Dr Sushil Bhati
In Rajasthan Gurjaras
use words ‘Nakh’ for clan and ‘Ghaad’ for khap respectively.
Here Gurjaras are
divided in two endogamous multi-clan groups – Laur and Khari. Laur Gurjaras
claim their origin from Lava, the son of Rama. While Khari Gurjaras claim
Kush, the another son of Rama as their progenitor.
There is a Multi-clan
khap of Khari Gurjar known as “Chaurasi” with Gangapur city as it’s
headquarter. Chaurasi means the Khap of eighty four villages. Khari Gurjara
“Chaurasi” khap, covers the villages of Bayana, Bharatpur, Swai Madhopur,
Karauli, Jaipur and Udaipur districts.
Khatana clan of Gurjaras
in karauli has a khap (Barah) of 12 villages. Village Kaimri and Tesh Gaon are the
headqurters of the Khap. Sooda Baba is regarded as the ancestor of the Khap.
There is proverb regarding the khap headquarter-
“ Ghane Khatane
kaimri Tongad Bhandarez
Mare Haten Na Bainsle
Kachhawahe Amer”
Bainsla clan of Gurjaras
in Karauli district has a Khap (Barah) of 12 villages. Village Gudla Pahari is
headquarter of the Khap. Bainslas immigrated to this area from village Kanaawar
of Bayana.
Bidarwas clan of Gurjara
has a khap of 12 villages in Karauli district . Toka Bindpura village is the headquarters
of the khap.
Mawai clan in
Karauli-Bayana area has khap of 12 villages with village Tali Kot as it’s
headquarter.
Mawai Clan of Gurjaras
also has another khap in Bayana area. The khap has 12 Villages and Rarouda is
it’s headquarter.
Kasana clan of Gurjaras
in Sikandara area of Dausa district has khap of 12 villages.
Kasanas’ another khap
has 12 Villages in Kotpootli area of Jaipur .
Biggest Kasana Khap in
Rajasthan is in Dholpur area which consists of a group of 28 villages.
Originally they may have been twenty four which grew into twenty eight with a
span of time.
Rawat clan of Gurjaras
in Kotpootli area of Jaipura has a khap of 12 Villages.
Poswal khap of Gurjaras
in Swai Madhopur district has 12 villages. Village Kochar ka Dera is the
headquarters of the khap.
Ghuraiyya clan of
Gurjaras has a khap of 28 villages in Dholpur district. Originally they may
have been twenty four which grew into twenty eight over a span of time. Village
Bichhiya Maroli is the headquarters of the khap. It is believed that Ghuraiyyas
came here from Ghuraiyya Basai village of Madhya Pradesh.
Tanwar clan of Gurjaras
has a khap of 12 villages which lies in the basin of Gambhir river. The khap is
situated in Bayana area with village Maroli as it’s headquarter. The Tanwar
Gurjaras are believed to have come here from Delhi. Propbably their headquarter
name Maroli is a Corruption of town named Mehrauli in Delhi where Tanwar
Gurjaras still have a khap of 12 villages. It is interesting to note that
Mehrauli, Delhi was the capital of Tanwar Rulers of Delhi.
Kaanwar Khap of Gurjaras
in Bayana area has 12 villages and village Tarsooma and Ghunaini forms its
headquarters.
Dhadandiya clan of
Gurjaras has a khap of 12 villages in Badnor-Aseend area of Bhilwara
district.
There is a multi-clan
Gurjaras khap of 13 villages in Mahaveer ji area. Among 13 villages Panwar clan
has 5 villages. Chauhan, Harshana, karhana and Riyana clans also own villages
of khap. Village Akbarpur and Naurangabad of the khap lies in vicinity of Mahaveer
ji. Dev Narayan temple in Mahveer ji is the meeting place of the khap.
‘Solanga’ is also a
multi clan khap of Gurjaras. Solanga means group of sixteen villages.
Khap lies in Mahuwa area of Dausa district. Fagna, Peelwan, Dayma,
Chechi, Awana clans of Gurjaras owns the villages in Solanga Khap. Village
Gajipur Khaavda is the headquarters of the Khap. Dev Narayan Temple in
this village is the meeting place of the khap.
Thus, we witness many
Barahas i.e. group of twelve villages of a particular Clan of Gurjaras in North
Eastern Rajasthan. Alberuni who visited India with Mahmud Ghaznavi in the
beginning of eleventh century tells us about a ‘Gujarat’ in the same region
with Bazan as its capital. Bazan may be identified with Bayana as sometimes y
changes with j as yogi is called jogi in Prakrit or Apabhramsa. In Bayana
Gurjaras have 80 villages in region known as “Nehda” in local idiom.There
is also a chaurasi of Khari Gurjaras.
In South and South
Eastern Rajasthan Such Clan ‘Barahas’ are rare. Here we mostly find mix clan
Gurjara villages. South Rajasthan was the stronghold of the Gurjaras from about
550 to 1000 A D. Hieung Tsang (629-645 A D) in his book Si Yu ki speaks of Gujar
kingdom with Bhinmal in modern South Rajasthan as its Capital. Astronomar
Brahmgupta informs us that ruler of Bhinmal Vyaghrmukh belonged to the Chapa
(modern Chavda or Chaprana clans) dynasty. Later a Pratihara family ruled the
region ‘Gurjarratra’ i.e. Modern South Rajasthan with Mandor as its Capital.
The Pratihara family of Mandor was the feudatory of imperial Gurjara Pratiharas
of Kannauj and like them claimed their descent from Lakshmana, the brother of
Rama. Thus, Mandor Pratiharas may have been the branch of imperial Gurjara
Pratihara family of Kannauj.
Famous historian R S
Sharma ascribes the formation of these units of 12 villages or its multiples to
the Gurjara Pratihara’s or their feudatories rule in North Western India during
the early medieval period. He says what distinguished the Gurjara Pratihara
polity from that of contemporary Rastrakutas and Palas was the imposition of
clan aristocracies on old, settled villages. He further says that Gujar imposed
themselves as dominant clans on settled villages. The tribal practice that
spoils should be distributed among the members of the tribe led to the
apportionment of villages among the conquering chiefs, some of them received
them in units of 84.
It seems quite clear
that the ‘Barahas’ were granted by Gurjara Pratiharas to the clan leaders or
aristocracies after their victory in north of Ujjain, which was their capital
before their rise as a imperial power. It is seen above that in olden days
‘Gurjarratra’ Gurjaras have mix clan villages instead of unit of twelve
villages.
References
1. R S Sharma, Indian Feudalism, AD
300-1200,Delhi, 2006https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1403928630
2. B.N. Puri, History of the
Gurjara Pratiharas, Bombay, 1957
3. V. A. Smith, The Gurjaras of
Rajputana and Kanauj, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain
and Ireland, (Jan., 1909), pp.53-75
4. V A Smith, The Oford
History of India, IV Edition, Delhi, 1990
5. P C Bagchi, India and
Central Asia, Calcutta, 1965
6. Romila Thapar, A History
of India, Vol. I., U.K. 1966.
7. R S Tripathi, History
of Kannauj
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