Maher Surnames

Vansh : Suryavanshi

Kachwaha (Kishwaha, Cutchwaha and Keshwala). Also sprang from Kusha. It has 12 kotri or houses.

Major subdivisions:
Gogawat, Kubhani, Naruka, Ladkhani, Tajkhani, Nathawat, Rajawat, Shekhawat, Jeetawat, Bankawat,Balbhadrot, Khangarot, Chaturbhujot.

This is a celebrated clan, which the maharajas Shekhawat (Jaipur and Alwar) belong to. They belong of solar race and claim descent from Kush, second son of Lord Ram (of Ayodhya). Their original rule, was over Rohtas on the Son river. Later Raja Nal migrated from Rohtas and founded Narwar. The town of Damoh in Madhya Pradesh is supposed to be named after Damyanti, Raja Nal’s wife.

The earliest appearance of the Kachhwaha rajputs in history is in the 10th century, when the chief Kachhwaha captured Gwalior from the Gurjara-Parihara kings of Kannauj and established a kingdom there.

His dynasty was independent until C.E 1128, when it became tributary to the Chandel kings of Mahoba. The last Kacchwaha king of Gwalior was Tejkaran, called Dulha Rai or the bridegroom-prince. He received from his father-in-law the district of Daora in the present Jaipur area, where he settled. In 1150 one of his successors wrested the city of Amber from the Minas and made it his capital. The Amber State from the first acknowledged the supremacy of the Mughal emperors, and the chief of the period gave his daughter in marriage to Akbar.

Maharaja Bhagwan Das is said to have saved Akbar’s life at the battle of Sarnal. He gave a daughter to Jahangir, and his adopted son, Man Singh, who at different periods was governor of Kabul, Bengal, Bihar and Deccan. The next chief of note, Jai Singh I, appears in all the wars of Aurangzeb in the Deccan. He was commander of 6000 horses. The present city of Jaipur was founded by a subsequent chief, Jai Singh II, in 1728.  At the Durbar of 1877 his salute was raised with 21 guns. The Alwar State was founded about 1766 by Pratap Singh, a descendent of a prince of the Jaipur house, who had separated from it centuries ago.

The banner of Amber frequently mentioned by the bards was called Panchranga (5 colours). The Kachwahas are fairly numerous in UP and in MP are found in Saugor, Hoshangabad and Nimar Districts principally.

There are 65 gotras of Kachhwaha Rajputs (others include Rajawat, Shekawat, Nathawat, Khangarot, Ranawat). The Shekawat’s are the most influential of all of these.

The Kachhwahas of Jaipur are related to the Kachtries (Kuchi) of Baluchistan and the Kuchi of Afghanistan, according to some sources. The Kuchi tribe of Afghanistan is acknowledged for its tribal dance. They live in South-Eastern Afghanistan to the border of Pakistan. The Kuchi tribe of Afghanistan is nomadic, accustomed to moving annually with their herds between summer pastures in Afghanistan and winter pastures in Pakistan.

Article supplied by Kishan V Sisodia ; edited by Ravi Odedra.

Maher Surnames

Vansh : Chandravanshi

Jadam / Jharija (Bhatti, Jadeja /Jareja /Jadon / Banaphar, Sarvaia, Raijdas, Vaj, Pathania

The Jadeja Rajputs are dominant in Kutch, but in AD 800, a branch of the family, in consequence of internal feuds, crossed the Rann at the head of the Gulf of Kutch into Kathiawar and established themselves upon the ruins of the Jethwa rajputs. The land appear to have been divided in common among the whole tribe, the teelat or eldest branch of the family reserving to itself the largest portion, while the bhaiyaat (sub-divisions) held their respective villages by a purely feudal tenure.

Also Jadejas descended from Jaddu, founder of the lunar race with 4 or 7 branches. Colonel Tod says that the Yadu was the most illustrious of all tribes of India, and became the patronymic of both the descendents of  Buddha (of the Indu race) and Krishna. It is not clear, even to legendary tradition, what connection the Yadus had with Buddha, but Krishna is held to have been a prince of this tribe and founded Dwarka in Gujarat with them, in which locality he is afterwards supposed to have been killed.

However there are some scholars who claim the Yadus to be of Central Asian origin and that the Mahabharata actually took place in Central Asia. It is said that the original Dwarka is not in Gujarat, but is the Darvaza in present Central Asia.

Colonel Tod states that the Yadu afer the death of Krishna, and their expulsion from Dwarka and Delhi, the last stronghold of their power, retired by Multan across the Indus, founded Ghazni in Afghanistan, and peopled these countries even to Samarkand. Again driven back on the Indus they obtained possession of the Punjab and founded Salbhanpur. Thence expelled they retired across the Sutlej and Gara into the Indian desserts, where they founded Tannote, Derawal and Jaisalmer, the last in AD 1157.

At a later date a Yadava kingdom existed in the Deccan, with its capital at Deogiri or Daulatabad and its territory lying between that place and Nasik. Mr. Smith states that these Yadon kings were descendants of feudatory nobles of the Chalukya kingdom, which embraced parts of western India and also Gujarat.

The Jadon dynasty only lasted from AD 1150 to 1318, when the last prince of the line, Harapala, stirred up a revolt against the Mohammedans to whom the King, his father-in-law, had submitted, and being defeated, was flayed alive and decapitated. It is noticeable that the Yadu-Bhatti rajputs of Jaisalmer claim descent from Salivahana, who founded the Saka era in AD 78, and it is believed that this era belonged to the Saka dynasty of Gujarat, where, according to the tradition the Yadus also setled. The point would identify the Sakas with the Yadus. The Bhati branch of the yadus cliam descent from Bhati, grandson of Salivahana.

They have no legend of coming from Gujarat, but they had the title of Rawal, which is used in Gujarat, and also by the Sesodia clan who came from here. The Bhattis are said to have arrived in Jaisalmer about the middle of the 8th century, Jaisalmer city being founded in 1183. The Jadeja clan of Sind and Kutch are another branch of Yadu. They now claim descent from Jamshid, a Persian hero and the title of their rulers is Jam. Jam Rawal established a Kingdom in Nawanagar as Mughal rule declined. The Jam Sahibs gained control of Halar and even threatened the Nawabs of Junagadh and the Rana Sahibs of Porbandar.

The Yadu name has been corrupted to Jadon in UP and Jadum in MP, where they now form different castes. Another branch is the Raj-jadu  or Rajadu. In some parts of India, the Yadavas have lost their rajput status, because of their alliance with cow-herding castes.

Krishna being a gopi led to the popular belief that all cowherds like Ahir, Gujar, etc were Yadavas. However, it is not so. Ahirs (cow-herding castes) though started using “Yadav” with their name are not Yadus (or Yadava). Also Krishna-dasis (followers of Krishna) were claiming to be Yadavas. This has in recent times been exploited by some Yadav-connected politicians,  to increase their number of followers/votes.

Article supplied by Kishan V Sisodia 

Maher Surnames

Vansh : Chandravanshi

Chavara or Chaura (Ghaorha/Chavada,Cha(v)da) with 12 branches.

Chavada Dadda, the founder of Pratihara dynasty, established the Gurjar rule at Nandipur (Nandol). Dadda III wrested Broach from the Maitraks whose citadel had started shaking. In fact, there were three powerful dynasties which were ruling different parts of Gujarat: the Gurjars had their sway over the north, the Chalukyas ruled the south and the Maitraks were saddled in Saurashtra.

The vaccum created by the fall of the Maitrak dynasty was filled up by the Pratiharas from the north and Rashtrakutas from the south. As vassals of the Valabhis (from the town of Valabhis or Vala, where the Guhilot ruled and is related to Bhavnagar Palitana and Lathi), the Chavadas held their sway over parts of north Gujarat. They assumed independent control after the fall of Valabhi. Vanraj, the most prominent of the eight Chavada kings, founded a new capital at Anhilpur Patan. he reconquered his father’s lost territories and founded the Chavada dynasty which lasted a shade under a century. In the 14th century Mesaji ruler of this dynasty founded Mahasana in Gujrat.

Samantsinh, the last Chavada ruler, did not have an issued and he adopted Mulraj who overthrew him in 942 AD and set up what came to be known as the Solanki dynasty. Ambitious as he was, he started expanding his frontiers and established his complete and total hold over Saurashtra and Kachch by defeating Grahripu of Junagadh (Saurashtra) and Lakho Fulani of Kachchh.

Mulraj Solanki’s reign marked the start of the most glorious period in the history of Gujarat during which Gujarati culture flowered as manifested in art, architecture, language and script. It is described as the golden period in Gujarat chequered history. Mulraj himself adopted the title of Gurharesh (King of Gurjardesh). The territories under the sway of the Solanki dynasty came to be known by different variations of the word Gurjar like Gurjardesh, Gurjararastra, Gurjaratta and finally Gujarat.

Two names stand out in the Solanki dynasty. The fiest is that of Sidhrag Jayasinh who ruled for 47 years from 1094 A.D. and the second prominent Solanki King Kumarpala’s reign lasted for 31 years from 1143 to 1174 AD Apart from Saurashtra and Kachchh, Sidhraj Jaysinh also conquered Malwa.

One of the favourite legends with the Gujarat Bards is woven round the siege of Junagadh by Sidhraj Jaysinh. The fort was ultimately captured by hims along with Ranakdevi, the Queen of the ruler Rakhengar. However, in the true tradition of the Rajputs, Ranakdevi preferred to become a ‘sati’ rather than marry Sidharaj Jaysinh who was persuaded to allow Ranakdevi to commit ‘Sati’ by burning herself on a pyre at Wadhavan.

The town of  Arjya in Bhilwara District, 150 km. from Udaipur;  was ruled by the Chavda clan.  Maharana Jawan Singh’s maternal uncle, Jagat Singh of Barsora in Mahikantha, Gujarat. Had  two sons, Kuber Singh and Jalam Singh came to Udaipur with Maharana Jawan Singh and were granted, jointly, the jagirs of Aarjya and Kaladwas.

Article supplied by Kishan V Sisodia 

Maher Surnames

 Vansh : Agnivanshi)

Chauhan with 26 branches. (Major Shakhas – Hada or Hara, Songara, Deora, Khichi, Shambhri, Sanchora, Pavia, Goyalwal, Bhadauria, Malani, Nirwan, Puravia,Madrecha, Cheeba, Mohil, Chahil, Balecha, Chachera, Boda, Nadola, Nikumbh… etc.

In Maharashtra the septs are: Chavan, Tawade, Gavane, Hande, Pansare, Randive, Kalbhor, Ispute, Kedar.

According to the Rajput bards the Chauhan is one of the four (and the last) Agnikula or ‘fire sprung’ tribes who were created by the gods in the anali kund or ‘fountain of fire’ on Mount Abu to fight against the Asuras or demons. According to legend:” Again Vashista (or Agastya) seated in the lotus prepared incantations; again he called the gods to aid, and as he poured forth the libation a figure arose; lofty in stature, of elevated front, hair like jet, eyes rolling, breast expanded, fierce, terrific, clad in armour with quiver filled, a bow in one hand and a brand in the other, quadriform (chaturanga) , hence the name was given as Chauhan”. Another explanation is: that the Chauhan  was born from the fourhanded warrior Chatur-bhuja, Chatur-baha or Chaturvira.

This account makes the Chauhan the most important of the fire clans, and colonel Tod says that he was the most valiant of the Agnikulas, and it may be asserted not of then only but of the whole Rajput race though the swords of the Rathors would be ready to contest the point. Chauhan is also one of the 36 (royal) ruling races of the Rajputs. The Chauhans come from Jaipur and its environ Sambhar (as found from inscriptions) and Ajmer (which is said to been founded by them in the 11th century) in Rajputana appear to have been the first home of the clan, and inscriptions record a long line of 39 kings as reigning from Anhul, the first created Chauhan. The last of them, Vigraha Raja or Bisla Deo, in the middle of the 12th century extended the ancestral dominions considerably, and conquered Delhi from a chief of the Tomara clan. At the time the Chauhans, according to their own bard , held the line of the Nerbudda from Garha Mandla to Maheswar and also Asirgarh, while their dominions extended north to Hissar and south to the Aravalli hills.

The nephew of Bisal Deo was Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the last Hindu Ruler of Delhi. He ruled at Sambhar, Ajmer and Delhi. His first exploit was the abduction of the daughter of Jaichand, the Gaharwar (or Rathore) Raja of Kannauj in 1175. The king of Kanauj had claimed the title of universal sovereign and determined to celebrate the Ashwa-Medha or horse sacrifice, at which all the offices should be performed by vassal kings. This was the last Asvamedha performed by a Hindu king. Pritvi Raj of Delhi and Samarsi of Mewar alone declined to attend as subordinate, and Jaichand therefore made a wooden image of him and set it up at the gate in the part of the doorkeeper. But when his daughter after the tournament took the garland of flowers to bestow it on the chief whom she chose for her husband, she passed by all the assembled nobles and threw the garland on the neck of the wooden image. At this moment Prithvi Raj dashed in with a few companions, and catching her up, escaped with her from her father’s court. Mer. E. Balfour: ” In this successfull rape he lost the flower of his followers and his subsequent defeat by the Muhamaddans has been partly attributed to this. Jaichand , though bereaved of his daughter sent her jahez or trousseau after her. Jaichand closed his career by lapsing into the Ganga at Ferozabad, the ancient Chandwar.”

Afterwards, in 1182, Prithviraj defeated the Chandel king Raja Parmal and captured Mahoba. In 1191 he was the head of a confederacy of Hindu kings in combatting the invasion of Huhammad Ghori. He repelled the Muhamaddans at Tarain about 2 miles north of Delhi, but in the following year was completely defeated and killed at Thaneswar, and soon afterwards Delhi and Ajmer fell to the Mohammedan. The Chauhan kingdom was broken up, but scattered parts of it remained, and about 1307 Asirgarh in Nimar, which continued to be held by the Chauhans, was taken by Ala-ud-din Khilji and the whole garrison put to the sword except one boy. This boy, Raisi Chauhan, escaped to Rajputana, and according to the bardic chronicle his descendants formed the Hara branch of the Chauhans and conquered from the Minas the tract known as Haravati, from which they perhaps took their name. This is now comprised in the Kotah and Bundi states which is now ruled by Hara chiefs. Another well-known offshoot from the Chauhans are the Khichi clan, who belong to the Sind-Sagar Doab; and the Nikumbh and Bhadauria clans are also derived from them. The Chauhans are numerous in Punjab and UP and rank as one of the highest Rajput clans. In the Central Povinces they are found mainly in the Narsinghpur and Hoshangabad Districts, and also in Mandla.  The Chauhans of the Karnal district being closer to Delhi and the Muslim kings started converting to Islam from the 14th to the 17th Century. Chauhans in Rajastan are few in number and live in Alwar district of Rajastan.

Article supplied by Kishan V Sisodia