Kachwaha
The
Kachwaha (also
Kachhwaha or
Kuchhwaha) are a
Rajput clan which ruled a number of kingdoms and
princely states, including
Jaipur,
Alwar and
Maihar, before India's independence in 1947. The largest and oldest of these was
Jaipur, also known as
Amber; the
Maharaja of Jaipur is regarded as the head of the extended Kachwaha clan.
Prominent branches (sub-clans) of the Kachwaha clan include:
Rajawat,
Shekhawat, Gogawat, Kubhani, Naruka, Nathawat, Jeetawat, Bankawat, Balbhadrot, Khangarot and Chaturbhujot.
The Kachwahas belong to the
Suryavanshi lineage, claiming descent from
Surya, the
Hindu Sun-God. Specifically, they claim descent from
Kusha[RajputIndia website,] younger of the twin sons of
Rama, hero of the
Ramayana, to whom patrilineal descent from Surya is in turn ascribed. Indeed, the name "Kuchwaha" is held by many reputable sources
[Tod, James (1829) Annals and Antiquities of the Rajpootana states.] to be a patronymic derived from the name "Kusha". However, it has been suggested by General Cunningham that 'Kachhwaha' is a dimunitive of the
Sanskrit conjoint word 'Kachhaha-ghata' or 'Tortoise-killer'.
T.H. Henley states in his
Rulers of India and the Chiefs of Rajputana that the Kachwaha clan is believed to have settled in an early era at
Rohtas on the
Son river in present-day
Bihar. He notes however that their notable seats of power were Gwalior, Dubkhund, Simhapaniya and
Narwar (Nalapura), all in present-day
Madhya Pradesh. The Kachwaha connection to Rohtas may actually be of much more recent provenance: in the 16th century,
Raja Man Singh, a Kachwaha ruler, was deputed by the
mughal emperor Akbar to conquer the eastern provinces, where he remained as governor. Rohtas was his capital and many Kachwaha families settled there permanently. This may have given rise to a general belief of long association, which Henley duly recorded, qualified by other comments and observations.
James Tod has recorded
[Tod, James (1829) Annals and Antiquities of the Rajpootana states] the view as being prevalent in his time (c.1820) that the clan occupied Narwar in the 10th century and remained there until Narwar was captured by Parihara rajputs in the 12th century. Many other historians also aver that the Kacchapaghatas, like the
Chandellas and
Paramaras, originated as tributaries of the preceding powers of the region. They point out that it was only following the downfall, in the 8th-10th century, of the state centered around
Kannauj that the Kacchapaghata state emerged as a significant power in the
Chambal valley of present-day Madhya Pradesh. This view is largely supported by archeological artifacts
[[1]] and Kacchapaghata coinage
[[2]] discovered in Madya pradesh, as also by inscriptions at Gopasetra (Willis) and in the Sihoniya temple. Indeed, according to an inscription in the Sas-Bahu temple within Gwalior fort, Vajradamana (975-1000 AD), the successor of the Kacchapaghata ruler Laksmana (950-975 AD)
"put down the rising power of the ruler of Gandhnagara (Kannauj) and his proclamation-drum resounded on the fort of Gopadri (Gwalior)." The Sas-Bahu inscription is dated to 1093 AD and it gives the genealogy of the ruling family up to Mahipal who died sometime before 1104 AD.
The Kachwahas are said to have made their capital initially at Kutwar and later at Simhapaniya (present-day Sihonia).
[[3]] At Sihonia, the Kacchapaghata ruler Kirtiraja had a
Shiva temple constructed to fulfill the wish of his queen Kakanwati. Built between 1015 to 1035 A.D., the Kakan Math temple is 115 ft. high and rivals in splendour the temples of
Khajuraho.
[[4]] According to popular legend,
[According to this legend, Surajsen, an 8th century scion of the Kachhwaha clan, was afflicted by leprosy. As was usual in that era, he retired to a forest to spend his remaining days far removed from human settlements. In the forest, he chanced upon a venerable old mendicant, Sage Gwalipa, who resided on an isolated hill. Thirsty and tired, Surajsen asked for some water and the sage led him to a pond. Upon drinking the water of that pond, Surajsen found to his astonishment that he was cured of leprosy! Rejoiced, the prince asked the sage if there was anything he could do as thanksgiving for this benediction. The sage told him to fortify the hill. The hill was fortified and named Gwalior, in honour of the sage; the city that developed around it gradually acquired the same name] a Kachwaha prince of the 8th century, named Surajsen was responsible for the building of
Gwalior fort and the founding of that city.
[[5]].
In 1006, Dhula Rai, a son of Soda Rai, the ruler of Narwar, wed a daughter of Ralhan, the
Chauhan ruler of
Ajmer. He received part of the
Dhundhar region of present-day Rajasthan as dowry. In
1128, the Kachawahas shifted their capital westwards, to the
Dhundhar region of Rajasthan and absorbed/drove out the local
Meenas and Badgujar rajputs. The original capital of the state was
Dausa prior to the shift to Ramgarth,
Amber and
Jaipur respectively.
Another alliance with the Chauhan was forged through the marriage of Prince Pawan Singh with a sister of
Prithviraj III of
Delhi. Raja Pawan Singh fought valiantly alongside (his brother in law) Prithviraj Chauhan at the
First Battle of Tarain in 1191, in which the Rajput Confederation defeated the invading Afghans led by
Muhammad of Ghori. Following the death of Prithviraj Chauhan in the
Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, the Kacchawas remained a constant threat to the neighboring
Islamic Sultanate of Delhi, their kingdom also stood on major trade and (Islamic) pilgrimage routes leading to the shrines of
Ajmer and the ports of
Gujarat. In March 1527, Raja Prithviraj of Amber (1503-1527) supported (his father-in-law)
Rana Sanga of
Mewar at Khanda, but was unable to prevent his defeat by
Babur, leading to the establishment of the
Mughal Empire. Prithviraj's successor Puran Mal (1527-1534) is said to have helped
Humayun's brother Hindal, in his struggle against Tatar Khan in the battle of Mandrail (1534 AD). The period of 11 years following Puran Mal's death is shrouded with mystery and controversies, intrigues and murders until Bharmal ascended the throne of Amber in 1547.
In February 1562,
Jodhabai, daughter of Bharmal (1547-1573), Raja of Amber, was wed to the
Mughal emperor Akbar at a grand ceremony held at the town of
Sambhar. This pragmatic alliance created a major shift in the balance of power within the Indian subcontinent and ushered a period of harmonious co-operation between the Rajputs and the Mughals. However details of the marriage between Akbar and Jodhabai remains a disputed subject. The Kachwahas provided the
Mughals some of their most distinguished generals. Among them were
Raja Man Singh (
1589-
1614) (Akbar's Commander in Chief), who did much to further the establishment of Mughal rule over
Orissa to
Assam, and also served them in various other capacities, notably as governor of
Kabul and
Bengal. As governor of Bengal, Raja Man Singh made
Rohtas (in Bihar) his headquarters; he rebuilt the fort and also built a palace there. Man Singh was reputed to have brought the secret of artillery production from Kabul after his return to India in 1584. Soon
cannons began to be made at the
Foundry in
Jaigarh(including the world's largest cannon on wheels,
the Jaivana), much to the displeasure of the Mughals who kept the secret to themselves ever since they used it to fight the
Lodhis and the Rajputs.
Jai Singh I (
1622-
1667), commonly known by the title 'Mirza Raja' conferred on him by the
Shah Jehan, was one of the most prominent Mughal generals during the reigns of
Shah Jehan and
Aurangzeb. An accomplished scholar and diplomat, He defeated the sultan of
Bijapur in 1635 (thus chasing
Shahji Bhosale,
Shivaji's father, out of Malwa). Interestingly, despite the fact that it was Jai Singh that captured Shivaji from
Purandar, his successor Raja Ram Singh (1667-1680) earned the lasting displeasure of Aurangzeb, who suspected him of complicity in the escape of Shivaji From Agra.
Sawai
Jai Singh II (1700-1743) was known to be supremely talented - politically, intellectually and on the battlefield. He founded the city of Jaipur in November
1727. Towards the end of the 18th century, the
Jats of
Bharatpur and the chief of
Alwar (Also a Kachwaha) each delared themselves independent from the Maharaja of Jaipur and annexed the eastern portion of Jaipur's territory. This period is generally characterized by internal power-struggles and constant military conflicts with the Marathas, Jats, other Rajput states, as well as the British and the
Pindaris (Jaipur's former mercenary allies). Yet enough wealth remained with the clan for continuous patronage of fine fort/temples/palaces, the employment of Sanskrit, Persian and Hindi scholars/artists as well as the continuity of lavish courtly traditions.
A treaty was initially made between Maharaja Sawai Jagat Singh (1803-1818) and the
British in 1803 but was dissolved shortly afterwards. Another treaty was signed in the last year of Sawai Jagat Singh's reign in
1818. In
1835, there was a serious disturbance in the city, after which the British government intervened; under the rule of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II (1835-
1881) the state gradually become well-governed and increasingly prosperous. Sawai Ram Singh's devotion to
Shaivism earned him the nickname of 'Rishi Raj' or the Sage-King. During the
Revolt of 1857 the maharaja assisted the British in every way that lay in his power. Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh (1881-
1922), G.C.S.I., G.C.V.O., was born in
1861, and succeeded in 1882 and was distinguished for his enlightened administration. He was one of the princes who visited England at the time of
King Edward VII's coronation in
1902. It was he who started and endowed with a donation of 15 lakhs, afterwards increased to 20 lakhs, of rupees the Indian Peoples Famine Fund. The Jaipur imperial service transport corps saw service in the Chitral and
Tirah campaigns. The last ruling Maharaja was
Sawai Man Singh II (1922-
1949), who in
1948, shortly after India's independence, acceded the state of Jaipur to the
Government of India. Sawai Man Singh then became the first Rajpramukh of the newly formed State of Rajasthan in 1949. He passed away in 1971 while playing Polo in England, and was succeeded by his eldest son Sawai
Bhawani Singh of Jaipur, who reigns as current Head of the Kachwahas.
*Dulha Rao (c. 1128-c. 1136)
*Kankal (c. 1136- ?)
*Maidal
*Hunadeva
*Kantal I
*Pujanadeva (c. 1185)
*Malesi
*Byala
*Rajadeva
*Kilhan
*Kantal II (1276- ?)
*Jansi
*Udayakarna
*Nara Singh
*Banbir
*Udha Rao
*Chandrasena
*Prithvi I (1502-1534)
*Bhima (1534- ?)
*Ratan (? -1547)
*Baharmalla (1547- ?)
*Bhagwan Das (? -1589)
*Man Singh I (1589-1614)
*Jagat Singh I (1614)
*Bhao Singh (1614-1622)
*Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh I (1622-1667)
*Maharaja Rama Singh I (1667-1688)
*Maharaja Bishan Singh (1688-1700)
*Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (1700-1743)
*Maharaja Sawai Ishwari Singh (1743-1750)
*Maharaja Sawai Madhu Singh I (1750-1768)
*Maharaja Sawai Prithvi Singh II (1768-1778)
*Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh (1778-1803)
*Maharaja Sawai Jagat Singh II (1803-1818)
*Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh III (1818-1835)
*Maharaja Sawai Rama Singh II (1835-1881)
*Maharaja Sawai Madhu Singh II (1881-1922)
*Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II (1922-1949)
*Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh (Reigning but not ruling, succeeded his father in 1971)
The twelve
Kotris or "chambers" of Amber were an honoured institution of the state. These
Kothris were essentially patrilineal branches of the Kachwaha clan. Maharaja Prithvi Raj (1503-1527 AD) recognized each major branch of his family (being his sons and kinsmen) as being a noble house in the peerage of the state. It is said that this was done to avoid internecine feuds amongst his kinsmen. The heads of these 12 families held large baronial estates and were prominent members of the court. The twelve
kothris of Amber included: Puranmalot, Pachyanot, Nathot, Balbhadrot, Surtanot Khangarot, Chaturbhujot, Kalyanot, Kumbhani, Sheobrahmapota and Banvirpota.
*Bayley C. (1894)
Chiefs and Leading Families In Rajputana*Hendley T. H. (1897)
Rulers of India and the Chiefs of Rajputana*Jyoti J. (2001)
Royal Jaipur * R.S. Khangarot, P.S. Nathawat (1990)
Jaigarh- The invincible Fort of Amber*Topsfield A. (1994)
Indian paintings from Oxford collections* Willis Michael D. (1996)
Architecture in Central India under Kacchapaghata Rulers* Willis Michael D. (1997)
Temples of Gopaksetra: A Regional History of Architecture and Sculpture in Central India Ad 600-900*
Gwalior's Tourist Attractions*
The coins of the western and central Indian dynasties*
Kachwaha Rajputs
