Kachwaha

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The Kachwaha (also Kacchavahas, Kachhawa, Kuchhwaha or Kushwaha) 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 Kachhawa clan.

Prominent branches (sub-clans) of the Kachhawa clan includes: Rajawat, Shekhawat, Gogawat, Kubhani, Naruka, Nathawat, Jeetawat, Bankawat, Balbhadrot, Khangarot and Chaturbhujot.

[edit] Legend and early history

The Kachhawas/Kushwahas belong to the Suryavanshi lineage, claiming descent from Surya, the Hindu Sun-God. Specifically, they claim descent from Kusha^[1] 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/Kushwaha" is held by many reputable sources^[2] 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', Tortoise in Sanskrit being Kashyapa.

T.H. Henley states in his Rulers of India and the Chiefs of Rajputana that the Kachhawa 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 Kutwar, Gwalior, Dubkhund, Simhapaniya and Narwar (Nalapura), all in present-day Madhya Pradesh. The Kachhawas connection to Rohtas may actually be of much more recent provenance: in the 16th century, Raja Man Singh, a Kachhawa ruler, was deputed by the mughal emperor Akbar to conquer the eastern provinces, where he remained as governor. Rohtas was his capital and many Kushwaha 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^[3] 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 Kannauj (the regional seat-of-power, following the break-up of Harsha's empire), that the Kacchapaghata state emerged as a principal power in the Chambal[6] valley of present-day Madhya Pradesh. This view is largely supported by archeological artifacts^[4] and Kacchapaghata coinage (minted in Gupta-fashion)^[5] discovered in Madya pradesh, as also by inscriptions of Gopasetra (Willis) or in the Sihoniya temple. 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 Kacchapaghatas are said to have made their capital initially at Kutwar and later at Gwalior and Simhapaniya (present-day Sihonia).^[6] At Simhapaniya, 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.^[7] According to popular legend,^[8] a Kachwaha prince of the 8th century, named Suraj/Surya Sen was responsible for the building of Gwalior fort and the founding of that city.^[9].

[edit] Dhundhar

In 1006, Dūlaha Rāya (also known as Tej Karan), a son of Soda Rāya, the ruler of Gwalior, wed a daughter of Ralhan, the Chauhan ruler of Lalsot. He received Dausa which was part of the Dhundhar region of present-day Rajasthan as dowry, this was followed by his conquest of neighboring Meenas strongholds at Manchi and Khoh. Todate, the 11th century, Jamwa Mata temple built by Dūlaha Rāya to commemorate his victory over the Meenas is still worshipped by the Kachhawas. His son Kākila Deva further consolidated and organised the Kachhawa rule in Dhundhar. Following his suppression of the Meenas, the Badgujars and the Yadavas Rajputs in Dhundhar, Raja Kākila Deva shifted his capital from Dausa westwards to Amber(Ambikeshwar/Ambawati) in 1036. By the time Kākila Deva was succeeded by his eldest son, Hanutdeva in 1039, the Kachhawas had become the undisputed sovereign of Dhundhar. Nevertheless they were destined to have lost most of their domain in present day Madhya Pradesh by the early 12th century, save but the Rajawati fiefdoms that todate still dots the area adjoining Rajasthan and Madhya pradesh (being the area around Sawai Madhopur/Narwar). The original capital of the state in Dhundhar was thus Dausa prior to the shift to Amber and Jaipur respectively.

Jaigarth, the invincible Fort of Amber and sacred sactuary of the Kachhawas.

Another alliance with the Chauhan was forged through the marriage of Prince Pajwan(Pradhyumn)Singh with a sister of Prithviraj III of Delhi as recorded in the chronicles of the Prithviraj Raso. Pajwan 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 Kachawas 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. During the siege of Ranthambore by the Khilji invaders, Rajadeva is said to have given his support to Rana Hamir of Mewar. Rajadeva is said to have added much fortification, temples and water tanks to his capital of Amber. 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, the son bourn through this marriage being none other than the next Mughal emperor Jahangir. 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. Raja Bhagwan Das (1575-1589) brought with him the secret of artillery production from Lahore (where he and his son Man Singh remained for many years as governor) to Amber in 1584, soon cannons began to be made at the Foundry in Jaigarh Fort(including the world's largest cannon on wheels, the Jaivana[7]), much to the infuriation of the Mughals who kept the secret to themselves ever since they used it in the epic battles, against the Lodhis and the Rajputs.

In 1589, Bhagwan Das was succeeded by 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.

The Jaivana, casted in 1720 is the largest cannon in Asia and largest wheel mounted cannon in the world

Jai Singh I (1622-1667), commonly known by the title 'Mirza Raja' conferred to him by 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 (1667-1688) earned the lasting displeasure of Aurangzeb, who suspected him of complicity in the escape of Shivaji from Agra. As soon as Ram Singh ascended the throne of Amber in 1667, Aurangzeb sent him off to govern the remote and unhealthy border of Assam, having survived this post, he was sent to govern the north-western Khyber Frontier where he died, at Kohat in April 1688. He was succeeded by his Grandon, Raja Bishan Singh (1689-1700), whom remained for a time the governor of Mathura. Bishan Singh suffered a fatal shot by Afghan Insurgents while quelling a revolt in Kabul in 1700.

Sawai Jai Singh II (1700-1743), a grandson of his namesake Mirza Raja Jai Singh I, was known to be supremely talented - politically, intellectually and on the battle field. 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, Urdu 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 but was abolished 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 while his reign was known to his people as 'Ram rajye ek lahar' 'a wave of the rule of Rama'(Tillotson). 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 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 Kachhawas.

[edit] Kachhawa rulers in Dhundhar

• Dūlaha Rāya (c. 1006-1036)
• Kākila Deva (c. 1036-1038)
• Hunutdeva
• Janad Deva (1151-1168)
• Pajwanrai/Pradhyumn Singh (1168-1191)
• Malesi Dev
• Bijal Dev
• Rajadeva
• Kilhan Dev
• Kantal Deva
• Udayakarna (1366-1388)
• Nahar Singh Dev (1388-1427)
• Banvir (1427-1439)
• Uddrah Ram (1439-1467)
• Chandra Sen (1467-1502)
• Prithvi Raj (1502-1527)
• Puran Mal (1527-1534)
• Bhima (1534- 1548)
• Ratan Singh(1537-1548)
• Bhāramala/Bihārīmala(1548- 1573)
• Bhagwan Das (1573 -1589)
• Man Singh I (1589-1614)
• Jagat Singh I (1614)
• Bhao Singh (1614-1622)
• Maharaja Jai Singh I (1622-1667)
• Maharaja Ram 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)

[edit] The 12 Kothris

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.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ RajputIndia website,
2. ^ Tod, James (1829) Annals and Antiquities of the Rajpootana states.
3. ^ Tod, James (1829) Annals and Antiquities of the Rajpootana states
4. ^ [1]
5. ^ [2]
6. ^ [3]
7. ^ [4]
8. ^ According to this legend, Suraj (Surya) Sen, 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, Suraj (Surya) Sen 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
9. ^ [5]

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• 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
• Tillotson G, (2006) Jaipur Nama, Penguin books
• 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