Kachhwaha

This article is about a Rajput clan historically associated with Jaipur state. For agricultural communities of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, see Kushwaha. For people bearing the surname Kushwaha, see Kushwaha (surname).

The Kachhwaha, is a Rajput clan found primarily in India.^[1][2]

Kachhwaha House of Amber
The Pachranga flag originally used by Man Singh I
Parent house	Kachchhapaghata dynasty
Country	Khoh Jaipur State Alwar State Shekhawati Kohra Estate
Founded	1028
Founder	Dulha Rai
Current head	Padmanabh Singh
Final ruler	Man Singh II
Titles	Raja of Khoh Maharaja of Amber Raja of Jaipur Raja of Alwar Maharaja of Sirmaur Maharaja of Maihar Maharao of Shekhawati Raja of Talcher Babu of Kohra Subahdar of Bengal Subahdar of Lahore Subahdar of Kabul

Etymology

According to Cynthia Talbot, the meaning of word Kachhwaha is tortoise.^[3]

Origin

Original Jharshahi Flag (Kovidar/kachnar dhvaj)

There are numerous theories on the origin of the Kachhwahas. Prominent of those theories are of claiming scion from the Suryavansh and the Kurma Avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Suryavansh origin

Suryavansh Dynasty or Ikshwaku Dynasty or Raghuvansh Dynasty : Kachwaha (Kushwah) claim descent from Kush, a son of the avatar of Vishnu, Rama, as expressed by them citing historical documents during the Supreme court of India proceedings on Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.^[4] Ish Devji a Kachhwaha Raja of outstanding merit, with his capital at Gwalior, is recorded to have died in 967 A.D. Brahmin genealogists place him as being the three hundred & third generation after Ikshwaku. The Kachhwahas of Amber are descendants of Ish Devji. According to Rima Hooja, the Kachhwahas initially called themselves "Kachhapaghata", "Kachwaha" and "Katsawaha". "Kachawa" word became popular in the late 16th century during the reign of Raja Man Singh. There are many inscriptions and manuscripts which prove this theory, like the ones found in Balvan, Chatsu, Sanganer and Rewasa.^[5]

History

Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (1688–1743) one of the Greatest Kachhwaha Ruler.

Chandramahal in City Palace, Jaipur, which was built by the Kachwaha Rajputs.

Dulha Rai

Kachhwaha established their kingdoms in the Dhundhar region of modern Rajasthan in the 11th century. One Kachhwaha Dulha Rai conquered most of the Dhundhar area from Bargujars.^[6][7]

Raja Kakil deo

After Dulherai, his son Kakil Deo defeated the Meenas of Amer and made Amer the capital of Dhundhar after Khoh.^[8][9] He also defeated the Ahirs of Dhundhar region and annexed their territories in the battles of Med and Bairath. Bairath is the corrupted name of Viratnagar which has a great significance in Mahabharata.

Raja Pajawan

Raja Pajawan helped Prithviraj Chauhan in his most of the campaigns and conquests. In total, he is credited to have fought 64 battles in his career. He was married to a cousin of Prithviraj Chauhan.^[6] He died before the popular Battle of Tarain.

Raja Prithviraj Singh I

Kachhwaha King Prithviraj Singh I fought along with Rana Sanga at battle of Khanwa.^[6] He was married to the daughter of Rao Lunkarna of Bikaner, with all his wives summed to nine, giving birth to 18 sons. One of his sons, Purnamal died fighting with Humayun's brother Hindal in a battle that occurred in 1539 AD.

Raja Man Singh I

He was one of the most trusted nobles of Akbar. He was the supreme commander of the Mughal forces. He built the Amer Fort. He built and saved a number of Hindu temples.

Sawai Jai Singh II

He built the pink city of Jaipur and five astronomical observatories at Delhi, Jaipur, Benaras, Mathura and Ujjain. He also established Govind Dev Ji temple at Jaipur.

Notable people

Khoh Kingdom

• Dulha Rai
• Kakil

Amer Kingdom

• Pajawan
• Prithviraj Singh I
• Bharmal
• Bhagwant Das
• Man Singh I
• Mirza Raja Jai Singh I

Jaipur State

• Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II
• Maharaja Ram Singh I
• Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I
• Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh
• Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II
• Maharani Gayatri Devi
• Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh
• Princess Diya Kumari
• Maharaja Padmanabh Singh

Alwar State

• Rao Raja Pratap Singh
• Colonel HH Raj Rishi Shri Sawai Maharaja Sir Jai Singh
• HH Raj Rishi Shri Sawai Maharaja Jitendra Singh
• Rajkumari Bhuvneshwari Kumari

Kohra Estate

• Babu Himmat Sah
• Babu Bhoop Singh

Shekhawati Region

• Rao Shekha
• Ajit Singh of Khetri
• Raja Raisal Darbari of Khandela
• Rao Shardul Singh of Jhunjhunu

References

1. Sen, Sailendra Nath (2007). Textbook of Indian History and Culture. New Delhi, India: Macmillan India Limited. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-4039-3200-6.
2. The Rajput Palaces: The Development of an Architectural Style, 1450–1750 p. 88 – "the Kachwaha Rajputs ( who had previously ruled in Gwalior ) established themselves in an adjacent region , founding Dhundar as their capital in 967 AD ISBN 9780195647303."
3. Talbot, Cynthia (2015). "Imagining the Rajput Past in Mughal–era Mewar". The Last Hindu Emperor: Prithviraj Cauhan and the Indian Past, 1200–2000 (illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 146–182. doi:10.1017/CBO9781316339893.006. ISBN 9781316339893. This is a reference to Pajjun's family name, Kachhwaha, which means tortoise
4. Asnani, Rajesh (11 August 2019). "Citing historical documents, Jaipur royals claim to be descendants of Lord Rama". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
5. History of Rajasthan by Rima Hooja Section:The Kachwahas of Dhoondhar p. 2 ISBN 9788129108906
6. Sarkar, Jadunath (1994). A History of Jaipur: C. 1503–1938. Orient Blackswan. pp. 20–33. ISBN 978-81-250-0333-5.
7. Wink, André (2002). Al-hind: The Making of the Indo-islamic World. BRILL. p. 287. ISBN 978-90-04-09249-5.
8. Jaigarh, the Invincible Fort of Amber. RBSA Publishers, 1990. 1990. p. 18. ISBN 9788185176482.
9. Taknet, D. K.; IntegralDMS (7 July 2016). Jaipur: Gem of India. IntegralDMS. ISBN 978-1-942322-05-4.

Further reading

• Bayley C. (1894) Chiefs and Leading Families in Rajputana
• Henige, David (2004). Princely states of India;A guide to chronology and rulers
• Jyoti J. (2001) Royal Jaipur
• Krishnadatta Kavi, Gopalnarayan Bahura(editor) (1983) Pratapa Prakasa, a contemporary account of life in the court at Jaipur in the late 18th century
• Khangarot, R.S., and 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