Rathore is a Rajput clan. Some historians link their origin to the Rashtrakuta dynasty .
41-752: The Rathore dynasty or Rathor dynasty was an Indian dynasty belonging to the Rathore clan of Rajputs that has historically ruled over parts of Rajasthan , Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh . Jodha, Vadhel , Jaitawat , Kumpawat, Champawat, Mertiya, Bikawat, Udawat, Karamsot, etc. are the branches or subclans of Rathore Rajputs . This article discusses the "Kanaujiya" Rathores of Marwar and lineages, thereof; Norman Ziegler had noted of 12 other similar branches ("shakhas") of Rathores — Sur, Shir, Kapaliya, Kherada, Abhepura, Jevamt, Vagula, Karaha, Parakra, Ahrao, Jalkheda, and Camdel. Scholarship about those branches are scarce to non-existent. A section of historians argue for
82-526: A Rashtrakuta origin. Branches of Rashtrakutas had migrated to Western Rajasthan as early as late tenth century; multiple inscriptions of "Rathauras" have been located in and around Marwar dating from tenth to thirteenth century; the Rathores may have emerged from one of the Rashtrakuta branches. Muhnot Nainsi , employed by the Rathores of Marwar, chronicled Nainsi ri Khyat , a bardic genealogical history of
123-709: A 23-year-old Ratan Singh Rathore, who was from a younger branch of the Jodhpur ruling family, was able to rise in rank by fighting against a mad elephant in Delhi. Shah Jahan was so impressed by his valour that he enlisted Ratan Singh in his army. Ratan Singh was able to rise to a rank of 3,000, received the Mahi-Maratib and Jagirs in Malwa, where he founded his own kingdom in Ratlam. The dynasty started by Ratan Singh would further breakaway and form
164-515: A claim to power irrespective of temporal situations. Also, by this time, the nomadic memories were better suppressed and the Rathores had themselves rebranded as the elite "protectors" of local cattle-rearers; in a couple of centuries, figures from early Rathore polity would be deified. Many scions of the Rathore clan were able to establish their own kingdoms during the Mughal reign. Barbara Ramusack notes how
205-693: A new capital at Jodhpur. Rao Jodha was successful in annexing several territories from the Delhi Sultanate, due to which the Rathores of Marwar became the most powerful kingdom in Rajputana during his reign. Among his sons, Rao Bika found a new state in Bikaner in 1465; he and his successors would go on to expand territories therefrom, adopting similar tactics. This Bikawat branch became the new bearer of Rathore legacy, even bringing Gahdavala-time emblems and heirlooms from Marwar. Another of Jodha's sons Rao Varsingh found
246-508: A new state at Merto in 1462, establishing the Mertiyo branch. Rao Maldeo 's regime (1532-1562) harbored another significant shift from clannish rule to monarchy; Malde forced his distant relatives, who conquered new territories, to submit to him or else be deprived of gains. Bikaner was raided, too. Large palaces were constructed and fortifications were committed to, in what signaled the effective end of pastoral lifestyle. By mid-sixteenth century,
287-461: A self-imposed exile. Ranmal travelled to Chittor , the fortress-capital of the kingdom of Mewar . There, he was welcomed and given a place at court by the ruler of the state, Rana Lakha Singh , who was the husband of Ranmal's sister Hansa Bai . The prince rapidly gained influence at the Mewari court, with his power reaching its zenith following the death of Lakha Singh in 1421. Hansa Bai, due to
328-456: A way so as to restrict his movement. Raghadev was then ambushed by Ranmal's men, who immediately cut down the incapacitated prince. The murder of Raghadev had a profound impact on public opinion of Ranmal, with both nobles and the general population already being resentful of his domination at court. Many grew fearful for the life of the young Rana, prompting chiefs to begin curtailing the regent. Prince Chunda , eldest son and at one-time heir to
369-486: Is also noteworthy for having twice served as regent of the kingdom of Mewar under two different kings. After having been displaced as heir to Marwar in favour of a younger brother, Ranmal had joined the court of his brother-in-law, Rana Lakha Singh of Mewar. There, he amassed significant influence, eventually becoming regent to his minor nephew Mokal Singh following the death of Lakha in 1421. In 1428, Ranmal returned to Marwar to claim his ancestral throne, left vacant by
410-533: Is questionable and may not be relied upon except for a generic reconstruction. Chunda , who was ninth in descent from Asthan, married a Pratihara princess and was gifted the territory of Mandore as a dowry by the Pratihara clan. In return Chunda promised to defend Mandore against the Tughlaq Empire . Mandore thus became the new capital of the Rathore clan, c. 1400. This prompted a significant sociopolitical shift:
451-660: Is recorded as conquering the city of Bikrampur after killing a certain Bhati chief named Kelana, possibly referring to Rao Kelana of Pugal , who was among those responsible for killing his father. Further to this, he defeated Hasan Khan, the Pathan ruler of Jalore , and also occupied Nagaur , with the towns of Nadol , Jaitaran and Sojat too being brought under his control. He also introduced some reforms, both in Marwar and earlier in Mewar, including
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#1732851807265492-564: The Gahadavala dynasty . Roma Niyogi considers this claim to be of a later origin. These bardic claims of descent have been since deemed to be largely ahistorical by Ziegler. Ziegler notes the theme of migrations to be common across Rajput genealogies; a construct, borrowed from literary canon of other regions. Later genealogies of Rathores went as far as to derive origin from Gods of the Hindu pantheon — Indra, Narayana et al. The first Rathore chieftain
533-532: The Ikshvaku Dynasty one of the most ancient and legendary dynasties of India according to Hindu mythology . According to some modern historians, Rathores originated from the Rashtrakuta 's ancestors. Some Branches of Rashtrakutas had migrated to Western Rajasthan as early as the late tenth century; some inscriptions of "Rathauras" have been founded in and around Marwar region of Rajasthan dating from
574-581: The Teli community in 1931, who started calling themselves Vaishyas Rathore for caste upliftment. During the same period of British Raj , the Banjaras began styling themselves as Chauhan and Rathor Rajputs. The various cadet branches of the Rathore clan gradually spread to encompass all of Marwar and later founded states in Central India and Gujarat. The Marwar Royal family is considered the head house of Rathores. At
615-509: The British. However in 1805-1806 he approached the British for military advice and paid the British to protect his state against the predatory actions of the Marathas and Pindaris . By 1816 the British changed this treaty and expelled all foreign influence in Jodhpur, they also started arbitrating in state matters. By 1818 the alliance was cemented and in 1832 the Rajputana agency was formed. Man Singh
656-537: The Jodhawat Rathores to become all-weather allies of the Mughals though punctuated with discords. This span of cohabitation led to the introduction of strict endogamy into Rathore folds and hypergamy with Mughals. It was also under the Mughals, that bardic genealogies were crafted to present themselves as worthy appointees of the Mughals and distinguish themselves from other "once-fraternal" communities, thereby staking
697-581: The Mughal Empire. The Jodhawat Rathores lost much of their territory rapidly and were effectively subsumed. The Bikawat Rathores entered into friendly relations with the Mughals , led their armies, and were extensively patronaged to the extent of being allowed to control the Jodhpur Fort. In 1583, Uday Singh finally accepted Mughal suzerainty and in return, was granted part of a Pargana in Jodhpur; this would enable
738-531: The Rajputs in western Rajasthan c. 1660 ; one of the oldest extant historical records of the region, the Khyata collated information from existing oral literature, genealogies and administrative sources in a chronological fashion. Nainsi had noted of the Rathores to have originated from Kannauj before migrating to Marwar . British indologist V. A. Smith theorized that the Rathores and Bundelas are offshoot of
779-509: The Rathore clan in Jodhpur State. Prominent amongst them was Kushal Singh of Auwa . After several failed attempts by the British, the rebellion was quelled by the British army under the command of Brigadier Holmes. During the 20th century the lower castes in India tried to uplift their social standing by adopting surnames of other castes. The Rajput clan name " Rathore " was adopted as a surname by
820-459: The Rathore territories significantly expanded courtesy confrontations and diplomatic negotiations with other pastoral groups; the primary base shifted multiple times. Marital alliances with any warrior-group operating out of Thar were especially favored and they were welcome to be inducted in the Rathore fold. Multiple new Rathore branches seem to have split out in these spans. The precise accuracy of events which allegedly occurred across these spans
861-601: The Rathors had a firm hold over entire Rajasthan. All these while, multiple matrimonial and military alliances with local Islamic kingdoms; the Delhi Sultanate have been noted; Hindu-Muslim relations were largely fraternal. The situations deteriorated once Akbar was ordained as the Mughal Emperor, and rao Maldeo died. His son rao Chandrasen Rathore defended his kingdom for nearly two decades against relentless attacks from
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#1732851807265902-430: The deaths of his father and brothers. When Mokal Singh was assassinated five years later, Ranmal once again took on the governance of Mewar, now in the name of Mokal's young son Kumbha . During both his regencies of Mewar, as well as his rule of his own kingdom, Ranmal had launched numerous successful military campaigns against neighbouring states, which included the kingdoms of Gujarat , Bundi , and Malwa . However, he
943-470: The hitherto nomadic lifestyle frequented with cattle raids etc. would gradually give way to landed aristocracy. His son Ranmal was assassinated in 1438; Marwar was annexed by Sisodias whilst other parts were captured by Delhi Sultanate. In 1453, Rao Jodha regained Marwar, and expanded his territories by entering into multiple alliances with fellow Rajputs; the Jodha line was established with his consecration of
984-467: The improvement of the existing systems of weights and measures. In 1433, Rana Mokal Singh was assassinated in a conspiracy, thus once more leaving a small child as ruler of Mewar, now in the person of Mokal's son Kumbha . Hansa Bai, now the queen-grandmother, again called on her brother Ranmal to take charge of the state until the new Rana reached his majority. Ranmal, accompanied by some of his twenty-four sons, returned to Chittor , nominally taking up
1025-417: The kingdoms of Sailana and Sitamau. During Aurangzeb 's reign major rebellions would break out resulting in a 30 year war between the Mughals and the Rathores. The rebellion would continue until Bahadur Shah I 's reign. Durgadas Rathore played an instrumental role in protecting the Rathore dynasty of Jodhpur during this war. The Rathore ruler of Jodhpur Man Singh , initially refused to form treaties with
1066-456: The late Rana Lakha Singh , was called back to the city to avenge his brother's death. While Chunda re-entered Mewar and removed Rathore outposts outside Chittor fortress, nobles conspired against Ranmal from within. They enlisted the help of Chacha's daughter Bharmali, who was one of the wives of Ranmal. On the night of Diwali , 1438, she plied him with alcohol until he fell into a drunken stupor and tied him to his bed with his own turban. Ranmal
1107-432: The level of nepotism with which Ranmal awarded high positions. This ill-feeling even extended against the young Rana himself, eventually becoming a factor in his assassination over a decade later. After securing a position in Mewar court of Sisodiyas , Ranmal subsequently returned to Janglu of which he became ruler. Further, he carried out incursions into Bhati territory and occupied Bikampur. Ranmal's father Chunda
1148-551: The local Brahmins by defeating an oppressive king named Kanha Mer. Other contemporary sources claim the same descent and construct slightly variable narratives about migration from Kanauj: Setramot fled the Ghurid Sultanate to Marwar and established the first Rathore polity. The Bithoor inscription provides the date of Siho 's death in 1273 CE and calls him the son of Set Kunwar; however, it does not claim any Gaharwal origin. Under Asthan's regime, and that of his successor-rulers,
1189-479: The minority of her young son Mokal Singh , entreated Ranmal to administer the state on behalf of the new Rana. He fulfilled this role admirably over the following years, launching military campaigns against Mewar's rivals. These include Firuz Khan of Nagaur , Ahmad Shah I of Gujarat and the Hadas of Bundi . However, there was resentment among the nobles at the growing Rathore influence at court, in particular regarding
1230-451: The position of caretaker to his minor great-nephew, though for all intents and purposes, he became the true power in the kingdom. The new regent's first action was to strike the allies of Mewar's rival kingdoms of Gujarat and Malwa , the latter of which having sheltered Mokal's killers. The rulers of Bundi , Abu , Bhoola and Basantgarh were crushed and the Sultan of Malwa, Mahmud Khalji ,
1271-442: The tenth to early thirteenth century; it's believed the Rathores might have emerged from one of the Rashtrakuta divisions. This article about an Indian ethnicity or social group is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ranmal Ranmal (1392 – 27 October 1438), also called Ran Mal or Ridmal , was the Rathore ruler of Marwar from 1428 to 1438. A notable expansionist and skilled warrior, Ranmal
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1312-473: The time of India's independence in 1947, the princely states ruled by various branches of the Rathore clan included: Rathore (Rajput clan) The Rathores claim they are descended from the legendary Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi lineages of ancient India. According to this tradition, the Rathores are descended from the Solar Dynasty (Suryavanshi) and can trace their ancestry back to Lord Rama and
1353-424: The women into his protection. He began to grow apprehensive of the growing Rathore influence in the court and started preparing a resistance to Ranmal. Conversely, Ranmal also viewed the Mewari prince as a threat and too launched a conspiracy. Events came to a head when Ranmal invited Raghadev to present him with a traditional robe of honour. However, unknown to the latter, the sleeves of the robe had been sown in such
1394-489: Was Siho Setramot, grandson of the last Gahadavala king Jayachandra . Setramot abdicated the throne of Kanauj to become an ascetic but got embroiled in a royal rivalry and eventually married the daughter of a Gujarati ruler, who birthed him three sons. Asthan, the eldest, was raised at Paltan after Siho's death (at Kanauj) and he went on to establish the first Rathore polity in Pali (and few adjoining villages), after winning over
1435-451: Was born in 1392 as the only son of Rao Chunda , the Rathore ruler of Marwar , by his wife Suram De Sankhali, daughter of Bisal. By right of primogeniture , as the eldest son of his father, Ranmal was initially heir-apparent to the throne. However, under the influence of his favourite wife Sona Mohil, Chunda was persuaded to instead appoint her son Kanha as his successor. In response Ranmal, now disinherited, left Mandore and embarked on
1476-500: Was defeated in the Battle of Sarangpur in 1437. He also began to hunt down the conspirators, with some being killed and others being forced into hiding. One of them, Mokal's paternal uncle Chacha, had his daughter Bharmali taken captive and married by Ranmal. 500 other girls belonging to the families of the fugitives were captured and given out by Ranmal to his favourites. One of Mokal's brothers, Raghavdev, objected to this action and took
1517-462: Was greatly resented by the nobles of Mewar due to the considerable Rathore influence he brought to the Sisodia kingdom. When a Mewari prince was murdered on his orders, a coup was launched against him in 1438, culminating in his assassination and the invasion of Marwar. The latter was left weakened in the aftermath and it took his successor Jodha many years to restore it to its former prominence. Ranmal
1558-426: Was killed in battle in 1423 and was succeeded, as the latter had planned, by his younger son Kanha. However, in 1428, Kanha too died and was followed by another son of Chunda, who also had a short reign. Seeing an opportunity, Ranmal marched on the capital city, Mandore , at the head of a Mewari army and seized the throne, becoming the new Rao of Marwar. A skilled warrior, Ranmal began expanding Rathore territory. He
1599-432: Was not always cordial with the British during this time, in 1829 Man Singh gave shelter to Mudhoji II Bhonsle and antagonized the British. Mudhoji was zealously protected by Man Singh and lived his remaining life in Jodhpur till his death in 1840. Man Singh was finally caught with evidence, when his spy Dhumdas was arrested by the British. Man Singh was using ascetics as spies and messengers. The letters proved that Man Singh
1640-480: Was part of an "anti-British cabal" which included Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, Dost Muhammad, King of Afghanistan and the Russians. In September 1839 the British sent an army and captured Jodhpur. Man Singh chose to relinquish his throne and became an ascetic to avoid war. The exiled maharaja of Jodhpur died on 5 September 1843 due to poor health. The 1857 rebellion sparked uprisings amongst several Rajput chieftains of
1681-570: Was then set upon by assassins sent by the Mewari nobles. In spite of his bonds, he was able to stand upright, but unable to defend himself, he was ultimately killed. The death of Ranmal caused a significant falling out between the kingdoms of Marwar and Mewar, resulting in the former's capital, Mandore , and its surrounding lands being occupied by Mewar's army. It took Ranmal's son and successor Jodha (who had barely escaped from Chittor alive himself) several years to reestablish Marwar's former eminence and territory. Ranmal married multiple times, as