Rathore

The Rathore or Rathor or Rathod (Hindi: राठौड, Urdu: راٹھور) are a community of India and Pakistan. Rathors in India are a Rajput clan that hail from the Marwar region of western Rajasthan and also inhabit the state of Gujarat. In Pakistan, they are considered a tribe that are settled in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of that country. In India, their native languages are Hindi and its dialects (such as Rajasthani, Marwari and other languages of Rajasthan) as well as Gujarati and Kutchi in Gujarat. In Pakistan, the Rathores speak the Punjabi, Seraiki and Sindhi languages.

Dynasties belonging to this clan ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in Rajasthan and neighbouring states before India's independence in 1947. The largest and oldest among these was Jodhpur in Marwar; the Maharaja of Jodhpur is regarded as the head of the extended Rathore clan of Hindu Rajputs.

Early history

Based on "khyats" (traditional accounts) written in seventeenth century, it is surmised that the Rathores were originally feudatories of the Ujjaini-based Gurjara-Pratihara Rajput dynasty , and may perhaps have been domiciled in the vicinity of Kannauj in the heyday of that dynasty. Pratihara-ruled Kannauj was sacked by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1019 CE, which ushered in a chaotic period for that area. A family known to us as the "Gahadvala" dynasty gained control of Kannauj and ruled for nearly a century; their best-known dynast was Raja Jaichand, their last king. The Gahadvalas were displaced from Kannauj by the invasion, in 1194 CE, of Muhammad of Ghor. It is said that Sheoji, a surviving grandson of Jaichand, made his way into the western desert with a group of faithful followers, finally settling in the town of Pali in Marwar, which was ruled by another branch of the Pratiharas. Sheoji is regarded as the patriarch of the entire Rathore clan and all Rathores trace their patrilineage back to him.

The tradition finds supports from a number of inscriptions found in the vicinity of Kannauj that mention several generations of a Rashtrakuta dynasty ruling there for two centuries. A very similar account is also mentioned in the "Rashtrayudha Kavya" of Rudrakavi, finished in 1595, who was the court poet in the court of the Rathore king, Narayana of Mayurgiri.

Marwar and beyond

The Rathores gradually spread across Marwar, forming a brotherhood of landowners and village chieftains, loosely bound to each other by ties of clan and caste. An epoch in the history both of Marwar and of the Rathores was marked by Rao Jodha, a warrior who founded a kingdom that grew to encompass all of Marwar. He also founded the city of Jodhpur in 1459, and moved his capital thither from Mandore. One of his sons, Rao Bika, established the town of Bikaner in 1488, in the Jangladesh region lying to the north of Marwar; that town was to become the seat of a second major Rathore kingdom.

The various cadet branches of the Rathore clan gradually spread to encompass all of Marwar and later sallied abroad to found states in Central India and Gujarat. At the time of India's independence in 1947, the princely states ruled by various branches of the Rathore clan included:

Jodhpur (Marwar): Covering the present-day districts of Jodhpur, Pali, Nagaur, Barmer, and Jalor.
Bikaner (Jangladesh): Covering the present-day districts of Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar and Hanumangarh;
Kishangarh in present-day Rajasthan, founded in 1611 by Raja Kishan Singh, son of Udai Singh of Marwar.
Idar in present-day Gujarat, founded in 1728 or 1729.
Ratlam in present-day Ratlam District of Madhya Pradesh, founded 1651.
Sitamau in present-day Mandsaur District of Madhya Pradesh, founded 1701 by Raja Kesho Das, of the Ratlam house.
Sailana in present-day Ratlam District of Madhya Pradesh, founded in 1730 by Raja Jai Singh, of the Ratlam house.

Rathore Genealogy

RAO SHIVA (Sheoji) | 1212-1272 A.D. RAO ASTHAN

RAO SONAG

RAO AJAY | 1272-1292 A.D. RAO DOOHAD

RAO CHACHIG | 1292-1309 A.D. RAO RAIPAL

RAO VEGAD | 1309-1313 A.D. RAO KANHA

RAO HATHUNDIYA | 1313-1323 A.D. RAO JALANSI(Second Son)

RAO BHIMKARAN(Oldest Son. Died in a battle in his father's reign)

RAO VIJAYPAL | 1323-1328 A.D. RAO CHADA

RAO BHAKAR SINGH

RAO DUNGAR SINGH | 1328-1344 A.D. RAO TIDA

RAO KHIPSA | 1344-1357 A.D. RAO SALKHA (Second Son)

-RAO KANHAD DEV (Oldest Son. His progeny did not rule.) | 1357-1374 A.D. | RAO VIRAMDEV(Third Son)

RAO MALLINATH (Oldest Son)

RAO JAITMAL

RAO SOBHIT RAO TRIBHUVAN | 1374-1383 A.D. 1373-1399 A.D. RAO CHUNDA | 1399-1423 A.D. RAO RANMAL

---RAO SATAL

RAO KANHA | 1427-1438 A.D. (1424-1427 A.D.) RAO JODHA

RAO NEEMBO 1489-1492 A.D. 1492-1515 A.D. | RAO BAGH SINGH | RAO GANGA SINGH | 1515-1532 A.D. RAO MALDEO 1532-1562 A.D.

Rathore rulers of Marwar (Jodhpur)

Rao Sheoji or Siyaji (1226-1273)
Rao Asthan (1273-1292)
Rao Doohad (1291-1309)
Rao Raipal (1309-1313)
Rao Kanhapal (1313-1323)
Rao Jalansi (1323-1228)
Rao Chada (1328-1344)
Rao Tida (1334-1357)
Rao Kanhadev (1357-1374)
Rao Biram Dev (1374-1383)
Rao Chanda or Chunda Rao (1383-1424)
Rao Kanha (1424-1427)
Rai Sanha (in rebellion) (1424-1427)
Rao Ranmal or Ranmalla (1427-1438)
Rao Jodha (1438-1488). Founder of Jodhpur.
Rao Satal (1488-1491)
Rao Suja (1491-1515)
Rao Ganga (1515-1532)
Rao Maldev or Malladeva (1532-1562)
Rao Chandrasen (1562-1584)
Raja Udai Singh or Udaya Singh (1584-1595)
Sawai Raja Suraj Singh (1595-1620)
Maharaja Gaja Singh (1620-1638)
Maharaja Jaswant Singh I (1638-1679)
Maharaja Ajit Singh (19 February 1679 - 24 June 1724). Born 1679, died 1724.
Maharaja Abhai Singh (24 June 1724 - 18 June 1749). Born 1702, died 1749.
Maharaja Ram Singh (1st time) (18 June 1749 - July 1751). Born 1730, died 1772.
Maharaja Bakht Singh (July 1751 - 21 September 1752). Born 1706, died1752.
Maharaja Bijay Singh (1st time) (21 September 1752 - 1753). Born 1724, died 1793.
Maharaja Ram Singh (2nd time) (1753 -September 1772)
Maharaja Bijay Singh (2nd time) (1772 - 17 July 1793)
Maharaja Bhim Singh (in rebellion) (13 April 1792 - 20 March 1793). Died 1803.
Maharaja Bhim Singh (17 July 1793 - 19 October 1803)
Maharaja Man Singh (19 October 1803 - 4 September 1843). Born 1783, died 1843.
Chhatra Singh (regent) (19 April 1817 - 6 January 1818). Born c.1800, died 1818.
Maharaja Takht Singh (14 October 1843 - 13 February 1873). Born 1819, died 1873.
Maharaja Jaswant Singh II (13 February 1873 - 11 Oct 1895. Born 1838, died 1895.
Maharaja Sardar Singh (11 October 1895 - 21 March 1911). Born 1880, died 1911.
Maharaja Sumer Singh (21 Mar 1911 - 3 Oct 1918). Born 1898, died 1918.
Maharaja Umaid Singh (3 October 1918 - 9 June 1947). Born 1903, died 1947.
Maharaja Hanwant Singh (9 June 1947-7 April 1949). Born 1923, acceded to India 7 April 1949, died 1952.

Rathore rulers of Bikaner (Jangladesh)

Rao Bika (1465-1504). Born 1438, died 1504. Founded Bikaner 1465. Son of Rao Jodha of Marwar.
Rao Naroji Singh (1504-1505). Son of Rao Bika.
Rao Lunkaranji (1505-1526). Son of Rao Bika.
Rao Jetsiji Singh (1526-1542). Son of Rao Lunkaranji.
Rao Kalyan Singh (1542-1571). Born 1519, died 1571. Son of Rao Jetsiji Singh.
Raja Raj Singh I (1571-1611). Born 1541, died 1612. Son of Raja Kalyan Singh.
Raja Dalpat Singh (1611-1614). Born 1565, died 1614. Son of Raja Raj Singh I.
Raja Sur Singh (1614-1631). Born 1595, died 1631. Son of Raja Raj Singh I.
Raja Karan Singh (1631-1669. Born 1616, died 1669. Son of Raja Karan Singh.
Maharaja Anup Singh (Raja 1669-1687, Maharaja 1687-1698). Born 1638, died 1698. Son of Raja Karan Singh.
Maharaja Sarup Singh (1698-1700). Born 1689, died 1700.
Maharaja Sujan Singh (1700-1736). Born 1690, died 1736.
Maharaja Zorawar Singh (1736-1745). Born 1713, died 1745.
Maharaja Gaj Singh (1745-1787). Born 1723, died 1787.
Maharaja Raj Singh II (1787). Born 1744, died 1787.
Maharaja Pratap Singh (1787). Born 1781, died 1787.
Maharaja Surat Singh (1788-1828). Born1766, died 1828.
Maharaja Ratan Singh (1828-1851). Born 1791, died 1851.
Maharaja Sardar Singh (1851-16 May 1872). Born 1818, died 1872.
Maharaja Dungar Singh (16 May 1872 - 19 August 1887). Born 1854, died 1887.
Maharaja Ganga Singh (19 August 1887-2 February 1943). Born 1880, died 1943.
Maharaja Sadul Singh (2 February 1943 - 7 April 1949). Born 1902, acceded to India 7 April 1949, died 25 September 1950)

Connection to the Rashtrakutas

At Hathundi, in what was formerly the princely state of Jodhpur , 10th century inscriptions have been found mentioning kings Harivarma, Vidagdha, Mammata, Dhavala and Balaprasada, all of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. This is not in fact surprising, since the Rashtrakutas held sway over Marwar in that era. However, as we have seen above, the Rathores first emerge in Rajasthan shortly after that same era; therefore, there have been some recent efforts to impute to the Rathores a connection with the Rashtrakutas. The connection is tenuous to say the least, being based mainly upon the similarily of the two names; it is dismissed by historians as being fanciful. One can only await further research into this question.

Some prominent Rathores

References

Dr. Hukam Singh Bhati (1990), Maheca Rathaurom ka mula itihasa: Ravala Mallinatha ke vamsaja - Maheca, Baramera, Pokarana, Kotariya aura Khavariya Rathaurom ka sodhapurna itihasa. Publisher: Ratan Prakashan, Jodhpur.
Dr. Mahendra Singh Nagar (2004), The genealogical survey: Royal house of Marwar and other states. Publisher: Maharaja Man Singh Pustak Prakashan, Jodhpur.
Bruyne, J.L. DE. (Rudra Kavi). The Great Poem of the Dynasty of Rastraudha. Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1968.

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