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This project is NOT to cause any divisions within communities regardless

of faith, culture or colour. Remember, the caste system is not permissible
in Islam. This is purely referential and educational.

Kshatriya (Khatri) History

According to the Hindu code of Manu, a Kshatriya is a
member of the military or reigning order, the second ranking
caste of the Indian varna system of four castes, the first
 being the Brahmin or priestly caste, the third the Vaishya
or mercantile caste and the lowest the Shudra. In Nepal
the Kshatriyas are known as Chhetris.
Sanskrit kshatriya is derived from ksatra "dominion, power,
government" and ultimately from a root ksi "to rule, govern,
possess".
In early Vedic civilization, the warrior caste was called
r&#257;janya rather than kshatriya, an adjective to r&#257;jan
"ruler,
king" from a root r&#257;j "to rule", cognate to Latin rex "
king"
and German Reich "empire".
In India, the period after the Epic Age or the Later Vedic
Age (roughly 1000 BC to 600 BC) was marked by the rise of
numerous small kingdoms. The rising popularity and aspirations
of the Brahmin priests began to collide with the authority of
the Kshatriyas, who formed the ruling class of each kingdom.
The struggle involved the Kshatriya nobility and the Brahman
clergy in all the Indo-Aryan regions from Iran to northern
India.
Some Khatris of the Punjab believe that they are descended
from the original Kshatriya families of ancient times. In the
Punjab, the name khatri is the Punjabi dialect for the
Sanskrit word Kshatriya. The modern Khatri is less in the role
of a farmer, and more often a businessman, government worker,
landlord, military officer or soldier. They are by far the
most educated group in Punjab, along with the Punjabi
Brahmins.
In modern India, caste is determined by familial inheritance,
but not all present members of Kshatriya castes are
necessarily descended from the Vedic Kshatriyas. Many
historical rulers came from other castes, or were descended
from non-Hindu foreign conquerors, and were either granted de
facto Kshatriya status by virtue of the power they held, or
they created fictionalized family histories to connect
themselves to past Kshatriya rulers. The Maratha ruler
Shivaji, for example, was from non-Kshatriya origins, but in
order to legitimize himself as the Maratha king he created a
dubious genealogy that traced his family to the Sesodia
dynasty of Rajputs, and found a prestigious Brahmin to conduct
a ritual of consecration that acknowledged his kingship while
absolving Shivaji of living as a non-Kshatriya. The caste
system spread, along with Hinduism, throughout India and into
southeast Asia, but not necessarily by immigration; peoples
with non-Vedic origins may have adopted the vedic castes as
they acculturated into Hinduism.
The Rajputs of Rajasthan and northern India also claim to
 be the bona fide descendants of the Vedic Kshatriyas. The
history of the Rajputs before c. 1000 CE is obscure, and
historians have speculated on Rajput origins; some understand
them to be relatively direct descendants of the Kshatriyas,
while others favor a hybrid origin, wherein Kshatriyas mixed
with the descendants of invading warrior tribes from the
northwest.
The Rajputs themselves usually do not take kindly to the
hybrid theory: traditionally, they view themselves as the only
surviving pure Kshatriyas, claiming also that originally, this
was the highest caste in the Hindu caste system, going back to
an Indo-Aryan patriarchal system where the king or dominant
warrior was at the apex of the social framework.
In addition to the Marathas, there are other Kshatriya
communities in India, such as the Kunbis, Kurmis, Jats,
e
Yadavs, etc. that were likely members of other agrarian or
tribal communities, and were baptized as warriors by Hindu
kings to supplement their armies.
Other names for Kshatriya
In Nepal the Kshatriyas are known as Chhetris (in Nepal)
/ Chhatry/Khatri (in Punjab). Like other varna, the
Kshatriyas may also be further subdivided into various jaati o
r sub-castes depending on the location in the Indian
sub-continent.
Etymology of Kshatriya
Sanskrit kshatriya is derived from ksatra "dominion, power,
government" and ultimately from a root ksi "to rule, govern,
possess".
In early Vedic civilization, the Kshatriya caste was called

r&#257;janya rather than kshatriya, an adjective to r&#257;jan

"ruler,
king" from a root r&#257;j "to rule", cognate to Latin rex "
king"
and German Reich "empire".
In India, the period after the Epic Age or the Later Vedic Age
(roughly 1000 BC to 600 BC) was marked by the rise of
numerous small kingdoms. The Brahmins (priests, religious
teachers, philosophers) generally were advisors of Kshatriya
Kings, who were rulers of each kingdom. The nexus involving
the Kshatriyas and the Brahmins manifested in all the
Indo-Aryan regions from Iran to northern and southern
India. In some parts of southern India, some of the Brahmins
traditionally married Kshatriya girls, but whose offspring's
live with their mother and were considered to be of Kshatriya
caste and not as Brahmins (matrilineal descend).
Modern descendants
Khatris
All are descended from the original Kshatriya families of
ancient times. The modern Khatri is less in the role of a
Raja, and more often a government worker, landlord, military
officer or soldier. Raja of porus was a a Hindu khatri with a
sabhrwal sub-caste.
Foreign elements
Not all rulers in the past are necessarily descended from the
Vedic Kshatriyas. Many rulers in the recent past came from
other castes, or were descended from non-Hindu foreign
conquerors, and were either granted de facto "Kshatriya
status" by virtue of the power they held. The varna system
spread, through acculturation, throughout India and into
southeast Asia; for instance, the Sakas, Yavanas,
Kambojas, Pahlavas, Paradas etc were the foreign invaders
from north-west but were finally assimilated into the Indian
community having Kshatriya status (Ref: History and Culture of
Indian People, The Vedic Age, pp 286-87, 313-14). See also:
[1]. Manu Smriti attests that these tribes were originally
noble Kshatriyas, but were later relegated to Vrishala status
(degraded Kshatriya status) on account of the reason that they
did not follow the sacred Brahmanical rites and codes
and had neglected the Brahmanas in their countries. The
modern representatives of the ancient Kambojas still live as
Kamboj/Kamboh in greater
Punjab, and the Kamoz/Camoje/Kam in Nurestan province of
Afghanistan. The Kamboj are noted for their contribution to
agriculture and military fields.
Rajputs
The Rajputs of Rajasthan and northern India also claim
to be the bona fide descendants of the Vedic Kshatriyas. The
Earliest known Modern recording of Rajput history goes back to
Bappa Rawal (Kalbhoj) (b. Prince Kalbhoj, ca 713-d. 753,
eighth ruler of the Guhilot Dynasty and founder of the Mewar
Dynasty which has the distinction of being the oldest
surviving royal dynasty in the world.( Reference http://en.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurkha )
Historians have speculated on Rajput origins; some understand
them to be relatively direct descendants of the Kshatriyas,
while others favor a hybrid origin, wherein Kshatriyas mixed
with the descendants of invading warrior tribes from the
northwest. This is supported by the Agni Purana which contends
 that the Rajputs were born from the fire which resides in Mt.
Abu in North-western India after the supposed "destruction of
pure Kshatriyas".
The Rajputs themselves usually do not take kindly to the
hybrid theory: traditionally, they view themselves as one of
the surviving pure Kshatriya sub-caste, claiming also that
originally this was the noblest caste in the Hindu caste
system going back to an Indo-Aryan patriarchal system. In
those ancient times, the King or Kshatriya ruler was at the
apex of the social order in which Brahmins were spritual
advisors of Kings. The Kings gave them separate autonomous
villages for settlements as dana or "gifts" which had their
own independent administration and rules.
Marathas
Marathas or marhattas is another group consisting of 96
royal clans .Historians often debate their origin. They are
thought to be descendents of Scythians who later on mixed
with local population. Their religious beliefs and many
customs originates from Rigveda like worship of Aditya, Indra
and Mahadeva (Mahideva). Perhaps their traditions are unbroken
since the days of Rigveda.Their status in varna system is
always a matter of debate because they precede the Varna
system .Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadava,
Shilahar, Kadamb, Bhosale are famous Maratha dynasties in
Indian history.
See also
*Hinduism
*Varnas
*Caste
*Brahmin
*Vaishya
*Shudra
*Untouchables
*Aryan invasion theory

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