persian, Arabic and English vocabulary has been replaced by neologisms compounding tatsam words, is called Śuddh Hindi (pure Hindi), and is viewed as a more prestigious dialect over other more colloquial forms of Hindi. Excessive use of tatsam words sometimes creates problems for native speakers. They may have Sanskrit consonant clusters which do not exist in Hindustani, causing difficulties in pronunciation. As
6536-455: Is commonly used to specifically refer the modern literary Hindi language, as opposed to colloquial and regional varieties that are also referred to as Hindi in a wider sense . Like other Indo-Aryan languages, Hindi is a direct descendant of an early form of Vedic Sanskrit , through Shauraseni Prakrit and Śauraseni Apabhraṃśa (from Sanskrit apabhraṃśa "corrupt"), which emerged in the 7th century CE. The sound changes that characterised
6688-403: Is immortal? You shall live so long as you take precautions and do not allow the conjunction of these four circumstances/events viz. (1) Amavasya (2) khimp cot (3) shade of an aak tree, and (4) meat of black ram." In Hindu tradition, girls are typically married by their late teens, and Mehaji Kiniya and Deval Bai were concerned about their daughter Karniji remaining unmarried at the age of 27, which
6840-459: Is in this vicker box. If Avadji allows you to put it on the cart, I will leave willingly." Kanha ordered one of his men to put the box in the cart, but he failed to even lift it. More men tried and failed and finally all 50 men alighted from their horses tied a rope to the box and together pulled, but in vain. Thereupon Karniji said, "The wishes of Avadji are clear. She does not want us to leave this place. You have been instrumental in damaging one of
6992-567: Is mirror to a hand with bangles, What is Persian to a literate. The emergence of Modern Standard Hindi in the 19th century went along with the Sanskritisation of its vocabulary, leading to a marginalisation of Persian vocabulary in Hindi, which continued after Partition when the Indian government co-opted the policy of Sanskritisation. However, many Persian words (e.g. bas "enough", khud "self") have remained entrenched in Standard Hindi, and
7144-597: Is no specification of a national language in the constitution, it is a widely held belief that Hindi is the national language of India. This is often a source of friction and contentious debate. In 2010, the Gujarat High Court clarified that Hindi is not the national language of India because the constitution does not mention it as such. Outside Asia , the Awadhi language (an Eastern Hindi dialect) with influence from Bhojpuri , Bihari languages , Fijian and English
7296-513: Is now present-day Pakistan ) by British colonists and indigenous people. He compiled and authored An English-Hindustani Dictionary , A Grammar of the Hindoostanee Language , The Oriental Linguist , and many more. His lexicon of Hindustani was published in the Perso-Arabic script , Nāgarī script , and in Roman transliteration .In the late 19th century, a movement to further develop Hindi as
7448-713: Is spoken by the large Indian diaspora which hails from, or has its origin from the "Hindi Belt" of India. A substantially large North Indian diaspora lives in countries like the United States of America , the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates , Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, South Africa, Fiji and Mauritius , where it is natively spoken at home and among their own Hindustani-speaking communities. Outside India, Hindi speakers are 8 million in Nepal ; 863,077 in
7600-459: Is spoken in Suriname , Trinidad and Tobago , and Guyana . Hindi is the fourth most-spoken first language in the world, after Mandarin, Spanish and English. If counted together with the mutually intelligible Urdu, it is the third most-spoken language in the world, after Mandarin and English. According to reports of Ethnologue (2022, 25th edition) Hindi is the third most-spoken language in
7752-477: Is spoken in Fiji. It is an official language in Fiji as per the 1997 Constitution of Fiji, where it referred to it as "Hindustani"; however, in the 2013 Constitution of Fiji , it is simply called " Fiji Hindi " as the official language. It is spoken by 380,000 people in Fiji. Hindi is spoken as a first language by about 77,569 people in Nepal according to the 2011 Nepal census , and further by 1,225,950 people as
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#17328527636517904-471: Is the official language of India alongside English and the lingua franca of North India . Hindi is considered a Sanskritised register of the Hindustani language , which itself is based primarily on the Khariboli dialect of Delhi and neighbouring areas. It is an official language in nine states and three union territories and an additional official language in three other states. Hindi
8056-854: Is the dominant form of Hindi online. In an analysis of YouTube comments, Palakodety et al., identified that 52% of comments were in Romanised Hindi, 46% in English, and 1% in Devanagari Hindi. Traditionally, Hindi words are divided into five principal categories according to their etymology: Hindi has naturally inherited a large portion of its vocabulary from Shauraseni Prakrit , in the form of tadbhava words. This process usually involves compensatory lengthening of vowels preceding consonant clusters in Prakrit, e.g. Sanskrit tīkṣṇa > Prakrit tikkha > Hindi tīkhā . Much of Standard Hindi's vocabulary
8208-500: Is the official deity of the royal families of Bikaner and Jodhpur . Karniji played an important role in shaping the history of the region. She is intimately associated with the establishment of the Rajput hegemony in the region. With her blessings, Rao Jodha and Rao Bika founded the kingdoms of Jodhpur and Bikaner. At the request of the Maharajas of Bikaner and Jodhpur , she laid
8360-566: Is written in the Devanagari script, an abugida . Devanagari consists of 11 vowels and 33 consonants and is written from left to right. Unlike Sanskrit, Devanagari is not entirely phonetic for Hindi, especially failing to mark schwa deletion in spoken Standard Hindi. The Government of India uses Hunterian transliteration as its official system of writing Hindi in the Latin script. Various other systems also exist, such as IAST , ITRANS and ISO 15919 . Romanised Hindi , also called Hinglish ,
8512-596: The Eastern Gangetic plains forming their own chieftaincies. These minor Rajput kingdoms were dotted all over the Gangetic plains in modern-day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. During this process, petty clashes occurred with the local population and in some cases, alliances were formed. Among these Rajput chieftaincies were the Bhojpur zamindars and the taluks of Awadh . The immigration of Rajput clan chiefs into these parts of
8664-491: The Ghaznavid and Ghurid invaders, although the Rajput identity for a lineage did not exist at this time, these lineages were classified as aristocratic Rajput clans in the later times. However, other scholarly opinion staged emergence of Rajput clans as early as seventh century AD. when they start to make themselves lords of various localities and dominate region in current day Northern India . These dynasties were
8816-575: The Hindi Belt ), as well as an official language of the Government of India, along with English. In Northeast India a pidgin known as Haflong Hindi has developed as a lingua franca for the people living in Haflong , Assam who speak other languages natively. In Arunachal Pradesh , Hindi emerged as a lingua franca among locals who speak over 50 dialects natively. Hindi is quite easy to understand for many Pakistanis , who speak Urdu, which, like Hindi,
8968-809: The Malwa region. After the mid-16th century, many Rajput rulers formed close relationships with the Mughal emperors and served them in different capacities. It was due to the support of the Rajputs that Akbar was able to lay the foundations of the Mughal empire in India. Some Rajput nobles gave away their daughters in marriage to Mughal emperors and princes for political motives. For example, Akbar accomplished 40 marriages for himself, his sons and grandsons, out of which 17 were Rajput-Mughal alliances. Akbar's successors as Mughal emperors, his son Jahangir and grandson Shah Jahan had Rajput mothers. Although Rajput rulers provided
9120-786: The Rathores , evicted from their seat of power in Kannauj , in Marwar led to tensions with the Bhatis , rulers of the Jaisalmer kingdom, who held small principalities like Pugal in Northern Rajasthan and Southern Punjab. Bhagwati Karniji utilised her influence over her devotees by uniting the Rathores and the Bhatis by marriage and eliminating scope for strife. The northern region of Rajasthan, which would later form
9272-844: The Scindia , Holkars , Pindari , Ameer Khan and Muhammad Shah Khan and that the Rajput rulers made multiple petitions to him requesting British protection. Moreover, the Rajput rulers had argued that "British had replaced the Mughal Empire as the supreme power of India and therefore had the responsibility to protect weaker states from aggressive ones". Charles Metcalfe agreed with this reasoning. One by one, many Rajput states in Rajputana came under British protection and became their allies - Kota , Udaipur , Bundi , Kishangarh , Bikaner , Jaipur , Pratapgarh , Banswara , Dungarpur , Jaisalmer by 1817-18 and Sirohi by 1823. The British promised to protect
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#17328527636519424-814: The United States of America ; 450,170 in Mauritius; 380,000 in Fiji; 250,292 in South Africa; 150,000 in Suriname; 100,000 in Uganda ; 45,800 in the United Kingdom; 20,000 in New Zealand ; 20,000 in Germany ; 26,000 in Trinidad and Tobago; 3,000 in Singapore . Linguistically , Hindi and Urdu are two registers of the same language and are mutually intelligible. Both Hindi and Urdu share
9576-403: The rājaputras of the illustrious Rājaputra clan". In Kalhana 's Rājatarangiṇī (12th century), the rājaputras appear as mercenary soldiers claiming high status on account of birth. An inscription from Chittor (1301) mentions three generations of rājaputras . B.D Chattopadhyay says that according to the references to rajputras in medieval and early medieval sources, they represent
9728-450: The "Rajpur durbar muskeeters and feudal cavalrymen" did not participate in the 1857 revolt at all. But Crispin Bates is of the opinion that Rajput officers had soft corner for the rebels of 1857 fleeing Delhi who were entering into interior areas of then Rajasthan region. He gives examples of rebels who easily found safe havens in villages of Chittor without arrests. In reference to the role of
9880-509: The 140 soldiers and their leader. They recalled a similar miracle by Bhagwati Barwadiji, who had fed Maharana Hamir and his army from a single pitcher on their way to Dwarka. Shekha prayed for a similar boon of victory over his more numerous enemies, just as Birwadiji had granted Hamir the boon to recover Chittor from his enemies and the aid of horses by her son Baruji. After receiving Karniji's blessings and defeating his enemies with ease, Rao Shekha returned to Suwap to express his gratitude to
10032-626: The 15th century, the Muslim sultans of Malwa and Gujarat put a joint effort to overcome the Mewar ruler Rana Kumbha but both the sultans were defeated. Kumbha's grandson renowned Rana Sanga inherited a troubling kingdom after death of his brothers but through his capable rule turned traditional kingdom of Mewar into one of the greatest power in northern India during the early 16th century. Sanga defeated Sultans of Gujarat , Malwa and Delhi several times in various battles and expanded his kingdom. Sanga led
10184-734: The 16th century. The origin of the Rajputs has been a much-debated topic among historians. Historian Satish Chandra states: "Modern historians are more or less agreed that the Rajputs consisted of miscellaneous groups including Shudra and tribals. Some were Brahmans who took to warfare, and some were from Tribes- indigenous or foreign". Thus, the Rajput community formation was a result of political factors that influenced caste mobility, called Sanskritization by some scholars and Rajputization by others. Modern scholars agree that nearly all Rajputs clans originated from peasant or pastoral communities. Alf Hiltebeitel discusses three theories by Raj era and early writers for Rajput origin and gives
10336-450: The 1947 Partition of India and the subsequent problems in reaching Hinglaj , Karni Mata temple of Deshnoke has become the most important site for the community. Karni Mata worshipped Awad Mata who was an earlier incarnation of Hinglaj in 8-9th century. When Charans chart the genealogy of incarnate deities, they usually begin with Hinglaj Mata and continue the list with the names of Awad Mata and then Karni Mata. Each successive figure
10488-447: The 50th birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha on 14 September 1949, the efforts came to fruition following the adoption of Hindi as the official language. Now, it is celebrated as Hindi Day . Part XVII of the Indian Constitution deals with the official language of the Indian Union. Under Article 343, the official languages of the Union have been prescribed, which includes Hindi in Devanagari script and English: (1) The official language of
10640-420: The 6th or 7th century, following the collapse of the Gupta Empire . While many of these colonial writers propagated this foreign-origin theory in order to legitimise the colonial rule, the theory was also supported by some Indian scholars, such as D. R. Bhandarkar . The second theory was promulgated by C.V. Vaidya who believed in the Aryan invasion theory and that the entire 9th-10th century Indian populace
10792-436: The British East India Company for assistance against the Marathas but their requests for assistance were denied at the time. By 1765, Awadh had become ally of the British East India Company and the increase in demand for revenue led to a continuous tussle in between the Nawab of Awadh and Rajput leadership bringing political instability in the region. In one 18th century example given by Pinch, Rajputs of Awadh countered
10944-743: The Chahamanas (of Shakambhari , Nadol and Jalor ), the Tomaras of Delhi , the Chaulukyas , the Paramaras , the Gahadavalas , Chandela , Sisodias , Guhilas etc. The Rajput ruled kingdoms repelled early invasions of Arab commanders after Muhammad ibn Qasim conquered Sindh and executed last Hindu king of the kingdom, Raja Dahir . Rajput family of Mewar under Bappa Rawal and later under Khoman fought off invasions by Arab generals and restricted them only until
11096-588: The Charanas and regain control of the pasture land. They arrived at Johad land and ordered Karniji's servants to leave but the cowherds ignored them. Enraged, they began hurling abuses at which the Charan men came up in arms and were about to attack Kanha's men when Karniji pacified the Charanas and asked their cowherds to return to their work. However, Arjun and Vija continued with their verbal abuse, at which Karniji thundered, "Jackals, leave this place forthwith." Immediately,
11248-600: The Charans' camp to pay respects without starting an argument. Rao Ranmal paid homage to Karniji and expressed that he was content with his current situation, even though he felt as unfulfilled as a landless Rajput who was wasting his time in unbecoming pursuits. Karniji reassured Ranmal and revealed his destiny. She prophesied: "As I see it these lands shall be yours, and you and your descendants shall conquer vast territories and rule happily for generations." Rao Ranmal thanked Karniji for her blessings, bowed, and returned to Chundasar. Rao Kanha became enraged upon learning about
11400-623: The Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India replacing the previous usage of Hindustani in the Perso-Arabic script in the British Indian Empire . To this end, several stalwarts rallied and lobbied pan-India in favour of Hindi, most notably Beohar Rajendra Simha along with Hazari Prasad Dwivedi , Kaka Kalelkar , Maithili Sharan Gupt and Seth Govind Das who even debated in Parliament on this issue. As such, on
11552-501: The Gangetic plains also contributed the agricultural appropriation of previously forested areas, especially in South Bihar. Some have linked this eastwards expansion with the onset of Ghurid invasion in the West. From as early as the 16th century, Purbiya Rajput soldiers from the eastern regions of Bihar and Awadh , were recruited as mercenaries for Rajputs in the west, particularly in
11704-512: The Goddess Hinglaj appeared to her mother and foretold the coming of the Devi . Karniji was born as the successive sixth girl child. It is said that her mother had an abnormally long gestation period which lasted for 21 months, and the girl was named Ridhi Kanwar. During the customary Surya Pujan, performed seven days after the birth, relatives and friends had gathered hoping for a son. Among them
11856-402: The Hindi heartland. Persian borrowings reached a heyday in the 17th century, pervading all aspects of life. Even grammatical constructs, namely the izafat , were assimilated into Hindi. The status of Persian language then and thus its influence, is also visible in Hindi proverbs : हाथ कंगन को आरसी क्या, पढ़े लिखे को फ़ारसी क्या। Hāth kaṅgan ko ārsī kyā, Paṛhe likhe ko Fārsī kyā. What
12008-563: The Hindu/Indian people') was often used in the past, for example by Amir Khusrau in his poetry. The terms Hindi and Hindu trace back to Old Persian which derived these names from the Sanskrit name Sindhu ( सिन्धु ), referring to the Indus River . The Greek cognates of the same terms are Indus (for the river) and India (for the land of the river). The term Modern Standard Hindi
12160-511: The Infant was the avatar's first miracle. As taking the clue from Mehaji's remark that the child could do things and was in other words Karni , she came to be called Karni. Thus, the occasion of the birth of a miraculous child was celebrated with rejoicing by all. Suwap village, now belonging to the Kiniya Charanas as their jagir , was named after a Brahmin named Suwa who settled there and made
12312-530: The Official Languages Act of 1963, which provided for the continued use of English indefinitely for all official purposes, although the constitutional directive for the Union Government to encourage the spread of Hindi was retained and has strongly influenced its policies. Article 344 (2b) stipulates that the official language commission shall be constituted every ten years to recommend steps for
12464-542: The President may, during the said period, by order authorise the use of the Hindi language in addition to the English language and of the Devanagari form of numerals in addition to the international form of Indian numerals for any of the official purposes of the Union. Article 351 of the Indian constitution states: It shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that it may serve as
12616-521: The Rajput class was quite assimilative and absorbed people from a wide range of lineages. However, by the late 16th century, it had become genealogically rigid, based on the ideas of blood purity, Dirk Kolff writes. The membership of the Rajput class was now largely inherited rather than acquired through military achievements. A major factor behind this development was the consolidation of the Mughal Empire , whose rulers had great interest in genealogy. As
12768-406: The Rajput socio-political status on the basis of descent and kinship. They fabricated genealogies linking the Rajput families to the ancient dynasties, and associated them with myths of origins that established their Kshatriya status. This led to the emergence of what Indologist Dirk Kolff calls the "Rajput Great Tradition", which accepted only hereditary claims to the Rajput identity, and fostered
12920-579: The Rajput soldiers serving under the British banner, Captain A. H. Bingley wrote: Rajputs have served in our ranks from Plassey to the present day (1899). They have taken part in almost every campaign undertaken by the Indian armies. Under Forde they defeated the French at Condore. Under Monro at Buxar they routed the forces of the Nawab of Oudh. Under Lake they took part in the brilliant series of victories which destroyed
13072-430: The Rajput states from their adversaries and not interfere in internal affairs in exchange for tribute. However, David Ochterlony , who was in charge of the Rajput states broke the promise to not interfere as in his view interferences would save the states from "ruin". In 1820, the British removed him from his position and replaced him with Charles Metcalfe. For several decades, "non-interference" in internal affairs remained
13224-519: The Rajput status until as late as the 19th century. In the 19th century, the colonial administrators of India re-imagined the Rajputs as similar to the Anglo-Saxon knights . They compiled the Rajput genealogies in the process of settling land disputes, surveying castes and tribes, and writing history. These genealogies became the basis of distinguishing between the "genuine" and the "spurious" Rajput clans. The Rajput kingdoms were disparate: loyalty to
13376-441: The Rajputs emerged as a social class comprising people from a variety of ethnic and geographical backgrounds. From 12th to 16th centuries, the membership of this class became largely hereditary, although new claims to Rajput status continued to be made in the later centuries. Several Rajput-ruled kingdoms played a significant role in many regions of central and northern India from seventh century onwards. The Rajput population and
13528-574: The Rajputs were Brahmins who became rulers. However, such "one track arguments" and "contrived evidence" such as shape of the head, cultural stereotypes, etc. are dismissed by Hiltebeitel who refers to such claims and Asopa's epic references as "far-fetched" or "unintelligible". Recent research suggests that the Rajputs came from a variety of ethnic and geographical backgrounds and various varnas . Rajputs that rose in north-India after muslim invasions were not considered Kshatriyas although they performed similar functions - and Ziegler points out that
13680-543: The Rajputs – Pabuji, Mallinath, Gogaji and Ramdeo were considered protectors of cattle herding communities. They also imply struggle among Rajputs for domination over cattle and pasturelands. The emergence of Rajput community was the result of a gradual change from mobile pastoral and tribal groups into landed sedentary ones. This necessitated control over mobile resources for agrarian expansion which in turn necessitated kinship structures, martial and marital alliances. B.D Chattopadhyaya opines that during its formative stages,
13832-479: The Rajputs. Stewart Gordon writes that during the era of the Mughal empire, hypergamous marriage "marrying up", combined with service in the state army was another way a tribal family could "become" Rajput. This process required a change in dress, diet, worship, and other traditions, ending widow remarriage , for example. Such a marriage between someone from a tribal family, and a member of an acknowledged - but possibly poor - Rajput family, would ultimately enable
13984-763: The Rajputs. However, Hiltebeitel says that such "affinities do not point to an unbroken continuity between an ancient epic period" in the Vedic period (3500 BCE - 3000 BCE according to Vaidya) and the "great Rajput tradition" that started in sixteenth-century Rajasthan instead "raise the question of similarities between the epics' allusions to Vedic Vratya warbands and earlier medieval low status Rajput clans". Hiltebeitel concludes that such attempts to trace Rajputs from epic and Vedic sources are "unconvincing" and cites Nancy MacLean and B.D. Chattopadhyaya to label Vaidya's historiography on Rajputs as "often hopeless". A third group of historians, which includes Jai Narayan Asopa, theorised that
14136-854: The Suwap village with traditional customs of the community which including brahmins chanting mantras , singing by the Damamis ( Mirasi ), geet recitation by the Motisars , and Raos ( Bhats ). Proper rituals were followed and Negs (customary gifts) were given to Brahmins, Motisars, Raos (bhats), Rawals , and Damamis (mirasi) as well as other village attendants including Suthars (Carpenters), Lohars (Blacksmiths), Kumbars (Potters), Meghwals (Messengers), etc. The wedding took place on Asadh Sudi 9th of Samvat 1473 (1416 AD). While they were on their way to Sathika, Bhagwati Karniji explained to Depaji that she had married out of respect for her parents' wishes, but her physical form
14288-460: The Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. The form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals. (2) Notwithstanding anything in clause (1), for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of this Constitution, the English language shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union for which it was being used immediately before such commencement: Provided that
14440-467: The border of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer . The birth of Karniji was the long-awaited culmination of the prayers and piety of Mehaji Kiniya, the father of Bhagwati Karniji, and a great devotee of Hinglaj . He had, in quest of the boon, undertaken the long and arduous journey to Hinglaj in Las Bela of present-day Balochistan province of Pakistan . While Karniji's father was undertaking the pilgrimage to Hinglaj,
14592-448: The border of Rajasthan but failed to recapture Sindh. By the first quarter of 11th century, Turkic conqueror Mahmud Ghaznavi launched several successful military expeditions in the territories of Rajputs, defeating them everytime and by 1025 A.D, he demolished and looted the famous Somnath Temple and its Rajput ruler Bhimdev Solanki fled his capital. Rajput rulers at Gwalior and Kalinjar were able to hold off assaults by Maḥmūd, although
14744-465: The brides to the Mughals, neither Akbar nor his successors provided brides to the Rajput rulers. For example, Akbar got this sisters and daughters married to Timurids and prominent Muslims from central and west Asia. Historian Michael Fisher states that the bards and poets patronized by the Rajput rulers who served Akbar raised Akbar to a "semi-divine" status and gives an example of Akbar being projected as
14896-667: The colonial ethnographic accounts rather than referring to Rajputs as having emerged from other communities, Bhils , Mers , Minas , Gujars , Jats , Raikas , all lay a claim to a Rajput past from where they claim to have 'fallen'. Historical processes, however, suggest just the opposite". André Wink states that some Rajputs may be Jats by origin. According to scholars, in medieval times "the political units of India were probably ruled most often by men of very low birth" and this "may be equally applicable for many clans of 'Rajputs' in northern India". Burton Stein explains that this process of allowing rulers, frequently of low social origin,
15048-456: The death blow to Kanha. He fell across the line, vomiting blood and lying dead. The remaining soldiers fled, but when they looked back, they saw Karniji standing at the place where the lion had appeared, holding a trident. Hindi language Modern Standard Hindi ( आधुनिक मानक हिन्दी , Ādhunik Mānak Hindī ), commonly referred to as Hindi , is the standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in Devanagari script . It
15200-404: The destination, Kanha loudly called out for Karniji referring to her as a "sorceress". Karniji was meditating in the morning when Kanha's arrival and loud calls caused tension in the camp. People gathered, thinking that Kanha's evil ways were coming to an end. Karniji emerged from her meditation and broke the silence, asking Kanha about his purpose. Kanha replied that he wanted the Charans to leave
15352-630: The early 1680s, henceforth became a contributing factor towards the downfall of the Mughal empire. Historian Lynn Zastoupil states that the Mughal Emperors had manipulated the appointment of the successor of the Rajput rulers earlier. However, in the early 18th century, when the Mughal power declined, Rajput states enjoyed a brief period of independence. But soon the Maratha Empire (or confederacy) started collecting tribute from and harassing some Rajput states. Some Rajput states, in 1800s, appealed to
15504-518: The faces of Arjun and Vija assumed similarity with those of jackals. Kanha's men pleaded they were innocent and returned to Kanha, who decided to take the matter into his own hands. Ranmal, who was incidentally also in Janglu on pilgrimage to Karniji's shrine, pleaded with his brother Kanha to see reason and desist from his unjust intention of driving out the Charanas. Ignoring Ranmal's advice, Kanha assembled 50 horsemen and marched to Karniji's camp. Arriving at
15656-528: The facts that they had emerged from the lower rungs of the caste system are documented in the Rajput chronicles themselves. Pradeep Barua says: "What made the Rajputs stand out from the rest of Indian society was not their foreign origins but their fanatical attempts to assert their Kshatriya status. Over time, other Indian groups followed their example and claimed descent from the solar and lunar races, establishing themselves as Rajputs in various parts of western and central India". Tanuja Kothiyal states: "In
15808-422: The former Rajput states are found in northern, western, central and eastern India, as well as southern and eastern Pakistan. These areas include Rajasthan , Delhi , Haryana , Gujarat , Eastern Punjab , Western Punjab , Uttar Pradesh , West Bengal , Himachal Pradesh , Jammu , Uttarakhand , Bihar , Madhya Pradesh , Sindh and Azad Kashmir . The word Rājaputra ( Sanskrit : राजपुत्र ; literally "son of
15960-581: The foundations of Bikaner Fort and Mehrangarh Fort , the two most important forts in the region. She lived an ascetic life and was widely revered during her lifetime. Indian Army troops from the Marwar region also regard Karni Mata as their patron deity. The most famous of the Karni Mata temples is the Karni Mata Temple of Deshnoke where the temple and surrounding Oran land are a sacred sanctuary for all
16112-515: The goddess on every Shukla Chaturdashi. Ranmal had been deprived of his patrimony due to his father's favoring his other son Satta, Ranmal's half-brother. Consequently, he was biding his time at the village of Chundasar. Upon learning of Karniji's arrival in Janglu, Rao Ranmal suggested that they both should go and pay respects to the Devi. However, Kanha dismissed the proposal, saying he had no time. Nonetheless, Ranmal ignored Kanha's words and went alone to
16264-486: The goddess. He requested that Karniji tie a rakhi to him and accept his gifts, as Rajputs and Charanas are considered brothers and sisters by custom. Initially reluctant, Karniji eventually agreed and tied the rakhi to Shekha. The legend recounts that Karniji was hesitant because she knew that Shekha would ask for the impossible boon of immortality. When Shekha made this request, Karniji reminded him that even she would have to leave her body eventually and that granting such
16416-403: The hand of Karniji, an Incarnation of Sati (Shakti). The wedding was conducted with traditional customs, including chanting by Brahmins and singing by Damamis, Motisars, and Raos. Negs were given to various village attendants. On an auspicious day, Mehaji proceeded to Keluji's village with the offer of his daughter's hand for Depaji which was promptly and gladly accepted. The wedding took place in
16568-467: The intolerant rules introduced by his great-grandson Aurangzeb . A prominent example of these rules included the re-imposition of Jaziya , which had been abolished by Akbar. However, despite imposition of Jaziya Aurangzeb's army had a high proportion of Rajput officers in the upper ranks of the imperial army and they were all exempted from paying Jaziya. The Rajputs then revolted against the Mughal empire. Aurangzeb's conflicts with them, which commenced in
16720-590: The kingdom of Bikaner, was divided into small principalities ruled by various Rajput, Muslim , and Jat clans. Rajput clans such as Sankhla, Mohil , and Bhati held significant principalities, while Jat tribes, including the Godara of Ladhdiya and Shekhsar, the Saran of Bhadang, and the Kasava of Sidhmukh, divided the northeast portion of the region. Bhati Muslims known as Ranghad ruled Hissar , and Johiya Muslims controlled most of
16872-399: The land along with their servants and herds. Karniji asked: "How are you harmed, Kanha, by our staying here? We are not depriving you of what is legitimately your due." Kanha answered: "No, I cannot allow you to stay. Leave my jagir immediately". At which Karniji replied, "Very well. I may agree but you know I am a devotee of Bhagwati Avadji and camped here under divine guidance. My prayer kit
17024-531: The last 125 years, there are no academic studies of any of them – of their use in South Africa, their evolution and current decline. Hindi is adopted as the third official court language in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi . As a result of this status, the Indian workforce in UAE can file their complaints to the labour courts in the country in their own mother-tongue. Hindi is the lingua franca of northern India (which contains
17176-433: The legs of this venerable box. By knocking off a portion of the box, you have knocked off a part of your life." Kanha termed this a trick and said, "If you are really an incarnation, as people say, let me know when I shall die." Karniji warned Kanha to abandon his foolish path, but Kanha did not listen and even ridiculed Karniji. Karniji prophesied that Kanha would die within 6 months, but Kanha laughed it off. As time passed,
17328-503: The living beings and no one is to be harmed. In Rajasthan, Blackbucks are considered sacred as Karni Mata is supposed to protect them. The spiritual importance of the symbol of the Karni Mata is that of non violence , protector, peaceful coexistence and provider of the power & legitimacy to the Rajputs. One of the most revered deities of Rajputs is Karni Mata, whom many Rajput clans worship as family goddess and link their community's existence or survival in dire times. Karni Mata
17480-433: The method of worship, lifestyle, diet, social interaction, rules for women, and marriage, etc. German historian Hermann Kulke has coined the term "Secondary Rajputisation" for describing the process of members of a tribe trying to re-associate themselves with the former chief of their tribe who had already transformed himself into a Rajput via Rajputisation and thus become Rajputs themselves. According to some scholars,
17632-603: The military nobility of Sindh ruler Dahir to which the Chachnama (8th century) and Al-Baladhuri (9th century) refer as thakurs can be seen as Rajputs in the original sense of the word. The term rajput is derived from the Sanskrit word rājaputra . The term finds mention in Vidyapati 's Kīrtilatā (1380) among castes inhabiting the Jaunpur city. Its literal meaning is "son of
17784-495: The move despite the fact that the Rajputs themselves were newcomers to the court and were peasant-soldiers a few year before. Rajputs of Awadh along with Brahmins also formed the major groups who gained during Asaf's regime. In the late eighteenth century, despite the request from two Rajput rulers for British support, the British East India company initially refused to support the Rajput states in Rajputana region as they had
17936-474: The nationalist interpretations of Rajputs' struggles with the Muslim invaders. James Tod , a British colonial official, was impressed by the military qualities of the Rajputs but is today considered to have been unusually enamoured of them. Although the group venerate him to this day, he is viewed by many historians since the late nineteenth century as being a not particularly reliable commentator. Jason Freitag, his only significant biographer, has said that Tod
18088-542: The need for a strong and united kingdom for the Rathores out of the scattered principalities of the Jangal Pradesh and lands to the north and east of it. She directed Rao Bika and his associates to work towards this objective, predicting even greater glory and a larger domain for Bika than his illustrious father, Rao Jodha, had won. Karniji, named Ridhi Kanwar at birth, was born at the Suwap village on Asoj Shukla 7th of Vikram Samvat 1444 (1387 AD). Her father, Mehaji Kiniya,
18240-402: The non-Rajput family to rise to Rajput status. This marriage pattern supports the fact that Rajput was an "open caste category", available to those who served the Mughals. Rajput formation continued in the colonial era. Even in the 19th century, anyone from the "village landlord" to the "newly wealthy lower caste Shudra " could employ Brahmins to retrospectively fabricate a genealogy and within
18392-641: The oath now in Nepali. I might rather take it in English." Hindi is a protected language in South Africa . According to the Constitution of South Africa , the Pan South African Language Board must promote and ensure respect for Hindi along with other languages. According to a doctoral dissertation by Rajend Mesthrie in 1985, although Hindi and other Indian languages have existed in South Africa for
18544-569: The official language of the imperial court during the reign of Shah Jahan . It is recorded that Emperor Aurangzeb spoke in Hindvi . The Hindustani vernacular became an expression of Indian national unity during the Indian Independence movement , and continues to be spoken as the common language of the people of the northern Indian subcontinent, which is reflected in the Hindustani vocabulary of Bollywood films and songs. Standard Hindi
18696-409: The official policy. However, according to the historian Lynn Zastoupil, the "British never found it possible or desirable to completely withdraw from interference in Rajput affairs". The medieval bardic chronicles ( kavya and masnavi ) glorified the Rajput past, presenting warriorhood and honour as Rajput ideals. This later became the basis of the British reconstruction of the Rajput history and
18848-483: The opinion of Indian scholar K. M. Panikkar who also considers the famous Rajput dynasties of medieval India to have come from non-Kshatriya castes. Historian Nandini Kapur states that "the Brihaddharma Purana regarded Rajputras as a mixed caste and Shudrakamalakara equates the Rajputs with ugra , a mixed caste born of the union of a Kshatriya man and a Shudra woman due to the mixed nature formation of
19000-483: The place of the English borrowings (ṭeli)fon and ṭīvī . Hindi also features significant Persian influence, standardised from spoken Hindustani . Early borrowings, beginning in the mid-12th century, were specific to Islam (e.g. Muhammad , Islām ) and so Persian was simply an intermediary for Arabic. Later, under the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire , Persian became the primary administrative language in
19152-537: The policy of non-interference and considered the Rajput states to be weak. In the early nineteenth century, British administrator Warren Hastings realised how alliance with the Rajputs had benefited the Mughals and believed that a similar alliance may give the East India company political advantage in India. In his journal, in January 1815, he noted that Rajput states - Jaipur , Jodhpur and Udaipur had been "devastated" by
19304-412: The prediction became 2 months, 2 days, and then just a day. Finally, Karniji drew a line on the ground with a twig and said, "If you insist on proceeding to your doom, cross this line and you will die." Kanha, adamant with his abusive language and insolent behaviour, rode towards the front lines on his horse. However, as soon as he reached the line, there was a thunderous noise and a lion appeared, dealing
19456-477: The present-day Ganganagar district . These principalities were not sovereign powers and often shifted allegiances, leading to frequent internecine warfare among them. This contributed to the chaos and insecurity prevalent during this time, as these small principalities often indulged in short-lived alliances and battles or organized plundering expeditions in neighboring areas. Despite various Muslim powers having conquered most of Northern India, Rajasthan remained
19608-522: The progressive use of Hindi language and impose restrictions on the use of the English language by the union government. In practice, the official language commissions are constantly endeavouring to promote Hindi but not imposing restrictions on English in official use by the union government. At the state level, Hindi is the official language of the following Indian states: Bihar , Chhattisgarh , Haryana , Himachal Pradesh , Jharkhand , Madhya Pradesh , Rajasthan , Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand . Hindi
19760-530: The prophecy made for Rao Ranmal. He hadn't forgotten the earlier conflict between his soldiers and the Charans regarding the pasture ground. Earlier, Karniji had declined Ranmal's offer to send cows to his village, stating that the grassland where they were currently camping would be sufficient. Kanha sent his men to ask the Charanas to evict the lands and prevent their cows from consuming pasture which he wanted for his horses. Karniji declined and asked his men to go back and convey her message to Kanha: "Kanha, you are
19912-609: The reasons as to why these theories are dismissed by modern research. British colonial-era writers characterised Rajputs as descendants of the foreign invaders such as the Scythians or the Hunas , and believed that the Agnikula myth was invented to conceal their foreign origin. According to this theory, the Rajputs originated when these invaders were assimilated into the Kshatriya category during
20064-495: The same language, Hindustani or Hindi-Urdu. Hindi is the most commonly used scheduled language in India and is one of the two official languages of the union , the other being English. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan and is one of 22 scheduled languages of India , also having official status in Uttar Pradesh , Jammu and Kashmir , Delhi , Telangana , Andhra Pradesh and Bihar . Hindi
20216-459: The son of Rao Chunda and a Rathore. Relations between Vithoo Charanas and Rathore Rajputs are several generations old and very intimate, You have plenty of lands. This Johad is extensive and the grass will more than suffice for your horses and these cows." Kanha ignored the message and the Charanas did not oblige him. The altercations between the two sides went on for seven months. Finally, Kanha sent his men under Arjun and Vija Udawat to confront
20368-791: The term rajaputra was associated with fortified settlements, kin-based landholding, and other features that later became indicative of the Rajput status. According to him, the title acquired "an element of heredity" from c. 1300. A study of 11th–14th century inscriptions from western and central India, by Michael B. Bednar, concludes that the designations such as rajaputra , thakkura and rauta were not necessarily hereditary during this period. Rajputs were involved in nomadic pastoralism, animal husbandry and cattle trade until much later than popularly believed. The 17th century chronicles of Muhnot Nainsi i.e. Munhata Nainsi ri Khyat and Marwar ra Paraganan ri Vigat discuss disputes between Rajputs pertaining to cattle raids. In addition, Folk deities of
20520-477: The term rajputra was reserved for the immediate relatives of a king; scholars like BD Chattopadhyay believe that it was used for a larger group of high-ranking men. There are historical indications of the group calling themselves Rajputs by sixth century AD which settled in Indo-Gangetic Plain . However, scholarly opinions differ on when the term Rajput acquired hereditary connotations and came to denote
20672-549: The title "Rajput" as part of their claim to higher social positions and ranks. The early medieval literature suggests that this newly formed Rajput class comprised people from multiple castes . Thus, the Rajput identity is not the result of a shared ancestry. Rather, it emerged when different social groups of medieval India sought to legitimise their newly acquired political power by claiming Kshatriya status. These groups started identifying as Rajput at different times, in different ways. Thus, modern scholars summarise that Rajputs were
20824-471: The transition from Middle Indo-Aryan to Hindi are: During the period of Delhi Sultanate in medieval India , which covered most of today's north India, eastern Pakistan, southern Nepal and Bangladesh and which resulted in the contact of Hindu and Muslim cultures , the Sanskrit and Prakrit base of Old Hindi became enriched with loanwords from Persian , evolving into the present form of Hindustani. Hindi achieved prominence in India after it became
20976-420: The two cities did pay him heavy tribute. By last quarter of 12th century, Mohd Ghori defeated and executed the last of Ghaznavid rulers and captured their region along with plundering Ghazna, the capital of Ghaznavids. After capturing the northwest frontier, he invaded Rajput domain. In 1191, Prithviraj Chauhan of Ajmer led a coalition of Rajput kings and defeated Ghori near Taraori . However, he returned
21128-459: The upward mobility of some of the peasant castes, who by virtue of their economic prosperity sought higher status by wearing Janeu , a sacred thread or claimed Kshatriya status. The records indicates that during the tenure of Asaf-ud-Daula in Awadh, when a section of Awadhiya Kurmi were about to be bestowed with the title of Raja , the Rajput constituency of Asaf's court caused stiff opposition to
21280-458: The various Rajput chiefs became Mughal feudatories, they no longer engaged in major conflicts with each other. This decreased the possibility of achieving prestige through military action, and made hereditary prestige more important. According to David Ludden, the word "Rajput" acquired its present-day meaning in the 16th century. According to Kolff, during 16th and 17th centuries, the Rajput rulers and their bards ( charans ) sought to legitimise
21432-427: The village along with her large household in search of sufficient water and good pasturage . Despite prayers and requests from the villagers to stay, Karniji declined to cancel her departure. She ordered her servants to proceed to Janglu and await her arrival and decision about the future course of action. Thus, on Jeth Sudi 9th of Samvat 1475 (1418 AD), Karniji bade goodbye to Sathika. Karniji arrived at Janglu after
21584-607: The world including first and second language speakers. Hindi is the fastest growing language of India , followed by Kashmiri , Meitei , Gujarati and Bengali according to the 2011 census of India . The term Hindī originally was used to refer to inhabitants of the Indo-Gangetic Plain . It was borrowed from Classical Persian هندی Hindī ( Iranian Persian pronunciation: Hendi ), meaning ' of or belonging to Hind (India) ' (hence, ' Indian ' ). Another name Hindavī ( हिन्दवी ) or Hinduī ( हिन्दुई ) (from Persian هندوی 'of or belonging to
21736-403: Was Meha's sister, who eagerly entered the purified maternity chamber to bless the child and claim long-expected gifts. However, the child was a girl, which was disapproved of by Meha's sister. In the moment when the aunt tried to strike-more perhaps in anger than play-the newborn with the back of her hand, her fingers became impaired immediately. This light punishment for unjust physical violence to
21888-730: Was a great devotee of the Goddess, as was his father before him. She has protected every member of this lineage. My wife and I worship her in her temple each day and she continues to watch over us all ... ... the first act of Bika upon entering the territory of the Jangli Desh , was to come to touch the feet of the most revered incarnate deity, Karni Mata ...'" In present times, the Karni Mata temple in Deshnoke has become an important gathering spot for many Charan clans. Her devotees often mention that after
22040-461: Was born four generations later in the lineage of Bhimal. He was a contemporary of Meha Mangaliya, the ruler of a surrounding region in Jodhpur, from whom Mehaji Kiniya received a grant of a village called " Suwa-Brahman-Ki-Dhani ", later renamed to Suwap. Karniji's mother was Deval Bai of Arha (or Adha) clan. Deval Bai was the granddaughter of Arha Mandha, the ruler of Adha (or Asada) village, situated on
22192-562: Was composed of only one race - the Aryans who had not yet mixed with the Shudras or Dravidians . Nationalist historians Vaidya and R.B. Singh write that the Rajputs had originated from the Vedic Aryan Kshatriyas of the epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata . Vaidya bases this theory on certain attributes - such as bravery and "physical strength" of Draupadi and Kausalya and the bravery of
22344-555: Was envisioned that Hindi would become the sole working language of the Union Government by 1965 (per directives in Article 344 (2) and Article 351), with state governments being free to function in the language of their own choice. However, widespread resistance to the imposition of Hindi on non-native speakers, especially in South India (such as those in Tamil Nadu ) led to the passage of
22496-440: Was not subject to common bodily feelings and desires. She informed Depaji that he would have to marry another woman for the satisfaction of these needs and to further his line. In Samvat 1474 (1417 AD), Depaji married Karniji's sister Gulab Bai and their descendants are known as Depawats, who now live in Deshnoke and are descended from the four sons born from Depaji's second marriage. The wedding party en route to Sathika camped at
22648-448: Was ruled by Rao Shekha, a Bhati chieftain, during Karniji's childhood. The small kingdom was frequently raided by the ruler of Multan due to its exposed position to the expanding Rathore domains. Rao Shekha led raids into distant towns and villages of Multan and Sindh to sustain his followers, as resources were scarce in the Thar desert . Despite Multan's punitive raids on Shekha's domains, he
22800-540: Was the lord of the village and belonged to Kiniya clan of Charanas . The founder of the Kiniya clan lived at Khod in the Kathiawar region of Gujarat . In the 13th century, Bhimal, 4th generation descendant of the founder, left home and migrated to Janglu region in Northern Rajasthan. He received a grant of land from Rai Sankhla, the ruler of Janglu, where he founded a village named Kiniya-ki-Basti and lived there. Mehaji Kiniya
22952-514: Was uncommon. Under pressure from her parents, Karniji agreed to get married. However, finding a suitable groom was challenging due to her reputation as an divine incarnation. Karniji conveyed to her father through her friend, Suwa Brahman's daughter, that Depaji, the son of Keluji of Rohadiya clan and Jagirdar of Satheeka was an amsha (partial) incarnation of Shiva as a result of Keluji's devotion and penance to Lord Shiva. Only such an incarnation of Lord Shiva could have been considered for holding
23104-519: Was undeterred. During this period, Karniji's fame had spread to nearby lands and attracted devotees across the region. One such devotee was Rao Shekha's wife, a pious woman devoted to Shakti, and convinced that Bhagwati Karniji was an avatar of Bhagwati Avadji, the Kuldevi of Bhati Rajputs, and urged her husband to seek Karniji's blessings. On his way to an expedition against his enemies, Rao Shekha stopped at Suwap and sought Karniji's blessings. When he saw
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